Circumnavigating Mount Hood in North central Oregon is a classic, challenging hike, one I completed in early September, 2010. One of my favorite parts of the hike were the many and varied views of Mount Hood.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
Introduction
Warnings
Moving Right Along
Mount Hood Circumnavigation Facts
# WORDS: 3580
# PHOTOS: 38
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I started hiking about 45 years ago. My first backpack was 40 years ago. I currently try to do one backpack trip of 5 nights every month (which can be tricky in the winter) 20 to 50 miles. Mostly I stay around Mount Hood, Columbia Gorge, Mount Adams, Goat Rocks, and the Olympic Peninsula. In recent years I have shifted to lightweight - my pack weight without food and water is about 15 lb (7 kg). I make a lot of my own gear - silnylon tarp-tent, bivy, synthetic bag, simple bag style pack. My sleeping pad is a Therm-a-Rest air mattress.
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Very nice report! I've wanted to do this for years, but have at this point only sectioned hiked portions of it. Forgive me if I add a few photos of my own; I don't mean to upstage your photos, but this is my absolute favorite mountain to photograph, and looking at your photos of this loop has gotten me looking at my own pictures over the past 5 years, which I'd like to share:
I've never pulled these photos together in one place until now, and looking at them all at once, I feel overwhelmingly grateful, humbled, and fortunate to have experienced the beauty of this mountain on so many different occasions. You have inspired me to complete the loop next summer!
Yes, those are the same location! What a dramatic location; it just feels so huge when you are there, these pictures don't do it justice.
Jerry, thank you for the first really detailed photos of the Eliot Glacier damage area that I've seen. Now that I've got a visual feel for the area, and know to plan an extra 2.5 hours in detour time, I feel like I can plan around it.
Thanks for an awesome report. In the "best practices" category though,
Your handline for stream crossing should probably be on the upstream side of you so that it doesn't become an entrapment hazard should you lose your footing.
I know "typical" weather is hard to put a finger on, but what would you consider typical weather for September- I'm guessing it might a little different early Sept vs late Sept- when was your trip?
Just got back from a short trip and read people's comments
John – great pics – I'm an amateur with a point and shoot but if I go to nice locations and take lots of pictures a few of them are pretty good :)
I like your picture #1 with a sea of clouds encroaching on the mountain – very typical phenomena
If you don't go down to Cloud Cap, the Eliot detour adds only a little distance and time. The portlandhikers.org field guide has a little more detail and will have recent reports.
I agree, handline should be on the upstream side so people don't get swept into the line and then toppled. Those people in the picture started to cross on the wrong side and I recommended that they switch sides.
I was there Sept 2 to 6, 2010. Any time September is best, because weather is usually good and the snow has melted so streams are the easiest to cross. However, several years ago there were several days of heavy rain in September and someone going around the mountain drownd while crossing a stream. You have to watch weather reports.
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