Mt Hood in July

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MountainHiker
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by MountainHiker »

Blowing snow on a “clear” day - Wednesday 6/6/12 - returning to Timberline
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We did get some clear shots during the day after returning:
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It didn't stay this way.
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Watching the storm from inside the lodge 6-5-12
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Tony1
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by Tony1 »

MountainHiker - that's a major bummer! A month ago it seemed like summer was starting to begin in full force up there. :(
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Elliot
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by Elliot »

Another option is to try and find out when/if Chris Davenport is headed out there. I'm pretty sure he has Mother Nature's email address. He was out there from May 4 through 17. It went bluebird the day he arrived and stayed that way till he left, and the volcanoes haven't been visible much since
The weather Davenport had is very unusual for may. PNW storms and the vertigo that U can get up on the volcanoes if fucked. It can also come in very quick from the coast as I have been on the summit of hood with blue skies and been blown in by the time I finished my summit ale.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by benners »

Elliot wrote:
Another option is to try and find out when/if Chris Davenport is headed out there. I'm pretty sure he has Mother Nature's email address. He was out there from May 4 through 17. It went bluebird the day he arrived and stayed that way till he left, and the volcanoes haven't been visible much since
The weather Davenport had is very unusual for may. PNW storms and the vertigo that U can get up on the volcanoes if fucked. It can also come in very quick from the coast as I have been on the summit of hood with blue skies and been blown in by the time I finished my summit ale.
Yeah man no joke. I have a new found respect for the severity of the weather up there and just how quickly it can roll in. We decided on a ten day trip thinking the "safety in numbers" principle would play out with weather windows but it just ended up being atrocious for the entire ten days. Definitely frustrating after seeing Dav and his luck/success with the weather up there in May, but you win some and you lose some I suppose.

MountainHiker, sorry to hear you guys got weathered off. We had a pretty similar experience on Rainier on June 2nd and 3rd; got to 12k in the Fuhrer Finger before getting absolutely hammered by incoming weather. Within minutes the Finger more or less turned to a sheet of ice. We didn't really have a choice but to turn back, and from what I hear the mountain saw very few ascents the rest of the time we were out there. That window you tried to take advantage of on Tuesday/Wednesday was more or less the only PNW window from June 1st through the 10th, and it was only a partial window at that. We pulled into Timberline on June 9th and had more or less the same view as your last photo; zero visibility in the parking lot, blowing snow and wind, and talk among the guides at the lodge of rising avy danger on the upper mountain. Needless to say all we accomplished that day was walking into the lodge, watching the little ten minute historic video detailing the lodge's construction in the 30's, playing a few rounds of ping pong, and driving back to Seattle for a few beers. One positive note however is that it's not that hard to get up there from Colorado, so return trips are relatively easy right? :D

To the OP, I doubt you'll have to worry about lack of snow on the upper route.
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Elliot
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by Elliot »

Fack I was hoping you guys had gotton a day in up there. Or at least some lift access pow at tline. I thought I has seen a good sunny day in the forcast but with lots of new snow it can be sketchy. I spent 17 days out there in 2010 and no summit day, but plenty of flat powder turns on the mile
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by benners »

Elliot wrote:Fack I was hoping you guys had gotton a day in up there. Or at least some lift access pow at tline. I thought I has seen a good sunny day in the forcast but with lots of new snow it can be sketchy. I spent 17 days out there in 2010 and no summit day, but plenty of flat powder turns on the mile
We considered waiting for the lift to open for some last turns of the season but that would have entailed killing two and a half hours at the Lodge. Truth be told by that point in the trip we were all pretty sick of weather and the desire to hang up the skis and enjoy the simple comforts of a few Seattle breweries won out.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by MountainHiker »

Tony1 wrote:MountainHiker - that's a major bummer! A month ago it seemed like summer was starting to begin in full force up there. :(
We could have pushed higher before turning around. Some people did summit that day. But there’s a responsibility that goes with the judgment call to continue. One of our concerns was the fresh snow in the Chute. Talking to a guide later that day he told us they took a line to the right based on the new snow. They know how to read that better than I would have.

We’ll be back. We’ll know more for next time.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by mtgirl »

I'm pretty sure forum member Aubrey summitted Mt. Hood within the last couple of days. Hit him up via PM for a conditions report.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by Brian C »

I'm up here now too. The conditions have been pretty bad avy-wise in the Oregon Cascades. New snow on the old snow and the night freeze-thaw hasn't quite been doing it. The snowpack is really high for this time of year and still has a wintery consistency in spots. I would guess that things will start to settle out soon but it's been making it hard to get up the peaks I want to do. I guess I'll figure out something else to do...

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Dave B
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by Dave B »

Fletch wrote:http://www.kptv.com/story/18787252/sear ... mount-hood

Be careful up there...

RIP
My buddy was on Hood this morning and actually saw this happen, sad news.
Make wilderness less accessible.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by MountainHiker »

My condolences to the climber’s family and friends.
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Re: Mt Hood in July

Post by zdero1 »

RIP to the climber and condolensces to family and friends. Heading up there next week and hoping for a safe and fun climb.
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