Mount Hood

Standing at more than 11,000 feet only 50 miles east of Portland, Mount Hood dominates the Columbia River Gorge and most of northwestern Oregon in the same way Mount Rainier commands the view from Puget Sound and Mount Shasta from northern California. Mount Hood is considered a dormant volcano, having not erupted since 1907, though it has active fumaroles in its crater. The mountain has had some relatively minor eruptions in the past 200 to 300 years, but is not believed to have demonstrated any major volcanic activity for at least 1,000 years. The mountain is estimated to have reached a height of just over 12,000 feet, but steady erosion, glaciation and unstable composition have conspired to wear it down to its present height and form. Minor lava flows have occurred within the unrecorded past, but these were from lateral vents and not from the summit crater. Given its accessibility, Mount Hood's south side is an excellent geological field study, having numerous exposed volcanic and glacial features, including moraines, plug domes, flows and deposits of varying composition, and thermal vents. Geologists agree that Mount Hood is among the most likely Pacific Northwest Coast volcanoes to erupt in the future. Because of its commanding position from Portland, the Columbia River Gorge and most of north central Oregon, Mount Hood is a much-revered and sought-after summit. Although it has been called the most-climbed glaciated peak in North America, Mount St. Helens likely has usurped that distinction since 1987, and South Sister, also glaciated, also is more-often climbed. Mount Hood is the most accessible of the "major" Cascade volcanoes. A year-round ski lift on its south slopes reaches to about 8,500 feet, and roads penetrate to timberline on two sides of the mountain, permitting hikes of less than one mile to glacier ice. Some of the climbing routes involve less than three miles of hiking/climbing. Many of Mount Hood's routes can be climbed in an easy day from timberline. Because of easy access to the standard routes, one-day round trips are common during late spring and summer. Because of its accessibility, Mount Hood's south side is the site of thousands of annual ascents. Climbers vie for the honor of being the first on top for each new year. Mount Hood reportedly has been ascended by a woman wearing high heels, and a bicycle has been ridden along the summit crest. A gibbon reached the summit in 1964. Dogs are frequent summit visitors.