The Idea forms
We met an aspiring couple on top of Cathedral Ridge training for longer distance events. They mentioned for their money the views from Cooper Spur were the best on Mt Hood they had seen. I have been past the Cooper Spur shelter several times as well as playing in the crevasses of Eliot Glacier, but have never gone up on the top of the Spur so, with a friend in tow, off we went. Thankful it was his car taking the beating on the washboarded road up and not mine.
Mt Hood with the Spur on the left and Barrett Spur on the right.
From just off the road to Cooper Spur trailhead.
The Cooper Spur adventure begins
We started up out of the Cloud Cap parking lot with only five other cars present and walked up the east moraine of Eliot Glacier. Most people approach the Spur on the way trail coming off the Timberline Trail near the Cooper Spur shelter. The approach up the moraine is much more scenic although its more direct approach means a rapid warm up.
The Cooper Spur Shelter
From the moraine you backtrack a little to the east to the old CCC hut just above the Timberline Trail. After a few minutes at the shelter, we climbed up on the Cooper Spur trail. The trail switchbacked up the slopes in a too steady fashion.
Atop Cooper Spur
The views increase as you climb higher, even with the wide switchbacks. It is not until you are on top of the spur the magic begins. On one side you have the magnificence of the heavily crevassed Eliot Glacier. On the other side is the wide expanse of the Newton Clark Glacier. Above is the summit of Mt Hood.
You come out on top of the Spur at about the 8600-foot level. Walking past rock walls built to protect climbers and hikers from the wind, you come to the Hiroshima Rock. The Rock was inscribed by a Japanese climber who came up here in 1910. Before Timberline Lodge, Cooper Spur was the favored route to climb the mountain. The route above has steepened from the past, however. It is still used, but definitely more challenging than the South Side route.
The top of Cooper Spur begins the land of climbers. Tie-In Rock lies straight ahead. Eliot Glacier tumbles off the mountain on its right and Newton Clark is on the left. Click and drag with your mouse for full 360 degree effect.
Hanging out on the Spur
Time was ticking now. My friend needed to get back to town early so he stopped there. I walked on up to the big rock which I decided must be Tie-In Rock.
You can tell me I’m wrong and you might be right, but I didn’t have time to push up the final little bit to where the ice starts. The clouds were swirling blocking the views anyway. So, a quick glance at Eliot Glacier and the crevasses I once played in.
Retreat
And retreat to whence we came. Oh, for some good snow to glissade down!
Back past the shelter and onto the Timberline – filled with people now – and returning to Cloud Cap – the parking lot also filled. A good hike with great views, but not the best on Hood, for my money – I am still partial to Barrett Spur or on top of the Steel Cliffs watching all of the ants going up through the Pearly Gates.
August 19
What strikes me about your third photo (and a couple of others) is how many dead trees there are — dead but still standing. Is this normal, or is it a recent development?
Two recent forest fires ripped through the area a few years ago – 2008 and 2011 – creating the ghost forest. The area is designated a wilderness area, so what is natural stays. The fires were lightning caused, if I remember correctly. Much of the forest in the wilderness area on the north side of Mt Hood burned. The area around Cloud Cap had not burnt for over 100 years, so there was a lot of vegetation. Luckily, the over 100 year old Cloud Cap Inn was spared. The road up into the area was closed for over a year after each fire.
Marvellous views, even if you didn’t feel they were quite as good as that couple had told you – they look pretty great to me! And yes, commenting is fixed, as you can see 🙂
In the near future I will include a post on my favorite. But the pictures predate my 360 obsession-purchase. The last hike up was with an VT member from Torino and his significant other. Last summer was difficult because of a knee injury and all of the fires, so I look forward to this summer with the new corgi. I do agree that Cooper Spur is pretty cool 🙂
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