Backcountry
Conditions Report
Report from Monday, April 8, 2024
Even though it’s hard to hate spring, I really do resent it. The extra hours of sun eat away at the snowpack and erase all the dust from the trees. Sure, it’s the natural seasonal cycle, but it feels like spring comes early every year.
My first spring tour was up Mt. Hood’s east slopes. I started off at the Tilly Jane Sno-Park, near the Cooper Spur Mountain Resort. True to form, I spent the first mile of my day heading in the wrong direction; then I found the proper trail and began ascending toward the Cloud Cap Inn and Cooper Spur itself.
There were some mandatory portages between 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet of elevation. Although no creeks were exposed, the terrain showed promise of running water in the near future. It was comforting to see that some of the trees started the morning with some snow in their branches. By the time I descended, the snow was gone.
When I looked down the mountain from above treeline, I could see dark clouds pushing toward it. The mountain itself was shrouded in a cap. It almost looked like Hood was trying to defy the sun’s onslaught.
Rising above 7,000 feet, the snow started to feel cold. There appeared to be a fresh dusting from the weekend storm. Unfortunately, much of the snow was wind-scoured. But at that elevation, the temperature was fairly balmy, and the wind was wispy.
Ascending further brought the wind. I originally intended to ski a chute just under Cooper Spur. But as I climbed the final pitch to get me onto the ridge, the wind started to roar. By the top of the pitch, I would estimate that the wind was a constant 60 mph. Every time I tried to take a step up, the wind would throw me backwards. I hunkered for a few minutes, hoping that it would relent. It didn’t, so I had a frigid transition and worked my way back to Tilly Jane. All in all, a very neat east side adventure.
Weather Forecast
