We would have to climb up Hogsback Ridge before a quick traverse over to the Old Chute. The climb becomes technical as the slope reaches 40 degrees, at which point many climbers opt to rope up for safety. Skiing old chute mt hood road. 5 miles and a few hundred feet of elevation, you reach a break in the trees where you're treated to a spectacular view. How many resorts does Mount Hood have? The stars were beautiful but it was hard to enjoy them with 30mph winds forcing sands into every crevice of your face. I took the final few steps onto the summit ridge and was greeted by a vertigo-inducing view that nearly caused me to lose my breakfast.
What it lacks in variety, Salmon River makes up with convenience and playfulness. The ski town of Government Camp is your homebase for all backcountry-related activities on Mount Hood. It looked pretty intimidating. For the first option, take the trail going up the side of White River Canyon. Equipment: Crampons, ice axe, AT skis. Mount Hood/South Side. The first few hours consisted of winds blasting me in the face and my patience wearing thin. Though it was steep it was easy to follow old steps working our way up. The skiing opportunities paired with chairlift access to the alpine zone make this one of the best peaks in the United States for spring and summer ski mountaineering. Mount Hood/South Side (Palmer Glacier). The answer is a resounding yes. Once you get into the June/July season an early start is non-negotiable.
And not only can you ski from the summit of Mount Hood, but you can do it almost year round—December through April is fantastic. Skiing old chute mt hood trail. Climbing Category: Basic Alpine. The skiing was okay at best, it was hard to find a good line between blank ice and windblown sandy stuff where my edges would catch. The highest point in Oregon, this route gets the vast majority of Hood ascents. Descend the "old chute" towards the hot rocks until you can cut left under the rime towers.
However, for the more advanced skiers, what I appreciate most is that because the area is so accessible, you can easily do a full tour and still have plenty of time for tougher runs elsewhere. The forecast was for a one-day break in the lousy spring pattern, and I decided to try the new powder on Hood. The trail itself connects Timberline Lodge to Government Camp, a small mountain town at the base of Mount Hood that is a great homebase for trips. I looked behind me and saw that the Timberline Lodge more resembled a dollhouse than a towering building. It was a beautiful day, with fog all over Eastern Oregon and a strong wind blowing from the east. The most straight forward route and the one we were planning on taking is the Pearly Gates—a narrow and steep chute that is surrounded by walls of rime ice that gives climbers the impression they are ascending through the pearly gates and into heaven. The Palmer lift was closing just as I got down, but the Magic Mile was still running and I got one more run in before heading back. Ski Descent of Mt Hood. Mount Hood/Pearly Gates. I like to mix it up by starting my runs from a different spot every time. Spill down over steep terrain back towards Crater rock, ending on the Zig-Zag glacier.
Even though Mt Hood is not technically demanding, an experienced hiker is required so successfully and safely ascend to the summit due to the many dangers along the route including crevasses, ice and rock fall, moderate exposure on snow or ice and of course weather moving in quickly. Intense sun is baking the rime covered peak and I get to play dodge that ice for about 30 minutes. If you've grown tired of the hip spots—in or out of bounds—you should definitely check out this spot for a healthy serving of serenity. Mount hood old chute. The frozen cat tracks and knee-deep postholes from the previous day warned us of the temperatures to come. Above us, billions of twinkling stars painted the sky.
Alex and I talked about our options and opted to go sans rope for the steep climb, knowing that if one of us fell on a slope so steep we likely would not have been able to arrest the other's fall. Conditions got worse the higher I went, but some skiers were coming down from Crater Rock and they seemed to be doing okay. The party ahead of me opted to ski from the base of the Snow Dome, so I had the thing to myself. The first 2700' up the south side route run just climbers right of the Palmer chair, which this time of year is shuttling paying skiers most of the way up the mountain. Standard glacier travel gear, ice screws (mostly 10-13cm), two ice tools. The Old Chute on Mount Hood Ski Descent. Here you'll find a general store, a couple of small ski shops, bars (my picks are Glacier Public House and Ratskeller), and accommodation galore.
As we made our way up to the gates the line of climbers seemed to all be headed to the right gate. It seemed incredulous that just a couple hours prior, I was standing on the very top. The very top of the chute was steep and slick, and I was glad to have my ice axe in hand. Descending the upper slopes we had Ice axes in hand for a potential self arrest. I downward traversed for a little while on the other side, but then had to face the fact that I had to climb back up. Crater Rock lay another 1000' above us, and from there you could follow the boot pack straight up through the Pearly Gates or left towards Old Chute.