Dispatch #14

Hamiltons Cross-Country Adventure 2010

Dispatches

Jul 07

Published at 23:34

We spent three great days in Sun Valley with Henry. The three of us
celebrated the Fourth country western style with a local parade, rodeo
and fireworks in Hailey, Idaho. True Americana! On the 5th, we hiked
down Sun Valley ski mountain, checked out some local shops and kicked
back at the lodge.

Yesterday it was back on the road heading west. Hood River of wind
surfing fame beckoned. The drive along the Columbia River is
spectacular. Out of nowhere Mt. Hood pops onto the skyline! We
couldn't resist and drove up to the famed Timberline Lodge for the
night. This is where the exterior shots for the Shining were filmed.
It is an old, grand lodge that sits in the midst of the Timberline ski
runs (which were still open to skiers!!). It is also the starting
point for the Southern Route up to the summit of Mt. Hood at 11,245
ft. Unfortunately, we could not hike to the summit. As the pictures
show, the mountain stays covered in snow most of the year and crampons
+ ice axe are mandatory (plus, you need to leave at midnight to time
the snowmelt risk right). Maybe on our next cross country trip... :)

Today, we checked out weather conditions for windsurfing in the Gorge.
Unfortunately, the heat wave has put a damper on the normally
blustery winds. Before leaving the Columbia River Gorge we hiked up
to the top of Horsetail Falls and checked out old Route 30 along the
river.

Next up... Olympic National Park!

Chris

Name: Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood
Elevation: +2000 m
Latitude: 45° 19’ 47” North
Longitude: 121° 42’ 45” West