Conditions Report
Report from May 1, 2024
Starting May with a foot of fresh snow is one of the reasons I cherish living in the Pacific Northwest. I treated myself to a late start, skinning from the Timberline Lodge, Oregon, up toward Crater Rock around 8:00 a.m. Within ten minutes of leaving the parking lot, the clouds had cleared, the sun was shining, and I could see the summit.
The trip up was a classic Mt. Hood sunny southside slog. My main observation was that the snowpack is holding up reasonably well for May on Mt. Hood. Interestingly, there was far less wind-scoured snow than there is usually on the way up past Palmer. Without so many wind-affected icy areas, the skin up was swift and painless.
The top box of Palmer evidenced the recent storm. For those who are unfamiliar, the top of the Palmer lift is dug into the side of the mountain and then sealed in— and right everything is reasonably buried in snow.
I continued past Palmer, curious about what the bowl might have to offer. By the time I was approaching the bowl feet, I knew that the avalanche danger would prevent any line past the Devil’s Kitchen. So I decided to transition and head down the Zigzag Canyon to explore.
As I reached the top of the pitch, I saw a group and after approaching to say hello, I realized that an intrepid couple had hiked up to 10,000 feet to get married! What an inspiring place to make your vows— a lovely snowy celebration. On a separate note, shortly before I descended, a U.S. Forest Service ranger arrived at the top, checking permits and providing counsel not to enter the bowl. I was gratified to see our public dollars at work in such a useful context.
The descent was fantastic— fresh snow and a lot of it (for May). There was at 4-14 inches everywhere with deep, wind loaded pockets that made it feel like a genuine powder day. The recent storm had also carved features into the otherwise relatively uninteresting terrain. There were little kickers, big waves, and wind-sheltered areas pooling the powder. I got a bit carried away on the descent and ended up pretty far down the canyon.
I skinned back to the Devil’s Kitchen (no marriage ceremony this time), enjoying the view of the mountain from the more westerly angle. The second ski down was just as good as the first, and gloriously long. Notably, the snow at the bottom in the spots where the terrain had been groomed was shockingly deep and buttery. I imagine that riders at Timberline— even with access only to lower lifts— were having a ball.
By the time I arrived at the car, snowflakes were starting to come down. It was a long day (7k+ vertical feet), but when you end the day with more snow to look forward to, you know you’re more than lucky. Fortunately, there’s more snow in Oregon riders’ immediate future.
Weather Forecast
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