DSCN2297 Topic: Bitten by the rabid winds of Dog This image posted at flickr by tazz1 | view larger size (249 KB) | view original tazz A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 or Other Prefix     Dec 2001Jan 2002Feb 2002Mar 2002Apr 2002May 2002Jun 2002Jul 2002Aug 2002Sep 2002Oct 2002Nov 2002Dec 2002Jan 2003Feb 2003Mar 2003Apr 2003May 2003Jun 2003Jul 2003Aug 2003Sep 2003Oct 2003Nov 2003Dec 2003Jan 2004Feb 2004Mar 2004Apr 2004May 2004Jun 2004Jul 2004Aug 2004Sep 2004Oct 2004Nov 2004Dec 2004Jan 2005Feb 2005Mar 2005Apr 2005May 2005Jun 2005Jul 2005Aug 2005Sep 2005Oct 2005Nov 2005Dec 2005Jan 2006Feb 2006Mar 2006Apr 2006May 2006Jun 2006Jul 2006Aug 2006Sep 2006Oct 2006Nov 2006Dec 2006Jan 2007Feb 2007Mar 2007Apr 2007May 2007Jun 2007Jul 2007Aug 2007Sep 2007Oct 2007Nov 2007Dec 2007Jan 2008Feb 2008Mar 2008Apr 2008May 2008Jun 2008Jul 2008Aug 2008Sep 2008Oct 2008Nov 2008Dec 2008Jan 2009Feb 2009Mar 2009Apr 2009May 2009Jun 2009Jul 2009Aug 2009Sep 2009Oct 2009Nov 2009Dec 2009Jan 2010Feb 2010

Forum·24Hr Random Pic 0:03 0:04 0:05 0:06 0:08 0:10 «:04 «:05 «:06 «:08 «:10 ?:04 ?:05 ?:06 ?:08 ?:10 #2 of 12 Pics in Topic

As I drive east down the gorge my truck is being shoved and pushed by some very violent winds. I think to myself hmmm maybe I should change plans. I know that Dog mountain gets some pretty heavy winds. I really have my heart set on dog for the day. I have hiked this mountain several times but never in the winter yet. So I decide I am going for it. I arrive at the parking lot at 7:45 am. This hike is one of the most popular in the gorge during the summer. It is also used as a conditioner for scrabblers, climbers, and the Mazama’s. There are a ton of people on the trail in the summer. I have always wanted to get up there in the winter. I am glad I did. It will be my favorite time to climb this one from now on. It starts out at 150' and d switchbacks up. Then there is a fork in the trail about a mile in. Go to the right and it is less difficult but longer with views. Take the left fork and it is more difficult(not hard at all) with no views. The sun was coming out and playing with the windswept clouds so I picked the easy way. I am glad I did cause the clouds where so cool to watch. The winds in the gorge were sweeping and pushing the could so fast that I would look and then look again and they would be so different. Some of the fastest moving clouds I have seen. I t was really cool to watch. Snow patches started around 950' and solid snow at 1500'. The trail was packed down and icy. I did not bring my snowshoes for that reason I knew it would be packed down so I just brought my crampons. I didn’t need to put them on though cause the snow on the sides was soft enough for a bite but frozen enough to stay on top till I reached around 2000'. At this point I had to watch my step or I would posthole a couple of feet in the softer stuff that was not as packed down I arrived at the old lookout spot and the wind was crazy. I found shelter to take a couple of shots of Dog and cool down. The temp at this point was 22 degrees. I had been trying to keep my body heat and sweating down so when I get to the top in that wind I would not get cold. I continued on and met up with the guy who showed up right after I left the trail head. He took the more difficult trail. He went ahead of me. We reached the open traverse and I stopped to bundled up. The wind was biting stinging every inch of exposed skin. I was like, this isn’t that bad at least I can still hike in it. The wind was blowing around 45+ mph at this point. As I reached the spot on the trail that one would turn up the ridge the wind knocked me down to the ground. I stood again and was able to stagger a bit and then was knocked down again. I stayed down on my hands and knees for a little bit hoping it would slow a bit. Not a chance the wind had to have been blowing at 45-50 with gusts of 60+. It was nuts! I could not stay on the trail and kept getting blown off. I pretty much crawled to a sheltered spot behind a tree at 2800'. Whew! I was laughing so hard I had tears that where freezing to my face. It was funny. There was no way I was even going to bother with the last .2-.3 miles to the summit. The spot I was at was just fine for me today . Plus I have been on the top of this many times. I sat and watched the clouds blow around me and the summit. The guy that I met down lower also decided not to go the rest of the way. I am telling you all it was crazy. His snow shoes that he had attached to the back of his pack where ripped out and sent down the slope. I hung out and took pictures of the awesome rhyme ice on my now favorite tree on Dog. The temp was 20 degrees. I would have hated to see the wind chill . My fingers would instantly freeze when out of there little mittens. I headed back down after hanging out for about 45minutes. I crawled down to the end of the ridge and was finally able to stand at this point. I met a few people on the way down and it was the wind that was the topic of conversation. I will go back when the forecast for the winds is better. It was a great hike and I never used my crampons but I did slip and fall a couple of times on the way down. Just cause I was too lazy to put them on. I was back at the truck a little after 11 and had time to go check out some of the falls that have been freezing up in the gorge. My stats RT 6.5 and elev gain 2650' Posted By: tazz In: Bitten by the rabid winds of Dog