Trip Report: Mt. Hood South Side Route
When: 3/20/2018
Location: Mt Hood - South Side Route
Conditions: Low avalanche danger, stable snow, sunny clear day
Duration: 6-8 hours on average for ascent, 1-2 hours ski descent
Difficulty: Moderate
Kid Friendly: No
Pet Friendly: No
The Full Report:
Today you and your climb partner are going to attempt to ski the south side of Mount Hood!
Weather forecast is great, you've checked the Northwest Avalanche Forecast and it's low danger below, at and above treeline - awesome! You check in with your climb partner about gear - don't forget your skins! - about their wilderness first responder and avy certs, do they have any medical conditions you should be aware of, what emergency gear they have (first aid kit, etc) and your goals for the day. Communication is key. We'd love to summit 11,200 ft but, our initial aim is illumination rock at 9000 ft then we'll check in about conditions.
Start at Timberline Lodge parking lot, gear up, register as climbers, check our avy beacons and review the map. South side is a straightforward ascent, but descent can be tricky especially on skis if visibility is low. Descending straight down from the summit can trap skiers and climbers on the other side of zig zag canyon, dangerous crevasse zone, so we know before we start the climb that is something to pay attention to.
We start skinning, parking lot to Palmer glacier under the lifts following the cat tracks, then Palmer to illumination, Illumination to Hogs Back, here we change over to put our skis on our packs - make sure you've got your ski straps! - put on crampons and trade trekking poles for mountaineering ice axes.
It smells like sulfur from the volcanic vents, but conditions are holding and all the climbers we see coming down give us the green light on summit conditions. Here we climb up to the pearly gates, using rest steps and French technique with our crampons, keeping our eyes out for lines we want to ski on the way down.
Drop packs with skis here or as high as you feel comfortable skiing down from. Now you just have yourself and whatever you are going to need up on the summit, anticipate wind. Some front pointing and ice axe use to get through the gates, up and to the right then follow the boot pack to the summits and enjoy the views! Watch out for cornices and keep an eye on any weather moving in. Celebrate and prepare to descend, get into skis and enjoy the way down!
You're officially a ski mountaineer! Stay hydrated, well layered, communicate and pay attention to stay safe and have fun in this beautiful space above the clouds!
Weather forecast is great, you've checked the Northwest Avalanche Forecast and it's low danger below, at and above treeline - awesome! You check in with your climb partner about gear - don't forget your skins! - about their wilderness first responder and avy certs, do they have any medical conditions you should be aware of, what emergency gear they have (first aid kit, etc) and your goals for the day. Communication is key. We'd love to summit 11,200 ft but, our initial aim is illumination rock at 9000 ft then we'll check in about conditions.
Start at Timberline Lodge parking lot, gear up, register as climbers, check our avy beacons and review the map. South side is a straightforward ascent, but descent can be tricky especially on skis if visibility is low. Descending straight down from the summit can trap skiers and climbers on the other side of zig zag canyon, dangerous crevasse zone, so we know before we start the climb that is something to pay attention to.
We start skinning, parking lot to Palmer glacier under the lifts following the cat tracks, then Palmer to illumination, Illumination to Hogs Back, here we change over to put our skis on our packs - make sure you've got your ski straps! - put on crampons and trade trekking poles for mountaineering ice axes.
It smells like sulfur from the volcanic vents, but conditions are holding and all the climbers we see coming down give us the green light on summit conditions. Here we climb up to the pearly gates, using rest steps and French technique with our crampons, keeping our eyes out for lines we want to ski on the way down.
Drop packs with skis here or as high as you feel comfortable skiing down from. Now you just have yourself and whatever you are going to need up on the summit, anticipate wind. Some front pointing and ice axe use to get through the gates, up and to the right then follow the boot pack to the summits and enjoy the views! Watch out for cornices and keep an eye on any weather moving in. Celebrate and prepare to descend, get into skis and enjoy the way down!
You're officially a ski mountaineer! Stay hydrated, well layered, communicate and pay attention to stay safe and have fun in this beautiful space above the clouds!