Ranger, seen here in 1934. Photo: Courtesy of Joe Leuthold
Climbing to the peak of Mount Hood just once is a feat on its own, but one dog has done it over 500 times — and has largely been forgotten from Oregon history.
🐶 Context: Ranger, an Alsatian Shepherd, was born in 1927 and lived with a couple who owned a hotel at Government Camp.
Ranger's first summit was just one year later, when he met visiting Mazamas mountaineers on their way up Oregon's most iconic volcano and decided to join them.
His enthusiasm for climbing was unmatched. Ranger joined hundreds of other summit adventures over the course of 10 years.
He even got caught in white-out storm conditions on several occasions, but was able to lead climbers down the mountain because he instinctively knew the way.
🎞️ Between the lines: Documentarian Ned Thanhouser dug into Ranger's story for an eight-minute film that was previously shown at the Hollywood Theatre inside Portland International Airport and featured in The Dog Film Festival.
In it, Thanhouser details Ranger's relationships with acclaimed alpinists like James Harlow and Ray Atkeson, as well as his many trips up and down the mountain, alongside historical photos.
Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque.
💛 The bottom line: Next time you spot Mount Hood in the distance, know that one of Oregon's most accomplished alpinists is enjoying the view from the top.
