Monday, June 11, 2012

Mountain Hood....The Great One

8s Below the South Side

Yourz Truly Mid Spur

Moon Beamz Summah Home
Mid Sunshine Route Mandatory Air or Abseil
L to R..Coopers Spur, North Chutes, Sunshine Rt
Cooper Spur, North Chutes, and the Sunshine Rt on the Skyline Ridge
South Side Hood from the top of Wy'East
Crater Rock with Illumination Rock Below on the South Side
Skiing the Wy'East
Leuthold's Col.
Dick McRippington midway down Leuthold's
Exiting the Leuthold's Col.
Even Dogz climb the Hoodwand....above the sharty is the Pearly Gates
Buffalo and Scriv climbing up the Old Chute on the South Side
Dick McCruxington on an attempted ski descent from summit to Wy'East, a little less snow than expected
Jake and Scriv after navigating the Wy'East directisimo
About to ski the Wy'East Infection aka Glewstick Col. varation of the Wy'East
A jibonkity below the West Crater Rim Castle Crags on the South Side of Hood
Reid the Fuckin Book....your nothing without it.
Base of the Reid
Mr Shartz ripping the Sandy Headwall

The Sandy Headwall Choke
Teen Wolf getting through the choke on the Sandy Headwall
On the return from skiing the Sandy Heady Wall, which is on the lookers left.
For the past four spring/summers, I have been working for Timberline Mountain Guides. I have been lucky enough to get in some good corn skiing when there's good weather (which doesn't happen very much here) or when I'm not working. I really enjoy skiing new routes and seeing different parts of Mountain Hood. Over the years I have skied all of the skiable climbers routes on Hood besides the North Chutes, which I hope to do some day. Word on the street is that only Doug Coombs and maybe Steven Koch have skied this route. I'd guess its seen a couple other descents, but it is definitely a committing line(s) that I'm hoping to find in the right condition to ski one of these days. Maybe I just need to grow some man ballz and just go fer it???

Here is a list of the skiable routes starting on the South side of Hood, which is the main climbers route to the summit of Mountain Hood. The list goes clockwise from the summit. The Pearly Gates, Old Chute, West Crater Rim, Reid Headwall, Leuthold's Couloir, Sandy Headwall, Sunshine Route, (*North Chutes* unfinished), Cooper Spur, Newton Clark Headwall, and the Wy'East. 

The Pearly Gates- The most direct line down the south side from the true summit. It has a tight choke that can be kind of dicey, usually filled with ice. When I skied it, it twas butt puckering. You can take this down the White River Glacier and milk over 5,000 vert.

The Old Chute- Probably the easiest skiable route from the summit. This is also the main climbers route to the summit of the Hoodwand. Its like 40-45 degrees or so maybe steeper depending on snow conditions. It mellows out steepness wise pretty quickly. Its a great place to scare the shit out of bumbling climbers. Skiing above climbers is one of my favorite hobbies. You can take this down down the White River Glacier, the main climbers route, or skirt over to the lower half of West Crater Rim.

West Crater Rim- Probably the coolest route down the south side of Hood. Go up the Old Chute, head west on the summit ridge, and drop in between the rime ice towers for a descent back down the southeast facing side. You can scope this line as you ascend the main climbers route on the south side. This line has wicked cool exposure as it seems like you are skiing off the edge of the world when it rolls over to about 50ish degrees. For those of you from the east its like skiing Tuckerman's Headwall, as the shit rollz over big time. Yikes! You can take this down Zig Zag glacier and traverse back to the Timberline Lodge.

Reid Headwall- Pretty steep line that you need to do early in the year before it runnels out. Later in the day too because its west facing. Its a super aesthetic chute lined with rime ice cliffs. If you ski right up to the the Castle Crags on the South Side and drop west your are in it. Watch out for the shrund at the bottom.

Leuthold's- Another great line. Not too steep, just one choke near the bottom and a shrund. Go up the Old Chute, head to the summit ridge and go west. Descend west down to the prominent knife ridge called Yokum Ridge. You can either keep descending west down the Sandy Headwall or drop south southwest down the obvious chute to the skiers left of Yokum Ridge.

Sandy Headwall- What a killer line. Super aesthetic 3,000 foot headwall. This face is looms over the town of Portland. Freekin awesome and a must ski. There's a choke that can be difficult. Bring a picket and a rope in case you can't send it clean.The upper part is a pretty consistent 45ish degree pitch. The choke can get a bit steeper depending on conditions.

Sunshine Route- 3,500 foot killer run down the pristine north side of the Hood. There's a couple shrunds that open up which you might need to air or lower over. I've skied this twice and it was between 10-20 foot huck or rappel. To find this, descend down the west side of Hood from the summit and look for the first obvious entrance down the north side. You can follow a prominent ridge to the base of the Elliot Glacier. Have a car stashed at Cloud Cap or traverse back around the east side of Hood and descend back to the Timberline Lodge. This take about 4 hrs.

North Chutes- Man Ballz

Cooper Spur- Steep as fuck, cool as hell. Drop off the summit and impress the bumbley mountaineers on top. They will think your fuckin nuts as it looks like your skiing down a sheer cliff face. Don't fall, this is the deadliest climbers route on the mountain. I think 13 people have died falling on this route. Jumpin jahsofat!!!

Newton-Clark- Great down the east side. First skied in 1937!!! Badass line, not too steep but steep enough to tighten yer sphincter.Go up the Wy'East and look for the next prominent line as you head toward the summit on the prominent ridge. You can sometimes access this from the summit on good snow years.

Wy'East- Great line. You can ski this to the Meadows or rap back around and ski to the Timberline lot. Not too steep, but really cool. Go up the Palmer to the top of the resort, cross the White River Glacier and head up the prominent ridge. Its not to steep until the top where it rolls over to 45 degrees. You can also climb up directly from the Meadows ski resort

Well I hope you enjoyed my beta and pics. Hope you get out there to do some Dick McSchraplington on the Hoodwand.

Cheers,

Todd Glew