Mt. Hood Adventures: A Journey To Oregon's Scenic Marvel

By Katie and Houston Vandergriff
Downs & Towns

Mt. Hood stands as a towering emblem of adventure and natural beauty in the heart of Oregon. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, a family looking for a memorable vacation or someone yearning to connect with nature, Mt. Hood offers activities that appeal to every explorer’s heart. We got to experience many facets of this iconic destination — from a guided hike and a snowshoeing trek to enjoying the amenities of our Mt. Hood resort.

To begin our adventures, we met our guide, Jayson Moorman, at the Subway parking lot in Zigzag (what a great name for a town) and followed him to the Salmon River trailhead. Jayson is a guide with Mt. Hood Outfitters. Originally from Florida, he now works in Oregon and Wyoming. We parked and hiked with Jayson along the Salmon River. It was a fairly level and easy hike — about 1.5 miles in and 1.5 miles out. It reminded us of many trails in our local Great Smoky Mountains. Except the trees are taller. And evergreen. And big.

Jayson was a kind, enthusiastic guide. He shared his life story, and we shared ours. On the hike, we learned that Jayson and Houston are only a month apart in age — and that they’re both passionate travel photographers. Jayson even showed Houston a selfie trick with a fisheye lens. The trail took us through dense forests along a crystal-clear mountain stream, and Jayson pointed out wildflowers along the way. At times, the hike was challenging, and Jayson helped Houston through tricky spots. He was patient with our usual slow pace.

Guides like Jayson of Mt. Hood Outfitters add to what makes a guided hike so special.

After the hike, we donned our “snow clothes” and met Jayson at Mt. Hood Outfitters in Government Camp. He gave us two pairs of snowshoes and showed us how to strap them on. Many of the roads around the area, including the road to the popular Trillium Lake, were still closed due to snow. Snowshoeing was the best way in. But that’s at least a four-mile round-trip trek. We needed something less intense. So Jayson and his co-worker, Zach, showed us on a map the location of two rogue parking spots among private housing. It was the end of a blue-diamond ski trail from Timberline Lodge — a slope so long it ended right in town.

On the way, we grabbed a quick snack at the Huckleberry Inn. Locals recommended their best treats, so we split a huckleberry shake and a famous large donut. Not exactly health food, but both were delicious.

We drove to the end of the road beside the Huckleberry Inn, parked and walked onto the ski slope. There was no one around — we had the snow to ourselves. It was near the end of the season, and we guessed locals were mostly over the snow by then.

The snowshoes were plastic rectangles with small metal spikes, almost like a cheese grater, stuck to the bottom. We strapped them on and walked around. It was so different from what I expected. All my life, I assumed snowshoeing was hard work, similar to cross-country skiing — that you had to slide back and forth in the snow. But with these snowshoes, it was just walking. On snow.

Houston trying snowshoeing for the first time on Mt. Hood.

We honestly just did it to say we did it — and, of course, for the photos. But it turned out to be way more fun than either of us expected. We could go up and down the snow hills without slipping at all. For us Tennesseans, who usually only see a few inches of snow each year, this was awesome. If we ever have the chance again, we’ll definitely say “yes” to snowshoeing.

Back at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort in Welches, in the heart of Mt. Hood National Forest, we had reservations for a special buffet dinner. We feasted on roasted lamb and glazed ham, roasted leeks and salad. We split a dessert plate with carrot cake, berry cobbler and chocolate mousse. The host brought us a to-go box for leftovers. We only took the carrot cake — because nothing else was left over.

We changed into swimsuits and hit the hot tub. Houston hopped between the swimming pool and hot tub. I stayed soaking in the hot tub. The pool was “heated” but felt too chilly for my taste. I prefer “hot” to “warmish.” After a day of hiking and snowshoeing, the hot tub was divine. In reality, we hiked less than 3 miles and snowshoed less than 1,000 feet. Our biggest “sport” for the day was chugging a huckleberry milkshake with a side of donut — and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

But “soaking in the hot tub after a hard day on Mt. Hood” will make for a great story one day — sitting around a campfire, sharing tales of our amazing Mt. Hood adventures.