Blogging Mt Hood

New Facebook Group for Mt Hood Locals to Buy, Sell, and Barter!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Looking for a way to connect with others in Mt Hood to buy, sell, and barter? There's a brand new Facebook group that is set up just for that purpose! Whether you're a local artist, local business, or an individual who just wants to sell a few things, if you live on the mountain - it can be difficult (at best) to connect with locals in the community to buy or sell things, and even harder to find people to barter with. The group, Mt Hood Buy, Sell, Barter, is open to all Facebook members, and local Mt Hood area residents are encouraged to join. It's free to use, free to join, and free to post.

In Portland, Craigslist is great, but just doesn't seem to reach the Mt Hood area, the local area postings in Mt Hood area are sparse, if any... Garage sales and yard sales are great, but with short summers and long months of cold rainy or snowy weather, outdoor selling is limited to the sunny months. With so many people using Facebook as a way to stay connected, it has become a great community resource, and now - it brings us all together in one place to buy, sell, and trade - for free!

Join the Facebook group today, and start posting, selling, and reaching out to other locals in the area! Invite your friends, family and neighbors, and help build Mt Hood's newest local venue, Mt Hood Buy, Sell, Barter.

Three Missing Climbers on Mt Hood: Headlines of Lost Hikers Sound Eerily Familiar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:33:00 +0000

In mid December of 2006, three Mt Hood climbers went missing in the midst of a severe weather storm. They were never seen again. But this morning, three years later, headlines give a grim reminder of the tragic events, with those painfully familiar words, "Three Mt Hood Climbers Reported Missing". Two male hikers and one female set out on a technical climb up the west side of the mountain and didn't return by their expected 2 p.m. arrival time on Friday, December 11, 2009.

The climbers are said to be experienced and prepared, and although they do not have a location beacon, they did send a text message today around 1 p.m. Detective Jim Strovink, of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, is waiting for any possible location information from the cell phone company, hoping it will pinpoint the hikers' location. 25-year old medical student Anthony Vietti, reported them missing, sending an email to the FOX 12 newsroom in Portland stating that he was a friend of one of the missing hikers.

Portland Mountain Rescue workers have begun searching for the missing climbers in the Reid Glacier area, which is known for its large crevasses and elevations ranging from 6,000 to 9,800 ft. Using snowshoes and binoculars, a team including about 30 volunteers are actively involved in a ground level search. The Oregon Air National Guard is standing by for a break in the clouds in order to conduct an air search.

Gorgeous Weather on the Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Today is an absolutely beautiful day in the Mt Hood area, with clear blue skies and bright green vegetation in the woods, it's a great day to enjoy just about any activity on the mountain. Everyting just seems alive and wonderful, but that's normal to those of us who live here.

It's the type of day that no one wants to work, and if you're stuck working in the coffee shop today - you're probably looking for any excuse to go beyond the entrance doors and smell the fresh, clean air.

I thought at first that the scenery was extraordinarily beautiful to me, since I had an extended visit to the Los Angeles area, where the air is brown and the people are in a rude hurry. But sitting here at the local internet hub at Java the Hut in Welches, listening to the chit-chat of the passing people, I realize that the beauty of the day has hit just about everyone here. Skiiers and snowboarders, out-of-towners, and especially the locals - people are continuously marvelling at how absolutely bright and pretty is really is up here right now.

Just $10 to Ride the Greasebus from Portland to Meadows

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Can't find a ride to Mt Hood Meadows? Wanna take a ride on the Greasebus? That's right, starting next week the Greasebus will be back in action!

The Greasebus has been making daily trips up the mountain for only ten bucks a head, as long as they have a least 10 people riding for the day. The recently took a short hiatus to accommodate other bookings and funding opportunities.

Why is it called the Greasebus?
Because this is Portland's first grease-fueled Portland to Meadows shuttle service, using loft-over restaurant fryer grease. Yep, this is a veggie-powered shuttle bus - hence the name, the "Greasebus".

The shuttle leaves Portland each day at 9:00 a.m. and leaves from Meadows each day at 4:30 p.m., arriving back in Portland around 6 o'clock. Get all the details on the Greasebus, as sign up, read Greasebus news, or browse the forum on their website.

Stolen Snowboards and Skateboards Recovered in Sandy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:38:00 +0000

Justin David Thomas Jackley, an 18-year old from Estacada, was arrested for stealing several snowboards and skateboards in Sandy. In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 21st, one of the victims called the police to report the theft of two skateboards, and offered a description of the suspect, and the escape vehicle.

It didn't take long for officers to find Jackley, who stopped him at the intersection of Hwy 26 and Bluff Rd. in Sandy. They recovered the two skateboards reported stolen, as well as two snowboards - not yet reported stolen. Jackley was charged with Theft 1, lodged in Clackamas County Jail, and bail was set for $15,000.

Check the Snow Conditions Before Heading Out to Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The weather has been kind of crazy up here on the mountain in the past few weeks, and yesterday a large number of lifts were closed due to wind. Including Timberline, which so rarely shuts down all of their lifts. So, before heading up for skiing or snowboarding, you may want to check out the conditions at your favorite hot spot.

To save you a little research time, here’s a list of the most popular mountain resorts and lodges, directly to the “conditions” page to get the latest information on the forecast, current snow conditions, road conditions, and lift status.

Mt Hood Meadows Ski Resort

Timberline Lodge

Summit Ski Area

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort

Mt Hood SkiBowl

With high winds, rain, ice, and tons of snow this year already, you’ll want to make sure the lifts are open before heading up. Have fun!

Mt Hood is Definitely Getting a White Holiday Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:31:00 +0000

But it's not just the Mt Hood area, but Portland, Vancouver, and the rest of the Oregon and Washington areas - both east and west of the Cascades. There is another set of storms gearing up to drop a lot more snow on the area, and even though this is nearly the perfect storm for skiers and snowboarders, getting up to the mountain hasn't exactly been easy.

Anyone driving in the Portland metro area has been required to have chains on their vehicles, but with so many roads closed, several stretches of area highways shut down due to ice and blizzard-like conditions, severe wind and thick snowdrifts, people haven't been getting very far.

The Portland airport (PDX) has been plowing the runways, keeping them open for traffic coming in and taking off - but the airlines have canceled most flights into and out of the area. TriMet has been attempting to provide transportation to the many people trying to navigate the snowy, icy streets, but even with the buses fully chained-up, getting stuck is a very real possibility. Greyhound buses stopped as well, leaving about 150 people stuck sleeping on benches at the depot.

More snow is coming in later this week, and could be dropping quite a bit of fresh snow. While it sure is beautiful, you tend to wonder when it will stop. So as for this "Arctic Blast" as the media has tagged it, I've started to call it, "The Storm that Wouldn't Quit". It seems like a winter wonderland for kids, skiers, quad-riders, and tractor owners as I watch the interesting forms of transportation that have been gracing the streets during this 40-year record breaking snowstorm.

2009 Mt Hood Calendar of Events to Launch Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:16:00 +0000

We're finally getting the ball rolling on the 2009 Mt Hood Calendar of Events, and we're kicking off with the December 2008 line-up. Since the snow should be coming down anytime now, we thought it would be a good idea to put together this month's calendar pretty quickly! Keep checking back, our January 2009 Mt Hood Calendar should be up soon. (You can already follow and bookmark the link!)

If you've got a public event coming up in the Mt Hood area some time in the near future, let us know! We're talking anything from your local guitar night or pub-music jam session, to your jammin' ski and snowboard competitions or big-bash party events! And we're not opposed to talkin' about your local quilting or knitting circles, or even the weekly yoga classes - we wanna cover it all, everything on the Hood!

The Jonsrud ViewPoint on Bluff Road

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:54:00 +0000

The Mt Hood area has some beautiful viewpoints, but one that is well known is along Bluff Rd in Sandy, near the Jonsrud Viewpoint, pictured on the Sandy area yellow pages. On this particular day, there were cars stopping more than usual, just to see the beautiful colors standing out against the gray clouds.

I wish I had a better camera with me that day, but because my cell phone has a camera on it, I was able to capture a few pictures. Believe me, even if I had my camera, the panoramic view would have been hard to capture the way we saw it that day. Not to mention, the wonderful conversations that took place between strangers that day . . . just beautiful.

Last Days of Sunshine on Mt Hood Before Ski Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:38:00 +0000

Most of the roads to the lower elevation lakes are still open, and there’s time to get in some fishing, photography, or lakeside hiking before the snow starts to fall. The weather seems to be holding up; the news forecast predicts that there will be sunshine for a good portion of the week.

Because we've had some wet weather recently, the forest is green and plush, but dress warm – the sun can be slightly deceiving! Even though it may look warm from your window, it’s cold out there! Dress in layers, but make sure that you have long sleeves – AND a jacket.

Since the snow brings a slew of snow sports, it can be exciting for some to see the weather changing. But wait - you may still want to try to enjoy the last few days of sunshine while you still can! - otherwise, you might just have to wait another year!

(Pictured Above: Little Crater Lake, Mt Hood Area, Oregon)

Chaos at Shorty's Corner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:17:00 +0000

A few days ago, I was on my way down the mountain towards the gateway town of Sandy. I planned on stopping into Shorty's Corner for an oh-so-yummy-but-so-unhealthy BBQ burrito - but after seeing the swarms of police and emergency vehicles in the parking lot, and officers gathered around a small reddish truck, I decided to press on, and get something in Sandy.

I stopped for gas at Arco, (their gasoline is not produced from products purchased in the middle east, and their prices are lowest on the mountain - still.) and then at Sparky's for a pizza. As I sat waiting for the pizza to bake, a few more emergency vehicles and police cars flew by, and I was imagining the worst.

On my way back up the mountain, I realized we had nothing to drink with the pizza, and pulled into Shorty's parking lot. I must have a severe short-term memory issue, because I seemed to have forgotten about the commotion on my way down. But it seemed to have calmed down a little, and I went in anyway.

While in line, the young man in front of me was talking with the clerk, and said "I'm not supposed to be around guns, so I went walking around a little, and when I got back he was hunched forward with blood all over him!"

That got my attention, and I knew the clerk well enough to get a little closer to the conversation. She asked, "Did you know them?"

"Yeah, we were all together, but I couldn't be around them because they had guns. I went up Wildcat with my friends, and my other friends showed up to go shooting, that's when I took off, because I can't be around guns. But when I came back, he was covered in blood." He was completely shaken by the event, understandably.

"What type of gun was it?"

"An old shotgun, like an old style one."

At that point, I figured that it was some sort of accident, and asked the young man, "Is he going to be okay?" He turned to me and started to look really worried, "I hope so, I'm pretty sure it was just flesh wounds, but his chest was covered and so was his face. It must have malfunctioned, it was pretty old. But thanks, yeah, I hope he's okay, he was just laying in my arms with blood all over him."

He explained that they were just beyond the rock quarry on Wildcat Mountain Road and that Shorty's Corner was the closest place to go for help. By that time, I was finished making my purchase, and he turned to the clerk again, and as they got more into detail about what happened, and we all exchanged glances one last time before I passed through the door, and took my pizza home, where I set it down to go look for the family. I should have bought the burrito, because a few minutes later (while no one was looking) our bulldog ate the entire pizza.

The Eruptive History of Mt Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:55:00 +0000

While historical accounts allow us to peek into the past to learn more about the past 1500 years of Mt Hood’s volcanic activity. But beyond that period, scientists have used geological surveys, core samples, and other scientific practices and theories to determine some of the details of previous eruptive periods.

During the middle of the 1800’s, Mt Hood went through a brief period of minor eruptions, producing little more than steam and ash from the small explosions.

Approximately 200 years ago, there was a more active period that produced pyroclastic flows, tephra falls, and lahars that flowed through the west and south valleys, and created the lava dome at Crater Rock.

About 1500 years ago, there was a much more substantial eruption, creating an avalanche of debris to flow from the upper-south flank, and created a lava dome near Crater Rock. The activity produced pyroclastic flows and lahars in the south and west valleys, as well as large tephra falls.

Prior to this, Mt Hood is said to have undergone the “growth period”, during which there were many explosions that produced the large lava dome, lava flows that created the lower flanks of the mountain, tephra falls and lahars that swept through the valleys below. The period is estimated to have been approximately 15,000 to 30,000 years ago, according to scientific studies.

Hiker Lost in Hunchback Mountain Area on Flanks of Mt Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:44:00 +0000

On Sunday afternoon, June 8, 2008, a man hiked into the Mt Hood National Forest, leaving from the Zig Zag Ranger Station for a short day hike on the Hunchback Mountain Trail. By around 7 o’clock that evening he was on his cell phone with Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office trying to find a way to explain where he was lost. He knew he had limited use of his cell phone battery, no flashlight, and that he was standing in the snow in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. It was clear that Chad Tabler needed help.

Clackamas County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (SAR) coordinators and 20 volunteers quickly set up a post at the Zig Zag Ranger Station and continued their search throughout the night. They knew by the fact that Tabler was standing in snow that he was at or near the 3500 ft level. They had possible coordinates of his location through the cell phone he used, but were also aware that those are not always accurate, and that he was not exactly dressed appropriately or well equipped to set up camp for the night, and the temperature was in the 30’s.

Along with the Clackamas County SAR coordinators, the search team included the U.S. Coast Guard, American Medical Response, North Star Canine, Mountain Wave Communications, Pacific Northwest Search & Rescue, and the Four-by-Four Club (Jeep Vehicles). They were well equipped for the search, with heat sensing helicopters, air patrol, and a ground search team.

By 5 a.m. word came from the SAR command post that they had located Tabler, and that he was being medically evaluated, and may need to be airlifted to safety. The hike out of the mountainous area was around three hours.

Around 7 a.m., Chad Tabler, along with Pacific Northwest Mountain Rescue’s Tom Batty, Tony Hobkirk, Scott Schwab and Brian Hankins, were airlifted to safety and brought to the Welches Grade School parking lot. Search and Rescue Coordinator Sgt Napoli said, "This operation could have very easily gone bad and had a different outcome. The weather was turning nasty just as we were loading the subjects into the USCG helicopter. ALL of the resources are to be commended for their teamwork and professionalism! Great job!"

Photo courtesy of Sgt Napoli of Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

Three Mount Hood Hikers Caught in Avalanche

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:00:00 +0000

The three hikers were seen climbing near the Pearly Gates area approximately 2200 ft from the summit of Mount Hood. The climbers were reportedly on their way down the mountain when a 60 to 80 ft wall of snow broke and crashed down toward the climbers.

About 500 yards away, a man witnessed the avalanche sweep the three climbers about 350 feet before landing 18-yr old Ian Metcalf up to his waist. He was upright and able to breath, suffering minor injuries to his face, arms and abdomen.

He had been climbins with two others, one of them an experienced climber from Eugene, and the other climber had no experience climbing prior to ascending Mt Hood. Luckily, all three escaped the potentially deadly avalanche that day, and even Ian is excitedly planning his next mountaineering adventure.

Search and Rescue personnel wish to remind the public of the extreme dangers that exist on the mountain at this time with the intense sun and potential for avalanche activity.
_____________________________________
Photo provided by Clackamas County Sheriff's Office

Mt Hood Ski Resorts Still Open with Base over 15 Feet

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:30:00 +0000

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 of snow-shoes and head into the snowy back-country of the Mt Hood wilderness area.

VEGETATE THIS WEEKEND!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:20:00 +0000

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.

2nd Annual Full Sail Bank Slalom at Mt Hood Meadows on March 15th and 16th

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:44:00 +0000

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.

24 Year Old Skis Off 250 ft Cliff at Mississippi Head on Mt Hood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:40:00 +0000

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.

Local Mt Hood Entertainment Hot Spots

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:21:00 +0000

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 summer months are definitely filled with some awesome local entertainers. Their website has a calendar that shows which musical artists are scheduled, but you never know what spontaneous thing may happen over at Charlie's! (Check out the webcam on their site, too!)

Mt Hood Roasters Restaurant has some fun weekend entertainment as well, with loca favorites like Bob Voll, (who we locals also know as the UPS guy!) Check out their Events Calendar for more of their scheduled events. When the weather is nice, you can sit on the patio and watch live bands play, while you sip a cold beer next to the warm table heaters! The original owners still produce the awesome locally roasted coffee, which you can find online to enjoy some of that tasty brew at home! Roasters was once well known as Welches Living Room, and under the ownership - they are now branding themselves as home of the 4-egg omlet!

Hood River County Chamber of Commerce has the scoop on local entertainment in the Hood River area. I happen to live on the other side of the mountain from Hood River - so hopefully you locals out there will chime in on the comments and let us know where the fun is!

I'd love to send you to the website for the Skyway Bar & Grill in Zig Zag (just east of Welches), but they don't seem to have one. They have recently re-opened, but where once the talk of the town! I did however stumble upon this neat list of local restaurants, though! Take a look and check a few of them out. Or if you've already been to some of them, share your experience in the comments area!

High Winds Forced Timberline Lodge to Close Lifts Yesterday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:55:00 +0000

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!

The Road to Trillium Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:45:00 +0000

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. I would imagine that there is a beautiful picture waiting to be taken now, with all of the recent snow fall. After last February's experience, we will wait until we are better prepared for the trek.

Perhaps we would have made it with ease if we had snowshoes or cross-country skis. Or even a dog sled would have kept us above the slushy under-crust - like the well prepared people we saw coming from one of the side paths with their small pack of dogs. But somehow I don't picture our bulldog pulling us on a sled . . . pulling us by the pant-legs - that I can see. But a sled - not so much.

A Rare Shooting in Zig Zag near Lolo Pass

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:56:00 +0000

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 over again at the Lolo Pass intersection of Zig Zag. At that point, both men were rushed to the hospital in Portland. Both men are recovering, one is still in the hospital with serious injuries.

I am making a quick assumption that the shooter is not from this area, but the police have no information, and are actively investigating the details of the shooting. At this point, it is being called a case of road rage, but there doesn't seem to be anything to indicate that the two men did anything to anger the other driver, but in fact - the opposite could be considered true. It sounds more like a set up - the driver behind the two men was seemingly instigating a confrontation.

Many people who are not from the area assume that this is a sleepy little mountain area. Most locals are aware that there is not enough policing of the illegal activities on the mountain, and that there is never anyone around when needed, at least on the west side of the mountain. It would be great if more local residents would become involved, speaking up about the things that are happening in our own backyards. If you have something to say - you can even say it annonymously here, just leave your opinions in the comments area.

Tons of Snow on Mt Hood and the Ski Season Kicks Off

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:02:00 +0000

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 the Mt Hood ski resorts will be open. For all of you who've been waiting - either we'll see you there - or tell you all about it. Either way, enjoy!

Life Goes On

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:40:00 +0000

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 hills in the background of the picture are in Washington.

Spirit on the Mountain in Welches Tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 20:16:00 +0000

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.