The Setup
Oregon felt like a turning point. After Whitney, Dia and I wanted bigger objectives: glaciers, steeper terrain, real mountain systems.
We had winter Washington behind us and figured Hood, with a guide, was the right hard-but-manageable next step.
The Approach
Pat was all-in, as always. The drive from Portland had peak crew energy: country music, absurd debates, and nonsense ideas.
Then Hood appeared and the car went quiet. Pat stared at it and said, “Holy shit. This is like the Matterhorn. How are we going up that?”
Roadtrip mode ended. Game-on mode started.
The Climb
We started around 2:00 AM via the Hogsback and Pearly Gates. Somehow I was on a dark glacier in tactical pants, gloves, and no shirt.
The guide was amused and mostly rolled with it, but every stop got cold fast.
The Summit
The climbing felt smoother than expected. I had braced for a sufferfest, but the effort passed quickly.
Moving roped up through the Pearly Gates felt incredible. Summit mood was pure excitement: huge views, big energy, zero awareness of descent risk.
The Descent
We slogged back to Timberline around 9:00–10:00 AM and immediately hunted a beer.
It was also my first Rainier — vitamin R — which became a recurring gift on future trips.
More than the summit itself, Hood locked in the crew dynamic for years.
