Mt. Hood NF early December questions

[Fuggedaboudit]

Interested in one of the NF couloirs the first week of December. Never been to Hood before, so have a few questions about logistics since we are in the planning stages. Since I've never been there before, pardon what may be stupid questions in advance. I tried to buy the guidebook but its out of print.

 

Will cloud cap parking lot be open first half of December?

 

How far is it from cloud cap parking lot to "tie-in rock"?

 

How far is it from cloud cap parking lot to north face bergshrund?

 

If we decide to hike in the night before and bivy at tie-in rock the night before do we have to pay any park fees or get any special permits?

 

How far is it from Timberline Lodge to Cloud cap parking lot- we are thinking about stashing a car at Timberline so we can descend the South side.

 

Thanks.

[Farrgo]

Cloud Cap parking lot closes as soon as your car cannot make it through the snow. Its not bad even if you have to start low at the trailhead to Tilly Jane though. Parking lot to tie in rock is about one hour and mabey that again to shrund? I guess it depends on how fast your moving and what conditions are. No fees for camping. It takes about 30-40 min to do the car shuttle, not bad at all.

[ScaredSilly]

Rather than doing the car shuttle thing for descending the South Side you can just come across the Newton Clark Glacier and pick up the trail leading up to Tie-In Rock. I did this after a solo climb, the NC Galacier had very few cracks to worry about as much of it was melted out.

 

BTW Tie-In Rock is well above where you want to traverse onto the Elliot Glacier for the NF Routes. Also Tie-In Rock can be a very windy place. If you can not get to Cloud Cap and walk in I would bivy lower down near timberline it is not far to where the cut off to the Elliot Glacier.

[ivan]

best to inquire as to conditions a week or so 'fore you come out as it can vary widely year to year. past few years driving to cloud cap was out by early december

 

going up the n side and down the s is fun - about 1 hr or less from t-line p-lot back to the n side. doing the whole thing as a day climb is simplest, 'specially if descending the s side. tie in rock is not a great camp for doing the n face as it might be difficult to get down to the base of the route, especially in the dark.

 

if you got the time, instead of doing a bunch of camping try to do a few more hood classics - linking up the n face w/ the reid or sandy headwalls would make the long trip more rewarding - if you can roll w/ light bivy gear climbing the n side, then bivying at illumination sadle, then doing the reid or sandy and descending back to camp/t-line would be cool.