Hood Conditions? (solo)

[chrisc88]

Hi all, I was wondering if anybody has been on the South Side/Pearly Gates route of Hood over the last few days. I'm thinking about soloing it on next weekend (7/30), but I also don't want to fall into a crevasse and die.

 

Thanks!

Edited July 22, 2016 by chrisc88

[RTHo]

I just climbed it with a group yesterday and conditions weren't great. Snow is melting fast and evidence of rock fall was very evident. There weren't any crevasses. You won't be able to take the hogsback through the PG though. You'll have to take the old chute. It's extremely steep towards the top. The knife ridge from here to the summit is a mix of snow and rock but it wasn't too bad. We left at 1:30am.

[chrisc88]

Thanks for the info! It sounds like it melted out a lot since I was on it a couple months ago.

[Chris47]

I was there on Sat night/Sunday morning, season almost over. Pearly Gates is not accessible. Old Chute is still ok, very steep on the top, last 100 ft. Going up is ok, going down needs lots of attention.

No danger for crevasses, sulfus gas very bad. Ice and rocks falling some danger.

If you can, postpone it for May.

[RTHo]

I was there on Sat night/Sunday morning, season almost over. Pearly Gates is not accessible. Old Chute is still ok, very steep on the top, last 100 ft. Going up is ok, going down needs lots of attention.

No danger for crevasses, sulfus gas very bad. Ice and rocks falling some danger.

If you can, postpone it for May.

 

Agreed. It was my first time climbing it. I definitely want to return next year earlier in the season, is May the prime month?

[Water]

depends on what you are looking for in prime. personally I find March-April to be perfect for climbing on Hood. That assumes you've got a weather window. Plenty of daylight, temps cold enough to keep things together, and the mountain is gorgeous plastered in rime and fresh snow. And less crowds.

 

May probably prime month among the hordes.. I stop climbing it mid-may more or less, earlier depending on the snow year. Rock starts getting visible and streaking the snow, the snow around timberline starts getting pretty foul (for skiing down). But I'm biased since it is a backyard mountain. While it would be interesting I suppose, I've never once even thought of climbing in late June or July. Greener pastures in the NW.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Water

[JasonG]

Late July is not prime volcano time in the PNW, at least not anymore (probably was in the 60's and 70's). The North Cascades, on the other hand.....

[RTHo]

depends on what you are looking for in prime. personally I find March-April to be perfect for climbing on Hood. That assumes you've got a weather window. Plenty of daylight, temps cold enough to keep things together, and the mountain is gorgeous plastered in rime and fresh snow. And less crowds.

 

May probably prime month among the hordes.. I stop climbing it mid-may more or less, earlier depending on the snow year. Rock starts getting visible and streaking the snow, the snow around timberline starts getting pretty foul (for skiing down). But I'm biased since it is a backyard mountain. While it would be interesting I suppose, I've never once even thought of climbing in late June or July. Greener pastures in the NW.

 

Thanks for the input. I'll definitely head up there around March-April, those conditions you described sound awesome. Some of the shots I've seen of climbers going through the Pearly Gates are amazing and I assume the shots I'm referring to are earlier in the year.