Click on photo for a

short video about our club.

Mt. High Events

 Last updated: June 18, 2018
Latest news in the left column,
Click on underlined events in the Calendar on the right or
scroll down for details of upcoming events.

Weather forecast for Government Camp on the right.
See bottom of this page for ski area reports.

Mt. High members at Stevens Pass

Mt. High members on Mt. Hood

NOTE TO NEWCOMERS

Nordic skiing exhibition

The Mt. Hood Cultural Museum preserves and showcases the rich history of Mount Hood through interpretive exhibits and educational programming. The museum features six galleries that highlight the history of the mountain’s early exploration, winter sports, settlement and natural history.

Winter Comes

Special Exhibit

(Continues till June 30)

Continuing special exhibit

This once in a lifetime exhibit continues to draw extra visitors to the museum. Created by the Oregon Nordic Foundation and the Deschutes Historical Museum the exhibit traces snow skiing back in time to before the wheel was invented. Using photographs, graphics, videos and an amazing collection of skis the exhibit traces the roots of skiing in the world and Oregon up to today.

Location:  Mt. Hood Museum & Cultural Center

Government Camp, Oregon

Admission is FREE.

For more information, please call the museum at 503-272-3301.

Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum
ph: 503-272-3301, info@mthoodmuseum.org 
www.mthoodmuseum.org 

The museum, the Mt. Hood Information Center and the Museum Gift Shop are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Admission is free.

The Mt. Hood Cultural Museum preserves and showcases the rich history of Mount Hood through interpretive exhibits and educational programming. The museum features six galleries that highlight the history of the mountain’s early exploration, winter sports, settlement and natural history.

Oregon's Connection to the

Winter Olympics

Special exhibit

This exhibit recognizes Oregonians from 1936 to 2018 that have participated in the Alpine events in the winter Olympics.

Location:  Mt. Hood Museum & Cultural Center

Government Camp, Oregon

Admission is FREE.

For more information, please call the museum at 503-272-3301.

Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum
ph: 503-272-3301, info@mthoodmuseum.org 
www.mthoodmuseum.org 

The museum, the Mt. Hood Information Center and the Museum Gift Shop are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Admission is free.

The Mt. Hood Cultural Museum preserves and showcases the rich history of Mount Hood through interpretive exhibits and educational programming. The museum features six galleries that highlight the history of the mountain’s early exploration, winter sports, settlement and natural history.

The museum, the Mt. Hood Information Center and the Museum Gift Shop are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Admission is free.

History Happy Hour

at the Mt. Hood Museum

Last Saturday of each month, 2018

Doors open: 6:30 pm.

Presentation starts: 7:00 pm.

Be entertained and learn something new.

$5 cash at the door. Beer & Wine available for purchase.

Location:  Mt. Hood Museum & Cultural Center

Government Camp, Oregon. Across the street from Huckleberry Inn and about 2 houses up the road. Right next to the Taco Shoppe.

Social History Happy Hour events take place the last Saturday of the month at the museum. Topics range from Mount Hood photography to ski fashion to volcanic activity on the mountain.

2018 Schedule

March 31     Ski Fashions Vintage to modern. Skiyente Ski Club & Hillcrest Ski & Sports

April 28        A conversation with the Ranger -  Zigzag District Ranger Bill Westbrook  -- CANCELED
No Happy Hour program this month!

May 26         Hiking Mt. Hood NF trails -  TBA

June 30       Geology of Mount Hood - Forest Geologist, Ryan Cole

July 28        History of Summer Skiing on Mt. Hood - Jeff Lokting

Aug 25         Barlow Road, Mt. Hood area ruts and sites - Lloyd Musser (Lecture is a prelude for Sunday field trips)

Sept 29        Mount Hood Trivia & Prizes - Lloyd Musser & Janet Paulson

Oct 27          Missoula Flood and Oregon settlement patterns - Rick Thompson

Dec 29         Mount Hood Movie Outtakes -  Lloyd Musser

For more information about the lecture series, please call the museum at 503-272-3301.

Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum
ph: 503-272-3301, info@mthoodmuseum.org 
www.mthoodmuseum.org 

Click on the logo to go the FWSA web site:

Click on the Convention logo below to go the Convention web site:

Click here for

Convention flyer

The Convention will be held at the

The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

3800 S. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502

800-723-6500

www.atlantiscasino.com

86^th annual

Far West Convention

Reno, Nevada

June 7 - 10, 2018

June 7 - 10, 2018.

Remember we are all part of larger organization. Yes, we are part of the NW Ski Club Council, ... but also of the Far West Ski Association, which encompasses eleven Councils in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Utah.

FWSA represents all our local ski clubs, and organizes at least 3 trips every year:
1) the FWSA Ski Week (at Aspen this past winter);
2) the FWSA International Ski Week (usually in Europe);
3) an International Summer trip (like a trip to China or the Alaska Cruise).

Convention Activities:

Thursday and Friday are the fun days, in the form of golf, hiking, biking, a pub crawl, pool party, etc.

 
FWSA organizes a number of club competitions and awards — for best Newsletter, best Web site, Outstanding club, Safety person of the year, Man and Woman of the year, etc. Awards are given at the annual Convention..

On Saturday, a big part of the annual Convention is a Travel Expo, where club members can meet with dozens of Ski Industry representatives.

Also, there are educational opportunities, seminars, presentations, and group discussions on a variety of topics.

A number of ski celebrities are usually present. In the past, we had several Olympic ski champions, some extreme skiers, some founders of famous ski areas, famous film-makers, and more.

Registration and info:
Register by May 7, to secure your spot.
Register and Pay Online  or download the Registration Form and mail it to:

FWSA Convention Registrar
Jean McCasey
10635 Esmeraldas Drive
San Diego, CA 92124
Jlmccasey@yahoo.com
858-560-8722

For more information see the FWSA Convention web pages at:
http://www.fwsa.org/Conventions/FW-2018Conv/Registration/FW-2018Conv-DelegateRegistration.html
 

Also, please notify Debbi Kor that you are coming to the Convention, so that all our Mountain High delegates are registered as a single group. Contact Debbi at: ijustwannarun1@comcast.net

This year's FWSA Convention is being hosted by the Bay Area Snow Sport Council and Sierra League and Council.

PACRAT ELECTIONS

PACRAT elections will also be held at the same meeting. The following are elected positions for the PACRAT Board:

* President:          Andy Hobart (incumbent)
* Vice President: Geoff Mihalko (incumbent)
* Secretary:          Dan Lane (incumbent)
* Treasurer:          Virginia Collison (incumbent)

* Sponsorship Director: Sandra Volk  (incumbent)

* Membership Director: Amanda Moran

* Party Director:   Sylvia Kearns (incumbent)

* Race Director:   Greg Dilger (incumbent)

* Results Director: Dale Parshall (incumbent)

* Rat Patrol Director: Mark Conan (incumbent)
* Communications Director: Bob Lawrence

* Director-at-Large: Peter Dodd (incumbent)
 

(All other Board positions are assigned by the President).
Also on the Board, but NOT elected, is the Immediate Past President. Appointed Positions are Director at Large - Chief Rat Patrol and Director at Large - General.

If you are interested in running for a PACRAT Board position for 2017/18, please contact Andy Hobart at president@pacrats.org . Please provide information on what position you would like to run for and why you are interested in doing so. He will be assembling the ballot. You will need to be at the meeting to say a few words about why you'd like to run and what you plan to do, or have someone else show up and speak on your behalf .

Who votes in PACRAT Elections? The clubs must decide on who gets to vote for the club. Usually it is the Team Captains, but in cases where there are more teams than votes available, only the number of votes designated for that club may be cast. ALL team captains CAN be there to caucus, but each club can only cast the proper number of votes:

* Mountain High = 5 votes
* Cascade = 3 votes
* Skiyente = 2 votes
* Schnee Vogeli = 2 votes
* Bergfreunde = 1 vote

Combined meeting & Elections

NWSCC & PACRAT

June. 20, 2018 (Wednesday) - 6:00 pm.

A multi-club meeting, attended by representatives of several local ski clubs.. At least one representative from each club should attend. But also, the meeting is open to all club members.

Location: TBA

The focus of this meeting is ELECTIONS; both for NWSCC and PACRAT. Come learn the latest about what NWSCC is doing!

Join the leadership of the Council – serving on the board of directors is a great way to get involved in club, council and Far West Ski Association activities.  The board is made up of members from different clubs in NWSCC—bringing a variety of style and experience to the Council.  

All officer positions are open for one-year terms.  The following officers will be voted upon at the June 20, 2018 meeting:
 
President:  Head of the Council Executive Board; represents NWSCC at Far West Ski Association board meetings and at National Ski Council Federation meetings.

Vice President:  Assumes duties of the president when needed and handles other duties as assigned.

Treasurer: Responsibility for Council financials.  Experience with bookkeeping software and GAAP necessary.

Secretary: Records Council minutes and correspondence as needed; keeps corporate records.

At-Large Director (two positions):  Duties as assigned by the President.  [Other directors will be appointed by the elected Board to fill the slate.]
 
Time involved:  Quarterly Council meetings; a monthly board meeting; other duties as assigned or as you volunteer to work on.   
 
If interested, please contact President@nwskiers.org for more information or to put your name on the ballot.  We need your input and support, and want YOU to consider serving on the Board!  

See the NWSCC bylaws (click HERE) for complete job descriptions.

New pedestrian bridge between Riverfront Park and Minto Brown Park

At the far end of Minto Brown park, it is very quiet.  No crowds and hardly any cyclists.

DIRECTIONS

1. Exit I-5 southbound, onto Salem Parkway. That is the very next exit after the Keizer exit.

2. Follow Salem Parkway until it turns to Commercial St. NE. Then stay in the "slow" lane (the right lane).

3. Turn RIGHT onto the bridge across the Willamette River toward West Salem and Dallas. The bridge is part of Hwy. 22.

4. Stay in the right lane and turn right onto Wallace Rd. in West Salem. Stay on Wallace Rd. for about 5 short blocks.

5. Turn RIGHT at a traffic light onto Glen Creek Road, NW.  Follow it to the end.

6. At T-intersection, turn RIGHT (toward the water filling station). Park in the first parking area on your RIGHT.  See Google Map.

Or click on this close-up map of Wallace Marine Park to enlarge it.

Mt. High

Salem Riverfront Park &

Minto Brown Park

June 23, 2018 (Saturday).  Meet: 9:45 am,  Start: 10:00 am.

Join Mt High Club members in a rolling good time on any kind of bike. Most of the ride will be on perfectly paved bike trails. We will also have an option to ride on a narrower trail that is not paved but smooth.  Anything from a racing road bike to a fat-tire mountain bike will be just fine.

This ride will take us through a lot of diverse landscapes, most of it in the shade of trees.  Some of it along the Willamette River.  It's a total of only about 10 miles, and it is mostly flat, but with occasional undulations, in and out of gullies. There are enough gentle uphill sections that will give us all a workout.

Most of the ride is totally away from the town. We will not see any signs of town after we cross the pedestrian bridge within the first half a mile.

We'll end the ride with lunch (or brunch) at Busic Court, just a block from the park.

9:45 am.  We'll meet and park in the shade of old growth trees in Wallace Marine Park in West Salem.  See Google Map.  Just change the "Salem Parkway" starting point to your own persaonl address to get directions all the way from home:  Also see the Directions in the left column here.

10 - 11:30 am:  We'll start the ride by crossing the Willamette River using a pedestrian bridge. We'll ride our bikes through two adjacent parks, linked by a new pedestrian bridge:

a) Salem Riverfront Park, along the Willamette River, with lots of attractions such as a carousel, a sternwheeler boat, and more.  It can get a bit crowded.  Fortunately, that is only the first half a mile or less.

b) Minto Brown Park  A very large park on Minto Brown island. As soon as we cross the new pedestrian bridge, we are getting away from the crowds and entering a mix of forests, meadows, orchards, and farm fields. We might see some ducks and beavers.  A lot of the ride is in the shade of trees.

12:00 (noon):  Lunch/brunch at the Busic Court restaurant.  They serve great breakfast! . Possible alternatives to Busic Court include: La Hacienda Real (Mexican), Kwans' Cuisine (Chinese), Rock-N-Rodgers (American), or the Original Pancake House (pancakes, crepes, eggs and more).

Questions and please RSVP to:  Emilio Trampuz, 503-510-1477, or Emilio2000@earthlink.net

We need to know ow many people to expect for lunch!

Mt. High
Monthly meeting

Usually on the last Monday of the month.

Mountain High

monthly Board meeting

June 25, 2018. (Monday) - Usually the last Monday of the month. 

6:00 pm - social gathering;

6:30 pm - formal meeting. 

Location: Round Table Pizza, 10070 SW Barbur Blvd., near Capitol Hwy. (by McDonald’s).

This is an organizational and planning meeting, attended mainly by Board members, trip leaders, activity organizers etc., but it is open to all.  Anyone wanting to get more involved with the club is welcome.

See:

www.SummerFunNationals.com

Lifts open at 7:00 am

Race starts at 8: 30 am

NOTE:  A thousand dollars will be given away in cash prizes of $50 and $100.  Every racers has a chance to win.

Friday is a welcoming party  in “NOW” at Willy Scroggins house across road from Brew Pub. 3–6 pm.
Saturday is a GS race (two runs). Then a BBQ at the Day lodge.
Sunday is a Slalom race (2 runs).

The cost, if registered before July 13, is as follows:

1. The entire weekend (GS, BBQ, SL) = $135  
    (After July 13 = $165.)
2. Saturday only: (GS, BBQ) = $95
3. Sunday only (SL): $65.
4. Guest for BBQ only = $39

After july 15, there is a late fee of $20 - $30, depending on the event.

Oh, just one small detail. To participate, you need to be a member of the USSA – the US Ski & Snowboard Association. Not a member? No problem. Everyone can sign up for a temporary one time membership (just for this event) for $25. Join at: http://my.ussa.org/membership/start .

In Wallace, the trail goes right under I-90 for a short stretch. The building in the photo is the Railroad Museum.

Click here for trail map.

The map shows both the CDA trail and the  Hiawatha trail.

Contact:

Emilio Trampuz

503-510-1477

Emilio2000@earthlink.net

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

1. Kellogg:  Fairbridge Inn

601 Bunker Avenue

Kellogg, ID 83837

www.fairbridgeinns.com/kellogg/idaho/suites

Reservations:  208-783-1234

Reserve at least the first 3 nights.

The 4th night is either here or in Harrison

To get the group discount, tell them you are with the "Mountain High" group.

DISCOUNTED GROUP RATES:

Cost per room:Saturday: $109  .  .  .

Sunday - Wednesday:  $79

Any additional nights:  $79

- - - - -

2. Harrison:  Lake View Lodge

110 N Coeur d'Alene Ave

Harrison, ID 83833

 www.lakeviewlodge-harrison-idaho.com

Reservations:  (208) 689-9789

Normal price:  $148 - $325

DISCOUNTED GROUP RATE = $135.

To get the group discount, tell them you are with the "Mountain High" group.

Regular rooms are already taken, but you will probably get a room with a kitchenette for the same price of $135.

NOTE: If you forget to identify yourself as member of the Mountain High group, you will be told that there are no more roms available, because we reserved most of them.

Idaho bicycle trip

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

72 mile paved trail across the Idaho panhandle

PLUS

Route of the Hiawatha trail

15 miles of smooth dirt road through tunnels and over railroad trestles

Click here for map

September 1 - 5, 2018.  (Saturday - Wednesday) - Labor Day weekend plus 2 days.  Drive your own car or carpool with someone. We will definitely need to carpool within Idaho to shuttle between the different segments of the trail. The more cars we have, the more flexible we'll be.

The CDA Trail is a72 mile long paved bicycle trail from the town of Mullan (near the Montana border) to the town of Plummer (south of Couer d'Alene).  We will definitely see at least: egrets, osprey, and grebes (birds that can swim under water), plus deer, wild turkeys, and maybe some moose too, if we are lucky. Moose are the most elusive.

Optiona attractions along our path include: eat at the "Snake Pit" in Enaville, visit a Railroad Museum, and/or visit a Silver mine near historic Wallace. Also, see the Center of the Universe in Wallace, Idaho.

Lodging in the town of Kellogg for 4 nights.  includes: lodging,  breakfast, and an indoor swimming pool with a hot-tub. Cost per room = $109 on Saturday night and then $79 on all the other nights. That's a total of $346 per room (plus tax) for all 4 nights. Split between two people, that's $173 per person for all 3 nights. 

Lodging in the town of Harrison is optional on our last night there. We could stay just 3 nights in Kellogg and1 night in Harrison (for the basic 5-day trip).  You can also stay in Harrison if you wish to extend your trip to 6 days or more, either to bike some more or to just enjoy the lake. Cost per room with our group discount is $135 per room per night, and the number of rooms is very limited.

Note that the Harrison hotel doesn't offer breakfast and doesn't have a hot tub or swimming pool.  The town itself, the park, the lake and the nearby river are beautiful, but we can and will enjoy it during the daytime anyway.  We don't have to sleep there if the price seems high.

Please let Emilio know your lodging preferences.

Also, contact Emilio if you need a roommate. We'll pair you up if you don't already have someone you want to share the room with.

Cycling is free on the CDA Trail, but the Hiawatha trail charges about $20 per person (which includes a bus ride back to the starting point).

1. DEPARTURE: It is recommended that we all plan on leaving Portland by about 8 am on Saturday (Sept. 1), especially if we want to allow for a couple of hours to ride the Sacajawea trail in the Tri-Cities. Also, leaving early in the day would give us time to check into our hotel in Kellogg, freshen up, and go out to dinner together, where we can start planning the next day.

2. TRANSPORTATION: We’ll drive up in our own cars. Some carpooling is possible, but don’t overfill your car with passengers and luggage. Try to keep your car half empty, so we can take turns at shuttling people up and down the trail. Unless you have a very large minivan or SUV, ideally each car should have no more than 2 people in it and the ability to carry 3 bicycles + at least 1 additional temporary passenger.
 

3. BICYCLE: You don’t need a mountain bike. The 72 miles of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes are perfectly paved and smooth, perfect even for racing bikes with those super-skinny tires. The 15-mile Hiawatha trail is not paved, but it is still smooth enough for a road bike with medium tires (just not the skinny racing ones).
 

4. BRAKES: You definitely need good brakes for the first few miles from Mullan to Wallace, on the eastern end of the trail, which we will ride in the downhill direction. Also, for the western end of the trail (if we decide to do it downhill too). Most of the stuff in between is mainly flat. So, to be on the safe side, please make sure your bicycle brakes are not totally worn out!
 

5. THE TRAILS:

a) The 72 mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes between Plummer and Mullan is really nicer, paved, and includes facilities (picnic tables, restrooms, etc.)See a diagram showing the elevation gain along this trail.  Note that the middle part is almost completely flat, ad the two segments on each side we will do in a downhill directions.
 

b) The Hiawatha Trail is about 15 miles of unpaved compressed gravel road. This trail goes through several tunnels and passes along several railroad trestle bridges. Most of it is fun, except for the very first tunnel, which is 1.7 miles long. You need to have lots of lights to ride through it. At a minimum, one light on the bike and another on your head. Bring the brightest flashlight you can find. Have more lights if you can. The tunnel walls are sooty black from the coal-powered steam locomotives, and it is very hard to see. Even if you don’t have a problem riding though it, it’s not really fun. I would recommend taking your car over the 5 mile forest road that goes over the hill bypassing the tunnel. There is plenty of parking space on the other side of the tunnel.

c) An unpaved, packed gravel road between the Hiawatha and the CDA Trail. This connecting road crosses the Idaho/Montana border at Lookout Pass ski area, and it totals about 20 miles. Alternatively, one could simply park the car at the Lookout Pass ski area and ride the approximately 12 miles to Mullan, where the paved CDA Trail begins. But beware, it is easy to accidentally take the wrong road and not realize it for many a mile. This is not part of the official trail and it is not marked at all. We are NOT planning to ride this unmarked and unpaved section. But if you want to do it, just get an early start, so you can ride this section and then meet the rest of the group.
 

d) The Sacajawea Heritage trail, a 23-mile bicycle loop near the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers at the Tri-cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick) in Washington. This is about half way to Idaho, and a perfect place for a break from the driving. At least some of us will do this on on the drive up to Idaho. We don't need to do the whole 23 miles. Even just 5 - 10 miles through a riverside park would be fun.
 

THE ITINERARY

=============
The general plan would be to do it as follows

We plan to ride socially, together, at a moderate pace.:

Saturday. Just drive to Idaho, with an optional stop at the Sacajwea trail in Kennewick, WA.  Stay the night in Kellogg, ID.

Sunday, Ride the Hiawatha Trail.  First take our cars for abot 4 miles into Montana, take the "Taft" exit off of I-90, and then dfollow a dirt road for another mile or two to the start of the trail just before the long tunnel.  Stop near the tunnel just to pay your access fee, but then feel free to drive your car another 5 miles over the hill to the other side of the tunnel.

Stay the night in Kellogg, ID.

Monday. CDA part 1.  Mullan to Kellogg.  Total of 18 miles. Stop at the half-way point to spend some time in historic Wallace, where we could visit the railroad museum and/or the silver mine and/or a brothel that is now a musem. Also have lunch somewhere in town. Then ride the remaining 10 miles back to Kellogg. If you wish, double the mileage from 18 to 36 miles by riding uphill to Mullan and the nreturn to Kellogg down the same trail.

Stay the night in Kellogg, ID.
 

Tuesday. CDA part 2. Kellogg to Harrison. Ride 38 miles, almost all flat. This includes includes all of of the wilderness area, where we are most likely to see wildlife. Also, let'sstop for a nice brunch at the “Snake Pit” in Enaville - which is not too far from Kellogg (maybe only about 5 miles or so). The bulk of the ride would be after that breakfast stop. You are guaranteed to see at least egrets, eagles, and grebes (birds that can swim under water). If we are lucky, we might also see some moose. We might even take a quick swim in the river we'll be riding along.

We could stay either in Kellogg or in Harrison.
 

Wednesday. CDA part 3. Plummer to Harrison.  Ride the last 16 miles on the west end of the trail. Maybe take a swim in Lake Coeur d'Alene.  Then have lunch in Harrison, and head back home. If we leave by about 1 pm, we can be back in Portland by about 8 or 9 pm.   If we leave by 2 pm, we can be home by about 9 or 10 pm.

Optionally, you could stay on in Harrison for an additional night or two, and then enjoy the park, the lake, maybe rent a kayak or canoe, or go swimming.

 
Let Emilio know your preferences for driving, carpooling, biking, and lodging (room-mates, etc.), and I will do my best to match you up and pair you up (unless you already have a partner). We will have 2 people per room, just like on any of our ski trips.

Once we have a roommate and once we decide how many nights to spend in Kellogg (3 or 4), and in Harrison (0, 1, or optionally more), then everyone please call the hotels directly to make your own reservations.  See the left column for hotel reservations info.

Click here for trail map.