June 4, Barrett Spur, Mt Hood

Spent the weekend in Elk Cove for a ski tour to summit Barrett Spur and ski a line on its north aspect. We were able to drive all the way to the 631 trail-head, and started out bootpacking our skis until about 4700 feet elevation. The trail has some new blow down to add to last years, in a few weeks the huckleberry will be nipping your ankles in places. Trail is hikeable but trail maintenance would be good. Once you hit the snow pack, your only trail guide are very old tree blazes which we followed more or less. Perhaps less.... Pretty straight forward area to tour via map and compass. Crossed a bear track as we entered the cove basin.

Saturday morning we thought we would take a more scenic approach and head up to the Coe glacier and then climb Barrett on its ridge line. Sluff avalanches were occurring all around us, our route below the east cliffs of Barrett made us uneasy as we toured wide around to give distance. Then a larger sluff slide occurred above and behind us that ran over the cliff and spread debri over our path. My friend Ron made the call and I had no complaints, we peeled our skins and made a quick ski descent backtracking back to Elk Cove basin. 

From here we ascended the spurs north ridge-line for a safe approach. Staying on the west side of the ridge crest is easy touring that also gave us a break from the east wind. We called it good at the first highpoint on Barrett, not the true summit of the spur but neither of us wanted to traverse the ridgeline and its cornices. Our ski descent gave us good turns for the mushy snow for 2000 vert back down to Elk Cove.