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Timberline Lodge
A view from the parking lot below. I knew something was wrong this morning when I woke up and could see my breath hanging in the air over me as I lay in the warm bed. Then it occured to me that I had turned the heat off when I built the big fire in the fireplace last night. When I fell asleep on the couch, I forgot to turn it back on before I went to bed. Needless to say, I made a mad dash downstairs to turn the heat on.
I dressed quickly and decided to go back to Government Camp and take the road up to Timberline Lodge. It started to rain as I was leaving the cabin, so I was thinking it might be snowing pretty good in Government Camp and at higher elavations. I was right! The five mile road up to Timberline Lodge was a little treacherous for someone who grew up in a place where 1/2" of snow shuts everything down. I wasn't worried about going up to the Lodge. I was concerned about getting back down!
When I first saw the Lodge, I immediately thought about the movie "The Shining". That is because the front exterior was used
The Shining
If you saw "The Shining" you probably remember this view of Timberline Lodge. in the movie. There is a small piece of movie trivia for you. I had to walk up to the Lodge because the entrance was too icy to drive up. Upon entering, I really thought about "The Shining". I expected to hear "redrum, redrum, redrum" any moment.
Timberline Lodge was hand-crafted by WPA artisans. It is an all-season's reflection of the majesty of Mt. Hood. It was hewn by public workers into a masterpiece and dedicated to President Franklin Roosevelt in September 1937. It is now listed in the National Historic Registry.
After a quick tour of the Lodge, I headed back down toward my car. When I stepped outside, the snow was really coming down. Even though Lodge workers clear the road every morning, I had noticed several icy patches on the way up. The trip down was a little tense but I had no problems. Yea!
Since it was raining, I decided to head back to the cabin to regroup. After making quite possible the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I have ever tasted, I decided to build a fire and stick around. It didn't take long for the fire to warm me enough
Another View
of the Lodge for my eyes to grow heavy. You have to know what happened next. I laid down on the couch, pulled the critter blanket over me, and had a hall-of-fame nap. All the flying, driving, and change of time zones had finally caught up with me.
I awoke from my nap feeling very refreshed but noticed the rain was still coming down. It would have been a perfect time to sit on the deck and listed to the roaring Sandy River only a few steps away. Instead, I stayed inside and read.
Later, I went to the Skyway Bar and Grill for supper. Tonight was advertised as "Ladies Night". Apparently, someone forgot to tell the ladies. The place was almost empty. I did eat some pretty good bar-b-que though. Living in an area where eating bar-b-que and the resulting open heart surgery are two of the leading past times, I would have to give this bar-b-que two thumbs up.
I headed back to the cabin hoping the rain would go away allowing me to explore some of the area on foot. If anything, it rained harder.
I will leave you for the day with this John Muir
Snowning?
I think it is safe to say they have had a good supply of snow on Mt. Hood this season. quote, "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."
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