Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Mt. Jefferson is the second highest mountain in Oregon, and a notch up in difficulty and commitment than the South side of Hood. The South Ridge is the easiest route, mostly a long ridge of class 3 scrambling. But do not underestimate this route. The last 200 vertical feet are kinda tricky! This route has a long fixed line traverse of an exposed 50+ degree snow field, (very loose scree/rock in late season) followed by a 4th class scramble to the single rock block of the summit. Long days and unexpected bivies are common on this peak. In a big group, 4 ropes and a lot of pickets are a good idea, 3 to fix the traverse and one for the summit block.
This is a limited use area, you will need a permit.
Activity Notes
This is a three-day climb of Mt Jefferson. Sunday, July 11th we will depart Pamelia Lake TH at 8:30 AM. We will likely camp near Shale Lake. We might camp higher if mosquitos are really bad and/or weather is unusually warm. Monday will be summit day - expect an alpine start since we will need to get on and off the snow traverse before the sun warms up that snow (rockfall hazards). Monday night we will enjoy our time at camp, and Tuesday we will hike out and drive back to Portland. Find Activity Financial Aid Info here: https://mazamas.org/financialaid/
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 120 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 2 hours |
| General Route Info | SummitPost.org; MountainForecast.org; Willamette Nat. Forest, Detroit Ranger District: 503-854-3366 |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in two or more days |
| Interesting Features | Spectacular Views |
| Relevant Books | Oregon High by Jeff Thomas |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Mt. Jefferson, and Geo-Graphics Mt, Jefferson Google map https://goo.gl/maps/pqJxBofhaCQ2 |
| Awards Qualified | 16 Major NW Peaks, Seven Oregon Cascades Peaks |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
