airmoss Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 I'm posting this TR for my climbing partner Troy who's PC is down. On sunday June 1 AirMoss and I climbed the Sandy Glacier Headwall. Hailing from the Tacoma area, we were looking at a 4 hr. drive, so we decided to take Air's motorhome so that we could catch some quality Z's in the parking lot after such a long drive. For 2+hrs. we listened to pickets clanking, people talking, even rap "music", giving Timberline parking lot a somewhat festive air (not at all conducive to scrumptious sack time). We left the parking lot at 1:30a.m. taking our place in the continuous line of headlamps stretching from Timberline to Orions Belt. Strong winds, stars overhead and some cloudiness was the theme for the next 2 hrs, interupted occasionally by Ol'Blue (the snow cat) ferrying the wealthier baggers (unmotivated punters?) to the top of the chair lift. At that point we left the throngs for the misty traverse to Illumination Saddle. I was secretly feeling like bailing, with the poor visibility and strong winds blowing my "fairweather climber" Bag(in fact my mojo was lost), when Moses like, the clouds parted, the wind stopped, and dawn broke just as we reached Illumination Saddle at 4:30 a.m. Onward and Upward!!! The previous biblical scene soon turned into the frozen Hell of Breakable Crust on the Reid glacier. Two steps on top, the next to the knee!! CURSES!!!! I soon discovered why they call AirMoss, AirMoss. That bastard can stay on top of breakable crust like an Elf !!!!! (or am I a few HoHo's and Dingdong's heavier?). NOW WE FULLY INTENDED ON DOING THE LOWER TRAVERSE (around the toe of Yokum Ridge). We had read the threads and agreed with the lower is better crowd, but the breakable crust was a strong pursuader for the higher 8600' traverse. No way in Hell was I going to posthole around Yokum Ridge!! I AM HERE TO TESTIFY AND BEAR WITNESS THIS VERY DAY, THE 8600' TRAVERSE IS THE SHIZNIT, BIOTCH !!!!!!!!!! It was very straight foreward and obvious, in fact it was downright easy. And the best part was that I stayed on top of the crust all the way to the Sandy Glacier, WHAT A HUGE SHORTCUT !!!! But alas the snow of the Sandy softened just enough to allow me (not Air ) to sink to the knee. We roped back up for the glacier, crossed a couple of crevasses and a couple of weird 8' deep runnels before arriving at the bulletproof ice of the SandyGlacier Headwall at 7:00 a.m. 2 and a half hrs. after leaving Illumination Saddle. The route was (as predicted) 45 to 50 degrees, perfect for Pied a Plat/Piolet canne. I was Frenching like Gaston Rebufatt when the first of several baseball sized ice chunks persuaded me to whip out the second tool and practice my low dagger/front point technique from deep, deep within my helmet! We were unroped for the headwall. Just above the Hourglass I saw tracks comming down Cathedral Ridge, into the headwall, then up to the right towards the Upper Buttress of Yokum Ridge. As I got closer I could tell that the tracks were made by a four legged animal that had crossed through the day before during the heat of the day (as they were an inch or two deep). I waited until AirMoss came to the spot to confirm that A CANINE ASCENDED THE 1937 ROUTE !!!! Two hrs. from the base we arrived at Queens Chair, just in time to see some playas finishing up the Leuthold Couloir. We followed their tracks to the summit celebration in progress. At 10:00 a.m. we began the long, brutal slog-o-rama to the car, speeding the process by skirting the bergshrund on the opposite side of the multitude. We also stayed well to the side to prevent undesireable "Flossing" from roped but proless parties. 10 hrs. and 30 mins. after starting we arrived back at the parking lot and that sweet rehydrating nectar I SO craved !!! Next time I think I'll take the snow cat, definately do the 8600' traverse, absolutely do the 1937 "Dog" route, and damn sho nuff gwanna take skis for the descent, yes sir ! NAMASTE, Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b-rock Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodchester Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 Funny how washington climbers without fail head for the SGH since it's the only decent Hood route in Nelson/Potterfield Now with Yocum in the new edition that will be the only other route WA's do now. As for skis, I skied the old chute that day, it wasn't worth it . I got up there too early, got bored waiting for the sun to finally do some work, so it was a bulletproof affair with atrocious runout. Bringing skis to the saddle at least, however, is mandatory. Nice work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airmoss Posted June 3, 2003 Author Share Posted June 3, 2003 Actually, Hood is our favorite volcanoe. We climbed the Reid HW last year and I actually think it is funner than the Sandy HW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 cool, just seems like a lot of folks have been hitting the sandy hw in the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabertooth Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 Airmoss, congradulations on your climb. Nice talking to you on the summit. I was in the yellow shell. Nice TR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airmoss Posted June 3, 2003 Author Share Posted June 3, 2003 Hey, same here. We always seem to meet the nicest people on the summit of Hood. Where in WA are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalius Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 airmoss said: ...interupted occasionally by Ol'Blue (the snow cat) ferrying the wealthier baggers (unmotivated punters?) to the top of the chair lift. You gotta be kidding me. Right? People calling themselves mountaineers actually pay to take a cat up to the top of the chair? Holy shite, that mountain isn't that much of a hike from Timberline to begin with! How can anybody feel like they actually climbed the mountain after getting a ride up that slope? Next thing ya know people will be hiring porters on Mt. Hood. Sheesh! Somebody please tell me this is just a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btowle Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 No joke! In fact on Friday night / Saturday morning I think more took the cat than hiked. A lot of the cat riders would have a problem getting to the top otherwise I think. I started hiking from the parking lot at 10:30 to try to beat the masses. I caught the 11:00 snow cat riders at the hogsback and sat on the summit for 40 minutes alone (one other lone hiker was with me for the last 10 minutes) before they arrived. I wasn't speed climbing either. The first snowcat riders that left at 11:00 didn't summit until about 5:30am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 dalius said: airmoss said: ...interupted occasionally by Ol'Blue (the snow cat) ferrying the wealthier baggers (unmotivated punters?) to the top of the chair lift. You gotta be kidding me. Right? People calling themselves mountaineers actually pay to take a cat up to the top of the chair? Holy shite, that mountain isn't that much of a hike from Timberline to begin with! How can anybody feel like they actually climbed the mountain after getting a ride up that slope? Next thing ya know people will be hiring porters on Mt. Hood. Sheesh! Somebody please tell me this is just a joke. That slog up the T-line ski area is hella boring and feels like the Bataan death march at times--do it more than twice in a season and you're beginning to really dread it. While I tend to agree with the aesthetic of moving forward under your own power, when I was offered a free ride on the cat I took it. I'd never pay for it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatnose Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 My friend Chris and I climbed Sandy on Tuesday morning. We took the most direct finish at the end of the headwall, probably somewhere close to the 1937 variation. The last 100 ft or so gets pretty steep, about 60 degree hard snow. A great finish and a fun route, highly recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 can't say that i disagree w/ rob...slogging uphill on the wonderfully compact groomed slopes is like already having pulled off satan's pants...might as well seal the deal, no? the real question is whether you can smoke out the cat cab...man, every time i'm sweating it uphill and see those fuckers roll past i KNOW they gotta be up to their eye-balls in good times (and a fine reason to give'em a wide berth) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 you feel like you teeth are going to rattle out when you're in there. It's usually packed too. I'll admit, I've hitched a ride on the thing when there has been room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 ivan said: can't say that i disagree w/ rob...slogging uphill on the wonderfully compact groomed slopes is like already having pulled off satan's pants...might as well seal the deal, no? the real question is whether you can smoke out the cat cab...man, every time i'm sweating it uphill and see those fuckers roll past i KNOW they gotta be up to their eye-balls in good times (and a fine reason to give'em a wide berth) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airmoss Posted June 4, 2003 Author Share Posted June 4, 2003 How much for a cat ride? I looked at Timberline's web site and could not see a price. One time I was sweltering up the cat track and one rolled by with cases of beer and wine strapped to it. Talk about brutal. I got nothing to prove on the track and would hitch a ride any day. Now, if I could get me a snow-cat and run it up to Muir, I would probably be able to retire after a couple of seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 $120 a load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalius Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 airmoss said: Now, if I could get me a snow-cat and run it up to Muir, I would probably be able to retire after a couple of seasons. Seriously, why stop at the top of the chairs? Why not take it all the way to the summit? Or get a cat to take you to Rainier's crater rim and then walk across to the summit! You could stay warm, drink a ton of whiskey, and smoke tons of doobies the whole way up Rainier in true style! Why is RMI making all those people walk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 the current record for the brand new cat at T-Line (I'm not talking about the old blue Thiecol but the new Bombardier thing) is the base of Crater Rock during a rescue in May last year. Gets pretty sketchy when it is tilted back and you have to climb out of the thing to get out. Definitely couldn't go higher. And that's with the best-of-the-best cat drivers. Some of those guys are real pros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalius Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Yeah, but if you fix a steel cable, those things can pretty much go vertical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 they could tie it off to the engine up on crater rock BTW if you are forced up the southside routes these days I recommend adding on the gulley that splits crater rock as a nice enclosed short 50°ish ice poke (very short). Drops you high on crater rock looking down on the normal route, then you can traverse around and climb down to the hogsback or summit crater rock. Make sure it's cold. It may be gone already now that I think of it. There's all this old timber and stuff down in one of the gulleys up there from back in the '30's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljosephnozel Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Hey Dalius, before too much chestbeating, keep in mind that it is all relative. Goran Kropp would probably have asked you, "What the f, Dalius, you DRIVE to the trailhead? What's next, flying to Maui? Sheesh!! (or some Scandinavian equivalent)." Of course, Goran Kropp is no longer around to ask ANY questions, but you get the idea . . . . There is always someone who will interpret the data differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 yes and no. Can someone who drives to the top of a mountain say they've climbed it? Where do you draw the line? IMHO, the slog up the ski area is part of the climb. However, I've already done it enough times that if the opportunity came to ride the snowcat or chairlift up, I may take it. I've already done my time, I don't feel the need to continue to do it every time I climb the mountain. I agree that there are probably many people who take the snowcat that wouldn't make it up otherwise, and perhaps these people shouldn't claim to have climbed the mountain, maybe not even be on the mountain at all. If they can't make the easy part, why should they be on the hard part? Seeing as how they probably won't stop the snowcat, I think they should just run the chairlift starting at midnight. Much quieter, doesn't have that aweful smell, and doesn't kill your nightvision. Then all the gumbies can use it and say they climbed the mountain. The rest of us can use it to skip the boring part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalius Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 michaeljosephnozel said: Hey Dalius, before too much chestbeating... I don't claim to be hardcore in any way. It just seems so silly that people actually go out for what's probably their one mountaineering experience, and a light one at that, and they can't even carry their load right from the start. It's only Mt. Hood, yeah, but the extreme is having some sherpa short rope ya up a mountain, carry all your shit, ascend a bunch of fixed lines, only to claim to "climb" a mountain. Is that really "climbing a mountain?" I just think it's bad style, that's all, and I wouldn't do it myself. Others are definitely free to do what they want, and I have a right to laugh at them, just as Goran has a right to laugh at me for driving to the trailhead. I was just shocked to hear that people do this on Hood of all places. blah blah blah blah blah...yadda yadda yadda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 They use the snowcat in the summer to shuttle skiers to the top of the palmer too. I think you're making much ado about nothing. Not everyone who rides the snowcat is a newbie nor are they wussing out--their styling out. If you haven't hiked that slog up the lift at least ten times then you really don't know what the hell you're talking about. Its not climbing--its barely hiking. You're walking up through a groomed ski area and oftentimes their running the groomers as you trudge it so its hardly a "mountaineering" experience anyway. Shit--I think they need to style one of those snowcats out with a wetbar, some laval lamps, a bubbler, some velvet pillows and the swiss bikini mountaineering team. It is a snow"cat" right? Shaggadelic. I agree with Ursa though--it'd be nice if they ran the lift at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.