Mt. Hood 05/27/2014

I climbed Mt. Hood on Tuesday, but we did not summit.  We got on the Old Chute about 500 feet from the top and the were ice balls falling on us and we decided to descend.

Here is our group past the hogback making our way up the the Old Chute.  We roped up at the hogback and set pickets.  The snow was an icy glaze and it would not warm up in the sun.

On our decent Devil's Kitchen and the Steel Cliffs and Hogback.

Overall it was a pretty nice day, a little cold in the morning with the wind and clouds did not move in tell we were nearly at Timberline.

Gary glissading down, we did that were we could but not so much due to the icy glaze of the snow.

Mt. St. Helen's 05/11/2014

I spent Mother's Day this year climbing Mt. St. Helen's.  An annual ritual for over 30 years, over 1,000 permits were issued to climbers, skiers, and snowboarders.

Here me in the parking lot, behind me is a herd of Mazamas.  Amy led a massive group up the mountain and the theme was Star Wars. 

It was a low snow year, in the past the snow has been down to the parking lot.  This looks like a trek to Everest base camp.

Here's s Storm Trooper keeps up with Amy's theme.

Eric with a more traditional Mother's Day theme.

Karen and Andrew drove me up, and we met Heath and his wife Mary Beth and Roger and his wife.

Some skiers skinning up the mountain.

Andrew is almost to the top.

Not quite a wilderness experience but one I never will forget.  The summit of Mt. St. Helen's with 200 folks enjoying the views.

Two guys were paragliding off the face.  It looked like fun.

Blazers...

I worked in this season for the Blazers catering company at the Rose Garden.  It was fun getting to be inside and see how everything worked and gave me enough money for the summer.

Unfortunately we did not go all the way but we did make the playoffs and hopefully that will be a tradition as in past generations.

Del Campo Peak and Gothic Peak 09/14/2013

We did a couple of scrambles this weekend in the Monte Cristo area.  Close to Glacier Peak and took the same trial as Cadet Peak before veering off to Gothic Basin.

The trail was moderately up hill and lots of rocks on the trail.

Some other people left this art form of an arc with rocks, here is Daniel in awe.

Here is Del Campo Peak elevation 6,610 ft.

And Gothic Peak elevation 6,213ft.

Making the approach to Del Campo, we had eight Mazamas and I knew most of them.

It does get stepper, but it was an easy scramble.

Here is Foggy Lake, we camped on a tarn not far from it. 

This is Brad in elatation of reaching the top of Del Campo Peak.  He was also my tent mate.

We aren't far from Glacier Peak, I was surprised how little snow there was.

My summit shot of Del Campo.  We descended and had lunch at camp and then left for Gothic Peak.  Weather was going to be a problem on Sunday so we did all of our climbing on Saturday.

Ascending Gothic Peak from Foggy Lake, this alpine lake is beautiful.

Mone Cristo and the Cadets.

Almost to the top Gothic was filled with these crazy slabs, it was really fun.

Summit shot of Gothic Peak with Daniel, Lee, and Brad.  I felt fortunate to  climb with the Mazamas Executive Director.

Here is me pointed out where we just were a few hours before.

Here is the tarn we camped at, and did some swimming to after the climb.  It was a wonderful trip and very relaxed.  I hope to come back some time.

Skookum Falls 08/03/2013

I did a short hike up to Skookum Falls.  It is not far from Crystal Mountain about ten miles.  Just take highway 410 and then Forest Service road 73 to the trailhead.

The trail up was mostly flat going along the White River.

There was not a lot of people on the trail but I did see some mountain bikers. 

Skookum Falls elevation 2400 ft.

Skookum means "Evil Spirit" and also "Strong" in Chinook jargon.

I came when the water is the lowest, the falls really move in the early summer months.

Here's the viewpoint from highway 410 if you don't want to hike.

The trail was fairly easy but the hike up to the falls was a little difficult  with maybe 350 ft. elevation gained in less then a 1/4 mile.  

Mom exploring Paradise to Sunrise and beyond

My mother was coming to visit Crystal Mountain and  Mt. Rainier.  I picked her up at the train station in Centrailia.

The weather was supposed to rain, but it looked rather good so I decided to check out Paradise on Mt. Rainier's west side.  Here is in National Park Inn on the way up to Paradise.

We stopped in the Ranger Station and they had this cool 3-D topo map, and I could show my mother all the places I have been.   

Here is Narda falls.

It was a beautiful waterfall from the Nisqully Glacier.  We saw some Washington Conservation Corps workers there as well.

Here we are hiking some of Paradises trails.  This one is the Nisqually Vista Trail.  My mother in her Mountain Hardwear ranger's cap.

Here is Paradise Lodge, built in 1916 it is a work of art.

Here is Box Canyon, I think the water was between 150-180 feet down.  It was craved out by glaciers.

 

The seconds day after resting at the Alpine Inn on Crystal Mountain we went up to Sunrise.  Here is the visitors center.

He hiked up Dege Peak.

My mother did excellent and we made it to the top and had the place to ourselves minus the cairns and wildlife.

Summit shot of Dege Peak elevation 7,006 ft.  

A friendly Marmot.

The sunrise snack bar and Dege Peak in the background.    We got some coffee and then decided to go the the Snorting Elk for dinner.

 A trip to Crystal Mountain wouldn't be complete without a trip on the Gondola.  The weather wasn't co-operating but we did not get rained on the whole time.

Making our way to the summit in style.

All and all a great trip even if we couldn't get a complete look at Mt. Rainier, all of the sub peaks were visible and I had a good time showing my mother around my new home.