[TR] HOOD - Coe Glacier Icefall 5/11/2013

[YocumRidge]

Trip: HOOD - Coe Glacier Icefall

 

Date: 5/11/2013

 

Trip Report:

OlegV and I climbed the rarely visited Coe glacier Icefall on the north side of Hood in two rounds for full measure.

 

10/05/2012

On a nice day in early October, we started at the Cloud Cap and took the around Hood trail #600 towards the beautiful Elk Cove. 5 min from the parking lot, the trail ended in cliffed out banks of the Eliot creek, not producing much confidence after the 2006’ washout. After rapping down in the creek, Oleg, a brave soul, “led” aka free soloed the other side with precariously hanging boulders to the top of west Eliot morain.

 

Eliot Creek crossing was very enjoyable and certainly a highlight of the entire trip:

 

 

Yep, don’t do it:

 

 

Oleg on the trail #600:

 

 

After reaching west lateral morain of Languille gl., we cut south towards the Coe:

 

 

And dropped down on Coe @ OV2 (7400’):

 

 

Things on Coe were looking good and as expected: bullet-proof alpine ice and holes everywhere.

 

 

After reaching the lower icefall, we pitched in the tent in protected spot which was a job on its own:

[video:vimeo]50950067

 

 

 

As always, Hood made its own fancy clouds at sunset:

 

 

Next morning we packed up and headed up trying to get through barricades to the shelf leading to the Snow Dome which was not happening as fast as it should had:

 

 

The higher we got the more we were finding ourselves surrounded by bottomless abysses. Ice features were more intricate than on Price:

 

 

With the lack of upward progress, we called it quits somewhere in the middle of icefall and made our way down on the endless V-threads.

 

 

The chess game. We lost it this time:

 

 

Eliot Creek crossing followed.

 

 

 

05/11/2013

 

With the Cloud Cap road still being closed, we settled on the standard approach via Snow Dome given in Ore High. Due to different work schedules, we started separately at the Tilly Jane TH @ 3800’. While Oleg was getting off work, I uneventfully hiked to the Snow Dome @ 9100’ and pitched in the tent by the shrund.

 

North Face is thin, but in. The shrund is wall-to-wall, so take you chances.

 

 

Oleg emerging on the Snow Dome:

 

 

At the camp:

 

 

Next morning we slogged down to the notch marking the start of the famous “crappy gully” and downclimbed 1000’ to the Coe below the hanging icecliffs:

 

 

The traverse to the middle of the glacier was sketchy. Here it is where you’ve got to sprint across the obvious runway made by objects falling off the hanging icecliffs.

 

 

When we thought we were in the safe spot, Oleg punched through the crevasse but climbed out of it. For some bizarre reason, I followed his example and ended up in the same crevasse after another bridge failed.

 

 

Happy to get up on the solid ground:

 

 

Lower Coe icefall:

 

 

We rope soloed the entire route as it was in more straightforward shape than back in October. Kind of disappointing, really.

 

 

Approaching the upper Coe:

 

 

Upper Coe:

 

 

Jumping over more crevasses:

 

 

Oleg on the Cathedral ridge:

 

 

Oleg on the summit ridge:

 

 

We descended the Cathedral ridge to the shelf splitting the lower and upper Coe. Getting down to the Coe was tricky as you gotta jump through the moat:

 

 

On the final slog towards the Snow Dome:

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Screws and 2 pickets

 

Approach Notes:

Trail 600 or Snow Dome

[dougd]

Looks like fun!

 

d

[OlegV]

Nastia, nice TR! glad we finally nailed this one. We actually climbed/downclimbed 3 routes: Sunshine, Coe icefall and Cathedral ridge. All three routes is an awesome adventure. Nothing easy left on the north side for us do do...

[ivan]

[powderhound]

sending!!!!

 

Wonder if the rain we get in town this week will fill in the north face again...

[YocumRidge]

Yes. North face and other things for that matter, Brian

[powderhound]

Hot Damn, best looking photo of the pencil I have seen

[ivan]

the pencil sure offers an alternative to miracling yer ass over the n face shrund afterall