Travel
Timberline Ski Lodge
Scott A. Gese
A Bright and Shining Light on the South Slope of Oregon's Mount Hood and a winter playground for snow enthusiasts
Zach Lenziewicz/UnsplashBuilt on the side of a mountain at the six thousand foot elevation, Timberline Ski Lodge has lived a charmed life of grandeur, neglect and rebirth.
Originally constructed in 1936, during the depression years. Timberline Lodge was a WPA (Works Progress Administration) emergency relief project. Its construction gave hungry men much needed work. It took a constant rotation of 100 men three years to complete the 55,000 square foot structure. As a WPA project, the lodge fell under the control of the United States Government.
According to President Roosevelt who dedicated the lodge in 1937, (before it was even complete), thousands of people would flock to the lodge and as they played in the snow, they would somehow gain some sort of nirvanic understanding of how the timber industry contributes to the prosperity of the Northwest.
It's uncertain if visitors equated Timberline ski Lodge with the timber industry, but people did show up to play in the snow.
It seemed as if the lodge was destined to be a success. Unfortunately it takes more than tourists to be successful. Due to a series of bad managers and lack of adequate financing, Timberline Lodge fell into disrepair. (After all, it was under government control. Need I say more?)
By 1955 the lodge was shuttered.
Down but not out.
It stayed shuttered for several years until new management and better financing gave Timberline Lodge a second chance, a new lease on life. The duo proved to be a winning combination.
Timberline lodge was pulled back from the very brink. From the very precipice of non-existence.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and is currently one of Oregon's most popular tourist attractions. These days Timberline Lodge draws well over one million visitors per year from all around the globe.
Due to its high altitude, Timberline is the only ski area in North America with year round skiing and snowboarding, but if you plan to go, be aware that the Summer months are best left to the more experienced enthusiasts as you are basically sliding down the side of a glacier.
If glacier skiing is not your thing, there are many hiking trails available including a portion of the well known Pacific Crest trail.
If you wish to turn this into more than a day trip, Timberline Lodge has available lodging. Imagine that.
Incidentally, if you've ever seen the movie, The Shining (1980), starring Jack Nicholson, you've seen Timberline Lodge.
Other feature films involving Timberline Lodge include:
Jingle Bells filmed in 1941, Bend in the River in 1952, All the Young Men in 1960, Lost Horizon 1973, Ski School 1991, Hear No Evil 1993 and Wild in 2014.
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by Scott A. Gese
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