We had a successful summit of Mt Hood on 6/27/2011 with a team made up of Silver Falls Park staff and me. This was a strong team. Notably, Guy Rodrique volunteered to carry the rope up all the way, Thanks Guy. Carl carried all the pickets and the rope down. 
For a Monday there was a surprising number of folks on the upper mountain. We encountered a youth group as we were ascending through the narrow gully at the top of the Old Chute route in fog. This group was very slow and had little apparent skill. they had a couple of adult leaders and apparently all beginner teenage climbers. They were on two rope teams with no anchors, lots of slack in the rope and the leaders at the bottom of the rope. A fall would have sent the entire team down the slope.
Our team moved past the slower group and after passing through the moderately steep and icy chute (with fair steps) and a short traverse we arrived at a cloud swept summit with only occasional views to the north.
When I gently asked if he was trying to do a boot-axe belay and offered to show him how- he abandoned the belay altogether and said, "oh well they'll probably be fine, its not that bad." Guy was leading our team down and the drama continued as he was stuck behind the youth group. The rest of our team was stuck exposed and freezing on the summit behind the logjam.
The youth group adult leadership also featured such motivational gems as [Leader speaking to young girl in fetal position on steep icy slope] "You get moving or we'll just leave you here to die."
Once around the youth group Guy led us down. The sky opened enough we could get some views on the way down and we took a break at the Hogsback. The firstyouth group team arrived at the hogsback about the time we left. Our descent was notable as it was the most I've been able to glissade on Mt Hood. We essentially slid from 10,200' to about 8,600'. (Note that our SPOT track puts us west of our ascent route - thats where we ended up after sliding.
We fnished up with breakfast at the Huckelberry in Government Camp.
Pre climb prospectus below:
Roster
Mike Niemeyer (leader)
Dylan Edwards
Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser
Guy Rodrique
Carl Shephard
We will have a stove and fuel, a sleeping bag and bivy sack (1 set for for emergency), SPOT beacon, cell phone, GPS with route on it, 1 60'm rope, 5 pickets, wands (each flag marked "MWN") 1 shovel and first aid kit.
Tenative Climb Schedule:
Siunday June 26th - Drive to Timberline Lodge, nap in parking lot, alpine start.
- 1:30 pm- Meet at Mike's house in Silverton. Check individual and group gear.
- 2:00 pm leave for Mt hood. (We will be taking 2 pick-up trucks with shells so we have room to rest a bit before the climb.)
- 3:30 pm stop in Government camp (or somewhere along the way) to get something to eat.
- 4:45 pm or so - arrive at Timberline lodge parking lot, pick up permits and blue bags, maybe do a quick review of passing through pickets.
- 5:30 pm or so- rest in the overnight area.
- 11:00 pm- Wake up time (This is where climbing seems like a really stupid sport.)
- 11:30 pm, Head up the climbers trail east of the ski area.
Monday, June 27th, Summit Day
- Approximately 2:15 am arrive at top of Palmer about 8,500' (Probably put crampons on here if not sooner)
- 5:00 am at hogsback area, rope up
6:15 Summit via old chute route (Wow climbing is great.)- 7:30 Arrive back at hogsback and get out of harnesses and ropes. long break.
- 7:45 Descend,
- 9:00 regrouping at top of Palmer climbers trail
- 10:30 or so arrive back at Timberline parking lot. Clean up.
- 11:15 lunch/breakfast in Government camp .
- 12:15 head home
- 2:15 back in Silverton.
Route:
Mt Hood S Side route compass tips here (Thanks to PMR)
PMR Mt Hood GPS
Track teams progess during the climb via this link
