Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

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Guy
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Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by Guy » January 26th, 2015, 6:49 pm

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Opening pic

Having only Sundays available to hike means that whenever there is a Sunny warm Sunday during the winter months the opportunity shouldn't be squandered & high places should be visited! Yesterday was such a Sunday & so Chizuru, Chiyoko & I set our sights on the Stone Shelter below Cooper Spur. Funnily enough we did the same hike last year on January 26th in very similar conditions. In comparing the photographs from last year to this there is less snow this year below 5500' but more slightly snow than last year above 5500'.

We set out by heading up the snowless ski slopes of the closed Copper Spur Ski Resort to the the beginning of the Pollalie Ridge Trail.

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Very little snow to contend with on this ridge.

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We continued on up the trail past the A Frame.

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Sign pointing the way!

After about 3 hours we reached the shelter.

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Made a spot of lunch!

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From here we headed on over to the Elliot Moraine for the hike down to Cloudcap.

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A final sit down at the Inn to soak up some rays before the hike down.

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Then it was down past the A Frame & down to the Trail head on the Tilly Jane Trail.

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Once the Sun falls behind the mountain thing get gloomy quickly at this time of year.

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A final look back!

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The hike came in at just over 9 miles & about 3200' of EG with lots of free vitamin D thrown in for free.

A few more pics of the day here. & a quick movie below..

http://youtu.be/Y0OZ0dQLR5s
Last edited by Guy on January 26th, 2015, 8:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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retired jerry
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by retired jerry » January 26th, 2015, 7:13 pm

wow, so little snow, looks like spring conditions

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Guy
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by Guy » January 26th, 2015, 7:37 pm

Jerry, actually a little more up there than last year at this time though!

01/26/2014:
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01/25/2015:
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01/26/2014:
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01/25/2015:
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Last edited by Guy on January 27th, 2015, 6:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Don Nelsen
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by Don Nelsen » January 26th, 2015, 7:44 pm

Nice! - great photos, too.

dn
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"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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retired jerry
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by retired jerry » January 26th, 2015, 10:21 pm

ahhhh

so, each year it teases us

little snow right now, then a bunch the next couple months to screw up our early season high elevation plans

nice sequence of pictures

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rainrunner
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by rainrunner » January 27th, 2015, 5:25 am

And just like last year, we also did the same hike on the same weekend and thought the same thoughts of how nice it would be over at Cooper Spur if only there was enough time. It was another wonderful day to be out around Mt. Hood. Thanks for the report!
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Peder
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by Peder » January 27th, 2015, 8:24 am

I can't help noticing how much snow has melted over the last two weeks - I guess the snowshoes stayed on the packs!
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

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kepPNW
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by kepPNW » January 27th, 2015, 6:15 pm

Interesting to compare this to when we were up there just a few weeks ago! (Assuming your years are off-by-one?)
Guy wrote:01/26/2015:
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01/25/2014:
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01/09/2015
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Guy wrote:01/26/2015:
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01/25/2014:
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01/09/2015
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Nothing at the same angle, looking uphill at the shelter.

I always love going up there when the gate's closed! The entire mountain is yours! :D
Last edited by kepPNW on January 27th, 2015, 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Guy
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by Guy » January 27th, 2015, 6:28 pm

Oh Heck yeah!

Thanks Karl, my years were off by one!! Always behind the times me....
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CraigG
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Re: Cloudcap & Cooper Spur - 2015/01/25

Post by CraigG » January 27th, 2015, 11:07 pm

Well done! Fantastic photos! Thanks for the TR!

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