Mt. Hood
From Peak to Valley: An Insider's Guide
Edited by Brian Barker By Rachel Ritchie, Christopher Van Tilburg, Kasey Cordell, and Kelly O'Connor
EAT
Joe’s Donuts
Like a tailgate party before the big game, a wintry day on Hood is best primed at this Sandy landmark. But instead of brats and beer, think sugar and carbs. For the true Joe’s experience, drop in before dawn on a Saturday. The little red-and-white-checkered building will have a line out the door. Fresh coffee flows like a newly tapped oil well, and the glaze on the just-from-the-fryer apple fritters and maple bars glistens like new-fallen snow.
39230 SE Pioneer Blvd, Sandy; 503-668-7215 —BB
Charlie’s Mountain View
Once the lifts shut down, off-duty ski patrollers and other assorted mountain folk gather here by the dozen. The place definitely feels local, but the vibe is friendly. You might even score a beer on the house: next winter, Charlie’s will once again start selling its sought-after lapel pins. Once purchased, this little doodad earns you a free drink for every drink you buy—for the next five years. OK, it’s only one drink per day, but it still sounds better than any mug club we’ve heard of. —BB
Government Camp Loop; 503-272-3333; charliesmountainview.com
Huckleberry Inn
A few simple rooms upstairs can be rented for the night, and there’s a separate space for steak-house dinners. But most people just take a seat in one of the inn’s Formica booths and order breakfast or a slice of huckleberry pie, served any hour of the day or night. Thick pancakes, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, and crisp chicken-fried steak all arrive in a hurry. Too heavy a fare for the morning ski runs? Nah. Think “lower center of gravity.”
Government Camp Loop; 503-272-3325; huckleberry-inn.com —BB
Published: December 2009
Your recent Mt. Hood focus was a huge disappointment. It neglected several unique attractions and new accommodation in Governement Camp. Completely There was no mention of Skibowl, America’s largest night ski area with 34 lit runs and any of its ongoing special events, including the extensive midnight fireworks show held each year Skibowl on New Year’s eve, with skiing open til 2 a.m. Mt. Hood Adventure, located in the well-known Ratskeller building in Govy, is the areas leading recreation provider and the only company with a permit to provider guided snowmobile trips in the Mt. Hood National forest. Collins Lake Resort Chalets and the Grand Lodges provide new, quality accommodations making overnight and extended stays enjoyable. These are businesses that have made a commitment to the area and provide jobs to locals. To not mention them in a showcase issue is a great disservice to them and your readers. Your showcase Mt. Hood issue is grossly incomplete. There is more going on now then just good old Timberline and snowrider slang.
I am holding the map “Mt Hood Ski and Snowshoe Trails.” I can not find a 5 mile round trip snowshoeing opportunity from White River. The White River trail is 5.7 miles one way. That would make for 11.4 miles round trip. Which trail is your article in reference to?
Just to clarify, Brian Barker contacted me. From his email I believe he was in reference to starting at the White River snow park and hiking NW up to the 6000’ mark on boyscout ridge. That is a 5 mi round trip.