With plenty of snow up in the mountains outside our home in Portland, Oregon we decided it was time for a winter photoshoot to catch our EcoZoom rocket stoves in action. Having spent plenty of days getting outside hiking and skiing on Mt. Hood we had the perfect backdrop in place for catching some sexy flames from our favorite rocket stoves.

Click on the image below to download a desktop background (1200 x 800) from our Winter 2013 photoshoot.

The morning of the photoshoot Portland was experiencing some typical winter weather. Temperatures were in the low 40's and it was raining. The sun was somewhere high in the sky but all we could see was the dull grey blanked of rain clouds that didn't start or end, the sky was just a solid grey. We packed up the truck with some snowshoes, cross country skis, backpacks, and of course an EcoZoom Dura and a Versa stove. A little food and water was all the fuel our bodies would need for the 2.5 mile trek up the Tilly Jane trail just outside of the Cooper Spur ski resort. Fortunately for us, the cabin we were headed to had plenty of fuel for the rocket stoves so there was no need to pack in any extra wood. In order to get to the north side of Mount Hood from Portland you have to drive out the Columbia Gorge Highway to the town of Hood River which is famous for windsurfing and the nearby fruit orchards. As we drove out towards Hood River the weather seemed to get worse. Rain was pounding down there was no sign of a break in sight. We were worried that instead of snow, we were going to be hiking in the rain up the mountain. Lucky for us as soon as we got above Hood River for our first views of Mount Hood we could see a clearing on the mountain, its peak was shining brightly in the sun with clouds just touching the base of the mountain. We headed up the curvy snow-covered snow to the Tilly Jane trail head, loaded up our packs with our gear and started our hike in. The hike itself is fairly strenuous considering that it is a constant ascent in the snow for 2.5 miles. There is no technical know-how needed for the hike, but instead just a little stamina to put the burn of your muscles in the back of your head and continuing on. Many people ask if it is possible to go backpacking with our stove. While we never recommend it, it was good to know that it is a doable endeavor if you do need to pack one in with you to leave behind somewhere. We reached the cabin we were hiking to in about an hour. It is a beautiful A-frame cabin that has large stacks of wood under its frame to help feed the wood burning stove located inside the cabin. The cabin is large enough to hold 20 or so people with an upstairs loft completely open for throwing down a sleeping bag and spending the night. Just a few years ago the front door used to always be unlocked so a hiker could stop in to warm up their hands or spend the night without any prior notice. Those days are now gone and reservations are required to use the cabin. While we didn't have the luxury of spending the night we were fortunate enough to have some great weather for our photoshoot, capturing the EcoZoom Dura and Versa from every angle imaginable. After a few hours of photos we headed down the mountain, reached the car, packed up gear, and drove into the nearby town of Parkdale for some food and beer. Solera Brewery is the perfect place to refuel and get some delicious local microbrews crafted right within their small property. On a sunny day, one can enjoy a view of Mt. Hood from the back window or sitting outside. We had a beer, ate a nice pub dinner and headed back home for a restful night of sleep. All in all, what looked like a sketchy weather day turned out to be a perfect hike and photoshoot to capture our EcoZoom rocket stoves in the Hood. About the Author: Tom Pritchard is an EcoZoom employee and likes to cook outdoors with his EcoZoom rocket stove on camping trips or sunny days. You can email him directly at tom@ecozoomstove.com.