Hood SS Ski/Snowboard Descent

[georgio]

I have been up the South Side route once before, carried a snowboard but found that the optimal conditions for climbing and snowboarding occur at very very different times of day.

 

Any recommendations for timing if you want to do a ski or snowboard descent? Do you try and start later and just deal with the softer snow and ice fall risk on the ascent? Or just hang out on top for 4 hours while you wait for the snow to soften? Or should I just leave the board at 10k feet this time?

 

Planning to go up Friday night, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks

[scm007]

I would also like to know this. I went up there on Tuesday, judging from the conditions, I think you can get some good turns in if you started your descent ~9:00 - 9:30.

 

If you timed your climb right I would do it like this.

 

Summit ~ 8:30

 

Descend to the hogsback ~ 9:00.

 

Strap on your skis and start your descent.

 

To summit at 8:30, I would leave T-line around 4:30. Although I'm sure I could do it much faster than last time around, having lost the route once, taking breaks, etc.

[georgio]

That is close to the timeline I was picturing but that seems really late to be climbing (especially with the weather on Friday night) and still a little early to ski down. I know it is all super condition dependent but last time I was riding down from the hogsback at around 10 am and it was still really frozen all the way to the top of Palmer. This was a couple weeks ago when it was really warm, so snow temperature wise pretty similar.

 

Anyone else have suggestions? 3 hour summit nap?

[eldiente]

Climb later in the day. Although it is "normal" to summit at dawn, it is possible to go up later in the day, shooting for maybe a 11:00 AM summit. Yes, there might be a bit of icefall, but if you give the obvious ice formations a wide berth and keep your eyes open, it is possible to have a safe to the summit late in the day.

[Maine-iac]

Typically what I do, i've skied 3 times off of the summit, is get up to the top just before the sun hits the hogsback (smc007's times seem about right). If you plan on skiing the old chute, by the time the sun hits the hogsback, that typically means that the old chute has had about 45 mins worth of sun on it. This is condition/avy dependent!! If I am worried about that whole slope ripping away the second the sun touches it, I am either at home, or I skied it before the sun gets on it. Watch the temps/freezing levels closely leading up to your climb, I have found everything from awesome corn to boilerplate hardpack on that slope. Once that slope has been skied, I ski down to the hogsback and wait, the longer the better. Sometimes I bring a beer or two up and HIDE it in the snow, up on the hogsback. It is a good way to kill some time!

[georgio]

Duplicate. Sorry.

Edited May 28, 2009 by georgio

[ScaredSilly]

I am for the latter day ascent. The one time I skied from near the summit was back in '85. Was not really meaning to go that high as I was just out for some exercise while my friends skied T-line. It went something like this left Corvallis at 6am, started skiing around 9:30am, 11:30am Hogsback, took skis off start kicking up the Hogsback, stopped about 100' shy of the Gates. I would have gone to the summit but I could not kicks steps anymore and did not bring an ice axe or crampons, dumb I know but as said I was just out for some exercise. ;-). Anywho I skied down on some great corn, back at T-line around 2pm. This was BITD of Europa 99s and Asolo Summits - gotta love pulling tele turns on double camber skis and floppy leathers.

[Frikadeller]

Once that slope has been skied, I ski down to the hogsback and wait, the longer the better. Sometimes I bring a beer or two up and HIDE it in the snow, up on the hogsback. It is a good way to kill some time!

 

I have always thought that it was funny how the old chute, and stuff above hogsback get's really nice for skiing/snowboarding within the first hour of sunlight, but the stuff lower than hogsback need waaaayyy more time to corn up. I like the beer approach. But knowing me, and beer at altitude, I'll just sit up there until all the beers are gone, and five smokes later, i will have lost interest in skiing.

[dhrmabum]

Hey, Georgio,

I'm also thinking of heading up Fri/sat. morning. Looking for a partner, and/or, how many people in your group? Could another join?

Also, check-out the other thread titled "Leuthold Coluoir"; sounds like they ran into,or almost literally, some rockfall this morning, which might be cause to postpone, unfortunately.

 

[Maine-iac]

A brilliant idea just occurred to me.... Put a beer or two in the parking lot, put a beer or two at I-rock (or the rocks above Palmer, so you don't have to go to I-rock), and then finally at the hogsback. It would be like an AWESOME treasure hunt!

 

[dhrmabum]

That's a good one! Might just do it. . .

[matt99eo]

I'm heading up early Sunday morning for a ski descent. Question for you guys: Is there any wind up there?? If so, from what direction is usually blowing?

[scm007]

I'm heading up early Sunday morning for a ski descent. Question for you guys: Is there any wind up there?? If so, from what direction is usually blowing?

 

Of course there is no wind, there is never any wind on a big mountain.....

 

In case you didn't grasp the sarcasm, yes there is wind, can be pretty stiff.

[bruckie]

As a counterpoint, though, there was almost no wind when I was up there yesterday morning. Could be totally different day to day, or even minute to minute, though. Can't ever count on anything with the wind.

[georgio]

dhrmabum,

 

I sent you a PM. You're definitely welcome if you want to join us.

 

I have a pass at Timberline, so even if we get turned back the day is not wasted...