Sunday was a soggy day on the mountain but our fearless leader Jeff was determined to keep his record of never canceling a hike, and he's been doing crazy loops like this for quite a few years. After dropping off a car at Hood River Meadows we drove to Cooper Spur ski area. Already getting dripped on we donned full rain-gear and prepared for a eVent vs. Gore-Tex vs. everything else showdown.
We were already soaked when we entered the burn area and by the time we took a break at the Tilly Jane Cabin we were all doused in either sweat or rain. The only exceptions were Jeff & Kirby, who were trying out the hike with umbrella and base-layer tactic. It worked quite well for them.
The second we reached the tree-line the classic Cooper Spur winds began to mix with the constant rain for extra wetness. Unable to communicate in the blowing wind, our group gradually separated apart, all of us keeping our own pace but keeping each other in sight, which luckily was not hard to do as the clouds for the most part were staying above us. On the way up we were hit with some serious winds, one gust in particular knocked nearly all of us over. I was trying to stuff some loose stuff in a party members pack and the huge gust, which we estimated at 50mph, blew me over and I fell on the poor girl. I felt bad but my trekking pole felt worse, the top of the middle shaft was hopelessly bent from the encounter!
Keeping a quicker pace to keep us warm, we reached the Japanese "Hiroshima" rock 3 hours after leaving the parking lot and we decided to call it quits there. The clouds were rolling in and out at this elevation, blocking our view of other party members. The summit was staying permanently shrouded, bummer, but the glaciers looked as good as ever. The temperature was barely above freezing here, with a blend of sleet and rain pinging our faces. I got out a cheap pair of amber safety glasses to protect my eyes and they were great. I never would have thought a couple bucks at the hardware store would have been so useful at 8000'!
As we descended and hit the Timberline trail, the clouds were beginning to break up. It was then we found ourselves between cloud layers, looking straight at Adams - a perfect full rainbow stretched above. The photo can't do it justice but I have to say this was one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen while out on the trails - great reward for the slog! Rainier also made an appearance behind the fading rainbow.
As we descended the Gnarl Ridge trail the clouds finally broke and we saw the summit of hood. Dark and evil, it was a land of extreme contrasts and swirling clouds. It was a great few minutes.
We reached the Newton overlook to find the mountain gone again and the rain starting up one more time. By this time, Gore-tex had won the waterproof battle, with one eVent jacket soaked through, another eVent on the brink of failure, and other materials soaked as well.
We sped down Gnarl Ridge to the Elk Meadows trail. We found the Newton Creek bridge just barely, barely hanging on while water washed over it. It was drama free at that point and the car ride home was nice and warm!
It was a great day to be out. Saw some things you never see in nice weather and it was great to test gear and layering. Best of all, we saw no other person or groups the entire day, just us!
