[TR] Mt. Hood- South Side 4/23/2006

[kjack]

Climb: Mt. Hood-South Side

 

Date of Climb: 4/23/2006

 

Trip Report:

Headed up the south side sunday. Not a cloud in the sky but horrendous winds. Slept in the cars saturday night as it was too windy to put up a tent in the parking lot, got up at 3:30, hit the trail by 4. Snow conditions were good, but a little icy for skins on steeper stuff. Once the sun hit things it felt like things were softening quite a bit. Summited around 11:30 - I did the south side last year and it took about 5.5 hours to get up in no wind, so the 40+ mph winds this time certainly slowed us down. Winds on the summit weren't too bad, but from about 9000 ft to the lodge they were really bad (Timberline closed the lifts as a result). Skiing down was pretty shitty as the wind kept everything iced over. But all in all a good day and nice to have the south slope to ourselves instead of hundreds of resorters.

 

Photos can be seen here:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jackson_km/album?.dir=/d0ddscd&.src=ph

 

Gear Notes:

Skis/skins, crampons, ice axe. No need for anything else. Maybe a helmet if going through the gates after noon.

Edited April 24, 2006 by kjack

[MountaingirlBC]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm thx for the report and pics. Hoping to do it next week.

[scottk]

We summited on Sunday with special congratulations going to TomB's 13 year old son who completed his first Cascade summit in fine style.

 

Everything that kjack says is true: windy, good climbing, bad sking (particularily below 10,000 ft). Because the south side of the summit (including the area above and below the hogsback) was somewhat sheltered from the wind, the skiing was actually tolerable above 10,000 ft and very hard below 10,000 ft.

 

Also, I wanted to mention that the standard route is currently heading up the couloir just left of the normal Pearly Gates. Not sure why it's different this year, but we thought it was actually a bit easier than the normal route. Any info from other climbers on the difference this year?

[ivan]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm thx for the report and pics. Hoping to do it next week.

you're driving 7 hours to climb hoodie? jeebus - why not keep going on to shasta?

[MountaingirlBC]

Maybe I will

[Off_White]

you're driving 7 hours to climb hoodie? jeebus - why not keep going on to shasta?

 

Because Hood is quite a bit better than Shasta, duh.

[valleydude]

Great report! Thanks for sharing your pics! I'll be going up the same way saturday, hopefully we wont get as much wind...

[skitchmo]

Nice pictures. We were there 3 weeks ago and when I opened the door to our van in the parking lot at 3:00am our van filled with wind-driven snow, oh well.

With current conditions hould "begining alpinists" be belayed through the Pearly Gates?

[kjack]

Nah, I don't think that's necessary. Conditions are soft enough that even if someone did fall (which is unlikely) they'd be able to stop themselves before any danger. I think a quick "here's how you self arrest" would suffice.

[Ptown_Climber1]

I took 3 beginners up yesterday...pearly gates were sketchier than any time I'd seen them in the past 8-9 years.....I set a few pickets...made everyone feel better if nothing else...he's right though, quick self-arrest review is likely enough, but depends on confidence of the 'beginning alpinist' too....

[cluck]

Hmmm, just got off the mountain and I think the route is in fine shape. The Pearly Gates (at least the traditional chute to climber's right) certainly is steeper and icier than years past. However, chute on the left is in great shape so that's the way everyone is going right now. I didn't think there was anything sketchy about it.

 

The bergie, however is a different story. The snow bridge was solid enough this morning, but it won't last long. Be careful.

 

Overall, conditions are great. Go get it!

[Ptown_Climber1]

The bergsgrund is definitely melting out some; our experience was early in the AM; the couloir was very icy at that time, but it did soften up by our descent an hour later...maybe sketchy wasn't the right word, but definitely a different look about the route from years past, which actually made it more fun.