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Two guys, two days, two routes


ScaredSilly

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Some fun on the hill.

 

V: Hey A, can you get up here this weekend we have a high pressure setting up

 

A: No, I am stuck in DC in meetings through the weekend. Think it will last until next week?

 

V: They say it will last 10 days.

 

A: Okay, let me try to clear my calendar when I get back and lets watch the weather.

 

One week latter ...

 

V: Weather is still holding through Saturday night.

 

A: I have a flight pick me up at PDX at 4pm on Thursday.

 

So the emails went.

 

After the airport pickup we stop for dinner and beer arriving at Timberline around 7pm with blue bird skies but high winds. There is lots of activity in the parking lot from others settling in for the night. Not us, we set off hiking up to Illumination Rock with plans to bivy there for a couple of nights. Being part of the leisure class we set a blistering pace up the freshly groomed runs making the top of the Magic Mile in less an hour.

 

Soon afterwards it gets dark and the winds increase. Then V admits he was up until 3am drinking with his brother and is not feeling the love of the mountain yet. At this point we are mid way up the Palmer. Ah what the hell, lets just bivy here and finish the walk in the morning (hopefully without the wind).

 

At 5am it is light out but the winds are still blowing. Being part of the crack of noon club we decide to go back to sleep. At 7am we are awoken by the sounds of a snow cat. We can only wonder what the snow cat driver thought about seeing us bivied there in the snow - other than yup just a couple of slackers under estimating the hill. Finally at 8am we decide that it is one thing to be discovered by the cat driver but another to be skied over by those taking the lift so we finally decided to move along towards the saddle.

 

We arrive at the saddle finding that the shitters had pretty much dropped trowel where ever they felt like it. There are thing called WAG bags, use them folks. And if you can't, shit yer pants or stay off the hill as there is no reason to shit right in a heavily used camping area.

 

Finding a fecal free area we cached our tent and other gear. Finally, strolling out at 10:30am in the warmth of the sun and a lot less wind we drop down onto the Reid Glacier to find excellent névé. V has never been on this side of the hill before so we wander over toward Yocum Ridge and swing right up Leutholds. Conditions are fine as we wander up into the hourglass. We find a little ice but nothing that can not be climbed with a single tool and ski pole.

 

About noon we stop at Queen's Chair for a picnic lunch and few pictures. After which we top out and only find one other person who is descending. Lovely to have the summit to oneself. We descend back to saddle where we brew up, lounge, have dinner, lounge some more, and BS about the usual three mountain topics.

 

At 3:30am the noise makers show up. Why is it that people have to so damn noisy in the wee hours? Finally they leave. Then another set show up at 4:30am. We finally politely ask them to quiet down as we are trying to sleep. They leave at 5am. At the this point it is getting light so we decide to get up and get moving.

 

We set off about 6:15am or so dropping back down on to the Reid. Same conditions as the day before. We wander across the Reid to the base of Yocum. Though a bit longer than we expect, we quickly go around the corner finding firmer and steeper névé than on the Reid. After one easy bridge over a crack we are down on the Sandy Glacier. Like the day before we head over towards a ridge, take a right turn and wander up the headwall. We climb up to just below the pinch before breaking out a second tool. Which was good timing as we found some nice ice. Above the pinch it was a mix of hard névé and ice but nothing on the route was more than 55 degrees. At this point we are a couple of hundred feet below another group (the 5am noise makers) so we head left a bit and pick up the ridge.

 

Rather catch up to the other group we have another picnic at the Queen's Chair. As we wander up the last bit we can hear voices, lots of voices. Ah yes, it is a Saturday on Mt. Hood. Fortunately, the summit ridge is not too chaotic. It is odd though as it is our first time being on the same summit in less than 24 hours.

 

We did not spend much time on top and began our descent. We were glad to be leaving the masses while descending via the Carter Rim. After arriving back at the Saddle we pack up our gear and headed down the hill. We finished the day with a beer and dinner at the Lodge and watched the weather roll in. Timing is everything. After that V dropped me off at friends for my 6am flight the next morning while he headed back north with a stop at his brother's. Though I do not think V was going to do any serious drinking. At 65 V is getting a little old for multiple benders but for two routes in two days.

 

No pictures as our ascents were nothing of note, just a couple of guys enjoying some quality time on the hill.

 

 

 

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