Juneuary

WARNING: The following contains a full-on complain-fest. 

Beautiful Bulletproof Ice

“Now is the winter of our discontent.” I have no actual recollection of what Shakespeare meant by that line, but it probably had to do with really marginal snow conditions. Most of Oregon is hovering around 15% snowpack, despite average precipitation. January produced hardly a flake of snow, and most of the snow from those Christmas Storms has melted (at least below 6000 feet). We were left with little more than uninspiring spring-like conditions, but without the warmth or sunlight to get an actual corn cycle going. Meanwhile, the flatlands of the East Coast were pummeled by snowstorm after snowstorm. What a waste.

Fresh Snow on West Moraine, Mt. Hood

Not bad for November

Winter has arrived on Mt. Hood. At least for the moment. Coverage below timberline is very limited. Coverage above timberline is marginal, but where there's snow, it's pretty good. Timberline ski area is reporting only 7 inches in the past 24 hours, and a base depth of 17 in. We dug a hasty pit and made our own observations: on a leeward, East facing aspect we found a base of almost 22 inches. Full trip report and snow stability observations after the jump:

Early Season on Hood

Early season on the upper mountain 

After a four month hiatus, skiing has returned...and it's about damn time. A few early season storms have brought just enough snow to ski on. It's not stacking up to be the most epic November ever, but even as I type, there's a forecast for another few feet up in the mountains. Bring it on.

Snow Dome - Mt. Hood

From left to Right: Cooper Spur, Elliot Glacier, Snow Dome

Among the many reasons I love Oregon, one of the most significant is that "ski season" is kind of a misnomer. In Oregon, it should really be called "ski year. In most places, "ski season" starts in December and ends in March. A couple die-hards may be out in November or April. But by the time May rolls around, much of the snow is gone, and the snowy mountains have been forgotten. Not so in Oregon. In May, we're just getting started.

Well, it's June, it's the first day of Summer, and today I skied nearly 3000 vertical feet of spectacular corn on Snow Dome on Mt. Hood. I love Oregon.

Mt. Hood - Illumination Saddle and Triangle Moraine

Spring has arrived in Oregon (at least for the moment). And with it have come clear skies and warming temperatures. However, corn season is not yet upon us. Who knows...maybe we'll get a 100 inch April? We can only hope.

Anyway, I spent the past two weekends touring around Mt. Hood, exploring terrain I have often looked  at, but never skied. On 3/15 I toured over to Illumination Saddle with David and Jake. On 3/22 I skied the Triangle Moraine with Bob. Following are a trip reports for each hike.

In sum, skiing conditions on the upper mountain have not been optimal, especially for this time of year. However, were not far away from a corn cycle...but I wouldn't mind a few more powder days before putting the summers wax on my powder boards.

Mt. Hood (Pearly Gates) 12/28/13

Credit: Mark Johnson

I learned two things on my climb of Mt. Hood yesterday: First, as much as I love the climb, when it comes down to it, I am a skier who climbs, not a climber who skis. Second, don't test new gear in no-fall zones.

I didn't intend to summit Mt. Hood when I arrived in the Timberline parking lot. I just planned to skin up Palmer and test out some new gear I had acquired during the fall (including my Black Diamond Whippet, Mountain Hardwear Direttessima 46 pack, and Scarp F1 boots). However, when I arrived in the parking lot, I ran into Mark and Mike, two old ski buddies who I had not seen in a few years. They were summit-bound, along with a few members of Portland Mountain Rescue, and they invited me along. The weather was clear and sunny, with a light breeze. Conditions were perfect, so I agreed to join them.

Thankskiing

Aliza hiking up the Palmer Snowfield with Mt. Jefferson in the background

I’m thankful for a lot of things in my life, not the least is the fact that I get to go skiing pretty regularly. It’s easy to forget what a privilege it is to ski. Most people don’t ski. Even fewer have the skills, time, and experience to ski the backcountry. Those of us that do ski the backcountry are pretty damn lucky, and sometimes it’s good to be reminded of that.

I’m also pretty lucky that I’ve grown up in a family that not only encouraged my backcountry pursuits, but they have regularly been a part of them. 

Mt. Hood (Old Chute) 5/4/13

Photo Credit: David Jacobson

 Ladies and gentlemen: volcano season is on!

Mt. Hood is the tallest peak in Oregon. The standard route up the South face is generally non-technical, and can offer over 5000 vertical feet of corn skiing on a good day. The day David and I climbed Hood was not a good day for snow. But then again, if skiing 40 degree bullet proof ice isn’t fun, I don’t know what is.

I picked up David in Beaverton at around 2:30am and we headed up a dark and quiet Highway 26 to Government Camp, and then to the Timberline parking lot. The East wind was howling when we arrived, and it was a challenge to pull our boots on without filling them with the grit and gravel that was flying everywhere. We hoisted our packs, made a quick stop to fill out our backcountry permits, and were on the snow by 4:45am. Thus begain the long, windy slog along the climbers trail that parallels the Timberline ski area.