| Hello, and welcome. This month's report takes us to | | | | and begin our last |
| the western U.S. state of Oregon and some fantastic | | | | climb toward the resort. Where the ground behind us |
| snowboarding. First a little background on the state of | | | | was merely wet, the ground to our left and right is |
| Oregon itself. Begin with a little prehistory by following | | | | now deeply |
| this link to learn about Oregon and the Columbia | | | | covered in frozen precip...aka snow. We round a bend, |
| plateau. Your journey begins with incredible lava flows, | | | | turn into the parking lot and then...a break in the clouds. |
| volcanic activity and great rains which formed the | | | | WOW! |
| diverse landscape we now know as Oregon.Our | | | | The upside down ice cream cone reaching toward |
| travels begin very early, o-dark early, did I mention no | | | | the heavens is directly ahead. What an awe inspiring |
| sleep the night before early...you get the picture. | | | | sight... As soon as the awe subsides, slightly, the tingle |
| Jesse and I leave home about 3:30 am and head | | | | in the back of my neck begins... Would I still have a |
| south for the Miami International Airport to begin our | | | | neck that tingles in a few short hours from now? |
| trek westward. | | | | Would we conquer this mountain of white...or would it |
| Even at this early hour heavy traffic was present on | | | | conquer us? Six hours later, bruised |
| the ever under construction roadways of South | | | | and beaten, we make our final run for the day, and |
| Florida. The flight | | | | what a wonderful day it turned out to be. Fresh |
| westward did leave on time and security screening, | | | | powder, deep snow, over 180 inches plus, a wide |
| sometimes a hassle at MIA went quite smooth. Great! | | | | variety of challenging runs and trails has made for a |
| The trip is off to a smooth start. We arrive at DFW on | | | | perfect day of boarding. Could Mt. Hood Meadows, |
| time, and with our connecting gate for the Portland | | | | our choice for the final two days of our winter |
| flight immediately adjacent to us, everything appears to | | | | vacation be any better? What a great day this has |
| be proceeding much better than planned. Skies, for the | | | | been.We drag our weary bodies back to town and |
| most part were clear and the air quite smooth making | | | | once again have an enjoyable dinner. As we get |
| for a pleasant flight. From our seats we can even | | | | ready to settle in for the |
| peer out the window from time to time and see the | | | | evening, our host and his close friend inform us that |
| mountain ski resorts near Sante Fe New Mexico and | | | | they have started a campfire for us to enjoy out |
| Salt Lake City Utah, wow! As we begin our descent I | | | | behind the B&B and |
| am able to catch a glimpse of a magnificent peak | | | | ask us to join them for some marshmallows and |
| penetrating the cloud bank near Portland. The | | | | some interesting conversation about their travels. Soon, |
| words awe inspiring come immediately to mind...Mt | | | | thereafter, we |
| Hood...our destination, and I hope...not my final one.After | | | | both collapse into our beds with smiles on our faces, |
| deplaning the aircraft, which I have to admit was not | | | | food in our tummies, and stiffness in our joints as we |
| the most comfortable I have ever flown on, we | | | | prepare ourselves for the next two days.The snow |
| proceed | | | | boarding at Mt Hood Meadows turns out to be superb! |
| to baggage claim and are pleasantly surprised to see | | | | It is, without a doubt, one of the finest resorts, which |
| both our snowboards and equipment awaiting us at | | | | are numerous, that we have ever had the pleasure to |
| the oversize | | | | visit. The terrain varies widely from bunny slopes for |
| baggage door. Next step, off to the rental car desk, | | | | the beginners, to some of the most challenging, |
| gotta love this 3 hour time difference, it's only 11:30 am! | | | | adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, I have ever |
| As we | | | | ventured this weary body on. For the snowboarders, |
| head onto I84 heading eastbound, the wind and the | | | | numerous terrain parks are scattered throughout |
| rain begin to pick up substantially, this is the Pacific | | | | complete with jumps of all sizes, rails and very well |
| Northwest you | | | | groomed half pipes. The skies, turned out to be, clear, |
| always hear about right...wind, rain, clouds...? We don't | | | | crystal clear, on both days and the temperature |
| care though, because for us it means fresh powder! | | | | continued to climb throughout the course. We even |
| The drive | | | | were able to take off our ski jackets the final day and |
| is an easy one, merely forty eight miles from airport to | | | | wear only our light shirts, and of course, much |
| Hood River. This highway we are on meanders along | | | | sunscreen, as the sun's rays are very damaging at this |
| the Columbia River, and judging from some of the | | | | altitude and time of year...old story...I'll tell ya about it |
| terrain I am able to sneak a peek at thru the rain and | | | | someday. This, my friends, is LIVING!Our final day |
| clouds, it is rather impressive. As we follow the Lewis | | | | begins early, what else is new, and the next thing we |
| and Clark trail ever eastward, the Columbia looks quite | | | | know we are on the road back to Portland and the |
| impressive as well as imposing with the wind driven | | | | airport. Where has the time gone? Must we leave so |
| rain creating whitecaps, and large swells on the | | | | soon? I guess we must, as I have to get back to work, |
| surface as the river winds it's way into the Columbia | | | | and Jesse to |
| River Gorge.As we arrive in Hood River, Jesse is | | | | school as Spring Break is coming to an end. We are |
| sound asleep and I am wearing thin as this very long | | | | sad to see the mountain in the background as we pull |
| day continues to, like the river meander on. But alas, | | | | onto the highway. We have not conquered it, no one |
| with a few quick twists and turns, our map leads us to | | | | really does. We have though, taken a piece of it with |
| our destination, atop a small hill overlooking vast peach | | | | us forever, in our |
| orchards. Our bed and breakfast is a two story cabin, | | | | memories and that is enough to put a smile on both of |
| with a finished basement. The main floor has two | | | | our faces. Someday we will once again return.The |
| bedrooms, a communal living and breakfast room, and | | | | airport ahead...the nightmare awaits us... |
| a wonderful outdoor patio. The upper floor includes 3 | | | | I am certain I had checked the flights just a few days |
| bedrooms | | | | ago. Wide open, lots of empty seats, no problem |
| and a single bath. This presents no problem; however, | | | | getting home, |
| as this weekend, we are the only guests. After | | | | or so I thought. I did not realize when planning our trip |
| meeting Linda, | | | | that Spring Break for Oregon residents was just |
| one of the co-owners of our quaint B&B, we decide | | | | beginning on the |
| to venture out into town in search of some much | | | | day we chose to leave. After checking our bags to |
| needed nourishment.After perusing the town a bit, we | | | | Miami and passing through security screening I was |
| settled into a brew pub named the Big Horse brew | | | | soon to find this |
| pub. No equine on the menu, but some delicious | | | | detail out. All flights full! All flights, all day, all locations, |
| burgers fill our hungry stomachs. The view from our | | | | and just about all airline full, actually oversold. This was |
| table is quite beautiful, the town, the river, the bridge | | | | not good. What to do? Normally if a flight is oversold, |
| and even a few windsurfers venturing out. What | | | | we sometimes have a chance of getting on it, last |
| happens next though is quite awe inspiring...the sun | | | | minute, especially using a higher priority as we chose |
| begins to peak thru the clouds creating a double | | | | to use this day. After waiting thru two flights that left |
| rainbow, that ends in the river below us. What a way | | | | and seeing our name dropping on the standby listings, |
| to bring our day to a close. We head back to our | | | | instead of rising I knew we had to make alternate |
| lodging, and after a short chat with the other owner, | | | | plans. I called my wife on the cell phone and together |
| Lee, we climb into our comfy beds totally exhausted, | | | | we pulled our resources to try and find Jesse and I a |
| yet looking forward to our day on the mountain | | | | way home. It just seemed all flights were full, on all |
| tomorrow. As day two of our journey begins, we get | | | | airlines that day, in Portland, as well as Seattle, which I |
| to experience the other B in B&B, that being breakfast, | | | | was willing to drive us to in order to catch a flight. |
| and to our delight, it is exceptional! Going downstairs | | | | Finally, after many hours I finally found us a way out of |
| we are greeted by the aroma of hot coffee, a wide | | | | Portland. We would have to wait until 8 pm that night, |
| variety of teas, and several fresh fruit juices from | | | | but a flight was heading for San Francisco on Horizon |
| which to choose. Fresh breads, rolls, butter and jams | | | | Airlines that did have some seats available. We didn't |
| also await our hungry insides. Following these delights | | | | hesitate in buying some tickets on this flight. But we did |
| we are presented with a menu of fresh items we | | | | have quite some time to wait. We ate, we slept, we |
| may include in our omelettes, accompanied by | | | | ate some more, we walked around, read, and finally |
| Canadian bacon, both sweet and hot sausages, and | | | | after 10 hours in the airport we boarded our flight. I |
| melt in your mouth home fries. Mouth waters even | | | | never felt so good as we broke ground as I did that |
| now as | | | | day, knowing that we were moving forward, even if |
| I think back on this outstanding breakfast. We will | | | | only a slight amount. We arrived in San Francisco |
| definitely not be hungry or in need of any energy bars | | | | without incident; however, our flight on American to |
| this day as we | | | | Miami was not departing, until seven the next morning. |
| conquer the slopes...and our own bodies. After a | | | | Only problem, to insure we would get seats on this |
| gracious farewell from our hosts, we set forth toward | | | | flight, we needed to check in for this flight at about 4 |
| the mountain.The weather is still dreary, a bit cold and | | | | am, as we had no computer access if we left the |
| rainy, but the drive to our destination for today, | | | | airport. |
| Timberline Ski Resort, | | | | So once again, we found some seats and slept, if you |
| is uneventful. A two lane road follows the Hood River | | | | could call it that. Nonetheless, we did get on the flight at |
| for most of the drive, as it winds it's way through | | | | seven and |
| various orchards | | | | finally arrived home in Miami at about 8 pm that night. |
| in the foothills before beginning it's steady climb to | | | | Tired, worn, beaten, bruised, smelling like you know |
| higher altitudes. Due to the cloud cover, we still have | | | | what, we |
| not had any direct view of the mountain itself, and we | | | | picked up our car and headed for the 2 hour drive to |
| have become a bit worried as we proceed onward, | | | | our home...With a smile on our face...That wasn't so |
| as snow snow has been seen | | | | bad...was it, let's do it again...next year :)Please visit |
| anywhere. Did we make a fatal mistake? Is it much | | | | Travel-Ascending.com, for more news and |
| too late in the season? Did that internet website we | | | | articles.Donald Reese, aviator, travel-agent, and travel |
| looked at before departing deceive us in any way? All | | | | author shares his adventures/misadventures as he |
| our fears are aleved though, as we round the final turn | | | | explores our world. |