We got snow! I know, I know, how terribly uninteresting, but it’s sort of a big deal here in Portland. Temps barely drop below freezing so our winters are green and rainy vs. white and snowy. (We even have a lonesome rose blooming in front of our apartment!) No snow days yet though, cross your fingers we score one someday – because yes, even Nike has an occasional snow day.
Skibowl on Mt. Hood
Santa brought Jeff some new snowboard boots, bindings and a ski resort gift card, so guess what’s been on his mind? Mt. Hood, that 11,000-foot hill to our east.
Two Sundays ago, we made the 1.5-hour trek to Mt. Hood’s Skibowl to use his gift card – him, to snowboard, and me, to sit in the lodge bar and read. (And have a few Jubelales, not my wisest move.) I should really learn how to snowboard someday, but in my mind that day has not arrived yet. I was perfectly happy to go along for the ride and tuck myself in a quiet corner of the lodge for a few hours.
Last Monday – a Nike holiday for MLK Day – we were back at Hood again, and this time there was a boatload of fresh snow. Feet! We snaked all the way up the mountain to Timberline Lodge, one of the coolest places in the world. Its exterior starred as the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” but the inside is all cozy wood, fireplaces and windows. We first visited the lodge in February 2011 with Rob and Amy, and haven’t been back ‘til now.
Cloudy snowfall cloaked the mountain in gray so unfortunately we couldn’t see Mt. Hood’s peak, but it was a major powder day for snowboarding. Jeff loved it! I also loved it, snuggled in a warm chair not far from a 360-degree, two-story fireplace. Jeff and I also grabbed an excellent lunch buffet, highlighted by Timberline’s signature hot chocolate (that needed a crisscrossed straw foundation just to hold up the mountain of whipped cream and toffee crumbles). I think I could live in that lodge.
The snow followed us home to the valley, although it’s quickly melting as our temps climb back up to 50 degrees. Snow is exciting, but I’ll take 50-degree January days over it any day!
Here comes Hood! On our way to Skibowl
Bluebird day on the way up to Skibowl
Getting closer to the peak…
My little spot in the Skibowl lodge bar
Jeff showing off his new boots at Skibowl
Very different look from the week before!
Snowy terrain on the climb up Mt. Hood
At least dressing the part at Timberline Lodge
Jeff ready for the slopes at Timberline
Love this place – Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood
The view from my cozy spot in Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge’s signature hot chocolate – decadent!
Wintery wonderland outside the Timberline Lodge
Look familiar? It’s the hotel from “The Shining”!
Our Oregon Trail 