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The primary reason for our trip to Oregon was to climb Mt. Hood, but while we were in the area we thought we’d pay a visit to our old friend, Mt. St. Helens. We had been there once before a few years ago in September, and a sudden snowstorm prevented us from summiting, so we wanted to try again. However, we hadn’t made reservations to climb and the required permits are nearly impossible to get at the last minute. But, we thought we’d drive to the area just in case. Without a permit we could only hike to 4,800 feet. A quick check at the location in Cougar where people pick up their permits surprised us; we were able to purchase two climbing permits ($22 each) for the next day from someone who was hoping to sell some they weren’t able to use.
We drove to the Climbers Bivouac and set up our tent. There are outhouses but no running water here, fire pits but no firewood nearby for sale, tent sites but no picnic tables. It’s rustic and free and popular.
The first section of trail is very pleasant, gently climbing through the forest at an easy grade on a soft trailbed. From time to time, the trail switches back and forth and eventually there are a few views. At treeline, a steepish scramble reaches a ridgeline that leads to the summit. There was snow in the bowl on either side, and some folks went that way. We were happy to stick to the trail and were grateful it was still somewhat shady when we were climbing.
As the route approaches the rim, the trail becomes “braided” – something I hadn’t heard before, but what it describes is not one single trail but a number of paths that criss-cross each other. Higher up there are fewer rocks and more gravel. Higher still the rocky gravel becomes more sandy. We passed the large boulders that identified where we had turned back a couple of years before and this time the summit was in view, though the final reach seems to take forever. (At Brian’s suggestion, I tried counting 50 steps before I would look up again, and that helped.)
Arriving at the summit rim felt a lot like climbing a sand dune, except that when you reach the top you are suddenly looking into the enormous crater, and that gives a startling sense of the magnitude of this shrunken peak. To warn that the crater rim is unstable is not an exaggeration. We watched a number of rock slides tumble from various points and there were remnants of weak snow cornices. Hiking to the highest point is not allowed due to the danger but you can walk along the rim for quite a distance. Again it seemed like being at the beach, lots of people sitting and looking out at the “sea” of forests and mountains around them. Our descent was pretty quick, as we decided to take our turn on every snow run until our butts were frozen!
We had a stunning day on the mountain. Mt. Hood (our next peak) and Mt. Adams (another year) are visible snowcapped peaks and easy to identify from the route up. Mt. Rainier (climbed a few years back), visible only from the rim, appeared further away than I thought it would. It seemed so huge when we’d been there.
The next day was a travel day and we decided to act like the tourists we were.
First stop: Ape Cave, just down the road from Climbers Bivouac. While not caving enthusiasts, we were intrigued enough to enter. It’s one of the longest lava tubes of its type and the arched shaped interior reminds me of the “T” in Boston, but without the trains and tracks and noise, of course. Visitors must have strong lights in order to explore and have two choices of routes. We picked the shorter one, still nearly a mile long, and stopped where we would have had to crawl on hands and knees to the final chamber. The other route is rougher going and comes out at a different opening. Our legs were sore from our hike the day before, so we took the easier way.
Next stopt: Hood River for some draught, then on to Government Camp, Oregon for Mt. Hood.
From “Govy,” we drove up to Timberline Lodge and checked out the location of Timberline Mountain Guides (http://www.timberlinemtguides.com/). Some people have wondered why we would choose to hire a guide when we’ve had some experience at this type of terrain/altitude. The answer was simple. It was a good investment. We didn’t know the mountain, don’t climb this type of terrain often, and are always looking to learn more and improve our skills. Each time we’ve hired a guide, we’ve been glad and this was no exception. Our Timberline guide was Joe Owens.
We had two days of lessons on the snowy slopes beside the ski area, just the two of us with Joe, and because we already had basic knowledge we were able to move on to pick up some additional skills. For example, I finally solidly know the quick and easy way to do a clove hitch! Another lesson Joe taught us was to “reset” – to continually rethink what we are doing and how we are doing it. His main reference point was packing for a trip (i.e. what you had in your pack last weekend might not be what you need for this one, so think about it), but it’s a good life lesson, too.
The morning of our climb, we met Joe at 12:30 AM outside the lodge. Joining another group, we rode a snow cat to Silcox Hut at the top of the ski area. From the lack of chatter within the cab, it seemed that the others, a family group of three and their guide, were as excited as we were. (It turned out that one of them was sick and they turned back.)
Headlamps and crampons on, harnesses fastened securely, helmets strapped in place, we started up. The ropes and ice axes would come out later on. Moonlight helped us find our way on the worn track, which switched between snow and gravel, and far-off city lights way below helped us realize how high we were. Several times Joe stopped us, we took off our packs and sat down for a 15 minute rest. The final rest was across from Devils Kitchen and just below the fumaroles. Then, as the sun began to peak around the corner, there was the steep Chute and the Pearly Gates. Even though I wanted (needed) to rest, Joe wouldn’t let us stop, reminding us that we were in a very treacherous section. As the rising sun warmed the area, chunks of ice and rock tumbled frequently. We did not want to be there any longer than necessary.
The summit at 11,240 feet is a rim, and as with St. Helens there is not much room on either side. We sat down on the highest point at 6:45 AM with sighs and smiles.
After reminding us of the dangers, and saying we had to be super-vigilant for the next twenty minutes as we climbed down, Joe belayed for the steepest part and we made our way back to the fumaroles with deliberate, careful steps. Looking back, we saw a group stalled near the Pearly Gates, one climber seemed unable to go up or down. After a bit, another climber started down to help, and we remembered how we felt not that long ago: tired, uncertain, knowing it was very dangerous there, working hard to breath in the elevation. That scene, alone, reinforced our gratitude for having a good guide by our side.
The big climb was over, but there was more to see in the Mt. Hood area. Timberline Lodge was built as a WPA project during the Great Depression, sits at just below 6,000 feet and has wonderful wood carvings and details throughout. The nearby settlement of Government Camp (“Govy”) is a ski-bum town, a young skier/snowboarder/skateboarder dream. We were tempted to sleep at least one night beside our car on the main road in Govy, as we saw others doing, but chickened out. The pizza and brews on the deck at Mt. Hood Brewing Company shouldn’t be missed. Down the road in Welches we discovered a really nice outfitters store, Mountain Sports, near the supermarket and laundry. There was nothing much in Boring, so we didn’t stay long, just passed through. At the Goodwill in Cougar, I found a pair of Columbia zip-off hiking pants for under $10 – my size! The two campgrounds we stayed at were Camp Creek and Still Creek and both had the simplicity and quiet we enjoy. Alpine campground looked nice (rustic, away from town, although it was just off the road so noise from traffic might be a nuisance). We probably would have stayed there but we didn’t discover it in time. The Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum in “Govy” was worth a visit and made us wish we had thought to learn more about the famous Oregon Trail that passes through. It would have been fun to backpack some of it. The short bits we hiked gave us a taste of it and we marveled at what conditions those travelers experienced.
Oh, and it only rained once during our ten day vacation.
We drove to the Climbers Bivouac and set up our tent. There are outhouses but no running water here, fire pits but no firewood nearby for sale, tent sites but no picnic tables. It’s rustic and free and popular.
The first section of trail is very pleasant, gently climbing through the forest at an easy grade on a soft trailbed. From time to time, the trail switches back and forth and eventually there are a few views. At treeline, a steepish scramble reaches a ridgeline that leads to the summit. There was snow in the bowl on either side, and some folks went that way. We were happy to stick to the trail and were grateful it was still somewhat shady when we were climbing.
As the route approaches the rim, the trail becomes “braided” – something I hadn’t heard before, but what it describes is not one single trail but a number of paths that criss-cross each other. Higher up there are fewer rocks and more gravel. Higher still the rocky gravel becomes more sandy. We passed the large boulders that identified where we had turned back a couple of years before and this time the summit was in view, though the final reach seems to take forever. (At Brian’s suggestion, I tried counting 50 steps before I would look up again, and that helped.)
Arriving at the summit rim felt a lot like climbing a sand dune, except that when you reach the top you are suddenly looking into the enormous crater, and that gives a startling sense of the magnitude of this shrunken peak. To warn that the crater rim is unstable is not an exaggeration. We watched a number of rock slides tumble from various points and there were remnants of weak snow cornices. Hiking to the highest point is not allowed due to the danger but you can walk along the rim for quite a distance. Again it seemed like being at the beach, lots of people sitting and looking out at the “sea” of forests and mountains around them. Our descent was pretty quick, as we decided to take our turn on every snow run until our butts were frozen!
We had a stunning day on the mountain. Mt. Hood (our next peak) and Mt. Adams (another year) are visible snowcapped peaks and easy to identify from the route up. Mt. Rainier (climbed a few years back), visible only from the rim, appeared further away than I thought it would. It seemed so huge when we’d been there.
The next day was a travel day and we decided to act like the tourists we were.
First stop: Ape Cave, just down the road from Climbers Bivouac. While not caving enthusiasts, we were intrigued enough to enter. It’s one of the longest lava tubes of its type and the arched shaped interior reminds me of the “T” in Boston, but without the trains and tracks and noise, of course. Visitors must have strong lights in order to explore and have two choices of routes. We picked the shorter one, still nearly a mile long, and stopped where we would have had to crawl on hands and knees to the final chamber. The other route is rougher going and comes out at a different opening. Our legs were sore from our hike the day before, so we took the easier way.
Next stopt: Hood River for some draught, then on to Government Camp, Oregon for Mt. Hood.
From “Govy,” we drove up to Timberline Lodge and checked out the location of Timberline Mountain Guides (http://www.timberlinemtguides.com/). Some people have wondered why we would choose to hire a guide when we’ve had some experience at this type of terrain/altitude. The answer was simple. It was a good investment. We didn’t know the mountain, don’t climb this type of terrain often, and are always looking to learn more and improve our skills. Each time we’ve hired a guide, we’ve been glad and this was no exception. Our Timberline guide was Joe Owens.
We had two days of lessons on the snowy slopes beside the ski area, just the two of us with Joe, and because we already had basic knowledge we were able to move on to pick up some additional skills. For example, I finally solidly know the quick and easy way to do a clove hitch! Another lesson Joe taught us was to “reset” – to continually rethink what we are doing and how we are doing it. His main reference point was packing for a trip (i.e. what you had in your pack last weekend might not be what you need for this one, so think about it), but it’s a good life lesson, too.
The morning of our climb, we met Joe at 12:30 AM outside the lodge. Joining another group, we rode a snow cat to Silcox Hut at the top of the ski area. From the lack of chatter within the cab, it seemed that the others, a family group of three and their guide, were as excited as we were. (It turned out that one of them was sick and they turned back.)
Headlamps and crampons on, harnesses fastened securely, helmets strapped in place, we started up. The ropes and ice axes would come out later on. Moonlight helped us find our way on the worn track, which switched between snow and gravel, and far-off city lights way below helped us realize how high we were. Several times Joe stopped us, we took off our packs and sat down for a 15 minute rest. The final rest was across from Devils Kitchen and just below the fumaroles. Then, as the sun began to peak around the corner, there was the steep Chute and the Pearly Gates. Even though I wanted (needed) to rest, Joe wouldn’t let us stop, reminding us that we were in a very treacherous section. As the rising sun warmed the area, chunks of ice and rock tumbled frequently. We did not want to be there any longer than necessary.
The summit at 11,240 feet is a rim, and as with St. Helens there is not much room on either side. We sat down on the highest point at 6:45 AM with sighs and smiles.
After reminding us of the dangers, and saying we had to be super-vigilant for the next twenty minutes as we climbed down, Joe belayed for the steepest part and we made our way back to the fumaroles with deliberate, careful steps. Looking back, we saw a group stalled near the Pearly Gates, one climber seemed unable to go up or down. After a bit, another climber started down to help, and we remembered how we felt not that long ago: tired, uncertain, knowing it was very dangerous there, working hard to breath in the elevation. That scene, alone, reinforced our gratitude for having a good guide by our side.
The big climb was over, but there was more to see in the Mt. Hood area. Timberline Lodge was built as a WPA project during the Great Depression, sits at just below 6,000 feet and has wonderful wood carvings and details throughout. The nearby settlement of Government Camp (“Govy”) is a ski-bum town, a young skier/snowboarder/skateboarder dream. We were tempted to sleep at least one night beside our car on the main road in Govy, as we saw others doing, but chickened out. The pizza and brews on the deck at Mt. Hood Brewing Company shouldn’t be missed. Down the road in Welches we discovered a really nice outfitters store, Mountain Sports, near the supermarket and laundry. There was nothing much in Boring, so we didn’t stay long, just passed through. At the Goodwill in Cougar, I found a pair of Columbia zip-off hiking pants for under $10 – my size! The two campgrounds we stayed at were Camp Creek and Still Creek and both had the simplicity and quiet we enjoy. Alpine campground looked nice (rustic, away from town, although it was just off the road so noise from traffic might be a nuisance). We probably would have stayed there but we didn’t discover it in time. The Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum in “Govy” was worth a visit and made us wish we had thought to learn more about the famous Oregon Trail that passes through. It would have been fun to backpack some of it. The short bits we hiked gave us a taste of it and we marveled at what conditions those travelers experienced.
Oh, and it only rained once during our ten day vacation.
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