Mt Hood for beginner in December-avalanche risk?

Passing through Portland in a couple weeks and thinking about doing the South Side route while I'm there. Is this route prone to avalanche danger this time of year?

Just came off a wildland fire season, so confident in being able to get up the route, but new to big snow climbing on a glaciated peak and travelling in avalanche terrain, so not confident on hazard assessment/decision making.

These days the snow in December isn't all that much but the route is still plenty doable. You may find ice in the Pearly Gates.

The most avy-prone section is the slope climbers left of the hogsback (West Crater, near the old chute route). There have been big slides there. I would avoid it or stay just under the rime walls (both on the way up and down). The slope getting up to the hogsback can also be considered avalanche terrain and can get wind loaded. So be aware of the previous weather and current avy forecast. 

As always and given your experience, consider finding a partner who knows the mountain. The gates/chute are just a hike in the spring/summer but they can be a bit more than that in winter to someone without experience. 

If you are asking that question, then yes. 

Get educated before going out. Read the local forecast. Make plans based on conditions that day, and pick your route accordingly. Know how to mitigate hazards by following terrain features and avoiding avalanche paths. Know how to access the snow on site with no forecast and evaluate as you proceed. Make sure you have the proper gear and know how to use it.

 No offense but your question shows your ignorance on the topic. As someone who has spent years in avalanche terrain and lost friends and partners to them, and been caught in them myself, it sounds like you should not be going out in the backcountry in winter.

https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/#/mt-hood

drew A wrote:

As always and given your experience, consider finding a partner who knows the mountain. The gates/chute are just a hike in the spring/summer but they can be a bit more than that in winter to someone without experience. 

Yeah I'd definitely be happy to have a partner along who knows the place. Any advice on the best place to find someone, other than here?

Help me out, I'm pretty new to this avalanche stuff.

M Rox's photo of the Old Chute doesn't look like a slide or avalanche to me, it just looks like a bunch of individual sloughs of snow / broken cornices / rime ice coming off the rocks later in the day.  Hard to tell the scale, for sure.  But each of those slides looks to be only a couple meters wide at most.  So, risk could be mitigated by getting up and down early.  Also, this photo doesn't specifically demonstrate avalanche risks on this slope but also doesn't rule it out.

How'd I do?

Slope angle shading from Caltopo.  Red represents slope angles that are in the avalanche "sweet spot."  In summary, almost everywhere.

Eric Roe wrote:

Help me out, I'm pretty new to this avalanche stuff.

M Rox's photo of the Old Chute doesn't look like a slide or avalanche to me, it just looks like a bunch of individual sloughs of snow / broken cornices / rime ice coming off the rocks later in the day.  Hard to tell the scale, for sure.  But each of those slides looks to be only a couple meters wide at most.  So, risk could be mitigated by getting up and down early.  Also, this photo doesn't specifically demonstrate avalanche risks on this slope but also doesn't rule it out.

How'd I do?

Failed ... what you are looking at are a series of pinwheels and rollerballs of snow. Which shows the snow surface is wet and loosing strength and cumulated in a wet snow avalanche.

It should also be noted that the local avalanche forecast is only at best a guideline for the upper elevations on Hood. The forecast zone is typically about 8000' and under (basically the tops of the ski resorts).

Portland Mountain Rescue had some photos of the upper mountain from a couple weeks back.  I don't think conditions have improved since then, if not gotten worse. 

I've only been on the upper mountain about 10 times, and would not want current conditions to be my first time up there.  

You don't cross this exact terrain on the way to the South side routes, either, but there is a video at this link of a skier getting lucky in avalanche terrain around this time of year a few years back.