Wonders Of Wy'east

When it comes to tales about Native American life among the Cascade volcanoes, I can't seem to get enough: Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Mazama, Mt. Shasta, Glacier Peak, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier and more. The common belief? Powerful spirits lived on the tops, the kind you don't want to mess with.

Such is the case of Mt Hood, (Wy'east to the Multnomah tribe). It's the Cascade peak I'm most familiar with. We could see the mountain from my childhood home. Renamed by British explorers, Wy'east was one of three mountains involved in a love triad, along with Pahto (Mt. Adams) and Loowit (St. Helens). An ugly battle ensued.

Growing up in the City of Roses, Mt. Hood was the most prominent peak. Beginning with a summit experience at age 12, I have now climbed Wy'east, the tallest peak in Oregon, 11 times: twice with my Dad's climbing group, the rest with my loose confederation of pirates, too varied to identify by name.

At its zenith, the mountain stood 12,000 feet, rivaling Mt. Mazama to the south and Mt. Adams to the north, with fumaroles emitting sulphur dioxide that smells like rotten eggs. Near the summit, a bergshrund (crevasse) and portal (Pearly Gates) are the last obstacles before the top, which is about the length of a football field.

The mountain's glaciers drain to well known streams flowing into the Willamette and Columbia Rivers (Zigzag, Sandy, White and Hood Rivers). The Pleistocene glaciers eroded the upper canyons into U-shaped valleys. Wy'east consists primarily of andesite lavas. The surrounding topography was much the same as today.

Driving the Mt. Hood loop provides excellent views of its fellow Guardians of the Columbia, Mt. Adams (Pahto) and Mt. St. Helens (Loowit). Wy'east itself features numerous historical buildings, including Timberline Lodge on the south side and Cloud Cap Inn on the northeast side. You can drive to both landmarks.