Brother Dixson,
Having done some of these kinds of landings....never as extreme as on Mt. Hood....but on some very steep mountain ridge lines....I can attest the lack of visual reference is a distinct problem.
As you well know....lateral visibility looking aft from the Pilot's window is limited....and with lots of air around the rest of the bit you can see...and what you can see is a very long way off....handling can get interesting.
Add in some smoke haze, fog, or darkness that further obscures one's visual references and it can get very sporty.
Compound that with the use of NVG's....and you begin to earn all that Flight Pay the Army gives you.