Growing up in the outskirts of Oregon where snow flies in the winter, you’d think I would have been an avid snow-sport fan. A few disastrous sledding accidents and the fact that I HATE to be cold pretty much ruined it for me. Despite those two clear early indicators that I was never going to be a good snow-bunny, I tried my darndest to learn to ski when I was in high school. I had some “well meaning” friends who tried to “teach” <<insert sarcasm – what I really mean is these guys would have led me off a cliff just to laugh about the carnage>> me. I was a disaster. I could never quite capture the right rhythm or the ability to control my speed. What I was proficient at was dive bombing in a straight line until I was going so fast I would freak out and crash in some horrifically embarrassing fashion that left a yard sale of equipment in my wake. It was good for a comedy show, but after a few runs I was usually too wet, cold and worn-out to continue. I spent a lot of afternoons in funky lodges reading a book, trying to stay warm and drinking hot cocoa.
The ski lodges of my youth were extremely underwhelming. I had a romantic (saw it in a movie) idea that ski lodges were grand cozy places with giant fire places and glamorous people sipping hot toddies in their high-fashion winter-wear. Damp rooms filled with cafeteria chairs littered with discarded skies, poles and gloves (not high-fashion gloves either) were more the norm in the tiny Eastern Oregon resorts where we skied.
Imagine my delight <<more sarcasm>> when I fell in love with a Floridian who LOVES to snowboard. YAYYYY…(secret ugh). The saving grace is that we live near MT Hood and Timberline lodge. Timberline is dreamy and reminiscent of the lodges you see in the movies (maybe minus the glamorous people from the eighties). It’s totally the “Overlook Lodge” from the movie The Shining (exteriors) and I was disappointed the first time I visited not to find the hedge maze out front. The disappointment stops there. I still do a silent redrum chant in my head whenever I walk around up there.
Mt Hood looking out the window in Timberline Lodge
The lodge was built near the top of Oregon’s tallest mountain from the timber and rock that surrounds it. It’s rustic and cozy and lodgy and totally reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest. The sheer mass of the timber pillars and giant fire places is pretty awesome. I love cozying up by the fire on one of their funky couches and reading my book while Brent snowboards. YAYYYY (for real). There’s a perfect position there on the couches where you can get the fire and one of the big pained windows that frame the mountain in your sights all at the same time. Add a glass of wine and you’ve got pure perfection.
Brent says the snowboarding is pretty good too. I’m committed to learning in 2011. We’ll see how that goes and I’m glad that when I’m wet and tired and cold I have a cozy (meets all my romantic expectations) lodge to snuggle up in. Explore Timberline lodge any time of year – but this winter for sure. The snow is plentiful! These photos were taken in late November. There’s loads more snow now. They’ve got decent food and good bars + world-class recreation in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
If you have a fun Timberline and/or Mt Hood story, I’d love to hear it! Leave a comment and share your adventure.
