As we first started out, I was optimistic that they would pull back and reveal the fantastic views around us. It wasn't until more clouds rolled in and we were in white out conditions that I accepted that we weren't going to see the summit that day. To make matters worse, as we headed back down to the timberline, the wet snow turned into rain and we spend the rest of the day more so hiking than snowshoeing in a cold drizzle. Nevertheless, it was fun and it was refreshing to just get outdoors for an entire afternoon.
the "view" before the snow came
cute little snow mobile.
looking down the slope of Mt Hood with the summit behind me
probably the funnest part of the trip was discovering these snow caves!
inside the snow cave
lenticular ("UFO") cloud forming over the mountains
avalanche danger
weather starting to turn bad...
snowy evergreens on mt hood
Another hike we did was around Trillium Lake. This is a man-made (1960) lake on the south side of Mt Hood. In the background is supposed to be Mt Hood reflecting off the water surface. Not quite as picturesque on a cloudy winter day. I thought it was interesting how they put these screens in to keep the lake from overtopping the dam.