Mt. Hood Meadows, Or
Snowolf
Arrived at Meadows around 10:30 AM and visited with my ski & snowboard director and manager. It was a great reunion after a long summer; great to be reunited with good friends! Caught up on all our goings on over the summer and engaged in an official wine tasting of the resort`s new wine menu. At 11:30 AM with a warm glow from the wine, I donned the snowboard boots and strapped on the MSR Denali snowshoes. The sun was shining and the resort looked more like a Christmas postcard than early October. I trudged out toward the Mt. Hood Express lift and attempted to hitch a ride on the sled with the lift maintenance guys to the top of MHX, but no joy. No worries, I need to work off the summer flab anyway.
I decided to make my ascent via South Canyon to the bottom of the Cascade lift. The snow here was about 10 inches deep; not quite as much as I had hoped from the weather forecast, but hey It`s only October, I need to quit whining. I made way up to the bottom of Cascade where I took my first rest break and took in the scenery; amazed at the winter wonderland all around me. I look up to the top of Mt. Hood and marvel at the amount of snow she has gotten and also note how far away the top of Cascade looks.
As I start slogging up the hill, I notice how much deeper the snow has become and in the wind filled areas it is several feet deep. I begin to notice how much colder the air is becoming and begin thinking about how great this is going to be. As I reach the Texas Trails area below Vista Ridge, I am utterly shocked at the depth of the snow and the 10 foot cornices off the leeward edge of Vista Ridge; this is`nt just a pow day, it`s epic pow and all untracked. Energized, I keep on climbing, noting how I am wanting my jacket and gloves. I check the thermometer and realize the temperature is down into the upper 20`s.
Finally, at about 12:30 PM I reach the top of Vista Ridge and as I crest it, I am assaulted by a fierce, cold 30 MPH wind blowing from the west. There is ice everywhere and the poor Bristlecone Pines have 6 to 8 inches of rime ice on them; time for the jacket and gloves! I cannot resist the cornices and acres of bottomless pow, so I drop off the pack and snowshoes, strap on the board and drop a nice 4 foot cornice that appears very stable and not undercut; the first air of the season is exhilarating! The soft puffy landing in bottomless pow took on an almost sexual pleasure. I make 3 or 4 nice carves, spraying small rooster tails of fresh pow out behind. In almost no time, I am back to the bottom of the hill and have to trudge back up to retrieve the pack. Was it worth 15 minutes of exhausting climbing for that 1 minute run?....absolutely!
For the next two hours I climb along the Vista Ridge leaving the top of Cascade, my intended destination, far below; I just can`t quit yet. The weather is fickle; one minute it is dazzling blue and bright sunshine and the next a huge, ugly, dark cloud rolls in and the snow dumps; reducing visibility to less than 50 feet. The icy wind is an ever present irritant. Finally, at 2:30 PM. I reach the end of the line, high above the top of Cascade and I can see a truly amazing winter landscape below and above me. The ridge now separates White River Canyon and the Clark-Heather Canyon drainage system. The view is enough to bring on a mild case of vertigo. I am now at a Point that if I go farther, I can only drop into one of these canyons, requiring a hike back out and I am tired of hiking; it`s time to shred.
After taking a few pictures and video, my hands are numb and the temperature has now dropped into the teens with a constant 30 MPH wind and periods of blowing snow. Time to get going. The pow up here was every bit as good as it looked, I made lines all over the place, carefull not to take too direct a line down to extend this enjoyment as long as possible. Reaching the top of Cascade, I took a few pics, got out the video camera and decided to try my hand at filming while riding. It was`nt too bad, but since I had to hold the camera by hand, it was`nt as steady as I had hoped.
The snow was epic all the way down to the Bottom of Cascade then it became wet, heavy and very sticky. The lack of good coverage made for an "interesting" ride. Several humorous crashes occurred as the nose of the board got tangled up in weeds and small shrubs. I managed to nail one tree stump which sent me cartwheeling but I am no worse for wear. Amazingly I managed to not nail any rocks so even the board is no worse for wear. Made it back to the Lodge around 3:30 PM.
All in all, it was a truly amazing way to start my 2007/2008 season and I am hoping this is sign of things to come!
View looking down South Canyon to the Vista Chairlift.
Such beauty...this little waterfall is in South Canyon.
Absolutely delightfull coverage up on Cascade and it`s only October 4`th!
Your`s truly with Mt. Hood in the background.
Snow flurries and Vista Ridge with it`s cornices and amazing pow field.
View of White River Canyon and Timberline Lodge from the top of Vista Ridge.
Yeah, the weather on Vista is a little harsh.
View of Heather and Clark Canyons from high above Cascade.
Epic powder here in Super Bowl high above Heather Canyon.
The "orgasmic" pow line from Super Bown down to the top of Cascade.
These are just 10 sample pics from the entire hike. If you are interested in seeing all of the pictures (there are some spectacular views) click here to see a Webshots slideshow.
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