Winter Day on Mount Hood
date: 23 Dec 2009 -- updated: 24 Dec 2009
Mount Hood is one of the most beautiful (and accessible) of the world's high mountains, but I haven't been up in more than a year. There has been a fair bit of snow lately, but the forecast for the next few days calls for zero precipitation, so I planned a short climb up the mountain, to about 9,000 feet. Hood has been in the news again lately, with the recent tragedy, and there have been renewed calls for legislation requiring the use of MLUs when on the mountain above 10,000 feet. I didn't get above 10,000 feet today, nor would I likely carry an MLU even if I did. I would just avoid objective hazards altogether, or know how to get myself out of a scrape. Perhaps the following photographs might help to convince a few non-climbers why we 'crazies' do this. We're really not that crazy. In fact the best mountaineers are usually the most methodical, deliberate and realistic people you will meet. In addition to the challenge mountaineering presents, some of the beautiful things they like to enjoy are just a bit difficult to get to.
If you wish to become more informed about the views of SAR personnel with respect to MLUs, here is a good place to start.
I arrived at Timberline just before 7am two days after the solstice, so dawn was bright on the horizon, but the sun wasn't yet up. I made my way through the trees above the lot and stopped to talk to a photographer shooting a D3x. He asked if I was carrying an MLU, and I replied that I was not, and that an MLU would have done nothing for the climbers who died recently. The problem, I pointed out, is that for an MLU to activate, one must be alive and able to activate it. Furthermore, someone has to be listening, which they aren't until you are reported missing. We talked cameras for a few more minutes, then I pressed on. I put my new 50mm lens on and took the following shot as the sun began to reflect off the summit area. All day a lenticular was trying to form over the summit, and I experienced strong wind gusts up above.
I put the long lens back on and got some nice color reflecting through the mist up high.
The view south is always spectacular as one heads up the south side of Hood.
It was clearly windy up higher. In addition to the cloud forming over the summit, one can see wind whipping up twisters on the right-hand horizon, as well as gusts puffing up above the rim of the White River canyon, also on the right below the shaded area.
Every few meters along the way there was a new study in wind-scoured forms.
