Mountaineering

24
Apr
2011
jloomis

Climbing Mount Hood, Oregon

Mount Hood Summit Ridge

Finally, the long-anticipated nice weather came to Mount Hood on Friday morning. My friends Matt, Al, and I were able to get the day off to climb the mountain. This was Al and my first summit attempt of Mount Hood (I had previously been as high as the hogsback earlier this year). Matt is veteran mountaineer with six or seven successful Mount Hood climbs under his belt. We all met in Portland around 11:30 PM Thursday night to carpool to Timberline Lodge. We were going to climb the popular South route through the old chute to the summit.

17
Apr
2011
jloomis

Lookout Mountain Climb in the Snow

Summit of Lookout Mountain, Oregon

On Saturday, Matt, his friend Al, and I went on a climb (non-technical) to Lookout Mountain. At 6,525 feet, Lookout Mountain is second in elevation only to Mount Hood within the Mt. Hood National Forest. The trailhead is about 4.5 miles Northeast of the Mount Hood Meadows turnoff on Hwy 35. The weather forecast was a mixed bag with rain showers predicted and a freezing level of around 6,000 feet. As it was still early spring, our 7.4 mile round-trip route was different from the normal trail due to the amount of snow above 4,500 feet elevation.

23
Mar
2011
kloomis

Snowshoeing Maxwell Butte near Sisters, Oregon

Summit of Maxwell Butte, Oregon

After spending much of the winter enjoying the sights and peaks of the Northern Oregon Cascades, Jason and I decided to travel further South and snowshoe to Maxwell Butte on Sunday. We left early, hoping to avoid any Spring Break traffic and have the trail at least partially to ourselves. Our reward was a nearly empty parking lot. The only cars there had clearly been left overnight. The sky was high overcast with a slight breeze and 29° F temperature when we arrived. Maxwell SnoPark is located approximately 28 miles Northwest of Sisters, Oregon along Highway 22.

22
Mar
2011
jloomis

Snowshoeing Barlow Butte, Oregon

Summit of Barlow Butte, Oregon

After a fun night snow camping at Devils Half Acre Meadow, Matt and I took off on snowshoes for Barlow Butte. Since we were camped at the base of the butte on the Western side, we chose to go almost straight up from there. Our route was about 0.6 miles each way. The temperature was in the mid 20s F with no wind and mostly sunny skies. This was one of those times I regretted not bringing my sunglasses.

12
Mar
2011
jloomis

Climbing Eureka Peak, Oregon in the Winter

Eureka Peak, Oregon

I have been eager to get back out in the snow since returning from vacation in Kauai. The tropical climate was nice and we had an amazing trip, but I love the snow and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. My friend Tyler and his friend Holli joined Katie and I on a non-technical climb Saturday to Eureka Peak. The route ( 5 mile round-trip) we took begins at the Trillium Lake SnoPark off hwy 26 about 3 miles Southeast of Government Camp.

21
Feb
2011
jloomis

Climbing Mount Hood to Crater Rock

Mount Hood, Oregon

I finally had a free day Sunday with okay weather for a solo climb up Mount Hood to Crater Rock. This was my first trip to this elevation on Mount Hood and my plan wasn't to climb all the way to the summit. I am saving that for a future trip. Mount Hood is Oregon's tallest peak at 11,239 feet elevation. It's known as Wy'east to the Multnomah Tribe. The route I took is known as the South Side Route and starts from the historic Timberline Lodge. It is about 6 miles to Crater Rock and back with an elevation gain of 4,000 feet.

20
Feb
2011
jloomis

Snowshoeing to the Summit of Ghost Ridge, Oregon

Mount Hood from Ghost Ridge

After Katie and I returned from our overnight stay at the Barlow Butte Hut on Saturday morning, we headed out on our next adventure to Ghost Ridge. This is a fairly easy 1.6 mile (each way) trail to snowshoe. The first mile is along the Pacific Crest Trail. After that, the unmarked trail veers to the Southwest (to the right if coming from Barlow Pass SnoPark), away from the PCT.

14
Feb
2011
jloomis

Snowshoeing to the Summit of Mud Creek Ridge, Oregon

Summit of Mud Creek Ridge

After snowshoeing around Trillium Lake on Sunday, Katie and I decided to hike to the top of Mud Creek Ridge (SE of Trillium Lake). According to my map, the easiest approach is from the North with a gradual climb to the summit at 4,368 feet in elevation. The round-trip climb is less than two miles.

07
Feb
2011
jloomis

Snowshoeing Barlow Butte Trail, Oregon (10 mile loop)

Barlow Butte Trail, Oregon

It continues to feels like spring in the middle of winter with warm temperatures and rain in the mountains. On Sunday, Katie and I decided to brave the wet conditions and head to Barlow Pass SnoPark for a full day of snowshoeing. I wanted to try the Barlow Butte Trail #670 and Katie eagerly agreed. If only she knew what she was getting herself into! I failed to mention the trail listed a difficulty rating of "Expert/Strenuous".

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