Cast of Characters

Full disclosure: the photo below was taken at a particularly low point for me. Though I had tested and verified that my crampons fit my boots before we set out, I had not tested their ability to remain fast on my soles while bearing my entire weight. When I took a step to the side (which, given the pitch of the mountain, was almost all the time; we made switchbacks the whole way up), the front of my crampons would slide off to the side.

This was a nuisance, a frustration, and a real danger. Having logged 0 hours of sleep and 6 hours of climbing in the past 24, I thought that my day was soon over and the summit was out of my reach.

Fortunately, Phil (above) and Brian (below), encouraged me to go on. I heeded their advice, tightened my crampons as tight as possible, shouldered my pack once more and plodded ahead.

The beginning

My friend and fellow liftie, Phil Pedry, Brian, and I assembled at my house to prepare for the climb. None of us had been up Mt Hood before, so we agreed to take the easiest, most straightforward route, climbing from Timberline lodge.

We left my house around 12:30 am, registered at the trailhead, and began our ascent, Brian and me on skis with climbing skins, Phil in mountaineering boots. We followed a groomed trail along the ski area boundary and Palmer chairlift to an elevation of about 8500 feet.

A view to the southwest of the treeline below the Palmer Glacier




Crater Rock, seeming a slight bump on the flank of Mt Hood

At the top of the Palmer chairlift, the groom ended. By this time, the sun had started to rise, and we could make out Crater Rock, the Pearly Gates, the spiny summit ridgeline and other features of the massive volcano in the gloaming.

Mt Hood climb

Having successfully climbed Mt Rainier to the highest point in Washington almost two years ago, Brian and I were ready for another mountaineering adventure. I live in Hood River, Oregon and worked at Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort; the next logical destination is the highest point in the state of Oregon: the majestic Mt Hood!