Mount Hood Auto Stages: From Rugged Roads to Modern Highways

In the early 20th century, long before travelers zipped up Highway 26 to the ski lifts and resorts of Mount Hood, the trip to the mountain was rugged and uncertain. The road, built on the bones of the old Barlow Trail, was steep, narrow, and either muddy or dusty depending on the season.

Lolo Pass, on the west side of Mount Hood takes a route that goes from Zigzag, on the southwest side of the mountain, to the Hood River Valley on the north side.

For decades, travelers along U.S. Highway 26 in Oregon have been greeted by an unusual roadside landmark—the towering Ivy Bear at Alder Creek.

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Mount Hood Auto Stages: From Rugged Roads to Modern Highways

Lolo Pass Ski Trip

The Ivy Bear at Alder Creek