Adventure Blog

If you’ve been following along, you know my first Attempt on Mt. Hood was a bust due to weather.  Here’s the plan for my second attempt.

Visibility during my first attempt was insufficient to navigate the technical climb to the summit.

The climbing season ends soon, so I need to finish it this trip to make it by my 50th birthday, so I cancelled my return flight, extended my room and car and stayed. It has been suggested to me that it would be OK to slide a bit and do it during my 50th year, but that’s not the goal. The goal is 50 by 50, so I’m going to give it my best effort to complete the goal on time.

Going Solo
I’m going to climb it solo and here’s why; first because my previous Guide Ben was confident that I’m a strong and competent enough climber to handle it and thought my chances would actually be better than going with a guided group as weak climbers often turn those around. I could do another private guide like before, but the guided trips all use snow cats and or ski lifts to get higher on the mountain, and I want to climb it all myself. Also because I have been within 700′ of the summit already and did not find it particularly taxing, although the last 700′ are extremely steep, but I’ve climbed vertical ice walls before and have the skills, strength and experience. And finally because I’m a manly man and Old Spice said I could have another shot at the contract if I went solo. If that joke doesn’t make any sense to you, take a look at the Illinois highpoint trip report.  

One Day Up And Down
It will be a single day, climb this time because I don’t need the head start that the camping gives you and it makes logistics simpler.

Weather
The weather has greatly improved, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are all clear days. Tuesday has below freezing temperatures which will keep the snow firm and reduce the chance of rock fall and avalanches. So Unless the weather changes, Tuesday is the day.

Lighter Load
I have secured some gear from the local climbing shop, mainly a lighter pack to replace my 8 lb expedition one and a few other items to lighten the load and fill in gaps created by the new plan. I had 60 lbs of gear the first time, I expect to have 25lbs or less this time.

Timing
I’ll start at 11:00 PM on Monday, and climb the whole darn thing myself thank you, none of that lame ski lift nonsense. I hope to be at the summit around sunrise and back down before noon. It’s important to get up and down early for better snow conditions. The steep upper slopes especially become slushy when the sun hits them as well as the aforementioned rock and avalanche risk.

I have shifted my sleep schedule so I can get 8 hours sleep today from 2:00PM – 10:00PM before I leave at for the mountain to start climbing at 11:00PM.

But as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy, so I’ll keep you posted.

If that doesn’t make any sense to you, take a look at the Illinois highpoint trip report.

Back at the trailhead now.

Because the climbing window closes soon, I need to stay and try again.

I will formulate new plan and post an update.

Ben suggested I should solo it, and I’m considering it as well as other guided options.

Packed up camp and are headed back down the mountain. No ski lift this time, it’s only 2800 vertical feet down from here.

Quickly made our way down through the accursed rain, & are back at camp. We both got very wet, but my technical layers are keeping it off my skin so I’m warm

Turning back only 700 vertical feet from summit, conditions rapidly deteriorating, and visibility is very limited & worsening.

We are beyond the freeze line and into the low pressure zone, but visibility is limited. We are going to wait a bit, but Ben is considering turning back.

3:26AM Light rain now, so we are gearing up and moving out soon!

2:30AM and rain is back, so we wait for an opportunity. It is well below freezing higher up, so we need to stay dry or we risk hypothermia.

I do love a good challenge but don’t care to become a DangerSickle.

Had a hearty breakfast, and will continue consumption of mass quantities until we leave. Summit day on hood is 8-12 hours and a man my size will burn around 7,000 calories on such a climb.

Our low pressure window up high has expanded, so weather up higher should be better for longer, we just need to get above the rain/freeze line.

For now, we wait…

12:30 AM Update:

Temp hovered just above freezing and it rained most of the night.

High humidity and cold irritating my throat and sinuses.

There is a low pressure window at 5:00 AM that may give us an opportunity to summit. We need to be in position at the Hogs Back Ridge below the summit to take advantage of it.

Windy but no rain, so we will be moving higher on schedule.

Been sleeping since 4:00 PM, and will wake at 12:30 gear up and move out weather permitting. Rare to get a good nights rest before summit day. Have literally had as little as 3 hours before a 16 hour summit day so getting a full night is quite a luxury. Sunset was at 9:00 and it’s a bit challenging to sleep with the light. Wind buffeting the tent also does not help, but eventually it becomes normal and I awake when the wind stops.

A medium sized rock from high on the mountain just rolled into our tent, which is a bit unsettling. Hopefully we don’t get any large boulder visitations.

Ominous clouds line the horizon, & forecast looks bad for summit attempt tomorrow. We are going to push for it, but chances of success are 50% according to my very personable guide Ben.

Ben suggested we take the ski lift partway up which shaved 2.5 hours off the climb. I told him I felt like a dirty lowdown cheater but he wanted to beat the rain and it was a good call as it started raining soon after camp was complete. I’ve been caught in rain before and all of my clothing layers, sleeping bag, socks, everything got wet and did not dry for days. Trust me alpine climbing in soggy underwear is not fun.

We will wake at 1:00AM, if storming we will try later.

Ben is a Sagittarius.

Spent 1.5 hours digging out level tent site on mountainside at 8769′. Beat rain by minutes. 50 deg, light wind & raining, heavy driving rain expected later.

Geared up & ready, 60lbs w shared equip. Weather turned nasty already, high wind, cold & snowing. Extreme, just the way I like it!