Home > Trip Reports > Nov 5 Wy-east face, Hood

Nov 5 Wy-east face, Hood

11/15/07
OR Mt Hood
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Posted by danhelmstadter on 11/6/07 6:13am
A tip from a friend led me to discover the Wy-east face, I've driven past it before, but somehow I never really noticed the bueaty and ski opportunity it holds. It is probally best done from Timberline when there is more snow, because of that steep shot down to the White River g. The route down low could currently use some more snow, but the 2700' face had plenty...
I left the meadows after dropping an app. off at ~8 and semi-shwacked up the snowless skitrails, gaining the ascent ridge at ~8k. I had to alternate between skiboots/poons, and sneakers several times in order to be efficiant, and save my anti-bots on the poons.  I met the face at about 8600' via the ascent ridge, which was actually about halfway up the face proper. I found shallow slightly runelled corn over ice for the first third, then shin to knee deep wet grains for the rest of the way, interspersed with a few crusty areas, mild runnels, and various knar formations,, makeing for an arduous ascent. I was surprised to find a fumerole at the top; I thought those only existed in the crater, not on the crater rim. The last 500€™v traverse to the summit up the Wy-east was all rock, so I stopped and skied down from where i was. My midfat skis did not float the slop, but the turns were still enjoyable, conditions lower on the Newton-Clark were a mix between good corn, and frozen corn with an ice glaze. I made several short traverses on chossy lhoss to connect snow, but skied ribbons down to 6k, leaving me 1k above my truck, with a total of ~4700v€™ skiied, back at the truck at ~130. I know I will come back to this face; it would be a blast to ski in powder conditions.
Not saying it's not possible, Dan, but that aspect can get really windloaded and is likely to have serious avy danger with powpow.  Maybe after a just-right spring storm.  Easy to get with reliable corn, though.

Way to get out there, though - sounds fun.  Wish I were going skiing.

Nice work Dan!  I was up on the White River Glacier on Sunday and the Wy' East sure looked good from there (down lower looked a little spotty though).  That face combined with the Superbowl is a sweet ride in the spring - one I hope to do this year.  It does get pretty windloaded in the winter - I think that's why the lift in Heather Canyon is so far down (to keep away from the huge avys).

much better than what awaited you up here dan. Glad you had a good time.

Nice trip, I've done it a couple times in the spring. Both times from the Hood River Meadows parking lot, this one adds up to 6000' of vert.

Hey Dan--Wy'est is way cool for sure .  Done it a couple of times...once from T. lodge to summit and then downclimbed past Newton Clark Headwall to top of wy'east  (how ever you spell it...).  The other way was from main Meadows restort lot.  I think that N. Clark Headwall has your name written all over it, too.  Saw tracks down it when we did the treck from the summit to the top of W'yeast  (Indian name I believe......)...have not done it myself but looks pretty cool!!!!!!!!   Wy''east could be deadly in the wrong conditions (which I believe develope more than enough times in a season) i.e. serious wind slab.  Lost a head patroler (I believe years ago in Heather Canyon?) in a slide.......

We have fumerols all over Mt. Bachelor and some become quite deep.   Wind slab and fumerols and rock fall...typical object hazard here on Oregon Volcanoes (and crevasses of course on the glaciers that are left...)

Way to get out there...I'm a bit of a foot dragger I guess.....

Wy'east is f-ing beautiful in the spring. You can get it in pow, I'm sure you know what you're looking for. I have seen some full width crowns up there in the winter.

Newton-Clark Headwall is a steeper, more interesting outing with a bit of a double fall line at the top. One of the funest descents I've done.

The patrol director met his demise in the natural halfpipe directly under the chairlift a few hundred vertical from the top of the lift (anyone who's been to Meadows knows what I'm talking about). A sad reminder to be sure.

Good job on that N. Clark Headwall!!!!!!!  Have thought about maybe giving it a go ( of course in sussed out stable conditions....).  How about a story about that and some pics...this way mabe I can vicariously live the experience and not have to scare the living "s" out my self!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, has anyone heard about (or have....) the emergency locator called SPOT?  www.findmespot.com  I go mostly by myself and was thinking this thing might be a good idea if anybody ever had to come after me.  Works off the gps satelite idea.  So you can get a hold of 911 and they will be able to determine your location (as well as other seach and rescue types).  Apparently you can also get a hold of friends rather than (or both) 911/seach and rescue.  There are other features too, like severity of situation etc. .  Thinking about buying one @ REI...$150 and a little under $9/month to be 'active'.   Other locator devices start at $450 (cerca) I believe....ouch......

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danhelmstadter
2007-11-06 14:13:03