The Old Chute is by far the most popular route on Mount Hood. Starting at the Timberline Ski Resort parking lot at 5,900 feet it is a straightforward route to the summit. Being 11,239 feet the volcanoes is the highest peak in Oregon State and possibly the easiest access. That being said it is one of the most popular glacial climbs in the world being non technical with a road going half way up. The hardest section is the last 1,000 feet up the Old Chute or Hogsback Ridge.
This area can be dangerously busy especially on weekends with long lines walking up under loose rocks. A helmet is highly recommended as well as crampons and an ice axe but not necessary. From the summit it is a 5,300 foot ski run back to the parking lot. After spending two days up at Mount Adams we decided to head down to Mount Hood.
Arriving at the Timberline Parking Lot to Climb Mount Hood via the Old Chute
We arrived at the Timberline Parking Lot on Mount Hood around 9 p.m. By now it was raining hard and Dan, Kyle and I crammed into a small Mazda instead of setting up a tent. Though there wasn’t much space we were happy to stay dry as we quickly fell asleep.
Waking up in the morning we were happy to see the front moved on and the sky was clear. Looking up Mount Hood there was a single cloud covering the Old Chute route. Knowing that soon it would burn off we decided to take our time getting ready. By now it was 7:30 in the morning and we decided to get breakfast at the Timberline Lodge. After a buffet breakfast we were skinning up the Palmer Glacier around 8:45 A.M.
It was a quick climb and we made our way up the edge of the ski resort. Before long we were above the Palmer Chair and making our way to the upper sulfur vents. Climbing up we could see large amounts of rhime ice on the upper mountain rocks. It was a stark contrast to the blue skies and dark colored rocks. Though there wasn’t much winds the snow was still firm so we decided to hike instead of skin.
Arriving at the Sulfur Vents before Heading Up Hogsback Ridge
Before long we had made our way up to the Sulfur Vents. Though most places were buried under 10 feet of snow the area was melted out. We were now less then 1,000 feet from the summit of Mount Hood and near the most technical spot. Fortunately it was a quiet day and there weren’t anyone else around.
By now we had a clear view of the last pitch up Mount Hood. We would have to climb up Hogsback Ridge before a quick traverse over to the Old Chute. From what we could see it looked like it would be a straight foreword climb.
As we made our way towards Hogback Ridge we stuck on a high spot between the Sulfur Vents. We were not in the summit crater and took a quick break before the final climb. By now the snow had softened up a bit and there was a well beaten in track.
Soon enough it was time for the final pitch of the climb. Making our way up Hogsback Ridge we made a hard traverse just under the shrund over to the Old Chute. Though it was steep it was easy to follow old steps working our way up. Though we didn’t use crampons we took out out Ice axes and plunged them into the snow with each step.
Arriving on the Summit of Mount Hood Via the Old Chute
After less then 30 minutes of climbing the Old Chute we were making the final traverse to the summit. Standing on top we decided to give the snow an hour to soften up and take in the views. Below us the clouds were coming in but we could still see the Palmer Chair.
To the north the slopes dramatically dropped off to the Elliot Glacier. We couldn’t see the summit face as it rolled over to what seemed like a massive cliff. From our vantage point we couldn’t see any climbers below climbing the Sunshine route. Though the glacier was covered in crevasses it seemed that you could easily find a route around them.
Soon enough it was time to ski back down to the car over 5,000 feet below us. With the top ridge being exposed we decided to walk over to the Old Chute before putting our gear on. After a few minutes of carefully putting our gear on our feet we were ready to go. We decided to head skiers right around the sulfur vents as it seemed to be a better ski.
Skiing Down Mount Hood Via the Old Chute and Palmer Glacier
Dropping in we found the Old Chute to be ice before reaching perfect corn below. While steep we were happy to have good riding conditions as a slip would bring us into the vents. Descending the upper slopes we had Ice axes in hand for a potential self arrest. Before long we had passed the technical part and were about to ride wide open slopes all the way to the bottom.
By now the clouds had moved into the lower Palmer Glacier and it seemed to be flat light. Fortunately from what we could see there were no crevasses and just a wide open bowl. With the group together we spotted our line back to the car and decided to ride just west of the ski hill. Hopefully we would find both smooth and soft snow all the way to the car.
Once down a bit lower we stopped for a second to look back up at the summit of Mount Hood. By now the clouds had moved in higher and we were happy to be off the top. Though there was a bit of traversing after the Old Chute by now everything was fall line skiing. Below us was another 3,000 feet of turns and within the next 20 minutes we would be back at the car.
The Last Turns Down the Palmer Glacier to Timberline Lodge
Riding down visibility was much better then we had feared while being on the summit. We were now below the clouds and in close proximity to the Timberline Ski Resort. From here on out it would be mellow riding all the way to the bottom with the only technical part being the Old Chute. Though the ski resort was filled with old tracks we were happy to easily find clean turns all the way down.
Arriving back at the car it was time to head back home. It had been a great weekend linking together both Mount Adams and Mount Hood but we had a 5 hour drive back to Seattle. Though we had only rode two runs it had been over 12,000 feet in total. Being late May we were in the height of the Volcano Season and already had plans for the next weekend. Thanks again to Dan and Kyle for a great weekend.