A Transit Ride Like No Other: The Mt. Hood Skiway Bus

Photo from Oregon Historical Society, Org. Lot 1284, Al Monner Photographs, 1936–1974

June is Ride Transit Month, It's a good time to replace a few car trips with transit trips and participate in the TriMet June Transit Month Challenge. In the spirit of thinking about how we get around, here's a bit of local history about a very unusual form of transit you may not have heard of: the Mt. Hood Skiway aerial bus.

In the early 1950s, a pair of Portland entrepreneurs dreamed up a creative way to get skiers from Government Camp up to Timberline Lodge without braving snowy mountain roads. Their solution? Convert city buses into self-powered cable cars. Yes, you read that right! City buses, mounted on overhead cables once climbed Mt. Hood. 

Each "Sky Bus" was fitted with twin gas engines, airplane-style doors, and seated about 36 people. At the time, it was the longest cable transit system in the world, stretching 3.2 miles up the mountain. Riders were treated to sweeping views of the Cascades, if they didn't mind the bumpy, noisy ride. 

While the concept was innovative, it was never quite practical. The buses were slow, carried relatively few passengers, and once road access improved, most skiers opted to drive or take ground shuttles. The Skiway operated for just a few seasons before shutting down in 1956. 

Though short-lived, the Mt. Hood Skiway remains a fascinating chapter in Oregon's transportation history and a reminder that people have always looked for creative ways to get where they're going. 

You can read more about this one-of-a-kind ride in the The Most Extraordinary of Busses from the Oregon Historical Society.