Sign up for Winter Lodge!

Come join us for a day of snow tubbing and winter wonderland play at Aubrey Watzek Lodge at White River on Mt Hood.

Claim your spot ASAP. We have requested 50 of the 170 spaces for our unit. If there is more interest, we might be able to increase our reservation count, but we need to do this earlier rather than later as other Cub Scout units will be trying to register as well.

The lodge will open at 9:00 AM. In ideal conditions, it's about 1:40 travel time from our corner of Beaverton, but I suggest planning on leaving about 7:00 AM in case of traffic/weather slowdowns. The Kitchen will be available to us from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with a departure time of 4:00 PM. If interested in helping plan for any group cooking activities, please join the next Parents Meeting.

REMINDER, you WILL need a Sno-Park permit. These are sold at a number of convenience stores/gas stations/etc on the way up the mountain. You can also buy them ONLINE HERE. Make sure you order them early, as it take a week for delivery.

New this year: Helmets are required by all participants using the sledding hill. The Council has purchased helmets for community use. Youth and Adults are welcome to bring their own helmets for use, ie: bicycle helmets, ski and snowboard helmets. Sanitation will be used in-between uses.

THINGS TO BRING FOR DAY USE STAY (CUB SCOUTS)

- Games, board games, cards, etc.

- Sled for transporting gear to lodge from the parking lot (not for use on tubing hill)

- Warm clothing, sufficient to have replacements if clothing gets wet

- Warm Boots - for walking through deep snow

- Snacks / Food

- Plates, cups, utensils, etc. (the lodges have some pots & pans)

- Unit First Aid Kit

- Sanitation: You are expected to not only clean your dishes but also sanitize with bleach. Review the three-sink method outlined your Scout Handbook.

WHAT TO LEAVE HOME:

Because this is a BSA property, there are restrictions on items not safe for young children and items that are not consistent with Scouting standards:

- Alcohol is not permitted

- Pets are not permitted

- Tobacco use must only occur in your car in the parking lot

- Noisy devices (stereos, etc) are discouraged

- Fireworks and firearms are strictly prohibited

- RVs cannot be accommodated

- ATVs and snowmobiles are not permitted

- Tubes only; tubes are provided at the lodges

- Any type of sled, toboggan, or other sledding equipment is not permitted on the tubing hills

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS: Cub Scout Family Snow Days will permit siblings or family members. Must be Kindergarten or older to sled.

Aubrey-Watzek Lodge was built in 1971, and is located just west of White River near the Highway 35 crossing at the White River bridge. It has new siding and a new roof, but still retains it’s rustic 1970’s interoir. Parking:

- There is a Snow-Park that holds about 20 cars about 100 feet west of the White River Bridge.

- There is also the White River West Snow-Park and the White River East Snow-Park nearby for overflow parking. Use EXTREME CAUTION if walking over the bridge from the east Snow-Park; it is recommended to drop all riders and gear in the parking lot and then have the driver only park the vehicle to minimize foot traffic on the bridge. All Snow-Parks in this area REQUIRE SNOW-PARK PERMITS; they are patrolled by State Police and vehicles without permits can expect to be ticketed.

The trail:

- The trailhead is at the north end of the Aubrey Lodge Snow-Park. It is about 1/8 mile walk to the lodge. Although the path is mostly flat, you may anticipate deep snow and slow walking conditions. It is advisable to bring a sled (flat-bottom type) to slide gear to the lodge.

The lodge

- There are four separate kitchens in the lodge, each with a refrigerator, stove, ovens, and sinks. A few pots and pans are provided, but serving dishes and silverware are not.

- There is a large central room with a central fireplace, a basement drying room for drying clothing, and four bathrooms with flush toilets. There are no showers available.

- A wood-burning furnace heats this lodge. The lodge has electricity and electric lighting. A telephone is available for emergency use by lodge hosts; the phone will not be available for anyone other than lodge hosts.

- This lodge features wireless internet for leaders use only. Some cell phones work at this lodge with spotty coverage.