Destination Mt Hood

This is my view!

Im blessed to be alive and able to take it all in.
Yes, this is Mt Hood and just a small glimpse of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
I get to have this amazing mountain watch over me!
I call this mountain 'He Who Watches'.
He, Mt Hood, is known also as Wy'east. He rises to 11,000 + ft in elevation. He is a volcano. Potentially nonactive.
But what does potentially non active really mean?
We who choose to live here live in beauty. Mt Hood has not erupted since 1907. He is a sleeping giant laying down his wide prominence of 7,707′. He provides frolicking trails for adventuring, snow covered slopes for skiing, snowboarding, and climbing. Mount Hood is one of the most climbed glaciated peaks in North America (Second in the world behind Japan's Fuji-san).
As beautiful and breathtaking as this mountain is to look at it sometimes takes captive human breath from climbers who are unexperienced or who linger too long amidst its fumaroles which create oxygen voids that have asphyxiated (suffocated) unsuspecting climbers. Even the highly experienced climbers have lost their lives on occasion while a unexpected storm moved in quickly overtaking them. This happens more often then climbers suspect. Myself, our community, and the climbers families and friends have grieved lives lost here. Lives we may not have known personally but lives none the less. It effects everyone in this community forever.
As beautiful as this mountain is to gaze upon it is an adventure for the adventurous to take in up close and personal.
Day hiking is a favorite for many. I grew up hiking many of these trails. There are over 1,200 miles of trails in the Mt. Hood National Forest. From first time hikers to experienced hikers looking for a challenge Mt Hood offers it all up for everyone.
There are excellent resources available for you to help you decide which trail to start out with.
Collins Lake Resort has a great list of trails including their level of intensity on their website. http://www.mthoodadventure.com/summer/hiking
Hikes & Walks on Mt Hood by A. Sonia Buist is available for purchase in paperback via Amazon and the author becomes your guide to 41 day- hikes on Mt Hood, Oregon, in the area of Timberline Lodge and Government Camp. This little notebook will fit nicely into a pocket and provides you with maps, difficulty of hike, elevation gain, major features (including flowers) and local resources such as shops, restaurants, accommodation and camping. It is a plethora of information. It boasts a 5 star Amazon rating.
https://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Walks-Hood-Sonia-Buist/dp/0964383608
Choosing Mt Hood as your destination will reward those who plan ahead properly, gleaning as much information about their trail of choice prior to their hike and referring to hiking safety precautions.
Doing so will allow you to have a much more enjoyable and safe experience as you set out on one of these gorgeous National Forest trails.

You may also want to check out...

USDA Mt Hood National Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mthood/learning/safety-ethics
OregonHikers.org
http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide/Mount_Hood_Hikes