The Road to Meadows		Mt. Hood Meadows
	Meadows express lift		Ski Patrol hut
	View from Mazot off Mount Hood Express Chair In a lifetime of skiing throughout the United States and Canada, I have never skied Oregon's norhern Cascades until January of this year, 2026. My hometown of Malin is a mile from the California border. Mount Hood is due north, bordering Washington. I drove one day to nearby Mount Hood Meadows Resort and began to cross this off my home-state bucket list. It was a bluebird day. But too many bluebird days with no snowfall had disrupted skiing throughout Oregon, forcing closures, cancelling openings, juggling open hours and weekdays (nearby Mount Hood Ski Bowl was only open for night skiing/boarding). There was plenty of exposed earth at Mount Hood Meadows, but I managed to find ample snow. I skied for several hours, paying special attention to the icy conditions. I was thrilled and ready for more days with better snow conditions.		View of Mt. Washington from Mt. Hood Meadows

TIMBERLINE LODGE

	Mount Washington Oregon Cascades		Timberline Lift
			Timberline Lift One nice caveat of Mount Hood Meadows is that seniors 75 and over ski free. At nearby Timberline Ski Resort the price for seniors is $80 and at Mount Hood Ski Bowl, $52. I drove to both of those resorts to check out the activity. It is worth it alone just to visit the venerable Timberline Lodge, one of the most iconic lodges in America. The ski Resort lies on the upper flanks of Mount Hood and is the only ski resort in the USA open year round. The USA Ski Team practices here in the off season. The Timberline website states: “We offer the longest vertical ski run in the United States, boasting 4,540 vertical feet of continuous skiing from the top of the Palmer Snowfield (elev. 8,540 ft) down to the bottom of the Summit Pass area in Government Camp (elev. 4,000 ft).”
	Timberline backcountry skiers
	Timberline Lodge		Tourist Pullout near Timberline

The lodge itself is unique with a near 100 foot high, six-sided stone fireplace in the center of the main room. Ironwork, hand crafted furniture and Northwest wood carvings embelish the entire lodge. Open year round, the lodge has ski-in/ski-out access. Nightly room rates range from $120 to $300. The views alone are worth the short drive to Timberline from Government Camp. To the south along the backbone of the Cascade Mountains, are spectacular views of composite volcanoes Mount Washington and Mount Jefferson.

GOVERNMENT CAMP

	Charlie's Mountain View Tavern		Charlie's Mountain View Tavern
	Downtown Government Camp at twilight		Mount Hood view from Government Camp
	Ski Bowl West map		Skiyente Ski Club
	Skiyente Ski Club		Summit Pass in Government Camp

After my Mount Hood Meadows ski day, I met friend Kathryn Ankeny Burge at the Mt. Hood Museum (an official world heritage ski museum) in nearby Government Camp. Earlier in the day, Kathryn had competed in slalom races against her fellow Skiyente Ski Club members. Skiyente Ski Club is a Portland Oregon based women’s social club, which boasts as being ‘the oldest, active, chartered all Women's Ski club in the United States, founded in 1955.’ The museum hosted an après ski event for Skiyente and other ski groups. It was my first entry into this fascinating museum (well worth one’s time to visit!), and I made a mental note to return, which I did a week later, extensively viewing the fecund unique collection of winter sports memorabilia and history. After the event, many of us sojourned to Charlies Mountain View—a local ski bar watering hole—for a cold adult beverage. Marvelous wood sculptures adorn Charlies’ walls, celebrating great American skiers Debbie Armstrong, Bill Johnson and the Mahre brothers, Phil and Steve. Johnson often frequented Charlie's after skiing Meadows and Timberline.

Government Camp is Mount Hood’s de facto ski town as it lies at its base and is just north of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. The Northwest’s oldest ski resort—1927—Summit Pass is on the edge of the unincorporated town, with one double chair lift called Homestead and a rope tow. It also offers Nordic trails and a tubing park. Nearby is Mount Hood Ski Bowl, featuring North America’s largest night skiing system of trails. Government Camp is a great place for lodging, dining, renting/buying ski/boarding gear and purchasing supplies for exploring the local area.

There is an abundance of Nordic trails—including Mirror Lake, Trillium Lake, Glacier View, Ski Bowl East, Ski Bowl West—along the Mount Hood Corridor, with excellent cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Check them out at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mthood.com and https://www.mthoodexpress.com/.

WELCHES, ZIGZAG, RHODODENDRON, BRIGHTWOOD, WEMME

	Confluence of Still Creek and Zigzag River		Mount Hood Baking Company
	Mount Hood Baking Company		Mt. Hood Resort swimming pool
	Rhododendron Cabin		Salmon River
	Still Creek Rhododendron		Welches, Oregon

	The Courses Mt. Hood Resort		Zigzag River

Several small communities make up Mount Hood Village: Welches, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Brightwood and Wemme. Located in the heavily forested Hobbit-land of Oregon, each dazzles in its own way. While staying in Welches, I took daily walks from my condo along the picturesque Salmon River. Heavy rains and winter floods created debris fields in a few places, allowing minimal access, but I still found numerous hiking trails. The condo sits on Oregon’s first golf resort, established in 1928: Mt. Hood Oregon Resort. Being an avid birder (although not a golfer), I love the resort’s commitment ‘As a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, The Courses is dedicated to fostering and preserving its vibrant ecosystem. Golfers will witness the results of our award-winning effort in restoring bird and fish habitats along the Wee Burn stream, a tributary to the wild and scenic Salmon River.’ Lodging is also available at the resort.

Welches has a vibrant little downtown area with the best grocery store in the area, a liquor store with the best prices that I’ve seen in Oregon, Cooper’s Wine Bar and Shop, and the wonderful Mount Hood Baking Company, open only on weekends in the winter season. Along Highway 26, I highly recommend the nearby Zig Zag Inn for dinner in a charming history-filled log cabin. Check out the Steiner log cabins in the area, including the 1937 Steiner Log Church. Between 1925-1952, Henry Steiner and his family built by hand some of the most unique architecturally artistic log cabins in existence. Here's one for rent.

One day I stopped in Rhododendron and hiked the local suspension bridge, which crosses Zigzag River. The rising mist created a dreamlike landscape. Two locals encouraged me to hike to Still Creek where it empties into the Zigzag. The old growth forest—occupied by Hansel-and-Gretel-like cabins—had an ethereal presence. An abundance of ferns and moss grew on and around the noble trees, pulsating with the deepest greens that I’ve ever witnessed. Oh, so fortunate those that have cabins and homes here. Heaven on Earth came to mind.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST BILL JOHNSON

Oregon's Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Johnson

Zigzag may be the oddest town name in Oregon. It’s named after the nearby Zigzag River which was named by an Oregon pioneer in 1845 who noted in a diary the zigzagging nature of the canyon that the river runs through.

Zigzag became the home of US Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Johnson prior to his early death at 56. Johnson won the downhill at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, the first American male to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing. A tragic ski accident in 2001 at Big Mountain, Montana, left Johnson with permanent brain damage. He was cared for by his mom at their Zigzag home. My son and I had skied the very run where Johnson suffered his injury just a few days before. Johnson’s home mountain was Mount Hood Meadows. His family once lived in Brightwood. Ironically, the brash Johnson had a tattoo on him stating ‘Die to Ski.’

MOUNT HOOD TERRITORY

	Mount Hood, Oregon		Mt. Hood from Jonsrud Viewpoint

		Mt. Hood view outside Sandy

The top of Mount Hood to the Clackamas River is considered Mount Hood Territory. It is a land of enchantment with great natural beauty and resources for exploring that beauty whether it be winter recreation, vehicle sightseeing, hiking, dining, restful lodging, biking, golfing, fishing or just reading a book in a bucolic cabin along a singing stream. I’ve just touched the surface of this remarkable zone in my home state. I plan to be back for a deeper helping and immersion.

Important Info:

https://www.mthoodterritory.com/
https://www.hikingproject.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Turner is a productive, respected regional, national and international photographer/writer. His work has appeared in countless magazines and books, including Browntrout and Avalanche Publishers' calendars and books, American Heritage, National Geographic Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Sunset, Range Magazine (29 covers), The Atlantic and many others. He is the co-author of the book Mount Shasta Reflections, and his photographs have appeared on covers of many books and magazines. He is an active skier, gardener, fly fisherman, and adventurer. His greatest love is spending time with his son Steen, Chef de Cuisine at Buchanan's Chop House (Whitefish). Click for Larry's Facebook page.