Click on photo for a

short video about our club.

Mt. High Events

 Last updated: August 5, 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

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 

The Mt. Hood Museum also has a permanent exhibit featuring the Steiner Cabins.

The Mt. Hood 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 in the center of Government Camp, 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.

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

Steiner Cabins Tour

Steiner Cabins Tour Highlights Rhododendron Homes

August 11, 2018 (Saturday) 

Bring some walking shoes or even a bicycle for the 2018 Steiner Cabin Tour that will feature homes in the Rhododendron area. Tickets go on sale Sunday, July 1, for the annual tour sponsored by the Mt. Hood Cultural Center & Museum.

The cabins are the work of Henry Steiner, a craftsman who emigrated from Germany and began building mountain homes that relied on the offerings of the natural surroundings. Once a year, the owners of some of the nearly 100 Steiner cabins open their doors to the public.

This year’s tour on Saturday, Aug. 11, features six cabins on a two-mile walking or riding route in Rhododendron.

Six Steiner cabins will be open to tour participants. These cabins represent the variety of uses and signature architectural features found in the Steiner cabins. One cabin on the tour is an overnight rental, two are full-time residents and others are second homes used by the owners.

Two cabins have been fully restored recently, and all are well maintained. These cabins include Henry Steiner’s signature features that draw on nature and materials at hand including basalt fireplaces, log doors, half log stairs and banisters of tree branches.

Tickets will be available online at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 at www.mthoodmuseum.org . All ticket sales are final with no refunds. However, ticket holders may transfer their tickets if unable to attend. Tickets are $30 for museum members or $35 for non members.

Three tour times will be offered, starting at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. One hundred tickets will be issued for each time period. Tour participants will pick up tickets, wristbands and tour maps at Base Camp in Rhododendron, 73208 E. US 26th.

The entire tour is expected to take two to three hours. For those who would like to ride the tour route, bicycle rentals are available at Mt. Hood Adventures at 503-715-2175.

The Mt. Hood 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 in the center of Government Camp, 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.

For more information, contact Janet Paulson at 503-970-3810.

Face painting anyone?

Just one of the several squirrel bridges examined by the engineers before bin installed.

See this video about the event.

https://youtu.be/DlM9CheAdUw

And an even better video,

showing some of the action

at the Squirrel Fest

https://youtu.be/-4nBR0EBLtY

Squirrel Fest

 in Longview, WA

August 18, 2018 (Saturday).  11 am.

WHERE: Longview, WA

Come experience some squirrel fun at the annual Squirrel Fest in Longview, WA.  See tiny bridges built especially for squirrels, to help them cross the streets without getting harmed by passing cars.

But, it's also much more than that. The Fest includes:

• Live music at the Civic Circle.

• A bed race at the Civic Circle

• Happy Kids Fun Run.

• Karaoke Contest at several locations.

• A 30-minute guided trolley tour of the squirrel bridges.

• Food events, giant squirrels, and more....!

More info at:  http://lvsquirrelfest.com/#about

Learn a little more about some Mt. Hood trivia, including a map showing part of this tour in this PDF file posted in our History section.

http://www.mthigh.org/History/Mt-Hood-History-Bike-ride.pdf

Cascade Lodge

Mt. Hood Museum

Share this PDF file flyer with everyone.

Directions to Zig Zag Inn.

(Click on the image to enlarge it)

Mt. High club, Mt. Hood Museum, & Cascade Ski Club

Barlow Road - Mt. Hood area ruts & sites

Barlow Pass to Rhododendron

The event is free.

Optional lodging, dinner, and breakfast just $50.

August 25-26, 2018

 Saturday: 7:00:pm -- Barlow Road presentation at the Museum

 Sunday:   9:30 am -- Cyclists meet in Rhododendron

                10:00 am -- All meet at the Mt. Hood Museum in Govy.

Where exactly is the Oregon trail around Mt. Hood? How did the Oregon pioneers travel? What did they eat and drink? See the original wagon ruts.

The Mt. Hood Museum and Cultural Center is organizing this event as part of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Oregon Trail. The migration started in 1943.

Saturday evening, at 7:00 pm, Lloyd Musser, curator of the Mt. Hood Museum, will give a presentation with slides about the history of the Oregon Trail and of the Barlow Road, the first passage around Mt. Hood.

Sunday morning, starting at 10 am, there will be a field trip to visit all the historic sites. Participants can join any of 3 groups of people:
     a) Carpooling and hiking; - led by Lloyd Musser.
     b) Riding on road bikes - led by Emilio Trampuz
     c) Riding on mountain bikes - led by Lisa Miller.
All three groups will synchronize their movement and meet at all the important sites.

Everyone with a bicycle should meet at the Zig Zag Inn in Zig Zag just a few minutes before 9:30 am. 

Zig Zag Inn is located on youre right just before the start of Lolo Pass Road. Turn into the parking lot before the Inn but then conntinue driving along a dirt road behind the Inn, circling to the back of the building and positioning your car in a single file facing toward highway 26. 

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Once we are all there, we will leave a few cars there and then carpool first to the Museum in Government Camp, and then to Barlow Pass (about 5 more miles further east), where we will start the ride. At the end of the ride, we can have lunch and/or drinks at the Zig Zag Inn.

Bring a water bottle.  The whole ride will probably take about 4 hours, with frequent stops along the way.

This event is open to the general public. It’s a unique opportunity to find out more about how the original Oregon pioneers came to Oregon.

On Sunday morning, the bike riders will meet in Rhododendron at 9:30 am.  They will leave some of their cars there and carpool in the other cars  to the Museum in Governmetn Camp for the official event start at 10 am.  From there, we will all move on to Barlow Pass for the start of the field trip.

 At the end of the day, those who left their cars in Rhododendron will give a ride to the drivers of the cars left at Barlow Pass..

This is a unique and historical ride, somewhat similar to what we have done in past years, but this time much more in depth.  Lloyd Musser will show us details and places we have not visited before. And Lisa Miller has recently discovered a part of the wagon route we didn't know about before.   Here are some highlights:

1. See the original Barlow Trail and even ruts left by the wagons...

2. See the Pioneer Woman's grave.

3. See the Pioneer Cemetery at Summit Prairie and hear the voice of Perry Vickers - who is buried there.

4. See exactly where and how the pioneers passed through what is today Government Camp and Skibowl.  The route is not where you might think it is..

5. See Laurel Hill, the steepest part of the historic Barlow Trail, so steep the pioneers had to lower their wagons with ropes, and tie trees to the back of the wagon to act as a brake. This hill is as steep as a double-black diamond ski trail, and yet the pioneers managed to get down it with their wagons!  Many have seen this steep chute from below, but let's experience it from above, the way the pioneers saw it.

6. Visit a tunnel built for horses.

7. See the Pioneers' Bridle Path trail.

8. See the tollgate replica at one of the several locations where toll was collected from pioneers arriving in Oregon. Many of the pioneers were outraged to have to pay for the privilege of traveling down "the worst road that ever was passed by wagons!"

Some of this may seem familiar. We've done something similar before. But, there will be lots of new stuff to see and experience this time.

If you are planning to be there for the presentation on Saturday night, just show up.  We will then do a headcount of the hikers, mountain bikers and road bikers on the spot.

If you cannot come on Saturday but are planning to do he field trip on Sunday, then please contact the Mt. Hood Museum and let them know you are coming.  This is especially important if you are planning to carpool and hike. We need to make sure we will have enough cars for everyone.

Share this PDF file flyer with everyone.

LODGING, DINNER, BREAKFAST.

============================

Make it easy on yourself.  Instead of driving home after Saturday's presentation, stay the night at the Cascade Lodge in Government Camp. Even better, have dinner there before the evening presentation, and also breakfast on Sunday morning. 

The whole package: lodging, dinner and breakfast, costs just $50.  (NOTE: You need to bring your own sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag.)

For more info about this event, contact Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum, at 503-272-3301, info@mthoodmuseum.org  .

For info about the bike ride, contact Emilio, 503-510-1477, or Emilio2000@earthlink.net.

For lodging, dinner and breakfast at the Cascade Lodge, please RSVP by contacting Jon Waldum, President@cascadeskiclub.org , 503-577-2097. We need to know how many people to expect for dinner and breakfast.

Mt. High
Monthly meeting

Usually on the last Monday of the month.

Mountain High

monthly Board meeting

August 27, 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.

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. Most of us will just 3 nights in Kellogg and1 night in Harrison (for the basic 5-day trip).  You can also stay one more night 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 maybe 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 from Plummer to Harrison. Most of the stuff in between is 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 over 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 flashlights 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 through 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 museum. 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 then return 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's stop 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 the night in either in Kellogg or in Harrison.

Alternative for this Tuesday ride. Instead of shuttling our cars back and forth and riding our bikes all 38 miles, we could skip a portion of the trail closest to Kellogg and instead focus on the wilderness part that is closer to Harrison.  To do this, we would load up all our gear and simply move all our cars to Harrison early in the morning. Then, we would start the bike ride from Harrison and ride east (toward Kellogg) for about the 15 most interesting miles, perhaps to Medimont. And then reverse direction and ride back to Harrison.  By doing the wilderness portion of the trail twice, we would increase our chances of seeing some wildlife.

Even people staying on in the Kellogg hotel can do the same.  Drive their cars and bikes to Harrison in the morning, then ride the western half of the trail (Harrison to Medimont and back), and at the end of the day, they'll have their cars in Harrison for an easy return drive to Kellogg.
 

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.

Everyone please call the hotels directly to make your own reservations.  See the left column for hotel reservations info. Make sure to tell them you are part of the Mountain High group to get the group discount.

Click here for trail map.

Click here for a MAP of the park and the available shelters.

Mt. High Picnic

 at Vancouver Lake

September 16, 2018 (Sunday).  11 am.

WHERE: Vancouver Lake         See video.
                 Heron North shelter.   See MAP

The picnic is a potluck. We'll have sausages of various kinds (spicy and non-spicy) on the grill. Bring something else to share. Also BYOB.

The Heron North shelter has an interior seating capacity of 72. Amenities include a BBQ grill, sink with running water and prep surface, electricity, garbage cans and nine 10' picnic tables.

We can bike around the lake, or swim in it.

Click here for a MAP of the park and the available shelters. Note that we will be in the Heron North shelter..

Warren Miller's new film:

"Face of Winter"

Click on the image above to enlarge it.

The movie is at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall,  1037 SW Broadway,

Portland, Oregon, 97205.

MAP (click to enlarge):

Click to enlarge

Dinner and/or drinks at the Hop City Tavern http://hopcitytavern.com. It is located at the bottom of the Hilton Hotel and is very close to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (almost across the street from it). It is the former Bistro 921, but is totally remodeled.
 

NOTE

The price of the ticket to see the movie is high, but it will be more than offset by the free lift tickets, plus all the other discount coupons we'll receive.

Plus, you'll also get a free subscription to Ski Magazine if you fill out a questionnaire inside the glossy magazine we will all receive at the theater.