Winter Route on Hood?

[piscomac]

Planning on doing a winter ascent on Hood probably the third or last week of January. Could I get some beta on possible routes, both technical and easy. Any information would be greatly appreciated, including any possible online guides or guidebooks. Currently living in Minnesota has limited my resources. Also, what are some possible ski/snowboard decent routes? Past trip reports, etc?

 

Thanks!

 

mac

[ivan]

if you're unfamiiar w/ hood and volcano's in general, do the south side slog route up from timberline lodge - if it's a nice day you'll have a hundred new friends around too - it's an easy route (and apparently a fun ski/board descent), but be aware that weather and being stupid can still easily get you killed up there

[letsroll]

google hood. Use seach function in freshies or oregon forum. google hood cimbing.

[piscomac]

Thanks for the beta!

 

I've done a lot of volcano mountaineering as well as some Alpine both in the US and South America. What are some more technical routes than just a day slog that people out there would recommend? I've checked summitpost but figured that you all would be the more ideal audience...

 

Thanks!

Edited November 7, 2007 by piscomac

[letsroll]

hood, cooper spur, Leutholds, sandy headwall are good starters. Beware of AVI that time of year.

[ivan]

all routes on hood are day climbs, even the technical ones, though bivying at the bases might accentuate your expereince - check the trip report database on the site here - the fun, technical routes that have reports here are the reid headwall, yocum ridge, sandy headwall, north face, black spider and illumination rock - several of those being truly difficult and dangerous and probably not real friendly to a person on the mountain for just the first time. my recommendatino to you is the reid headwall - for the money and effort, its the most enjoyable and coolest route on the mountain, assuming you have confidence and a 2nd tool

[OldManRock]

Being an old fogy, I think if you have never climbed Mt Hood and you want to do it in January, it might be a good idea to know the easiest way off the mountain if you get caught in a winter storm, Why don't you climb the South Side route, get the lay of the land, and then the next day climb something more exciting.

[dan_forester]

Old Man Rock is offering excellent advice; listen to him.

[letsroll]

good point. Guess it needs to be said. If you did not catch last winters episode know your route and decent!!!! Beprepared for really bad weather, and if weather is near don't go. Back off to litteraly climb another day.

[ericb]

Ditto....FWIW...one theory on the Hood tragedy last December is that they topped out in a whiteout, and being unfamiliar with the the South side descent, were unable to find the "easy" way down.

 

Edited November 7, 2007 by ericb

[Winter]

please, it was definitely the tauntauns.

[pdk]

Yeah, Mt Hood is a death trap, stay away....

 

 

whatever.

 

 

Leutholds, Ried Glacier headwall are usually good that time of year and are fairly moderate. Sandy headwall is a bit more committing as far as distance and objective danger. Cooper Spur can be a nice alternative to the south side, just be careful on the decent.

 

 

[ivan]

please, it was definitely the tauntauns.

think i almost had an anuerysm laughing at this!

 

GODDAMN YOU VISCIOUS HAIRY FUR-FUCK-BALLS!!!

[Maine-iac]

Anybody seen what Cooper Spur looks like currently? I might be up that way for thanksgiving, and it looks like a superb route.

[ivan]

you could write crack-man on the board here - he had a dyslexic descent of the spur last weekend after climbing the elliot - sounded like it was pretty hairy

[Crackman]

Funny, I was just thinking of sharing that experience. Confession is good for the soul - and for getting flammed!

[lightning]

How is it in the middle of Dec. ? My friends and I are considering attempting it over our winter brerak.

[ivan]

all depends on the weather! december can be perfect or perfectly deadly...

[sweatinoutliquor]

Call me a pansy, but if I can help it I try to avoid hood from November to March unless there hasn't been any significant precip in the previous 5 days or so... Frosting on the cake is if the mountain has been in the sun for a few days, or scoured by high winds. It's just too far of a drive for me to go up only to find out that avy/postholing conditions aren't conducive for an ascent. During those months I've really only considered routes accessed from Timberline (hogsback, west crater rim, leutholds, sandy, reid, wy'east). If you go up there in winter, bring skis and have a backup plan (like ski bowl or meadows).

 

 

[lightning]

how is it latley?

I am thinking about going in a week or 2

south timberline route

[DPS]

my recommendatino to you is the reid headwall - for the money and effort, its the most enjoyable and coolest route on the mountain

 

I agree with Ivan, of the half dozen routes on Hood that I have done, Reid Headwall stands out in my mind as being one of the best.

[ivan]

and, as of last weekend, the reid and luetholds coulior (and probably yocum's too, on a cold, cold day) were in - the only question for the next few months for the first 2 will be avi conditions, as that whole side of the mountain is Dangerous when slides are happening

 

the standard route is in, w/ the path of least resistance being the old crater (left of the pearly gates and hogs back)

 

the north face i'd say is def cooler than the reid, but much more difficult to catch in the right conditions and not really an enjoyable day climb when having to hike the entire tilly jane trail to boot! that whole side of the mountain is where you wanna be though if you want the whole wilderness-meal-deal - the south side is a human zoo on anything resembling a decent weather day...

[lightning]

I think we will do the standard route via the pearly gates

[lightning]

I think we will do the standard route via the pearly gates

[billcoe]

I think we will do the standard route via the pearly gates

 

Anything worth saying once is certainly worth saying twice.