Mount Hood Loop with orchards
— — the mountain on one side, the orchards on the other.
Not only on a wall.
“A 105-mile loop around Mount Hood through the Hood River Valley orchards, the Columbia River Gorge, and the high south flank past Timberline. In April the pear and apple blossom whitens the lower valley; in October the leaves turn and the first snow returns to the summit. The mountain sits inside the drive the whole way, changing face at every turn.
Mount Hood Loop with orchards, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
The Mount Hood Scenic Byway is a roughly 105-mile loop that links the Historic Columbia River Highway, OR-35 down the Hood River Valley, and US-26 across the south flank of Mount Hood. The route circles an 11,249-foot stratovolcano in the Cascade Range while passing through the orchards of Hood River County — the largest pear-growing county in the Pacific Northwest — and the village of Government Camp at about 4,000 feet on the south side. Timberline Lodge, completed in 1937, sits at 5,960 feet on the south flank.
The loop is drivable end to end from late spring through October. The lower Hood River Valley turns white with pear and apple blossom in mid- to late April; cherries ripen in early July; the Fruit Loop farm-stand drive runs heaviest from late August through October as the leaves turn and the first snow returns to the summit. Winter closes some side roads and chains are commonly required on US-26 across Government Camp from November through March.
The loop is most often driven counter-clockwise from Portland: east on I-84 along the Columbia, south on OR-35 through the orchards, west on US-26 across the south flank past Timberline Lodge, and back into the city. The full drive runs about three hours without stops; a relaxed day allows for orchard stands, Multnomah Falls, and an hour at the lodge. Storm closures and chain requirements are reported through the Oregon Department of Transportation's TripCheck service.