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i crossed over the columbia river back into oregon on the hood river bridge— i was surprised that this bridge was a narrow metal grate bridge with one lane in each direction!— i guess i am used to all the ginormous bridges we have in the bay area
it was a bit nerve-wracking crossing but thankfully the speed limit on this 100 year old bridge was 15mph so i didn’t feel too pressured!— then i took highway 35 down the east side of mt hood all the way to government camp
it was a beautiful drive through very scenic country— lots of roadside farm stands and captivating views of mt hood
back in 2016 when i was early in researching my build i made a trip up to portland to stay in the caravan tiny house hotel— caravan has since closed as of last fall!
i also wanted to check out the mt hood tiny house village— at the time tumbleweed was my expected builder and the village has many of the models they were manufacturing
at the last minute at the rental car desk i decided to get a 4wd suv— this was december and snow was predicted— mt hood village was, as you might guess, really close to mt hood and i thought it would be fun to drive up to timberline lodge
it did snow and it was fun to drive up there in such a magical scene— and i wasn’t all that far from timberline lodge in government camp, which is a ski town mostly with a decidedly what i might call “hokey” flair
I overnighted in the rest stop there and in the morning i hiked up to mirror lake, about 4 miles round trip— rhododendrons were blooming, waterfalls were rushing and the lake was icy cold!
Me and finny walked all the way around the lake where you can get a picture perfect view of mt hood reflected in the water
we hiked up here the afternoon before too but it was insanely crowded— much more peaceful and quiet first thing in the morning
