Photo Of The Week: 10.02.09
Midway through last week the realization of having not climbed many mountains occurred to me and with it a spontaneous move to plan a trip up Mt. Hood. After a quick online posting about my planned outing my brother Isaac and I decided our ascent should begin by 3am. Although we had awoken at 2am our climb did not start until closer to 5am; I suppose this had something to do with short planning.
A day prior to the climb we both purchased helmets, gators, new boots and head lamps. Having this equipment at our disposal was essential to a comfortable climb and I kicked myself for not making such a purchase sooner. Around 6am the lights went out and we enjoyed the soft glow of pre-dawn sunlight. The mountain’s conditions were a little chilly with high winds, but it was not unpleasant and in keeping a slow pace we avoided perspiration. We stopped ascending at noon partially due to inclement weather, but our prime reasoning was a view up the broken and fissured saddle of the Hogsback. To summit from where we stood required a lot of additional technical equipment and skill, neither of which we had.
A return trip is already being planned for when conditions are a little easier. The white snow terrain offered in the mid-late spring season of 2010 seems much more hospitable.
