360 degree view of Hood

[OlegV]

If someone is interested in current conditions on Hood, I took a bunch of pictures today from the around mountain trail.

[Eugenian]

So did you do the whol Timberline Trail in one day? I'd be curious to hear how that went, times...etc.

[Chriznitch]

looks like quite a bit more snow than this time last year...

[OlegV]

Yes, I did this “speed hike” in 11.5 hours. I’ve never been on this trail, so I wasn’t sure that navigation will be easy. I was told that some sections of the trail are sketchy and require a guess game. That in mind, I was debating whether I should go without any gear or carry a minimal survival gear. My small pack weighed about 10 lb including 3 L water (I drank total 8 L - mostly unpurified water from the streams - didn’t care at this point if I get some small friend into my stomach). I carried a bladder, compass (I used it at the Muddy River crossing - the signs are terribly messed up there), map (used it intensively), knife, lighter, painkillers, sunscreen, extra socks, fleece (didn’t use it - it was hot), 1 lb bivy bag, electrolytes and food. I was ready to spend a night in woods.

 

I slept in the car and left the Timberline PCT trailhead at 5 am on Saturday. Navigation was OK, although I got lost in few places including the hallucinogenic Eden Park). 80 % of the trail are well marked, 10% require some guessing, and another 10% are totally intuitive. I loved the variety of landscapes and terrains. The most interesting and remote trail sections lie between the Eliot Bridge just below Cupper Spur and the Cairn Basin. I was surprised not seeing a single hiker on the northern section of the trail. Wild flowers in meadows were incredible! River crossing was fun, but I never got my balls wet. At Sandy River crossing I spent 10 minutes helping a female hiker to get across the slippery log.

 

I always walked uphills, run 70 % flats and 100% downhills. Never took more than 10 min breaks. Overall, I feel that by going light, this loop could be a great day hike for a fit person. Certainly, it can be done in a long 14-16 h day even without running. I felt extremely sorry for people on the trail carrying 50 lb gigantic packs and therefore traveling at the snail pace. You don’t need all this gear - lighten up. There is plenty of water and shelters every 10 miles or so. What else do you need? Motivation...

[sweatinoutliquor]

I did almost the exact same things a in fall of 2003... Wish I had known that it was doable in a day cause I would have left a few items out of the pack (such as bivy stuff). I was thrashed by the end though... Overall I think I was somewhere around 13 hours. The last 10 miles or so killed me! Tell me that you at least suffered a bit on that last uphill Oleg!

[OlegV]

Man, all the way from Sandy River I was an ultimate suffer machine! Neverending uphill! Basicall, all I could think of is a sixpack of cold beer. Have you done a Wonderland trail?

[Couloir]

Man, I was up there yesterday too! We are doing the whole thing in a day in early September, so it was a training deal yesterday. It was beautiful wasn't it?

 

After studying the map and elevation charts, it has always appeared--and it was confirmed yesterday--that the trail between Ramona Falls and Timberline would be a BITCH. We went from Ramona Falls TH to Timberline and back. I'm sure we crossed paths at some point. I was with another guy and we did the same thing, jog the flats, walk uphill and run the downhill.

 

But I'm curious, if and when you do it again, would you still start at Timberline and go CCW? After yesterday, even though it would add ~4 miles to the trip, I'm thinking about starting at the Ramona Falls TH and getting that elevation out of the way early. I don't think I would want to do those last 11 miles after I had done 30!

 

That log crossing the Sandy was interesting wasn't it? I was nervous for this one older gal who wanted to go up to Ramona Falls. But she made a wrong turn and ended about 3/4" up the hill above the Sandy. She seemed a little confused. Is she the one that you helped across?? (heavy-set, mid-60's, single ski-pole)

 

Great pics too. Nice work Oleg!

[OlegV]

I totally agree with you, Couloir, the last 10 miles were a total BITCH! And most of these miles are boooring. Remember, this long downhill? It was like a death sentence to my knees. I also thought, next time I would run in a CW direction. I kind of gave up on time - after getting lost in the Eden Park and spending too much time taking pictures.

 

That lady, sounds like my gal - it happened between 2 and 3 pm, maybe. She made 3 attempts to cross the log always staring at the running water and getting of the balance in the middle of the log. I thought, if she falls, I am the one who'll have to dive in and drug her out. So, I had to play gentleman and command “don’t look down - look straight at me!!!”

 

By the way, at least one more team of three ran the trail -they came in the white minivan of unknown make and departed around 3 am.

[iain]

I have run this a few times now. I prefer running it clockwise because of the hill from Sandy to T-line, and I like puking on Mt Hood Meadows permit area. How are the creek crossings right now? Current time to beat is 6hrs and change. Go get 'er.

[Couloir]

Yep, that was her.

 

Some friends of mine have done it twice. The first time they did it CW from Timberline. The second time they did it CCW from Timberline and said it was much better because if you are finishing up late in the day, the west side stays lighter just a bit longer. The time they did it CW they were near Whiteriver seeing the lights of Timberline in the dark. They said crossing the river in the dark and trying to find the trail on the other side was very sketchy.

 

Also, from what I can tell from VolcanoRunning, after you leave Gnarl Ridge and Lambertson Spur, then it's increasingly down hill from there. Would you agree?

[Couloir]

6 hours!? That's hardcore. No two ways about it.

 

The Sandy was the only one that has much of a trick to it. A log crossing over some fast current. But really no biggy. At 30 miles under your belt you may just opt to walk right in and out of it. The Zigzag and others were fine.

 

I trained for this last year and went from Timberline to Cloud Cap. It was right after the heavy rains. In fact just a couple of days after that gal died in the Sandy. The rivers were high, the routefinding on the otherside was almost impossible and it took a long time to get to Cloudcap. This year I hope it's different.

 

6 hours! I'm still shaking my head. But I'll let you know how it goes.

[iain]

Yes, if it is, or has been raining hard, don't even think about the Timberline Trail. Not only are some of the creeks dangerous to cross, the "old" trail that bypasses Ramona gets landslides and general sketchiness.

 

You should have seen the flow rate coming down the Sandy the day the woman died. Even a day later we had trouble crossing it, and she was well out of the flow when she was found that day.

 

It would be terrible to cross White River in the dark. Just don't let it happen. I still vote for clockwise. The burn coming out of Cloud Cap up Cooper Spur after a full marathon is unbeatable!

[OlegV]

6 hours is 9-10 min pace! Sounds like the elite ultrarunner pace. 20 miles of uphill running... The speed record for the Western State 100 race is something like 19 hrs - it is 11 min per mile. To pull it out, one needs aid stations every 5 miles or so and no weight on your shoulders.

[OlegV]

Hey fellas, need your advice. Want to try something a bit longer than around Hood. Not quite ready for one push Wonderland run. About a year ago, I was on the around Adams trail. VolcanoRunning describes this trail as difficult and dangerous. Do you agree and why?

[iain]

It's hard to tell what is considered "difficult and dangerous" by people who do not regularly climb. I think Backpacker magazine at one point said the Timberline Trail was difficult and dangerous, and I think you'd agree that it is serious by yourself with no gear, but it is hardly dangerous. For Adams I would definitely want someone who had done it before with me, or at least do a preliminary hike around to know what you are getting into before setting off with a waterbottle and some clif bars

 

As for the 6hr+ Timberline run, I think they had some assistance with water. I don't even remember where I got that time from.

[Couloir]

I have talked to a couple guys that did Adams. The "danger" I think that is mentioned refers mostly to a couple of glacier crossings...Mazama Glacier specifically. But they did it about 4 years ago and in September, and said it wasn't a big deal.

 

I think people hear glacier and they automaticcally assume crevasses...which isn't really the case up there. Simply some hard ice down low that may just require a steady foot.

 

There are however some routefinding issues, especially in the less traveled areas. But nothing too serious. From what I gather, because of access, Adams trail is not nearly traveled as much as the Hood trail. And keep in mind you're also crossing reservation land. There may be some particulars that need to be addressed with that.

 

Yeah, the Wonderland would be epic in one day. You guys probably heard the story about those two cats (only one made it) that did it a couple of years ago. They documented it in that movie called The Wonderland Project.

 

I bought it. It's pretty good. They were shooting to do the 92 miles in 24 hours, but Skye, the one guy that finished, though beating the record, took 26 hours. Still VERY impressive.

Edited July 18, 2005 by Couloir

[sweatinoutliquor]

Yes Oleg, I suffered very hard from Sandy to T-line. I actually ran it with hiking boots and trekking poles, which in retrospect was quite stupid! I had the most spectacular swan-diving wipeout into a scree pile right in front of a group of overnighters on one of the downhills (tripped over stupid trekking pole, bent it to shit). I think they thought that I was a lunatic or something. Walking up that hill all I could think of was getting to the bar at T-line. When I finished I walked my shreaded body through the lodge out back to where the pool was, stripped my filthy and tattered garmets off and crashed in the hottub. I think the guy at the door before was saying something about a "paying guests" and "cleansing shower " but he couldn't have stopped me without physical restraint. Those last ten uphill miles I walked in a pair of flip flops cause I couldn't deal with the heavy boots. Oh yeah, have you heard about the trail that traverses around the sisters? Maybe lot's of fun, but not as long as the wonderland, I don't think.

[OlegV]

Good spirit, Sweatinoutliquor! From the look on people's faces, we all looked pretty trashy the last few miles. I tried to make a conversation with a group of hot chicks taking a sunbath just at the mile 39 or so, but my throat was so dry and the English-speaking half of my glucose-deficient brain was so shadowed, I produced some sort of high pitch whispers. I sure couldn’t impress them as an ultra-running Rambo.

[treknclime]

Oleg...send Fairweather a PM...he's got the LD on the crux parts of the Adams trip (the big Muddy??).

 

Nice work...hope you'll post your next round-the-mountain TR too!

[ivan]

well, i had been thinking about speed walking the t-line in a day or so, but now i'd feel like a total choad anyway!

 

nice work, my russian druk.

[Norman_Clyde]

40 plus miles in 6 hours is seriously fast.

Oleg has heard this already, but for those of you interested in 30 plus mile trail runs, there are a couple of loops in MRNP which encompass parts of the Wonderland and offer vigorous adventure. I just did both of these as part of scoping out the difficulty of the WT in a single push. (Answer: difficult.) The first leaves from the Ipsut Creek trailhead, joins the WT at the Carbon River suspension bridge, then heads clockwise to Berkeley Park where one takes a left turn, passing alongside Grand Park (huge, stunning alpine meadow), drops back to the W. Fork White River then over Windy Gap before returning. There is very little flat trail on this loop. The W. Fork White River is seriously washed out: one steep schwack over the new riverbed has essentially lethal exposure, albeit with decent vegetable aid. There are several spicy footlog crossings, plus the springy cable suspension bridge experience. I don't think the Northern Loop trail gets much activity but it's a gem.

 

The second leaves Fryingpan Creek, follows the WT clockwise through Summerland and Panhandle Gap, past Indian Bar, then left on Olallie Creek trail, back northwards on the East Side trail, over one more ridge on Owyhigh Lakes trail and down. This one is less difficult, and the wildflowers at Indian Bar are currently mind-blowing, but the East Side trail is very boring on the return.

 

Next I may try a point to point from Longmire to Mowich if I can figure out the logistics.

[thatcher]

the loowitt loop around st. helens is beautiful. it is a quite awesome one day hike. its just under 27 miles. i dont know if its shut down this season from volcanic activity,but if it isnt, i highly suggest it. the funny thing about st. helens is that on the north side in the blast zone, there are $1000 fines for going off a trail.

before entering the area there are well marked signs telling you that. the irony is that through that whole north side is completely route finding...looking for foot prints, thinking you are on the trail when in fact you are on an elk trail or dry stream bed. its wide open, so its not hard to eventually find the trail and not get lost, but its just funny how they sound so strict about staying on the trails when in many places the trails dont exist.

[neswstar]

The pictures are awesome - thank you for sharing. Totally off subject - But what I'd like to know is - what do the crevasses look like on the Elliot. By the photo it looks like it might be time to go play with the tools. any thoughts?

[sheskis]

Awesome photos. I be off to do the T-line trail and take my own pics in Aug. Nicely done.

[Norman_Clyde]

what do the crevasses look like on the Elliot. By the photo it looks like it might be time to go play with the tools. any thoughts?

 

I was on the Snowdome Saturday with skis. I got a late start and had less time to gawk than I would have liked. The Eliot is not melted down to hard ice. What vertical blue ice I did see was composed of unstable looking seracs, best to be avoided. No place looked ideal for ice tool practice. There might be a crevasse or two that you could rap into and crawl out of, if you were highly motivated.

 

A few good photos from last week are on this thread on TAY