Celebrate Oregon’s 150th Year With Free USFS Programs
Mount Hood National Forest (MHNF) volunteers will give the public a chance to celebrate Oregon’s 150th year with free programs focusing on history, the outdoors and conservation this summer.
“Every year, we give thousands of visitors a more interesting and valuable look at the mountain that is so identifiable statewide,” says Lawson Reif, head of the volunteer interpretive program in the ZigZag Ranger District of MHNF. “You can’t celebrate Oregon’s 150th anniversary as a state without a visit to Mount Hood.”
To celebrate the anniversary, Lawson and the Forest Service created a brand new exhibit for Timberline Lodge’s Rachael Griffin Museum, which features 150 years on Mount Hood and includes photographs, artifacts and history.
In the historic Barlow Room, The Builders of Timberline, a 22-minute video on the construction of the Lodge, will be played at 12:30 p.m., giving visitors an inside look into the New Deal era building.
The Work Progress Administration (WPA) workers who constructed Timberline camped in tents for 15 months at Summit Meadows, which can be seen from the bird’s eye view of 6,000 feet at the historic Lodge.
“Summit Meadows was a resting point for weary pioneers in the 1800’s,” volunteer Grace Saad said. “The men who built Timberline were following in the footsteps of the great American travelers of the Barlow Road.”
Mount Hood itself was also a huge draw for early settlers of Oregon like Elijah (Lige) Coalman who summitted Mount Hood 586 times.
Volunteer Rangers will provide several guided hikes from Timberline this year as well, one with a focus on the climbing history of Mount Hood and a visit to the site of an old climber’s cabin.
Rangers will also provide free tours of the Lodge at 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The tours will touch on pioneer and Native American history, as well as the construction, hand-crafted furnishings, art and textiles of the National Historic Landmark.
Alpine talks, guided hikes on weekends and special events at Timberline will cover topics such as wildflowers, climbing history, geology and fire prevention. Rangers also staff an information desk in the lower lobby from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where they let tourists in on local secrets like the best place for a beer, the cheapest taco, the best waterfall hike or the most secluded campground.
After a Saturday at Timberline, visitors can enjoy 7 p.m. campfire programs at Timothy or Trillium Lakes starting the weekend of July 4 and wake up for a guided hike in the forest, to learn about the plant and animal life that make our state so unique. Treks start near Government Camp and Welches and are less than 3 miles. Hikers will be rewarded with a postcard view of Mount Hood from Mirror Lake or a peaceful moment in the moss-draped maples and old growth firs of the aptly-named Salmon River.
The history lover might prefer a short hike focusing on the Barlow Road at Mount Hood Skibowl West, where the kids can hop a shuttle to Skibowl East for go-carts, mini golf and a mean hot dog. Learn about pioneer travel and area history or take the lift to Tom Dick Peak, for a view of 5 Cascade volcanoes and an alpine lake.
Rangers will also provide a plethora of other activities this summer, especially for children, including Junior Ranger Day, Festival of the Forest, Wild Wednesdays at Wildwood Recreation Area, Smokey’s Trail, and special tours, hikes and service projects for large groups.
“Oregon’s history is so rich,” Reif says. “It’s great to be able to provide activities for the children and families that set our state apart. We have 150 years of history to celebrate. I only hope the next 150 are as exciting.”
For a full schedule of events, to book an event or tour for a large group or more information, visit www.mthoodvolunteers.wordpress.com, email mthoodvolunteers@hotmail.com, or call Reif at (503) 622-3191 ext. 610.
You can also read more about these programs here on timberlinelodge.com
Media contact: Grace Saad
Phone: 503-929-6244
Email: grace.saad@hotmail.com
