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[TR] Mt. Hood- Leuthold Couloir 3/22/2004


Chad_A

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Climb: Mt. Hood-Leuthold Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 3/22/2004

 

Trip Report:

Well, I finally got pics back, so I thought I'd post a quick TR, especially because I've never done one. Here goes:

 

Couldn't find anyone to go up with, so I figured I'd go solo. Not a soloist by nature, but based on what I know of the route, it's not really worth roping up for, anyway. So, got out of work at 10 pm, went home, and got an hour and a half of sleep. Brewed tea, got in the Jeep, and headed for T-Line. Left the truck, with the pack prepacked from the day before, at about 2:20 am.

 

Started up toward Palmer; brilliantly clear outside, so the snow was really hard, except right at Timberline. I remember the freezing level to be at about 11,000 that night. Anyway, I made it up to the top of Palmer at 3:49; was a bit slick here and there on the way up, where some snowboard tracks had frozen to hard ice.

 

Sorted thing out at the top of Palmer; chatted with a gent by the name of Dave, who was soloing the South side. Threw on a hat, put on the crampons, and ate. Took a bit of video footage with the Handycam, and left at about 4:10 for Illumination, still using the poles.

 

Made it to Illumination at 4:48; dropped the pack, ate something again, took a bit of video footage again, stashed the poles, and grabbed the axe. Threw on the helmet. Left the saddle at 5:00 a.m.

 

Caught up with a team of four heading across the Reid, and chatted with them a bit. Nice folks! Passed them, and headed below, and up around the rock at the beginning of the Couloir. I hugged the right side, staying out of the way of falling ice chips, as much as possible. Did some bobbing and weaving, staying off to the left and right sides, as the better protection from the icefall dictated. Did the same going up and through the hourglass, and after that, mainly stayed closer to Yocum. Stopped and took a pic here and there, looking up and down, and continued up, to get out of the icefall.

 

At the Queens Chair, it was beautiful. Yocum below, and the shadow of Hood over Portland. Nice! Stomach feeling a bit gurgly; realized it was time to eat and drink, and did so. Headed up, did a couple of switchbacks on the face, until I gained the ridge, proper. Found a nice boottrack from there on, but I don't remember seeing where it materialized from. Maybe Castle, or the Reid Headwall? Someone had obviously been up there within the last 24 hours.

 

Stopped to enjoy the exposure of the north side, and the hazy volcanoes off in the distance. Made the summit at 7 a.m. on the nose. Man! Didn't expect that. 4 hours and 40 minutes.

 

Hopefully the pics turn out. Thanks for looking

 

Gear Notes:

Just my Grivel G14s, and my Pamir.

 

Approach Notes:

High freezing level, but clear skies, =beautiful cramponing on neve and icy snow.

327356-Leuthold33.jpg.c8518aa024f4b437b248f426b9bd9996.jpg

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Yeah...haha...I liked that too. Nothing like thinking that you're getting a great pic, and then forgetting to look down to what's directly in front of you smirk.gif Oh, well!

 

I did have my Vector on, but it wasn't on a lanyard, it was on my wrist, so the temp wouldn't have been right, anyway. It wasn't godawful cold, but things were frozen solid, and there were, oh, I'd say, 30mph wind gusts.

 

When I was doing a bit more video footage, and a little narration as well, I remember my face was cold and my speech was a little slurred, so it must've been somewhat cold. I'd imagine it was right about freezing up there.

 

Thanks for the compliment on the pic and the time grin.gif

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"When I was doing a bit more video footage, and a little narration as well, I remember my face was cold and my speech was a little slurred, so it must've been somewhat cold. I'd imagine it was right about freezing up there."

 

That's the good stuff - 30mph is no little wind. Sweet solo with the vid and all. smile.gif

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Hey, thanks for the compliments! I'm really not all about soloing, but if ya don't have a partner, then it's better than not climbing at all.

 

I think if I do another, I might do the Reid. Hopefully, I'll summit Sandy this week (not-soloing, of course!), and then the only thing left on that side will be Cathedral, and Yocum (yikes!)

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Yeah prolly not, but the open crevasse section would freak me out. Besides, I like climbing with partners. It's much more fun to talk to them, than the voices in my head cantfocus.gif

Once above that area, I imagine you're right, though, I hope to find that out in person this week rockband.gifbigdrink.gif

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There was nothing open when I was there; everything covered, but things definitely open up a bit later on. About a month prior to this, and friend of mine and I were going to do Sandy, but he was feeling sick, so he mentioned that I might want to just do the Leuthold by myself. I took a look down, and decided on another time; I could see sagging over the crevasses on the Reid.

 

Right now, you would be in good shape to do it; just watch out for the icefall.

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