Day 33: Timberline Zero

Friday 22nd July

Start & End: Timberline Lodge

Miles: 0

I am writing this post from the comfort of my bed.  It is 4:30pm.  My body is very happy for the rest and does not want to move for another week!

We are very thankful to have arrived here when we did as last night brought a storm to the Cascade region.  The temperature today has been noticeably chilly, so we have enjoyed being inside for most of it.  Only the immediate tree line is visible out the window.  Otherwise there are lots of clouds.

Timberline Lodge is a great place to find oneself for a couple of days.  I’m sure there are lots of great hikes in the vicinity, and we already know that we could go skiing – if we could be bothered to do anything!

The Lodge was opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937.  Its creation had formed part of a New Deal Program, enlisting local people much in need of work to build and furnish it in only 15 months.  The level of craftsmanship is stunning.  There is hand-crafted woodwork, unique art, and intricate ironwork all over the place.  The wooden pillars supporting the central hexagonal area come from single tree trunks.  This central section has a 6-sided stone fireplace which is 92 feet high!

The exterior of the building became famous in 1980 when scenes from The Shining were filmed here.  I remember the little boy in the film climbing out of a 3rd floor window to escape, and sliding down the sloping snow-covered roof. That was this building!

Having enjoyed the buffet breakfast with Dan, we have mostly relaxed all day.  Unfortunately our zero days do involve a load of admin such as sorting our food supplies, and planning for the next leg of the hike, but we are getting a bit better at this now.  That said, I did mis-calculate our arrival at Cascade Locks and booked the wrong night in a motel there, so I had to correct that!  Tonight we plan to share a pizza and have an early night, ready to finish Oregon.