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Mt Hood


KirkW

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Hi everyone, new to the board. My brother and I have wanted to climb Hood for years but have never gotten the chance and have decided to try to make it happen this year. What times of year are the best to climb Hood and then what are the climbing conditions like now? Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

 

I would suggest that for the first time you look at early June. Longer days, warmer temps, more stable weather. I would also suggest planning a mid week venture up the hill - fewer people.

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Avalanche conditions are a real consideration anywhere on the mountain where the slope is above 20 degrees. West Crater rim avalanches ALL THE TIME, as does Wy'East and all other routes. I would recommend checking NWAC avalanche forecasts and weather forecasts from NOAA religiously before you climb, and then determining your acceptable level of risk. As it seems you have noticed, we have a one-day weather window before a fairly significant front will pass through.

Good luck!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sounds really nice up there!

 

This Afternoon: Snow showers. High near 7. Wind chill values as low as -12. West wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.

 

Tonight: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -13. West wind between 8 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

 

Sunday: Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 3. Wind chill values as low as -19. West southwest wind between 9 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

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Gonna be cold as a mufucker, but it shouldn't be too bad at 9,500'. Monday was looking good too, last time I checked, but then my wife reminded me that I'm supposed to be taking my 1,000 year old grandmother to Spirit Mountain on Monday. Wrong mountain.

 

Wait and wait and wait and wait for good weather, and it happens during a once-a-year event that I cannot bail on.

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Heading up the classic south side tonight, hopefully will be back down before noon on Monday, the report looks pretty good, although cold as hell.

 

Tonight: Scattered snow showers, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -8. Wind chill values as low as -34. West wind between 16 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

 

Monday: A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 7. Wind chill values as low as -34. Windy, with a west wind between 26 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

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The report isn't to be trusted, at the moment... it was pretty fucked up on the mountain today.

 

Not saying don't go, but make sure you're totally prepared for whiteout and heavy snow.

 

 

Ummm how is the report not too be trusted? Sounds like it did exactly what I would have expected it to do, as I attempted to point out before... But I guess to each his own eh! :brew:

 

Monday: A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 7. Wind chill values as low as -34. Windy, with a west wind between 26 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

 

If that's not enough to deter you, I dont know what is...

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i check the weather with a religious fervor out of simple fascination with the remote telemetry, web cams, NWAC, and NOAA meteorologist discussion and it all coming together.

 

don't believe I've seen anything i'd call a climbing window in a few weeks, but maybe just me.. seeing whats on the tail end can sometimes show your window to be something with some squeeze vs slamming shut like a bank vault door..which is sure as hell what it looks like monday eve.

 

 

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Saturday it called for 4-8" but ended up being sunny and consolidating the newer snow (up at pea gravel ridge), we were worried about the avy report but the snow (due to sun? couldn't have hurt) was as stable as it gets...killed the powder though!

Yesterday (Sunday) it was supposed to be stormy as well, but mostly blue skies again (luckily we found a protected aspect with 6" blower) :)

Can't say the weather report was spot on this weekend but it sure was coming in Sunday afternoon!

Ben B. you're crazy to want to hit I-rock with the high below 10F, I already feel bad for the belayer...I'd say screaming barfies but its doubtful you'd get the feeling back ;)

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When I say "fucked up," we still climbed. We didn't get on the Rock, but only because my partner's crampons wouldn't fit his rental boots, and we didn't realize we could have traded (mine would have fit on his boots and vice versa) till about 8,500', and he'd left the 'pons in the car. Why carry 5lbs of useless metal?

 

The report I read called for scattered snow showers and mostly sunny skies. I totally expected periods of white-out... but I did NOT expect 50-200m visibility ALL DAY. The snow was constant, not scattered... it wasn't heavy all day, but it was heavy for hours at a time.

 

But we did voluntarily stay on the mountain through it all, and would have done I-Rock still, if'n we'd had two sets of crampons. The wands we brought would have been essential... straying farther than 100m from the lift was dangerous- EXTREMELY disorienting not being able to see anything but white, nor even distinguish the ground from the air.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Does anyone know if the NF gullies have ever been skied? To be honest I've always got shut down by weather the times I've tried to get up there, so pardon me if that's ridiculous.

Also, there's a great couloir on the east face, to the right of what I believe is the black spider/arachnaphobia wall, has that ever been skied as well?

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Does anyone know if the NF gullies have ever been skied?

Pretty close...

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=966443

 

Also I recollect that many years ago someone happened to be on the summit with skis when a couple fell off the Cooper Spur route and onto Elliot Glacier. This fellow immediately followed their route down on skis to offer assistance. Tragically they had expired. I'm not sure the route he skied, but DH would probably know.

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