May 16, 2009, - Hood southside

Got a late start at about 7:30 and skinned up below Crater Rock.  The snowpack right now is really good, and should remain well into Summer :)  No excuses for easy August turns!  The third member of our party (who hadn't been out this year) was dragging behind, so we left him at the top of the Palmer.  Not too far below Crater Rock, we decided to head down as the snow was corning, and to pick up our third member.  We decended the White River snowfield since conditions were softer on the eastern side of the mountain. 






Origninally, we had thought about summiting, but gave that hope up with the weather forecast the night before.  We likely could have summited, but probably couldn't have ridden down given the conditions and the number of people.  There must have been over 100 people heading for the summit yesterday.  We ran into one party on the way down that had lost one member to icefall (apparently she needed to be evacuated and taken to the hospital).  Another member had a broken finger due to icefall.  Indeed, every party we talked to said it was a shooting gallery above the Hogsback.  With the change in how the Pearly Gates have formed, I'm beginning to think the southside summit isn't a great ski descent.



After the nice corn up higher, Todd and I rode down through the ski area and then to Govy via the Alpine trail.  Neither of us had ever been through before, but had parked the rig at Govy earlier in the morning.  Hard to believe there was enough snow to make it through, but there was plenty.  Nothing like riding completely off the mountain and right to the bar ;D   Total vertical about 5500 feet - not bad for one run.  Green Lakes brews from Deschutes Brewery followed at the Ratskellar, then dinner with the family later.  Overall, a really good day.