High Adventure for a Low Price

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Thank You Eiseley. Actually you jogged a bolt loose, in 2003 one of the other Venturer LEaders wants to take the crew to climb Mt Hood in Washington. Thats one of the erasons why 2002 has to be on the chaeper side, any body climb Mt Hood? How is it? The leader says its no problem, but he is a real rock climber and certified outdoorsman

[eisely 13]

Re: Mt Hood

 

I have never gone up Mt. Hood, but it strikes me as an outing that would require a lot of preparation. Mr. Hood is one of several major volcanic peaks throughout the Cascades. It lies East of Portland. Visit the Mt. Hood National Forest website for more information.

 

A lot of these peaks are not "technical" climbs, but they can be quite challenging with a lot of elevation gain in short distances. These peaks stand out very dramatically from the surrounding countryside because, unlike the Rockies, Sierras, or most major mountain chains in the lower 48, there is no gradual ascent into foothills, which themselves obscure the peaks. This also means that the trailheads are at low elevations relative to the crest. It looks like an outing I for one would love to do, but no one should attempt this without conditioning. Acquaint yourself with the symptoms and treatment for altitude sickness.

[Bob Russell 10]

OldGreyEagle, I would encourage you to plan for a Mt. Hood climb for your older scouts. However, if you come to Oregon rather than Washington, the hike to the summit will be a lot shorter, and you won't have to cross the Columbia River. (just kidding). I have climbed Hood over a half-dozen times, including a climb May 2000 with our scout troop. The South Side route is technically not difficult. We left the Timberline Lodge parking lot at 11:00 pm, climbed thru the night, and reached the summit in early morning. This is recommended as at night the snow is frozen. There are professional guide services you can hire or if you have experienced outdoorspeople/climbers you can do it yourself. I ran classroom sessions on climbing techniques, conditioning hikes in the Columbia Gorge, and held a one-day snow skills practice at Mt. Hood prior to the climb. Good conditioning, skill training and good clothing and equipment are essential for safety. Although many climb without any of the foregoing, sudden weather changes can occur. Back in the 1980's, a group of high school students died on the mountain on a school program because of bad weather, poor planning and poor leadership. It's a tragedy I discussed with my scouts and their parents during our class. If you would like further info, please let me know. If you want, email me @ rarussatty@aol.com and I will help out as much as I can.

[jacksowi 10]

Please tell me you're kidding about Philmont going up to $415 next year (2002)!!!

[KL Wisconsin 10]

$415 is the Philmont 2002 fee. Our troop has two crews going in 2002.