Linda Rae Trickel (née Redfern) was born February 4, 1948 to Jack and Ellen Redfern in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Redfern family eventually moved to Arizona in the ‘60s, where Linda graduated Maryvale High School in 1966 and then attended college in Phoenix.

She lived a very colorful life, including traveling with well-known artists such as Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond, to name just two! She loved fast cars and shopping, too.

Linda was a hard worker and worked in the commercial real estate industry until she became a restaurateur.
She owned and operated restaurants in Arizona and California, and a sub shop in Seaside, Oregon, until she eventually made her way to the Mt. Hood town of Welches, Oregon in the 1980s, the place she called home until her death in 2022. Linda owned and operated the Zig Zag Inn and The Barlow Trail for many, many years until she eventually retired in 2004. She loved her employees and her employees loved her!
She was fair and honest but had a very firm hand when it came to business. She was small and petite but would stand up against a grown man if they were being rude and unruly to her employees. Her employees were her family! Linda could be seen in her restaurants washing dishes, rolling pizza dough, busing tables and greeting her customers while dressed to the nines. She was never afraid to get her hands dirty with hard work.

Every year she would buy her employees Christmas gifts and give them bonus checks. For birthdays, she always gave them a certificate for a large pizza along with a gift. She was so generous and appreciated all of her employees’ hard work. “When Linda saw a need, she responded. One of her employees had a major stroke and Linda organized and held a fundraiser for her. Thousands of dollars were raised to purchase the type of medical bed that she needed. Memories keep coming to mind but way too many to share in one sitting.”

The Zig Zag Inn was one of the first of its kind to offer online horse races. Linda had a sense for business like no other. At Christmas, customers would drive from all over just to see the very decorated Zig Zag Inn — it was always magical!

Linda was also a member of the Mt. Hood Chamber of Commerce; she loved the community and the community loved her. She was very active throughout the community.

She was known for never letting anyone go hungry. If someone walked through the door and couldn’t pay, she would sit them down and give them something to drink and something warm to fill their belly.
Linda had diabetes, cancer, leukemia, heart failure, a kidney transplant and a leg amputation, but never once did she complain. She persevered and never gave up. Even when she felt her worst she always was dressed beautifully with her hair done and makeup on. She was a warrior, to say the least. “It was an honor to have had her in my life and the lives of my children, and I am thankful for such a blessing.” We will always remember Mountain legend Linda Rae Trickel.