July 17, Snowdome, Mt Hood
7/15/05
OR Mt Hood
4432
6
Skiing on Snowdome continues to be good, though the access and exit are protracted for the time of year due to the lack of low-elevation snow. The access because the snowfield below Langille Crags has completely melted out, making for a tedious traverse on very loose scree during which you are in the path of rockfall. The exit because the Langille glacier isn't worth skiing, there are huge gaps between the bowls and the bottom bowl ends long before the trail.
The snow surface at the bottom of Snowdome has minor bumps and runnels, but once above the first bench (~8200') it turns into smooth, perfect corn. A handful of crevasses are opening, and there are a few patches of grayish firmer snow but these spots were easy to avoid. We both skinned to the top of the dome with me using ski crampons and Aaron doing fine w/o them.
We descended around 12:30. Photos which show the great snow:
here on TTips which contains most of the same photos linked here.
Scenic photos. Glacier:
More Puple flowers (unsure of what they are)
Misc:
More Puple flowers (unsure of what they are)
More Puple flowers (unsure of what they are)
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I think these are Davidsons Penstemon or Menzies' Penstomon. I've also heard them called Beard Tongues.
This was a great trip. Awesome views of the Eliot glacier and the North face. The snow that is left is still in good shape.
So...I guess we'll be making the march back up there in a month to get our August turns.
Aaron
I will have the chance to drive past Hood next week (i.e. not driving all the way down just to ski, but will be in the area) and have a couple of questions.
Any routefinding difficulties for one who has never been there?
How much snow do you think might vanish in a week's time? (My joy-o-meter for turns is likely to be set at close to 50 per cent altitude ratio.)
Any routefinding difficulties for one who has never been there?
How much snow do you think might vanish in a week's time? (My joy-o-meter for turns is likely to be set at close to 50 per cent altitude ratio.)
Any routefinding difficulties for one who has never been there?
There really isn't much route finding to get up to Snowdome.
The Timberline trail trail head is on the south side of the Cloud Cap camp ground. Take this trail for a short distance where it forks, take the right trail heading up and over the moraine and down to Eliot Creek going west. Cross the creek and head up the other side of the moraine. At the top of the moraine as you enter the trees look for a trail on your left. This trail climbs steeply for a short distance then mellows out as it climbs along the ridge. This trail pretty much peters out at the bottom of the Langille Crags, you will need to traverse to your right through some pretty crummy rock. After the traverse head south and to the base of Snowdome.
Aaron
There really isn't much route finding to get up to Snowdome.
Hey wait, what about Sunday's Dynafit girl and . . .
What "OldHouseMan" described is the way to go. The route described is the blue line in this GPS topo map. There is insufficient snow to descend the Langille glacier as our red track in the map does.
As to how will conditions will be after a week of hot weather, I doubt you'll really get much less vertical then we did though snow conditions may not be as friendly. Since JOMs only take vertical into consideration, poor snow conditions should never be an issue. If you do want to increase your JOM's reading you could also take several laps. Does that count?
Thanks, y'all! ;D
Hi from Vermont. Nice report and pictures Jeff. Wish we were getting some turns!
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