Winter routes

[BHawth22]

What is the best route on MT. Hood during mid-March to avoid avalanche dangers?

[ivan]

yocum's ridge

[gt5816v]

Channel 6 better get their team ready...

[gapertimmy]

i actually think tauntaun direct will be formed up nice in March

[ivan]

how is it that dru hasn't chimed in w/ "the best route on hood in march is the one having the most fun?" the boy is seriously slipping...

 

if you also meant easiest bhawth, then the standard s side route is your answer

[sweatinoutliquor]

I hear the wherever I may roam, the moonshine dihedral, and (insert number) gallon buckets are all popular routes to do when the avy danger is high on hood.

 

Seriously though, I can't really think of any routes that wouldn't have high exposure to avalanch hazards if the conditions for avy were ripe. Even if the conditions aren't, you still have the potential for ice/rockfall on almost any route on the mountain. My suggestion is that if the avy conditions points to anything worth considering, then maybe it's worth considering going to Smith or just go skiing somewhere, or even just waiting until the conditions are better. Why do all that nasty postholing work anyway when in a month that crispy firm neve will be waiting to squeak you all the way to the top? Just my humblest of opinions.

[Karl_S]

The Hogsback main south route yields the least aval potential. Be aware as you round Crater Rock (traverse to Hogsback) as the slope is steep enough to slide, though I've never heard of a slide occuring there. Once on the Hogsback, if you traverse left up toward the old chute, be aware of the conditions, as this slope has cut loose in the past. It is probably aval safer to go up through the Pearly Gates (right of Hogsback), as I don't know of any aval's cutting loose there, but there must have been.