Mt. Hood Ascent

Mt. Hood 2012 Ascent

The Mt. Hood climb signified the start of the summer, and with a stealer group of climbers.  The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Climb for a Cure is a group not new to me.  Mt. Hood would be the 4th climb I join FHCRC on.  In fact, my first glacier climb, Mt. Baker was on a FHCRC Climb.  Later I climbed Mt. Elbrus, and Denali with the same fine group of folks.  This climb was special in may ways, and was the 15th year that the FHCRC puts on a climb.

The journey up Mt. Hood would end up being a luxury climb by any standards, and certainly by all the climbs I have experienced.  I flew in to Portland and stayed with my friend Greg D, and had a chance to scope out the city, the river, and wander a bit, get lost and find my way back.  I was amused by the wide variety of food trucks scattered all over the city, and especially Sultan's Kitchen.  The next day I hitched a ride with Colin to Timberline Lodge.  By the time we started ascending higher up, it began to snow, and when we arrived the lodge was covered in the white stuff.  Apparently, it had been slowing for more than a week.  This was evidenced by the amount of snow I could see on the ground, and from the view out of my room.

We settled in for a cozy night, and got up early for some breakfast, before hitting the snow and refreshing our climbing skills.  Later, we took in some calories, and hitched a ride by way of snowcat up to Silcox Hut.  This place looks tiny, when all you can see is the roof.  Its massive on the inside.  We settled in, and feasted for the night like kings, and celebrated Lyn's 70th birthday (what an inspiration).

We hunkered down for the night, and got up on an Alpine start at midnight, and were out the door by 1am.