April 28, 2007 – Hoodoo Butte Dawn Patrol

Since I only had a few hours to make some turns before heading to the coast for the weekend for my anniversary with my wife, I headed up to Hoodoo solo. I left the parking lot in the early morning to firm snow and smooth skinning. My original goal was to ride Sand Mountain, which is about 4 miles from Hoodoo Butte. I skinned about 1/2 of the way towards Sand Mountain, but decided to turn around due to sparse snow conditions. The views to the east of Mt Washington were beautiful. I’d like to get in there and do some spring riding soon.

Mt Washington

Upon returning to Hoodoo, I made a quick dash up to the summit. The views were really nice in all directions, and Jefferson and Three Fingered Jack were still plenty snow covered. The ride back down the north bowl was fun. I was able to make turns all the way down to the car, and got back in time to head to the Oregon Coast for some exploring and excitement. That being said, it’s time to head for the higher country for better snow and climbing conditions.

Hoodoo summit view