TIMBERLINE LODGE ROOF FIRE

Friends of Timberline is dedicated to preserve and conserve Timberline Lodge, protect its historical integrity and communicate the spirit of its builders by providing counsel and raising funds and coordinating community efforts to accomplish these goals. If you would like to donate, Click here. 

April 18, 2024

On Thursday night, April 18th, at approximately 9:30pm a fire was reported at Timberline Lodge in the headhouse attic and its exterior roof area. All hotel guests and staff were immediately evacuated with no injuries or incident. First responders were on scene shortly thereafter, extinguishing the fire by approximately 11:00pm. There is an ongoing investigation as to the cause, but it is suspected fireplace embers ignited the roof. The lodge and ski area were closed on Friday, April, 19th.

April 19, 2024

The following morning, sun shines bright on Timberline. Fire investigators and clean-up crews have been working through the night. All things considered, fire and subsequent water damage is benign and contained to the central areas of the Historic Lodge, including the headhouse and main lobby areas. Investigations are expected to conclude soon. It appears fireplace embers ignited the roof but did not penetrate the hotel interior.  

Structural inspections begin today. If inspections go the way expected, the hotel will reopen Sunday, April 21st. Please stay tuned for updates.

The ski area will reopen on Saturday, April 20th.

Timberline extends the greatest amount of gratitude to our first responders: Hoodland Fire, Clackamas Fire, Estacada Fire, Portland Fire, Gresham Fire and the United States Forest Service. Timberline staff deserves a heartfelt thank you and acknowledgement for exemplary performance, initially responding to the fire and safely evacuating guests without injury or incident. Without these teams and individuals, the outcome would have been very different.

We would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous amount of support received from around the globe. Timberline is a special place because of you.

April 20, 2024

Timberline Lodge will reopen to guests Sunday April 21. The Cascade Dining Room will offer breakfast service starting at 10:00am.
Plans are in place to help guests navigate hotel repairs and ongoing water remediation. Historical preservation efforts are also underway.
There are challenges ahead but we are through the worst of it.

First responder and Timberline staff efforts have been nothing short of remarkable during a very difficult time. This successful recovery is because of their dedication. The deepest appreciation is not only extended from everyone here at the Historic Lodge, but by past, present and future Timberline visitors. Thank you.

Oregon’s Liability Waiver Standard is EXTREME AND OUT OF BALANCE

Recent court rulings have effectively nullified Oregon liability waivers, impacting the accessibility and affordability of recreation and fitness for people across our state. Oregon businesses are now paying significantly more for liability insurance than other western states. As a result, recreation and fitness providers are forced to either increase consumer costs or eliminate recreation options altogether. This will have a devastating effect on small businesses, rural communities and recreationists throughout the state. Without waiver reform, Oregon risks losing the tremendous societal and economic benefits recreation and fitness provide.

SIGN THE PETITION Tell lawmakers: DON’T SHUT DOWN OREGON RECREATION
Your name will be added to the list of signers, and a message will be sent to the State Senator and State Representative who represent you. We only use your address to match you with your legislators.

Recreation and fitness are vital to the livelihood and physical health of Oregonians. Restoring the viability of liability waivers in Oregon is crucial to the accessibility and affordability of recreation and fitness for people across our great state. To level the playing field and preserve recreational opportunities, Oregon should align with the same balanced liability waiver standard that exists in every other western state.

From after-school sports teams to working out in health clubs or enjoying Oregon’s forests and rivers, it is essential we preserve access to recreation for all our community. Skyrocketing liability insurance only makes it harder for businesses to provide affordable recreation and fitness options. Without waiver reform, Oregon risks losing the tremendous societal and economic benefits recreation provides. I urge you to support Oregon recreation and fitness community by passing liability waiver reform this session.

GET THE FACTS Get the data and truth about Oregon’s Liability Waiver Standard

Please, we urge you to sign the petition. Oregon recreation needs your support!

THE STORM SKIING JOURNAL AND PODCAST

January 21, 2022

Join Stuart Winchester as he talks with Timberline President and Are Operation, Jeff Kohnstamm, on The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast. What they discuss:

“The wild start to the 2021-22 ski season; building the spectacular Timberline Lodge during the Great Depression; the intricate process behind keeping the national historic landmark and its décor up-to-date; how Kohnstamm’s father acquired the ski area in the 1950s and what it looked like when he arrived; the decades-long evolution of Timberline from a backwater into a modern ski area; the evolution of the ski area’s original chairlift, Magic Mile, from a single to a double to a high-speed quad; how Timberline keeps its above-treeline chairs from icing overnight; the evolution of the Palmer chair, the immense ongoing challenges of operating it, and why it doesn’t run in the winter; growing up at Timberline; Kohnstamm’s early years working at the ski area and how he ended up running it; the sense of duty behind being steward of the family legacy; how Kohnstamm’s father saved the lodge from demolition back in the ‘50s; why Timberline bought the smaller Summit ski area down the mountain; how and why they connected the two ski areas; the incredible European-esque journey from bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom; the history of the trails connecting Timberline and Summit; how Kohnstamm envisions Summit evolving; the expansive Euro-esque experience of skiing top-to-bottom on Timberline’s full 4,540-foot vertical drop; an update on the scope and timing of the ski area’s master plan; the proposed alignment, size, type, and length of the coming Timberline gondola; the future of the Summit chairlift; the maintenance advantages of old chairlifts; the future of Bruno’s and the beginner area at Timberline; potential future lift upgrades on the current fleet of high-speed quads; whether we could ever see a six-pack at Timberline; the future of parking and transportation at the ski area and how the gondola could help; summer skiing on Mt. Hood; the great meltdown of summer 2021; why Timberline “will be the last ski area standing”; why Timberline created the Fusion Pass with Mt. Hood Ski Bowl; and the Powder Alliance.”

TAKE A LISTEN

TIMBERLINE SUMMIT PASS

Timberline's Summit Pass (formerly known as Summit Ski Area) is officially part of the Timberline ski area as of October 1, 2021, increasing Timberline's vertical terrain to 4,540 feet, the longest in the United States. Located in Government Camp, Oregon, the Summit Pass Lodge and base area offer affordable access to its beginner ski and snowboard terrain, as well as lessons, rentals, a restaurant and snow tubing area.

While this entire giant vertical, from Timberline to Summit Pass, is not yet lift-serviced, it is accessible via other transportation methods and available when there is enough snow at all elevations. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders with a lift ticket or season pass can take the Timberline Resort Shuttle from Summit Pass in Government Camp up to Timberline. At Timberline, catch the Magic Mile Chair Lift up to the Palmer Snowcat access point to be taken to the top of Palmer. Enjoy the ride down to the Alpine Trail or West Leg Road, which ends at the bottom of Summit Pass.

This year, Timberline is offering the Summit Season Pass for beginner skiers and snowboarders for $199. The Summit Season Pass includes unlimited access at Summit Pass in Government Camp. In March, the Summit Pass upgrades to a Timberline Spring Pass, which is valid for unlimited skiing and riding throughout Timberline until May 30, 2022. Summit Passholders also receive 25% off daily lift tickets for themselves at Timberline Lodge.

Summit Pass is the second oldest continuously operating ski area in the United States and the oldest ski area in the Pacific Northwest. In 1959 a T-bar was installed and in 1966 the present lodge was constructed. In 1980 the current 2,300 feet long chairlift was built, providing access to approximately 3.5 miles of trails. Summit’s base elevation is approximately 4,000 ft.

In June 2018, R.L.K. and Company, acquired 100% of the stock for what is formerly known as Summit Ski Area under a special use permit granted by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). In October 2021, a special use permit was granted for the land between Summit and Timberline in order to combine the two ski areas into one. This increases Timberline's vertical from 3,690' to 4,540', the longest vertical terrain in the United States.

The vision for Summit is to continue to operate as a family-oriented, affordable, community-friendly ski area, while upgrading facilities to connect Government Camp with Timberline. Upgrades are also planned to create a year-round recreation hub for outdoor activities fostering experiences and education, with an interest in increasing engagement with youth and underserved communities so as to increase opportunities and diversity in the outdoors.

TIMBERLINE MASTER PLAN

TIMBERLINE TRAIL MAP

NO FIRES DUE TO
WILDFIRE DANGER

Fire season has gotten off to an unprecedented early and severe start this summer. Fire danger level on our side of Mt. Hood is EXTREME and the Industrial Fire Prevention Level is going to level 2. Strict Restrictions are in place. The US Forest Service has asked us to join them in sharing this fire danger information. Thank you for your help keeping Mt. Hood safe from fires! LEARN MORE

TIMBERLINE APPOINTS TWO NEW GENERAL MANAGERS

“It is with a great deal excitement, pride, and enthusiasm that I announce the results of our months-long process to find a new General Manager,” says Jeff Kohnstamm, President and Area Operator. “The results of this extensive search led to an obvious decision which will lay the foundation for solid management and constant improvement for years to come.”

Rose Phillips has been promoted to General Manager of Ski Area Operations. Included are Guest Services, RentalS, and Ski / Ride School. Rose’s industry experience started in 1998 as a Stevens Pass lift operator. By 2006 Rose assumed the Lift Operations Assistant Manager role, responsible for more than 100 employees. Timberline recruited Phillips in 2008 as the Lift Operations Manager and in 2017 she landed as Lift Director. Additionally in 2018, Rose assumed responsibility of Timberline’s latest acquisition, Summit Ski Area. “Timberline is truly a special place, I am honored. If you have a passion for the industry; work hard, keep at it, find opportunities to grow, and most importantly never give up.”

Scott Skellenger has been promoted to General Manager of Hotel Operations. Included are Retail, Facilities Maintenance, and Timberline’s Summit Chevron convenience store. Scott has been with Timberline for more than three decades, beginning his career in 1989, living at the Lodge and employed in the Cascade Dining Room kitchen. By 2003, Scott worked his way up to Assistant General Manager, Hotel Operations. Said Skellenger of his appointment, “I came to Timberline in pursuit of a career and adventure. What I found was a family who prides itself in providing life long memories to our guests and team members alike. I will continue to cherish and foster these relationships and culture with Timberline’s vision and mission of delivering the best guest experience to be found anywhere.” 

Kohnstamm adds, “Scott and Rose will cultivate a unified company culture and work closely together with a one team approach to operating all of our outlets and activities.” 

INTRODUCING TIMBERLINE VODKA

Hood River Distillers, the oldest and largest importer, distiller and marketer of distilled spirits in the Northwest, announced the launch of its newest brand, Timberline Vodka. Created in Hood River, Oregon, a world-renowned epicenter of outdoor recreation, Timberline reflects the spirit and love of the outdoors and those who thrive in it – The “Outer Class.”

Timberline Vodka is uniquely distilled with a balance of grain and 14 different varietals of non-GMO Pacific Northwest apples. Distilled in a dual-column, 2,000-liter pot still at the highest standards of purification, this vodka is then cut to 80 proof with glacier-fed spring water from Mt. Hood. The expert distillation team, with their depth of knowledge, talent and skills, kept the minerals present for an epically clean vodka that echoes its origins.

“With 46 levels of purification, we are really using only the most premium, tightly cut spirit in our production process,” said Master Distiller, Joseph O’Sullivan. “After many rounds of continuous testing, we perfected the balance of grain, apples and finished with the high-quality water we are so fortunate to have in Oregon. We are very proud of this incredible-tasting vodka.”

Aligning with a dedicated interest of preserving the Pacific Northwest environment, Timberline Vodka is proud to partner with the Portland, Oregon-based non-profit organization, The Freshwater Trust. The Freshwater Trust’s mission is to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems in the West.

Timberline Vodka’s packaging was inspired by the iconic Timberline Lodge and a love of the outdoors. The custom glass bottle with unique canvas label looks at home on a back bar or table in any of the historic lodges of the West. The brand was designed by the award-winning Sandstrom Partners, whose portfolio includes the highly successful Aviation Gin, Bulleit Bourbon and St. Germain brands, among others.

A distinctive feature of the packaging was the creation of a collectable label series: The Hiker, The Snow Goose and The Skier. There is only one Timberline Vodka, but there are three distinct labels that represent it.

“Timberline is a very unique vodka, and the brand and packaging reflect this,” says Senior Marketing Brand Manager, Keri Meuret. “The subtle tint of the bubble glass, custom bottle shape with embossing complete with canvas labels provide a vintage charm. It’s a blend of rustic and contemporary.”

For hiking, skiing, sunset wandering, or whatever opens your door, Timberline serves as a constant symbol and reminder that even when sequestered to the inside, the outside is where it’s at. Outwards! Timberline Vodka is now available for purchase in the Hood River Distillers’ Tasting Room and a growing list of Pacific Northwest retailers. It is available in both 50ml and 750ml sizes, and the 750ml bottle retails for $24.95.

About Hood River DistillersFounded in 1934 and headquartered in Hood River, Ore., Hood River Distillers is the Northwest’s largest and oldest importer, distiller, producer, bottler, and marketer of distilled spirits. Timberline® Vodka, Big Gin®, Batanga® Tequila, Easy Rider® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Trail’s End® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished with Oregon Oak, Clear Creek® Distillery, Sinfire® Cinnamon Whiskies, Lucid® Absinthe Supérieure, ULLR® Nordic Libation, Yazi® Ginger Vodka, Double Mountain® Hopped Whiskey, Lewis and Clark® Premium Spirits, HRD® Vodka and the complete line of Monarch® distilled spirits are distributed across the country. For the complete product portfolio and more information, visit www.hrdspirits.com.

At approximately 5:40pm last night the new Pucci lift experienced an electronic fault that would not reset. Efforts to unload the lift via the auxiliary motor were unsuccessful. This resulted in a rope evacuation of 42 guests by Timberline ski patrol and staff. The evacuation was completed by 8:15pm. All guests were accounted for and no injuries resulted from the incident. Pucci is closed for maintenance troubleshooting today as we continue our internal investigation. It will open as soon as safely possible. We are extremely apologetic for the huge inconvenience and stress to our affected customers.

​Cheers to a Happy New Year from Timberline Lodge!

As 2020 comes to an end, Timberline Lodge looks back on the challenges and triumphs we experienced this year. CHEERS TO 2021!

TIMBERLINE'S NIGHT SKIING & SNOWBOARDING SCHEDULE

Starting Dec. 18th, Timberline is open for night skiing and snowboarding Fridays - Sundays through March 7th, plus winter break Dec. 25th - 31st. Night skiing hours are 4pm - 9pm. Night ski lift tickets can be purchased online or onsite. Guests with "anytime" tickets may ski and ride anytime from 9am - 9pm.

STATEWIDE ORDER AND HOW IT AFFECTS TIMBERLINE LODGE

In an effort to reduce the spread of Covid and responsibly promote public health and safety, Gov. Brown announced a statewide order beginning November 18th. This order does NOT include ski areas. It is Timberline’s genuine intention to deliberately and responsibly offer much-needed relief through outdoor recreation. We are open for skiing and snowboarding with reduced capacity, conditions permitting. Capacity will be managed based on how many cars our parking lot is able safely accommodate, first-come-first-served. When the lot is at a safe operating capacity, Timberline Rd. will close. People will be allowed up when spaces become available. Please plan on arriving no earlier than 7:30am when the roads are plowed, but well before 9am to gain access before the road closes. Anticipate capacity to free up in the afternoons when people often leave after a morning of skiing.

Upon arrival, guests should remain with your vehicles until 8:00am. The Wy’East Day Lodge will be locked until 8:00am. Please do not line up at the ticket windows until 8:00am. If you are in the parking lot, you will get whatever you need: lift tickets, rentals, lessons (subject to availability), grab-and-go breakfast and retail.

It is more important than ever to visit Timberline responsibly. We thank everyone in advance for being mindful and following our Health and Responsibility guidelines. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/coronavirus-updates

• Only visit with members of your household.
• Due to very limited indoor seating, be prepared to use your vehicle as a base camp.
• Wear a cloth face mask at all times indoors and when unable to maintain physical distancing outdoors.
• Comply with monitoring and enforcement of Covid prevention protocols throughout the resort, including current physical distancing requirement of 6’.
• Continue to practice exceptional hygiene.
• Report any confirmed COVID-19 exposure or testing positive for COVID-19 after leaving our facility.
• Voice concerns, ask questions, and seek clarification when necessary.

The Timberline Lodge will remain open for hotel guests only. Restaurants will offer take-out orders only. Retail stores will remain open with limited capacity. While we appreciate those who want to visit Timberline and simply tour the lodge, enjoy the historical significance, sit by the fireplaces, and soak in all Mt. Hood has to offer, please postpone your visit. Stay safe this holiday season and support each other. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/conditions

TIMBERLINE 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON UPDATE

As winter approaches, our heartfelt sympathies go out to everyone in the region impacted by the unprecedented forest fire conditions, devastation of property and loss of life. This, in combination with a global pandemic and general uncertainties, has proven to be an extremely difficult time for all. We look forward to ski season and the joy that it brings.

Timberline has been working hard on winter operation plans, building on what we learned from our spring and summer ski seasons, while collaborating in an industry wide safety and operational effort driven by the National Ski Areas Association’s Ski Well, Be Well Program. This winter, it is our goal to deliver quality customer service in a healthy environment. You will undoubtedly notice a change in our operations, these are necessary to move forward and offer everyone the opportunity to get back on Mt. Hood snow.

CAPACITY MANAGEMENT
Capacity management is complex at Timberline because of it public nature and its diversity of users beyond ski area guests.

It is important to keep in mind, we have to manage capacity, it will most likely be for early season, peak holidays and weekends. With some planning and flexibility, people should get to ski or ride most of the days they want. Based on historical visitation and the current Covid landscape, most days at Timberline will be available to ski if it matches with typical demand. We are not sure if we can predict all of the peak days in the current Covid environment, but we are prepared to learn and make adjustments if visitation patterns change. Capacity management is simply a tool that will have to be used to keep everyone healthy.

• To avoid overcrowding and keep everyone healthy, we have a plan to manage resort capacity with an online registration process if necessary. The online registration process will include a mandatory Covid questionnaire.
• All Timberline visitors who wish to ski or snowboard will potentially need to make an advanced online reservation.
• Details on the online reservation process will be released at a later time.
• Customers should expect capacity management, at the beginning of the season (possibly longer) and for peak holidays and weekends.
• Timberline’s capacity will be managed according to what the current Health and Responsibility scenario require. As such, capacity will be subject to increase and decrease at any time.
• Reservation inventory will be divided between pass holders and day lift ticket purchases, with the goal of getting most of our customers on hill most of the days desired.Daily lift ticket reservation inventory and purchases will be managed through our online reservation system if necessary.

RESORT OPERATIONS

• We are excited to commission our third generation Pucci chairlift this winter. It is a detachable quad that will mean the entire area will be served by fast four place chairs. This will allow for a further balancing of skiers and riders on the hill.
• In an effort to provide current information and help guests upon their arrival, we will manage a checkpoint on the Timberline Road.
• Timberline Ski and Ride school will be offering private lessons only. CLICK HERE for more details on private lesson products.
• Timberline Kids Club will not operate this winter.
• Ski and Snowboard rentals will require social distancing protocols. Details will be released at a later time.
• All uphill traffic visitors will be required to park in the Salmon River lot. When the Salmon River lot is full, access will be closed until parking spaces become available.
• The Timberline Resort Shuttle will not operate at the beginning of the season. We will reassess as we move through the winter. The Mt. Hood Express anticipates operating.
• Expect modified Day Lodge, parking lot, and food & beverage operations.

HEALTH AND RESPONSIBILITY
Timberline looks forward to welcoming our guests back with the intention to responsibly offer much needed relief through outdoor recreation. It is with an ethos of creation, healing and purpose that we look forward to the winter season with modified ski area and hotel operations. Please be mindful while visiting Timberline by adhering to the following guidelines:

• Guests will be asked to self-group and visit Timberline with immediate household members, people in their traveling party or individuals they are consistently exposed to or spending time with.
• Complete a Covid questionnaire provided in the online registration process for skiers or at front desk for hotel guests.
• Wear a cloth face mask at all times indoors, in lift lines, on chairlifts and when unable to maintain 6’ physical distancing outdoors.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when you cannot wash your hands.
• Report any confirmed COVID-19 exposure.
• Immediately notify Timberline Management if you begin to experience flu-like symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 after leaving our facility.
• Voice concerns, ask questions, and seek clarification when necessary.

WINTER 2020/2021 SEASON PASS SALES WILL BE OFFERED IN TWO GROUPS
We would like to say thank you to our loyal pass holders. It is a challenging time, requiring changes in operations and potentially more planning on your part. Making a season pass commitment may be different this year, but we believe it still provides the best value for lift access on Mt. Hood and we very much appreciate your willingness to share the season and experience it with us.

October 5 - 18, 2020: Group 1 includes all 2019/2020 Timberline and Fusion Season Pass holders who want to purchase their pass for the 2020/2021 season and take advantage of their pass credit from last year. Pass credits must be used by Oct. 18th. The only exception is for 2020 Spring Pass holders, who may use their credit for winter pass products through Oct. 18th or when Spring Passes go on sale in March 2021. All pass holders will receive an email on Oct. 5th with instructions for applying pass credits and purchasing a pass.

October 19 - November 8, 2020: Group 2 includes new season pass customers wishing to purchase a Timberline or Fusion Season Pass. New season pass availability may be restricted to maintain capacity constraints.

For both groups, Winter 2020/2021 Season Passes will be mailed and not available for pickup at Timberline. All Timberline and Fusion pass products are non-refundable, with no exceptions. If the past six months have taught us anything, it is we have to remain flexible and operations can be severely effected by matters out of our control. We understand these new processes and policies are unfamiliar and could be somewhat inconvenient. They are simply necessary as the situation presents itself and are meant to deliver a healthy environment for Timberline guests and employees while they enjoy time on the mountain.

Timberline values and recognizes its customers as the cornerstone for delivering 84 great years on Mt. Hood. Undoubtedly, there will be changes as we move through winter. We will adjust plans accordingly and communicate as quickly and clearly as possible. Patience and tolerance are more important than ever. We are all in this together! Timberline’s Winter 2020/2021 skiing and snowboarding season success will require everyone’s cooperation, and we thank you in advance for your help.

As we get closer to winter, stay tuned for more updates.

We miss seeing everyone on the mountain and look forward to skiing and riding with you this winter.

Sincerely,

Jeff Kohnstamm – President / Area Operator

A MESSAGE FROM TIMBERLINE LODGE REGARDING THE CORONAVIRUS

UPDATE
MARCH 18, 2020

As the impact of COVID -19 accelerates, we understand there are many questions and concerns from our customers and employees. With that in mind, we have provided a list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS to address the most common concerns. All of Timberline's regular updates are also listed below.

UPDATE
MARCH 17, 2020 at 4:25pm

Dear Timberline Guests, Skiers and Snowboarders,

Since our last update, the COVID-19 impact has continued to accelerate. Timberline is committed to managing this situation with care for the well-being of our guests, employees, and community. We are continually consulting health experts and government officials to help inform our decisions.

Winter recreation, including skiing and snowboarding, is undoubtedly a wonderful activity for not only our physical health but also improving psychology surrounding difficult circumstances. We know you share in our sentiment that opening the slopes would be the escape many are looking for. We will get there, but today, it does not look prudent to reopen the ski area by the previously mentioned date of Monday, March 23.

In recent days, regardless of challenges, Timberline employees made exemplary efforts in their duties with admirable attitudes. To help minimize adverse personal disruption, employees will be paid to stay home through March 22.

Timberline is fortunate to have the longest ski season in North America. As such, pass privileges will be added to the end of the winter/spring season. At this time, there are no details on when skiing and snowboarding can resume, but when the time is right, we will give you the best we have. As we are confident in reopening with extended days, no refunds will be given on any pass or lift ticket product at this time.

For when re-opening seems right, we have developed different operational scenarios. In order to implement proper social distancing measures, we are leaning toward a limited services model. Simply put, this would mean the ski lifts are running but the Wy’East Day Lodge is closed. There would be Ski Patrol services, bathroom facilities, and lift tickets being sold at outside ticket windows. While nothing is finalized, this seems like the option providing the best guest experience while promoting exercise, outdoor recreation, and healthy environments.

Stay tuned here and on social media for updates. We at Timberline hope you stay well and active.

Jeff Kohnstamm
President / Area Operator
Timberline Lodge & Ski Area

Please read below for other updates.

UPDATE
MARCH 17, 2020 at 2:00pm

Most of Timberline’s food and beverage outlets are now closed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Cascade Dining Room will remain open for overnight hotel guests only serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mt. Hood Brewing Co. Tilikum Station in Portland is open for pizza and beverage takeout.

Please read below for other updates.

UPDATE
MARCH 15, 2020

Dear Timberline Guests, Skiers and Snowboarders,

We have made the very difficult decision to suspend Timberline Ski Area Operations until March 23rd.

As the coronavirus COVID-19 situation evolves, RLK and Company is pausing operations to evaluate options and protocols for the remainder of the 2019/2020 ski season.

All ski operations will cease and the Wy’East Day Lodge will close today, Sunday March 15th, 4:00pm. We will monitor and reassess during the coming week with the intention of resuming ski operations Monday March 23rd.

The Hotel, including the Cascade Dining Room, Ram’s Head Bar, and Wy’East Gallery remain open. We encourage anyone who is showing flu like symptoms to remain at home. Hotel customers can be rebooked or refunded depending on their desire and situation.

Timberline season pass customers can expect days added to the end of this season.

Ski School customers with reservations next week can reschedule for a future date or get a refund.

There will undoubtedly be many unforeseen customer requests and special circumstances. We will have staff available and responsive to email and phone communications in the coming days. Please stay healthy and calm. Timberline is proud of our great team we will come together for the best possible outcome.

This is truly an unprecedented situation and a very difficult time. We will get through it and we will be better for it.

Sincerely,

Jeff Kohnstamm

President/Area Operator

UPDATE
MARCH 14, 2020

The health and safety of Timberline guests and employees has always been our highest priority. While the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve we have implemented measures to reduce risk and promote social distancing as the resort continues to operate. We have teams meeting daily to evaluate and update procedures and practices.

• Restaurant seating has been reconfigured and reduced to allow for more space between dining guests. The buffets in the Cascade Dining Room have been replaced with plated service. Because of their tight nature and general popularity, Phlox Point Cabin and the Blue Ox are closed until further notice.
• For now, Timberline Resort Shuttles have been canceled. An update for the remainder of the season will be released soon.
• Ski area events are canceled through April, including the USO Demo and Sisters in Action Sports Day.
• Customers have the option to form their own groupings on chairlifts and queues are reworked to promote space while waiting to load.
• We have increased the frequency and rigor of sanitizing throughout the resort. Timberline staff members have been trained on proper hand-washing and sanitizing techniques, all public surfaces are sanitized multiple times throughout the day, and hand-sanitizing stations are in place in public areas.
• Employees and guests are encouraged to maintain personal hygiene, modify personal greetings, and minimize personal contact. If you are sick, please stay home.
• In the event you believe it is not safe for you to travel or stay at Timberline Lodge due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, we would be happy to find a future date for your visit. If a future date is not possible, we are waiving our 7-day cancellation policy.

Hotel Guests: email or call 503-272-3410

Groups & Conferences: email or call 503-272-3251

PR and all other inquiries: email or call 503-272-3345

As this situation continues to evolve we will closely monitor guidance from the CDC as well as our state and local health officials, and will continue to rely on their recommendations to inform our decisions. Timberline is a wonderful place to get outside, enjoy winter recreation, disconnect from difficult times and promote general well-being.

Thank you.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE
MARCH 12, 2020

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, the health and safety of Timberline guests and employees is our highest priority.

Due to Governor Kate Brown’s measures prohibiting large gatherings, Timberline will be releasing an updated event schedule and evaluating gatherings in crowded areas. Otherwise, spring skiing conditions are great and the resort is open and operating normally.

In response to safety measures recommended by health officials, Timberline has increased the frequency and rigor of sanitizing throughout the resort. Timberline staff members have been trained on proper hand-washing and sanitizing techniques, all public surfaces are sanitized multiple times throughout the day, and hand-sanitizing stations are in place in public areas.

As this situation continues to evolve we will closely monitor guidance from the CDC as well as our state and local health officials, and will continue to rely on their recommendations to inform our decisions.

In the event you believe it is not safe for you to travel or stay at Timberline Lodge due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, we would be happy to find a future date for your visit. If a future date is not possible, we are waiving our 7-day cancellation policy.

Hotel Guests: email or call 503-272-3410

Groups & Conferences: email or call 503-272-3251

PR and all other inquiries: email or call 503-272-3345

TIMBERLINE OPENING DAY WINTER 2019/2020

Timberline will open for the winter 2019/2020 ski season Thursday, November 28th, 9am - 4pm. It is our plan to operate 7 days a week, weather permitting. Initially, terrain will be limited to Bruno’s and Pucci lifts. More terrain will open as weather and snow conditions allow. The Ski and Snowboard Rental Shop will be open 30 minutes before lifts open. Ski School will be open for Private Lessons only. Group Adult and Kids Club lessons will be offered when snow levels permit. Please call ahead to schedule a lesson 503.272.3341 or book online. Early season conditions and unmarked hazards exist, please obey all trail closures and respect the ski area boundary. Ski area operations change frequently as they are tied to snow and weather conditions. We will always give you the best we have. Winter driving in effect. Please take extra time when traveling. Stay tuned to our www.timberlinelodge.com/conditions for updates.

Summit Ski Area will be open for tubing Friday November 29th - Sunday December 1, 9am - 4pm, and weekends thereafter. Stay tuned to www.summitskiarea.com/conditions/ for updates.

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area Announces the New Timberline Freestyle Training Center

For more than 30 years, freestyle terrain parks and features have been championed at Timberline, leading to the genesis of many modern terrain park design and build practices around the world. The Kohnstamms and senior Timberline leaders Steve Kruse and Jeff Flood made sure athletes and camps would have a USA home to push the industry every summer. With countless films and photos inspiring riders and skiers around the world to make a pilgrimage every summer, Timberline is where so many have started careers and fueled their passion.

For many years the majority of Timberline’s summer terrain parks have been private, hosting some of the most innovative camps in the world. Now that terrain will be open to everyone. Timberline’s Freestyle Training Center will provide access for everyone to carefully designed parks for all abilities, incredible training opportunities for athletes and teams, and amazing camp experiences. Now individuals, teams, coaches, and camps will have access to our parks every summer.

The Freestyle Training Center will be focused on the summer months, where Timberline provides the longest ski season in North America. These terrain facilities will include a 22-foot Superpipe - cut by the legendary Timberline Grooming and Park Crew and world class pipe cutters, an all-new halfpipe spine airbag, progressive jump and transition features, rail and jib features of all shapes and sizes including top-level rail features, and a brand new BX/SX course with a world-cup spec start gate. All of this will amount to the single largest summer terrain park in Timberline history. “I am very proud of the freestyle roots at Timberline, in large part driven by our tremendous summer camps. I am also very excited for what the future of the Freestyle Training Center will offer to the skiing and snowboarding community. ” – Jeff Kohnstamm, President and Area Operator, Timberline Lodge & Ski Area.

Timberline provides the easiest and quickest access to summer snow in the northern hemisphere. With two miles of terrain, the Timberline Freestyle Training Center is accessed by two high-speed quads. The facility will be serviceable by multiple handle tows, giving riders quick laps and maximum time on snow.

Riders and skiers can plan their experience on their own and by participating in Timberline’s Summer Freestyle Camp, staying onsite at Timberline Lodge or in housing in the surrounding Mt. Hood communities. There are great options to stay with camps providing a complete package along with access to private dryland facilities. High Cascade and Windells, based just 35 minutes away, provide an industry leading camp experience with a world-class skatepark, artificial snow ramps and rails, trampoline facilities, and onsite housing. Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps (and snowboard too), offers the closest all-inclusive packages to Timberline with top-tier coaching, beginner to pro level programs, skate ramp and action oriented field trips.

LEARN MORE

Summit Ski Area Master Plan Formally Accepted by the Mt. Hood National Forest (USFS)

The master plan is conceptual in nature and was developed in consultation with the United States Forest Service and in collaboration with a stakeholder group that represented a large spectrum of the general public. Our vision recognizes a growing demand for visitation and outdoor recreation on Mt. Hood, and hopes to be a catalyst for needed transportation and parking improvements in the Mt. Hood area. It contemplates a new day lodge, a new quad chairlift, summer activities, improved parking and transit solutions, a permit boundary connection with Timberline Ski Area, and the installation of a gondola to provide visitors with alternative transportation from Summit to Timberline.

As operators of the Summit Ski Area, we are dedicated to
1) Maintaining and enhancing Summit’s focus on, and niche as a beginner ski area.
2) Engaging in improvements that attract and support a quality workforce.
3) Collaborating with federal and state agencies towards transportation initiatives that address on-mountain mobility & connectivity, safety, and congestion.
4) Promoting environmental stewardship within a framework of managed recreation.
5) Reducing barriers to entry to promote the benefits of outdoor recreation, and education to serve a diverse public.
6) Strengthening local economic development and community engagement.

View and Read the Plan

Contact

Jon Tullis, Director of Public Affairs and Planning
Phone: 503-272-3134
Email

TIMBERLINE BIKE PARK will open Monday, August 12, 2019 for its first “preview” season

Timberline Lodge looks forward to opening the Timberline Bike Park on Monday. This is Year 1 of a multi-phase bike park build.

Family-friendly trails that are suited to bikers of all ages and abilities were purposefully built into Phase 1 of the Timberline Bike Park. Gravy Train, the primary green trail, is wide and flows 4.5 miles or about 35 minutes, and is perfect for a first time bike park experience. Blue and black trails will also be open, however, blue jump lines may not be ready for opening day.

The Timberline Bike Park will operate seven days a week through Labor Day, from 11:00am until one hour before sunset. A revised schedule will be implemented in the fall. For this first preview season, all-day lift tickets for adults age 13+ will be $36 and $32 for kids.

The Preview Season Pass is $249 for adults and $199 for kids. Timberline Bike Park Preview Season Passholders also receive two free Bike Park days at Mt. Bachelor, Grand Targhee, Schweitzer Mountain Resort, and Whitefish Mountain Resort.

The entrance to the new park is in front of Wy’East Lodge right off the main Timberline Ski Area parking lot. In order to access the Timberline Bike Park, guests will need a lift ticket, helmet, close-toed shoes, and functioning front and rear brakes. Trek bike rentals and safety gear rentals, as well as private lessons, will also be available at opening. The Wy’East Store in the Wy’East Day Lodge will carry a variety of bike gear and apparel. The Y’Bar, also located in the Wy’East Day Lodge, is catering to the bike crowd with healthy and hearty lunch items, Mt. Hood Brewing Co. craft ales on tap, and outdoor seating. Kids are welcome in the Y’Bar.

At the request of Timberline’s partner in recreation, the US Forest Service, eBikes will not be allowed in the Timberline Bike Park until formal and consistent federal lands eBike policy is finalized.

As construction of Phase 2 trails continues, the Timberline Bike Park will evolve over time. A bike park is a continual work in progress. It takes years of design, maintenance, building, re-working ride lines, hearing user feedback, soil compactions, and seeing how trails fare over winter. This is a multi-year build process. As such, Timberline asks that guests and public stay out of construction areas. This is for their own safety as well as the safety of Timberline crews.

Timberline urges guests to visit the new Bike Park with the expectation that this is a preview season, and to look forward to years to come as Bike Park operations are expanded. Most importantly, guests are encouraged to have a really good time.

For more information, visit our Bike Park page or contact John Burton, Director of Marketing and PR, at 503-272-3345 or by email.

R.L.K. and Company dba Timberline Lodge Announces the “ORIGINS Campaign”, a Comprehensive Update to R.L.K. and Company’s Sustainability Program

In celebration of Earth Day, R.L.K. and Company invites visitors to join in as we honor the rich history of Timberline Lodge by working together towards a brighter future.

For over 60 years, R.L.K. and Company has been an integral part of the Mt. Hood community. We recognize that we operate within a cherished natural landscape and actively work towards the preservation of Timberline Lodge and its natural surroundings. We also recognize the close ties to our community and are committed to employing our local population, featuring local arts and crafts, and promoting the agricultural products of our region. Stewardship, after all, is not new here, but we can always do better.

The ORIGINS Campaign aims to move R.L.K. and Company’s stewardship efforts to the front lines. By reflecting on Timberline’s rich history and using that inspiration as our guide, we intend to renew our focus on stewardship efforts today, tomorrow, and for the years to come. Our newly updated Sustainability webpage highlights Timberline’s unique history as it relates to sustainability, stewardship, and mountain culture. To learn more, visitors can explore our ORIGINS section in addition to sections including environmental initiatives, community involvement and partnerships, and what individuals can do to help keep Mt. Hood beautiful. Initiatives relating to energy conservation, waste reduction, transportation, and procurement of local goods are outlined in detail as well.

Going forward, we ask that interested visitors take a look at our initiatives, find their inspiration, and explore the Visitors section to find out they can help. Stewardship is a collective effort and it’s going to take all of us to responsibly manage our impact on Mt. Hood and the National Forest which surrounds it. Our combined support of the ORIGINS Campaign will play a vital role in our future and ultimately, each and every one of us will benefit from an economically and environmentally sustainable R.L.K. and Company.

Contact Us

If you’d like to learn more about our stewardship efforts or just reach out and share your ideas or feedback, please contact R.L.K. and Company’s Environmental Health & Safety Manager:

Brett Wesson
P: 503-272-3249
E: bwesson@timberlinelodge.com

Timberline Lodge Announces the “Steal Your Mountain” Grateful Dead Tribute Labor Day - Monday, September 2nd, 2019

Timberline’s popular Labor Day Mountain Music Festival will celebrate the songs of the Grateful Dead. The show, featuring four bands including the Garcia Birthday Band, is dubbed “Steal Your Mountain” and will delve into the Americana roots of the Dead’s music, featuring songs influenced by folk, blues, bluegrass and early rock and roll music. We’ll serve it all up the way it is best experienced – through a dynamic interaction with the audience and with the good-time vibes of an outdoor festival. Get ready for “Steal Your Mountain”! MORE INFO

Opening the Mountain Music Festival this year at noon will be local favorites Fingers and Chilly with Eric Kallio. Their acoustic set will celebrate the folk roots of the Grateful Dead including such early classics as Shady Grove, Morning Dew, and Deep Elem Blues. Band leader Tom “Fingers” Franklin is joined by his longtime musical partner Denis “Chilly “ Denault with a special appearance by our mountain maestro of the slide guitar and Dobro, Eric Kallio.

Next on stage at 1:15pm is the popular Portland band The Columbians featuring Peter ‘Spud’ Siegel on mandolin, Joel Marshal on guitar, and Bill Uhlig on up-right bass. They will shift gears to pay tribute to the old timey and bluegrass influence on the Dead’s music. They will be joined by Stew Dodge, one of Oregon’s finest bluegrass fiddlers, to cover such “Old and In the Way” bluegrass classics as Midnight Moonlight and Hobo Song.

At 3:00pm, US Cadenza was originally scheduled to play. However, we’ve gotten word out of Portland that Steve Bradley, the founder, guitar player, and front man for legendary US Cadenza is experiencing a little health problem at this time and will be unable to perform at the Timberline Mountain Music Festival. The bandmates got together and decided that without Steve Bradley, it just wouldn’t be the US Cadenza, and have decided to cancel their performance. In magnanimous fashion, the Garcia Birthday Band will be stepping into the 3 p.m. slot to play a 45 minute set of Grateful Dead blues, with the US Cadenza’s soulful and dynamic Johnny Ward on the harmonica. We all wish Steve a swift recovery!The Garcia Birthday Band takes the stage at 4:30pm and will entertain while the sun slowly sets in this beautiful outdoor setting with Deadhead favorites, especially from the ‘71 & ’72 period when the Dead was at a creative high point touring Europe and laying down such crowd pleasers as Jackstraw, Sugar Magnolia, and Tennessee Jed. They are sure to bring back the good- time vibes that were contagious on tour back in that period and continue to fuel Deadheads to this day. We are thrilled to have the GBB at the festival. Few bands capture the magic of the Grateful Dead as well as Peter Bach, Justin John, Adam King, Scott Gillan, and Arthur Steinhorn. These are seasoned musicians who love and respect the music enough to bring their own style to it, their own jams, their own tight chops, and their own fine arrangements. These are musicians of the first order who thrill in celebrating the music of the Grateful Dead by taking the audience along with them on an immensely satisfying musical journey.

Admission is free to the “Steal Your Mountain” Timberline Mountain Music Festival thanks to the operators of Timberline Lodge, and our sponsors at Farmer Brothers Coffee and the Mt. Hood Brewing Co. Enjoy Timberline’s food and beverages on the back “pickin’ patio” and bring an instrument to join in the jams lead by the Taborgrass Players. Visit with various groups staffing outreach tables including the Friends of Timberline, the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Oregon Bluegrass Association, and the United States Forest Service.

No dogs or picnic lunches please. No camping allowed within the ski area. Musical performances are rain or shine - 12:00 noon to sunset.

Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory Presents: The Story Behind Timberline Lodge

Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory has a wonderful diversity of attractions, ranging from exciting outdoor adventures, a rich heritage and culture, and amazing farms, wineries and breweries. What makes these even more special is the people who made these attractions. Territory Tales is a podcast telling the stories behind the fascinating men and women who make Mt. Hood Territory a world-class destination.

For their second episode of the new podcast, Territory Tales which uncovers the stories behind Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory and its iconic attractions, talked with Jeff Kohnstamm, area operator for Timberline Lodge & Ski Area.

Jeff’s father, Richard Kohnstamm, truly saved Timberline Lodge which had fallen into disrepair since its original glory days as a WPA project during the Great Depression. He invested his own money and a lot of hard work to bring it back to life while raising his family there.

Eventually Jeff took over from his father as area operator and continued to honor the rich history while also looking ahead.

In this episode, Jeff shed light on the work his father did, his childhood at Timberline Lodge, how it became the elite ski destination it is today as well as plans for the future.

Thanks for listening!

Mt. Hood Ski Area Operators Issue Joint Statement of Support for Climate Solutions Legislation

Timberline, Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Summit, Cooper Spur and Mt. Hood Meadows ski areas support S. 3791/H.R. 763, the Federal Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and Oregon House Bill 2020, the Oregon Climate Action Program.

The winter sports recreation industry is uniquely vulnerable to feel the environmental and economic impacts of climate change. Warmer, less predictable winter weather, reduced snow packs, and tinderdry forests in summer are all well-documented effects of climate change which can lead to uncontrolled wildfires. The leading contributor to climate change is carbon emissions, which generate harmful greenhouse gasses.

The ski areas of Mt. Hood have been leaders in the snow sports industry, and in our community, for early adoption of sustainable business practices and advocacy for public policies that effectively address reduction of carbon emissions.

Two important climate game-changing public policies are now before us. We urge the 116th Congress and the 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly to enact these two packages of climate legislation:

• We support S. 3791/H.R. 763, the Federal Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This Act stands out with its market-based approach to meeting aggressive emissions reductions targets, while providing Oregonians with a dividend. This legislation is bipartisan, embodying an American ideal of working together to find common solutions that are effective and long-lasting.


• We support the basic framework of Oregon House Bill 2020 which creates an Oregon Carbon Policy Office to administer the Oregon Climate Action Program, which would adopt an economy-wide cap and invest system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon. We understand that aspects of this bill will change during the legislative process, but let us adopt meaningful climate legislation this session.

We also support efforts by the Federal Government to manage our National Forest system in a manner which reduces forest fuel loading and encourages the economically productive use of fiber resources which, in turn, create rural jobs and reduce the incidence of catastrophic wildfires in Oregon.

Damage caused by carbon-based greenhouse gases are at or near the tipping point. This issue cannot wait any longer for decisive action. Citizens, industry and Federal and State government must put partisanship and personal opinions aside and address this problem now.

Therefore, we would encourage our elected representatives at both the state and federal levels to support the respective climate solutions legislation.

For more information about Timberline’s commitment to climate solutions, contact Director of Public Affairs and Planning, Jon Tullis, at jtullis@timberlinelodge.com.

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area Announced as Official U.S. Ski & Snowboard Training Site through 2023

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have announced that Timberline will serve as an Official Training Site for American ski and snowboard athletes through January 2023. This agreement will see athletes from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the United States, training at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area through the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, and beyond, providing invaluable snow access as athletes train to reach podiums.

As the only North American ski resort to stay open 12 months a year, Timberline will provide consistent, world-class access to snow for elite athletes on the alpine, moguls, halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboardcross teams. Timberline will play an integral role in the training of many future U.S. Ski & Snowboard Olympians.

“This partnership with Timberline provides our teams with the benefit of easy access to world-class on-snow training throughout the summer. Timberline is well-known for its great conditions throughout the year, and is so accessible for our teams, allowing them to gain critical on-snow training time at multiple points throughout the summer. Training at Timberline is a mainstay for our athletes, supporting the summer training they need, and is a critical component of our drive to be Best in the World,” commented U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief of Sport, Luke Bodensteiner.

The partnership with Timberline will give U.S. Ski & Snowboard a solid basis to work from in laying down training strategy for the next four-year cycle in preparation of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Access to a domestic, year-round snow surface is invaluable for athletes competing in seasonal sports including ski and snowboard disciplines.

As an official U.S. Ski & Snowboard training site, Timberline will host an estimated 160 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and personnel across 45 days each year. Because Timberline has extensive terrain and year-round snow coverage, the resort is ideal for setting up the many courses necessary for training multiple sports disciplines. The alpine team will have access to two lanes, primarily slalom with some terrain build as conditions allow. The moguls team will have access to flats, a bumps lane and a jump. The freeski and snowboard team will have access to the halfpipe as constructed, an airbag, park jumpline and rails, one 55-65 foot jump as constructed (with the option for more as space and snow allows) and access to three variations of down rails and six other rail features – side and straight on entrance as constructed.

In addition to providing training for national team athletes, Timberline is also instrumental in supporting U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s talent development pipeline. Each year the U.S. Snowboard Team’s Project Gold program brings together the top junior athletes in the country in snowboarding and snowboardcross for an annual progressive talent development camp. The top juniors in the country, selected from Hole Shot and USASA Nationals, get the opportunity to train with the U.S. Snowboard Team’s national team coaching staff. Three development camps for Alpine are held at Timberline each year: Women’s Development Team, Men’s Development Team and U16 National Development. These camps focus on skills development in slalom and giant slalom.

“Timberline has a long and storied history as a summer training site for US Ski & Snowboard. From Tony Sailer, Billy Kidd, Steve and Phil Mahre to Ted Ligety; from Cindy Nelson and Picabo Street to Julia Mancuso, Mikaela Shiffrin, Red Gerard, Shaun White and Maddie Bowman - all have trained at Timberline in the summer, as well as virtually all other U.S. Olympic Alpine athletes,” commends Timberline’s president, Jeff Kohnstamm, “We are very proud of this tradition and have worked with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to formalize our relationship. This will further meet the needs of U.S. athletes and promote the world-class summer ski and snowboard training that is Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield.”

For more information about U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Timberline Lodge and Ski Area’s partnership, contact U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Tom Webb, at tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org.

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About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2018, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

About Timberline Lodge and Ski Area

Located on Mt. Hood, in the Oregon Cascades, Timberline Lodge and Ski Area offers the longest ski season in North America. The winter season typically begins early to mid-November and continues through Memorial Day. The Palmer Express high-speed quad lift operates later into the summer season, usually June 1st through Labor Day.

TERRAIN PARK UPDATE - WINTER 2018/2019

Timberline’s terrain park team stayed busy this fall refurbishing our rails and building some new ones. We are excited to add a bunch of new features to our parks this winter. Included are seven new rails we built last summer for our first year running the Pro Park. We are excited to have those rails in the mix for our winter parks. Also included are several 10” wide flat stock rails for our small parks, making a nice progression from riding boxes to riding rails. One of our favorite rails is the “no-skirt down-flat-down” rail made out of 10” wide round steel. We also brought five features back from the dead that got destroyed last winter, and a few that we didn’t even get a chance to put out last season.

Timberline Terrain Parks are a continual work in progress with features that change with the weather. Our goal is to definitely have at least one large jump (over 50’) and some transition-type features by the middle or end of February. If we start getting a ton of snow, we will add another large jump and a halfpipe.

This year we are focusing on making our smaller parks more progressive and packed with features. We want our guests to have a good progression from our small parks up to our Conways features.

We are building a great team, and dialing in our processes and practices to make our program run even smoother. We are excited for what the 2019 winter has to offer!

-Tyler Wike, Terrain Park Manager

Travel Smart and Safely to Mt. Hood

It's important that guests are aware of and prepared for winter driving conditions as they travel to Timberline Lodge.

At Timberline, the parking lots are known to fill up as early as 8:45am over Winter Break and on weekends. While there’s plenty of room on the slopes, parking around Mt. Hood has become scarce and unfortunately Timberline cannot accommodate any more cars than our lots allow.

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area was built in the spirit of collaboration and industry, funded by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Timberline continues to thrive because of the many partnerships with government and private groups it has forged throughout its 75 plus years. One such relationship is the one we have with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Many people don’t realize that Timberline Road is actually OR 173, an Oregon state highway that runs from Hwy 26 in Government Camp through the Timberline parking lot and back again. While Timberline Lodge employs parking lot attendants to clear and manage the lots by the lodge, we rely on ODOT and work closely with them to make sure guests can safely access the lodge every day of the year. Timberline and ODOT share the same objective…to make our guests’ visits to Timberline safe, fun, and memorable.

Our parking lot attendants are on hand to park as many guests as we can fit into the lot. It’s important to follow parking instructions and parking cones at the lodge so we don’t have to prematurely close the lot on a busy weekend. Also, if cars park illegally at the lodge and block roadways, ODOT can have them towed at the owner’s expense.

ODOT is charged with maintaining Hwy 26 and Timberline Road. ODOT manages the digital signs leading up the mountain, advising drivers if and when chains and traction tires are recommended. The ODOT Highway Maintenance Station at the bottom of Timberline Road is cleared with enough space for dozens of vehicles to chain up. Timberline Road does not have any wide shoulders, so it’s crucial that drivers put on chains before driving up to the lodge. This is why we see so many accidents and blockages on Timberline Road, because people fail to chain up before driving up the mountain. Timberline Road can be deceiving…it may look clear at the bottom but elevation rises rapidly and you’ll find yourself stuck halfway up!

How can you make your trip to Timberline safe for you and others on the road?

• Be prepared for traffic on holidays and weekends. We cannot stress this enough. The Timberline parking lot fills up quickly and can close as early as 8:45am on holidays and weekends. New cars are allowed to enter as others leave, but lots may not reopen completely until 2pm.
  
• Allow more than enough time to reach your destination, especially on weekends and holidays.
  
• Drive the proper vehicle for snow and icy roads.
• Do your research. TripCheck has roadcams at various points along Hwy 26 plus alerts with weather warnings.
  
• Adjust your speed to the road conditions. Slow and steady wins the race.
• Carpool, take the Mt Hood Express, or take the Timberline Resort Shuttle. See bus schedules and Timberline’s other suggestions for Travel and Transportation.
  
• Carry chains, a snow shovel, de-icer, extra clothing, and kitty litter. Yes, kitty litter. (see below)
  
• Pay attention to ODOT digital signs and follow chain-up laws.
  
• Breath in. Breath out. Be patient. Be considerate.
  

Helpful hints from the Timberline parking crew:

• Don’t get stuck. Use your snow shovel to get unstuck and kitty litter around tires for traction.
  
• Throw kitty litter around your tires on the downhill side of the car to prevent it from sliding into the car next to you on icy days.
  
• Spread Vaseline on the weather stripping around car doors at the beginning of the season to prevent car doors freezing closed.
  
• Know how to properly install chains. On the correct tires.
  
• Remember, you’re driving uphill. If you stop, you may not get going again. Rest assured…you’re not stuck, you just can’t go forward. If all’s clear behind you, back on up.
  
• Follow parking lot signs and thank your parking lot attendant!

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TIMBERLINE BIKE PARK - PHASE 1 COMPLETE

With the arrival of snow on Mt. Hood on October 28th, Phase 1 of the Timberline Bike Park has officially ended for the season. We look forward to winter, when the trails can settle under the snow. This will provide more stability when the Timberline Bike Park opens in Summer 2019 and Phase 2 begins. Until then, the Bike Park remains closed while we gear up for the winter season of skiing and snowboarding.

The Timberline Bike Park crew projected to complete 7-10 miles of green, blue, and black trails for Phase 1 and accomplished that goal. The green trail is approximately 4.5 miles and flows for a nice 30-35 minutes ride down the mountain. Late this fall we asked regional pros, avid mountain bikers, and families to test the Timberline Bike Park. General consensus is that the Timberline Bike Park is going to be awesome!

Check out pictures below of the folks who tried and tested the Timberline Bike Park this fall.

Mail Your Pass

Timberline Season Passes are now on sale. You can save up to $200 with early season pricing.

Be like Ricky. Choose to have your Timberline Season Pass mailed to you rather than waiting in another line to pick it up. BUY NOW

Timberline Bike Park Progress Report - Conservation

A major component to Timberline’s Bike Park build is protecting Mt. Hood’s natural landscape, from plant life to wild life, from soil to water. Jena Christianson is Timberline’s Environmental Coordinator and has been involved with the bike park project from day one, several years ago when the bike park was originally proposed. With heavy input from the U.S. Forest Service and an open dialogue among environmental planners, Jena wrote the bike park’s construction field manual of environmental guidelines that Timberline must take into consideration while building the trails.

“Prior to each section of trail that we build, we are going through multiple steps in conjunction with the Forest Service and other scientific professionals to make sure that we are doing what is required to minimize our impact on the ecosystem while building a fun park for all skill levels,” Jena explains, “We work with Forest Service specialists regularly to ensure that our footprint on the landscape is minimal. The Xerces Society has been surveying weekly for Western Bumblebees ahead of our work crews to ensure that we don’t build through nest locations. Consideration is being taken for all environmental factors from our potential for sedimentation in the creeks to improving foraging habitat for endemic wildlife.”

Jena also works closely with a Forest Service botanist on a plant salvage plan. Elements of the plant salvage plan include prolific plant seed collection days, invasive plant inspections, and revegetating in order to rehabilitate shoulders of the trail and other areas of the mountain. This not only stabilizes the soil but it increases bee and other pollinator habitats.

Continual water monitoring and erosion control are other important aspects of Jena’s job that help protect Mt. Hood’s natural resources. Once the bike park opens in Summer 2019, it is important that visitors stay on trails to protect Mt. Hood’s essential landscape and natural habitats.

“Things are moving along with the Phase 1 Bike Park build. We have a good section of trail built so far and are making steady progress. Our experienced equipment operators are using mini-excavators to do the heavy lifting and dirt work. We have had crews replanting disturbed vegetation, finishing drainage features, hand-sculpting trails behind the excavators, and working on some hand-built advanced trail,” says Christianson.

Until the Timberline Bike Park opens in Summer 2019, we ask that guests and public stay out of the construction area for their own safety as well as the safety of the build crew.

“People may have noticed the construction signs and slower speed limit signs throughout the permit area, especially along West Leg Road. We ask that people respect these warnings because the project area is considered an active construction zone complete with hazard tree falling, heavy equipment, and crews working with hand tools. There are what appears to be preliminary bike trails visible from the road, but these are unfinished and not open for biking.”

Timberline hosts US Ski, Snowboard, and Freeskiing Teams at Silcox

On Wednesday, July 11th, Timberline hosted US Ski, Snowboard, and Freeskiing athletes at iconic Silcox Hut for a BBQ and private night training session. After chowing down while enjoying the incredible view, star athletes and Olympic medalists from Red Gerard to Maddie Bowman hit the Timberline Pro Park for sunset jumps and jibs.

Qualified skiers and riders can now have access to Timberline’s elite level training facility, the Timberline Pro Park. The Pro Park ticket offers skiing and riding on Pro Park features including a 22-foot half pipe, a 60+ foot jump, and a pro-level rail line, all serviced by one handle tow.

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area is an official training site for the US Ski Team, US Snowboarding, and US Freeskiing. Athletes from around the world travel to Timberline in the summer, where early morning access to Palmer Snowfield and the Timberline Pro Park offer elite level training. Timberline Lodge in turn is a proud host to US Ski and Snowboard and works tirelessly to provide a superior on-hill training facility. Feedback from the athletes is proof in the pudding…they say Timberline’s on-hill product this year is the best and most professional it has ever been.

Timberline looks forward to hosting US Ski and Snowboard at Silcox again, a location that puts them right up on the summer snow. Silcox Hut is available to the public for events and overnight stays throughout the year.

Timberline Lodge & Ski Area Purchases Summit Ski Area

R.L.K. and Company, Operator of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, has purchased the iconic Summit Ski Area in Government Camp, Oregon. Included in the sale is Snow Bunny, a snow play area and parking lot, approximately 1.5 miles east of Government Camp. Both Summit Ski Area and Snow Bunny will operate under a special use permit issued by the Mount Hood National Forest, USDA Forest Service.

Established in 1927, Summit Ski Area is the second oldest continuously operating ski area in the United States and the oldest ski area in the Pacific Northwest. In 1959 a T-bar was installed and in 1966 the present lodge was constructed. In 1980 the current 2,300 feet long chairlift was built, providing access to approximately 3.5 miles of trails. Summit’s base elevation is approximately 4,400 ft.

Jeff Kohnstamm, Timberline President and Area Operator, says, “We are very pleased with the acquisition and plan to operate Summit Ski Area as a family oriented, affordable, friendly mountain resort.” Kohnstamm sees Summit as a place to “break down the barriers to skiing and snowboarding surrounding accessibility and affordability“. With Portland’s population growing rapidly and more people visiting Mt. Hood, Timberline also views Summit Ski Area as an opportunity to help address public transportation and parking needs while having a greater connectivity to Government Camp.

In the short-term, R.L.K. and Company will roll out Summit with an updated brand and website. Summit will operate under its current footprint with ski and snowboard rentals, lessons, snow tubing, and an expanded food and beverage offering with some basic lodge upgrades to get ready for the upcoming ski season.

The long-term view for Summit includes exploring expanded product offerings for both summer and winter. “We look forward to an open-minded approach and discussing opportunities with the community,” says Kohnstamm, “We will provide quality recreation within the capabilities of the ecosystem. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for Summit, Timberline, Government Camp and all who visit.”

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Constructed in 1937, Timberline Lodge stands on the south slope of Mt. Hood at an elevation of 6,000 feet. This 55,000 square foot National Historic Landmark is still being used for its original intent – a magnificent ski lodge and mountain retreat for everyone to enjoy.

PRESS CONTACT
John Burton, Director of Marketing & PR
EMAIL
(503) 272-3345

Mt. Hood Brewing Co.‘s New Portland Location Opens This Weekend

After a few more days of pizza trials and a soft open for friends and family, Mt. Hood Brewing Co. Tilikum Station will be open to the public starting this Saturday, July 7th. The restaurant is located at 401 SE Caruthers Street, on the orange line at the east end of Tilikum Crossing. Our neighbors include OMSI, Portland Opera, and the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

The restaurant seats about twenty, with plenty of additional seating in the adjacent train car and caboose. All three seating areas are air-conditioned and family friendly. Guests are invited to order at the counter in the restaurant before finding a table. Food orders will be delivered by staff.

The menu consists mainly of wood-fired pizzas, with a few “Not Pizza” items to round it out as well as spun-to-order ice cream for dessert. Eight Mt. Hood Brewing Co. ales are on tap. Other beverages are available as well.

Mt. Hood Brewing Co. Tilikum Station will be open Sundays - Thursdays from 11:00am to 9:00pm and Fridays & Saturdays 11:00am to 10:00pm. The restaurant has indoor seating in the restaurant and caboose, and open-air seating in a green train car. While not currently available, we look forward to offering online ordering for to go orders in the near future.

We look forward to seeing you soon at Mt. Hood Brewing Co.‘s new Portland location! See more about Mt. Hood Brewing Co Tilikum Station.

Continuing Timberline’s Labor Day tradition of offering a marvelous day of live roots music at Timberline’s historic outdoor amphitheater, we have again teamed up with the Boyd Coffee Company, and the Mt. Hood Brewing Company to host the 2018 Timberline Mountain Festival on Monday, September 3rd. Admission is free. You won’t want to miss it!

Opening the Festival this year at 12:30 pm will be local favorite Mountain Honey. Their sweet and golden acoustic music inspired by traditional bluegrass, features driving banjo and high lonesome harmonies. Mountain Honey includes Linda Leavitt (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Dee Johnson (vocals, bass), Greg Stone (vocals, guitar) and Mike Stahlman (vocals, banjo). http://www.mountainhoneyportland.com/

Next on stage at 1:15 pm is the venerable and ever-popular Portland folk duo of Kate Power and Steve Einhorn. Dubbed “Quality Folk” for good reason, Kate and Steve have shared the stage with such folk luminaries as Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton. Their wholesome sound and entertaining performance features Kate’s award winning songwriting, lovely harmonies, Steve’s dry humor, and their occasional forays into today’s ever popular sound of the ukulele. http://www.qualityfolk.com/

2:30 pm the Talbott Brothers take the stage. This dynamic duo has captured an enthusiastic audience. They are known for their blood harmonies, catchy melodies, and fresh indie- folk sound. Originally from Nebraska, Nick and Tyler Talbott now call Portland home, but they are most often touring nationwide to large audiences, and are a very popular draw on the summer festival circuit. They will be playing as a quartet. https://www.thetalbottbrothers.com/

At 4:00 pm we are visited by another huge act hailing from Oregon. For years we have gotten requests to bring this man to the Festival, so we are now thrilled
to finally present The Caleb Klauder Country Band! A founding member of popular 90’s band Calobo, and today’s widely celebrated Foghorn Stringband, Caleb’s Country
Band captures the timeless sound of classic country music and Western swing. This is a full band that packs a punch and features Reeb Willms signing duet harmonies with Caleb. https://calebklauder.com/

Our headliner takes the stage at 5:30 pm and plays till the sun sets. She will get on your way home feeling like you are walking on air after such a great day of music in such a lovely setting. We are thrilled to present IBMA award winner (including female vocalist of the year) and 3 time Grammy nominee, Claire Lynch!! Long praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Claire is an exceptional songwriter and an intensely soulful singer. Her excellent band and distinctive voice resonate with power, strength, and stage presence. http://www.clairelynch.com/

Admission is free to the Timberline Mountain Music Festival thanks to the operators of Timberline Lodge. Enjoy Timberline’s food and beverages on the back “pickin’ patio.” Bring an instrument to join in the jams lead by the Taborgrass Players, and visit with various groups staffing outreach tables including The Friends of Timberline, The Pacific Crest Trail Association, The Oregon Bluegrass Association, and the United States Forest Service.

No dogs or picnic lunches please. Musical performances are rain or shine - 12:30 to sunset.

Timberline’s Palmer Chairlift

The Palmer Express chairlift gives Timberline the longest ski season in North America. In ideal years, lower mountain lifts open in October and continue to run through the spring season. Palmer typically opens in April and enables Timberline to offer skiing and snowboarding through Labor Day. While other ski resorts are closing, skiers and riders flock to Timberline in mid-spring to take advantage of our extended season and our affordable Spring Pass. Timberline’s Spring Pass offers unlimited skiing from early March through Memorial Weekend, costs less than the price of two lift tickets, and can be purchased through May 13th.

Once summer starts, skiers, snowboarders, and sightseers ride up the Magic Mile chairlift to the Palmer Glacier and its lift, where summer skiing takes place. In contrast to winter operations when weekends are the busiest, the lifts are the thriving during the summer ski season Monday through Friday, mostly due to ski and snowboard camps. Intermediate and more advanced public skiers and snowboarders are welcome on Palmer as well.

“In the summertime, everyone who is anyone in the ski business is on Palmer,” says Steve Kruse, Timberline’s GM of Mountain Operations, “It keeps it interesting. It appeals to a different level of skier or snowboarder.” Timberline Lodge is an official training site for the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding, and U.S. Freeskiing. Olympic ski and snowboard teams from around the world train at Timberline in the summer.

The original Palmer Chairlift opened for the 1978 summer ski season. Mt. Hood was quickly put on a global ski racing stage as THE place to train in the summer. The original lift was a fixed double chair in basically the same location as the present lift, with the base station near Silcox Hut. The current Palmer chairlift was completed in 1996, and is built to withstand wind gusts of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and 200 inches (510 cm) of snow. Its construction time was less than six months due to a limited building season imposed by the local weather conditions.

We wish it was possible to maintain the Palmer Chair during the winter – but frequent and heavy winter storms coat the lift towers in thick snow and ice. These storms often have wind speeds exceeding 100mph and brutally cold temperatures. These factors make de-icing the lift virtually impossible. In the spring, Palmer Chairlift gets a full maintenance check to prepare it for summer operations.

Also, as you can see in the photo, the Palmer Chairlift Upper Terminal is buried in the winter. Timberline uses Pistenbully SnowSAT to measure snow depth around the ski resort. SnowSAT uses satellite technology to help us manage snow levels safely and efficiently, so we can guarantee a full cover of snow throughout the entire season. Snow depth at the 7500’ elevation on Palmer Glacier currently measures in at over 60 feet.

In place of the lift, we offer our Palmer Snowcat for your snowcat skiing enjoyment during the winter season. This opens up 3,690 vertical feet of snowcat skiing and riding from the top of Palmer to the bottom of the Jeff Flood Express.

Oregon Tourism Award for Jon Tullis

The Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon) proudly announced the recipients of the 2017 Oregon Travel and Tourism Industry Achievement Awards, presented at the 2018 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Bend, OR, on April 30, 2018.

The achievement awards recognize people and organizations that enhance travel and tourism experiences across Oregon. The award recipients are outstanding professionals who demonstrate perseverance and dedication to the state. They go the extra mile. It’s because of their vision and commitment to making Oregon a better place for Oregonians and visitors that this industry is successful.

The Gene Leo Memorial Sustainable Tourism Award was established in 1994 to honor the late Gene Leo, known for his Oregon tourism contributions as Director of the Oregon Zoo, Portland Rose Festival and the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (now Travel Portland). This award recognizes an outstanding contribution for a tourism-related activity or attraction focused on Oregon’s natural beauty or outdoor recreation. The award was presented to Timberline Lodge Director of Public Affairs Jon Tullis, a planner, Forest Service liaison, special events coordinator, spokesperson, governmental affairs manager, and all-around advocate for the National Historic Landmark Timberline Lodge for more than three decades. Jon has been an ardent advocate for outdoor recreation, historic preservation, conservation, public lands and sustainable tourism practices. He has served on the Oregon Heritage Commission, Ski Oregon, the Pacific Northwest Ski Area Association, Travel Oregon’s Sustainable Tourism Advisory Council, and is a member of the Outdoor Recreation Initiative Leadership Team.

Congratulations Jon!

Oregon Beef Council Chef of the Year

The Oregon Beef Council (OBC) has awarded Timberline Executive Chef Jason Stoller Smith with their Chef of the Year Award for 2018. At a dinner hosted by the Oregon Beef Council and Chef Philippe Boulot at the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC), Chef Stoller Smith was honored for launching Timberline’s proprietary beef program at Timberline Lodge.

In September of 2016, Timberline Lodge’s proprietary beef program was born when the lodge purchased 52 head of cattle in in partnership with rancher Keith Nantz of Deschutes River Beef. This beef is raised naturally and sustainably, with an emphasis on soil and animal health. Since then, the lodge has received one side of beef each week that is butchered in-house. This beef is distributed throughout the lodge’s seven restaurants in the form of hamburger, steaks, roasts, stews, and braised meat with very little waste.

"On behalf of Timberline Lodge’s Food and Beverage team," says Chef Stoller Smith, "I am honored and pleased to accept the award of the Oregon Beef Council’s Chef of the Year for 2018. For decades, Timberline has worked with local producers to showcase the best of Oregon’s food products for it’s upwards of 2 million annual visitors. In the last couple years, our team has worked hard to develop a progressive program that enables us to forge relationships directly with cattle producers to bring the best in Oregon beef to our menus with full integration. When Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Timberline Lodge on September 28th, 1937, he noted 'Here, to Mount Hood, will come thousands and thousands of visitors in the coming years. Looking east toward eastern Oregon with it’s great livestock raising areas, these visitors are going to visualize the relationship between the cattle ranches and the summer ranges in the forests.' I’m pleased, that as stewards of this great lodge, we are still hosting thousands of visitors (on a daily basis) and working to further realize a sustainable relationship with the cattle ranchers of this great state. Thank you to the Oregon Beef Council, and to all of the ranchers of Oregon, for this honor!"

Chef Stoller Smith crafted a five-course, beef-centric dining experience for MAC members and OBC board members and ranchers. The three savory hors d’oeuvres included Chef’s signature dish, beef cheeks in a cabbage taco, as well as a shortrib arancini and an upscale riff on a reuben sandwich. The first course was a study in red with beef tartare, beets, and radishes. Beef hearts with salsify, sunchokes, and arugula appropriately made up the “I Heart Beef” course. Beef in its most classic form was the highlight of the main course - beef strip with root vegetables and demi-glace. While there was no actual beef in the dessert, Chef got cheeky with a Beefeater gin and cucumber yogurt ice cream.

Chef Stoller Smith follows an impressive class of other OBC Chefs of the Year, including Chef Boulot who won the honor in 2014, as well as other well-known Portland chefs Matt Christianson (‘13, Urban Farmer), Vitaly Paley (‘15, Paley’s Place, Imperial), Carlo Lamagna (‘16, Clyde Common), and Greg Denton (‘17, Ox). Former Timberline Chef Leif Benson was the first OBC Chef of the Year in 2012.

Timberline Bike Park Update

On March 31, the Oregon US District Court dismissed the Timberline Bike Park law suit.

Timberline is very pleased with the Court’s decision and is excited to move forward with lift assisted mountain biking at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area. This ruling confirms the US Forest Service evaluation and approval, granted more than 5 years ago and supported by subsequent further reviews, that operation of a Bike Park at Timberline meets Mt. Hood National Forest Plan objectives and falls within our permit parameters. Steve Kruse, Timberline’s General Manager of Mountain Operations commented, “This is a good, environmentally sound project. Timberline would like to thank the US Forest Service, whose specialists worked long and hard with us and the public, in a very thorough fashion throughout the environmental analysis and related reviews for the Bike Park Project.”

Timberline is the people’s place. As stewards of Mt. Hood, Timberline remains committed to providing quality public recreation within the capabilities of the ecosystem. The Mt. Hood National Forest Plan objectives include managing ski areas to provide a diversity of winter and summer recreation activities that emphasize the forest setting. Considering this and the strong growth and popularity of mountain biking, Timberline remains committed to this modest and carefully designed Project to bring high quality, lift assisted mountain biking to Mt. Hood as an additional summer activity.

Gravity Logic, a world leader in sustainable, progressive bike park planning and design, has been working with Timberline since the Project’s inception and will continue to play an important advisory role. Construction is planned to begin Summer 2018 and will be a phased approach. The Timberline Bike Park will be developed and operated to serve local, regional and global riders of varied interests and skill levels. The project includes a skills park, trail system, natural features, built features and jump lines. Other facilities slated to open with the Bike Park include a full service retail bike shop offering repairs, rentals and sales, as well as existing Timberline Food and Beverage concessions. The Bike Park will open for full public access once the majority of the infrastructure is in place. Riders interested in being among the first to ride the park are encouraged to stay tuned at www.timberlinelodge.com.

PRESS CONTACT

John Burton
Director of Marketing & PR
EMAIL
(503) 272-3345

​Timberline Snow Farming

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area utilizes snow farming techniques to prepare for the summer snow season. Using PistenBully Snowcats outfitted with SnowSAT technology that measures snow depth around the mountain, our crew can gage the areas that need more snow. The crew plows out trenches in the snow, known as wind rows, by creating spines at intervals in the snow. When a storm comes through and blows snow across the mountain, it catches on these spines and collects in the rows. This process can take 4-5 inches of snow on a night with moderate winds and turn it into 3-4 feet of snow as it gathers in the trenches. The collected snow can then be moved around the mountain to fill in lower spots. By farming snow throughout the winter, Timberline Lodge and Ski Area is able to stay open through summer until about the first week in September.

Watch the video to learn more about Timberline’s snow farming process.

USA Cleans Up at PyeongChang

It’s only day five of the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, and USA has earned a total of 11 medals, four of which are gold medals won by US snowboarders Shaun White, Chloe Kim, Jamie Anderson, and Red Gerard, all athletes who trained at Timberline Lodge last summer.

Shaun White

In a feat of poetic justice, Shaun White’s medal was the 100th gold medal won by the USA in Winter Games history. This is Shaun’s fourth Olympics and his third halfpipe gold medal. PyeongChang is considered sweet redemption following disappointment in Sochi in 2014. Shaun’s quote from the US Ski & Snowboard Team’s Facebook page sums it up best - “The final run was the best I’ve ever done in my career and I did it when I had to do it - at the clutch moment in front of all my friends and family - and the world was watching.” Check out footage of Shaun training at Timberline last summer with Toby Miller.

Chloe Kim

Seventeen-year-old Chloe Kim made her stunning debut on the Olympic stage with a gold medal in halfpipe snowboard. “It’s really nice to come back to the country where my parents came from and do a good job. I’m really happy!” Joining her on the podium was team member Arielle Gold, who took home the bronze medal.

Jamie Anderson

Jamie Anderson battled challenging weather conditions and stiff competition to win gold, defending her slopestyle snowboarding title earned at the 2014 Games. “I realized coming into this year that it was a lot of pressure to defend the title especially with the level of riding escalating at a crazy rate,” Anderson said. “Deep down I knew I could do it.”

Red Gerard

Another seventeen-year-old, Red Gerard, came back from eleventh place to win a gold medal with his third run in slopestyle snowboarding. “When that score came up my jaw dropped,” said Red, who is the youngest Olympic snowboarding gold medalist ever. “I was like ‘this isn’t real’. I would have been happy to just land a run, but to land a run and win, it’s crazy.”

Timberline Lodge is an official training site for US Skiing, US Snowboarding, and US Freesking LEARN MORE

all photos courtesy of U.S. Ski & Snowboard | video courtesy of Redbull

Timberline Terrain Parks Update - February 8, 2018

The Timberline Parks crew has been maintaining the park in Thunder, and trying to keep everything buried with the recent rain, but it is still in really good shape thanks to our amazing groomers and hand crew. We are in the process of expanding our School Yard park to include the short trail (Walt’s Baby) next to the current park. We did this to open up some space next to the jumps for our groomers, but also to start building some terrain-based learning on the adjacent trail. We look forward to putting some small rollers, berms, and snow cubes in this park as a “first step” into freestyle terrain. Customers will be able to ride small snow features to start getting the basics of freestyle terrain, weighting and unweighting, and edge control over snow features. We have already started building in there, but the lack of snow has put a slight damper on it. Currently there is a set of 3-4 rollers, and two small snow cubes.

The crew just rebuilt the entire rail line in Conways this last week, with a whole new fresh setup. We have rails and snow features littered all over the run, and have heard nothing but good things about the variety and “skate park” feel it gives. Our Conways 4-pack jump line is really good right now. I have heard some local rippers are throwing double corks off the last jump. We also just got our Zaugg Cat up and running. This is the cat we use to cut the flow park/halfpipe transitions. With the lack of snow we are holding off on building our Flow Park, which we typically would build this time of year. We are still waiting on a couple more storms to get enough snow to start building in there. In the meantime, we have started building a mini-Flow Park on the east side of our Conways jumps, we call it the Blossom Flow park. It is smaller scale than what we build in our Flow park, but we have built some rollers, berms, hips, and snow features starting at the top of the lift and extending down to the top of the rail line. We will be adding to this mini Flow park and Zaugging more and more transition everywhere as the conditions allow. We currently have a total of 14 jumps, 7 hips, 37 jibs, and a handful of snow features across four different parks. They are all looking good and ready to endure the spring conditions.

This Sunday, February 11^th, we are hosting a USASA slopestyle event in our Conways park. It will be closed for the competition from 10:45am-2:00pm.

~ Tyler Wike, Terrain Park Manager

​2018 OLYMPICS

When the 2018 Olympics kick off on February 9th in PyeongChang, South Korea, we’ll be cheering on friends and athletes on Team USA who have trained at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area on our Palmer Snowfield racing lanes and terrain parks.

“Timberline has a long and storied history as a summer training site for the U.S. Ski Team. From Toni Sailer, Billy Kidd, Steve and Phil Mahre to Ted Ligety; from Cindy Nelson and Picabo Street to Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin ... All have trained at Timberline in the summer as well as virtually all other U.S. Ski Team alpine athletes,” commends Timberline’s president, Jeff Kohnstamm, “We are very proud of this tradition ... to meet the needs of US athletes and promote the world class summer ski and snowboard training that is Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield.”

Helmets Save Lives

Legendary skateboarder, ripping snowboarder, Timberline Food & Beverage Manager, and local legend Tom “Wally” Inouye was asked to participate in Houston’s Skatestock V in October. With art, live music, skateboard legends, and plenty of skateboarding, Skatestock raises money and awareness for helmet safety. In the spirit of NSAA’s National Safety Month and Lids on Kids, we wanted to share his recap of this important event and emphasize the importance of wearing a helmet on the slopes and on your skateboard.

My journey started a few months before hand when I got the call and was asked to join in on Skatestock V. Of course the opportunity to ride my skateboard in two of the best skateparks in the U.S., Lee and Joe Jamail Park and North Houston Park, has something to do with my decision to attend! North Houston Skatepark is better known as the largest park in the U.S. It covers an impressive 75,000 square feet and was built by our own Northwest company Grindline. I was also asked to paint one of the helmets (provided by S-One Helmets) to be auctioned off.

Next I started getting texts from the likes of Doug “Pineapple” Saladino, Brad Bowman, Steve Olson, Tony Alva, John “Tex” Gibson, Pat Black, Craig Johnson, and Jerry Valdez as well as young guns Chris Russel and Alex Sorgente. Now its game on! Some of these guys I’ve been skating with since we were teenagers some 40 years ago. Now on the music side of things texts are coming in from Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, Tim Kerr of Monkeywrench, and Ron Emory of TSOL, yes they are all skaters. We will all fly in on Friday and meet up in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency to talk stories of the golden years and catch up on what everyone has been up.

I flew in a few days early to get my skate legs in order and as a gracious as he is Jerry Goodsen of OFCS skateboards invited me to stay until the rest of the fellows came in. We hit both of the skateparks. We also toured some of the neighborhoods that were hit the hardest by the devastating floods a few weeks earlier. For most skaters, disasters that hit neighborhoods means empty swimming pools and we did find a few. Sorry, saving those stories for myself…

Saturday, the day of the event, as you skate into the park you pass graffiti artists spray painting billboards and come to the table with several painted helmets done by most of the skaters and musicians. Not really paying attention to the crowd of kids and parent, I soon get bombarded by a flock of skaters young and old asking for my autograph. I spend the twenty minutes signing boards, posters, and helmets. I still can’t really grasp that 40-year-old skaters are super excited to meet me, I guess it just validates what I did as a teenager and that after all these years I had an impact on them. Soon it was off to the kidney pool to skate with some of my childhood heroes like Tony Alva and Pineapple.

So the main reason we all participated in Skatestock V was to bring awareness to the importance of wearing a helmet. I almost always wear a helmet skateboarding but ALWAYS put on helmet while I snowboard. We have lost some great skateboarders, snowboarders, and skiers from massive head injuries due to not wearing a helmet. It only takes one blow to the head to change your life forever. It is so sad that many people think helmets aren’t cool, but it’s more uncool to be sitting in a wheelchair or even worst leave this life just because you didn’t wear one. In the end we only have one brain so let’s protect it.

The event was very successful and we raised a bunch of money to purchase helmets that we can hand out to whomever needs one.

In honor of National Safety Month, we’ll be giving away a Smith Quantum Snow Helmet (Size L, Matte Thunder Gray, $300 retail value) on Saturday, January 27th. The helmet will be hidden in one of Timberline’s Wy’East Day Lodge food outlets…the one who finds it keeps it!

Photos by Eric Sauseda

A Labor of Love and the Holiday Spirit

On Thursday, December 7th, twelve members of Timberline’s management, maintenance, and housekeeping team worked together to haul Timberline’s massive Christmas tree into the lodge through the back patio, up through the Cascade Dining Room, and into the Main Headhouse. Using a winch from the Ram’s Head Bar Mezzanine one floor up, the tree was lifted into place. The maintenance crew worked together to get the trunk centered in its stand and tethered in place, while housekeeping mopped up the melting snow that fell from the tree’s branches. It’s now ready to be lit and decorated at Timberline’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 8th at 6pm. This event is open to the public…join us!

Every Tree Has a Story

This year’s tree was provided by Denise and Lawrence Pearson. Denise is an Ohio native. Growing up, Denise and her family drove out to Oregon every year in a 1947 Chevy to visit Timberline Lodge. They would stay and play on Mt. Hood.

Lawrence is a native Oregonian who fell in love with Denise and continued the tradition of traveling up to the mountain to go inner-tubing with Denise and their friends. Denise and Lawrence got married at Timberline Lodge on Christmas Eve in 1977. They arrived at Timberline in a 1960 VW Van with the wedding party inside. Theirs was the first wedding in the C.S. Price wing, which was added onto the main lodge in 1977. After the ceremony the whole wedding party bundled up and went out on the hill to inner-tube.

Denise and Lawrence relocated from Portland to Sandy, OR, where they purchased a 200-acre farm on Coleman Road. This property was part of the Leigh Coleman homestead. Coleman was one of the original Mazamas to first climb the Mt. Hood. Denise and Lawrence cleared some of the land, removing some of the existing trees. Denise then planted 50 Nobel firs as part of a replanting program. We are honored to be presenting one of Denise & Lawrence’s 30-foot Nobel firs for the holiday season at Timberline lodge.

Timberline to open Palmer October 7th for advanced skiers & riders

Timberline is pleased to announce it opened Palmer Snowfield on weekends for skiing and snowboarding starting Oct. 8 (weather permitting). The Palmer Chairlift will operate from 9am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Lift tickets are $61 each and will be available at Guest Services in Timberline’s Wy’East Day Lodge. 2017/2018 Timberline Season Pass holders may use their new pass!

There will be some snow grooming on Palmer for a better experience; however, conditions can change rapidly. Early season snow conditions are extremely variable with the possibility of ice in the mornings and thaw in the afternoon. Skiers and riders are urged to use extreme caution. The Palmer Snowfield is recommended for advanced skiers and riders only.

Stay tuned to the Timberline Lodge Conditions page for future operating times and lift schedule. The operating schedule will be dependent on weather conditions.

Terrain parks are not scheduled to open at this time.

For those not interested in skiing or riding but very interested in seeing the snow at Timberline, come up and enjoy hiking and sightseeing around the lodge (sledding and tubing is not permitted). Many of Timberline’s Mt. Hood restaurants will also be open offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks with a view.

Be advised: Palmer Snowfield conditions are suitable for advanced skiers and riders only.

Be aware and be safe, early season conditions exist.

Purchase your Timberline Season Pass!

Timberline continues to invest in innovations and infrastructure to exceed guest expectations in 2018

Timberline Website

In September, Timberline launched a new, streamlined website at timberlinelodge.com. Hammerquist Studios, a Seattle-based company with a focus on adventure travel and outdoor sports, designed the fresh and clean website with our guests in mind. Featuring a modern yet nostalgic feel, the new website is easier to use with vivid photography and a narrative that tells the unique story of historic Timberline Lodge and Ski Area. Improvements include a 3D virtual tour, on-line dining reservations (coming soon), and HD web cams.

Timberline Snowcat Purchases

During the 2017/2018 season, Timberline will take delivery of two more new PistenBully Park Pro Snowcats. The new machines will join the five Park Pro Snowcats that have been used for the past two seasons at Timberline. The Park Pro is a great performer, from trail grooming to building and shaping the most progressive terrain park features imaginable. This substantial investment will ensure Timberline remains at the leading edge of grooming quality and park design.

New Motor on the Palmer Chairlift

Recently, the 600-horse power, 8000+ pound, main drive motor of Palmer was removed and transported for service. In addition to the challenge of physically getting the motor out and back into the lift house, it heads to Portland for a dip-and-bake, a conventional method of applying varnish. The process involves removing the electric motor coil, dipping it in a vat, and then baking for a time. Now serviced, the motor is as good as new and ready to power the iconic Palmer Chair for many summers to come.

New Terrain Park Features

This year, the Timberline Parks Crew is excited to build a rail trailer. The trailer will be loaded with features destined for Conway’s Terrain Park. This new piece of equipment will allow the crew to have rails ready to set upon opening without having to fight the snow-covered rail piles, getting terrain park product out on the hill and open quickly.

Among the new features being created, Timberline is building a “waterfall” rail.

Timberline Discover Pass

For only $149, Timberline is offering a beginner season pass this year to encourage guests that anyone can learn to ski and “practice makes perfect”. The Discover Pass includes unlimited Bruno’s Chair access and unlimited beginner rentals for the 2017/2018 season. This is a great way for beginners to improve their skills and gain confidence on the slopes at a fraction of the normal price. A day of beginner rentals can run about $40 per day, while daily lift tickets are $47-$71 depending on your age. A Discover Pass pays for itself in just two visits. Discover Pass holders also get a 20% discount on Discover Program and Kids Club lessons.

Discover Pass holders can upgrade to a regular Timberline Season Pass at any time by paying the difference at Tier 2 pricing. This equates to $400 for adults 25-64, $170 for teens/young adults 15-24, and $50 for kids and seniors. The unlimited beginner rental benefit does expire with the upgrade.

All Timberline Season Passes are good through May 28, 2018. 2017/2018 Season Passes are on sale now.

Mt. Hood Brewing Co. - Timberline Tucker Double IPA

The Timberline Tucker Double IPA celebrates innovation in Oregon hop growing and the Mt. Hood Brewing Co.’s long time relationship with Timberline Lodge. A heaping dose of Oregon State’s latest aroma variety hop, Strata (formerly X-331), is used to brew the Timberline Tucker. At this point, Strata is only being grown in very small quantities. Timberline Lodge and the Mt. Hood Brewing Co. supports Oregon State’s breeding research to develop new varieties with interesting qualities by showcasing this promising hop. Oregon State is doing stellar work with this project. The Tucker Snowcat, an iconic image that has been associated with the lodge for many decades, is worthy of the label. The classic machine embodies the rugged, harsh conditions of Mt. Hood but also the playful nature of the mountain.

Timberline Tucker Double IPA is a massive punch of grapefruit and pine, with a solid platform of rich malt to balance. Available in cans and on tap, Timberline Tucker can be enjoyed at the Mt. Hood Brewing Co. in Government Camp and at the Y’Bar and Phlox Point Cabin at Timberline Lodge.

Timberline Lodge Partners with Traeger Grills

Timberline Lodge’s new partnership with Traeger Grills is the perfect complement to the lodge’s innovative food and beverage program. Traeger Grills are natural wood pellet smokers that help people cook delicious food outdoors. Pure hardwood is the fuel for Traeger’s signature flavor. Traeger Grills have been inspiring Timberline Executive Chef Jason Stoller Smith since before he got his first Traeger, over 10 years ago.

With this partnership, Timberline gets four Traeger Grills to use throughout its seven Mt. Hood restaurants. At Timberline’s Labor Day Mountain Music Festival, guests enjoyed brisket, corn, and chicken smoked on Traeger’s Double Commercial Grill Trailer. This winter, guests will enjoy Timberline proprietary beef and other Northwest-grown meat smoked on Traeger’s Pro Series 34 Grill and two of Traeger’s new Timberline 1300 Grills. While the Timberline Traeger is not named after the historic lodge, the name perfectly lends itself to the partnership.

Timberline and Stanley-DeWalt Partnership

New this season, Timberline is proud to announce a brand new partnership with the Stanley-DeWalt Tool Group. Guests can expect to see these great tools on and off the hill and at all tech benches within the ski area. It is very exciting to begin a partnership with such a strong American brand on Timberline’s 80th anniversary year. The team at Timberline Lodge looks forward to maintaining everything from the lifts, to the lodge, to skis and snowboards with Stanley-DeWalt products.

Earlier that morning, the president had presided over the dedication ceremonies of Bonneville Dam. This was a big day for Oregon.
Following a Works Progress Administration sponsored music and dance presentation in Timberline’s outdoor amphitheater, the president stood at a podium on the Lodge’s front terrace and gazed southward to those assembled in the parking lot. He looked out over an impressive view of the forest below and the beautiful sweep of the Cascade Mountains and proceeded to dedicate Timberline Lodge “as a monument to the skill and faithful performance of workers on the rolls of the Works Progress Administration.” He stressed the benefits of recreation, and the point that Timberline was “a place to play for generations of Americans in the days to come.”

The project provided jobs to an idled economy, and recreational infrastructure for a young nation. All across this land, and to this day, we enjoy the fruits of their labor.
At a time when people were questioning the American Dream, wondering if the so-called “American Experiment” had perhaps failed, Timberline Lodge, Bonneville Dam, and many other Government sponsored public works of the day became examples of what could be done in a land that had seemed to have lost its universal promise.
Unlike most WPA projects however, Timberline was not a big utility project. Instead, it was of all things, a ski lodge; a place for recreation, contemplation, health, and enjoyment.
It was to be a place that celebrated the region and its natural environment and reflected an indigenous and organic style of architecture. It was to be a place for the people, and a catalyst for community. As WPA administrator Harry Hopkins wrote, it was to be “an investment in social usefulness.”

Funded as a Federal Arts Project, Timberline Lodge focused on architecture, old-world quality, fine art, and craftsmanship. In the end, it was to be a work of art itself, and indeed, it became the northwest’s crown jewel for the WPA. Timberline stood as a symbol of hope and purpose and became representative of the notion that when government works with the people, it can provide solutions to some of society’s biggest problems. So when Roosevelt took his place at the podium on that September day in 1937, there was excitement, pride, and a strong sense of accomplishment among those assembled. TheTimberline Lodge project had been good for Oregon, and good for Oregonians.

Today, the Lodge is an Oregon icon. It has become an essential place for retreat and recreation, and a place to celebrate our life in the mountains. It is a source of Oregon pride, and had become a part of Oregon’s cultural DNA. When guests are visiting from out of state, Oregonians often take them to their beloved mountain lodge, and they often take the same lovely drive up the Gorge that President and Mrs. Roosevelt took so many years ago. It has been said that our future lies in preserving and celebrating our history. Happy birthday Timberline Lodge!

Jon Tullis is the Director of Public
Affairs for RLK and Company.

Timberline unveils new fire sculpture on the back patio.

The sculpture weighs in at 1000 pounds and was hauled onto the patio by a Timberline snowcat and crew of heavy lifters. It was our honor to work with 4th generation Timberline

Lodge blacksmith Hunter Dahlberg of Orion Forge, who describes his process below.

Building this fire sculpture has been an amazing and
engaging project – not just because of the technical nuts and bolts of building
a fairly complex piece, but also due to the history of smithing and the sheer
amount of high quality forged work up at the Lodge. The knowledge of all the
fine smiths that have worked there makes us feel so thankful for the opportunity
to do what we love and contribute to the rich ironwork heritage on the
mountain.

The design is clearly inspired by the tradition of
blacksmithing at Timberline: giant tongs, the forge-like fire pot, and the
anvil of course. Some of the harder edges are softened by the curves, making
what could be an intimidating space more welcoming. The piece is designed to
draw people in and invite them to stay awhile and share with one another.
Hopefully it fosters not only an appreciation for craftsmanship, but in a broader
sense creates an atmosphere of community and connection.

We used antique as well as modern tools to build the
sculpture – each time we reached for a modern tool we’d ask ourselves, what
would O.B. Dawson do? Russ Maugans? Darryl Nelson? We always came around to the
idea that most smiths would use the best tool for the job, and that traditional
work could be accomplished with modern means. And, at any rate – the forging,
especially the large tongs, was done pretty much the only way it could be done,
the old fashioned way.

The anvil perched atop the piece is a Vulcan brand, not a
brand that’s revered as a great anvil among smiths, but certainly a brand that
has been around a long time, and one with beautiful lines. The iconic shape
serves to draw people in – I’m sure you’ve seen it in the lodge a million
times, how tourists will stand in front of the anvil on the main floor and just
admire it.

The tongs act as a support for the large round table, in
fact, the table will move slightly within the jaws of the tongs – and that’s on
purpose! We want folks to discover that the tongs are real – and doing what
tongs do.

We’ve included the snow goose symbol and also the “hands
working together” symbol from the fireplace stone carving. The goose is clearly
so strongly associated with Timberline that it had to have a place on the
sculpture, and the hands working together symbol, while more obscure,
represents the many crafts, craftspeople, and skill sets that enabled, and
continues to enable, the lodge to exist. We are honored to become a part of
that lineage, in whatever small way.

Ultimately, we hope this piece serves as a warm and cheerful
gathering place, surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountain and the
grandeur of the Lodge. This fire sculpture is a fresh element of the whole
Timberline experience and we hope it can inspire people to marvel at what can
be accomplished with many hands working together just as the Lodge does.

For only $149, Timberline is offering a

beginner season pass this year to encourage guests that “practice makes
perfect” and anyone can learn to ski! The Discover Pass includes unlimited
Bruno’s Chair access and unlimited beginner rentals for the 2017/2018 season.
This is a great way for beginners to improve their skills and gain confidence
on the slopes at a fraction of the normal price. Consider this…a day of
beginner rentals can run about $40 per day, while daily lift tickets are
$47-$71 depending on your age. A Discover Pass pays for itself in just two
visits!

Discover Pass holders also get a 20% on Discover
Program group lessons or Kids Club lessons.

Discover Pass holders can upgrade to a regular Timberline
Season Pass at any time by paying the difference at Tier 2 pricing. This
equates to $400 for adults 25-64, $170 for teens/young adults 15-24, and $50
for kids and seniors. The unlimited beginner rental benefit does expire with
the upgrade.

All Timberline Season
Passes are good from opening day (TBA) through May 28, 2018, 2017/2018 Season Passes are on sale now.

BILL BRETT, THE NOW RETIRED MOUNTAIN MANAGER FROM

TIMBERLINE RESORT, OR, IS THE 2017 RECIPIENT OF THE PNSAA TOWER OF EXCELLENCE

AWARD. HERE’S HIS STORY ON LIFT MECHANICS IN SOME OF THE U.S.’S TOUGHEST WEATHER.

“Here at Timberline, we built the first Palmer lift; a Riblet fixed double in 1977 to 1978. It was the dream of Richard Kohnstamm,

the owner, to have chairlift access to the upper mountain. Mr. Kohnstamm was a

29-year old social worker/investor who rescued Timberline from bankruptcy in
1957. It took a few years of fighting for it, and finally, we got the
permission to do the construction.

It took us a couple of years to build this lift as the
weather tore it down while building it in the first twelve months. During that
first installation, the lift was about ready for chairs when an October ice
storm moved in.

The weather left two feet of rime ice built up around the
haul rope, then the wind started blowing and blew three towers over. Nobody had
constructed a chair in that environment before, and while Riblet was willing to
install the project, nobody knew what was going to happen with those kinds of
loads. These towers were not the tripod style towers we have today. It was a
learning experience. An interesting note is that the Palmer Lift was originally
going to be Riblet’s first detachable. They never built the grip, and we used
to joke about Riblet not figuring out how to get the clip in and out of the
rope fast enough.

Mt Bachelor and Mt Hood Meadows both enjoy working in the
same weather as Timberline. There is also a lot of information and learning
coming out of New Zealand where there is some big icing. I’ve gleaned some
wisdom out of those areas, but from an operating standpoint, the location of
Timberline is the most challenging. But while it’s severe, it’s the challenge
of it that keeps you going. The people who work around this stuff for a living
are high in character. I think of people like R.J. Knight who would be splicing
up on Palmer with two inches of ice in his beard in his frozen coveralls while the
rest of our crew was wearing rain gear. R.J.’d just keep on and finish the job.

The biggest challenge with year-round operations is we don’t
have a full season of lift down time like other resorts. So we just keep
working consistently between weather and schedules. We operate our lifts
year-round, and Timberline has the longest ski season in North America.

Timberline used to be a little area, just busy on the
weekends, quiet during the week, with one ski patroller. The most significant
change that ever happened was the expanded summer ski operation
when we built the chair on the upper mountain. That changed the whole picture
of Timberline and how it turned into a world-class destination during the
summer months. Funny — a lot of people in Portland who ski here in the
wintertime don’t even know we ski in the summer time. Most of our guests are
from all over the world as there are a limited number of places to ski during
this season.

The Palmer lift closes during the winter months. Besides the
rime ice, there can be winds up to 100 miles per hour. When winter comes to the
lower lands, and the boss says it’s time to put Palmer to bed, we have a
system, what we call “winter assemblies” that are mounted twelve feet below the
cross arms for strength. We drop and secure the rope in those assemblies for
the winter.

TIMBERLINE’S NEW WY’EAST CAFÉ A BIG HIT WITH SKIERS

Timberline Lodge’s Cascade Dining Room is world renowned. However, what people are talking about this winter is the new Wy’East Cafe, located across from the historic lodge, in the Wy’East Day Lodge. Having faced challenges with the food program in the Day Lodge since its construction in 1980, Timberline’s management recently decided on a complete remodel.

The project for the new Wy’East Cafe was collaboration between Timberline, Skylab Architecture, JBK Kitchen Consultants, and Lorentz Bruun Construction, all of Portland, Oregon. The design team, led by Donnie Schmidt of Skylab, took inspiration from design features and geometry found in the historic Timberline Lodge. These elements were combined with the appearance and function of a high-traffic food court designed for people on the go. “The idea,” explains Timberline operator Jeff Kohnstamm, “was to speed up the whole process while improving food quality and giving the customer a more personal and dynamic experience.” To achieve a made-to-order food venture, the team realized early on that a completely modernized kitchen was needed. They settled on what is called a “scatter system” organized around an octagonal “servery.”

Customer survey feedback helped in determining the menu. It was designed to provide a variety of healthy, hearty, and convenient meal options catering to active skiers and snowboarders.

Once the design was set, JBK brought on Curtis Restaurant Equipment of Beaverton, Oregon. With the demands of brand new kitchen equipment and specialized lighting, Bruun Construction brought on Christiansen Electrical, also of Portland.

To create a dynamic aesthetic to the restaurant, the design incorporates large photographs taken by Portland climbing legend and professional photographer Boone Speed. These photographs of mountain landscapes and chairlift elements were enlarged and transferred to wood paneling at Forge Graphics in Portland, then assembled on site by Overkill Design and Creation, of Beaverton. The photographs are featured in the restaurant’s seating area within a 130 ft. long display wall which is wrapped in striking geometric designs, again inspired by patterns found throughout the resort.

By widening the door and creating a very inviting entranceway, the new design allowed the space to become a focal ending point, a destination itself, just off the central mall of the Day Lodge. Installing new metal signs, which utilize the original custom font found throughout the Day Lodge, was the finishing touch. Upon completion, the finished product looked great, but was untested. Timberline readied itself for the upcoming ski season. Then, snow fever hit, and Oregonians by the thousands flocked to the ski area to enjoy some of the best holiday ski conditions in years. As the snow piled up outside, the new Wy’East Cafe provided a cozy yet stimulating gathering place and fed the masses in style, and in record time. Good design, and a commitment to quality proved their worth.

TIMBERLINE LODGE WELCOMES BRUNO, THE NEW ST. BERNARD MASCOT

Oregon’s historic Timberline Lodge is a place of traditions. One such tradition continues this week with the arrival of a new Bruno, an adorable St. Bernard puppy. St. Bernards are commonly associated with snow-capped mountains. These large dogs are resistant to cold and have an uncanny sense of smell and direction. They earned their name for saving lives in the Alps’ St. Bernard Pass between Switzerland and Italy in the 1700s. St. Bernards have been a part of Timberline’s traditions since 1937, when Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the lodge. The first Timberline St. Bernards were reportedly Hansel and Gretel, and then Lady and Bruel. For a brief time, the St. Bernard mascots were replaced with Huskies when the Kohnstamm family took over management of the lodge in the 1950s. The first mascot under the Kohnstamms’ watch was Mac, who belonged to an employee. Then, due to popular demand, the Kohnstamms reintroduced St. Bernards. Since the early 1960s the lodge has had St. Bernards named Heidi and Bruno. They lived at Timberline, had free-roam of the building, and greeted countless visitors, skiers, and climbers. The dogs have been featured in the ski area’s brochures, ski pins, posters, and on Timberline Lodge matchbook covers. In the 1980s a children’s book, “Heidi’s Rose,” was published. In more recent years, the dogs have been featured in many of the outdoor-oriented fashion catalogs that are often photographed at the lodge. Guests can also purchase their own plush Heidi or Bruno at Timberline’s gift shops.

In the mid 1990s, their job as mascots became more stressful. The increasing volume of visitors to Timberline Lodge became a bit of a burden on the dogs, leading to concerns for their health and demeanor. After considering the situation, management molded the long-term tradition to a changing world and came up with a wonderful solution involving employees. Since that time, rather than allow the dogs to live independently at the lodge, Heidi and Bruno have belonged to long-term employees who become their primary caregivers and alpha masters. The dogs cheerfully come and go to work with their appointed alpha master, still spending most of their time at the lodge carrying on the tradition and bringing happiness to Timberline’s many visitors.

This week, Ski Area Sales Manager Kim Nylund has taken on the master responsibilities of a very playful and sweet purebred male St. Bernard mascot. He comes from the same breeder and lineage as Heidi, Timberline’s female St. Bernard, who is about a year and a half old. While Heidi is based at Timberline’s Front Desk in the Main Lodge, Bruno will be stationed across the parking lot at the Wy’East Day Lodge. At just 11 weeks old, Bruno is already getting a lot of attention at Timberline.

MEET BRUNO AT TIMBERLINE’S WY’EAST DAY LODGE MOST TUESDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS

Timberline Lodge named official training site for US Ski Team, US Snowboarding, and US Freeskiing

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area has been selected by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) as an official summer training site. Olympic athletes in all disciplines, including alpine racing, snowboarding, freestyle, and freeskiing, will be traveling from all over the United States and beyond to participate in summer training at Timberline.

“Timberline has a long and storied history as a summer training site for the U.S. Ski Team. From Toni Sailer, Billy Kidd, Steve and Phil Mahre to Ted Ligety; from Cindy Nelson and Picabo Street to Julia Mancuso and Mikaela Shiffrin ... All have trained at Timberline in the summer as well as virtually all other U.S. Ski Team alpine athletes,” commends Timberline’s president, Jeff Kohnstamm, “We are very proud of this tradition and have worked with USSA to formalize our relationship. This will further meet the needs of US athletes and promote the world class summer ski and snowboard training that is Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield.”

Palmer Snowfield

Timberline has long been recognized as a premier training facility for Olympic ski and snowboarding teams from all over the world. Mt. Hood was quickly put on a global ski racing stage as THE place to train in the summer when the original Palmer Chairlift opened for the 1978 summer ski season. In 1996, the current Palmer Chair, a high speed detachable quad, was installed and quickly began transporting athletes to the top of the Palmer Snowfield. With the new lift and upgrades in snow management, Timberline held firm to its reputation as the best destination in North America for summer training.

The ease of travel and accessibility of the Palmer snowfield makes it a clear choice for U.S. Ski and Snowboard athletes. Quick turn around times on the lift and perfectly groomed lanes ensure that a day spent on the snow field is 100% productive.

U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing will be training in High Cascade Snowboard Camp’s and Windells Camp’s world-renowned terrain parks, utilizing some of the best freestyle terrain on the planet. Some of the features available to the team will be a full 22-foot halfpipe, 22-foot pipe with airbag, large jump to airbag, and every type of freestyle feature found in today’s top terrain parks. That coupled with camp-specific handle tows will allow team members to access parks without lapping Palmer chair.

The US Ski Team will have their own racing lanes reserved on Palmer as well.

The 2017 summer training season was especially important. The 2018 Winter Olympics take place in PeongChang, South Korea, Feb. 9 - 25, 2018. Timberline looks forward to continuing our relationship with U.S. Ski and Snowboard and hosting US Olympic medal winners in summer 2018!

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Timberline Lodge and Ski Area offers the longest ski season in North America. The winter season typically begins early to mid-November and continues through Memorial Day. The Palmer Express high-speed quad lift operates later into the summer season, usually June 1st through Labor Day.