[pct-l] hiking suggestions -- Timberline Lodge to Bridge of the Gods.

[mctrob at yahoo.com (Rob Langsdorf)]

Miriam,

    Since you are looking for something between Ashland and
Government Camp I would suggest doing the segment from
Timberline Lodge, on the south side of Mt. Hood, down to
the Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River. I'll give
you more details about transportation below.

    But first the reason I recommend this section.
Timberline Lodge is a great Works Project (WPA) hotel build
in the 1930's. From this location on the south side of Mt.
Hood you have great views of the peak and a glacier. As you
hike west and then north around the mountain will cross 3
major streams and enjoy mountain meadows and forests.
Eventually you will cross a minor road and drop down to a
side route for the PCT: Eagle Creek. This side trip takes
you past some wonderful falls as you drop down to the
Columbia River.

    There should be some sort of Airport transport out to
Timberline Lodge. For more information look at:

http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

There they give a contact of

information@timberlinelodge.com

You could ask them what sort of public transport there is
to the lodge.

    On the return you walk across the Bridge of the Gods
and take the Skamania County Fixed Route Service west to
Transit Center-Fisher?s Landing on the east side of
Vancouver, WA. There you transfer to a Vancouver bus that
will take you across to the MAX line that goes to the
airport. The Skamania County line only runs Monday -
Friday. You need to call them in advance at:

509-427-9466 to confirm you date and pick up point at the
Washington end of the bridge. The last pick up time is some
where after 4:45 PM. You can read more of the details about
this at:

http://www.gorgetranslink.org/ska_fr.html

For more info on the bus from the Fisher's Landing Transit
Center across the river see:

http://www.c-tran.com/165route.html

This gets you to the Parkrose/Sumner Station, where you can
transfer to the MAX train that will take you to the
Portland Airport. By going to:

http://www.trimet.org/index.shtml

and entering "Parkrose/Sumner Station" for your start
location and "Airport Max Station" for where you are going,
you get:

1. Walk 0.13 mile northwest from Parkrose/Sumner Transit
Center MAX Station (Parkrose Pr) to Parkrose/Sumner TC MAX
Station (Stop ID 10572) 
2. Board MAX Red Line to Airport for the 9 minute ride. 
3. Get off at Portland Int'l Airport MAX Station

    Hope all of this helps,

                  Rob     


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