Some topics on Turns will never be fully litigated in one thread and eventually reappear after a period of hibernation. These include risk tolerance v. ignorance, snow machines v. wilderness, snowshoers v. skin track, and outing "secret stashes" v. keeping them on the DL (in thread or guidebook form). So, here we are once again.
Has anyone driven through PDX lately? It doesn't matter what time of day, you are going to hit traffic. Have you tried to find a place to eat on Friday or Saturday night without reservations? Do you enjoy standing in line at 5 to eat at 7? People are moving to PDX in absolute droves and it is seriously jacking about the quality of life for PDX and the surrounding area. This population boom is seriously pressuring recreational opportunities on Hood, as a good chunk of those moving to PDX are young and interested in the outdoors. A good chunk of those people ski and are naturally progressing to backcountry skiing given their outdoor interest and advances in technology. There is no stemming this tide .
Hood presents a classic "scarcity of resources" problem. Access is difficult and most users are funneled into 2-5 areas depending on conditions (snow level, visibility, avy danger, wind, etc.). If you head to Hood on a weekend in decent conditions, you are going to run into lots of people. There is no solitude on Hood for the weekend warrior. It is best to accept this fact and move on.Â
Patrick's guide may increase the number of people accessing Mt. Hood, but there was already too many accessing Hood to begin with. Therefore, Patrick's guide has made an untenable problem only more untenable, but once you reach untenable, next level untenable doesn't really matter. In this way, I view Patrick's guide as doing very little to make Hood worse. The guide is not moving Hood from good to worse. Instead, It is moving Hood from worse to "worser."Â
So, I say accept this reality and apply several solutions. Here are a few that I have utilized to make Hood tolerable:
1) not skiing on Hood
2) not skiing on weekends
3) Going farther and further than everyone else
4) Conversely, Changing my mindset and looking at backcountry skiing on Hood as opportunity to first and foremost make new, like-minded friends and turns second.
We have reached the point of no return. A guide book doesn't change this fact in any meaningful way.
People are better off spending the time they use to complain about guide books to 1) find new stashes on Google Earth, 2) find a job that gives you Monday and Tuesday off, 3) work to make extra money to go to Shames, 4) increase their conditioning so they can further and farther in a single day. 5) work on their opening Hood pick up lines (i.e., "So, do you come to Hood often?")
In the end, post your trip reports if you want to or write a guide book. I won't judge you either way. I'll be too busy looking at maps, saving my money, and busting my ass on the stair climber to care.
