Where: Cascade Range, Oregon
When: July 2008
Partners: Solo
Route: South Side (Old Chute Variation)
Mileage/Gain: 6/5,200
TOPO: Here
After a failed attempt of Mount Hood during a spring 2004 blizzard, and several other plans to climb the mountain thwarted by poor weather, packed flights and whatever else, I found myself in the area of the mountain in late July. Knowing that the standard route up the mountain typically goes out of condition some weeks earlier, I was skeptical about the safety of pulling off an ascent this late in the season.
Calling Timberline Mountain Guides for current conditions on the mountain, I was told that they were still taking clients up, on a day-to-day basis. Well, I'll just go for it!
Starting alone early, early one morning, I headed up the mountain, soon reaching the talus below Crater Rock. Contouring to the right on snow, I soon gained the hogsback and headed up. A bit below the bergschrund, I gained a boot pack angling off up and left toward the Old Chute. Gaining the chute, I negotiated through good, 50-degree snow to reach the final, loose rocks below the summit ridge that would take me to the top of the mountain.
And then, I finally gained Mount Hood's summit...in the dark!
I considered waiting for the sun to rise, but it was cold and I headed down instead.
Finally Climbing Mount Hood, Oregon's Highest
