Home > Trip Reports > 7/14/08, Mt. Hood, Newton Clark Headwall + Wy'east x2

7/14/08, Mt. Hood, Newton Clark Headwall + Wy'east x2

7/14/08
OR Mt Hood
7680
4
Posted by danhelmstadter on 7/14/08 12:03pm
Got started around the lazy hour of 9am, wore the sneakers and choose a snowfree ascent route. There were some old and much faded tracks on the Wy'east Face. I ascended up the Wy'east to avoid rockfall in the Newton Clark Headwall, which is the snow-slope to the lookers right of the Wy'east, and it is surrounded by a lot of rock-cliffs (it also averages 10dg steeper than the Wy-east). Step kicking was pretty easy, and the snow quality was almost-corn, with an ankle to shin deep boot penetration.
I traversed over to the Newton-Clark, gaining perhaps 50' of elevation. The last four hundred feet or so to the summit was mostly choss - (I was hoping to ski this section as well) but I am no purist, so I just skied down from 10800. The route still had plentiful snowcover, although in contrast to last month - it is melting very fast. Snow conditions on the upper portion were excellent smooth corn, but became softer semi-slosh as I descended, runnels also became deeper, and more plentiful as I descended, the biggest ones were maybe 4' deep and 4' across -- I talk of poor conditions -- but the skiing was very good, and runnels easily made fun with a little ski trickery.
I skied down to around 9000' , and looked back up at the Wy'east -- snow sure is melting fast -- Wy'east is smooth with good snow -- the decision was easy. Luckily I had my stove with me, I melted a couple liters, snacked, then headed up, breaking trail for maybe 500' before I merged with my old bootpack. The skiing was absolutely ripper, even though it felt a little sloshy booting up, It skied like corn, and had almost no suncups. Skied down to 9000' again (~1500' from crater rim), the skiing was just too good, and there was plenty of sun left, so I did another lap.
Putting a boot pack up the first time I ascended the Wy'east was the hardest ascent out of the three, the following laps were much easier.
The snow quality deteriorated somewhat as I descended towards Heather Canyon. I was able to ski all the way down to a hundred feet or so above the parking lot, -- with a couple small ski carries. The snow is sure going fast though.

Thanks for the report!  Probably going to be heading up to the northside in a few weeks - it looks like it's going fast.  Glad to hear you can still ski down pretty low.

Nicely done - I was sure it'd have been cooked by now. I may have to concoct a reason to head to Portland again....

author=danhelmstadter link=topic=10652.msg43297#msg43297 date=1216090984]There were some old and much faded tracks on the Wy'east Face.

The tracks between the two rock islands are ours from three days earlier:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jshefftz/July11WyEastFace
The other tracks (further to the climber's right) looked to be a few days old.

Reply to this TR

5526
7-14-08-mt-hood-newton-clark-headwall-wy-east-x2
danhelmstadter
2008-07-14 19:03:04