Mount Hood Conditions

[eldiente]

From this past weekend. I didn't go to the summit, only crater rock. Very thin up there right now, a few inches of wind-blown on top glacier ice. We made a few good turns on the way down but mostly it was survival skiing.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2008 by eldiente

[esugi]

Would anyone know if Reid Headwall would be a "go" sometime this weekend? Don't know much about Hood conditions being that we are up in SEA. Thanks

[billbob]

We sure hope conditions are good, heading up that way tomorrow. Expecting thin snow, mostly ice...

[Winter]

judging from the way the gullies look in nate's pic, there's a good chance you'll find decent ice on the reid. ymmv.

[esugi]

Ice is what we are after of course! billbob, could you give us a report after your trip?

[Braydon]

any know current conditions on the north face?

[bradleym]

tried for the hogback, but didn't quite make it. very icy, and loads of junk peeling off of crater rock and elsewhere. above the crevasses at the base of crater rock it was pretty sketchy, so I stopped on a level spot about the same level as the top of the kitchen. it was a beautiful day.

 

the bergschrund and gates.

 

garbled shadow in the ice.

 

a field of diamonds.

[Frikadeller]

 

This looks like some really shitty ski conditions...

 

 

[billbob]

There must be a ton of ice on the steeps after all the recent rain and high freeze levels. Heavy snowfalls and hopefully adhesion of the snow/ice interface are eagerly awaited by the crowds. Gotta wonder if avi potential will be significant in the near term after the eventual snows arrive...

[bradleym]

it was softening a bit as i headed down, but i warned everyone i met who was skinning up that above 9500 it would be like skiing down a cheese grater.

[bradleym]

There must be a ton of ice on the steeps after all the recent rain and high freeze levels. Heavy snowfalls and hopefully adhesion of the snow/ice interface are eagerly awaited by the crowds. Gotta wonder if avi potential will be significant in the near term after the eventual snows arrive...

 

this is a chance for me to learn a bit about ice formation. this stuff was up to an inch or two thick of clear ice. i often couldn't get the point of my ice axe through it. it was very rough and 'knobbly' on top--not smooth at all. almost like millions of little stalagmites poking up. i can post a closeup when i get home. the sun glinting off of it was incredible.

 

does anyone know what it is called? and how it forms? i was thinking it may form like rime ice, but it was clear as crystal. or maybe it started out as a smooth sheet of ice, but melted and refroze a few times, perhaps under high winds.

 

and i suppose that if snow fell on it there would be a good bond due to friction, reducing the avalanche potential, but i don't really know.

 

will anyone edumacate me?

[benb]

Sounds like surface-hore (sp?)

 

During the cold clear night, water evaporates out of the snowpack creating lots and lots of "stalagmites".

 

They can be several inches tall.

 

They create a super weak bond between layers. When new snow falls, it will be supported by those tiny little fingers of ice. If snow consolidates on them, the load will fail in first compression (when the fingers break) and then sheer when the slab goes.

 

Check out mountainsavvy.com for an avy course. You will be pumped!

B

[godskid5]

bradley, great pics man. thanks

[Maine-iac]

How often do the gates get skied each year?

I was thinking about it last year, but I never had somebody willing to wait on the hogsback to let me know if it was clear. I suppose there is a fine line between when the gates are wide enough and the Berg has not opened all the way; unless you gap it...

[shortstow]

so did anyone go up today Dec 6th? it was pretty nice

[Dane]

More likely just freezing rain...

[Ground Rat]

so did anyone go up today Dec 6th? it was pretty nice

I did, it was a beautiful day.

[billbob]

delayed pic

[Ground Rat]

Some pics I snapped yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2008 by Ground Rat

[esugi]

Billbob, were you on the mountain Saturday? My friend and I drove down, hoping to do Reid or Devils Kitchen..but we started late (5:20am). I ended up meeting Oleg and his female friend up at top of Palmer. We ended up doing the route that traverses left from top of hogsback...what is now the more popular route then Pearly Gates?? Is it called the Old Chute? West Crater??

 

Not much snow and good amount of ice up there. Glad I had two tools for downclimbing the route. Since it was noon-ish, we were dodge-balling chunks of ice coming down from above. Got hit in both legs and one arm....took tiny ones off of the helmet.

 

Good training for me and especially for my partner (who lugged a 60m rope all the way without once taking it out of his pack).

 

Cheers!

[Ground Rat]

I'm not sure if anyone I talked to yesterday is on this site. My name is Keith; I was the guy in camo eating a burrito.

 

Yesterday was a good learning experience for me, I got hit in the arm and hand by flying ice. Next time I will be better equipped and get an earlier start, lol. This was my first time climbing Hood and climbing in the snow/ice for that matter.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Ground Rat

[shortstow]

thanks for the pics

[letsroll]

looking really bare up there.

[Mountain_Shots]

Illumination Rock and the shadow of Hood.

 

First light on the Hogs Back.

 

Besides the Bergschrund.

 

Oleg and Esugi down climbing Old Chute.

 

Esugi getting the hell out of the ice fest.

 

Ground Rat solo climbing the Pearly Gates with one tool.

 

Esugi, top of the Hogs Back.

 

Mt. Hood sunset at Trillium Lake Dec. 5, day before the climb.

[prussik1]

Hey, Keith!

We were all rooting for you to come down safely, especially with no previous experience with ice axe, crampons, and without an extra tool or helmut in all of that!

christopher