Overnight on Hood - Advice

Im planning to climb Mt Hood South Side next year with my dad. We want to spend a night on Hood before or after climbing (depending on weather). A guide I found, recommended camping on Illumination Saddle, then traverse under Crater Rock back to the route for the climb. 

Has anyone done this before that can give an opinion on it? Is there a bigger concern for crevasses during this traverse vs the rest of the typical route? Is there a better spot on the mountain to camp if doing the South Side/Hogsback route?

From the pictures Ive found, it looks like a pretty tame snow hike over to the saddle. Something similar to hiking to Camp Muir (in steepness), but Ill have to get a topo soon.

Just dig a platform anywhere above the ski lift. 

Illumination Saddle is a great place to camp. You shouldn't encounter any crevasses between there and the standard south side route.

Illumination Saddle is a great place but it's a little far off. Most people camping there are trying to go up a SW route. You probably want to camp just a few meters east of the route (so you are not in the way of anybody). 

I have bivied at Illumination Saddle several times. Do not bother to walk back under Crater Rock to the Std. South Side/Hogsback route. Instead just go up the west side of Crater Rock then join up on the Old Chute. Retrace your steps and pick up your camp. This is basically the West Crater Rim Route. It is all straight forward with no crevasse issues. There can be avy danger after big snow fall.

Not trying to be a jerk, but Silcox Hut is pretty special and super cool, especially for a winter bivy.  Illumination Saddle is very cool, and worth the little effort to him over there. Great views of the Reid Glacier, Yocum Ridge and Castle Crags!

Scoop, not sure what that makes you sound like a jerk!

To the OP, you can also consider camping at Illumination and going up the Leuthold. You would want to both be comfortable with moderelty steeper snow and easy route finding if tracks are not in. 

Allen Sanderson wrote:

I have bivied at Illumination Saddle several times. Do not bother to walk back under Crater Rock to the Std. South Side/Hogsback route. Instead just go up the west side of Crater Rock then join up on the Old Chute. Retrace your steps and pick up your camp. This is basically the West Crater Rim Route. It is all straight forward with no crevasse issues. There can be avy danger after big snow fall.

I was hoping to do the pearly gates if they're in. Is it not worth the extra effort?

Jake wander wrote:

I was hoping to do the pearly gates if they're in. Is it not worth the extra effort?

It really depends when you go. If you go in the early season before they get stomped all over, they are super cool. After thousands of climbers have crossed it, even by late May, it's just a staircase covered in bits and pieces of broken ice. 

If you live in the area, try to get in around March/April for the Pearly Gates. They will be sweet. If you will be flying in, weather can be difficult to predict in Winter/Spring. 

Here is a pic I took in January:

Chris C. wrote:

It really depends when you go. If you go in the early season before they get stomped all over, they are super cool. After thousands of climbers have crossed it, even by late May, it's just a staircase covered in bits and pieces of broken ice. 

If you live in the area, try to get in around March/April for the Pearly Gates. They will be sweet. If you will be flying in, weather can be difficult to predict in Winter/Spring. 

Here is a pic I took in January:

Man that looks nice. My dad is new to mountain climbing so we will fly in in spring when conditions have the best chance of being good

Jake wander wrote:

I was hoping to do the pearly gates if they're in. Is it not worth the extra effort?

The Pearly Gates are nice enough and lead directly to the summit. However, the Old Chute provides a bit of airy traverse along the summit ridge. 

If you really want to go up the Pearly Gates they still can be reached from the west side of Crater Rock. Lots of options up there to wander about.

If you want to camp on the mountain,  Illumination Saddle is scenic but more work walking west then east; Just above the top of the lift (~8400ft) is less work because it's directly on the climbing path.

That said, I don't really know why folks camp halfway up the mountain. The extra effort of carrying all that camping crap up just 2500ft, setting it up, dinner, breakfast, breaking it down, and then carrying it back down far outweighs the fatigue of doing car-to-car with a much lighter pack.

Ben Stabley wrote:

If you want to camp on the mountain,  Illumination Saddle is scenic but more work walking west then east; Just above the top of the lift (~8400ft) is less work because it's directly on the climbing path.

That said, I don't really know why folks camp halfway up the mountain. The extra effort of carrying all that camping crap up just 2500ft, setting it up, dinner, breakfast, breaking it down, and then carrying it back down far outweighs the fatigue of doing car-to-car with a much lighter pack.

Yeah.  Know car to car is the ideal way to do it. But we are Minnesota so we have to travel to even see a mountain. Getting to spend a night or two on a snow covered mountain is something I've come to appreciate and find it worth humping the loads. 

A couple years ago, couple friends and I climbed it starting after dark and planning to camp along the way.  It was a spectacular night with a full moon and too cold to stop, so we found ourselves on the summit in the wee hours of the morning.  We just dug a trench in the side of a snowbank to get our upper halves out of the wind and climbed into our bivis / sleeping bags.  What a spectacular night!

Funny end to the story: we were awoken the next morning by the first climber up of the day who thought he had discovered three dead climbers.  :-D