KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 Trip: Mount Hood - Reid Headwall Date: 1/8/2012 Trip Report: Unbelievably a perfect weather and avy forecast materialized for the weekend, so I pulled in three friends to make the drive to PDX and give Hood a try. None of us were keen on the drive/"sleep" in car at T-line/C2C in same day option, so we drove up midday instead and headed up to the Palmer with full packs to camp above 8700 or so. It was sunny and around freezing when we left the lot, but as the sun set, and we gained elevation, temps dropped quickly and we ascended into clouds/whiteout. We were all wearing three layers and balaclavas by the time we got to the Palmer lift, and were anxious to set up tents. It was probably around 25 degrees without the windchill. The night was quite noisy with the wind but we all managed to get some rest and got up at 4:30. Mito passed by our tent on her way up to the Reid (separate party) and we soon followed. The hike to Illumination Rock was straightforward. Here we roped up for the traverse, using double ropes folded in half. We caught up to Mito's party and they were headed up and right of the rock beyond which is the start of the Leuthold. We opted to go left of her line, straight up the face. At the top of this slope we entered a slot where we place our first pieces - a couple of pickets and a couple of screws. This was the only section where we found real ice - maybe 60 feet. We were comfortable simulclimbing it (a skier passed us and solo'd it). The middle of the slot had a weird erosion feature in it where sugar snow seemed to flow down. It was here where we really started to be treated with falling bits of snow and ice, up to golf ball size. Evil, sun-illuminated rime - the source of lots of falling debris: Above this slot, I reconn'd and opted not to continue left on the leftmost option of the Reid. We then decided to head back right, where the solo skier who passed us had headed. We simulclimbed this section with one swap of leads and came to a ridge at the top of the middle Reid variation. Here we faced a nasty traverse right on 50 degree slopes. The sun was hitting here now and the snow was a mixture of soft stuff on top of hard, and just plain hard and icy. We opted to send out one person on belay with all 7 of our pickets and leave them for team two of two. We thought we'd take about an hour here, and were on our way. As I followed the first team on lead, and was approaching a rib of ice about half way around, I felt something falling off my body, and thought it was a picket. I looked down and saw something yellow and black spinning and tumbling out of sight - my right crampon. A string of expletives ensued for about a minute. The going on from here was a bitch. I had to kick *hard* 4-5 (or sometimes more) times with my right foot to get minimal purchase to move my left with crampon intact and kick once. It was exhausting. To top it off: with the sun, our triple layer attire and balaclavas - requisite earlier on - were now inducing copious sweat and discomfort. After an hour of meticulous, slow moving, and many more expletives, I finally topped out at the Western Crater Rim at 10,500 feet. Due to the time (3 pm), short daylight, and long drive back ahead of us we opted to headed out. The slope down looked soft, but I wanted to rap the top of it just in case, so we did that, and I downclimbed ahead of folks to get across the icy sections back to camp before it set up again too badly. We packed up while admiring a beautiful sunset and headlamped back to the cars. Beer and burgers at the Ice Axe Grill, followed by a long punishing ride home. Gear Notes: Ice axe, 2nd tool, crampons, helmet, 3-4 pickets, 1-2 screws. Approach Notes: Cat track. Quote
mkporwit Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) Gear Notes: Ice axe, 2nd tool, crampons one crampon, helmet, 3-4 pickets, 1-2 screws. Fixt Nice one, KK Edited January 9, 2012 by mkporwit Quote
B Deleted_Beck Posted January 9, 2012 Posted January 9, 2012 What boot/pon combo were you using? No ankle strap?? Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 9, 2012 Author Posted January 9, 2012 What boot/pon combo were you using? No ankle strap?? Scarpa Freney + G12's. They have a strap. Funny thing is when I tried to take off my remaining crampon later, I could not - the strap was frozen solid. Quote
JasonG Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 What a difference a month makes, looks like it is in cruisey shape right now. Way to hang in there with one crampon! Quote
YocumRidge Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Nice TR, Steopich! Sorry to hear about the crampon, glad you made it down OK. Here is the pic I took of you guys at the base of the shrund on Reid: Reid HW was unusually aggressive yesterday. After a bucket sized rime projectile flew down the line you went up and almost crippled my leg, we traversed to the right into some couloir between 14a and 14b. A good option with 60 deg ice leading to the traverse at the 14b exit. Pup on the mountain coming up the couloir: I agree with you re: the final traverse. The rime towers above it were shedding the material mercilessly and half crippled my sunglasses, what a bitch! Thank God the eye is OK. Oh, BTW, I was looking for some vodovka in that tent of yours but to no avail Quote
dougd Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Beaten up some, but remaining unbowed... Impressive leg bruise no doubt. I can top it but the photo is a lil too revealing... Appears to have been appreciable snow deposited on the upper mountain in the last week - ten days... d Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Seems to be the year of projectiles. End Times? Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 10, 2012 Author Posted January 10, 2012 Toe bang? Way to hang tough. Thanks! I'm waiting to see if I lose a toenail. Quote
KaskadskyjKozak Posted January 10, 2012 Author Posted January 10, 2012 After a bucket sized rime projectile flew down the line you went up and almost crippled my leg, It almost looks like a face in that bruise... laughing. Hood was evil yesterday! The rime towers above it were shedding the material mercilessly and half crippled my sunglasses, what a bitch! Thank God the eye is OK. That must have sucked to squint the rest of the afternoon! Oh, BTW, I was looking for some vodovka in that tent of yours but to no avail Slyeduyushiy raz, devushka! Terpeniye! Quote
YocumRidge Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Seems to be the year of projectiles. End Times? They say 12/21/12. So the J-burg needs to happen. Soon? Quote
benb Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Wow, several near-misses in the same thread! Sketch! Quote
pup_on_the_mountain Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Fun, and super-warm times up the Reid! I also got hit a few times by ice projectiles, but luckily escaped serious damage. Here are a couple more pics. Mito on the traverse. The tracks of the entire traverse are faintly visible in the sunny portion of the slope. At the ridge after the traverse. It was nice to meet you in person 5K . We noticed your red tent on our way down, and were wondering why it was still there, since we thought you guys had turned back. Good work with one crampon! Quote
YocumRidge Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Good times Bala! At one point I thought summer came a little too early - in January - with Hoodie being so bare and looking like a radioactive mutant Quote
Water Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 same day, saw this fellow seeming to follow (like 45 minutes behind?) a partner going up well late (1:30?) along west crater rim (at about hogsback level). We couldn't really comprehend what was going on as they traversed the steepest part at a snails pace. then we looked over and saw them motionless at the bottom of their slide. we called and they gave a limp thumbs up and said they were fine. Now that I see the pic, do they have two backpacks on? Quote
YocumRidge Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 same day, saw this fellow seeming to follow (like 45 minutes behind?) a partner going up well late (1:30?) along west crater rim (at about hogsback level). We couldn't really comprehend what was going on as they traversed the steepest part at a snails pace. then we looked over and saw them motionless at the bottom of their slide. we called and they gave a limp thumbs up and said they were fine. Now that I see the pic, do they have two backpacks on? This looks like Pup on the mountain after we emerged on WCR after topping out at the 14b. He graciously did carry two packs - his and mine - while heading down to the HB (and not being in a hurry) and waiting for me there to get up to the summit ridge and check on the condition of the scary Eliot HW. And yes, for some time while on WCR we did move slow because of the horrible snow balling on our crampons and the need to stop at every other step and kick it off. It improved significantly higher up.. Quote
ivan Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 Nastia the EpicMonger strikes again! wait till she takes up bungee jumping Quote
YocumRidge Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 wait till she takes up bungee jumping Nah, not interested Ivan. But as you know, I like to rough it Quote
pup_on_the_mountain Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 That was indeed me. I was tired. Despite having antibott plates, my crampons were balling up a lot, and caused me to slip. I had Mito's backpack clipped on to my own, which made self-arresting a bit difficult. I decided to move (even) slow(er) after that. As far as epicing goes, we debated bailing when the first ice projectiles came down as we were starting up the Reid HW. We were the first team to go up, and there were 3-4 teams (including the soloist) below us. It was calm for a while after that, so we headed up. The next time we thought about this issue, we were too high that it was safer at that point to go up and get to the ridge, than to go down. Quote
Water Posted January 10, 2012 Posted January 10, 2012 well i would move slow if i had 2 backpacks on! Didn't even see that till i zoomed in on the pic at home. no criticism of your pace intended. from the HB the slope about 15 foot higher from where you were looked more like a shelf than a steep traverse-seemed like it might be easier. glad you were okay--when someone called out that you were motionless and 70ft lower than when we last saw you, we all looked and were ready to book it over there. that part where you were is in the lee of the ridge so i think the snow was probably was deeper like on the east side of crater rock. i think the inversion didn't help so much with the projectiles.. it was right about 32 in the shade, even around 1pm, but, in the sun about 45 degrees. Quote
dkatz12090 Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 Anyone get a read on the old chute route? Thinking to solo up there later in the week/weekend and wondering what the conditions are? Thanks so much! Quote
B Deleted_Beck Posted January 11, 2012 Posted January 11, 2012 I think Water went up the Old Chute, and I know his partners descended it. I descended the Mazama Chute (same area) and conditions were fine, even super late in the day. Its been icy at the top of the chutes the last couple times I've been through this season - so bonus or terror, depending on how much you like/hate ice. Quote
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