Cattle guard

Central Oregon ~ January 1, 2010
Highway 26 between Bend and Portland

The weather and sky were oh, so changeable as we crossed the high desert, skirted Mt. Hood, and dropped down into Portland on New Year's Day. Much of the time we were literally chasing a rainbow, but at this moment the blue sky and shredded cloud were what caught my attention.

Mt. Hood in evening's glow

Mt. Hood, Oregon ~ November 24, 2008

I took this photo as I drove from Bend to Astoria. Highway 26 approaches Mt. Hood, winding across its shoulder and down the other side into Portland. I must have been in a particular mood or the lighting was just right, because I was compelled to stop and take photos several times. Both of the photos of Mt. Hood on this blog so far are from the same day. They're taken from different places along the road, and each has a unique character.

Mt. Hood is a classicially beautiful volcanic mountain with many scenic points for viewing. It can be seen from Portland as well as from the high desert of Central Oregon. It's also the volcano in Oregon considered most likely to blow, although the odds that it will do so in the next 30 years are reported to be only 3 to 7 percent.