Morning Glow

Standing at 11,239 feet (3,425 meters), Mount Hood is the fourth highest peak in the Cascade Range. It is the highest point in the state of Oregon, and the second most climbed mountain in the world (second only to Japan’s holy Mt. Fujiyama). A typical cone-shaped volcano – Mount Hood hosts twelve mapped glaciers along its upper flanks.

Jonsrud Viewpoint in Sandy, Oregon, is one of the best places to photograph Mount Hood from its west side. Located in east Clackamas County, it’s a promontory that overlooks the Sandy River Canyon with the Sandy River creating a pathway to Mount Hood only 25 miles away. Facing east, Jonsrud Viewpoint is a perfect place for a sunrise.

The biggest challenge in generating a great photo of Mount Hood from Jonsrud Viewpoint is that, as the locals say, you need to grab it while “the Mountain is out.” Oregon’s always stormy weather lends problems for photographers who only have a day or two for their Mount Hood photography. The weather was indeed overcast and quite foggy the morning I took this photo, and I wasn’t sure the mountain was going to come out that morning. However, when the overcast skies and fog did lift, topped off with fresh layers of snow from the early winter storms last fall, the mountain almost glowed in the early morning light.

Location: Mount Hood; Jonsrud Viewpoint; Sandy, Oregon.