Snow Bunny is a small snow play area 45°17′15″N121°43′41″W / 45.287493°N 121.728156°W in Mount Hood National Forest on the south face of Mount Hood in Oregon, United States, about 65 miles (105 km) east of Portland. Inner tubing, tobogganing and other snow sports are on a maintained 20-foot (6.1 m) to 30-foot (9.1 m) hill of snow, popular with young children and families. It was established in 1952 as Mount Hood's first snow play area for children. [1]
The East Leg Timberline Road—the road through Snow Bunny—was the original road to Timberline Lodge since its construction in 1936. In 1949, Timberline Highway opened and obsoleted winter use of East Leg Road and the Timberline Lodge garage at its foot at Route 26. In 1952, George W. Jackson led about 150 volunteers from East Side Commercial Club to convert the garage to a snow lodge intended as a safe place for children away from congested and dangerous ski areas.
The lodge opened February 1, 1953, with meals, a children's playroom, and warming rooms on weekends during snow months. The Commercial Club sponsored a nonprofit organization called Snow Bunny Lodge Incorporated that operated the lodge from 1977 until 1992. [2] [3] During the week, it was available for youth groups. [1] The lodge also offered overnight accommodations for up to 66 people, while it could hold 300 during the daytime. [4] [5]
In the early 1990s plans were made to renovate the lodge. [5] [6] The building had developed dry rot, plus the fire suppression system was inadequate and the building contained the known carcinogen asbestos. [6] The U.S. Forest Service received a federal grant of $250,000 to remodel the structure, but returned the grant after estimates for repair exceeded $700,000. [6] In October 1992, the Forest Service tore down the lodge due to those safety concerns and burned the remnants. [4] The non-profit group operating the tubing area, which is on public land, stopped operating the area when the lodge was demolished, but Northwest Nordic acquired a lease from the Forest Service in 1992 and began operating Snow Bunny. [2] [7] At that time the area drew 25,000 visitors each year. [2]
Snow Bunny's elevation of 3,816 feet (1,163 m) [8] makes it a popular trailhead for cross country skiers (nordic skiing), snowshoers and snowmobilers. This includes access to Trillium Lake and the Yellowjacket Trail. [9]
The facility is operated by the company that runs the Summit Ski Area (Northwest Nordic) located 2 miles west on U.S. Route 26. [10] It is located along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Government Camp on U.S. Route 26, near the junction with the Trillium Lake road (NFS 2656) and East Leg Road which connects to Timberline Highway, near the junction with Oregon Route 35. [11] Neither forest road is plowed, making them popular winter sports choices.
Inner tubing and other sliding is usually possible from Thanksgiving through spring break. The concession operates winter weekends and most school holidays. When operating, no personal sliding equipment is permitted. The fee covers unlimited day use. [12] A Sno-Park permit [13] is required to park. [14] Snow Bunny features a single rope tow. [15]
Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge on the south side of Mount Hood in Clackamas County, Oregon, about 60 miles (97 km) east of Portland. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression. Timberline Lodge was dedicated September 28, 1937, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Mount Hood is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about 50 mi (80 km) east-southeast of Portland, on the border between Clackamas and Hood River counties. In addition to being Oregon's highest mountain, it is one of the loftiest mountains in the nation based on its prominence, and it offers the only year-round lift-served skiing in North America.
The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located 62 miles (100 km) east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than 60 miles (97 km) of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest includes and is named after Mount Hood, a stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the state.
Government Camp is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, on the base of Mount Hood and north of Tom Dick and Harry Mountain. It is the only town within 5 miles (8 km) of Mount Hood and therefore is the de facto "mountain town" or "ski town". It is the gateway to several ski resorts, with the most popular being Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl. Government Camp also has its own, smaller ski resort, Summit Pass.
The Mount Hood Wilderness is a protected wilderness area inside the Mount Hood National Forest, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The area, covering 64,742 acres (26,200 ha), includes the peak of Mount Hood and its upper slopes, and ranges from temperate rain forests at the lower elevations, to glaciers and rocky ridges at higher elevations.
Palmer Glacier is an extinct glacier on the south slopes of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. With glacial ice movement having stopped in the mid 1980s, it is now considered a snowfield rather than an active glacier. The former glacier, now snowfield, is situated at an elevation range of 9,300 to 6,200 feet, and was named for Joel Palmer, an Oregon pioneer. Palmer Glacier is the most well-known of the twelve glaciers on the mountain, despite no longer technically qualifying as a glacier, and is a popular destination for snowsports enthusiasts as it is the only US resort that consistently runs it's chairlifts from winter through summer.
Mount Hood Skibowl is a recreation area on Mount Hood located near Government Camp, Oregon. It is the largest night ski area in the United States, and the total skiable area encompasses an area of 960 acres (388 ha). The resort is the closest ski venue to Portland, with an elevation of 3,600 feet (1,097 m) at the lodge, rising to just over 5,000 feet (1,524 m) at the summit. The average snowfall at the area is 300 inches (762 cm), with an average consolidated base around 100 inches (254 cm) and 65 marked trails. The area is also popular for summer recreation with mountain biking. An adventure park in the area includes alpine slides, zip-line, and bungee jumping. As well as other outdoor activities. Just across the highway is Government Camp, the focal point of Mount Hood.
Hood To Coast is a long distance relay race that starts at Mount Hood and continues nearly 200 miles to the Oregon Coast. Known as "the mother of all relays", it is the largest running and walking relay in the world, with 12,600 runners in the Hood To Coast relay and 19,000 total participants, including events like the Portland To Coast Walk. Founded in 1982, Hood To Coast is extremely popular and has filled its team limit for the past 36 years, most of the time on opening day of the entrance lottery.
The Magic Mile is an aerial chairlift at Timberline Lodge ski area, Mount Hood, Oregon, U.S. It was named for its unique location above the tree line and for its original length. When constructed by Byron Riblet in 1938, it was the longest chairlift in existence, the second in the world to be built as a passenger chairlift, and the first to use metal towers.
Timberline Lodge ski area is the ski and snowboarding area of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is one of a few ski areas in the United States with most of the skiable terrain below the main lodge. It is located on the south face of Mount Hood, about 60 miles (95 km) east of Portland, accessible via the Mount Hood Scenic Byway.
The Mount Hood Express is a transit system serving Mount Hood Corridor communities in Clackamas County, Oregon, U.S.
Oregon Route 173 is an Oregon state highway running from Timberline Lodge in Clackamas County to U.S. Route 26 near Government Camp. OR 173 is known as the Timberline Highway No. 173. It is 5.37 miles (8.64 km) long and runs in a northeast to southwest "L" pattern, entirely within Clackamas County.
Mount Shasta Ski Park is a ski resort located in northern California which has winter and summer operations. Winter operations include skiing & snowboarding, tubing, a backcountry cabin program, lessons, rentals, and events. In the summer they offer Scenic Chairlift Rides, Mountain Biking, and Disc Golf. They are located east of Interstate 5 along SR 89 between the city of Mount Shasta and the town of McCloud. The ski area lies about 6 mi (9.7 km) south of the summit of 14,179 ft (4,322 m) Mount Shasta, the second highest volcano in the Cascade Range behind Mount Rainier. It straddles several small volcanic buttes on the lower southern flanks of the massive stratovolcano, with 3 triple chairlifts running to the top of Coyote Butte- 6,880 ft (2,100 m), Douglas Butte- 6,600 ft (2,000 m), and Marmot Ridge- 6,150 ft (1,870 m) and 1 Quad chairlift on Grey Butte- 7,536 ft (2,297 m) Along with 2 magic carpets, one for tubing and one for learning to ski and snowboard. With a total skiable area of 636 acres and 38 conventional trails. The total skiable vertical is 1,435 ft (437 m), with 20% of the terrain rated beginner, 55% intermediate, and 25% advanced.
Hjalmar Petterson Hvam was a competitive Norwegian-American Nordic skier and inventor of the first safety ski binding.
Mount Hood climbing accidents are incidents related to mountain climbing or hiking on Oregon's Mount Hood. As of 2007, about 10,000 people attempt to climb the mountain each year. As of May 2002, more than 130 people are known to have died climbing Mount Hood since records have been kept. One of the worst climbing accidents occurred in 1986, when seven high school students and two teachers froze to death while attempting to retreat from a storm.
Perfect North Slopes, is an alpine skiing resort in Southeastern Indiana. It consists of 5 magic carpets, 2 rope tows, and 5 chairlifts. The area has 23 trails, 1 of which is expert, 3 of which are most difficult, 2 of which are advanced intermediate, 12 of which are intermediate, and 5 of which are beginner. Lessons at this resort are available.
Timberline Trail is a hiking trail around Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is mostly in wilderness but also goes near Timberline Lodge, Cloud Cap Inn, and Mount Hood Meadows ski area.
White River Glacier is an alpine glacier located on the south slopes of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It ranges in elevation from about 10,000 to 6,200 feet. It is among the best known of the twelve glaciers on the mountain, and the lower reaches are a popular destination for Nordic skiing enthusiasts. The glacier is the source of the White River, a tributary of the Deschutes River, and has a long history of washing out the bridge where Oregon Route 35 crosses at 45.30307°N 121.67208°W.
In May 1986, seven students and two members of staff from Oregon Episcopal School died during an excursion on Mount Hood. The students were participating in an adventure program required by the school for sophomores. The disaster is the second deadliest alpine accident in North American history, behind an avalanche in 1981 on Mount Rainier which claimed eleven lives.
Summit Pass is a small ski area located on Mount Hood, alongside the Mount Hood Highway in Government Camp, Oregon. Built in 1927, it is the oldest ski area in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, Summit also offers snow tubing and Nordic trails. The resort has a double chairlift, called "Homestead Lift," and a rope tow.