It takes very little time at Timberline Lodge to begin to appreciate its majestic grandeur and its testament to those craftsmen who created the iconic building. But if one could spend nearly four decades there, as Jon Tullis did in his career, some of the smaller details can also stand out.

Tullis, who retired this year, noted one of the designs on the rock face of the
main lobby’s chimney as just such a detail.

“One in particular resembles a circle of clasped hands,” he wrote in an email
to The Mountain Times. “I believe it is called ‘Working Hands.’ I hope that’s
true because that’s what it symbolizes for me – all the folks who have worked
here, and the teamwork that it took to build the Lodge. That’s a perfect
symbol for the spirit of Timberline.”

Tullis began his career at Timberline in 1984, after moving from New York
state and introducing himself to the lodge’s operator, Richard Kohnstamm,
following a day of skiing. Looking back, he described it as a “perfect fit” and
how he played a part in the Lodge’s ongoing and continuing place in history.
“Well, among other things, I think it means that I have spent my career at a
special place, doing something that I really enjoyed, and I like to think it was
something worthwhile and that mattered,” Tullis wrote. “It puts me in the fine
company of all the others who came through Timberline, from the dreamers,
to the builders, the artists, the architects, the athletes, the visitors and
certainly those that have worked to preserve Timberline Lodge and keep it
thriving. It is quintessential Oregon. I am proud to be a part of its heritage,
and proud to have contributed to its preservation. I hope the Lodge will be
cherished for many generations to come.”

Tullis added that the Lodge, dedicated in 1937 by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the
Great Depression, continues to be operated as it was originally intended, as a
ski lodge and gathering spot. That type of use for a historical building can
offer challenges, as Tullis wrote about in the Winter 2022 edition of
“Timberlines,” a publication from the Friends of Timberline organization.
“Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt’s WPA Administrator called it ‘social
usefulness’ and I think we are still carrying that out to this day,” Tullis
explained. “So you see as operators of the business, we are the keepers of
that culture. We would never want it to be a museum, like so many other
landmarks are, you know, where people simply get the velvet rope treatment.

We are in the hospitality business. We want people to enjoy it the way it was
intended to be enjoyed. We are preserving not just the Lodge, but its
original mission. That’s what the phrase ‘preservation through use’ is all
about. Yes, it can be challenging in a place that gets so much wear and tear,
but once you fully realize the mission of ‘preservation through use,’ how you
operate it, care for it, and preserve the place becomes very logical, and very
achievable. It feels right.”

Tullis, who has relocated to the Oregon Coast with his wife, Dee, particularly
hopes that two of his contributions to the Lodge, the singer/songwriter series
held in the main lobby and the Mountain Music Festival held outdoors at the
historic amphitheater, will return after the coronavirus pandemic and continue
on.

“I hope that can be resurrected,” he wrote. “There is something about live
music that really blows magic into this place. And lots of fond memories are
made. I sure have a lot.”

Tullis also noted that when he first started working at Timberline Lodge, it felt
more like a bed and breakfast establishment, while they frequently held
special events, such as art fairs, ski races or snowboarding competitions, to
attract visitors.

“Nowadays, we simply don’t need to do those any longer because we are
packed, particularly on peak winter weekends,” he wrote. “So that’s just one
thing that has changed. With increased visitation comes increased pressures
and the challenges of traffic congestion and everything else that comes with
capacity crowds. That’s one thing I think our land managers and everyone
who works in the tourist industry really need to get right in the coming years.
We need more recreational infrastructure, more parking and more alternative
transportation solutions. I’m a big fan of smart planning, and we have some
catching up to do.

“But having said all that, I can also tell you what has NOT changed, and that’s
Timberline Lodge as a place,” he added. “In this fast-paced world where it

seems that everything is accelerating and changing before our eyes, the old-
world charm and the sense of permanence that Timberline Lodge provides is

precious. It looks and feels a lot like it did some 80 years ago. That really
resonates with people. Long live Timberline Lodge, jewel of the Cascades!”
Tullis plans on spending time hiking, fishing, volunteering in his community
and enjoying sunsets in his retirement.

But he’ll also explore his musical passion by hosting a two-hour radio show on
KMUN, 91.9 on FM radio and also streaming online (www.kmun.org).
Tullis’ story from the “Timberlines” publication can be read at
https://www.friendsoftimberline.org/uploads/1/2/9/8/129876921/webfot47ne
w.pdf.