Mt Hood

[ivan]

damn near a hundred people y-day

 

not entirely pleasant conditions currently for bipeds - skiiers in hog heaven

[ianmac]

Is the S S route fairly packed or is additional flotation required on the route right now.

 

What does the Old Chute look like? Powder? Ice?

 

I will be climbing next weekend with 2 friends.

 

Obviously conditions will change, I believe snow is forecast for next week...

 

 

Hood is new to me so I appreciate the beta.

[gavastik]

Hi all!

 

New to Mt Hood and trying to go with a few fellow skiers on Mem day Monday. My question is how do people usually negotiate climbers vs. skiers on the Old Chute route? I saw the "clusterfuckery" picture and it doesn't look like a whole lot of room for everybody. Is there some sort of standard procedure?

 

Somebody asked about lift-assisted summit attempt. Is that done? I know it's cheating, but is it too dangerous to start so late? From trip reports it seems like everybody gets an alpine start to avoid rockfall. But then the snow probably isn't soft enough to ski in the early morning.

 

I'll keep searching for trip reports, but if anybody has advice for me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Water]

gavastik,

 

i'm no skiing expert but i've slogged the southside a lot. I took the clusterfuckery picture and had my skis with me carried up from leutholds. if the chute was in good shape were were going to ski it, but it was still pretty firm and also torn up to shit by all the climbers.

 

That said there are a few good spots 'nearly' at the top of the old chute but a little to the west where one can have a bit of a flat platform to put your skis on and be out of the way. From what I could tell it looked like the gully off the west crater rim (west side of crater rock) was now melted/exposed down to bare ground which otherwise i know to be a good ski down keeping clear of the hoards. If that is the case even if you donned your skis a bit out of the way, you'd have to be cutting back to the hogsback and dealing with at least some aspect of climbers if you wanted to stay on snow.

 

that said with snow conditions, etc---yes most get an alpine start. you can generally bet on the trend that high freezing level + sun = ice and rock fall. However sometimes I can't make rhyme or reason of it. I've been up there on sunny days with high freezing level and it has been fine. Then up there on other days when things seem like they are falling apart and I wouldn't have expected that.

 

I do think that as summer rolls around, once the rime comes off all the rock up there you really start to get a progressive increase in shit coming down.

 

I don't think it would be unfeasible to go for the later start honestly. If anything it would weed out the hordes quite a bit and hopefully mean the snow is good for skiing. everything is a bet and a guess you just gotta play it for what you think and keep an eye on the conditions/temps. later start = better for skiing, but might be worse if your number one goal is to top out.

 

enjoy

[christophbenells]

you gotta get a skiers start for sure.

 

instead of planning on being on top at 8 am plan on 10:30

 

the trick is to get up the chute right before the sun hits it, hang out for a bit and let it soften, then ski it around 11:30 or even later could be better. the climbers will mostly be out of the way.

 

or if you dont really care about the "summit" you can ski a great run from the crater rim down the "wyeast face" and through mt. hood meadows. no crowds and a better run!

 

 

[gavastik]

Thanks Water and Christoph!

[pivaraaf]

EDIT: Space no longer available.

 

 

I have Mt. Hood Snow Cat reservations for tomorrow (Friday 5/31/13) at midnight, and space available for a party of two or three. (i.e. drive up Friday evening, get the snow cat at midnight, climb and return on Saturday morning).

 

If you are interested in catching a ride with us from Timberline Lodge to the top of the Palmer Lift, email me at pivaraaf at yahoo dot com.

 

It costs a flat $500 for the snow cat, and we have a party of seven. If we get three more people, that's $500 divided by 10, or $50 each to help out with the cost.

Edited May 31, 2013 by pivaraaf

[shad]

I am going to be in Portland for a few days next week and was considering trying Mt Hood south side route again. I tried a couple times in 2012 but got shut down by icy conditions. I noticed that it may be pretty warm next week with a freeze level of 14000 ft. Will there be rock and icefall coming down like crazy or can this route still be done safely when it is above freezing? I know safety is relative, but I was just hoping to hear from someone who has been up there when it is that warm. Maybe this should have been posted in the "Newb" forum.

 

If it matters, I have done Mt St Helens, Middle and South Sister, and am trying Shasta Sat / Sun. I am still new to this, and I haven't done any routes yet where rock/icefall is even an issue.

Edited May 31, 2013 by shad

[B Deleted_Beck]

Awww shit yea... I think this weekend's gonna be the official unofficial 2013 Hoodtona 500

[B Deleted_Beck]

I am going to be in Portland for a few days next week and was considering trying Mt Hood south side route again. I tried a couple times in 2012 but got shut down by icy conditions. I noticed that it may be pretty warm next week with a freeze level of 14000 ft. Will there be rock and icefall coming down like crazy or can this route still be done safely when it is above freezing? I know safety is relative, but I was just hoping to hear from someone who has been up there when it is that warm. Maybe this should have been posted in the "Newb" forum.

 

If it matters, I have done Mt St Helens, Middle and South Sister, and am trying Shasta Sat / Sun. I am still new to this, and I haven't done any routes yet where rock/icefall is even an issue.

 

Are you a roofer?

[theoak]

I'm going to try the south side on 6/06 and I wanted to ask what route is better this year: the Old Chute or the Pearly Gates?

 

I also had some gear questions: Should I bring a 2nd tool? I also have Grivel G14s and BD Sabertooths, which ones would be better for the south side? (I use the G14s for ice climbing, so I don't want to beat them up if I don't need them).

[ScaredSilly]

I'm going to try the south side on 6/06 and I wanted to ask what route is better this year: the Old Chute or the Pearly Gates?

 

I also had some gear questions: Should I bring a 2nd tool? I also have Grivel G14s and BD Sabertooths, which ones would be better for the south side? (I use the G14s for ice climbing, so I don't want to beat them up if I don't need them).

 

 

The majority are doing old chute, if you need a second tool for the standard S. Side you should not be up there. As for crampons, I'd recommend a pair of SMC hinged strap-ons for the S. Side. Any thing else is over kill.

 

[theoak]

Thanks. I thought the G14s would be overkill, so I'll just bring my Sabertooths.

[mtndfndr]

Went up on Friday. Everyone was going up the Pearly Gates that day. Not a single set of tracks up the Old Chute, although I past a skier and dog on my way down near crater rock who was planning to go up that way. Pearly Gates had a 20ft. ice section that we were all able to negotiate with a standard ice axe and crampons but had to front point and use the pick on the axe to do so. We headed to the Old Chute face to ski down but I would have definitely wanted a rope if descending back through the Pearly gates.

[hippos_are_evil]

Sunday morning 95% of people were going up old chute, the snow was in great shape and was pretty mellow.

[Katherine]

Hey, do you have current conditions on the Hogsback route...we are thinking of climbing Saturday, June 8th.

 

[hippos_are_evil]

As of yesterday it was really good, the snow was great for cramponing and even seemed less steep than other years, who knows after a week of warm weather though. I would imagine there'll be a pretty deep bootpack for the old chute now, there were like 60 people on sunday

Edited June 3, 2013 by hippos_are_evil

[nwysham]

I'm headed up the south route tomorrow night with some friends who will be using crampons. I'm debating whether to use crampons alone or to bring my skis. Skiing is a much better way down, but if the surface isn't skinnable on the way up or carvable on the way down, typically not worth it. We will be setting out in the night, so snow is likely to be hard. Advice? Any recent trip reports that have yet to be posted?

[mtndfndr]

On our trip last Friday, we left the parking lot at 5:15 and had no problems skinning till just before the Hogsback. My partner was using ski crampons while I was not and I only struggled with a few spots between the top of Palmer and the Hogsback. Booted to the summit (through Pearly Gates) and decended the Old Chute around noon. The top was pretty hard packed but somewhat carvable (and steep). We headed west towards Illumination Rock where the sun had been shining longest and had great snow until towards the bottom where it got sticky.

 

The recent weather pattern may cause softer conditions but an earlier start should help.

[shad]

summitted this AM. left T-line around 1230, got up to Crater Rock before daylight so waited around a bit so we could see where we were going. nice steps up the Old Chute, excellent climbing conditions. bluebird day up there, very little wind as well. My friends who had climbed Mt Hood before said it was more mellow than last year, snow more filled in on Old Chute / less steep, better steps, etc

Edited June 6, 2013 by shad

[Karl_S]

South Side Beta: Climbed Wed night-Thr day 6/6/13. Very warm,but even by noon there was no ice fall at all. Pearly Gates: Berg is open some, but can easily be skirted to the right and climbed avoiding the main runnel and still giving a 'safe' runout to side of berg. There is a boot track for a small amount of the route. Rest was very firm snow. Right chute was very long and narrow. Left chute was reported by others to have some water ice, but I didn't see it myself. Pearly Gates is definitely more of a fear factor for first timers than Old Chute at this point.

 

Descended Old Chute. Knife edge ridge had a groomed wide flat path. Descent has a deep boot track most of the way down. More than one boot track exists and will allow larger numbers. Runout is into the hot rocks dirt. After 10am snow was soft enough for skiing.

[B Deleted_Beck]

South Side Beta: Climbed Wed night-Thr day 6/6/13. Very warm,but even by noon there was no ice fall at all. Pearly Gates: Berg is open some, but can easily be skirted to the right and climbed avoiding the main runnel and still giving a 'safe' runout to side of berg. There is a boot track for a small amount of the route. Rest was very firm snow. Right chute was very long and narrow. Left chute was reported by others to have some water ice, but I didn't see it myself. Pearly Gates is definitely more of a fear factor for first timers than Old Chute at this point.

 

Descended Old Chute. Knife edge ridge had a groomed wide flat path. Descent has a deep boot track most of the way down. More than one boot track exists and will allow larger numbers. Runout is into the hot rocks dirt. After 10am snow was soft enough for skiing.

 

24 hours later, the Pearly Gates are dropping huge wet chunks and the snow is bottomless slush...

 

Times, they are a changin'

[theoak]

I was supposed to climb the 6th with Timberline Mtn Guides as a private trip, but I missed my flight to Portland. I called them right away @ 4pm local time, but they said no refund or credit on my $500 fee.

 

So I decided to solo the south side today. I left the lodge at 2am and slogged up. I should have worn my MSR Denalis because I was post holing up to my knees as soon as I left the snowcat path. It was really windy, and the mountain clouded up after sunrise. I made it to just below crater rock when someone who was descending said there was significant ice fall today. The combination of wind, clouds, post holing, and ice fall convinced me to turn around.

 

I also met a 60 year old climber who summitted wearing Levis Jeans, leather hiking boots, flexible crampons, and a long wooden ice axe.

 

I should have soloed in the first place. Next time I'll just leave a little earlier and bring snowshoes.

 

 

[B Deleted_Beck]

Next time I'll just leave a little earlier and bring snowshoes.

 

 

If next time is before next winter, you won't need snowshoes.. it'll be good cramponing snow till mid-morning from here out, till we get the next big dump in Novemberish.

[theoak]

I'm big for a climber at 260lbs, and I end up postholing most of the time. I was watching the 150lb climbers with envy as they marched up the mountain like Legolas.