[TR] Mt. Hood - Snowdome 6/8/2008

[OrygunJim]

Trip: Mt. Hood - Snowdome

 

Date: 6/8/2008

 

Trip Report:

Made the long haul up to the 'dome today. Gate to Cloud Cap is open, but logs in the road about 1.5mi up, not helpful. Would hope a good samaritan or the forest service will dice 'em up real soon cuz the hike from Tilly Jane TH suuuuuucks.

 

Actually, it doesn't. It's beautiful right now, but makes for a very long day. It took me 5 hours of booting and skinning to reach the top of Snowdome. 2:45 to return. Continuous snow on the trail starts about a mile from the TJ warming hut. With patches of snow and muck before.

 

This was a solo run so no killer action photos, but a beautiful day considering the forecast earlier in the week.

 

 

Ascent in red. Descent in Blue. Crossed the Eliot above the lower ice fall.

 

Clearly the place to ski on the N. side.

 

North Face, looking pretty good.

 

Upper Sunshine Route, also pretty good. Would be a good ski from the ridge just left of the photo.

 

Eliot Headwall. I don't think this looks good at all, but I'm not that hardcore.

 

Helens, Rainier, Adams from top of Snowdome.

 

'Schrund underneath the North Face routes, at least 3 snowbridges.

 

Upper Eliot seracs. Ice climbs in the background.

 

Esses above the glacier

 

Turns trend to skiers left to avoid sketch looking snow patterns on the Eliot, in a bowl not seen in the photo. Not trying to start a rescue here, some small cracks beginning to open down low.

 

In the afternoon a massive Corona appeared. Looks like the good weather is coming to an end.

 

Just couldn't stop turning around to look.

 

Approach Notes:

TJTH, but not for long. Put the sleds on at the warming hut.

[Chad_A]

Nice pics! Can't believe the corona- that's beautiful!

 

I can't believe it's JUNE and there's still that much snow up there on the mountain. Better enjoy it, I suppose; next year will prolly be the driest ever...

[mtnstoke]

OJ:

 

Reports said they got 14" or more at Timberline this weekend? Like to hear your observations. Ranger office told me today snow levels are down to 6k again today, with more snow expected today. Did you assess avy conditions? Heading out that way Wed-Sun and just hoping to gather a little beta before I do. Planning on summiting via Sunshine Route and boarding down. Any recent conditions info (aside from the pics, which are great, btw) would be much appreciated!

[JoshK]

Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the picture, they are great. Looks like a pretty awesome trip.

[eldiente]

I skied up on W'East on Sunday. There was 6-12 inches of new up high but it already turned into nice Spring Corn by Sunday mixed in with some nice windblow pow. No avy problems where we were, snowpack is very solid, maybe a few small wet slides late in the day.

 

-Nate

 

OJ:

 

Reports said they got 14" or more at Timberline this weekend? Like to hear your observations. Ranger office told me today snow levels are down to 6k again today, with more snow expected today. Did you assess avy conditions? Heading out that way Wed-Sun and just hoping to gather a little beta before I do. Planning on summiting via Sunshine Route and boarding down. Any recent conditions info (aside from the pics, which are great, btw) would be much appreciated!

[ryland_moore]

We saw that corona yesterday afternoon while floating the Deschutes! By the time we got back along 216 from Maupin heading to 26, there was a lenticular atop Hood around 8pm. Looks like you got it while it was good!

[OrygunJim]

OJ:

 

Heading out that way Wed-Sun and just hoping to gather a little beta before I do. Planning on summiting via Sunshine Route and boarding down. Any recent conditions info (aside from the pics, which are great, btw) would be much appreciated!

 

It was pretty chilly up on Snowdome yesterday, despite the sunny weather. Snow was firm, but yielded to edges. Lower on the glacier was a different story, very soft by afternoon. I was drooling at the upper headwall of Sunshine, climber's left of Horseshoe Rock looked like a perfect line to descend. Only one 'schrund mid-glacier to avoid and nothing but perfection otherwise. Not nearly as steep as it seems either (35-40 degrees maybe). If it doesn't dump a ton in the next few days I'd say get it, as there has been significant consolidation in the last week's warming/cooling cycle. You would be hard pressed to find such conditions in June again.

[mtnstoke]

OJ:

 

Heading out that way Wed-Sun and just hoping to gather a little beta before I do. Planning on summiting via Sunshine Route and boarding down. Any recent conditions info (aside from the pics, which are great, btw) would be much appreciated!

 

It was pretty chilly up on Snowdome yesterday, despite the sunny weather. Snow was firm, but yielded to edges. Lower on the glacier was a different story, very soft by afternoon. I was drooling at the upper headwall of Sunshine, climber's left of Horseshoe Rock looked like a perfect line to descend. Only one 'schrund mid-glacier to avoid and nothing but perfection otherwise. Not nearly as steep as it seems either (35-40 degrees maybe). If it doesn't dump a ton in the next few days I'd say get it, as there has been significant consolidation in the last week's warming/cooling cycle. You would be hard pressed to find such conditions in June again.

 

Fantastic! Can't wait!

 

I'm on the East Coast (where we had a spectacular season, especially up on Mt. Washington, i.e., Tux, Gulf of Slides, Great Gulf, etc.), so it's real helpful to get some timely conditions reports from those of you out that way. Heard on NPR this morning that the North Cacades are expecting another dump?

[Winter]

Oregon was goin' off this weekend!

 

 

trout creek with eldiente

 

 

shredmaximus

 

Some more photos and stuff.