Mini Trip Report/ Camp Danger, Mt. Hood Oregon

Ann and I met in Washington DC in the 1980s while working for Congressmen after college, and we’ve stayed in touch with one of our good friends from then. Betsy and her husband James spend summers on the flank of Mt. Hood, Oregon, in a little town called Welches, where her family has had a cabin forever—known as “Camp Danger” when they were growing up. When we were invited for a long weekend with friends, we enthusiastically packed our toothbrushes, insect repellent, and hiking boots, along with pen and paper to write the obligatory letters home from camp, and headed south.

Highlights

• Old Friends. Along with Betsy and James, we met up with fellow campers Kevin, Mary, Michelle, and Stuart. There’s nothing like retelling stories from 40 years ago (or at least the parts we could remember) to distract one from the nagging feeling that our ship of state has recently hit an iceberg, and there seems to be a lot more passengers than will fit in the lifeboats.
• Timberline Lodge. There are some places worth revisiting no matter how many times you’ve been there before, and this is one of those. Built by WPA workers during the depth of the Great Depression, the timeless craftsmanship of the timber construction and hand-forged wrought ironwork is rivaled only by the views of the summit and Central Oregon plain. The Pacific Crest Trail passes nearby, and several intrepid hikers could be seen sorting their gear in the afternoon sunshine, one of whom said she’d started hiking at the southern end on the Mexican border in March.
• Vow Renewal. The lodge is a popular wedding venue, so Ann and I photo bombed the alter that was being assembled—with apologies to Janet and Tristen (see, photo below). I did wonder, however, about the featured Bible verse (“A cord of three strands is not easily broken” Ecclesiastes 4:12), but I’ve read that “throuples” is a real thing, and it was Oregon after all—so who knows.
• Barlow Road. We brought our e-bikes and had several nice rides on the back roads to places with names like Zigzag, Weme, and Rhododendron. Several of these scenic byways had historical markers about the Barlow Road, a toll route built in 1846 as an overland alternative to the hazardous endeavor of loading your Conestoga wagon onto a barge and floating down the Columbia River. Together with Timberline Lodge, this historical reminder of formidable obstacles overcome helped temper my current feeling of political doom (although I couldn’t help thinking that my grandparents didn’t emigrate from Norway so their descendants could spend hours per day on Tic Tok).
• Bonneville Hot Springs. Just across the Columbia at Cascade Locks on the Washington side is the newly refurbished Bonneville Hot Springs Resort, which we decided to visit on the way home. For some reason, the county regulators only allow overnight guests, but turns out you can get around this by purchasing a $25 soaking pass online at the spa, which gives you a couple hour stay at the facilities. The place is a must-visit on any travels up the Columbia Gorge, complete with lap pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, sauna and—this is key—cold plunge tubs. Reminded me why we loved visiting Japan last year, once we figured out the onsen [hot spring] hotel thing.

Photos

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