[/caption] The White River snow-shoe trail takes you directly to the edge of Mt. Hoods south eastern glacier that allows you to walk along 500 foot drop offs from both sides. It’s one of the best trails along Mt. Hood to snow-shoe if your looking for some of the most difficult and scenic areas within the Mt. Hood Wilderness. The White River trail is about 3 miles long and this photo was taken at the very end of the designated snow-shoe trail. However, you don’t have to stop at this spot since snow-shoes are like unstoppable off road vehicles that can go almost anywhere you take them. The snow-park itself is located just off of Hwy 35 and about 10 miles from Government Camp. The trail is pretty easy at first as you follow along the White River while Mt. Hood looms in the short distance straight ahead. You eventually start to climb in elevation as you walk past ancient old trees and the views start to increase. You have several options once you get to the end of the trail. You can hook up to the Timberline Trail that will take you up and over the tongue of the mountain which you can see in the lower and left part of this photo. This trip is epic and I highly recommend it if your up for the challenge. You need ample amounts of snow since you have to cross the river as well as climb up some really steep terrain in order to get to the other side. If there is enough snow, its pretty easy. Just make sure and watch your step since it will really hurt if you fall off the edge. The ascent is very strenuous so bring plenty of water and snacks. The wind can also be very strong, which can limit your ability to see as well as some pain so I recommend you wear eye protection and face mask. You really need to be careful since at this part, as you can see in the photo, the drop offs are very steep and you would surely need medical help if you were to fall. Doing this in high winds was a little spooky but it was also very exciting. If you are afraid of heights or have vertigo, I would maybe skip the Timberline Trail. However, once you get to the top, its truly magical. Unfortunately, the trail does end since there is a 500 foot drop off at the end of the trail so it truly is the end of the trail. If you look at this photo and follow the snow line of the cinder cone you can almost see exactly where the trail ends. I took this shot back in 1/9/09 when I was still using my Panasonic DMC-FZ30 420mm point and shoot. I was using my 81b warming filter as well as my CIR-PL. I was also using a tripod, bubble level and remote switch. I had the camera set on Landscape Mode/Normal so the aperture was automatically set at F-4 and the shutter speed was at 1/50 second. I set the ISO to 80 and the white balance to 0 since the snow glare was pretty intense. I have probably hiked this trail 2 dozen times and I’ve always been impressed with the view as well as the many other trails available if your up for more. I highly recommend this part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness.