Photoessay #865 - Mountain Roads

We're back home from our weeklong vacation. Many thanks to Ilana and the cast of thousands who helped take care of Teddy when we were gone. I will share some other parts in future posts. But I would like to illustrate one of today's highlights (?).

We stayed at a 1925 era cabin on the Zigzag River. Beautiful weather throughout. We would like to proceed up the road to Mt. Hood. I visited many years ago (1980?) and remember the dramatic views.

But though there's just a light drizzle. The sign says 'carry chains or traction devices'. Which we don't have for the Prius.

We decide to consult the big ranger station at Zigzag. The ranger lady shows us an image at Government Camp. Shows wet pavement with show on the sides. She assures us that there would be snow at Timberline but that Government Camp is the highest spot on the main road. If you're comfortable with that, she says, conditions are definitely improving, she assures us. We also mention Hwy 35, yes fine.

Dennis now has it in his mind that he wants to go. So off we go, yes there's lots of snow, we get to Government Camp and it's not bad at all. Beautiful vistas even on the cloudy day, elevation just under 4000 feet.

So we keep going.

What the ranger lady did NOT tell us was that Government Camp is NOT the highest point on the whole road and that conditions definitely deteriorate after Government Camp on hwy 35 heading toward Hood River.

So compact snow and ice on empty mountain roads. NOT what we bargained for. For about 20 miles. Highest pass we crested at 4600 feet.

Litttttle big nerve-wracking. We definitely were not going to stop.

But we made it. Dropped down to the fruit growing area where it remained in the 30s.

Then Hood River, the Columbia Gorge. And home.