Summit Ski Area to Timberline + Wildlife Camera Check

Oregon's longest ski slope spans 4,540 feet, from the top of the Palmer chair at Timberline ski area down to the Summit ski area (formerly separate, now incorporated into Timberline). We have climbed up this route in its entirety using our backcountry touring gear but it's also fun to ascend from the Government Camp elevation about 2,500 feet to the Timberline Lodge, enjoy some refreshments, then ski back down. 



Wandering in the woods to find the wildlife camera

With no new snow in Oregon since Christmas 2024, on January 25, 2025, we embarked on a combination of volunteering for citizen science and fun: the plan was to ski from Government Camp at Mount Hood to check on a wildlife camera near Government Camp for Cascadia Wild, a nonprofit with a conservation mission, then continue upwards to Timberline Lodge for lunch. With sunshine, clear skies and cold temperatures in the 20s, the forecast was promising. 

Inspecting the wildlife camera


We were able to successfully locate and inspect the wildlife camera, inserting fresh batteries. Strangely enough, the wooden bait box which contains very odoriferous predator-targeting bait to attract wildlife, was missing! So I spread clumps of bait on the ground as well as on a tree trunk within the camera's view. Since the camera is tucked away in the woods, I was perplexed as to what might have happened to the bait box.

Turns out, once the camera's photos were downloaded from the memory card I had retrieved, that a real-life Wiley E. Coyote had snatched the bait box!

Here he is is sniffing the bait box before dawn on Jan. 13, 2025:


Then here he is, bait box in mouth, trotting away from the scene!


The camera also captured Jim and I approaching!

We dropped our skis to hike to the camera.

After the camera inspection, we skied across rock-hard, consolidated snow to reach the Alpine Trail, which is the designated uphill route within the Timberline ski area's boundaries. The groomed slope  we traveled on was firm and even icy, making for tricky uphill travel conditions. Once we reached the Stormin' Norman chair, we were blasted by strong gusts of wind carrying icy particles scoured off the ski slopes. The winds were upwards of 30 mph according to NWAC's telemetry data!

Starting the uphill journey to locate the camera near Government Camp and the Summit ski area

It was quite a relief to enter the lodge for lunch. In terms of conditions this was one of the more difficult uphill treks I've done and I was sorely missing my ski crampons- the snow was that hard and icy.

Ascending the Alpine Trail

I really enjoyed both serving as a citizen science volunteer and getting in a great workout to boot. I hope to go on at least one more outing this winter where I can draw upon my winter sports/snow skills to make a contribution to science. 

Skinning up along the Stormin' Norman chair, which was closed due to high winds


Cascadia Wild operates more than a dozen wildlife cameras in the Mt. Hood National Forest and other cameras in the Columbia River Gorge, collecting data to shape wildlife management decisions. The data collected is used by the Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other researchers to help guide wildlife and resource management and the establishment of protections for rare carnivores. These cameras are checked every 3-4 weeks by volunteers to ensure they stay above the snow and remain functional. The information gathered supports the Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies in protecting rare carnivores and managing resources. 
Cascadia Wild also conducts wintertime group tracking surveys, led by experienced volunteer tracking leaders on select winter weekends, traveling by snowshoe. I've enjoyed taking part in their tracking surveys, as I wrote about in this post in my snowshoeing blog. Tracking - reading footprints in the snow - can open your eyes to a new way of seeing the world. And if you are new to tracking, Cascadia Wild offers trainings and classes on wildlife tracking. 


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