{"id":1955215,"date":"2026-05-26T05:37:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T02:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1955215"},"modified":"2026-05-26T05:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T02:37:53","slug":"history-with-snowbrains-remembering-the-time-oregon-put-a-city-bus-on-a-cable-to-access-mt-hood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1955215","title":{"rendered":"History With SnowBrains: Remembering the Time Oregon Put a City Bus on a Cable to Access Mt. Hood"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_406889\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406889\" style=\"width: 1084px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-406889 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHlAQMAAABf0t8UAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20JT6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA4GmXUAAXDWhu4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"oregon\" width=\"640\" height=\"485\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway.jpg?resize=640%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway.jpg?w=1084&amp;ssl=1 1084w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway.jpg?resize=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway.jpg?resize=768%2C582&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"485\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-406889 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway.jpg?resize=640%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"oregon\" width=\"640\" height=\"485\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-406889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It seems almost illogical that the Mt. Hood Skiway actually happened. | Photo: OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 1284, Al Monner Photographs, 1936\u20131974<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Long before modern gondolas and heated chairlifts became standard at ski resorts, Oregon tried a very different approach to mountain transportation at Mount Hood: hanging full-sized city buses from a cable and hauling them up the mountain.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/thatoregonlife.com\/2026\/05\/mt-hood-skiway-trolley-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mt. Hood Skiway<\/a>, the unusual transportation system operated during the early 1950s and connected the town of Government Camp to <a href=\"https:\/\/timberlinelodge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Timberline Lodge<\/a>.<\/strong> While the concept sounded futuristic at the time, it ultimately became one of the strangest and shortest-lived ski transportation experiments in Pacific Northwest history.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/history-with-snowbrains-the-short-life-of-the-worlds-longest-chair-lift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>History with SnowBrains: The Short Life of the World\u2019s Longest Chair Lift<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_406890\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406890\" style=\"width: 755px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-406890 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAMoAQMAAABlO8NXAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAFZJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB4Mv+oAAEJk0SGAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"oregon\" width=\"640\" height=\"808\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hood_skiers.jpg?resize=640%2C808&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hood_skiers.jpg?w=680&amp;ssl=1 680w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hood_skiers.jpg?resize=238%2C300&amp;ssl=1 238w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"808\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\" wp-image-406890\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Hood_skiers.jpg?resize=640%2C808&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"oregon\" width=\"640\" height=\"808\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-406890\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Admiring the Skiway from the slopes. | Photo: OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 1027, Oregon Journal photographs collection, photographer Ray Atkeson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The Skiway was developed by Dr. J. Otto George during the post-World War II ski boom, when interest in skiing around Mt. Hood was rapidly growing.<\/strong> Instead of constructing a traditional tram or gondola system, developers took a far more ambitious route by modifying actual city buses to travel along an overhead cable system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>These were not lightweight tram cabins.<\/strong> They were full buses equipped with gasoline engines that helped pull the vehicles along a massive suspended cable stretched across the mountainside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The ride itself was reportedly anything but smooth.<\/strong> As the buses traveled between support towers, the weight of the vehicles caused the cables to sag dramatically. Riders would climb toward a tower, crest over it, and then dip into the next span repeatedly throughout the trip. Combined with loud onboard engines and constant shaking, the experience felt more like a slow-moving roller coaster than a modern aerial tram.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For some passengers, the Skiway was a thrilling novelty.<\/strong> For others, once was enough.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_406891\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406891\" style=\"width: 951px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406891 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGoAQMAAADsFMamAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwYEAAAAAw6D5U9\/gBFUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADwDIYoAAE1L75dAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"map\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway-map.jpg?resize=640%2C424&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway-map.jpg?w=951&amp;ssl=1 951w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway-map.jpg?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway-map.jpg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"424\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406891\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/skiway-map.jpg?resize=640%2C424&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"map\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-406891\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Approximate path of the Skiway. | Photo: That Oregon Life \/ Danielle Denham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Ironically, the timing of the project worked against it almost immediately.<\/strong> The Skiway opened in 1951, just as road access to Timberline Lodge improved significantly. Suddenly, visitors could drive up the mountain faster, cheaper, and with far less drama.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A one-way ride on the Skiway cost roughly 75 cents, while driving or taking ground transportation became the more practical option for most skiers and sightseers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/history-with-snowbrains-how-whistler-bc-got-its-name\/\"><em>History with SnowBrains: How Whistler, BC, Got Its Name<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Although the attraction initially drew plenty of curiosity and national attention, ridership quickly faded.<\/strong> By the mid-1950s, usage had dropped enough that the system frequently sat idle while investors debated possible redesigns and operational changes. None of those ideas materialized, and the Skiway officially shut down in 1956.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The entire system was eventually dismantled and sold off for parts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_406892\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406892\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406892 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHqAQMAAACuhG3BAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAD1JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20PBxQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJ8GmwoAAZhlFawAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"mt. hood skiway\" width=\"640\" height=\"490\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Skiway_Tram_Photo_Timberline_Lodge-1024x784-1.jpg?resize=640%2C490&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Skiway_Tram_Photo_Timberline_Lodge-1024x784-1.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Skiway_Tram_Photo_Timberline_Lodge-1024x784-1.jpg?resize=300%2C230&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Skiway_Tram_Photo_Timberline_Lodge-1024x784-1.jpg?resize=768%2C588&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"490\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406892\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Skiway_Tram_Photo_Timberline_Lodge-1024x784-1.jpg?resize=640%2C490&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"mt. hood skiway\" width=\"640\" height=\"490\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-406892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Loading the bus for the ride up. | Photo: portlandhistory.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>While the flying buses themselves are long gone, traces of the project still remain around Mt. Hood today.<\/strong> The former lower terminal building still exists, and the nearby <a href=\"https:\/\/skywaybarandgrill.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skyway Bar &amp; Grill<\/a> carries a name inspired by the old Skiway system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Today, the Mt. Hood Skiway remains a fascinating reminder of a different era in skiing, when resorts and developers were willing to experiment with bold ideas to move people into the mountains.<\/strong> Most never imagined that experimentation would include suspending city buses high above the slopes of Mt. Hood.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Even though the original Skiway disappeared decades ago, the connection between Timberline Lodge and Government Camp still exists today in a different form.<\/strong> Skiers and snowboarders can still ride from Timberline down into Government Camp during the winter, tracing much of the same terrain the old flying buses once crossed overhead. Now that Summit Ski Area is owned by Timberline, <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/gondola-connection-between-timberline-lodge-and-summit-ski-area-coming-to-mt-hood-or\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">speculation has continued to grow<\/a> about whether a modern lift or gondola linking the two areas could someday become reality. More than 70 years after Oregon\u2019s bizarre flying bus experiment, the idea of directly connecting Government Camp and Timberline still hasn\u2019t completely disappeared.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center;display: block\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It seems almost illogical that the Mt. Hood Skiway actually happened. | Photo: OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 1284, Al Monner Photographs, 1936\u20131974 Long before modern gondolas and heated chairlifts became standard at ski resorts, Oregon tried a very different approach to mountain transportation at Mount Hood: hanging full-sized city buses from a cable and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1955215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1955215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1955215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1955215\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1955215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1955215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1955215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}