First Volcano of the Season: Mount Hood South Face
The goal for the season is to summit Mt. Rainier, so we warmed up with Mt. Hood via the South Face. Johannes, Lawrence, my new friend Justin, my mom, and me got together and caravanned down to the Timberline lodge at around noon Saturday.
The original plan was to camp at Illumination Saddle, but it was a little off-route and would’ve added a mile or two overall. So we decided to keep things chill and set up camp right off the main route instead. Getting Up Past Palmer
The campsites weren’t exactly clustered, so we canvassed some outcroppings and set up camp. Johannes and Justin set up on the right side of the main trail, while Lawrence, my mom, and I found some spots between the trail and Illumination Saddle. I dug a couple of snow platforms for our tents, while Lawrence lucked out with a wind-protected ledge that was right perched above us.
It was warm, so I napped until about 6pm when the sun started going down. We all gathered on one of the outcroppings and had some couscous together (couscous and raisins is my go-to trail cuisine at the moment).
Temps dropped quickly and at 10pm they had already dropped to about 32°F. Without foam pads (just inflatables), the cold crept up from below. My mom inflated hers more to insulate better, and I tossed and turned, eventually throwing on the rainfly to block drafts.
In the middle of all this, my mom’s tent poles decided to snap in half giving her tent a unique lopsided quality. MSR Access poles seem to have a history with this, at least in the four-season model. i’m also sure there might’ve been some user error.
Alpine Start
Alarms went off at 2 AM. Forty minutes later, we were moving. It was smooth sailing up to the fumarole. And before we knew it we were getting early morning light as we crept up through the vents on Hogsback.
Once we got the base of the Old Chute, it was time to dual wield our ice axes. Lesley (my mom) had one in hand at which I promptly asked where her second, brand new, shiny ice axe I had gone. I lent it to her at the outset of the trip. She didn’t have it and said that she must’ve dropped it somewhere on the way up. So naturally she inherited one of my ice tools too.
We topped out around 5:30, just missing the sunrise, but the weather was perfect. No wind, warm enough for just a fleece and windbreaker. We enjoyed the sunrise, new acquaintances, and generally admiring the surprisingly good fashion that morning. One woman was decked out in a tastefully 80s purple jumpsuit. [image: IMG_9263.jpg] [image: IMG_2428.jpg] [image: IMG_2426.jpg] [image: IMG_9264.jpg]
Down and Out
We lingered for about an hour before down climbing. We reached camp by 7:30 AM. I took just an incredible cat nap. By 9:20 we were on our way down. The descent was mellow, just a casual stroll back to the car with plenty of conversation.
At the cars, Johannes broke out some seriously strong IPAs (8.7%). And Justin told us about how he accidentally moved to one of Seattle’s worst neighborhoods when he first got here, then later ending up in one of Bellevue’s best. Nearby, a group of brand-new mountaineers, one in full army fatigues, were rehashing their sketchy morning on the Old Chute. The Perfect Finish
We wrapped the day with a drive down Highway 26 to Sky Wave BBQ, enjoying brisket and coconut cream pie.
First volcano of the season: complete. Rainier’s next. [image: IMG_0354.jpg] [image: IMG_0360.jpg] [image: IMG_0370.jpg] [image: IMG_0378.jpg] [image: IMG_0385.jpg] [image: IMG_0400.jpg]
Yes… a sad tent indeed.
The goal for the season is to summit Mt. Rainier, so we warmed up with Mt. Hood via the South Face. Johannes, Lawrence, my new friend Justin, my mom, and me got together and caravanned down to the Timberline lodge at around noon Saturday.
The original plan was to camp at Illumination Saddle, but it was a little off-route and would’ve added a mile or two overall. So we decided to keep things chill and set up camp right off the main route instead. Getting Up Past Palmer
The campsites weren’t exactly clustered, so we canvassed some outcroppings and set up camp. Johannes and Justin set up on the right side of the main trail, while Lawrence, my mom, and I found some spots between the trail and Illumination Saddle. I dug a couple of snow platforms for our tents, while Lawrence lucked out with a wind-protected ledge that was right perched above us.
It was warm, so I napped until about 6pm when the sun started going down. We all gathered on one of the outcroppings and had some couscous together (couscous and raisins is my go-to trail cuisine at the moment).
Temps dropped quickly and at 10pm they had already dropped to about 32°F. Without foam pads (just inflatables), the cold crept up from below. My mom inflated hers more to insulate better, and I tossed and turned, eventually throwing on the rainfly to block drafts.
In the middle of all this, my mom’s tent poles decided to snap in half giving her tent a unique lopsided quality. MSR Access poles seem to have a history with this, at least in the four-season model. i’m also sure there might’ve been some user error.
Alpine Start
Alarms went off at 2 AM. Forty minutes later, we were moving. It was smooth sailing up to the fumarole. And before we knew it we were getting early morning light as we crept up through the vents on Hogsback.
Once we got the base of the Old Chute, it was time to dual wield our ice axes. Lesley (my mom) had one in hand at which I promptly asked where her second, brand new, shiny ice axe I had gone. I lent it to her at the outset of the trip. She didn’t have it and said that she must’ve dropped it somewhere on the way up. So naturally she inherited one of my ice tools too.
We topped out around 5:30, just missing the sunrise, but the weather was perfect. No wind, warm enough for just a fleece and windbreaker. We enjoyed the sunrise, new acquaintances, and generally admiring the surprisingly good fashion that morning. One woman was decked out in a tastefully 80s purple jumpsuit. [image: IMG_9263.jpg] [image: IMG_2428.jpg] [image: IMG_2426.jpg] [image: IMG_9264.jpg]
Down and Out
We lingered for about an hour before down climbing. We reached camp by 7:30 AM. I took just an incredible cat nap. By 9:20 we were on our way down. The descent was mellow, just a casual stroll back to the car with plenty of conversation.
At the cars, Johannes broke out some seriously strong IPAs (8.7%). And Justin told us about how he accidentally moved to one of Seattle’s worst neighborhoods when he first got here, then later ending up in one of Bellevue’s best. Nearby, a group of brand-new mountaineers, one in full army fatigues, were rehashing their sketchy morning on the Old Chute. The Perfect Finish
We wrapped the day with a drive down Highway 26 to Sky Wave BBQ, enjoying brisket and coconut cream pie.
First volcano of the season: complete. Rainier’s next. [image: IMG_0354.jpg] [image: IMG_0360.jpg] [image: IMG_0370.jpg] [image: IMG_0378.jpg] [image: IMG_0385.jpg] [image: IMG_0400.jpg]
Yes… a sad tent indeed.
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