December 23, Hood- south side slog route
12/15/04
OR Mt Hood
1661
0
I dropped by Hood on Thursday on my way home to see the fam. Got rolling out of the parking lot around 6:30...relatively warm and no wind...pretty nice for late December. Snow coverage was grim around Timberline.
Once above the Palmer Chair the non-groomed slopes were rough sastrugai with 'chicken-heads' of water ice sticking up everywhere...after about 100 yards of attempting to skin this with ski crampons on, I gave up and continued booting it.
The hogsback and the west crater rim were quite a bit smoother than the stuff immediately above the Palmer and were a mix of a couple inches of soft over good neve and just bare ice. Nice view, no wind, and just a few other folks on the top. Started skiing at Crater Rock and I swear I lost a couple fillings from the jarring ride down. I could see my tracks cause it was the only spot where the slope had been cleared of the chickenheads. Sounded like windchimes skiing down with all the blobs of ice rolling down the slope....anyways, took a long break a the top of the Palmer and then enjoyed the manicured slopes of Timberline back to the car. Fun day, but the snow was pretty awful.
Once above the Palmer Chair the non-groomed slopes were rough sastrugai with 'chicken-heads' of water ice sticking up everywhere...after about 100 yards of attempting to skin this with ski crampons on, I gave up and continued booting it.
The hogsback and the west crater rim were quite a bit smoother than the stuff immediately above the Palmer and were a mix of a couple inches of soft over good neve and just bare ice. Nice view, no wind, and just a few other folks on the top. Started skiing at Crater Rock and I swear I lost a couple fillings from the jarring ride down. I could see my tracks cause it was the only spot where the slope had been cleared of the chickenheads. Sounded like windchimes skiing down with all the blobs of ice rolling down the slope....anyways, took a long break a the top of the Palmer and then enjoyed the manicured slopes of Timberline back to the car. Fun day, but the snow was pretty awful.
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