Home > Trip Reports > August 31, 2011, Mt Hood, Southside

August 31, 2011, Mt Hood, Southside

8/31/11
OR Mt Hood
2767
5
Posted by Hawthorne on 9/1/11 2:40am
Wanted to do Snowdome, but fires over there.  Late start due to rain, began in mist and wind about 11am, back to truck at 4:30.  Nice to have missed the public crowd on the decent.     

Timberline Anex lot to base of crater rock via Timberline Trail to White River west ridge.  Leathers on rock to bench.  Alternated boot and skins above.  Clouds & mist broke into sun right away, but glad I'd brought my shell.  

Felt like a October day with cool temps and wind.  Snow above Palmer bench was solid - skinned for a while then switched to kicking steps due to a couple scary slips.  An axe or crampons would have been nice / safe.  Could have gone back to leathers and rock hopped.

Descended skiers right of the permit area first 1000 feet or so, then traversed to the bottom half of Palmer and ripped huge turns on their fresh groom, which had not set up yet.  Twas like water skiing with a fat trick ski - big roosts.  Sorry bout that groom crew.  Mile canyon still runs out past the summer equipment park to within  hundred yards of the lodge.

Palmer snow field should be good through at least September, bet they reopen after their end-of-summer maintenance cycle.  Gullies I skied west of the permit area should be good couple more weeks.  With time and legs for the climb back out, could have carried down into Paradise Park / Sand Canyon.  Snow looked to go on and on. 

34 Months.

Cheers.




     






Except for the occasional 3' pit, cups were minimal.  The snow was really perfect once I got down 500-1000', even if there had been 3"-6" cups, they would have scuffed off in a turn.   

There are some incipient cracks above the white river cornice that may open in the next few weeks.  I skied the west side of the ridge.  If one skied the east side, you would want to watch for those, and make sure you knew where the edge is.

Cheers.


Nice!  I skied off Illuminaiton Saddle today with nobody around.  The snow on the Zigzag was really good and I ended up riding all the way to just below the top of the mile, then bootong over to ride the groomer!  Saw your big tracks ripping up the groomer and wondered who made those!

- nice report, thanks for the honesty on the slippage. I think thats one of the great things of what we do. learn by experience, and future judgement. nice pics

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9031
august-31-2011-mt-hood-southside
Hawthorne
2011-09-01 09:40:45