[TR] Mt. Hood - Cooper Spur 3/6/2010

[TurinTheLost]

Trip: Mt. Hood - Cooper Spur

 

Date: 3/6/2010

 

Trip Report:

Left the Tilly Jane Trail head around 1:00. Shortly after starting we were at the crux of the climb, solid ice on the trail. We were tempted to break out the crampons. Ice skates would have been nice:)

 

Hung out in one of the cabins for a bit, we got denied the comfort of TJ cabin by a large sure to be climber eating dog inside. Saw two climbers blaze past us while we were shooting the breeze inside. Jealous of their pace and not having the route to ourselves we started off.

 

Brought snow shoes which were nice when we were tromping through the woods between TJ Cabin and treeline, but otherwise unnecessary.

 

Met up with the other two Matt(Water) and Jess, and had enjoyed their company the rest of the day. (They even gave us a ride back to our car after we descended the SS, thanks guys it was awesome climbing with ya!)

 

Conditions overall were great. Although it seems to be changing quickly up there. There was a real spicy spot on a steepest 55 degree slope when the snow ran thin for 30 feet or so down to 6 inches of sugar on top of rock. It definitely made the route more interesting. No telling how long this will be in for the year conditions are changing quick.

 

 

Wayne and Beau I scanned my pics for you guys on Center Drip-Black Spider but couldn't see you anywhere. Maybe if I had a better res camera we could see you guys kicking some butt up there from a distance.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Brought pickets, rope and 2nd tool didn't use any of it.

 

Approach Notes:

Ice skates, snowshoes not necessary.

Edited March 8, 2010 by TurinTheLost

[TurinTheLost]

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Edited March 9, 2010 by TurinTheLost

[wayne]

Wow your second photo has a good shot of the upper pitch. C Drip is the one on the right." Unclimbed " is on the left. I here the Canadians are headed for that?

Nice trip,btw

[jessbee]

Hey, it was nice climbing with you guys up there on Saturday, what a great day on the mountain!

[ivan]

single day effort - ouch!

[Joe_Poulton]

I think the "unclimbed" would be a good warm up for the Arachnophobia Direct....when are the Canadians coming? Tell them to wait 2 weeks.

[Toolman]

Great job!! I was sitting on the summit and watched as you guys came over the edge onto the summit. Pretty awesome route you tackled

[Jay Chute]

I love Coopers spur....I wish I had your conditions when I did it....when we got 500 ft below the summit we watched the bottom half of the spur slide and cruble beneath us....literally the whole thing....needless to say we got lucky....Nice work guys!

[billbob]

The Canadians are coming ?! Here ??

 

Is it really just because they want to drink good beer and chase our hot babes?

[Maine-iac]

Does the TJ trail have snow all the way from the parking lot up? Could one haul a sled up it?

[ivan]

hualing a sled on that oft icy n' side-hill steep trail would suuuuuck!

 

if you were on skiis n' just wnated to skin up the actual road though that'd work fine

[Water]

maine-iac: as of 3/6 it 'did' but calling it snow was a misnomer. I would hope that after the last week or so, esp with new snow it is no longer what it was. If it was snow you could haul a sled sure, so long as it was packed (as ivan says otherwise there are some decent spots for side-hilling)

 

But it was some serious hard-packed snow-turned ice--really felt more hazardous there than any part of climbing cooper-spur. it was just asking for a bruised tailbone, knee, or split lip. we joked about putting on the crampons for that but it sure as hell would have made it easier and faster-jokes on us.

[rbw1966]

Skiing up that rode sucks ass--its like 9 miles. Dont bother. Hauling a sled up the Polallie trial might be better.

Edited March 18, 2010 by rbw1966

[ivan]

rob, didn't ya'll haul a keg up to cloud cap sometime back? how'd you get it there? seem to recall pete n' some others were in on it...

[Displaced Native]

perhaps a tail rope and a buddy would make that sled pulling a little easier but that last long side hill on the final approach would suck ass.

 

 

[rbw1966]

We carried several small, 5-litre kegs up in backpacks.