Snow Bunny is a small snow play area located in Mount Hood National Forest

Mount Hood National Forest

The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...

 on the south face of Mount Hood

Mount Hood

Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...

 in Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, USA, about 65 miles (104.6 km) east of Portland.
Inner tubing

Tubing (recreation)

Tubing is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.-Water:Tubing on water generally consists of two forms: towed and free-floating, also...

, toboggan

Toboggan

A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...

ing and other snow sports are on a maintained 20 feet (6.1 m) to 30 feet (9.1 m) hill of snow, popular with young children and families. It was established in 1952 as Mount Hood's first snow play area for children.
In another reference, the idiomatic expression, "Snow Bunny," refers to a fledgling ski student or an attractive young female at a skiing lodge.

History

The East Leg Timberline Road—the road through Snow Bunny—was the original road to Timberline Lodge since its construction in 1936. In 1949, Timberline Highway opened and obsoleted winter use of East Leg Road and the Timberline Lodge garage at its foot at Route 26. In 1952, George W. Jackson led about 150 volunteers from East Side Commercial Club to convert the garage to a snow lodge intended as a safe place for children away from congested and dangerous ski areas.

The lodge opened February 1, 1953, with meals, a children's playroom, and warming rooms on weekends during snow months. The Commercial Club sponsored a nonprofit organization called Snow Bunny Lodge Incorporated that operated the lodge from 1977 until 1992. During the week, it was available for youth groups. The lodge also offered overnight accommodations for up to 66 people, while it could hold 300 during the daytime.

In the early 1990s plans were made to renovate the lodge. The building had developed dry rot, plus the fire suppression system was inadequate and the building contained the known carcinogen asbestos

Asbestos

Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...

. The U.S. Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

 received a federal grant of $250,000 to remodel the structure, but returned the grant after estimates for repair exceeded $700,000. In October 1992, the Forest Service tore down the lodge due to those safety concerns and burned the remnants. The non-profit group operating the tubing area, which is on public land, stopped operating the area when the lodge was demolished, but Northwest Nordic acquired a lease from the Forest Service in 1992 and began operating Snow Bunny. At that time the area drew 25,000 visitors each year.

Operations

Snow Bunny's elevation of 3816 feet (1,163.1 m) makes it a popular trailhead for cross country skiers (nordic skiing

Nordic skiing

Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....

), snowshoe

Snowshoe

A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....

rs and snowmobile

Snowmobile

A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...

rs. This includes access to Trillium Lake

Trillium Lake

Trillium Lake is a lake situated south-southwest of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is formed by a dam at the headwaters of Mud Creek, tributary to the Salmon River. It was created by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1960....

 and the Yellowjacket Trail.

The facility is operated by the company that runs the Summit Ski Area

Summit Ski Area

Summit Ski Area is a small ski park located on Mount Hood, alongside the Mount Hood Highway in Government Camp, Oregon. Built in 1927, it is the oldest ski area in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to downhill skiing and snowboarding, Summit also offers innertubing and nordic trails.. The...

 (Northwest Nordic) located 2 miles west on U.S. Route 26. It is located along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Government Camp

Government Camp, Oregon

Government Camp is an unincorporated community located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, south of Mount Hood and north of Tom, Dick and Harry Mountain. It is a gateway to several ski resorts, the most popular being Timberline Lodge and Mount Hood Skibowl. Also, Government Camp has its...

 on U.S. Route 26, near the junction with the Trillium Lake

Trillium Lake

Trillium Lake is a lake situated south-southwest of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is formed by a dam at the headwaters of Mud Creek, tributary to the Salmon River. It was created by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1960....

 road (NFS 2656) and East Leg Road which connects to Timberline Highway, near the junction with Oregon Route 35. Neither forest road is plowed, making them popular winter sports choices.

Inner tubing and other sliding is usually possible from Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...

 through spring break

Spring break

Spring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...

. The concession operates winter weekends and most school holidays. When operating, no personal sliding equipment is permitted. The fee covers unlimited day use.
A Sno-Park permit
is required to park. Snow Bunny features a single rope tow.

External links

• Summit Ski Area - operates Snow Bunny