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“Mt. Hood, One Monster Mountain”
by Heather R. Burke
Less than one hour west of Portland Oregon is the legendary
Mt. Hood. On a clear day this giant dormant volcano is an inspiring pinnacle
rising above Oregon’s City of Roses. Of course a clear day in the Pacific
Northwest coastal region, notorious for its rain and fog, is a blessed event.
But on those treasured days, when the locals say, “the mountain is out”, Mt.
Hood extends an invitation to come up and play. In fact, Mt. Hood is a winter playground all year, boasting
the sporty accolade as the only place in North America that offers summer
skiing. This is home to the US Ski Team for their summer training camp. Mt. Hood
is so big, at 11,240-feet, that it holds 5 separate glaciers surrounding its
jagged peak and three major ski areas adorn its flanks.
We arrived at the awe inspiring Timberline Lodge set high
on Mt. Hood’s eastern side. Constructed under Roosevelt’s Works Progress
Administration in 1937 to provide jobs, it was at the time an engineering marvel
and is now a national treasure. This immense handcrafted wood lodge is spectacular in many
ways. The 92-foot fireplace is the focal point of the hexagonal three-story
lobby. Throughout the lodge are woodcarvings, wrought iron, mosaics and stained
glass each unique to the rugged mountain environs and to the individual
craftsmen of the project.
Dining at Timberline includes native dishes of venison elk
and salmon complimented by wines from the Columbia and Williamette Rivers. Named
for the Cascade Mountain range, the linen and candlelight dining room is south
facing featuring a stunning view of 10,495-foot Mt. Jefferson in the distance.
For on-mountain dining, there are several options within
the immense Wy’east Day Lodge adjacent to the Timberline Lodge. Near the
summit, the Silcox Hut (accessible only by lift or snow cat) is open for snacks
on weekends, and is available as private cabin for all-inclusive overnight
retreats for parties of 12-24 people. Ten minutes down Timberline’s Mountain Road and another ten minutes from
the area known as Government Camp we discovered Mt. Hood Meadows, another giant
ski area. This one sits on the northern flank of Mt. Hood. Meadows has a newer
feel to it, starting with a glitzy new day lodge and four express quads. A quick lift from the base on the Mt. Hood Express quad gives a view of Five
Bowls to the left and glades and narrower trails to the right. We ski past those
offerings, heading for the Cascade Express and the highest lift serviced
elevation (7,300-feet) on the Mountain. From here you can ski all 2,150 acres.
The ascent out of the Canyon is a methodical double chair,
but it serves as a welcome rest after the hair-raising steeps. From the Heather
Canyon lift, there are half a dozen blue/black runs sharing planetary names
under the Shooting Star Express. Mt. Hood Meadows is twice the size of Timberline’s
skiing. But both areas offer remarkable terrain, making it worthwhile to “do
the Hood” from different angles to appreciate the immensity of this volcanic
peak. We did not make it to Skibowl, the smallest of Hood’s three ski areas.
Mt. Hood Meadows closes end of May, while Timberline’s summit lift stays open
through the summer. Mt. Hood is also legendary for summer hiking, but I prefer
the high-speed quad approach. If You Go:
Timberline Lodge reservations call 1-800-547-1406 Timberline Snow Conditions call 1-877-754-6734 http://www.timberlinelodge.com Mt. Hood Meadows Snow Phone call 503-227-SNOW or http://www.skihood.com Portland For the Portland Visitors Bureau http://www.travelportland.com
or 1-800-962-3700 Portland Airport has daily flights with most major airlines, including Southwest. Portland Airport Embassy Suites is well appointed &
convenient for early or late flights. Author Heather R. Burke Images by Photographer Greg Burke © 2000 by Heather R. Burke. Reproduction of this work,
in whole or in part, including images, without written consent from the author
and photographer is prohibited. |
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TM
On our April visit to Oregon, we landed in overcast
Portland and headed straight for the mountain. The 50-minute drive brought us
from lush green urban development (indicative of the Mother Nature’s sprinkler
system), to immense old growth pine trees. Finally, as we approached the
Timberline Lodge at 6,000 feet, rain turned to snow.
The rooms are modestly furnished and authentic to the
original furnishings right down to the appliquéd drapes and bedspreads. The
view from our second story fireplace was of a huge snow bank. This elevation
receives some 40-feet of snow each winter. By mid-winter the lodge’s
ground-floor windows are covered and snowdrifts enclose the outdoor pool and hot
tub like a snow cave.
Timberline is Mt. Hood’s only on-slope lodging, the next
nearest lodging is down the formidable 6-mile access road in Government Camp.
Waking up at Timberline, we had no excuse but to be the first skiers on the
Magic Mile high-speed quad to 7,016-feet. From here the Palmer Express quad
climbs to the ski area’s highest elevation of 8,540-feet and awards skiers a
whopping 3,590 vertical on over 1,000 acres.
Unfortunately this lift was not opened during our day at
Timberline, so we amused ourselves on the vast snowfield terrain under the Magic
Mile. We had the place virtually to ourselves as we discovered fresh tracks in
natural bowls. Dropping below tree line, we discovered some spectacular tree
skiing. Lower mountain lifts include three doubles and a triple with plenty of
intermediate trail networks for families to conquer.
Mt. Hood Meadows includes the absolutely huge “experts only” Heather
Canyon. This immense backcountry section has more than 20 adrenaline chutes and
bowls easily reached by an eastern traverse. If that is not enough, a SnowCat
(offered on weekends for $10 extra) can get you another 1,020-feet of vertical
dropping into the Canyon.