July 19, 2011 Jon Bell, author of On Mt. Hood, a Biography of Oregon's Perilous Peak, will present a slideshow about Mt. Hood and his book, lead a question and answer session, and be available for a book signing.

This event is made possible in partnership with Waucoma Bookstore and Hood River Valley Resident's Committee.

About the Book

On Mount Hood: A Biography of Oregon’s Perilous Peak by Jon Bell, tells the story of Oregon’s greatest mountain, featuring stories full of adventure and tragedy, history and geology, people and places, trivia and lore.

The mountain itself helps create the notorious Oregon rains and deep alpine snows, and paved the way for the rise of snowboarding in the mid 1980s.

Its forests provide some of the purest drinking water in the world, and its snowy peak captures the attention of the nation almost every time it wreaks fatal havoc on climbers seeking the summit.

Bell combines first-person narrative, including an epic trip around the mountain on the storied Timberline Trail, with interviews that depict the stories of countless climbers, scientists, historians, and overall characters.

Through chapters on everything from climbing, skiing, and weather to forest activism, Hood’s retreating glaciers, unique flora and fauna, Native Americans, and early pioneers, On Mount Hood builds a compelling story of a legendary mountain and its impact on the people who live in its shadow.

About the Author

An outdoor enthusiast and wordsmith, Jon Bell has been writing from his home base in Oregon since the late 1990s.

His first published pieces covered his backpacking and climbing excursions in the Northwest, including countless weekends on Mount Hood.

His work has appeared in Backpacker, The Oregonian, The Rowing News, Oregon Coast, and many other publications. He is also co-author of the climbing guidebook, Ozone, and former president of the Ptarmigans Mountaineering Club.

He lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with his wife, two kids, and black Lab.

Event Details

This event starts at 7:30pm at Columbia Center for the Arts, and is made possible in partnership with Waucoma Bookstore and HRVRC (Hood River Valley Resident's Committee).

Learn More

Visit the book's website to learn more about the it: On Mt. Hood: A Biography of Oregon's Perilous Peak

For More Information

Contact Catherine Butler, Columbia Center for the Arts at performance@columbiaarts.org