Destination: Mount Hood, Oregon

Another nature-filled day was ahead of us after some time spent in the Columbia River Gorge the day before. This time, we would head over to Mount Hood, the tallest one in Oregon. It would be a short day exploring it and the surrounding areas, as means of recuperating from two full days of jam-packed adventure during our time in the Pacific Northwest.

At a height of over 11,000 feet (3500 meters), Mount Hood absolutely looms in the far-off distance anywhere in the Portland vicinity, thereby making it one of the most distinctive sites in the area. It’s a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders, as it receives one of the heaviest snowfalls at any time of the year, including summer. What’s even more surprising is that Mount Hood is actually not a mountain, but rather a volcano…and a potentially-active one, too! Granted, it hasn’t erupted since 1907, but still, anything can happen, right?

From Hood River, a small town where we’d stayed the night, my family and I made the one-hour drive over to Mount Hood, passing through a scenic route known as “The Fruit Loop” (a name which certainly tickled me silly). It consisted of rows of various fruit trees– apples, cherries, peaches– cultivated by the roadside, which made for a sweet drive through, pun intended!

We made a stop along the Fruit Loop to check out a small hiking trail. I forgot the name of it, but nevertheless it was a charming, off-the-beaten path route. Making our way to a clearing in the forest, we came across a rickety wooden bridge over a stream, with whitewater rapids churning quite strongly– if not careful, one could get easily swept away in the current! There was no one else besides us, which made our discovery all the more special.

Returning to the car, we continued towards Mount Hood. As we climbed higher and higher, we began to see more and more snow on the road. Having come from a non-snowy environment like California, it was strange for me to see so much snow outside, let alone in the summer!

Soon enough, we arrived at the Timberline Lodge located near the summit. Aside from being the base for visitors to access Mount Hood, the lodge is also well-renown itself. Built back in the 1930s, its architectural design was greatly inspired by the artwork of Native Americans in the region, and much of its influence can be seen in the intricately-carved wooden beams, statues, and walls inside of the lodge– as a result, it has a rustic, homey feel to it. The lodge was also constructed using wood native to the Pacific Northwest, including cedar, fir, and pine. Due to its strongly-preserved status, it’s recognized as a National Historic Landmark in the United States.

Apart from its rich history, the Timberline Lodge is also a hotel for visitors to stay in during ski and snowboard season (which is, again, pretty much anytime of the year). It has been made iconic in the 1980 horror film The Shining, based off the novel of Stephen King of the same name. Since then, it has also become a popular tourist destination in that respect, and I saw some film memorabilia while touring the inside of the hotel. Interestingly, it’s famous (rather, notorious) for its Room #217 as described in the novel, and many tourists end up requesting that room to stay the night– for me, being super paranoid about these things, I wouldn’t dare to try it out!

We toured the inside of the Timberline Lodge before making our way outside onto its balcony, where we got a nice view of Mount Jefferson, the second-highest peak in Oregon. Around the corner of the lodge, we were right at the snow-capped base of Mount Hood, where we decided to have some fun with the snow at our feet. Granted, it was difficult to walk around with tennis shoes (it was so slippery!), but it was fun all the same. The last time that I’d properly walked or played in snow was over 10 years ago when I went to Montreal for the first time; that was also the first time I experienced snow and while I’ve since seen snow in my other travels (France, Switzerland, Poland), it hasn’t been as deep as then.

Despite the snow, temperatures were surprisingly warm that day– in fact, I didn’t even need my jacket when outside! I saw plenty of skiers warming up close by and, judging by the distance from the base to the summit, it would be a long way up and down (I’m told it takes about three hours to hike up). I suppose that, if you’re feeling adventurous, then go for it!

Around noon, we ended our time at Mount Hood to make a three-hour drive over the border to Washington for the next leg of our trip. We would be saying goodbye to Oregon for the moment, only to return at the very end to catch our round-trip flight back home. Driving through clusters of small towns and wide, green landscapes, we made it to our hotel near Olympia, the capital of Washington, where we would be staying the night.

There wasn’t much to do in town, and we were too tired from the long drive over to do so. Instead, we just got dinner at a sports bar not far from our hotel– it was classic American grub, consisting of a Reuben sandwich (loaded with sauerkraut, which I liked) and a Happy Hour regional beer, the Deschutes, which is technically from Oregon, but close enough. I’m by no means a beer connoisseur, nor is beer my favorite alcoholic beverage, but the Deschutes wasn’t too bad albeit slightly more bitter than others I’ve tasted. Any case, it was a very-filling meal, and all I wanted to do was turn in once we returned to our hotel, which was exactly what I did.

Our day visiting Mount Hood was laid-back, perhaps even on the uneventful side. All the same, it was a much-needed respite from the previous two days of intense traveling, as well as gearing us up for a soon-to-be eventful time the day after.

More to come soon. Next: Seattle, Washington!

 

— Rebecca