The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-06-29
WHERE WINTER SPORTS
ARE NEVER ENDING

ACliAalk VI AilC QuIiNdilCQ MlHlCi
sports that never end on the snow
covered sides of Mount Hood. the
following, written by Rodney L.
Glisan, recently appeared in Sunday
edition Of the Oregonian:
SnOw-shOeing and skiing are sports
suggestive of Canada or Norway. Few
Oregonians would include them in the
list of local attractions, and yet they
should be added, for within a day IS
journey of Portland any one can secure
this most exhilarating exercise. There
is no uncertainty about snow; it is
there the Winter long, and the only
question is as to its condition for easy
travelling.
In February, 1904, a small party of
enthusiasts left Portland for Mount
Hood, taking the train to Hood River,
sleighs the next morning to the base
of the mountain, and sonw-shoes up the
grade TO Cloud Cap Inn, $500 feet
elevation, where the night was spent
and return made the following day.
Notwithstanding many Inconvenience
and difficulties due to inexperience, for
all were novices, the trip was pro-
nounced aEgreat success, a snowshoe
club was organized with dozen men,
bers, and every year since the club has
made Winter trip'to Mt. Hood, five
trips to Cloud Cap Inn, on the north
slope of Mt. Hood, and two trips to
Government Camp, on the south side,
and last Winter to its clubhouse con-
structed last Fall, near Cloud Cap Inn.
Each trip has varied from the other
sufficiently to Danish any thought of
sameness or repetition, and yet with it
all there is the same alluring fascina-
tion making one look with longing
eyes toward Hood in its mantle of
snow as the Winter months commence
to slip along.
= Some judgment is necessary to go
when the snow is at its best, and ex-
perience has proved the latter part of
January or early February offer the
best snow conditions. A trip this
Winter during the last week of March
by small party proved most ENJOY
able, and visit in October, while the
clubhouse was building, was equally
attractive.
1t is safe'to say that one could go
any month in the year and find the trip
interesting. Perhaps brief descrip-
tion of Winter trip may be of
interest.
On several occasions the club has
left Portland on morning trains, reach
ed Hood River at noon, taken sleighs
to some ranch at the base of the
mountain, and next morning the
sleighs would carry them few miles
farther, where deep snow stopped the
horses, and the snowshoe climb
commenced.
Again and more frequently the party
has left Portland on the evening train,
endeavoring tc time the trip for moon
light evenings, and when there has
been a fall of snow at Hood River, as
the snow means a long sleighride, a
pleasant feature of the outing. Leav-
ing Portland in the evening, the train
travels along the Columbia river in its
Winter setting of snow and ice.
Arriving at Hood River, having
secured accommodations at the hotel,
an hour is spent looking over equip
ment, discussing appropriate footwear
and the best way to fasten snowshoes,
for it lie especially exasperating to re-
peatedly stop to tighten some poorly
arranged strap and have the others
pass by with the air of superior wis
dom. Experience has proved the utter
uselessness of a complicated harness or
rawhide thongs that stretch when wet.
A strap over the toe and one around
the heel, is simple, easy to fasten and
stays in place. AS for footwear, some
prefer oil packs, others Erie boots,
while an old trapper used artics ex-
clusively.
After an early breakfast. fastened
by the jingle of snow bells outside, the
party struggled into straw-filled
sleighs, the impatient horses plunge
into their collars and up the grade
they wind through the silent streets
and out on the highway in the early
dawn. Stars above, snowy expanse
around, keen, biting air and jingling
sleighbells, one feels that Santa Claus
has no monopoly, though much to be
envied Soon:the stars retire, the sun
bursts forth and Hood in its WHITES
mantle towers in front, most allur-
ing goal.
Passing through fields of white,
dotted with fruit trees arranged with
mathematical precision, the road leads
into the heavier limbed forest, inter-
spersed with clearings, finally stopping
at one of the hospitable ranches near
the mountain. After an early lunch
one travels a short distance further
until q miles from Hood River the
deep snow and grade too much for the
horses is found and, leaving heavy
wraps in the sleigh, adjusting snow
shoes, start is made up the nine-mile
grade, each taking the pace which
suits him best.
The snow gets deeper and deeper,
the road becomes a band of white with
an evergreen settign, branches bend to
breaking with the fresh snow and those
of the party who feel the grade can
rest on the tops of the telephone poles,
while the others, stepping over the
wires, keep on. Late afternoon finds
the party toiling through Ghost Forest
and the Club House is reached in time
to view the other instant snow peaks,
crimson in the lurid light of the setting
sun.
The Club House is built of logs, bolt
riveted, with roof sloping four sides
to shake the Winters snow and the
Winter gales, for one can crush and
the other lift with relentless force any
thing that dares oppose it. The house
is on the ridge just below Cloud Cap
Inn, less exposed to the gales, with the
entrance on the sheltered side. Tun-
neling through Is feet of snow, one
can find the door and enter large
room nearly 40 feet long and proper
tionately wide, with huge fireplace
on one side and windows on all sides,
some giving views that no artist can
ever hope to rival.
The one great and absorbing object
is the mountain towering above, re-
fiecting moonlight, sunrise and sunset,
white, cold gray or crimson, clear cut
IL L., -