Alpenglow!
It's one of the big reasons that skiers, climbers and just plain
everyday citizens return to Timberline Lodge again and again.
This image is taken from immediately above the Lodge, showing
the south side of the 11,245 foot mountain in winter dress. Prominent
in the center of Hood's blasted-out crater is the mass of Crater
Rock, sticking up like a big thumb to nearly the skyline.
And let's not neglect the unforgettable alpenglow that lets loose on the other big peaks visible from Mt. Hood's heights. Below is one of my all-time favorites. It was taken on the opposite side of Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge. I was coming down from a high scramble above Cloud Cap Inn, and was transfixed by this atmospheric glimpse of distant Mt. Rainier-- by far the highest peak in all of the Pacific Northwest. Click here for more about Mt. Rainier.
The image below is not included
for its artistic merit, but rather because it provides a very
unusual and informative perspective. It shows the massive building
at the top of the Magic Mile chairlift system in its relationship
to the historic Silcox Hut complex. Both lie at 7,000 feet. Silcox
(the small bldg. on the right) has been totally upgraded in recent
years, and now has excellent lodging and food for overnight guests.
The precipitous White River Canyon falls away into the foreground
of the picture-- a place into which the unwary climber or skier
does not want to stray! 
Technical: this picture was taken from the White River Snow Park using a digital camera attached to an 8-power pair of binoculars.
