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Blogging Mt Hood

Blogging Mt Hood
Blogging the local scene of Mt Hood, Oregon. Opinions, news, entertainment, local stories, hiking and biking trails, ski and snowboard resorts.

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Articles

Mt Hood Ski Resorts Still Open with Base over 15 Feet
2008-04-12 18:30:00
While Timberline Lodge boasts year round skiing in Oregon, most other resorts close down a few months shy of summer. But this year may compare with the late skiing season of two years ago, when Mt Hood Meadows was able to keep lifts going until June.?So long as our skier visits tally 4,000 or more on a weekend, we?ll commit to open the following weekend,? Matthew Drake, chairman and CEO of Mt. Hood Meadows, wrote on his blog. This is good news for skiers and snowboarders that wish to take advantage of cheaper spring season lift tickets and season passes.This week, the weather has been that of a more typical Mt Hood spring season, with bright blue skies, warm air, and blooming wildflowers. But just last week, as order to remove snow-tires were issues, there was still a layer of snow on the roads as far west as Welches area. So far, no plans have been made to plow and open roads to snow-covered campgrounds, lakes, viewpoints, or hiking trails. But the good news is, you can rent a pair...
More About: Open , Feet , Resorts , Base

VEGETATE THIS WEEKEND!
2008-04-04 08:20:00
Mt Hood Meadows - April 5th and 6th for Vegetate '08!The longest running independently produced competitive freestyle ski and snowboard events in the Northwest is going on this weekend at Mt Hood Meadows. This awesome annual event is being presented by Salomon and Full Sail Brewing, and will feature the SuperPipe and the RailJam competitions, and almost $14,000 cash prizes as well as merchandise giveaways!Originally, the concept of Vegetate grew out of a "native wildflower revegetation program" that helps raise money and awareness for the program, which collects and cultivates native grasses and wildflowers. Today, the event draws talent from near and far to compete in one of the biggest cash and prize pool this side of the Rockies!You can register in advance on Friday, April 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Find more information online by visiting their website.
More About: Events , Weekend

2nd Annual Full Sail Bank Slalom at Mt Hood Meadows on March 15th and 16th
2008-03-13 23:44:00
Mt Hood Meadows has created a roller coaster of a course, designed for any level of skill. Complete with a large number of bank turns and surprise features, this event is for all ages of skiers and snowboarders. Winners will be chosen by division, and single best recorded time, and competitors will have two runs each.All categories will include separate men's and women's divisions, and are: Junior Skiers, Junior Snowboarders, (Juniors are 17 years and under), Master's Skiing, Master's Snowboarding, (Masters are 40+ years), Open Skiing, and Open Snowboarding. There is a total prize pool of $4800 in cash and gift certificates, and online pre-registration offers GUARANTEED entry. Check out their website for more details.
More About: Events , March , Full , Sail

24 Year Old Skis Off 250 ft Cliff at Mississippi Head on Mt Hood
2008-03-11 19:40:00
Would you purposely jump off the steep 250 ft. drop of Mt Hood 's Mississippi Head ? Well, Matthias Giraud did - and he's got the video to show off his perfect landing!Giraud has been skiing for many years, but recently decided to go for base jumping. Several months later, he combined the two sports, and began planning. He recently took is passion to Mt Hood, and shot down the slope at around 40 mph as he headed over the jump from the Mississippi Head. But my second-hand commentary would only diminish the moment, so I highly suggest just watching the video below - it's truly awesome! The video is from Frontside Productions, and includes footage from the grount, as well as shots from Giraud's point of view. The helmet-cam views were just beautiful - it's almost as if you were there - but not.Also check out the interview with Matthias Giraud on YouTube.
More About: Cliff , Year

24 Year Old Skis Off 250 ft Cliff at Mississippi Head on Mt Hood
2008-03-11 19:40:00
Would you purposely jump off the steep 250 ft. drop of Mt Hood 's Mississippi Head ? Well, Matthias Giraud did - and he's got the video to show off his perfect landing!Giraud has been skiing for quite a few years, but more recently decided to go for base jumping. Several months later, he combined the two sports, and began planning jumps. He recently took his passion to Mt Hood, and shot down the slope at around 40 mph as he headed over the jump from the Mississippi Head. But my second-hand commentary would only diminish the moment, so I highly suggest watching the video below - it's truly awesome! The video is from Frontside Productions, and includes footage from the ground, as well as shots from Giraud's point of view. The helmet-cam views were just beautiful - it's almost as if you were there - but not.Also check out the interview with Matthias Giraud on YouTube.
More About: Cliff , Year

Local Mt Hood Entertainment Hot Spots
2008-02-15 01:21:00
All around the Mt Hood area, there are cool places to go, bands to check out, and local entertainment - you just have to know where to look. Head in to the wrong place and you could end up with a room full of eyes - all on you! But some places are just cool in general, some more trendy than others, but most have the good old mountain feel to 'em.Here are just a few, some I'be been to, others I've only heard the stories, but wherever you go, just be sure to drive safely. We locals have to share the road with some pretty out of control people, and many have paid the price. So whether you're a local or a fun and friendly visitor - have a designated driver. But on again to the fun, check out some of these favorite local Mt Hood hang-outs, and let's hear your comments on the places you most like to go on the mountain!Charlie's Mountain View Restaurant and Bar is one of Government Camp's local entertainment hubs. While it's definitely a great place to go anytime of year, the summe...
More About: Entertainment , Events , Local , Spots

High Winds Forced Timberline Lodge to Close Lifts Yesterday
2008-01-22 17:55:00
It was an extremely windy day yesterday, so much so - that Timberline made the decision to close down the lift. It was a small price to pay for safety, though!Today is a gorgeous day, very clear - but it's cold! Gear up for cold weather if you're headed up to the mountain, as the clear skies make for an extra nippy day. The wind has slowed down a bit, and Timberline has reopened the lift, which runs today from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The temperature is a chilly 24 degrees, and be prepared for snow-covered roads, there is 11" of new snow on the mountain in the past three days!
More About: Weather , Forced , Close , High , Yesterday

The Road to Trillium Lake
2008-01-15 23:45:00
I've wanted to go up to Trillium Lake while there is snow on the ground and take a few pictures, but I lack the proper gear to go trodding through the snow at this point. That's the problem with living up here, some people (such as myself) sometimes take the beautiful area that surrounds us for granted. For instance, we had about 7 pairs of skis two years ago, and now - not one. We just tend to get involved in daily activities, rather than parttake in all of the fun we once imagined having. The picture to the right is the road to Trillium Lake in February of 2007, the last trip I attempted to get to the lake with snow on the ground. There was only a few feet on the ground on that day, and the weather was beautiful. It was warm enough to wear only a tee shirt and shorts and be comfortable. But, after about 1/3 of a mile of walking in mushy-up-to-our-ankles snow, we realized that we were in over our heads if we expected to make the minimum 4-1/2 mile round trip we planned. If we mad...
More About: Road , The Road

A Rare Shooting in Zig Zag near Lolo Pass
2007-12-11 23:56:00
Car accidents, hiking tragedies, weather related injuries and accidents: all things that I thought about when I heard the tens of sirens rushing through the Mt Hood Corridor last night. But I have to admit - even after living in Los Angeles for 25 years with gangs and gun violence - I didn't even imagine that there could have been a shooting.Late Monday evening, two men and two nine-year old children were coming back from Government Camp, where they had earlier been snowboarding and enjoying life. They reportedly were being followed too closely by another vehicle somewhere near Rhododendron. After a short time, the men decided to pull over to the side of the road, hoping that the aggressive driver would pass. But that didn't happen, the other vehicle actually pulled over as well. The men got out of the car and walked over to the other vehicle, reportedly spoke for a moment, and then both men were shot. They ran back to their car, and drove west towards Zig Zag, where they pulled o...
More About: Shooting , Pass , Rare

Tons of Snow on Mt Hood and the Ski Season Kicks Off
2007-12-01 01:02:00
Well, after a few days of the weather forecasters giving wishy-washy reports, we can finally see for ourselves that the ski season has finally kicked off! I have heard the saying "I wish it would just snow already" from just about everyone in "the Hood ". It was a strange start this year, with frost on the ground in late October, and then sunny warm days to follow. For those who wanted to enjoy a late fall hike - it was perfect weather. But as the rain crept in and tempuratures dropped, most of us just wanted to snow to fall - and it finally has . . . is. Yep - it's snowing now, and has been nearly all day. There's even snow at the base of the mountain, all the way down to Sandy on the west side along Highway 26. If you're on the east side - we'd love to hear about the snowfall on your side!So while the forecasters wait until Saturday for their snowfall in the valleys and possibly even downtown Portland - we've got a beautiful blanket of fluffy, white, sticky snow - and all of t...
More About: Season , Snow , Kicks

Life Goes On
2007-11-13 02:40:00
There are some days that just seem to move really slow, and yet it seems only a moment has gone by. The passing of a month or two - in reality, just zips past us at times. But that's no excuse, it's been about two months since I last posted. The weather was great, life changed a little, and I logged on - only to realize that it had been September since the last post.Since the weather was good, I recently realized I should have taken a few pictures while I could. But that has all changed with the recent clouds and rain. So I share with you a picture taken over the summer, which was taken from Multnomah Falls - looking north-east from the trail up to the bridge.Multnomah Falls is accessible from Hwy 30 off I-84 between Portland and Hood River. There are several beautiful waterfalls to see, and although I have many waterfall pictures, I thought it would be nice to see the view opposite the waterfall. You can just make out the Columbia River that separates Oregon and Washington. The h...
More About: Life

Spirit on the Mountain in Welches Tomorrow!
2007-09-14 22:16:00
Are you ready for one of the best concerts and festivals on the mountain? Come out to Welches for Spirit on the Mount ain . With three stages, a huge line-up of musicians and musical artists, you're in for some great entertainment, and something for everyone in the family to enjoy.There is even a youth stage with an awesome show, featuring XILE, OverKast, We as Human, Soul P, and Holding Out. For the adults, there's the awesome entertainment of Stage 1, featuring The Young & The Beautiful, Wright Family Band, Kate White & Table Rock Road, RESCUE, and Tray Michaels. If that's not enough for you, check out the Indoor Accoustic Stage, the line-up includes Matina Hunnell, Emily Crawford, Andrea Wellard, and Mike Logan.Doors open at 9 a.m., and entertainment begins at 10:00 a.m. For more information on the local area lodging, food, camping information, and contact information, visit the Spirit on the Mountain website.
More About: Tomorrow , The Mount

Spirit on the Mountain in Welches Tomorrow!
2007-09-14 22:16:00
Are you ready for one of the best concerts and festivals on the mountain? Come out to Welches for Spirit on the Mountain . With three stages, a huge line-up of musicians and musical artists, you're in for some great entertainment, and something for everyone in the family to enjoy.There is even a youth stage with an awesome show, featuring XILE, OverKast, We as Human, Soul P, and Holding Out. For the adults, there's the awesome entertainment of Stage 1, featuring The Young & The Beautiful, Wright Family Band, Kate White & Table Rock Road, RESCUE, and Tray Michaels. If that's not enough for you, check out the Indoor Accoustic Stage, the line-up includes Matina Hunnell, Emily Crawford, Andrea Wellard, and Mike Logan.Doors open at 9 a.m., and entertainment begins at 10:00 a.m. For more information on the local area lodging, food, camping information, and contact information, visit the Spirit on the Mountain website.
More About: Events , Tomorrow

A Brief Lesson in Avalanche Safety
2007-09-04 13:07:00
Test for the possibility of avalanche by digging a straight horizontal line across the snow about two feet wide, and at least 6 to 10 inches deep. Then dig downward at a right angle from each end of your initial line, then complete a square by digging another line paralell to the first, leaving a raised square in the center. Lock your hands around the top of the square you have built in the snow, and pull downward, in order to determine the strength of the snowpack. If the snow seems solid, it is probably okay to climb on it. However, if you are able to slide the square of snow downward relatively easily, you may be in danger of causing an avalanche by climbing on the surface of the snow. Caught in an avalanch, a person buried may have only 15 minutes to live before suffocating. If you are caught in an avalanch, you could be disorientated, and not know which way is up or down. One way of finding out which way to dig yourself out would be to spit. Due to natural gravitational pull, ...
More About: Safety , Avalanche , Lesson , Brief

Nationwide Bomb Scare Begins at the Sandy Safeway
2007-08-31 02:27:00
For nearly a week now, the Safeway in the small city of Sandy , Oregon has drawn quite a bit of attention. A string of national bomb scares aimed towards obtaining a wire transfer began with a phone call to the Sandy Safeway. The caller seems to be aware of the movements inside the businesses, leading officials to believe that the people behind the threats could have hacked into the video surveillance systems. There have been 15 stores in 11 states that have received similar threats, sparking an ongoing federal investigation.Sandy is less than 10 miles north-west of the comfortable place that this blog calls home, nestled on the flanks of majestic Mt Hood. Sure there are common small town issues in the growing, yet friendly and family oriented town, but the recent events raise many questions about how safe it is in any city of town in the United States. Although most people don't put too much worry into the overall safety of each individual community, the fact remains that none of u...
More About: Bomb

Mt Hood Jazz Festival Kicks Off Today
2007-08-03 19:20:00
The Center for the Arts in downtown Gresham is hosting the annual Mt. Hood Jazz Festival this year, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening, and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. With great sounds from both national and local favorites, the festival boasts an awesome lineup. Saturday's line-up lasts until around 10:30 at night for a full day of family fun, music and shopping.Admission prices: $15 for Friday night, and $30 for Saturday, children under 12 are free. You can get the full artist line-up and information on venders by calling 503-661-2700, or visit their website at www.mthoodjazz.org. They also have a MySpace page, for those of you who are interested, www.myspace.com/mthoodjazfestival.com.
More About: Today , Kicks

What is Your Favorite Mt Hood Spot?
2007-07-21 20:59:00
Of all the great places around Mt Hood that there are to visit, most locals or frequent visitors have their favorite place to relax, enjoy the views, take pictures, or just soak in some of the pristine waters near the mountain. It's hard for me to pinpoint my abosulte favorite place, between the Hood River Valley spread out over miles of orchards and vinyards with the majestic mountain backdrop, and the dense semi-rain forests of the south-west flanks of Wy-east. I love sitting on the shores of the serene lakeside at Trillium, and wandering along the Zig Zag and Sandy rivers.Perhaps one my favorite would be the beautiful views along Lolo Pass, just beyond the old Barlow Trail road, with so many gorgeous low-lying mountain tops visible from the windy road, Mt Hood standing it all its glory, rising above the thickly treed foothills. So, what's your favorite place among the vast expanse of the Mt Hood area?
More About: Spot , Favorite

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