Anniversary at Mount Hood

Today was our two-year anniversary and we left Bend and headed to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood to celebrate. We had a very nice breakfast at the hotel and then checked out and started making our way north. From Bend, we took US-97 north and then US-26 W into Mount Hood National Forest. Ironically, we had great views of the mountain for most of the drive until we got into the forest, at which point the trees blocked our view. As we got closer to the mountain, we took OR-35 N and got off at the exit for Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort. There wasn’t much snow, so the skiing area was closed. We parked just before the entrance on the side of the road at the trailhead for Umbrella Falls Trail (667). It was only a quarter mile to Umbrella Falls, a nice 60-foot waterfall with a veil over the bedrock.

There was a footbridge crossing over the creek just below the falls and provided a good spot for pictures.

We stopped for a few minutes and then continued another quarter mile to the intersection with Sahalie Falls Trail (667C). From here, it was about a mile to the next waterfall. The hike was very pleasant, gradually heading downhill through the forest and along a ridgeline above East Fork Hood River. As we got close to the road (OR-35), we were able to see the falls, but not well. A very steep unofficial trail led down to the base of the falls and we carefully headed down this trail.

Once at the small area at the base of the waterfall, we stopped to eat lunch and enjoy the beautiful views in this secluded little area within earshot of the highway. Sunlight hitting the waterfall created a rainbow at the base.

After eating lunch and taking some pictures, we made the challenging hike back up to the ridgeline. Just before the highway was another smaller road with a bridge that was under construction. I imagine that you could see the waterfall from here, but certainly the best views were from the base. And since it was under construction, the steep trail to the base was the only way to view the falls. We hiked back along the ridgeline to Umbrella Falls Trail and back to the road. Sahalie Falls Trail makes a 4-mile loop with Umbrella Falls Trail, but we needed to continue on so took the shorter up and back route. Back at the car, we could see Mount Hood just in front of us.

The summit was only partially covered in clouds and we took this opportunity to get some pictures of the beautiful mountain. Good thing, as it turned out this would be the only time we would see the peak. We got back in the car and made the short drive over to Timberline Lodge where we would be spending our anniversary.

They had advertised a special where guests who stay on weekdays in the off-season get a complimentary dinner for two at the Cascade Dining Room – perfect for a nice anniversary dinner. I had mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary to the staff in an email and the front desk staff wished us a happy anniversary when we checked in and upgraded us to a fireplace room. They also left a nice card and a bottle of wine in our room. When we were settled into our room, we made dinner reservations for 730 and of course, I had to go on a hike. Sandy joined me, although she may have regretted that decision. We hiked the Mountaineer Trail, a challenging three-mile loop with some significant elevation gain. The trail starts off mostly flat, heading west from the lodge. They were doing some construction, so we actually started on the Pacific Crest Trail, until intersecting the Mountaineer Trail, which just goes up and up, gaining about 1000 feet in a mile. It was cold enough that even with the strenuous hiking, we weren’t getting sweaty. But extremely strong winds made the hiking a bit treacherous. At times we could see up to the ski lifts and Silcox Hut, where the trail turns and heads back down. And there were times where the clouds rolled in and we could barely see 10 feet in front of us. I was hoping for some nice views of the mountain from the trail as it rose above the tree line, but it was so cloudy, we really couldn’t see anything. I’m glad I managed to get that shot of the mountain from the Mount Hood Meadows. After several stops we made it the Silcox Hut and stopped for a break. But within moments, it started snowing! We decided it would be best to hurry back to the lodge and followed a CAT groomer trail down. It was very steep, but that kept us going quickly. As we approached the timberline, the snow changed to rain, a very cold rain at that, and we ran most of the rest of the way back to the lodge. By the time we got back, we were drenched and freezing. We got back to our room, changed into dry clothes, and almost immediately built a fire. Luckily, the hotel has a washer and dryer so we could dry our wet clothes. After taking hot showers, it was about time for dinner at the Cascade Dining Room. We split a bottle of Timberline Riesling and I had the chicken and dumplings and Sandy had a steak. The food was great, the service was great, and it was mostly on the house (we had to pay for the wine and gratuity). What a great way to celebrate our anniversary! After dinner, we considered the hot tub, but it was outside and it was still raining, so we warmed up a bit in the sauna and then went to bed.