Author Archives: scottluria

Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Sunday, May 12, 2024 It’s all very well to bask in this Coast to Hood thing, but the reality is I’m only halfway up the mountain. And as I’ve alluded to in the past, this mountain and I, we have a history. Today was Sunday, a day of rest, I took myContinue reading “Boyz n the Hood”

Government Camp to Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Saturday, May 11, 2024 How had I not heard of this? A number of people I talked to on the way up said hey, you’re doing Hood to Coast backwards! Turns out it’s the largest relay race in the world, having been run annually since 1982. This movie looksContinue reading “Coast to Hood”

Sandy to Government Camp, Oregon Friday, May 10, 2024 I didn’t want to do it this way, but it turned out to be the right way. The jumping-off point for most climbs of Mt Hood is Timberline Lodge, a beautiful rustic building halfway up the mountain. Built as part of the New Deal by theContinue reading “Old man with a walker”

Portland to Sandy, Oregon. Thursday, May 9, 2024. It’s always fun to find quirky place names. Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; Nameless, Tennessee; Old Dime Box, Texas—I have only read about those. At least these guys have embraced their name with a sense of humor. Otherwise, today was anything but. Reluctant to leave one ofContinue reading “A town called Boring”

Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon. Wednesday, May 8, 2024 As predicted, it was all too easy to linger at the Graman’s, I didn’t get out till 11. Supposed to be an easy day today— just down the hill to the river, one more slightly scary crossing on marginal bridges, and then on to what isContinue reading “If it had to happen…”

St Helens, Oregon to Vancouver, Washington. Monday – Tuesday, May 6–7, 2024 Wait, what? Vancouver? I’ve come over 500 miles and I’m still in Vancouver? Of course not. This is Vancouver, Washington. Old George Vancouver sure got around. This bedroom community of Portland, the bigger city in British Columbia, and the huge island opposite wereContinue reading “Howard, Don, and J.R.”

Toledo, Washington to Saint Helens, Oregon. Sunday, May 5, 2024 Or maybe I should title this post Stinko de Mayo. My clothes were all dry after hanging by the space heater overnight, and seemed remarkably odor-free. But then I was reminded of that Febreze commercial, where everybody but the reeker notices the reek. But no,Continue reading “Sinko de Mayo”

Eatonville to Toledo, Washington Saturday, May 4, 2024. I was thinking more about mountains that were named for people that never saw them. George Washington never saw Mount Washington in New Hampshire, which was called Agiocochook by the native peoples. The very first entries in this blog where about the beginning of my journey toContinue reading “Nutty George”

Eatonville to Paradise and back. Thursday to Friday May 2-3, 2024. Mount Rainier, it turns out, was named by Captain Vancouver, the first to explore Puget Sound, in honor of his friend Peter Rainier, a British rear admiral who fought against the Americans in the revolution. He never saw the mountain. Just like William McKinleyContinue reading “Paradise”

Sumner to Eatonville, Washington. Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Not to put too fine a point on it, but there are three levels of weird here. First of all, highpointing is peculiar, there’s no getting around it. You can see wanting to get to the big mountains, but come on—Florida? Delaware? That funny one in ConnecticutContinue reading “I am not throwing away my shot”