Mt. Hood - Pacific Crest Trail

imported
#1

Does anyone have any experience with climbing Mt. Hood as a side trip to the PCT? Ideas? Thanks

tracy j. calvert

#2

I was looking at maybe doing that too (Whitney for CA, Mt. Hood for OR, and Mt. Jefferson for WA, to get the three highest peaks in each state along the PCT).

From what I’ve seen, Mt. Hood isn’t recommended in August because of rockfall danger.

Cloud Mountain

#3

Be aware that the high mts of Oregon and Wash are glaciated, requiring knowledge of glacial travel. However, the only “technical” tools you’ll need are an ice axe, crampons, and harness/rope to tie in with your partner. With or without a partner, you need to know how to read a glacier and how to self-arrest. Guide services are also available. Mt. Jefferson is in Oregon (10K plus). Mt. Rainier (14K plus) is the highest peak in Wash and is not a simple “walk-up”.

OregonHikerDave

#4

Hood can be done in a long day from Timberline, but you’ll want more serious gear than most thruhikers have on them, for example, boots, crampons, beefed up clothing, etc. The season is also bad. Most glaciated climbs in the Cascades need to be done before about mid July to minimize rock fall and maximize snow conditions. Most thrus are not up here by then. Here are some other options for climbs.

Mount Shasta - Access from Dunsmuir via a hitch to Mount Shasta city. Most thrus go by during the bad time for climbing as rock fall on the standard route is a serious issue by mid summer.

South Sister - You walk right by it and it has a standard scramble route on it. Bring an ice axe.

Hood - See above.

Mount Adams - You go right by the standard route up it. Can be done in a long day. Bring ice axe and crampons and be prepared for a long slog. I’d probably want boots.

Rainier - Not a walk up and most thrus go by when crevasses are open and gaping and rock is coming down. I wouldn’t do it if I were you. However, you can hitch from 410 into the park and up to Paradise, where the Disappointment Cleaver route starts. Bad choice, though.

Glacier - Ditto for bad choice in September.

Baker - Forget it in September.

Of course, if you’re south bounding, you can hit all the volcanoes in their prime.

If you’re looking for basic scrambles, consider doing so in the Snoqualmie Pass area. You can get up Red Mountain (the big red thing you stare at on the climb out of the pass), Guye Peak (thumb-like thing), and Snoqualmie Mountain without a lot of difficulty. There are other options there also.

Suge

#5

I’ve done Hood in mid-July, and it was tenuous. A few days after i was there, a guy had to be airlifted. The bergschrund will be impassable, and rockfall will be a constant concern. I wouldn’t recommend it doing that late unless it’s a monster snow year. If you do go, seriously leave at midnight from the lodge, at the latest. You have to be off the upper mountain by the time the sun is high enough to melt ice and kick off the serious rockfall.

Jefferson in WA? Do you mean Jefferson in OR??? That’s a much more serious climb than Hood, but i haven’t done it.

Rainier is very doable. It’s a big physical undertaking, and requires some basic KSE, but in August or early September, it’s more realistic than Hood is. On Rainier, you have some occasional crevasse or rockfall hazard, but it’s actually less steep or technical than Hood. It is much much longer though. And the weather is more of an issue. Storms blow in at any time of year…people get stuck…deaths happen. If you go, be willing to descend immediately if any clouds start to build.

markv

#6

To correct my previous post about Mt. Jefferson in WA, I meant Mt. Adams. I keep getting those two names mixed up.

Cloud Mountain

#7

Another reasonable climb for thrus is Mount Daniel, located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in WA. You walk right by the starting point for the climb about 40 miles north of resupply at I-90. There is a scramble route on it.

Suge

#8

If you want to do something big in Oregone, I’d recommend South Sister. It is not technical, and in August or so when you’ll be there you probably wont need an ice axe. Diamond Peak, just south of Williamette Pass is quite fun, non-technical and readily accessible from the PCT as well.

Cypress