Experiencing Mt. Hood

The team . . .

Mt. Hood is special to me, not only because it provides flowing rivers to paddle during the spring melt, but also because it provides entertainment in the winter as I carve my way down the slopes. I have recently grown to know and love Mt. Hood for yet another reason… climbing to the summit and taking in the view.

I teamed up with a group of four for my first mountaineering expedition to the top of Mt. Hood–my husband, Nate, Robin (our friend and guide), Kris, and Luke. Robin gave us a long list of the gear we needed to make this adventure successful, and with the help from “Next Adventure” in Portland, we were able to gather the gear at a reasonable price.

We pulled into the Timberline Resort around 8 p.m. and got some shut-eye until about 10:45 p.m. We then geared up, sipped on some hot coffee and started our trek up the mountain around 11 p.m. Our hope was to be at the summit no later than 6 a.m. so we would be heading down the mountain as the temperatures climbed and the likelihood of avalanches increased.

With our headlamps lit, crampons secured, ice pick in hand and frequent stops for food and water, we trekked our way up. Around 4:30 a.m. we reached ‘Hogsback’, which is about 600 feet from the summit. From this view we could see all of Portland, illuminated like a million stars in the sky. Here, we awaited the sun… as the sun rose, we were all in disbelief of the beauty around us. Craters, fumaroles, multi-colored rock and a pyramid shadow formed by the mountain all exposed themselves as the sun rose.

Once ready, we continued making our way to the summit. I made it about 100 more vertical feet before the feeling of nervousness and discomfort set in. About a week earlier, an avalanche had wiped out the pre-made steps up to the summit… making the trek icy and obviously super steep.

A few other teams attempted making the summit, but only two of the five teams we saw reached it.

What a beauty… when I was ‘in the moment’ and climbing the mountain, I thought to myself, “What’s the fun in this? Climbing all night in the dark, being cold and hungry… just to get to the top and walk back down!” However, now that I’m back in the comfort of my home, I daydream about the beauty that only a few people see from the ‘top of the world’… looking down from Mt. Hood and being in its glory, makes all the ‘little stresses of life’ seem so small.

As we were hanging out at Hogsback, we looked up and saw a gentleman coming over the summit from the other side. Once he got down to where we were hanging out, I noticed he was a ‘weathered’, mountain man, obviously filled with years of climbing experience. I asked him how his climb was, “The best climb yet!” he said.

See you on the river… or, mountain top ~ Heather Herbeck

Heather Herbeck & Kris Litz . . . "Girl Power"

"What happens on the Mountain, stays on the Mountain!" Haha . . .

Fumaroles at Hogsback

The pyramid shadow of Mt. Hood

Glisading our way down . . .