Mt. Hood Ski Area / Lodging Recs
 

Hi All,

My wife and I are visiting Portland for 5 days the first week of March, and are looking to head over to Mt. Hood on a Saturday to hit one of the ski areas and possibly spend the night.

Guess I'd fall in the "advance beginner" ski category, and my wife a beginner, though she may spend more time indoors :-) Also, I'm interested in taking a lesson to help get me to that intermediate level.

Heard much about the Timberline Lodge. Is this place worth the price? I figured that if we don't stay here, we'll at least visit. How about other hotels, such as at Cooper Spur? I'm fine with a smaller ski area...esp if the snow is decent and there's a somewhat respectable lodge for my wife to hang out in.

Appreciate any suggestions...Thanks!

We stayed at Timberline a few years ago and loved it. The room had a fireplace--be sure and request it as not all of them do--and the dining room was very good. Great atmosphere, especially in the lobby with the soaring fireplace!

I have only stopped to see Timberline and thought it was beautiful. I have never stayed there and can't help with other recommendations. From my own experience and what I have heard is that Timberline is beautiful but old. The rooms are older and are showing their age. I think it is clean enough but the rooms are simply not new and not what you might expect for the price. The lodge is beautiful though and worth seeing, your wife could probably spend part of a day there even if you don't stay over night.

I think many people stay in Hood River, which is not on the mountain so she wouldn't be able to quit part-day without leaving you stranded (though I am sure there are shuttles to/from the mountain).

Another question might be the best slopes for 'beginners'? Others to help with this??

Enjoy!

You must see the lodge, it is wonderful. However, we've stayed at Timberline Lodge twice--once in one of the very few rooms that has a fireplace and once in a room so small that it had only a double bed and one night stand--no dresser. It was miserable.

You might have trouble getting a reservation at Timberline, but if you can get in, take it! It's well worth the price, if only for the charm and ambiance. If it's full, try The Resort at the Mountain in Welches, about a 20-minute drive west of Timberline on Hwy 26. There are some motels in Government Camp as well, but I've not stayed in any of them.

Hi All...Thanks for your responses and suggestions. We bit the bullet and booked a room at the Timberline for March. All they had was one of the fireplace rooms (cha-ching!), and at $240/night seems steep--especially since this doesn't come with a lift ticket or other discount! But what the heck...we're on vacation, right?!?!

Really looking forward to it, and I'll give a report when we get back.

Thanks again!
Steve

Hi All,

Well...Last month we did the trip and stayed at the Timberline for the weekend, and we were absolutely impressed. Yeah...It was expensive, but we'd certainly do it again.

We had a fireplace room on the 2nd floor, and were completely snowed-in. We thought this was very cool. The fireplace worked like a charm and kept us cozy--not that we needed it since the room was pretty well insulated.

The Rams Head Bar on the 2nd level was a great place to hang out (the white bean chili was very tasty), and the Sunday brunch in the Cascade Dining Room was pretty good too.

As for skiing...conditions were excellent on Saturday, and there were more than enuff greens & blues for this greenhorn skier. On Sunday though...the temp shot up just enuff for a light rain overnight, which made the surface pretty dense and slushy in parts.

Still...A beautiful lodge, beautiful area, and we'd certainly do it again!

Thanks for the report. I'm glad you got one of the very few fireplace rooms.