Mount Hood - Reid Glacier Headwall, March 2005
Andy Johnson, Eric Hoffman and I drove south to Oregon late one Sunday afternoon for our first 'real' climb of the season. Eric kicked down for the sno-park permit at the Arco station in Sandy, after which we continued on to Govt. Camp and the lot just below Timberline Lodge. We pounded a couple beers and called it a night soon thereafter...myself in the car and Eric/Andy bivying on the partialy frozen mud.
After about 30 minutes of sleep spread over 4 or 5 hours, it was time to slog up the Palmer. We left the sno-park at 4am and hiked to the upper-most lift station in the howling wind. Once there, Eric reluctantly bowed out on account of a stubborn back injury (injured in the gym earlier in the week). Andy and I continued on to Illumination Saddle while Eric descended back to the car. From the saddle, it took us only one look down the Reid Glacier at the requisite elevation loss (600ft+) in order to traverse below Yokum Ridge (en route to Sandy Glacier and Headwall), and decided it was a bit much to pull off in a day. Plus, with a sleep deprived 3+ hour drive back to Seattle after the climb, and Eric already spending a boring day kicking around the Timberline Lodge while we were climbing, perhaps a less time-consuming route was more appropriate. (more...)
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