Oregon Blue Book: Oregon Almanac: Skiing to Waterfalls, Highest

Oregon Almanac: Skiing to Waterfalls, Highest

Skiers have challenged Oregon's slopes for decades. Above, Miss Billie Simpson shows off circa 1937 ski fashions on Mt. Hood. (OHD photo no. G395)

Skiing
Downhill
Anthony Lakes, near Union
Mt. Ashland, near Ashland
Mt. Bachelor, near Bend
Mt. Bailey snowcat skiing, near Diamond Lake
Cooper Spur, Mt. Hood
Ferguson Ridge, near Joseph
Hoodoo, near Sisters
Mt. Hood Meadows, Mt. Hood
SkiBowl, Mt. Hood
Spout Springs, near Elgin
Summit, Government Camp
Timberline, Mt. Hood
Warner Canyon, near Lakeview
Willamette Pass, near Oakridge
Cross Country
National Forests: Deschutes, Fremont-Winema, Malheur, Mt. Hood, Ochoco, Rogue River-Siskiyou, Umatilla, Umpqua, Wallowa-Whitman, Willamette. Also, Crater Lake National Park and Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area.

Oregon designated "Oregon, My Oregon" as the official state song in 1927, seven years after two Oregonians wrote it.

View sheet music

Listen to sound file

Song, State
J. A. Buchanan of Astoria and Henry B. Murtagh of Portland wrote “Oregon, My Oregon,” in 1920. With this song, Buchanan and Murtagh won a statewide competition sponsored by the Society of Oregon Composers, gaining statewide recognition. The song became the Oregon state song in 1927. View sheet music | Listen to sound file

Also see related learning resource.

Standard of Time
The standard time zones were established by Congress in 1918. Oregon lies within the Pacific Standard Time zone with the exception of most of Malheur County along the Idaho border, which is on Mountain Standard Time. Due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pacific Daylight Saving Time began earlier and ended later starting in 2007. Clocks “spring forward” at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March: 3/13/11, 3/11/12, 3/10/13. Clocks “fall back” at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November: 11/6/11, 11/4/12, 11/3/13.

The Douglas-fir is Oregon's state tree and has played a key role in the economy of western Oregon. (Oregon State Archives image)

Temperatures, Average Jan/July Temp.
Burns January 25.1°F/July 65.5°F
Grants Pass January 40.7°F/July 70.9°F
Newport January 45.0°F/July 57.9°F
Redmond January 32.1°F/July 65.9°F
Salem January 40.2°F/July 66.8°F

Temperatures, Record
Highest: 119°F on August 10, 1898 in Pendleton
Lowest: -54°F on February 10, 1933 in Seneca

Tree, State
The Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), named for David Douglas, a 19th century Scottish botanist, was designated Oregon state tree in 1939. Great strength, stiffness and moderate weight make it an invaluable timber product said to be stronger than concrete. Averaging up to 200' in height and six feet in diameter, heights of 325' and diameters of 15' can also be found.

Also see related learning resource.

Trees, Large (Tree species in Oregon listed on the National Register of Big Trees)

Baker Cypress (Cupressus bakeri): 98' tall, 107" circumference, Rogue River National Forest

Bigleaf Maple. (Image courtesy OFRI)

Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum): 103' tall, 528" circumference, Clatsop County

Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata): 15' tall, 30" circumference, Jefferson County

Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa): 135' tall, 342" circumference, located in Marion County, Willamette Mission State Park

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra): 145' tall, 312" circumference, Multnomah County

Cascara Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana): 39' tall, 104" circumference, Curry County

Giant Chinkapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla): 106' tall, 182" circumference, Douglas County

Hooker Willow (Salix hookeriana): 50' tall, 65" circumference, Tillamook County

Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia): 81' tall, 285" circumference, Portland

Multnomah Falls. (Oregon State Archives image)

Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana): 93' tall, 276" circumference, Douglas County

Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii): 61' tall, 150" circumference, Multnomah County

Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum): 24' tall, 37" circumference, Lane County

Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana): 242' tall, 522" circumference, Siskiyou National Forest

Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus): 135' tall, 303" circumference, Curry County

Water Birch (Betula occidentalis): 53' tall, 113" circumference, Wallowa County

Western Dogwood (Cornus occidentalis): 25' tall, 32" circumference, Polk County

White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia): 92' tall, 149" circumference, located in Polk County

Waterfall, Highest
Multnomah Falls - 620'