In my Hood...

One of the most enduring images of Portland is Mt. Hood rising above it from the east. Much like Mt. Fuji watches over Tokyo, so too does Mt. Hood look over the city of Portland. On clear days the peak of Mt. Hood can be seen from almost any high point in the city. Coming from the flat lands of Florida it was foreign to me that there even mountains here in Oregon, but to have one as large as Mt. Hood was quite a surprise. Mt. Hood is over 11,000 feet tall and is snow-capped year around. It features 12 glaciers and is the fourth tallest mountain in the Cascade range. True, there is 3-7% chance that Mt. Hood will erupt in the next 30 years (did I forget to mention that it is a volcano?) but then the USGS classifies it as only 'potentially active'.

When I drive to work in the mornings it is a comfort to see Mt. Hood peaking out from beyond the city. You know it's going to be a beautiful day. Surrounding Mt. Hood is the Mt. Hood State Park and some amazing landscape. This time we approached Mt. Hood from the east as we came in from a day spent tasting wine and beer in the gorge (more on that later). As we drove down 35 Mt. Hood would peak in and out of view, each time getting closer and more breathtaking. We made the final steep ascent near Timberline Lodge. In the space of a few miles we went from 65 degrees to 45! When we emerged from the car we quickly donned jackets and gloves. The wind chill most certainly dropped the temperature into the 30s. From Timberline Loge we were able to see the whole valley and the Cascades- there is very little more breath-taking than that.

Frozen but invigorated we climbed back into the car and made out way back down to Portland. After a day of chasing Mt. Hood it was great to finally be able to see it up close.

We finished the day with our first visit to Apizza Scholls. They are an amazing pizza place here in Portland. As with many places in PDX they make everything fresh, including the dough, and when they are out, they are out. Notorious for long waits in a 'Pizza Nazi' reputation, I tell you now that it is worth it. We had some fantastic pizza and beer. After a day of exploring the eastern side of Portland, it totally hit the spot.