Despite the fact that it has been a wet Spring in the Northwest, it has been a busy guiding season here in Oregon. And contrary to what NOAA has been predicting, we have seen occasional sunshine this Spring. The following post is a series of photos and trip reports from my last three weeks with Timberline Mountain Guides and Smith Rock Climbing School. I have been guiding mostly alpine climbing on Mt. Hood, but I did get the opportunity to dust off the skis this Memorial Day weekend for a day of ski touring in White Salmon Canyon on Mt. Hood.
My first trip of the season was a two day climb on Mt. Hood. It was a chilly and windy morning but as we climbed up the Old Chute and reached the summit ridge, we got to bask in the early morning sunshine.
Springtime here in Oregon is the prime season for rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park. While Smith gained international attention as a destination for elite sport climbing, it boasts a life-time of single pitch and multi-pitch moderate routes. Here is a shot of Todd climbing on Pack Animal, a lesser traveled 5.8 route.
And the view gets better the higher you get!
In mid-May the whole TMG staff got together for four days of Guides' Training. One of the advantages of working for an AMGA Accredited Guide Service is the high quality Guides' Training provided each year. This year IFMGA guide Art Mooney came out from New Hampshire to team up with on-staff Certified Guides to provide 4 days of excellent rock training. One of the days was spent fine tuning the Tyrolean Traverse from the Diving Board to the Monkey Face. Here is a shot of Geoff going for it!
A silhouette of Tico crossing from the Diving Board to the mouth of the Monkey.
And I have even gotten some turns in this season. All this late season snow has led to some epic spring skiing conditions.
Nicole and Shane came back to Hood for a First Tracks ski touring program this Memorial Day Weekend. They had never been backcountry skiing before and were interested in learning some new skills on snow. We practiced beacons, learned skinning techniques, talked about route selection and the snowpack and of course got some turns in. It was a fun day in the White Salmon Canyon.
Springtime in Oregon has something for everyone: alpine climbing in the Oregon Cascades, rock climbing at Smith Rock and even ski touring on Mt. Hood or in the Bend Area. Come visit and see why we believe this is the prime location for a springtime adventure in the mountains!
John MacKinnon
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