April 28, 2012, Mt McLoughlin, OR
4/28/12
OR elsewhere
2117
1
With another fine weekend forecast I planned a 2 day 2 mountain trip- mount McLoughlin Saturday, stay in Klamath falls and mount Scott sunday.
I left Eugene a little later than planned after 5am due to a rough night. As daylight came I was annoyed to see the sun hidden behind a low veil of clouds. I wondered what alternatives would be worth considering, especially as I was still feeling a little sick. decided to push on to Medford anyway and see how the day goes. A slow journey due to additional unplanned toilet stops (I guess it was the dodgy Thai food the night before...). I pull into the parking lot at the snow park after 9 and was surprised at the lack of snow, the warmth and the clouds,but at least it was bright and dry.
I set forth through the forest on more or less continuous snow, but quite thin and littered with debris. Followed the PCT for 20 minutes before deciding to head in a more direct route to the summit ridge at 7000ft. Weather got brighter but clouds surrounded the summit. But as I climbed I seems to follow a pool of sun. Firm snow under. Few inches of soft wet snow meant for relatively easy skinning but a little slide slip on the steep slopes towards the summit.
Arrived on the summit above a sea of clouds, amazing experience that I have rarely experienced but often seen in photos. Was almost windless on the summit and quite warm, had lunch with a older guy who had hiked up, the only person I saw all day.
Descent was down the SE bowl and avalanche path, excellent corn snow on a perfect esy angle. Once in the trees the snow rapidly got worse and it the return to the car was surprisingly tough, a long shallow traverse with patchy snow. At one point I got trapped in a lava flow which proved a pain in the butt to hike out of, walking on e snow I sank to my thighs while walking on the loose lava blocks was treacherous. Skied direct to the road after the lava and hiked 0.75 miles back to the lot. If I was too do it again I would ignore trying to traverse to the car and try and ski straight to the road and hike back.
Summit view
NE bowl, pitty such a long way back to the front of the mountain.
The descent! Well over 3000ft of corn from the top
Trapped in a lava field
I left Eugene a little later than planned after 5am due to a rough night. As daylight came I was annoyed to see the sun hidden behind a low veil of clouds. I wondered what alternatives would be worth considering, especially as I was still feeling a little sick. decided to push on to Medford anyway and see how the day goes. A slow journey due to additional unplanned toilet stops (I guess it was the dodgy Thai food the night before...). I pull into the parking lot at the snow park after 9 and was surprised at the lack of snow, the warmth and the clouds,but at least it was bright and dry.
I set forth through the forest on more or less continuous snow, but quite thin and littered with debris. Followed the PCT for 20 minutes before deciding to head in a more direct route to the summit ridge at 7000ft. Weather got brighter but clouds surrounded the summit. But as I climbed I seems to follow a pool of sun. Firm snow under. Few inches of soft wet snow meant for relatively easy skinning but a little slide slip on the steep slopes towards the summit.
Arrived on the summit above a sea of clouds, amazing experience that I have rarely experienced but often seen in photos. Was almost windless on the summit and quite warm, had lunch with a older guy who had hiked up, the only person I saw all day.
Descent was down the SE bowl and avalanche path, excellent corn snow on a perfect esy angle. Once in the trees the snow rapidly got worse and it the return to the car was surprisingly tough, a long shallow traverse with patchy snow. At one point I got trapped in a lava flow which proved a pain in the butt to hike out of, walking on e snow I sank to my thighs while walking on the loose lava blocks was treacherous. Skied direct to the road after the lava and hiked 0.75 miles back to the lot. If I was too do it again I would ignore trying to traverse to the car and try and ski straight to the road and hike back.
Summit view
NE bowl, pitty such a long way back to the front of the mountain.
The descent! Well over 3000ft of corn from the top
Trapped in a lava field
Good TR! I did the NE bowl once and had an interesting traverse back to the trail.
How about Mt. Scott?
How about Mt. Scott?
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