Cooper Spur

Cooper Spur is the snow and ice blanketed again stretching down from the summit of Mt.Hood in the direction of the north-east.

The genuine Cooper Spur is a big moraine to the south-east of Elliot Glacier. Starting simply above "Cloud Cap Inn" continuous to it's easiest point, the "Tie in Rock" at about 8500' elevation.

Permanent snow and ice insurance starts at about 9000 toes previous the Tie in Rock. The snow slopes are starting with a mellow pitch, quickly becoming very steep and the pitch will increase permanently, count number on a 50 degree slope in the direction of the peak.

In the summer month as early as June/July and till the snow flies again, the top section of the route is snow-free past 10,500'. During the summer time previous that elevation the route adjustments into some thing between free rock and sand and gravel till you attain the summit. The upper parts of the Cooper Spur, the ones without snow in the summer, are also called out as the Chimneys in most topo maps.

Take Highway 35 from Hood River and comply with it until the flip off to Cooper Spur Skiarea, aproximately 23 miles previous the town. Drive an other 2 half of miles to the Cooper Spur Skiarea (signs), and from there take forest carrier avenue 3512 towards Cloud Cap Inn/Tilly Jane and the trailhead (about 6000 toes elevation). This avenue can get rough every so often over it's entire size of 9 miles. Trailhead is both the Cloud Cap Campground or the Tilly Jane Guard Station. Campground, Outhouse, Water; Shelter at Tilly Jane.Do no longer underestimate the route from it is preliminary visible appearance. The most unsafe section are the unfastened rock and sand portions in the Chimneys, and the EXTREME rock fall on the everlasting snow fields beneath the Chimney's at some stage in the day when the temperatures are rising.

Though it is now not a technical route, I would not endorse this one for beginners. Snow, ice and rock scramble with up to 50° slopes in the upper phase thru the Chimneys and beneath the summit.

The Cooper Spur Route below the summit of Mt. Hood is notoriously dangerous, having precipitated the deaths of at least 13 climbers.

This route also has to claim various ski descents in spring and early summer time when the snow insurance is continous from the summit via the chimneys all the way down to the Tie in Rock.

Climbing Mount Hood from the north capability - hiking on unfastened rock and in loose gravel and sand!?