February 10, 2013 - Mount Hood

The route up south side of Mt Hood

Nicole and I have hatched plans for a Hood climb several times. It was an objective in the early season last year as a conditioner to Rainier, but the exceptionally stormy spring of 2012 always held us back. Once again we planned to climb Hood in late January 2013, but reports of full on icy conditions meant that our skis wouldn't allow us the effortless descent we thought this climb should include (who wants to walk down groomers??). The second weekend of February, however, featured a high pressure system following around 6-7" of snow in the Mt Hood area. This snow would prove to be a curse and a blessing.

GPS tracks up the south side of Mt Hood (gpx)

We enjoyed a relaxing morning in town on Saturday, complete with a monster breakfast and quality couch time. Great start to any climbing weekend. In the early afternoon we took off for Portland, and at the last minute snatched up a cheap hotel room along 84, about a 40 minute drive from the trailhead instead of doing the TH Subaru snuggle. To be honest there was still snuggling but it ended up being with my skis that somehow shared my bed... reminded me of those bike racing days from college where bike frames would litter our hotel rooms.

Discussion ensued about how early we really needed to get up. The customary wisdom on Hood is to start very early - midnight is not unheard of. We figured we'd move fast enough to justify a 2am start, but even that seemed very cautious given that it was unlikely we'd see the upper mountain melting and launching rocks down on us. The high was forecast to be in the mid-30s. The alarm was set for 1:30 (and then moved back to 1:45 by someone in the room).

skinning up underneath the palmer lift

In the morning we took off from the TH after meeting up with some splitboarders and signing the climbing registry. At 3:45 we climbed up the snow bank and started skinning up the well groomed track along the Palmer lift. Despite being groggy we made quick work of the first 2,500' in less than 2.5 hours. We took a break at the top of Palmer lift and downed some food in the wind break of the upper lift station. Wind was picking up, but still only 10-20mph with occasional gusts into the 30s. As we dispatched with breakfast number two, the sun finally started to color the horizon - a nice morale boost to start the upper portion of the climb with.

Nicole climbing above the Palmer lift

First light awakens the volcanoes off to our South.

As we climbed above the lift, the conditions changed dramatically, as icy formations with powder snow sometimes filling in the gaps became the norm. Having only one pair of ski crampons between the two of us, we fairly quickly ended up booting, as it was much quicker than the tetter totter slippery game of skinning on the hard uneven surface. Although faster than skinning, the conditions still slowed us down a bit as it took almost double the amount of time to reach Hogsback from the top of the lift - about the same elevation gain of 2500'.

Booting up above Palmer

Nicole and the upper mountain in morning glow

Optimistically carrying the sticks up. It proved worthwhile.

The sun energized us for the rest of the climb to Hogsback

The wind had picked up as well, sending spindrift flying around the mountain, luckily right as the sun came out to cast the blowing snow in gorgeous light. One team ahead of us didn't appreciate the alpine splendor, however, and flipped it at around 9,500'. We pushed on to the base of the Hogsback as the wind started to die down and the blue skies set in for the rest of the day.

Steps up towards Crater rock

the winds blew loose snow all around the upper mountain

Nicole bracing as the wind picked back up, forcing us back into our layers

Illumination Rock

The smell of sulfur became quite powerful from the fumaroles on either side of the Hogsback. It reminded me of walking around the thermal features of Yellowstone. Our route up from the Hogsback was the Old chute, which was accessible by crossing over to the base shrund, traversing left across a slope above a large fumarole, and then up to the summit ridge. A staircase had been carved out already on the Hogsback, and most of the traverse, but the lighter snow on top of the older crust meant even good looking steps would sometimes blow out on you.

Our route along the Hogsback and up the Old Chute (following the climbers shown)

Couldn't pass up this interplay of foreground textures... 

Hogsback and shrund

Again the conditions were slowing us down, but we had plenty of time and continued up slowly. I enjoyed applying a trick reinforced at a field trip the weekend before to quickly throw Nicole on belay using a boot-axe belay above a particularly hairy section that required front pointing for about 15'. With the confidence only a taught top rope can bring, Nicole climbed up the slope without difficulty. Lesson number one of the day - if you bother to bring a rope and harness, just bring a picket. Skis don't always make good anchors - especially twin tips. One more small constriction and final slope and up we were on the summit ridge. After securing our bags we dashed off for the ten minute traverse over to the actual summit and enjoyed views in all directions. Jefferson, Sisters, Rainier, Adams and St Helens were all out and clearly visible.

Steps up the Old chute - with a climber just about to top out

Nicole heading back to the top of the Old chute after tagging the summit

Rimy ice surrounded the summit area

Back at our packs we waited for the splitboarders to drop into the Old Chute before heading down. They had waited for almost everyone to come up behind them before wiping the steps out with their sideslip down the narrow chute entrance. Once we started downclimbing, I found their tracks to be easier than trying to step down into existing steps anyway. Nicole and I stayed roped up for the upper portion of steeper and icier downclimbing, and then once she was off on her own I stowed the rope and busted out the skis. After carving out a trench on a 45 degree slope to transition from cramponing to skiing and repacking my bag, I learned that my skis had barely any wax on them and were basically covered in skin glue. I clicked in, pointed them downhill and enjoyed the quad workout from hell as my skis did not move down the slope.... at all. After pulsing my weight a few times to move from the presumably sticky patch of snow I was stuck to, the skis still only moved a few feet, so I stopped, carved out another hasty trench, took the skis off and scraped them off the best I could. Finally decreasing the friction enough, I enjoyed the scratchy turns down to Hogsback where we threw down the last non-emergency food (ie last good food) in our packs and got ready to cruise the descent. Thankfully the snow seemed to remove most of the skin glue, and my dry bases didn't do so bad on the cold dry snow.

Illumination rock with climbers and clouds starting to move in. Must climb this thing!

Nicole descending from the upper mountain

Nicole walked down to where she had deposited her skis above the Palmer lift (near where some folks often camp) and I picked my way down skiers right, jumping from snow patch to snow patch and avoiding the icy chunks, for the most part. After we both donned skis, we cruised down to the top of the lift and then shot all the way down the groomers.


Big GS turns and smiles were in full effect as we quickly shot down the 2500' that we had seemingly climbed the day before. A good winter climb is made all the better by sunny warm temperatures in the parking lot with no cascade concrete on the deproach. While the exit via the groomers was very convenient, I somewhat prefer the Mt St Helens post-climb parking lot scene where everyone spreads out their clothes to dry, cracks a beer and relaxes before their drive home. The parking lot scene here was more about dodging the cars that seemed determined to que up for the drive downhill ASAP.