Timberline Lodge getting ready for new Winter Entry
The Oregonian, Oct 22, 2008 - by Terry Richard
How do you make an historic 1935 mountain lodge better? Build a sexier entry, at least for use during winter.
Mount Hood's classic Timberline Lodge is in the process of losing the Quonset Hut-type structure, necessary to keep snow off the entry stairway, with a modern design from rhiza Architecture + Design of Portland. The Friends of Timberline spearheaded the project, in conjunction with the Mount Hood National Forest and lodge manager RLK Co.
The entry stairway and a snowmelt system is nearly complete, but the new entry is still a year away from installation.
The Timberline winter entry, used since the 1950s, will serve one more winter before being replaced. The new entry will look a bit like a fallen snowdrift, or perhaps an inhabited snow cave or an igloo when lighted at night.
Construction began in September on rebuilding the stairway. It is nearing completion and the old winter covering will be installed for the last time before the snow flies. While work is going on, you may need to enter the building through the east entrance.
If you've already been to Timberline Lodge a million times, you will need to go again to see the new entry when it's installed next winter.
Constructed from fabricated aluminum, the new winter entry is designed for relatively easy and quick assembly. It will be dismantled during summer. During winter, it will be like walking through a glacial ice cave to enter the grand old lodge.