I felt everyones tension as I read your report! Congrats on summiting under far less than ideal conditions! I think Mt Hood is often under-rated, particularly via any route other than the South Side!
Cheers;
Tim
Thanks, Tim. I agree that Hood is under-rated. We were quite literally the only climbers on the north side. It was nice feeling we had the mountain to ourselves with all the great routes and views. It's a whole different experience in the National Forest areas. Rob
Hey, Brian! Good to hear from you. Yeah. I was thinking of writing a postscript with some follow-up. I got my gear back last week via USPS; none worse for the wear. Chris was keenly interested in getting all of his gear down from the summit.
Good deal. Would have been an expensive summit had you not. Nice trip report. For some reason, Cooper Spur has never appealed that much to me, maybe because it seems about every 2 or 3 years, you hear of a fall or a snowboarder who goes off the edge there. Liked your photo of it though, under the right conditions, it might be a good one. Glad you got out of there unsinged.
Thanks...I love your SGC video, by the way. That's a route I'm really interested in. Looking back, starting another hour earlier than we did would have put us in a better position. It's such a short and direct route that it seems to fly by in the dark.
Right on, gotta have _some_ excitement though ;-). SGC is a great climb. Get the time of year right, and that advice from Nelson/Potterfield about a slightly cool and cloudy day being the best is very good. Everyone else I know who did it had weather that was "too good," featuring mushy snow, and heart-stopping rockfall!
You gotta have a little excitement. The stories sound better that way. Looks like SGC is an April-May climb. Otherwise it'll be the Sherpa Glacier later on.
Glad it had a happy ending, I was worried for a minute, especially at the gear drop point! (I've had to do that before on Long's Peak in RMNP and it provides a real "pucker" factor.) As someone who aspires to do many of N. America's classic climbs, including Mt. Hood, an incredible read! Thanks for putting the time in.
You're welcome! Long's Peak is a beautiful mountain. Definitely on my list. I would have preferred to keep the gear, but I believe Chris made a good call. Hood's definitely worth the trip if you make it out there.
Way to go, Rob! So glad you got up and down in one piece and with a great story to tell - plus you got your gear back. Nice. All that training paid off and now you're on to the next summit!
BeDrinkable - Jul 14, 2008 7:07 pm - Voted 10/10
Wow.Thanks for the very gripping read.
Rob Ricks - Jul 14, 2008 9:28 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Wow.Thanks for the kind words.
Justin Pucci - Jul 15, 2008 4:08 pm - Voted 10/10
I felt like I was there!Well done, Rob! You really captured the feeling of the trip in your report. I felt like I was right there on the rope with you, Chris, and Mike!
Rob Ricks - Jul 15, 2008 5:32 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: I felt like I was there!Thanks, Justin. Looking forward to see your TR as well!
realdeal577 - Jul 20, 2008 8:25 am - Hasn't voted
Great Report!Thanks for posting, it was an excellent read.
Al
Rob Ricks - Jul 20, 2008 8:43 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Great Report!Thanks, Al. Good luck on your next objective! Rob
T Sharp - Jul 20, 2008 11:28 am - Voted 10/10
Good ReportI felt everyones tension as I read your report! Congrats on summiting under far less than ideal conditions! I think Mt Hood is often under-rated, particularly via any route other than the South Side!
Cheers;
Tim
Rob Ricks - Jul 20, 2008 12:02 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Good ReportThanks, Tim. I agree that Hood is under-rated. We were quite literally the only climbers on the north side. It was nice feeling we had the mountain to ourselves with all the great routes and views. It's a whole different experience in the National Forest areas. Rob
Brian Jenkins - Jul 21, 2008 1:46 am - Voted 10/10
So....did you get your gear back?
Rob Ricks - Jul 21, 2008 10:15 am - Hasn't voted
Re: So....Hey, Brian! Good to hear from you. Yeah. I was thinking of writing a postscript with some follow-up. I got my gear back last week via USPS; none worse for the wear. Chris was keenly interested in getting all of his gear down from the summit.
Brian Jenkins - Jul 21, 2008 6:45 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: So....Good deal. Would have been an expensive summit had you not. Nice trip report. For some reason, Cooper Spur has never appealed that much to me, maybe because it seems about every 2 or 3 years, you hear of a fall or a snowboarder who goes off the edge there. Liked your photo of it though, under the right conditions, it might be a good one. Glad you got out of there unsinged.
Brian
Rob Ricks - Jul 21, 2008 6:54 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: So....It'd be a heckuva runout for a snowboarder...tricky through the Chimneys, though.
mvs - Jul 21, 2008 7:24 am - Voted 10/10
nice read!I think it's really great that you took Cooper Spur so seriously. The (very) early start was a great idea too. Way to climb that route safely!
Rob Ricks - Jul 21, 2008 10:24 am - Hasn't voted
Re: nice read!Thanks...I love your SGC video, by the way. That's a route I'm really interested in. Looking back, starting another hour earlier than we did would have put us in a better position. It's such a short and direct route that it seems to fly by in the dark.
mvs - Jul 21, 2008 2:39 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: nice read!Right on, gotta have _some_ excitement though ;-). SGC is a great climb. Get the time of year right, and that advice from Nelson/Potterfield about a slightly cool and cloudy day being the best is very good. Everyone else I know who did it had weather that was "too good," featuring mushy snow, and heart-stopping rockfall!
Rob Ricks - Jul 21, 2008 4:59 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: nice read!You gotta have a little excitement. The stories sound better that way. Looks like SGC is an April-May climb. Otherwise it'll be the Sherpa Glacier later on.
RMdaytripsgrl - Jul 21, 2008 10:49 pm - Voted 10/10
A Heroic TaleGlad it had a happy ending, I was worried for a minute, especially at the gear drop point! (I've had to do that before on Long's Peak in RMNP and it provides a real "pucker" factor.) As someone who aspires to do many of N. America's classic climbs, including Mt. Hood, an incredible read! Thanks for putting the time in.
Rob Ricks - Jul 22, 2008 7:27 am - Hasn't voted
Re: A Heroic TaleYou're welcome! Long's Peak is a beautiful mountain. Definitely on my list. I would have preferred to keep the gear, but I believe Chris made a good call. Hood's definitely worth the trip if you make it out there.
MelbaToast - Jul 23, 2008 10:52 pm - Voted 10/10
Well Done!Way to go, Rob! So glad you got up and down in one piece and with a great story to tell - plus you got your gear back. Nice. All that training paid off and now you're on to the next summit!
Thanks for posting your adventure.
Melba Sr.
Rob Ricks - Jul 24, 2008 6:45 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Well Done!Toooaaassst!!!...'s going on? Thought you'd like the shot of Mini-Melba. Keep me posted on Cali climbing. RR