Halle’s Smooooth Words o’ Wisdom

Ralph, Pat and I did a familiar tour on Mt. Hood a little differently this weekend. A while back Ralph suggested that instead of doing the tour in typical car-to-car fashion we should leave a car at the Paradise trail head, walk the mile or so to highway 26 and then thumb it to Timberline along with our cousins the snowboarding rabble. Ralph uses this transportation technique paddling on the Clack all the time. Capital idea. Count me a new fan and advocate of the car-walk-thumb-skin-ski-car style of ski touring. The thumb part worked out smoothly to our surprise and glee. We thought we might have trouble being 3 unshaven, ripe rogues all with skis, boots and packs. The mountain folk smiled upon us and we were up at the great Lodge in nearly the same time it would have taken in a second car.