Mt Hood via Old Chute Oregon Hike Guide

Mt Hood via Old Chute bring hikers to the highest point in Oregon and offers an outstanding climbing experience for those who don’t mind the early morning alarm. Most hikers attempt Mt Hood from the south route which is commonly accessed via either the Pearly Gates or Old Chute. Both routes are snow climbs, even in record breaking heat, which require some basic mountaineering skills and an extremely early start. Mt Hood is a great option through the winter and into early July but after then a hike is not recommended due to high rock and ice fall. Even though Mt Hood is not technically demanding, an experienced hiker is required so successfully and safely ascend to the summit due to the many dangers along the route including crevasses, ice and rock fall, moderate exposure on snow or ice and of course weather moving in quickly.

Mt Hood via Old Chute Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Hood via Old Chute

Mt Hood via the Old Chute: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 6.5 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 5,879ft 

Summit: 11,250ft 

Total Elevation Gain: 5,600ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 8-10 Hours RT

Difficulty: Difficult What does this mean?

Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?

Season: November – July (expect snow conditions all year but avoid climbing after July due to rockfall) 

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Mt Hood via Old Chute

Trailhead: Timberline Lodge Ski Area

Getting Here: From Government Camp about 55 miles east of Portland, take US26 to just after the small town and take a left onto Timberline Highway. Follow this winding road for about 5.8 miles until you reach the ski area parking area. You will want to park in the overflow parking area or close to it as this is where the hike up Mt Hood starts. 

Parking: There is a massive parking area for the hike up Mt Hood as it shares spots with the neighboring hotel and ski area. However, what I would recommend would be to drive up to the first lodge building (it’s always open with no door) and snag your free permit hike (inside the building to your right). After, move your car down to the overflow parking area to start your hike. There are restrooms at the start of this hike inside that same building I just mentioned but they can sometimes be locked, especially with an early start. 

Fee/Permit: Starting in January 2024, Mt Hood will require a permit for those looking to go to the summit. Permits are $20 for up to three days or $50 for an annual pass. They can be purchased here and DO NOT require advanced reservations. The permit system is to raise money for awareness, not to limit the number of hikers on the mountain.

Summary

Dogs: While theoretically dogs can hike Mt Hood (legally), I would highly recommend leaving all pets at home for this one. 

Camping: If you want to camp for Mt Hood you have a few options: camp in your car in the overflow parking lot, hike up to the top of Palmer lift and camp or you can find a spot in between Palmer Lift and the parking lot on the right side of the hiking trail. None of these options are really ideal in my opinion. 

Make it a Loop: The hike up Mt Hood is usually done in an out and back or lollipop loop. The most common variation would be to hike up Pearly Gates and down the Old Chute. 

Trail X Factors: Rock & Ice Fall

This x factor could be called a few things, but essentially the biggest unknown variable on your hike up Mt Hood via the Old Chute is the snow level which directly ties to rock and ice fall. In my honest opinion, the more snow on this hike, the better. Sure, this means a more technical hike but it also means a far smaller chance at dying from a rock flying 60mph at you. Once you get into the June/July season an early start is non-negotiable. This is the most dangerous time of year as the mountain is literally falling apart from the winter snow and ice. 

Hike Tip(s): I would highly recommend having a GPS on this hike. Many hikers/climbers of Mt Hood get disoriented with the early start, 0 visibility and get lost adding mileage or getting into dangerous territory. When I started my hike, I had no idea if I was hiking on the ski area (a big no-no) or on the climbers trail. Spoiler: they look exactly the same in areas. 

In addition, be sure to have a strong headlamp so that you can see any features around you such as crevasses or ice/rock fall. Be sure to ALWAYS communicate with other hikers if you do see something falling or send something yourself. 

Best Views: A hike up Mt Hood via the Old Chute is a spectacular site to see from start to finish. Hiking the stars is stunning. The sunrise is usually stunning presenting hikers with the unique pyramid looking shadow cast from Hood. On a clear day hikers can see neighborning volcano Mt Jefferson to the south and Rainier/Mt St Helens/Mt Adams to the north. This hike truly does not disappoint with views. 

Mt Hood via Old Chute Hike Route

My approach (before the Palmer lift) on both the way/up and way down was not direct as I was not sure where the trail was. You can follow my line up and just stay straight where I veered right. 

Gear Needed

• Dakine Poacher Winter Backpack
• Hiking/SkiPoles
• Headlamp
• Climbing Helmet
• Mountain Axe – Two is optional but not 100% necessary
• Crampons
• Crampon Bag
• La Sportiva Mountaineering Boots
• Optional: Gaiters
• Optional: Avalanche Gear: Beacon, Probe, Shovel
• Optional: Skis or Splitboard
• Optional: Goggles
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: Camera and Lens
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

My Trip to Mt Hood: June 2021

Whenever you plan a trip around a hike, things can go horribly right or very poorly. In the case of our trip to the Portland area it went very poorly. Record breaking heat blanketed the area, smashing all kinds of records for high temperatures three days in a row. Mt Hood requires a solid overnight freeze for safe climbing conditions. Record breaking temps + overnight freeze do not mix. Jackie and I landed in Portland, spent the day exploring the city and headed over to Government Camp to spend the night.

In my head, the worst case scenario was that I could get to the hogsback portion of the mountain and make a call on whether I should continue on or not. I set my alarm for 1:50AM and beat it up, getting out of bed by 1:35AM. My anxiety was high but I was super excited to make an attempt on Mt Hood. I made the short drive to the trailhead and with my bag ready to go was hiking up the south slopes of the mountain by 2:10AM. It was pitch black but the lights from the ski area and Timberline Lodge provided a bit of a direction on where to go. I was the only hiker starting up the mountain and was thrilled about that. After all, Mt Hood is the 2nd most hiked mountain in the world. 

The first few hours consisted of winds blasting me in the face and my patience wearing thin. The stars were beautiful but it was hard to enjoy them with 30mph winds forcing sands into every crevice of your face. I kept hiking up and made a mental note to stay off the groomed slopes of the ski area. I was watching the snowcats groom the ski area and thought I was too close so took a hard right and eventually found a trail in the loose sand and gravel. I would later figure out this was an old trail and you could just walk up the very right groomed ski run. Oh well. 

By the time I reached the top of the Palmer Lift the sun was starting to rise and I took my first steps onto the old snow. Surprisingly, even in 60 degree weather, it was very firm. I gained my first confidence of the morning that I might actually make it to the summit. Minutes later I heard a MASSIVE rock fall in the distance causing all kinds of residual rockfall. It had to be the size of a fridge. Mother Nature reminded me to slow my roll and that this mountain was still extremely dangerous. 

The sunrise was stunning and I could not stop filming and taking pictures of the amazing pyramid shadow cast by Mt Hood. It was so damn cool. As I got near the triangle, I found myself back on loose rock but soon after was back on snow. This was where the first signs of the season were showing. Massive cracks formed in the snow and the smell of sulfur was impossible to miss. It was like sticking your head in a hot spring. I climbed higher, eventually gaining the Hogsback or a mini snowridge in between a few features of the mountain. This is where I got my first look of the Pearly Gates route. It was guarded by a HUGE crevasse and most of the snow had melted in the couloir so I decided it was not an option for me today.

After donning the crampons and mountain axe, the Old Chute of Mt Hood was right in front of me and impossible to mix. There were several other hikers on the mountain and the signs of inexperienced hikers were impossible to miss. Instead of a booter straight up the couloir, the path zig-zagged up towards the ridge. Not wanting to create more work for myself, I just followed the steps up as silly as I felt. By this time it was about 6AM and the snow was starting to warm. I knew that the Old Chute was safe now but it was on a short clock. 

I hoofed it up the moderate snow slope and gained the ridge about 15 minutes later. The views were spectacular. I could see Mt St. Helens, Mt Rainer and Mt Adams in neighboring Washington. It was stunning. I kept working up the ridge which was mostly horribly loose rock and some lingering ice. Minutes later I was on the summit of Mt Hood and had it all to myself. I was so pumped but also knew that I had to get down quickly before the rocks starting flying. 

I enjoyed the summit for about 5 minutes and immediately started the trek down. When I got back to Old Chute several more hikers and skiers were coming up and as I began the descent, rocks and ice were falling everywhere. Luckily, nothing large fell and most of the stuff that came near me was super small and easy to avoid. I quickly hiked down the Old Chute, down the Hogsback and back to the Triangle. I was now out of the danger zone and successfully tackled Mt Hood in record heat. 

Mt Hood via the Old Chute Virtual Trail Guide