beta on summiting Mt hood

curious on beta from any previous mt hood experiences. i have only attempted once and the conditions of the mountain made me and my partner have to turn back. i’m planning a second attempt and would love to know of any solo experiences!!

Brandon Miller wrote:

curious on beta from any previous mt hood experiences. i have only attempted once and the conditions of the mountain made me and my partner have to turn back. i’m planning a second attempt and would love to know of any solo experiences!!

Seasonality is going to have a big influence on the experience one has. I climbed and skied it in June for example. I don't think my experience will reflect on what you can expect if you are planning to try it sometime soon. Perhaps add some more details about when you're planning to go so that others can share relevant experiences. 

If you're looking for a late spring experience, here was mine. Long story short... We went on skis and started at 4am. Followed the trail and general train of people ahead of us and easily made it to the Hogsback. Got delayed there for a few hours helping to rescue a fallen climber. From there, we regrouped and started upward following the bootpack up through the Pearly Gates and to the summit. We traversed from the summit to Old Chute. Skied Old Chute to the West Crater Rim (I think) and down to Timberline. Weather was perfect. We were done easily in time for lunch. 

It's a great first mountaineering mountain, but it should be given respect for the big mountain that it is. A lot of people underestimate it and get in over their head and experience up there. 

Great video presented by the local mountain rescue organization (PMR) with experienced local climbers: https://youtu.be/GFliupKC8H8?si=omqfTNoJnYN28QC0

A few other resources:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/recreation/?cid=FSEPRD1018659

https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/#/mt-hood