Timberline Welcomes Two New St. Bernard Puppies to the Lodge

Timberline is delighted to announce the arrival of its newest mascots, two St. Bernard puppies, Heidi and Bruno. The pair will soon become familiar faces to guests, keeping regular hours at the lodge within the next month.

Heidi, the 10th of her name in Timberline’s long line of beloved St. Bernards, will greet visitors at the historic Front Desk. Her littermate, Bruno the 12th, will make his home in the Day Lodge Marketing Office, welcoming skiers and snowboarders alike.

Bruno also joins the company of Timberline’s senior St. Bernard, 8-year-old Bruno, who will continue his tenure in the HR Office behind the Barlow Room, though with reduced hours.

St. Bernards are commonly associated with snow-capped mountains. These large, gentle dogs are highly resistant to cold and are known for their extraordinary sense of smell and direction. They earned their reputation in the 1700s for saving lives in the Alps’ St. Bernard Pass between Switzerland and Italy.

St. Bernards have long been a part of Timberline’s tradition. The first Timberline mascots were reportedly Hansel and Gretel in the very early days of lodge operations, followed by Lady and Bruel. In the 1950s, when the Kohnstamm family took over lodge operations, the mascots were briefly replaced by Huskies. Due to popular demand, the Kohnstamms soon reintroduced St. Bernards, and since the early 1960s the lodge has had mascots named Heidi and Bruno.

For decades, these dogs lived at Timberline, roaming the lodge freely and greeting countless visitors, skiers, and climbers. They became iconic symbols of the mountain, featured on brochures, ski pins, posters, and even Timberline matchbook covers. Their popularity grew to include a children’s book, Heidi’s Rose, published in the 1980s, as well as appearances in outdoor fashion catalogs photographed at the lodge. 

In the mid-1990s, with growing visitation at Timberline, management recognized that the dogs’ traditional role had become too demanding. To protect their health and well-being, the lodge adopted a new model: Heidi and Bruno would belong to long-term Timberline employees, who serve as their caregivers and companions while still bringing them to the lodge to meet guests. This solution allowed the cherished tradition to continue while ensuring the dogs’ quality of life.

Heidi the 10th and Bruno the 12th, were born in early July 2025 and arrived at the lodge in late August. Carrying forward a cherished tradition, they’ll spend their days greeting visitors at Timberline and their evenings with caretakers, sharing warmth, charm, and mountain spirit with all they meet.