Reid HW route info

[dietcookie]

Anyone have a scan of the route from Oregon High or a picture with the route drawn out? Seems like there are a ton of variations on the route but i'm still unclear where exactly you start and where the exit is. I keep coming across people confusing leutholds and reid together. Thanks guys.

[ivan]

i don't have mr thomas' opus magnus on the subject, but having done this fine route on many occasions, i must say your very question is confused - there are many different places to start, and very many places it ends - if you start soon off the reid, you tend to end right above the west crater rim, if you stick closer to luetholds, you finish near its exit onto cathedral ridge - the bottom line is, go explore, pick a line, adn finish it! they all ultimately go to the same place

 

the pic, even if you see it, will not exactly erase confusion when you eventually get there (unless you happen to be arriving in a airplane )

Edited March 8, 2009 by ivan

[Joe_Poulton]

Exactly, treat it like a first ascent....go have fun and who knows but you, that which you shall find.

[dietcookie]

Sounds good guys.

[cycling_mike]

Just fyi, there are some sketchy variations you can seek out / get suckered into near the top of the h.w. if you're so inclined / visibility is sufficiently bad. Head left 100m or so below the top and tackle the big rime mushroom; there's even a "fixed" anchor assuming the creaking chunk of andesite we slung hasn't tumbled down.

 

buena suerte

[dietcookie]

Just fyi, there are some sketchy variations you can seek out / get suckered into near the top of the h.w. if you're so inclined / visibility is sufficiently bad. Head left 100m or so below the top and tackle the big rime mushroom; there's even a "fixed" anchor assuming the creaking chunk of andesite we slung hasn't tumbled down.

 

buena suerte

 

The rime mushroom sounds sweet. Maybe we will run into it unless the chunk runs into us. I guess I have one more question, snowshoes or posthole? I don't ski (i'm bummed..) but I would rather leave the shoes at home. I can see them being useful up to the approach to illumination saddle but thats about it.

[ivan]

leave the snowshoes at home - or, worse case, throw'em in the car and carry them as far as the top of the palmer and cache'em (but the snow-cat tracks are usually solid) - palmer to illumination can suck in deep powder, but usually the wind scours things down pretty well to the ice - if need be, make somebody else go first

[dietcookie]

I'll throw the shoes in the car at least. I'm hoping the weather stays semi-stable as the forecast indicates for the next week.

[Maine-iac]

I have my fingers crossed as well for the weather.

But...

link

[WageSlave]

If you search around the left-hand variations you might find a couple of pickets left by yours truly.

[dietcookie]

I have my fingers crossed as well for the weather.

But...

link

 

We are planning on doing the approach to illumination saddle Mon 3/16 and climbing it super early tuesday morning. Atmos forecast seems to project Hood getting the tail end of it during that time, NOAA seems to think chance of showers mostly cloudy. We'll see what happens!

[jaee]

 

I typically consider the thin red line the classic Reid Headwall. Start on the cone, cross the bergschrund, traverse to the gully over the weird fin, finish in the left gully and try to thread the rime shroom. You can, as has been said, start anywhere and climb anything in between.

 

Blue line is Leuthold's. The "obvious" rock at the bottom is the biggest clue. But the first time I did Leutholds I did the Reid. This is made more confusing since you can follow the base of the blue, then follow that ramp up to the gullies, since it's lower angle. But the red line is a lot of fun.

[billbob]

 

Here's another view of the major West side routes on Mt Hood. We hit bad weather about halfway up, departed from the proscribed route and went too far to the right (The ugly red line). I just hate it when that happens.

 

Traversing across to Leuthold, Reid HW start on right

 

Ended up hitting a wall of rime blocking access to upper Cathedral Ridge. We downclimbed 700' and then traversed right (shoulda gone left) for a chat w/ climbers on the Reid HW.

 

 

Dropped down into a big gully (see red line, traversing back left) which went up 2 near-vertical 12' - 15' mixed steps, below pic is just above the second.

 

 

Nice to actually top out on the ridge

 

The W side of Mt Hood can suffer from horrendous rock- and ice fall hazard, particularly if temps are over freezing, the winds aloft are breezy, and when sunlight hits the top of the ridge.