Stories of Mt. Hood National Forest

Podcasting has come to the Bark website! Bark asked some Oregon residents to tell us what makes the mountain so important to this region, and then taped the conversations so you can hear what they have to say. You can listen to these not-yet-syndicated podcast interviews by clicking on the links below. Jonathan Graca Jonathan is the Executive Director of the Hood River Valley Residents Committee and a frequent visitor to Mt. Hood National Forest. He was kind enough to talk with this Bark intern about why he decided to move to Oregon, his concerns about the mountain’s future, and why he values a healthy forest. Listen to Jonathan’s podcast (5:45) Kate McCarthy If ever one was in need of a reason to care about Mt. Hood and its surrounding forests, a short conversation with Kate McCarthy will yield a dozen reasons and then some. A native of Parkdale, Kate has been a land use activist and advocate for forest health for nearly forty years, and her work has been an inspiration to many. A horse party sets out from the the Mt. Hood Lodge. Photo by Homer Rogers, courtesy of Kate McCarthy. Kate’s father Homer Rogers came to Parkdale in 1909 and established the Mt. Hood Lodge, where the family entertained guests with skiing, climbing, and horseback riding before moving to Portland in the mid-twenties. Homer also acquired Cloud Cap Inn for a time and was instrumental in the construction of a vehicle route to Cloud Cap and Mt. Hood Loop Road. An avid photographer, Kate’s father captured the spirit of the times in stunning pictures shot on large four by six inch negatives. After spending some years in Roseburg, in 1968 Kate and her husband moved to a working farm in Parkdale adjacent to the original property where the Mt. Hood Lodge had been. She has fought numerous attempts to develop Parkdale into a resort town and to protect the fragile ecology of the Cooper Spur area. Speaking of her long history with the mountain, Kate moves easily from her memories of a time without electricity and running water to current issues such as the impact of global warming and Measure 37. She illuminates the rich history in our own backyard at the same time as she draws attention to the need to preserve the area for future generations and for our own survival. Kate is a recipient of Mazama Award for Honorary Membership for Distinguished Achievement for Environmentalism, the Soroptimist International Woman of Distinction Award, and the Catlin Gabel School Distinguished Alumni Award. Listen to Kate’s podcast (10:41) A band concert at the Mt. Hood Lodge. Photo by Homer Rogers, courtesy of Kate McCarthy.