By Angie Helvy, The Mountain Times
Timberline Lodge was built in 1937 and sits on the shoulder of Oregon’s tallest peak as a Pacific Northwest icon we’re lucky to have in our Mt. Hood backyard. Last month, the nonprofit Friends of Timberline celebrated 50 years at the Tumwater Ballroom in Oregon City. The event came just days after State Representative Jeff Helfrich passed Bill OR HCR30, recognizing and honoring Friends of Timberline for five decades of exceptional service to the historic Timberline Lodge.
Friends of Timberline began in 1975, and its dedication to preserving and conserving the lodge has been the driving force behind ongoing collaborations with RLK and Company, which has operated the lodge since 1955, and the US Forest Service. Past projects range from small to large-scale restoration, construction and conservation initiatives like the addition of the Wy’East Day Lodge in 1993, the completion of the winter entrance project in 2009, and the Save America’s Treasures art restoration project in 2018.
On the evening of May 8th, Friends and their partners gathered on the top floor of the Museum of the Oregon Territory. The celebration started with joyous reunions amidst the keyboard notes of the live musician, accompanied by heavy appetizers and glasses of beer and wine. The program began with a special appearance by Representative Jeff Helfrich of House District 52. He shared his floor speech from the legislative session in Salem, which praised Friends of Timberline as a shining example of what public-private partnerships can be.
FOT President Bruce Mitchell spoke next and had been present at the session with Secretary Brent Dahl. “We saw how much Timberline means to everyone, not only for people from our area, but all over the state,” he said. Greg Wanner, ZigZag District Ranger, echoed similar sentiments. “When we had the fire last April, the whole community jumped in — it was heartening to see how much people love the lodge.” In the aftermath, donations came from all over the world.
Bruce thanked the FOT Board, members and supporters for their efforts over the last 50 years. RLK and Company were on a pre-planned retreat, but Molly and Kevin Kohnstamm, wife and one of four sons of Richard L. Kohnstamm, the man behind the enduring legacy of Timberline Lodge, were in attendance. “It’s a true three-legged stool,” Kevin said of the partnership. “RLK and Company, the Forest Service and Friends of Timberline — tonight is about celebrating the FOT.”
The outpouring of collective love for the lodge left the whole room misty-eyed. Friend of Timberline Christy Covington retired from a 41-year career in the Forest Service six years ago and was the liaison with FOT for ten years. “I was part of the winter entrance project, the amphitheater, the entrance signage,” she recalls, “and it was wonderful — we worked as a team and figured out how to accomplish our goals together.”
Friends of Timberline looks ahead at the next 50 years with hope and ambition. “We’re planning to improve our ADA entrances,” Bruce says. “We also do a lot of advocacy, including lobbying for support for the Timberline Lodge Boiler Replacement Project.” Lisa Riversong is the Curator and Tribal Liaison at the lodge and works closely with the FOT. “I am thankful to be working with people who have such a deep passion for our historic lodge and ski area. I look forward to broadening the scope of FOT-funded projects.”
For more information about Friends of Timberline, please visit their website at www.friendsoftimberline.org