Timberline Lodge Achieves Gold Standard of State’s Sustainability Program

Government Camp,OR - Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge is proud to have become the first Oregon hotel and ski area to achieve gold level recognition in Travel Oregon’s new “Sustainable Business Challenge.” The Oregon Tourism Commission, otherwise known as “Travel Oregon,” has recently created “Travel Oregon Forever.” This program is dedicated to helping partners in the tourism arena identify, develop, and promote their business with a dedication to sustainability initiatives. The overall goal is one of preserving and protecting Oregon and its’ natural resources. Timberline spokesman Jon Tullis said “Of all our resources that we utilize to promote Oregon as a tourism destination, it is our natural resources, particularly this state’s marvelous scenic beauty, which is the most important.” Operators of Timberline lead the company through the “Sustainable Business Challenge” in order to quantify and qualify Timberline’s sustainability efforts at the coveted Gold Level of recognition. “We recognize that we are operating in a cherished landscape valued for its scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, and economic characteristics” Tullis added. “So we are dedicated to stewardship and sustainability, and we are pleased that the good folks at Travel Oregon are strong allies in these efforts.”

Timberline Lodge Awarded a 2011 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award

Government Camp, OR - RLK and Company, operators of Timberline Lodge
, together with the Mt. Hood National Forest and the Friends of Timberline, a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation of Timberline Lodge, have been selected to win a 2011 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award. The Heritage Excellence Awards recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations for outstanding efforts on behalf of Oregon heritage. In addition, they honor those people and organizations that have made the most of available resources in these efforts.

The three-way partnership is being specifically recognized for its long-term collaborative stewardship of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark, and for defining public/private partnerships at their best. The award’s nominating committee was particularly impressed with the “Timberline Compact,”
a cooperative action plan and statement of principles that recognizes the joint interest that the three organizations share in maintaining the viability of Timberline Lodge and in meeting their mutual obligations to the American people, as stewards of Mt. Hood and historic Timberline Lodge.

A New Puppy for Timberline Lodge, and the Tradition Continues

Government Camp, OR - Oregon's famous Timberline Lodge is a place of traditions, and one such tradition continues this week with the arrival of Heidi, an adorable St. Bernard puppy. Since 1937, when Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the lodge, St. Bernards have been a part of the alpine landscape. The first Timberline St. Bernards were Lady and Bruel.

This week, Front Office Manager, Kristin Garrett is the proud and pleased owner of a particularly lovable and docile new pure-bred female St. Bernard mascot, Heidi, who at just 8 weeks old is of course getting a lot of attention at the lodge!

Timberline Lodge and Ski Area Receives the Coveted Sustainable Travel International Eco-Certification

Timberline Lodge, OR, - Sustainable Travel International announced today that Timberline Lodge and Ski Area in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest, has become the first ski resort in the world to receive third-party certification through its Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program™ (STEP). RLK and Company, operators of Timberline Lodge are being recognized for their strengths in the areas of environmental conservation, cultural heritage, historic preservation, and economic development.

STEP is the world's first comprehensive, global sustainable tourism eco-certification program offered by a non-profit organization, which is aligned with the minimum baseline Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). STEP addresses the major environmental, socio-cultural and economic issues facing the tourism industry and the planet at large, including global climate change, biodiversity preservation, water and waste management, economic development, and social issues.

Summer is Just Around the Corner at Timberline!

Government Camp, OR - Recent storms have blanketed Timberline with fresh snow. With 12 new inches falling in the past 72 hours, it still feels like mid-winter up here at Timberline. That being said, spring is here and summer is just around the corner, and with that comes a new round of fun on the south side of Mt. Hood…

The Palmer Snowfield is THE place to be in the summer. Wide open turns, amazing views, and plenty of Vitamin D. We’ve recently moved our freestyle terrain operation up the hill onto the Magic Mile chair lift. With a freshly cut half-pipe, and a new park on Otto Lang, there is plenty to ski and ride as you slide into Summer 2010.

Timberline Summer Snow Camps
We’ve re-invented our summer camp program this year — adding a new Family Freestyle Camp, complete with more affordable Day Camp options for kids looking to have fun on our summer snow. Click here to see what the new camp has to offer -- and to enter our 'win a free camp session' promotion with StillNotSponsored.com!

Retiring Timberline Lodge Chef Leif Eric Benson Named Chef of the Year

Government Camp, OR - Executive Chef Leif Eric Benson, CEC, AAC, has announced his retirement from Mt. Hood's National Historic Landmark, Timberline Lodge, effective April 9th. His Timberline career began in 1979 when area operator Richard Kohnstamm hired him to improve the culinary offerings at Timberline Lodge. Over the past 31 years, Benson has done just that, and more. Almost immediately, Benson's culinary approach fused the culinary traditions of his native Sweden, as well as an eclectic blend of other influences from around the world, with what he called "The Bounty of Oregon," featuring high quality, fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients. In the mid 1980's he helped pioneer this into the popular regional cuisine now generally referred to as "Northwest Fresh." In 1987 he authored one of the trend's seminal cookbooks titled "Timberline Lodge Cookbook - Northwest Regional Recipes" and it went on to be a regional best seller. That same year, he served as the president of the Chef's de Cuisine Society, and in 1988 he founded the first Oregon Culinary Olympic Team featuring Oregon products in Frankfurt, Germany. The team brought home 16 culinary medals. Since then, Chef Benson has served as a consulting chef for many of Oregon's governors, and has served as an ambassador for Oregon's culinary agricultural products, including various official trade missions to Asia.