Mount Hood – Three Sisters Wilderness Experience
Mount Hood is an experience destination not just because it’s a volcano with incredible skiing. There are so many exciting opportunities, back down the road at Government Camp is the Salmon – Huckleberry Wilderness. I have hiked and steelhead fly fished this area several times up to the falls fly fishing for steelhead. Time over at Maupin fly fishing for trout several times and lower Deschutes River for steelhead. More to come later on, back to Mount Hood. Pacific Crest Trail comes right through Three Sisters Wilderness and over Mountain Hood, or rather around the side of it. Mount Hood – Three Sisters Wilderness is its own experience.
Mount Hood Skiing
It is almost ironic when listening to those who, when the snow begins to fall, run to Oregon in order to take part in this ‘serene’ setting, that Mount Hood is actually a dormant volcano that is unlikely, yet capable, of erupting in thirty years or so.
This incredible mountain, surrounded by an immense national forest, makes it the ideal area for snow sports of all kinds, in addition to hiking and snow-trekking. At 11,239 feet, Mount Hood stands like a guardian watching over the awesome Columbia River Gorge. In addition to being Oregon’s highest mountain, it is also the only year-round, lift-served skiing area in all of North America.
Playing home to a dozen named glaciers, the most popular is Palmer Glacier that’s partially set within the Timberline Lodge ski area and on the most popular climbing route. The glaciers are almost exclusively above the 6,000-foot level, which also is about the average tree line elevation on Mount Hood, and the glaciers and permanent snow fields encompass 80% of the mountain.
Being the most notable resort to visit, Mt. Hood Meadows offers some of the most spectacular skiing and snowboarding in the Northwest! One of the largest ski resorts in Oregon, and the largest on Mount Hood, it’s located about 90 minutes east of Portland and is heralded for both Alpine and Nordic ski areas, night skiing, lessons, equipment rentals, and so much more.
Delivering a full ‘mountain experience’, the resort stretches across Mt. Hood’s southeast flank – the sunny, wind-protected side of the mountain. This terrain provides all levels of skiers and snowboarders a challenge. Add to that the magnificent views and snowfall figures beyond belief, and you have a truly unforgettable vacation.
Skiing Mount Hood – Sister Wilderness Experience
Meadows – S&R Cliffs Mount Hood Skiing Experience
For beginners, the Meadows provide front side bowls to the gentle slopes of their beginner runs, and was voted by Oregonians for having the best cruising intermediate trails in the state, totaling more than 2,000 acres. Rising to its highest lift-served elevation of 7,300 feet, visitors feel like they’re on top of the world as they take in the stunning panoramic views.
Heather Canyon is also available and is legendary in the expert skiing community. Offering endless steep pitches of powder taking you into the spectacular canyon below, there is an additional 1,700-foot vertical trek for hikers who want to drop into the double blacks of Super Bowl, located above Heather, bringing the total vertical elevation of just one run to almost 4,500 feet.
Access gates (for expert skiers only) allow these talented individuals into Private Reserve and S&R Cliffs. Here, they explore extremely challenging trails with cliff outcroppings; while those searching for the more open bowls of Elk and Yoda are rewarded with epic runs to be bragged about. With eleven lifts, including six high-speed quads, all acres of skiable terrain are easily accessed.
Timberline Lodge
When it comes to the resort, the services are many. Even the dining experiences you have to choose from is a list as long as one of the slopes. From in-lodge to on-hill, bars and restaurants can be found in many places during your visit. A myriad of retail shops are also provided, which adds to the fact that this is the most popular area to ski and enjoy.
Timberline Lodge has interesting history besides great western log and timber architecture, it was the location of the filming of the Shining.
When it comes to equipment rentals, and the Meadows Learning Center for both children and adult lessons, reservations should be made online to avoid lines..
Just by embarking on this huge adventure once, you will immediately want to come back again and again in order to fully experience everything the Meadows has to offer. Next step? Head to www.skihood.com today and get lost in the awe-inspiring sights that await you.
Three Sisters Wilderness – Sisters Oregon
This area is rich with outdoor adventures. For fall through hikers going north you are about to the end of the PCT. Three Sisters Wilderness and surround area offers a plethora of lake, trails, campgrounds, winter sports and another great ski area at Bachelor Mountain.
The adventure will continue from East Lake, to a Cascade Lakes sixty six mile Scenic byway drive, with a night on Hosmer Lake in the Campground with a lake side site, to a day hike to Green Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness. Three Sisters Wilderness is 250,000 plus acres of beautiful pristine lakes and streams with abundant wildlife. Let’s not forget East Lake and fly fishing for brown trout in a volcano.
Mount Hood – Three Sisters Wilderness Outdoor Apparel is Key to a Good Time
Up on Mount Hood boarding or skiing or sitting outside enjoying a drink around a fire watching other outdoor enthusiasts. Enjoy the comfort of a Quarter Zip Hydrophobic Graphic Hoodie with side pockets and great outdoor designs. Have a matching ski design Patterned Graphic Leggings and light weight wicking graphic hoodie base layers. Comfort outdoors in the winter, spring, summer or fall is the key to a great time. If outdoor apparel doesn’t fit or you are cold, spoiler alert.
