Hood: Palmer to Wy'East???

Last year at this time we were on Wy'East and looking over at Timberline I was wondering why we did'nt go from the top of the lift over there???

What should we expect when crossing the White River Gl from the Palmer to Meadows/Wy'East?

Where would you cross?

Last year at this time we were on Wy'East and looking over at Timberline I was wondering why we did'nt go from the top of the lift over there???

So you could ski fallline all the way to the car? .

I went from Timberline a couple times one year, we crossed very low (not too far above the lodge) and I remember it being fine. It likely depends on how much snow is left as hiking through the sand can be slow & dirty. So if there is enough snow to ski down that way (looker's right from the lodge) that's a nice and easy way to go. If not, then yeah you'd probably be better looking to cross up high so you could ski palmer down.

Either way (high or low), parts of the approach melt out surprisingly early even in a high snow year. That side of the mountain is raked by crosswinds which strip snow off the windward sides of morraines and ravines, loading lee sides heavily. That's what keeps the White River Glacier alive, but it means that the looker's right edge is often largely bare. As Corey says, hiking uphill on loose volcanic debris is highly unpleasant. AFAIK, there's no practical route across from Timberline on snow by this time of year, any year. I'd be interested to be told I'm wrong about this, however.

There are also significant crevasse issues on the upper White River Glacier, and in general it's not as fall line as you might think skiing down on that route; to cross back over to the Palmer requires some work.

Caveat: I've skied the Wy'east only once, and only from the Mt. Hood Meadows parking lot. It's a great ski, but needs an early start in good weather because it softens rapidly during the day.

enjoy,

Mark

I was really tempted to try it this Spring because we had a pass to Timberline, and I thought maybe I could cheat and catch the earliest morning lift to the top of Palmer, cross White R. glacier towards Wyeast around the 8k foot level, and then leave a car down at Hood River Meadows for a long ski descent.

The major deterrents are the crevasses lurking on the glacier, and then as mentioned above, the wind scouring and early melting of west-facing ridges that leaves a very steep looking scree climb to get to the top of the lateral moraine of the White River Glacier.

I do remember coming across a trip report of someone who had done it in the past, though...