Mt Hood, via Pearly Gates

On March 20, 2004, Natasha, Mike, and I climbed Mt. Hood via the easy route (south side, Pearly Gates), starting from Timberline Lodge. We had excellent weather, and got some nice views from the summit. We started from Portland at around 0330, to be at the parking lot by 0430, and walking by 0500. We had hoped for an earlier start (walking at 0400), but we were still well within the acceptable start time for a March outing; later in the year, we would really have to have been walking earlier to get up and off before the snow softened too much.

As none of us had been up Mt Hood before (by any route), we came very prepared, with a 60m rope, harnesses, a third tool for the leader, pickets, a couple ice screws, stove, pot, and space blanket. It turns out we didn't need any of the technical gear, and the route is so easy to follow that we could not have gotten pinned by weather, but we didn't know that before. Route descriptions of the south side route will talk about the bergscrhund being the crux, just below the Pearly Gates. When we got to the 'schrund, we had to look for the slight, 2" step that marked the top of the crevasse. If that had been open, we might well have needed the screws and extra tool for some ice. Also, should someone on our team (or another) get hurt, the rope and anchors would have made rescue far easier, faster, and safer.

After an hour or so of walking by headlamp from the parking lot, the sky started to lighten, and we could start taking pictures. It took us almost 2 hours to reach the top of the groomed slopes, which is almost halfway there in vertical. It is possible to buy snowcat rides or lift tickets up the slopes, but we opted for the old-school, we'll-walk-all-the-way method.

Unfortunately, at the top of the snow slopes, Natasha had to turn back due to increasing pain in her hip from an old injury. So, after taking some photos of her high point, we added some (now) extra gear to her pack for the slog down, while Mike and I continued up. We spent some time resting at the top of the ski slopes, and also planning how to tackle the rest of the main slope and route. From the slopes, you have an excellent view of much of the remaining route, although the Hogsback is hidden from view by the slopes and cliffs. Fortunately for us, the easy route avoids all the steep cliffs and rocky knife edge ridges, but you go close enough to see them in detail!

As we continued up the main slope, we found ourselves off the groomed runs, but still on a huge open face. This meant we could punch in some truly epic-scale switchbacks to lower the steepness of the slope, although we have to walk farther. This is always a worthwhile trade! We also got some nice views of the steeper terrain we were avoiding; I'll bet there are some nice routes up the tricky, loose rock and ice of the cliffs, but I'm not excited about trying to find the good among so much bad terrain! Perhaps on another trip up the south side, I'll wander over and take a closer look.

Nearing the top of the open face, we were able to look left (west) and see the top of Crater Rock, a major landmark, below us. Always a nice feeling to have climbed up, and actually be higher than something! After a few hundred more feet of vertical, along a nicely packed boot trail curving around the west side of the chute leading up, we reached the bottom of the Hogsback. The Hogsback splits the chute coming down from the summit into an east and west side; we were on the east(ish) side, and had to switchback up the steep (45-60°) face to the narrow ridge. The packed trail kept us well above the Devil's Kitchen, which has active fumaroles spewing hydrogen sulfide; do not get caught in a depression with hydrogen sulfide. H₂S will kill you, and you cannot smell it in high concentrations. So, we stayed high above the Devil's Kitchen and then up on the Hogsback. At this point, we could see all the way to the Pearly Gates, and thus beyond the 'schrund.

Since we couldn't see a bergschrund, it must be filled with snow, meaning most of our gear is not necessary! We were very hot and tired, due to the unrelenting sun turning our world into an oven. So, we left our packed clipped to a pounded picket, and went up the Hogsback with only minimal gear. As long as you are on the ridge proper, the going is relatively easy, but steep. The boot pack provided us with a staircase to climb (in crampons). Eventually, we passed the 'schrund high on the Hogsback; it was a 2" step in the snow that extended horizontally as far as we could see! A bit anti-climactic, but we were too hot and tired to care.

The end of the Hogsback is the bottom of the Pearly Gates. A nice platform greeted us, so we took a break, snapped some photos of amazing snow formations, and waited for the other teams to clear out of the chutes above. Anything that falls in the Pearly Gates will be funneled down into the base, which is quite narrow (50' wide, maybe). Hence, it is safest to wait for the other teams to clear the chutes, and then storm through as quick as possible: speed is life. Fortunately for us, the other teams were competent, and didn't knock much down from the ice field above the chutes. We climbed up and through with no incident, and little excitement. Those who have not been on steep snow and ice will find it terrifying, I suspect.

After the chutes, we are on a large open ice field that goes up 150' (vertical) to the summit ridge. We climbed this in good order, and were soon standing on the high points. After the required summit photos, and marvelling at being able to see 150 miles north and south from the summit, we drank some water and headed down. Going down is when it becomes easy to see just how steep the ice field and Pearly Gates can be. Descending the Hogsback was terrifying, as the heat was oppressive, we were getting exhausted from dehydration, and my crampons turned into skis with every step! I now have anti-balling plates on all my crampons. After retrieving the packs from the Hogsback, we began glissading down the steep terrain. Had we not had packs on the Hogsback, I would have glissaded from the Pearly Gates, staying high above the Kitchen. It was perfect conditions, and we made excellent time; typically 4000'+ per hour. I was catching air off small bumps, and had to slow down before hurting myself. The spray of snow was cooling, and we had finished off the water at the packs, so we were OK to get down.

Once onto the low-angle, slushy terrain of the lower ski slopes, we jogged down the slopes with great bounding strides. We met Natasha at the car, snapped a proof-of-life photo, and headed home.

Note that due to an unfortunate oversight, Natasha went down with the only sunscreen, which we didn't realize until well above her high point. Then, we decided we wouldn't burn too badly, so we kept on. Do not forget sunscreen on a sunny day. We spent the next week oozing from our faces as the burns healed. Oh well, live and learn; when the major problem is sunburn, we are doing OK.