hood conditions?

[billclimbs]

Has anyone been up there lately? Is the SS done for the year? Have not been out that way since April.

[MJaso]

I don't know about the SS, but here is a couple of shots of the Cooper Spur as of yesterday...

 

Cheers!

 

 

[Jay Chute]

If you like dodging rocks go for it. You should probably wait for winter or spring. Rock fall is terrible on all aspects right now. i never took rock fall seriously until I got nailed in the wrist with a softball sized rock, dodged watermelon sized rocks and witnessed piano sized rocks calve off of Illumination rock last Sept. Basically anyway you look at it the conditions suck right now and most likely will until winter.

[billbob]

Look closely at the pics above, see all those tracks in the snow? A climber was stuck and killed by a rock about this time last year (July 27), near the top of that snowfield. Take it seriously, wait a few months.

[ivan]

this is the season for rock clambering on illumination rock however - rumor is it's actually not so bad you want to commmit suicide while doing it too

[billclimbs]

Figured it would be crappy but it has been a peculiar year. Will go alpine rock instead

[Jay Chute]

now your talkin

[Reinhart]

I just flew over Hood on my way back from a week in the Mission Mountains. It's currently just a pile of rocks. Last year I climbed it about this time and there was way more snow. Currently the snow stops above the Palmer Snowfield is spotty up to the Hogsback and nothing above that. Might as well go knock of Jefferson if you're into dodging rocks. Pic was taken 8/16/2009.

 

[rocky_joe]

god that hill is ugly this time of year. yuck.

[WilliamMc]

Just climbed to the bergschrund on the 26th. Conditions made the climb tough. You can make the summit, and I would have tried if I had brought my crampons. Rocks are steadily falling after 9:30am. Be careful. The route I took (marked in red on Reinhart's photograph) was the standard South Route to the Hogsback from Timberline Lodge. I hiked up some of the gullys that have a few jumps groomed by the snowcats for boarders and skiers. Ended up on the West side of the White River Glacier and hiked uphill to join the Palmer about halfway up. White River is highly crevassed and a thin snowbridge prevented me from hiking it all the way (no crampons). Crossed Palmer to climb on its West side, passed right side of Crater rock (much lower than in winter conditions), didn't even make it to the Devil's Kitchen. I had to scramble around the base of Crater rock to gain the Hogsback on the west side. Being solo, I didn't want to climb the Hogsback from the east because of the crevasses. Once on the snow again, I stayed on the ridge up to the bergschrund. Two crevasses were evident across the ridge, but I stepped carefully and with a little luck, made it across. Snow at 9:30 am was hardpack on the east side and just barely soft enough on the west to toe in with boots. Bergschrund right now is about 30' tall and 20' of a gap. If you dare to tempt the crevasses to the west, you could probably make the summit by staying right along the rocks and kicking in to the thin snow/verglass which should kick you out far to the climbers left of the Pearly Gates, then steep terrain to the summit (suggested route in blue). I turned around at the bergschrund and glissaded down the west side of the hogsback, walked back to the base of crater rock, and back down the Palmer glacier.

 

Due to the lack of snow everywhere, the route is a little more difficult than I imagine winter conditions would be. So much volcanic ash and glacier-powder (crushed rock) that on steep sections, I likened my experience to climbing in baby powder.

 

In all, a great time on a beautiful day, but wait for the snow!

Edited August 28, 2009 by WilliamMc

[rocky_joe]

Why the hell were you up there in August?

[ivan]

Why the hell were you up there in August?

the fact that he's from oklahoma?

[WilliamMc]

Touche'.

 

It was a matter of opportunity. I knew the conditions were going to suck, but after moving from Colorado to Oklahoma three years ago, I get near mountains and their gravity sucks me in. I was in Portland on a two day interim stop, so I decided to get up there. I wanted to make it over to the Cooper Spur to climb in dry hiking conditions, but when the White River glacier prevented me from doing that with an approach from Timberline, I knew that I'd only be making it up to the Hogsback at that point.

 

I loved it though. It was a great trip and the first opportunity I get in winter conditions, I'm going back!

 

~William