July 3, 2009, - Mt Hood South Side - 200% JOM!

After bailing from the Hogsback a few weeks ago in a whiteout I decided on a lift-assisted ascent for a rematch. Left Seattle at 4 am and had a hassle-free drive to Timberline, arriving at 7:45 am. Booted up from the top of the Palmer (with crampons for the Old Chute) to arrive at the dirt summit around 11 am. The snow was a little too dirty and sun cupped to make skinning profitable, and there were two dirt carries as well. Up the Old Chute I stayed climbers left where the risk of projectiles seemed less, and all was well. After an hour mostly alone on the summit in beautiful weather with a cool breeze I started down from my ski depot (a couple of hundred yards and maybe 50 feet lower than the true summit). I elected to ski down the West crater route in the hope of continuous snow, and other than one 150 foot steep, dirty section which I inelegantly side slipped this worked out great. After a final blast down the groomers it was time for a beer in the Lodge at 1pm. Another stop in sweltering Hood River for ice cream and I was home at 7:50 pm. Not an ideal day from the carbon footprint point of view, but a 5,000 foot run with 2,500 feet of climbing in July seems pretty good to me!
The route will probably be €œskiable€ for a little while, but whether it€™s worth it is a judgment call.