Mount Hood, Portland

Its hard to stay city bound when a mountain looms in the distance, about an hour's drive away. Mount Hood has year round skiing, summertime hiking, and, of course, Oregon's tallest peak. it can be reached directly by Hwy 26 or by taking the circuitous route through the Columbia River Gorge, which has some fantastic scenery and plenty of waterfalls.

For more information, feel free to browse my Mount Hood page.

There are 4 places to ski on Mt Hood.
Mt Hood Meadows: The largest and most crowded site. Parking is tight and if you don't get here early you get stuck in the overflow lot and bussed in on old school bus. The mountain is good but beware the wind at the top. Also come ready for continuous light snow! If it is raining in Portland its snowing here ( pss it rains a lot in Portland)

Timberline: A nice smaller resort with every more limited parking. The lodge is historic. The wind is wicked here so beware or dress WARM. When the sun shines it is a beautiful place.

Coopers Spur: A small single lift, single rope pull and a two tubing pulls. Cheap and a great place to teach your kids for under 20 bucks. But as the price says there is no amenities here. You don't pay much and you don't get much. You get a great private lesson for 20 bucks. Its owned by the same people who own Mt Hood. They want you to get the ski bug here then spend big bucks at Meadows.

Ski Bowl: Advertised as having the largest night time skiiing. Very low elevation so snow is the worst of the 3 big resorts. Short and many advance runs, the closest resort.

This is the highest mountain in Oregon with skiing, hiking, climbing, and all sorts of other outdoor activities. Mt Hood is about two hours drive east of Portland. See my Mt Hood tips for other ideas. Included are a couple of virtual climbs in the travellogues..

Now that you are in Portland, you can't possibly leave here until you have visited Oregon's highest point - Mount Hood. On a clear day you will see the snow-capped peak from various points in and around Portland. Mount Hood is in the Cascade Range, about 60 miles East of Portland, but you have to go around it to see it properly. The round trip, along the Columbia River Gorge, is almost 200 miles. Hood is a symmetrical, extinct volcano with glaciers and forested lower slopes. It is a favourite place for mountaineers and a skiing centre. (See my Mount Hood Page -coming soon).

We got to do some spring skiing at Mt Hood Meadows. This day snow was great, visibility sucked.