February 9, 2005, Mt Hood Ski Circumnav

Great photos. This one on the Reid is my favorite:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickpope/99594706/in/set-72057594064218256/

Thanks for the pics. I'd like to do that tour.

This time of year, it seems like counter-clockwise might be nicer, so you spend less time in the shade.

Great photos !  I have the circumnavigation  "on the list".

Zap

I'd have to say the circumnav is my favorite day out on Hood (and I spend a lot of days on Hood).  
The sweetest part of clockwise is putting your skis on up on Cooper Spur and taking them off at Timberline.  One shot.

I still have a little research to do on this one so I can easily be talked in going back out there.

BTW, anyone know anything about doing a Rainier ski circumnav?  

BTW, anyone know anything about doing a Rainier ski circumnav?  

You can find some information by following the links that start here:

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/R-info.html#mt-rainier-traverses

I'd have to say the circumnav is my favorite day out on Hood

I imagine so. I'd love to do it some day. What do you consider the cruxes of the route? What elevation did you contour between Cathederal Ridge and Pulpit rock?

BTW, anyone know anything about doing a Rainier ski circumnav?  

Lowell's brother published an acount of a trip with Lowell and Bruce Goodson in Backcountry Magazine in 2002. The article included a detailed topo of their route. He concluded his article (I just found my copy of it) with, "Instead of feeding off the temporary adrenaline rush, the traverse penetrated deeper into our mountain souls. The feeling of intimacy with the mountain that comes from contouring it and seeing it from all side is unmatched."

The Adams orbit is another I'd like to do.

You can find some information by following the links that start here:

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/R-info.html#mt-rainier-traverses

Thanks Lowell.   The rollerblades beta sounds critical!

What do you consider the cruxes of the route? What elevation did you contour between Cathederal Ridge and Pulpit rock?

The crux is constantly looking ahead and figuring out what you want to have on your feet in the next 100 feet.   Its really easy to ski out onto a icy 50 deg. slope and realize you should be in crampons.

Some spots of interest:
-The Cooper Spur/Elliot transition is usually interesting.   You can negotiate it high like we did on this trip or cruise down below Tie In and suffer the long skin back up.
-Getting from the northern fringe of Snodome to the Coe, and vice versa.  There is a pretty obvious chute that seems to either be melted out loose choss or, as on this trip, bullet proof ice.
-Yokum seems to be some of the steepest terrain you have to deal with.  There it isn't so much of an issue of steepness as the difficulty of getting a visual on what you're about to get onto.   Lots of cliffs, rolling convexities, etc.   We 'pooned over it this time only to look back at the easy ski option we failed to see.

We crossed that Cath Ridge, Ladd, Coe in the 7900 - 8200 range.

Lowell's brother published an acount of a trip with Lowell and Bruce Goodson in Backcountry Magazine in 2002. The article included a detailed topo of their route. (I just found my copy of it)

Gimmie gimmie.