Mt. Hood is the tallest of Oregon's Cascade peaks, standing at 11,235 feet above sea level, with a base spreading over 92 miles. On the days it is visible from the city, the sheer mass of the mountain leaps out at the viewer, even from 65 miles away. In Native American lore, Mt. Hood, known as "Wy'east," had long fought his brother, "Pahto" (Mt. Adams), for the favor of the fair "La-wa-la-clough" (Mt. St. Helens), sometimes rather violently - these are, after all, volcanoes. Mt. Hood dates from the late Pleistocene era. It's sometimes hard to believe that this silent, snow-capped giant boasting 11 glaciers on its peak could ever have been so fiery, and could be so again, according to scientists, within the next 75 years, despite its dormant status (Mt. St. Helens, hopefully, has taught us to never say never). Though Mt. Hood's most recent eruption was a minor one in 1907, steam continues to spew constantly from fumarole areas.
Mt. Hood got its name from British naval officer Alexander Arthur Hood (who never even saw it, by the way) in 1792. Lewis and Clark called it "Falls Mountain" for all the waterfalls in the area, until learning of its prior name.
The area offers a staggering array of recreational activities. Climbing and mountaineering spring to mind along with skiing. With five ski areas (including the famous Timberline, North America's only ski lodge open year-round), winter activities also include snowboarding, snow mobiling, and cross-country skiing. But if, like me, you don't like to roll around in the snow getting freezing cold and soaking wet, there's always hiking: the Mt. Hood National Forest encompasses 1.2 million acres, has four designated wilderness areas, and over 1200 miles of hiking trails.
