THE NORTH FACE OF MOUNT HOOD
Picture: Cameron approaches the North Face on an earlier attempt.
I had just returned from an epic summer of traveling for 2 months across the West, climbing anything under 5.10 with my brother Jamie. Now that the summer is over and I am back in school, my playground changes to winter alpine climbing. Cameron my roommate and I are headed for the north face of Mt. Hood and this will be only my second attempt to reach the summit of this beautifully shaped volcano. Cameron is an accomplished alpinist. He has done several challenging routes here in the Cascades around Portland such as the deadly: Yocum Ridge, as well as several climbs in the North Cascades. Timing is everything in alpine climbing, you are never promised a clear day here in the Pacific Northwest and the temperature fluctuates by the hour. Cameron and I make a guess that the North Face of Mt. Hood is frozen because of the week long cold snap here in downtown Portland. We organize our gear in a matter of minutes and were off. As we drive toward the mountain, I watch the massive white volcano get ever closer, with nervous anticipation I think of the all night climb we are going to attempt if indeed the North Face is Frozen. If the temperature is to warm, attempting the north face is like playing Russian Roulette with five chambers full. The rock fall is very dangerous because the route is in a constant fall line with the looming rock and ice cliffs 1000 feet above. Basically, the only time to attempt the north face is in the dead of winter with temperatures well below freezing or in early fall during a cold snap and avoiding the suns deadly warming rays by climbing all night. And that is exactly our situation, it is late September and the mountain just got a little snow which could be just enough to freeze the rock and ice in place thereby keeping it from cascading down the route. We drive slowly into the azure green old growth that the Pacific Northwest is famous for, we feel the temperature drop with every mile closer the mountain. Cameron is excited and confident that the north face can be climbed this early, I trust his judgment considering he has been here for 5 years watching the weather constantly trying find a break to climb. He is like a walking weather vain, he can tell by the wind which route is ripe for an attempt, and we have spent many hours drinking mircobrews and discussing every possible factor in the climbing equation whether it be: environmental, geologic or physical that calculates to equal success!!! As the car ascends higher into this alpine landscape and the sun races toward the western horizon, our minds and bodies charge up for the long night to come. Snow is everywhere and we are still about 3 miles from the trail head which leads to the north face, we contemplate chains for the tires but vote that careful driving to save time is more important. As we reach the trail head, we organize our gear: snow flutes, 100 meter rope, Camelot¼s, stoppers, crampons, ice axes, and carabiners. Cameron leads the way for he has attempted this route 5 times and has never had a success because one factor in the climbing equation was not perfect. We trudge up into the snow covered woods at a rather fast pace, our breath is vapor on the exhale and our lungs take several minutes to get accustomed to the low temperature. As we continue ever higher toward what appears to be a ridge top, I cautiously think about all the possible outcomes of this climb, we eventually reach the top of a glacier scoured ridge with the north face staring directly at us with a threatening appearance. My heart drops to my stomach as I view this massive snow covered wall that shoots vertically into the fading light of day, looking over at Cameron I notice that his eyes are also fixed on the wall. "Wow !!, This is serious!!" I think as we march on watching the day fight a losing battle to the night. From our viewpoint, we can see Mt. Adams, Jefferson, Rainier, and St. Helen, an awesome array of the unique volcanoes here in the United States, viewing these massive cones I contemplate the reality we are currently trudging up one. After about an two hours into this volcanic landscape we descend down onto Elliot Glacier and decide to put on our crampon, however we delay roping up until the life threatening crevasses begin to greet us. After another hour of glacier travel, dusk is upon us and we see the first star of the night and make a wish of success or just more basic: survival. It is getting to dark to see any crevasses with comfort so we decide to rope up and put on our head lamps. I have never done a serious night climb and I am a little apprehensive as I tie into the long rope that is attached to my only rescuer if I was to fall in a crevasse: Cameron. Cameron adjusts his helmet, fixes his head lamp to shine several meters ahead of him, gives me a few parting instructions if he happens to disappear into a crevasse and begins to wander off into the liquid night. I watch his lighted silhouette slowly fade into the massive surrounding as the distance between us rapidly increases. After about 10 minutes the rope becomes tight tugging me to follow, I turn on my head lamp, and slowly begin to step into the recent footprints. With such a long rope I will have plenty of time to self arrest if he happen to fall into a large crevasse, however, I trust his maneuvers. He swerves left and then right as I follow him into the unknown. We continue on for about an hour swerving around the icy tombs, I watch Cameron as he begins to ascend up onto a snow dome under a large rock band from the safety of crevasse, and as I continue to walk on. I begin to notice in the light of my head lamp, several large yawning cracks filled with the color black which he has snaked quickly around. He screams "On ... Belay..." and I slowly walk up and peer into the downward voids, I walk along their rim until a snow bridge connects to the other side, I scream "Watch Me.." as I begin to sprint across, hoping my weight is under the maximum natural limit of the bridges support. After about 3 or 4 of these crossing and my heart beating like hummingbird wings, I join him on top of the snow dome with an adrenaline induced smile. Now it is my turn to lead, and the only way to go now.. is directly up the wall of snow, I take a few snow flutes from him, plant my ice axes, and head up into the star filled night. This is my first alpine lead and it feels good !! The snow is soft and I begin to feel strong considering the circumstance, you can actually see better with your head lamp off, so I switch it off and pause to place a snow flute for protection. Cameron has disappeared into the blackness underneath me, I conclude I cannot see him because he too has discovered the advantage of no head lamp. I climb on practicing my form:...plant left ax ... plant right ax.... right foot step.....left foot step......, and I do this until I run to the ropes end and hear Cameron say "one meter". I figure I should create a belay, so I find a small snow ledge, place two flutes, put him on a hip belay, and scream out into the cold, crisp, blackness "ON... BELAY....".
As I sit and watch the stars, I see one the most incredible moonrises in my life, it looks like a liquid ball of red lava slowly being stretched upward, the moon looks cylindicular at first until it breaches the horizon. Noticing that everything is getting brighter, Cameron stops climbing and focuses his attention also on the incredible moonrise. For 10 minutes everything is halted as we stare in amazement, once he reaches my belay we sit together and talk with a lunar induced toxication about the beautiful stellar setting. Every star is out shinning like a billion diamonds against a black velvet ceiling, we watch as several meteors slice across the horizon at incredible speeds, it is definitely a magical night !!
We discuss the next 200 meters and how the snow conditions are turning out to be no so good the higher up we climb. We decide to commit to the next pitch, this nearly vertical snow wall which Cameron will lead, and once on top we and at the base of the north face we will decide our final fate of commitment. This pitch is really exposed, going straight up for several meters and veering directly over a large cliff with no ending in sight. I watch as Cameron races as fast as humanly possible up and out of sight, my mind contemplates our luck, my novice ability, and the blackness below, I also watch my gloved hands as they feed out more and more "spider web". The rope stops and after a few moments Cameron yells "On... Belay.." which explodes like thunder through the alpine silence. I remove a snow flute I buried earlier, attach it to my harness and begin to climb once again into the star filled night. Man, it is definitely an amazing feeling to be out here in these elements, as I reach the exposed area over the cliffs below my mind begins to think of the worst, I block it out and concentrate on the next move upward. Finally, the pitch levels out and I am allowed by the mountain to walk towards Cameron who literally buried himself in snow for a bomber belay stance. It seems like only a few hours have passed but according to our calculations, we have been climbing non-stop for 8 hours and we still have about 800 feet to go!!! As Cameron and I approach the vertical headwall we begin to notice the snow is unprotectable and soft, it has the consistency of whipped cream for at least a meter down. "Damn !!!" Cameron says, We are turned back! the equation was once again not perfect. However, I am exhilarated as well as exhausted and feel that I have accomplished many personal goals on this first attempt of the North Face. With lack of emotions we quickly shrug off the failed chance and focus on getting back to the car in one piece, if we can make it through the last exposed pitch, we are home free and out of avalanche danger. I choose to go first and race down into the steps in the snow we had created earlier. "Wow!!" the night view is incredible, I have never been 9,000 feet up on a mountain climbing at midnight before. As I descend I take steps like I was walking forward down a latter, I walk...slide.. down the route as quickly as possible and finally reach the safety of our last belay stance, a huge hole in the snow where we placed the snow flutes. I stop, set a belay and begin taking in rope as Cameron comes down to join me. After three more pitches and 2 hours later we are walking on the Elliot glacier out of any serious danger, my heart has been beating at an incredible speed for the last 10 hours and I am completely exhausted. Once at the car, we decide to drive back to Portland to beat the sunrise and get a little sleep before we go to work in about 6 hours. Driving slowly off in the early morning hours to the safety of the city (If you can call it safe), I now understand Cameron¼s desire and love for alpine climbing. I now understand the depths of his feelings when the snow begins to fall and the temperatures drop here in the Cascade Mountains !!!!!!
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