In the late fall it usually starts snowing on Mt. Hood, but none of the resorts are open yet. Riders like my friends and I start chomping at the bit to go boarding, and the Alpine Trail is our sanctuary. It is a three-mile trail that goes from Timberline Lodge to Government Camp, and you don’t need a chairlift to ride it. If you have two cars you can park one at Summit in Government Camp and drive the other up to Timberline and park. If you only have one you park at Summit and hitchhike up Timberline Road…don’t worry it’s safe, and lots of people do it.
One day three of my friends and I decided to ride the trail first thing in the morning. It had snowed really hard the night before so there were feet of powder. We thought, “How perfect is this. Untouched powder just for us!” It was all for us and we had our work cut out for us.
The snow was so deep that after riding for 10 or 20 feet the snow would build up on our boards making us stop dead in our tracks. We took turns riding until we couldn’t go anymore, and then the next person would ride in the track and hopefully get enough speed to clear another 10 or 20 feet of path. The four of us did this for a few hours (the trail usually takes a half hour or so) and finally took a break. Three snowboarders came behind us and we let them clear the rest of the way while we hung out and caught our breath.
We finally made it to the bottom where we rehydrated and refueled for a few more runs. The day was so much fun. We didn’t even mind waiting at the bottom of Timberline Road for someone to pick us up. We had fun belly flopping in the snow, making snow angels and goofing off in Summit’s parking lot.
I love the Alpine Trail!
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