On a clear Fall afternoon last week, before the first snowfall, I left Hood River and drove up Hwy 35 to rendezvous with my husband at the Umbrella Falls Trailhead up on Mt Hood. There was beautiful Fall foliage mixed with scenic flowing creeks along the way. We were to meet at a point on the road to Mt Hood Meadows where the trail ends and I arrived there in about 45 minutes and found him resting on a rock.
He had parked at Timberline Lodge and begun the hike alone earlier in the morning. We drove back to Timberline for a late lunch and I feasted on Mt. Hood up-close and personal with my camera. Never had I been that close to the summit without snow.
The first photo was taken on the road to Mt Hood Meadows where we met. The orientation is probably more to the east.
This next photo is from the lower parking lot at Timberline Lodge. The speck in the lower left corner is a hiker. The valleys are not apparent when the mountain is blanketed with snow.
The next photo is the classic shot of Mt hood from Timberline Lodge.
We returned to Hood River via Lolo Pass which is accessed off of Hwy 26 at Zigzag. I hadn’t noticed that jagged protuberance before. I just learned that the top is called Illumination Rock and that area separates the Zigzag and Reid Glaciers on Mt Hood. The mountain looks very different without snow. This view would be from the west.
We continued winding down the mountain through more brilliant Fall colors and returned to Hood River – in tandem – via Dee Hwy. What a pleasure it is to be able to access this magnificent mountain and scenery so quickly. Just another reason why we are glad we live in Hood River.