Central Oregon & the Oregon Cascades - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 542

( 503-272-3206; www.skibowl.com ; lift tickets adult/child 7-12yr $49/30) The region's largest
night-ski area and the closest skiing to Portland, making it popular with Portlanders who
buzz out for an evening of skiing. Overall, it's smaller than Meadows or Timberline.
Cooper Spur Ski Area SKIING
( 541-352-6692; www.cooperspur.com ) On the northeast slopes of Mt Hood; caters to be-
ginners and families, with mostly beginner/intermediate runs and a tubing area. See the
website for ticket prices.
Cross-Country Skiing
Trillium Lake , near the campground of the same name, is a very popular cross-country
ski loop. White River Canyon is another good trail, and starts at a Sno-Park on Hwy 35
(about 4 miles north of Hwy 26).
Mt Hood Meadows Nordic Center ( 503-337-2222; www.skihood.com ) offers around
10 miles of groomed wooded trails. Several other free (ungroomed) trails start from the
same parking area, including an easy 1.3-mile trail to Sahalie Falls and another, more
challenging one, to Elk Meadows.
Teacup Lake ( www.teacupnordic.org ) has 12 miles of groomed trails and a variety of ter-
rain.
Hiking
An outstanding guide that includes Mt Hood hikes is William L Sullivan's 100 Hikes in
Northwest Oregon . It's also worth visiting a ranger station for maps and information on
the many hikes in the area. A Northwest Forest Pass ($5) is required at most trailheads.
A popular trail loops for 7 miles via lovely Ramona Falls , which tumbles 120ft down
a face of mossy columnar basalt. To reach the trailhead from Zigzag, turn north onto
Lolo Pass Rd for 4 miles, then turn right on USFS Rd 1825 for 3 miles.
Hike a mile up from US 26 to Mirror Lake , which reflects Mt Hood beautifully. You
can hike a half-mile around the lake, then 2 miles beyond the lake to a ridge top. The trail
begins between Miles 51 and 52 on US 26, about 1.5 miles west of Government Camp.
Walk 2 miles (one way) on the gentle Old Salmon River Trail , through old-growth
forest along the Salmon River. To reach the trailhead, turn south from Zigzag on Salmon
River Rd and drive 2.6 miles. The trail follows the road, but the walk is still outstanding.
The mother of all trails is the (approximately) 40-mile Timberline Trail , which cir-
cumnavigates Mt Hood along a scenic wilderness of waterfalls, quiet reflecting lakes,
wildflower meadows and mountain vistas. At research time, however, part of the trail
was washed out, with no timetable for when it would be repaired. The trail can be access