Sandy post., July 21, 1977, Image 13

SECTION TWO SANDY, OREGON, THURS., JU LY 21, 1877
A BENT, weathered tree testifies to the harsh living
conditioo* In the alpine terrain.
JEFF POST demonstrate« the methods used to build
Timberline Lodge.
Timberline great summer stop
In the amphitheater, a bearded woods
man chops away at an old beam, talking
about the methods used to build the lodge
Up on a tra il, a naturalist cups a tiny
Rower In his hand, telling an enthralled
audience how the plant's low profile
makea it virtually immune to high winds
Inside the lodge, camera-sprouting
tourists follow in the wake of a guide,
snapping pictures and learning about the
colorful history of Tim berline Ixxlge
Tim berline Ixxlge — long famous for
fine skiing and winter recreation, but
people a re finding out you don:t
necessarily have to strap boards to your
feet to have a good time During the
summer months visitors can learn a bit of
natural history, hear some climbing lore
or go on a "swamp stomp'' at T rillium
l4ike.
"B ring a lunch and go on a hike," Invites
Ron Clarno, Forest Service interpreter at
Tim berline Clarno says there are hikes
for just about all interests and ages that
run in duration from 30 minutes to two
hours
.
One of Clarno s specialties is a brief
nature hike around the back side of the
lodge. He stresses two things about the
mountain habitat: the special growing
conditions and the geology of the moun
U ‘n
On a day when sweaters were needed
and a brisk wind blew, Clans» surprised his
group by pulling out a thermometer and
recording temperature of Ml degrees at
ground level Comparing this to a winter
temperature perhaps 100 degrees less it is
easy to see why alpine plants must have
wildflowers abound
special adaptations
Not only do plants have winter snows to
contend with, but a very different kind of
m the trails around Tim-
«ertine lx«dge.
climate appears during the summer, as
evidenced by the somewhat startling
ground temperature
"In fact, block out the mountain and you
have a desert." says Clarno. pointing at a
particularly barren stretch of soil
One
plant, the lupen, even shares a unique
feature with desert flora the leaves have
fine hairs covering them to help conserve
rpoisture
Farther above the lodge. Clarno leads
his group through a hypothetical climb of
M t Hood, pointing out geologic features
one might see on a clim b and explaining to
non-climbers why such a seemingly solid
mass as a mountain could be so hazardous
due to rack tall and valanches
Unlike volcanoes in Hawaii, notes Clarno,
Hood is not composed of solid, dense basalt
but rather is made of a mixture of light
andesitic rock, ash and volcanic mud
" It's a lot like a mudpie.” he adds The
only thing holding it together is ice. and
when that ice melts .
he trails his
explanation off there, leaving his audience
with a vivid mental picture of an 11.500 foot
mudpie
suddenly
going
"gloop
and
burying half the state.
Completing his stint as a mountain
guide. Clarno demonstrates the lock, or
rest-step, an energy saving technique of
walking uphill
A natural science teacher during the
winter months, Clarno combines a deft
speaking style with a thorough command
of his m aterial and a knack for teaching
people how to answer their own questions
At all times Clarno and the other Tim -
berline naturalists emphasize the fragility
of the mountain environment and the need
for alpine etiquette, and he points out large
barren areas where thoughtless strollers
trampled a delicate mountain flower
Mountain history and alpine ecology is
stressed in almost all the lodge hikes,
Clarno says. Some of the other strolls
available to visitors include
• Zigxag Hike: A walk to the magnificent
Zigxag Canyon through alpine meadows
and forests A naturalist gives back
packing tips along the way.
- Burled Forest Hike: An introduction to
the fiery geologic history of Mt. Hood and a
visit to an ancient forest ravaged by a
geologic cataclysm.
- Photo Hike: A chance to learn outdoor
photography techniques from an ex­
perienced naturalist and photographer
For beginners to intermediates.
Mazama M arch: A visit to the site of
the "Old Hotel at Tim berline” and a
chance to learn some of the early history of
the white men and M t Hood
The Tim berline
lxxige experience
doesn't end with hikes, however Evenings
feature a slide show in the lodge, with
topics such as "Alpine Adaptation” and
"Moods of the Mountain" are covered
nightly
At T rillium Lake and Green River
campgrounds an informal campfire and
FOREST SERVICE Interpreter Ron Clarno gathers his
group on the steps of the lodge prior to a nature hike.
story/photos by Douglas Ganttnbeln
Now in GRESHAM!
get together each evening lets the rangers
answer questions and spin yarns.
And of course, tours of the venerable old
lodge are an on-going thing and one of the
AAMCQ
mountain's
biggest summertime at­
tractions From 300 to *00 people a day
transmissions
visit the lodge during peak months
Nostalgia reigns supreme currently as
Forest
S e rvice
personnel-turned
woodsmen demonstrate the old techniques
of building and timber shaping with adxe
and broad-axe in the newly refurbished
amphitheater
No shussing skiers are zooming down the
slopes but the Magic M ile chairlift is still
operating daily, affording visitors an easy
tn p to the higher elevations for fine views
of the southern Cascade Mountains,
Eastern Oregon and the Willamette
Valley One-way and round trip tickets are
available
Of course, there's always the mountain
Hood, while not the largest, is undoubtedly
one of the most beautiful of the big
volcanoes dotting Oregon and Washington
Now. with an unusually fine display of
wildflowers and good akcess to trails, it is
an especially good year to visit.
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