Snowcat Ride up To Mt. Hood Summit?

[proxie]

I've climbed a lot of peaks along the west coast (Rainier being the most difficult) but never Hood. I'm also not sharp enough in my mountaineering skills to climb solo, so I look to a guide. Am very fit.

I'm asking Timberline Mountain Guides and they seem adamant about taking a snowcat ride part of the way up to the summit starting at Timberline lodge. The purist and ego in me says this is ridiculous, with the elevation and mileage to the summit. Is this just me??

[Bosterson]

Snocats don't drive to the summit, they would drive to the top of the Palmer lift at ~ 8500 ft. There's still another almost 3000 ft to go after that. The guides might want to do that if it's a group (and not everyone is at the same fitness level), or else to just save time. If you wanted to skip the ride (going up the Palmer is a slog, but it's good for warming you up and getting adjusted to the air/altitude), you could see if they'd let you meet them there, or else try to find a different (private?) guide.

[Charley]

I've climbed a lot of peaks along the west coast (Rainier being the most difficult) but never Hood. I'm also not sharp enough in my mountaineering skills to climb solo, so I look to a guide. Am very fit.

I'm asking Timberline Mountain Guides and they seem adamant about taking a snowcat ride part of the way up to the summit starting at Timberline lodge. The purist and ego in me says this is ridiculous, with the elevation and mileage to the summit. Is this just me??

Doing the hike up the Palmer in the middle of the night isn't particularly glamorous or interesting, and all the technical climbing will be quite above where you'd be dropped off.

Your ego should be quite satisfied with the epic pics you'll get at the top. If your ego demands more elevation gain, try Mt St Helens: its winter route is over 300 vertical feet more, and would be a great skills warm up for Hood.

As far as "purity" goes, unless you're doing this, you're not really climbing Hood:

https://bikeportland.org/2019/02/26/fro ... ski-296114

JUST KIDDING! Have a great climb!

[johnspeth]

The purist and ego in me says this is ridiculous, with the elevation and mileage to the summit.

Respectfully, the purist and ego in me says
motorized climbing is ridiculous. Why would you want a snow cat ride if you're fit to climb it? Most youthful climbers can hike to the top of the Palmer in less than two hours. It's the easy part.

[adamschneider]

Respectfully, the purist and ego in me says
motorized climbing is ridiculous. Why would you want a snow cat ride if you're fit to climb it? Most youthful climbers can hike to the top of the Palmer in less than two hours. It's the easy part.

Then why not start at Government Camp? After all, the drive up to Timberline Lodge is technically "motorized climbing," and the hike from GC to TL would also be easy.

The point being, you can choose to summit Mt. Hood starting at any elevation, from sea level to 8000'. At what point does a Purist proclaim that it wasn't a "true" summit attempt?

[retired jerry]

I think it's cheating if you don't start in Portland

Like they did in 1906

Maybe I should "keep my day job"

[Bosterson]

I think it's cheating if you don't start in Portland

Like they did in 1906

That's what I was thinking too. The "approach" to a Mt. Hood climb is at least a couple of days by horse.

Though it's unclear if horses are cheating.

[Charley]

The point being, you can choose to summit Mt. Hood starting at any elevation, from sea level to 8000'. At what point does a Purist proclaim that it wasn't a "true" summit attempt?

Honestly, if there was a parking lot at 8,000' I'd probably be up there once a month. The climbing gets more interesting above that, and gets even more interesting above about 9,000'. Below about that point, it's certainly an athletic accomplishment, but no more a "climb" than Mt St Helens.

If it's the climbing that matters, then doing it from 8,000' is climbing enough. If it's the elevation gain, just go hump up Mt Defiance and get a beer in Cascade Locks!

[mjirving]

A few years back, for something different, I started at the yellow centerline of Hwy 26 in Government Camp. We hauled our skis to the top of the Hogsback and skied back to Govy. That was one long ski run!

[Charley]

A few years back, for something different, I started at the yellow centerline of Hwy 26 in Government Camp. We hauled our skis to the top of the Hogsback and skied back to Govy. That was one long ski run!

Boss!