Altitude 3542ft + 7703ft
7/2/2023
Meet Me At Midnight
There aren’t too many adventures that start with an 11pm wake-up call, but mountaineering – particularly in July – necessitates that. Our guide Drew from Kaf Adventures told us to meet him at midnight, so after a few hours of sleep, we readied, downed two cans of espresso (or at least Matt did – whether or not that was a smart idea remains to be seen), checked out of our Airbnb in Government Camp, and headed up to Timberline Lodge where we would begin our mountaineering adventure to climb to the top of Mount Hood.
In the parking lot, we found the group and gathered in the crisp midnight mountain air. It was peaceful, but you could feel the determination. We had a mission and a big day ahead of us. 5000 ft of elevation gain and 4 miles of climbing to reach the summit before the sun came around and melted the ice on the south face making it too dangerous to attempt a summit push.
We did some quick introductions to the rest of the party. Carl and Tom along with Gen and Evan, two additional guides on the team with Drew who we had worked with yesterday on our prep day. Then we set off. The full moon and the snow cats grooming the Timberline ski slope lit our path almost enough to not need our headlamps.
Starting the Climb
Drew led us at a steady pace, it felt frustratingly slow at first. But later in the morning, we were grateful for the slow pace. He had taught us the day before during our prep course that mountaineering isn’t fast but steady. You take small steps and ensure solid footing and progress one foot after another.
After about a mile and 1000 ft of elevation, we reached the top of the Magic Mile chairlift. We stopped for a short break for some food and swapping of layers. It’s interesting working hard in temperatures like this. The goal is to not get sweaty because when you stop, you’ll get cold very quickly. Ideally, you want to be a little chilly when you start off. That’s how you know you have the right layers on. When you do stop, you bundle up right away to keep the heat in.
Layering
As we worked our way up, we stopped about once an hour. I found myself planning what I would change each time as we were getting close to the break spot since it’s harder to tell what will be most comfortable once you’ve already stopped.
Even though we kept a steady pace, the temperature dropped as it got further into the night and we increased in altitude. Most of the planning was increasing layers and trying to calculate what would keep me comfortable but not make me too warm and thus start sweating. Drew recommended the typical layering system that we adopted for skiing, but it reinforced its usefulness as we went through each layer and combination of layers multiple times throughout the climb.
Timberline has one more chairlift that goes beyond Magic Mile, the Palmer chairlift. It opens in the spring and allows the resort to stay open throughout August and claim the longest ski season in North America. So while the area under Magic Mile was pretty sparse as far as snow goes, under Palmer, there was lots of snow.
Reaching the Caldera At Sunrise
After another short break, we left the established grounds of Timberline behind and continued up the mountain. We came to some other famous landmarks including Crater Rock and then the Devil’s Kitchen. At this point, there was some light in the sky, and as we reached the Devil’s Kitchen, we turned around to see the most amazing mountain shadow covering the valley. Even the guides said this was one of the best they had seen.
It’s easy to forget that Mount Hood is a volcano, but you are quickly reminded at the Devil’s Kitchen which is the caldera. There are glacial blue lakes that don’t freeze since they are warmed from the vents and you can see and smell the sulfur escaping.
We took a longer break for breakfast and to prep for the next section. This was where there real climbing would begin. We donned our crampons and harnesses and swapped trekking poles for ice axes. Unfortunately, Matt was struggling and decided it was best for him to stay behind. Gen stayed back with him while Jake and I went on with the rest of the group.
Mountaineering
The next part of the trail took us around the Devil’s Kitchen to the Hogsback and the back wall that leads to the summit. It’s a steep face covered with hard-packed snow. Luckily, it was still in the early morning shadows so held little risk of avalanches due to melting. There, we broke off into groups with two climbers to one guide. Jake and I worked with Evan. He lead climbed up until the end of the rope and then belay us until we met up with him.
We used the skills we had learned the day before – utilizing our ice axes and crampons to climb like a ladder up the snow. Ice axe, right foot, left foot, breathe in, breathe out, repeat. I don’t usually think of myself having a fear of heights but climbing up that final face, my heart was racing from more than just exertion. The sense of accomplishment at the top felt amazing.
The Catwalk
At the top of the wall, there’s a catwalk that takes you over to the summit. As I popped my head over the top, tears filled my eyes in relief and wonder. Looking around, you can see much of Cascade range. In the north, Mount Rainier, Mount St Helens, and Mount Adams and turning around to look south, Mount Jefferson is visible across the Hood Valley. It was an incredible sight that made the middle of the night wake up and long trek immediately worth it. It took my breath away.
We climbed onto what was a fairly treacherous catwalk. It’s usually wider with more snow. However, since it was July, the snow had all but melted. It was just a narrow stretch of rock leading to a larger platform that marks the summit. We tied the rope just to each other to make our way across. Walking along, the mountain dropped off quickly on either side below us – the south face to our right that we had climbed and the much more treacherous north face to our left.
The Summit
Reaching the summit marked the highest point in Oregon and the top of Mount Hood. We did it! We celebrated with Fireball shots and protein bars. Our guides pocketed the fireball saying something about drinking on the clock. The wind was strong, so we bundled up to take some pictures and enjoy the view. We didn’t hang out long since the journey itself was only half over.
Descending
The way down was much easier but still slow going down the steep face from the top. We picked up Matt and packed up the climbing gear at the Devil’s Kitchen. From there, the snow was softening, so Drew showed us a much more fun way to descend. He called it glissading. You sit on the ground and slide down the mountain using the base of your ice axe to steer and control your speed – essentially sledding without a sled. It was a blast!
We raced and giggled like school children all the way down. As the snow got softer, it got wetter and wetter, and by the time we reached Timberline, we were soaked through. At that point, the temperature had warmed significantly, and it was a beautiful summer day at the bottom.
In the parking lot, we reflected on the climb and expressed our gratitude to our guides. All in all, it had taken us around 14 hours including stops. It was a long day and we were exhausted. We headed down the mountain and back towards Matt’s apartment in Vancouver, WA already dreaming about our next mountaineering adventure.
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