What to do in Portland (4 of 10?) - Mount Hood

Mount Hood is visible from Portland on one of the clear days we do get (closer to a 90% chance in July/August vs. a 5-10% chance in December/January). Mt. Hood is a dormant volcano. The last time Mt. Hood erupted was probably in the years just before the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through the area in 1805-1806. When the passed through, they gave the name Sandy River to one of the tributaries of the Columbia River. This river was most likely very sandy at the mouth where is meets the Columbia at this time due to the runoff from the last eruption. Today - sometimes steam and volcanic gases can still be seen escaping from fumaroles on the mountain, though not from Portland.




To get to Mt. Hood from Portland is just a quick drive east on US Hwy 26. Each year after Thanksgiving, one of our family traditions has been to go Christmas tree hunting up on Lolo Pass Road (which is not exactly on Mt. Hood, but still at 1,500-3,000' elevation.) In the 10+ years we have been doing this, we have had warm rainy days, cold rainy days, snow storming days, and this year - cold and sunny with lots of snow.

If you are a skier, Mt. Hood has plenty of ski resorts - I can't really help you there because I have only been skiing once - probably 12 years ago at Mt. Hood Meadows. We have also gone up to Timberline Lodge - built in the 1930s as a WPA project. You best bet for skiing information is a website like the Mt. Hood Guide.

Of course - Mt. Hood is also the starting point for many of the Tour de Cure courses.

My sledding hill is bigger than your sledding hill!