Lassen 4/19, Hood 4/22, McLoughlin 4/25
4/15/09
OR Mt Hood
3204
6
Started last Sunday morning in Reno where I was visiting and riding with friends. Woke up at 5 AM and drove to Lassen ( (I was too tired to get up any earlier). Parked at the winter road closure at the Devastated Area and got out to look around. I had never been to Lassen before and had not had a chance to do much research. The route seemed straight forward through the trees in front of me, but I could hear running water and was concerned that there was a stream between me and the peak. I remembered I had my GPS with me and it showed no stream, so off I went.
I left the truck at about 8:30 and made good time up a drainage to the base of the peak. I decided to go straight up the NE face verses heading to the NW ridge for the ascent. I made it about halfway up the face before deciding I should turn around (1000 feet from the top). The day was warm and the face had been in sun for a while. The snow was an inconsistent mix of mostly 4" of softening corn on top of either 4" of facets or fresh snow that had fallen a few days before. It was all wet by this point and I was going in about boot deep each step. Time to go. The ride back to the truck was simple and fun. I will be going back the next chance I get to do it right.
On Wednesday Rebecca and I headed to Hood. I planned to summit if the conditions allowed and then meet her below crater rock to ride Zig Zag. I made it to the top of Hogsback about 11:30 and by that time there was incessant small ice fall coming off the cliffs above the route up Old Chute. Mostly fist sized and smaller. Some of them were really moving but I was mostly concerned about bigger chunks (I saw no signs of rock fall). I ended up passing on the summit and dropped the White River side off the top of Hogsback and then traversed back to where Rebecca was waiting. We did a long lap on Zig Zag and headed back up to Illumination Saddle. The next run we worked our way back to the truck. Great day of riding corn!
Friday night, I headed to Mt McLoughlin in southern Oregon. It is just a perfect looking volcano. I slept in the truck at the Summit Snopark just below the peak. Got going at 6 AM. Was able to easily skin straight from the truck. I reached the summit at 10. The winds on the Summit were pretty strong and the snow was not softening at all. I waited for an hour or so and decided I was getting chilly enough to get out of the wind. I rode the south face with bullet proof corn for the first couple of hundred feet. I was planning to head to the truck but below a couple of hundred feet, the corn was perfection. I rode down to 6000 feet and actually turned around and went back up to the summit for a second lap.
Skinning back up, I thought the winds had backed off a bit. About the time I put the crampons back on and started the final ascent, I realized they had picked up. I had to hunker down for a few gust, but I eventually made it back to the top. Managing to hold everything down, I transitioned to ride mode while getting pelted by ice chucks blown off the other side. This time the snow had hardened and I finally got to good corn about 500 feet off the top. Rode that until the terrain got too flat and the trees too tight. Spent the next little while working my way through the lower forest and gullies back to the truck. A GPS really helped for this part, but it would be hard to get very lost since downhill will lead you to Hwy 140 anyway.
Photos are Lassen (from my cell phone), top of Hogsback on Hood, and McLoughlin from east of Eagle Point, OR
I left the truck at about 8:30 and made good time up a drainage to the base of the peak. I decided to go straight up the NE face verses heading to the NW ridge for the ascent. I made it about halfway up the face before deciding I should turn around (1000 feet from the top). The day was warm and the face had been in sun for a while. The snow was an inconsistent mix of mostly 4" of softening corn on top of either 4" of facets or fresh snow that had fallen a few days before. It was all wet by this point and I was going in about boot deep each step. Time to go. The ride back to the truck was simple and fun. I will be going back the next chance I get to do it right.
On Wednesday Rebecca and I headed to Hood. I planned to summit if the conditions allowed and then meet her below crater rock to ride Zig Zag. I made it to the top of Hogsback about 11:30 and by that time there was incessant small ice fall coming off the cliffs above the route up Old Chute. Mostly fist sized and smaller. Some of them were really moving but I was mostly concerned about bigger chunks (I saw no signs of rock fall). I ended up passing on the summit and dropped the White River side off the top of Hogsback and then traversed back to where Rebecca was waiting. We did a long lap on Zig Zag and headed back up to Illumination Saddle. The next run we worked our way back to the truck. Great day of riding corn!
Friday night, I headed to Mt McLoughlin in southern Oregon. It is just a perfect looking volcano. I slept in the truck at the Summit Snopark just below the peak. Got going at 6 AM. Was able to easily skin straight from the truck. I reached the summit at 10. The winds on the Summit were pretty strong and the snow was not softening at all. I waited for an hour or so and decided I was getting chilly enough to get out of the wind. I rode the south face with bullet proof corn for the first couple of hundred feet. I was planning to head to the truck but below a couple of hundred feet, the corn was perfection. I rode down to 6000 feet and actually turned around and went back up to the summit for a second lap.
Skinning back up, I thought the winds had backed off a bit. About the time I put the crampons back on and started the final ascent, I realized they had picked up. I had to hunker down for a few gust, but I eventually made it back to the top. Managing to hold everything down, I transitioned to ride mode while getting pelted by ice chucks blown off the other side. This time the snow had hardened and I finally got to good corn about 500 feet off the top. Rode that until the terrain got too flat and the trees too tight. Spent the next little while working my way through the lower forest and gullies back to the truck. A GPS really helped for this part, but it would be hard to get very lost since downhill will lead you to Hwy 140 anyway.
Photos are Lassen (from my cell phone), top of Hogsback on Hood, and McLoughlin from east of Eagle Point, OR
Nice work Buell. That's a great series, and even from cell phone pics, it looked like some great weather!
Nice TR and road trip. After we leave The Sierra we'll be heading for Lassen and Shasta.
Looks like good times - nice report Buell. Can't wait to hook up and get a few trips in with you this Spring :)
Hi Buell,
I think Ron and I ran into you a bit below the hogsback. You had the split with dynafit toes and F1s? I was on the DPS boards.
You didn't miss much by not skiing the old chute. I'm thinking that route isn't a very good ski route since if it's warm enough to corn up, the rime starts coming down like space invaders. We were an hour or so before you, and had a bit of ice fall. Even the golfball size pieces hurt. Although there was enough warming to cause icefall, the slope was pretty icy and not as much fun as it could be.
I bet the wyeast face would have been pretty nice.
Shoot me a PM if you're up in the area again.
Steve
I think Ron and I ran into you a bit below the hogsback. You had the split with dynafit toes and F1s? I was on the DPS boards.
You didn't miss much by not skiing the old chute. I'm thinking that route isn't a very good ski route since if it's warm enough to corn up, the rime starts coming down like space invaders. We were an hour or so before you, and had a bit of ice fall. Even the golfball size pieces hurt. Although there was enough warming to cause icefall, the slope was pretty icy and not as much fun as it could be.
I bet the wyeast face would have been pretty nice.
Shoot me a PM if you're up in the area again.
Steve
author=steve_f link=topic=13142.msg54842#msg54842 date=1240946214]
Hi Buell,
I think Ron and I ran into you a bit below the hogsback. You had the split with dynafit toes and F1s? I was on the DPS boards.
Shoot me a PM if you're up in the area again.
Steve
That was me. Nice to meet you Steve.
Rebecca and I are working toward Mt St Helens on Friday. Leaving early from the Marble Mountain snow park. Let us know if you are interested. Otherwise, I will let you know what is next. Likewise, if you need a partner, let me know.
Thanks for the invite for St. Helens, unfortunately or fortunately, my work situation has changed. The company I work for JUST increased my hours to 40/week. It will be nice to have the work, but no more mid week ski trips. This bad economy has made for a great winter, but all good things must come to an end...
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