I had never climbed a glaciated peak before Mt. Hood, but I felt I was ready to take the plunge. Mt. Hood is known to be a good place to start for beginners to glacier travel. Not that it's an easy peak to attain: deaths and injuries occur all the time on the peak. But it is a short haul to the top and most parties can manage the peak in one long day, usually with a midnight start from camp (depending on location). Knowing full well I was a glacier virgin, I opted to sign up with the Timberline Mountain Guide service, based in Government Camp, the small village at the base of the mountain. The best time to climb Hood, they say, is May and June when the snow and ice are still ample to make overland travel easier. My teaching schedule allowed me a Memorial Day climb- perfect! Along with Hood, I hoped to attain the summit of Mt. Rainier in Washington, but I failed to gain the summit this time around, although I was successful in August. I spent four days making the drive from my home in Phoenix to Mt. Hood, just east of Portland. Along the way I stayed with my folks in San Dimas, friends up near Oakland, a hotel in Klamath Falls in southern Oregon, and a night in Government Camp.

On day 5 (May 21st), I showed up at the Timberline Mountain Guides storefront in Government Camp to meet up with our climbing guide and the other climber on this journey. The other climber was a doctor from Indianapolis named Jim and our guide, Kirby, who, among other feats, bicycled from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay back in the 1980s. We went through our gear, making sure everything was in order, and then set out onto the lower slopes on the mountain for a few hours of basic snow climbing skills. We learned walking and stepping techniques, how to use the ice axe, self-arrest techniques, and general common sense do's and don’t do's. By 3 in the afternoon we were done, and quite tired. I went to bed at 7 p.m. that night, staying at the Timberline Lodge a little higher on the mountain.

At 1 a.m. on May 22nd, I awoke, got my gear on, and met the others at the ski lodge to begin the climb. There was another party leaving with us: an older trio, including a man in his 70s. We climbed into a snowcat (a snow tractor), and were driven up to about the 8,000 elevation level, just above the ski area. This was a perk afforded us for being on a guided climb, as we passed others making their own way up past the ski area. Nevertheless, we still had over 3,000 vertical feet to gain to the summit.

We climbed out of the snowcats at 3 a.m. under a full moon and clear weather, and began our climb. Fortunately, Kirby and Jim and I were all of (relatively) equal stamina, and we kept a very quick but enjoyable pace up the mountain, passing the other party early on and even passing other independent parties. The first leg was basically a hike up moderately steep, firm snow. After about a mile and a half and 2,000 feet of elevation gain, we arrived at a snow ridge called the Hogsback. Here, we put on our crampons and roped up. The air reeked of sulphur, emanating from some vents a few hundred feet away (Remember, Hood is a volcano). After roping up, we started our final push to the top. After a hundred feet up or so, we came upon a bergschrund, which is a crevasse that separates a glacier from the mountain itself. It was only a few feet wide, but very deep. A snow bridge spanned the chasm, and we had to do some ginger stepping to cross it, including using the axe to help hoist ourselves up a four foot "step". Once above the bergschrund, we simply climbed up a very steep slope, through a chute, and onto the flatter summit snowfield. The summit was beautiful! It was about 6:30 am, and the sun was up, and I could see about 200 miles in all directions. Mts. Rainier and Adams dominated to the north, Mt Jefferson to the south. St. Helens was shrouded in clouds. Our stay at the summit was relatively short, maybe 15 minutes. It was very cold and very windy. After a few minutes of rest, pictures and congratulations, we began our descent. The descent was spectacular, although looking down is a whole different matter than looking up! I was on lead going down, and I simply took each step very carefully. We had to recross the bergschrund, which we did safely. Once past, we doffed the ropes, and hiked down. The hike to the lodge was nice. Since the sun was up, the temps got a bit warmer and the snow softer, but we made good time. We were back at the lodge by 10 a.m., just in time for a late breakfast!

Jim and I then hung around, had a couple of beers, talked like old climbing veterans, and basically enjoyed the day. This was a thoroughly exhilirating climb with awesome views and great partners. By 3 p.m., a cloud front moved in and shrouded Hood’s summit. Fortunately, all parties were off the mountain, including the one we started with (they made it, too). There was an ESPN crew up there, too, but our group was well on the way down when they were going up, so don’t expect to see me on the TV any time soon.

I spent the remainder of the day driving up to Renton, Washington to visit college friends Vic Caro and his wfie, Joelle Nelson. Vic was my roommate in college at UC Riverside, and Joelle was also a friend of mine. They met, married and moved to the Seattle area around 1995. The plan was to tackle Rainier a couple of days later. Well, we gave it a go but did not summit, although Vic and I were successful later in August. After coming down off the peak, I cleaned up and started for the long drive home to Phoenix, staying the night in Eugene. The next day, Memorial Day, was spent driving 870 miles back to San Dimas. I left at 5 a.m., had absolutely no problems until I hit road construction traffic at the Grapevine grade on Interstate-5. I got through that, relaxed at home with my parents, and then drove back to Phoenix the following day.