on the road, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood

Saturday August 15

MT. HOOD
Yesterday as we drove up to the Timberline Lodge, we were watching for the Timberline as we approaced. The Evergreens got shorter and shorter and some trees had only growth on one side(probably because of strong winter winds coming from one direction). The Lodge is enormous--actually there is a day lodge and overnight lodge. The building was oringinally a WPA project and it is kept as close to 1930's appearance as possible. The walls in the guest room halls are all Maple. Wooden stircase handles are carved from reclaimed wood and made into animal figures from the early WPA workers.) They have put in a pool and a spa and ski accomadations and several restaurants and gift shops.

None of this is of any importance compared to the magnificent views of Mt. Hood with its snow patches and its majestic peaks. I was interested to see the large number of wildflowers on this sandy soil. There were lots of skiers and kids with these--are they snowboards --that you stand on and about the size of a snowboard. They not only go down the mountain on these but they have snowball fights as they fly down. There are plenty of wipe-outs but no one seems to mind falling. David and I walked the steep mile to the top of the slope. We sat and admired the view and the quiet--there was basically no one walking up these paths--they mainly did the ski lift to get there.

Last night we had dinner at the "1911 Poor Farm." This is 39 acres of what was begun as a poor farm where people with nowhere else to go could live. The able-bodied farmed and fed everyone. The property was bought and converted by 2 restauant entrepeneurs who buy up old schools and such and convert them to restaurants. It is now called McMeniman's Edgefield. This property has several buildings, 2 golf courses, a winery, a distillery, a brewery--they make all of their alcohic drinks. The main builing looks much like an old boy's school. Many of the rooms for lodging gave no private baths but each lodger is provided with a bathrobe which many walk around in with bare feet. They visit the bars and restaurants in his outfit.