Cloud Cap
On a beautiful day in the mid-aughts, I drove to the Cloud Cap Saddle Campground on the northeast side of Mt. Hood at 5,900 feet. This is roughly the same elevation as Timberline Lodge on the south slopes of Mt. Hood.
Cloud Cap is a very popular staging area for mountain climbers. And, it is also a good spot to tackle some challenging hiking trails.
I had originally planned to reach Tie-in Rock (where mountain climbers typically rope up) at 8,900 feet, only 2,300 feet below the Summit. The weather was spectacular with the early morning sunshine providing very nice light for photos of the Mountain and the Elliot Glacier. However, the wind was blowing hard, taking away much of the fun of being exposed on top of Cooper Spur Ridge.
Rock shelter below Mt. Hood
Cloud Cap Inn
Summit block of Mt. Hood
Cooper Spur
I began the hike by skirting the moraine below Elliot Glacier, reaching Cooper Spur in a mile. After a short ascent of the Spur, a shelter built of stones by the CCC in the 1930s was reached. From there it was another one-half mile climb to a beautiful overlook of the Glacier and Mountain.
After enjoying the views I took a loop trail past the Tilly Jane Campground and returned to the Trailhead. Altogether, it was an easy hike of four miles with 1,200 feet of elevation gain.
Cooper Spur
Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams
Classic AMG at Trailhead
Hanging glacier
Trail above timberline
Elliot Glacier
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