Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

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Rabid Swan
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Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by Rabid Swan » January 29th, 2015, 12:48 pm

I'm thinking of making a winter overnighter on Yocum an annual tradition, but I'm not sure I can call this a winter hike... Two years ago I did this in March and had to trudge through powder for all but 10 minutes of the hike. This year I didn't encounter steady snow until about 5000ft up Yocum. It was like summer, but there weren't any bugs. Perfect conditions? I think so.

Road walk to the Ramona Falls TH. Why can't they open the gate to the TH?!
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Pretty straightforward crossing over the Sandy. Tossing sand over the slimy log helped add some traction.

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I made a friend near the ponds. Still snow free and toasty warm up to this point.

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Then mashed potatoes happened. Oh why did I leave my snowshoes at home?!

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I managed to find a spot that was almost dead calm except for the occasional gust that punched through.

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Good morning Wy'east. I had brewed a nice large cup of coffee for breakfast with the last of my water, but after my first sip I realized my instant coffee had expired 2 years ago and had definitely gone bad. I managed to melt enough snow with the rest of my denatured alcohol for a consolation green tea.
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I really wanted to get a shot of the Sandy Headwaters viewpoint before I headed back to my car so I made the detour down in the soft snow. I underestimated how soft the snow was and ended up post holing sometimes up to my waist adding an extra hour to my hike down. I'll stand by my decision since I think I got a pretty got shot of Hood.

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Bosterson
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by Bosterson » January 29th, 2015, 2:11 pm

Wow, very nice!
I had brewed a nice large cup of coffee for breakfast with the last of my water, but after my first sip I realized my instant coffee had expired 2 years ago and had definitely gone bad.
Instant coffee expires?? I thought only real food did that! Time to check my stash of Vias... ;)
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VanMarmot
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by VanMarmot » January 29th, 2015, 4:06 pm

Very nice TR & photos. This is one of my favorite hikes around Mt. Hood. But this is what Yocum typically looks like (i.e., snow starting at 5000' or so) in the Spring - not January!

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mjirving
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by mjirving » January 30th, 2015, 6:06 am

Awesome...that's been on my list for awhile. Got to get to it some time soon.

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miah66
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by miah66 » January 30th, 2015, 8:16 am

Wouldn't it have been easier to do that in snowshoes? How high do you think you made it up the mountain? How many miles is that road walk?
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BigBear
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by BigBear » January 30th, 2015, 9:55 am

I think the reason that USFS won't open the gate to Ramona Falls (Burnt Lake and the other spur up the ridge) is that they don't have the manpower to check all three roads when the snow does fall in order to close the gate. On the road between Galice and Gold Beach they received complaints for leaving the gate open too long, as well as not removing the bridge over the Sandy River when it rained hard in the fall.

I'm all for returning to the day when we took personal responsibility for making bad decisions when it comes to weather situations. Unfortunately, juries don't seem to share the same belief. I hike with the belief I need to drag my butt back out if something goes wrong.

At Yellowstone today we all have to stay on the boardwalk, but a century ago (as postcards document all so well) people could walk up to the geyser and stare inside hoping to retreat before it blew. Those days of personal responsibility have disappeared forever.

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Thomas M
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by Thomas M » January 31st, 2015, 10:06 am

That's a great spot where you camped, if I read your photos correctly.
There's actually a campsite near there.....in the summer.
Here's another good spot that might be worth a try...for a little variety.
Not sure about now, but in the summer it's a great spot.....lots of flat ground and running water!!
Fred and I called it "Sandy Glacier Landing".

Happy Trails!!

Thomas

PS: Those "snotty" logs are another good reason to have microspikes on hand...or, I mean, on foot!!!

And the coffee......don't throw it away.....once it turns dark it makes good boot polish !!!



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Last edited by Thomas M on January 31st, 2015, 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Peder
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Re: Yocum Overnight 1.25/26.15

Post by Peder » January 31st, 2015, 10:13 am

Fantastic and unusual spot to spend the night at this time of year! Very inspiring!
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