Some years we have an early snow season, some years not. Fall 2002, which followed a below average snowfall winter, saw a very bare Mt Hood, presenting an ideal opportunity to explore.
Nov 3, 2002 dawned clear and cold. I set out for Hood at dawn, passing a field in Canby where sprinkler irrigation ran overnight:
The trip to Hood was uneventful and I headed up the climber’s route on the east side of Timberline Ski Area. The air was cool, not cold, with a gentle breeze. I soon passed the foot of the White River Glacier, which, bare of snow, did look like a genuine glacier.
Above the Palmer Snow field cat line, I tried walking on the exposed ice because it was smoother and more consistently sloped. No dice—I could barely stand on it with the aid of trekking poles—so I stayed to the gravel and rocks.
There had been a snow of maybe 10-12”. This had melted away except where fallen rocks blocked the sun. There were dozens of rocks on snow pillars.
Moving higher, I came even with Illumination Saddle, the Palmer Snowfield now far below.
I had never been to the saddle before, so what the heck? The remnant glacial ice didn’t look too bad—so I picked my way across the top of the Zig Zag Glacier towards the saddle.
The entire spring/summer/fall rock fall accumulation sat exposed on the glacial ice. There were lots and lots of rocks that had tumbled down from Yocum Ridge, Hawkins Cliffs, Crater Rock onto the Zig Zag Glacier; the largest the size of small cars.
Even the officially designated camping area at Illumination Saddle had rock in it. Clearly not as much as the glacier itself, but here and there were tent crashers.
I climbed up the Saddle’s exposed rock, getting this view of crevasses on the Zig Zag Glacier.
Of course, having come this far, I had to down climb the other side and put foot on the Reid Glacier.
Yocum Ridge’s upper meadows looked attactive—a parkland I vowed to visit.
Illumination rock loomed over the saddle:
Reid Glacier headwall:
Photo Stitch of Reid Glacier From Illumination Saddle:
I retraced my route back to the South Side Climber’s route, which I resumed climbing up to the big boulder abreast of Crater Rock:
I ate a snack in the boulder’s shelter, then descended along the White River Glacier.
I saw several pools of now frozen melt water along the glacier’s upper reaches:
Two days later, Nov 5, 2002, the first big snow hit, ending hiking but beginning ski touring. Hard to believe that was 12 years ago.
