Big Snow Coming

Lots of new snow coming this weekend & early next week! I expect upwards of 2 feet of new snow by Sunday evening, with even more snow on Monday & Tuesday. The snow level will waver between 1,500 and 3,500 feet, so the snow could be a little wet & heavy at times. But it will be deep.

Beware the wind, however. It will be a stormy few days... strong winds will affect lift operations at the higher elevations for sure.

Enjoy!

Spring Deals... and an 80th Birthday

Oregon's ski areas are offering some incredible deals this spring... here is a list of my "top 5" spring skiing/boarding deals:

1) HOODOO

Hoodoo wins top honors for the best spring deal: $295 for an UNLIMITED Season Pass -- good for the rest of this season and ALL OF NEXT SEASON. This represents a nearly 50% discount... which is almost unheard of. But here's the catch: brand new Season Pass purchases only have 2 days to get this deal -- this Saturday & Sunday (March 14-15). Current Hoodoo pass-holders can renew for next season at this same price starting Monday (March 16) and continuing through March 31. (The $295 is for adults -- the kids' price is $195.)

Hoodoo will operate daily (except Wednesday March 18) through March 29 (with night skiing on Friday & Saturday nights), and then will re-open for a final weekend April 4-5. http://www.hoodoo.com/

2) MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS

An unlimited season pass for the rest of the season... for just $99. This includes free ski check and a $10 credit good for any purchase at the ski area. The $99 price is for ages 7 & up... passes for kids 6 & under are free (with the purchase of an adult pass). Daily lift tickets remain regularly-priced at $54.

Meadows plans to operate daily through April 26, with a couple weekends in May possible depending on snow conditions and attendance. Night skiing has ended for the season. http://www.skihood.com/

3) MOUNT HOOD SKIBOWL

Skibowl's spring pass is just $80. A good deal, for sure... but the best spring deal will be offered on one day only -- this Saturday, March 14. Skibowl is celebrating their 80th anniversary that day. All lift tickets, for all shifts, are just $18... snack foods will cost just 25 cents... and fireworks are scheduled for 8pm that evening. Several other fun events are planned for the day as well.

Skibowl will maintain their normal, published operating hours through Spring Sreak (with expanded hours likely during Spring Break). After that, the operating schedule is still to-be-determined... with operations likely limited to the weekends. http://www.skibowl.com/

4) TIMBERLINE

Timberline's best spring deal is its $99 unlimited spring season pass -- good every day through May 25. And for an extra $80 ($179 total), you can make it a "Mt. Hood Fusion Pass" -- good for both Timberline and Skibowl.

Timberline will be open daily (weather permitting) throughout the spring and summer. The Palmer chairlift typically opens in time for Spring Break. After Memorial Day, the lower mountain will close for the season and only summer season passes will be valid. http://www.timberlinelodge.com/

5) MOUNT ASHLAND

The "Skiesta Pass" is just $89 ($79 for those under 18)... and it's good for unlimited skiing through the end of the season. And daily lift tickets are now among the cheapest in the state at just $29 (weekdays) and $34 (weekends).

Mount Ashland operates daily (except Tuesdays) through March, and then Fridays-Sundays in April. April 12 is the season finale. http://www.mtashland.com/

OTHER DEALS

- Mount Bachelor is allowing season pass-holders to purchase $29 lift tickets for 5 of their friends every day except Saturday. Kids also ski free at Mt. Bachelor with the purchase of any adult multi-day ticket. http://www.mtbachelor.com/

- Anthony Lakes is offering 1/2-price lift tickets on Thursdays through the rest of the season. http://www.anthonylakes.com/

- Willamette Pass is discounting their "Five Day Super Pass" to just $119. http://www.willamettepass.com/

- Check out the "Ski Free with Shell" deals that continue through mid-April. Two-for-one deals are available at various ski areas on certain days of the week with the purchase of a full tank of gas. Go to http://www.skifreedeals.com/ for more information.

Finally... Big Snow!

Short post tonight... but I had to at least acknowledge here that big snow is falling. And it will continue to fall this week.

The 24-hour snowfall has far exceeded expectations: 2-3 feet! Unfortunately, it's been a wet, heavy & thick snow. That will change later this week as colder air bleeds in from the northwest. Heavy snow should continue, but the freezing level should fall to as low as 1,500 feet by Thursday... meaning that the 12-18" of new snow Wednesday & Thursday will be lighter & drier than what's on the ground now.

Enjoy!

A Snow Drought

Remember that miserable winter of 2004-2005? (In case you forgot, that was the winter when several lower elevation ski areas were closed more of the winter than they were open.) Well... that winter was dominated by what we (meteorologists) call "split flow" -- a pattern that features several "cut-off" storm systems that plug-up the jet stream pattern. The result is a weak or nearly non-existent jet stream and a lack of storminess in the Pacific Northwest, with the cut-off storm systems ending up over California. Lots of mountain snow down south... but little over the Northwest. It's been four years, but that dominant weather pattern has returned -- and has been frustrating to us powder hounds in the Northwest for more than a month now.

Unfortunately, I don't have good news in the short term. After a few dry and mild days, some light (wet) snow may return later in the weekend and early next week. But I see no sign of significant storminess returning to the Northwest anytime soon.

To end on a more positive note, my co-worker at FOX 12 (Mark Nelsen) looked up some data earlier tonight and noticed that we've had quite a stretch of dry Februarys in recent years. In fact, every February since 2002 has been drier than average. And this February is on track to be no different. So... where's the positive news, you ask? It's March! After each dry February, the following March has been nearly equal to or wetter than average.

Despite the lack of big powder days recently, conditions have been surprisingly good at the ski areas. Unlike 2004-2005, there's plenty of snow on the ground and all the terrain is well-covered. And the groomed runs have been fantastic. But... it will be nice when the big powder days return.

Think snow!

Drew

TRIP REPORT: Mt. Bachelor & Hoodoo

In an effort to visit more Oregon ski areas this season, I made a trip to Central Oregon to ski at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo this past weekend. Since it's been such a bummer snow month, my expectations were low. My, was I surprised. At both places, the snow was in excellent shape!

Mt. Bachelor - Sunday, February 1st

I had a marathon day, skiing from 8:30am until 3:45pm. That's how good the skiing was! Despite that it was purely a groomer day, Mt. Bachelor is large enough and grooms so many runs that I never got bored. Being Super Bowl Sunday, there wasn't much of a crowd. I waited 5 minutes to board the Sunrise Express once, but otherwise I never waited more than a minute or two.

The grooming team at Mt. Bachelor is top notch. I've skied at other resorts famous for their grooming (Deer Valley and Sun Valley) -- and Mt. Bachelor's groomed runs were of the same calibre as the runs at those resorts. The snow was hard-packed and fast, yet still carvable. And while the mountain could certainly use additional snow, there isn't a problem with rocks or bare spots. Everything is well-covered.

The damage from the early-January ice storm was incredible. Unfortunately, it's going to take several feet of new snow to cover all of the trees that are down in the forest. Without significant new snow, the tree-skiing season is over. I had heard reports about the damage, but I was unprepared for the sight of so many snapped & downed trees. And nearly one month after the storm, there is still thick ice on trees & lift towers on the west side of the mountain. This "blue" ice is nasty stuff - totally bulletproof. Some of it still coats the snow off the groomed runs... which is why the groomers are the only place you want to be until snowstorms return.

Thankfully, Mt. Bachelor is not short on groomed runs. Among my favorites (by lift):

Rainbow chair: Flying Dutchman, I-5.

These runs had the best snow on the mountain, as the eastern part of the mountain featured softer snow. These runs also had the fewest people skiing them, so even at 3:00pm, the runs were still smooth.

Summit Express: Beverly Hills, Healy Heights.

The summit was hard-packed and icy... but these are classic, steep cruisers no matter the groomed snow surface.

Pine Marten Express: Tippytoe, West Boundary

While Thunderbird is usually my favorite warm-up run, Tippytoe & West Boundary see far fewer skiers/boarders and have similar pitches. Tippytoe isn't always groomed, but when it is... it's a "dig in the edges to avoid a skid" screamer. Love it!

OutbackExpress: Boomerang, Down Under
Not always groomed... but when they are, both of these runs feature long, steep & sustained pitches. The runs on this side of the mountain are generally steeper & longer than those on the east side.

Northwest Express: Snapshot Alley to Atkenson's Zoom, Osprey Way to Sparks Lake Run

These are long, rolling & winding screamers that start steep & become gentler towards the bottom. Narrower than many of Bachelor's other runs, the runs in the Northwest Territory are among my favorite runs in the entire USA! At two miles, they're leg-burners for sure... and they demand control and skill when skiing at speed.

Overall, I was very impressed with the conditions at Mt. Bachelor on Sunday. The staff was friendly as well -- the lift operators and ski patrolers were kindly professional during every exchange I observed. Mt. Bachelor is one of those mountains that is so big that, even with a large number of skiers/boarders on the mountain, it never seems that crowded.

Hoodoo - Monday, February 2nd

On my return to Portland, I stopped by one of Oregon's oldest ski areas on Santiam Pass. But while Hoodoo's history goes way back, it's facilities are anything but ancient. The lodge and quad lifts are brand new. And while the runs are much shorter than Mt. Bachelor's runs, Hoodoo's groomed runs are generally steeper than those at other Oregon ski areas (especially when compared to the Mt. Hood areas). Unfortunately, I could only spend about 3 hours at Hoodoo before I needed to get in the car and head home to Portland. But during those 3 hours, I was able to get in about 15 runs.

I have never skied an Oregon mountain so deserted of other skiers/boarders. It was rare that I encountered another person on any of my runs. It was almost eerie. The weather was beautiful - comfortable temperatures & little wind beneath blue sky & sunshine. And yet no one was there. With such a low skier count, the groomed courderoy remained as courderoy the entire morning. I must give a shout-out to Hoodoo's grooming department as well -- the grooming was expansive and flawless. And unlike at Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo's off-the-groomed snow was soft enough to ski -- especially in the sun-exposed spots. The Grandstand run off the top had small moguls, and by 10:30am they were soft & fun to ski.

Once at the summit, with a couple exceptions, one can ski nearly 360 degrees off the top of the Butte. I've never been to Hoodoo on a powder day, but I can imagine that the summit runs of Crater, Face, and Chuck's Backside would be heavenly when the snow is deep & fresh. Hoodoo rarely gets crowded enough for liftlines, so powder lasts longer here than at other areas (so I'm told!).

While Hoodoo is a much smaller ski area than Mt. Bachelor or the Mt. Hood areas, I definitely recommend a visit if you've never been there. It's a friendly place with a nice, caring staff. There is terrain for all abilities. And the mountain & lodge don't get overly crowded (but I hear the parking lot can fill on the busiest days). Hoodoo's annual Winter Carnival is this Saturday (Feb. 7th) -- check it out!

When Does the Snow Return?

It's time for some new snow! That's the message I've been hearing loud and clear from my fellow skiing & boarding friends. Well, there is SOME good news -- there is a weather pattern change on the way.

It looks like we'll be getting a shot of cold air from the north late this weekend into early next. As this cold air arrive arrives, a weak low will attempt to form off the Oregon Coast. The result will be some light snow over the mountains -- and that snow will fall at nearly every elevation (including down to sea level!). Later Saturday through Sunday the time frame for the snow.

That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the new snow amounts are likely to be minimal. I can't see any more than 6" from this late weekend system. And it could be more like 1-3". With such a small amount of new snow, conditions will be "variable" -- meaning that the new snow will barely cover a bullet-proof, hard-packed base.

And beyond this weekend, it appears that we'll head back into dry regime again. But I suspect that next week's dry spell won't last for long... there are longer-range signs of a return to wet & snowy weather beyond next week. We'll see... and hope for it!

-Drew

Calmer Weather... Finally

Since Christmas, the weather in the mountains has been.... AWFUL. True, there have been a couple good days, but some of the days have featured the harshest weather in my memory. The normally busy Christmas holiday was a nightmare for the ski areas. Attendance was devastatingly low given the heavy rain, freezing rain, strong winds, and snow in Portland.

And this week was no better, as the past two days were truly terrible in the mountains. Here's a summary of this most recent storm's effects:

- Timberline and Ski Bowl were closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Mt. Hood Meadows had Buttercup open, but decided to close completely Wednesday afternoon.

- Mt. Bachelor had several days of freezing rain and damaging wind. The ski area was open only on a limited basis Monday and Tuesday, and was completely closed Wednesday. There are hundreds of trees down all over the mountain. The ski area managed to get a small portion of the area open today, and they're hoping to get more of the mountain open Friday.

- The wind peaked Tuesday evening -- there was a gust to 130 mph at the top of the Magic Mile lift at Timberline, and a gust to nearly 80 mph at the top of the Mt. Hood Express lift at Meadows. This is about as windy as it gets up there.

Now... some much better news. The worst is over. Today (Thursday), the situation is far improved, as the temperature has dropped and new snow has returned. Friday will feature several inches of new snow, and the sun will come out during the day.

Overall, the weather pattern is now going through a significant change -- from super stormy to super serene! After tonight, there won't be much new snow for many days. And next week looks sunny, warm and calm every day. It's a much-needed break!

-Drew

TRIP REPORT: First day... finally!

So... after the late start to the snow season, and then all of the weather craziness keeping me at work, I FINALLY got to ski on Sunday (January 4th)!!!!

I went to Mt. Hood Meadows, whereI skied from 9am until 5pm (minus 1 hour for lunch). Yes, it was a long day... and my knees are feeling it today. Overall, it was a really good day.

A few observations:

1) There is plenty of snow. This year has gone from famine to feast in a hurry.

2) There is so much evidence of last week's storminess. It's obvious that ski area crews had significant clean-up work to do. Many trees fell, and there is very thick ice still caked onto many of the lift towers. The storm on New Year's Day was especially brutal, and I understand how and why it took most of the day-after to recover from that storm. The snow itself was pretty good -- some nice dry fluff above some "variable" snow underneath. The groomed snow was sufficiently carvable, yet still fast.

3) Despite the challenging conditions of late, Meadows had all lifts and runs open on Sunday, with the exception of Cascade Express (and the upper mountain runs served by that lift). It was apparent that crews we working up there -- blasting some potential avalanche spots and de-icing the lift tower machinery. They were doing this despite the forecast for increased storminess that surely would undo much of their work.

4) Heather Canyon (and the lift serving it) is now open for the season. The Howitzer is there, and they're using it when necessary. While the weapon may help get the Canyon open earlier each day, its real benefit is to make the avalanche control work safer and more effective for the patrol crew.

It may be several days before I'm able to make it up there again, but if you have a report to share, feel free to leave a comment for me to post.

Briefly turning to the weather... we'll have to survive a couple days of rainy and windy conditions before more pleasant winter weather returns. The snow level will be at or above 8,000 feet through Wednesday. Rain will be light through Tuesday, but Wednesday looks like a soaker. Skip that day. The snow level will dramatically plummet early Thursday, and significant new snow is likely Thursday (but it'll be windy). By Friday, it'll be dry and calm... and Friday will begin an extended stretch of dry and mild weather in the mountains. While the snow may turn spring-like, the break in the storminess will allow mountain crews to get their upper mountains open... for the first time this season!

-Drew

Snowy... Soggy... and Stormy

Just 3 weeks ago, we were fretting about barren slopes and a very sluggish start to the skiing/boarding season. My, how things can change in a hurry.

The past two weeks have featured some of the craziest winter weather in nearly a half-century. Tremendous snow fell in the Cascades (10 feet!), and then there have been freezing rain, heavy (regular) rain, and some damaging winds thrown in the mix as well. Indeed, conditions in the mountains have been "challenging" at times. And there's still more to come in this wild weather pattern.

Up next... an intense storm that will bring heavy rain and extremely high winds to the mountains for New Year's Day. It will be an unpleasant day on the slopes -- I wouldn't be surprised if the wind gusted to nearly 100 mph above tree-line on Mount Hood. Take a look at my forecast graphics... and you'll see that starting Friday, the situation greatly improves. The snow level absolutely plunges Friday morning, and heavy snow will fall down to nearly 1,000 feet all day Friday and into Saturday. The weekend will feature the best conditions of this season to date.

Unfortunately, the freezing level will take a hike upward again next week. Overall, it's a stormy weather pattern -- snowy at times... and soggy at times. And also very windy at times. Dress for the storminess... and enjoy this weekend's great snow!

Drew

Deep Powder... RUINED

I think everyone will agree that freezing rain is miserable. It's rare that freezing rain falls at the ski areas, but it happened overnight Saturday night into Sunday. If any of you were up to the mountain expecting to enjoy the five-plus feet of light fluffy powder, I can only imagine your level of disappointment and disgust to discover that the powder was totally ruined by a freezing rain-caused icy crust. I'm bitter about it... and I wasn't even up there to experience it.

It was a complicated weather situation that caused the freezing rain in the mountains. I won't get into the physics of it. Instead, I'll jump to the punchline: it's over! No more threat of freezing rain. And it does look like we'll get significant new snow to cover that icy crust in the coming days. Wednesday through Friday will feature another monster snowstorm for the Cascades -- expect at least 2 feet of new snow. It may end up being 3-4 feet when the storm winds down late in the week. Friday looks to be a "Powder Alert" day with high-quality snow, as the snow level will be down to nearly 1,000 feet and temperatures will be in the teens at the higher ski areas.

I should also mention that avalanche danger is now extremely high, due to that heavy crust on top of the deep powder. Backcountry skiing/boarding at higher elevations is a terrible idea this week -- stay safe and wait until the snowpack stabilizes.

Have a great holiday break!

Drew

Back by Popular Demand

Well, I was going to do something else this winter and (and I am... more below)... and not do this blog. But, I've reconsidered. I'm back... and I'm sorry for the abandonment.

First things first -- I've started a "Powder Alert" e-mail service through Ski Oregon. You can sign up at SkiOregon.org -- just go to the bottom of the page and enter your e-mail address. I'll be sending situation-dependent snow forecast e-mails periodically this season to subscribers. It's totally free... and I promise that your e-mail inbox won't get cluttered with junk mail.

Despite the late start, all signs point to a good-to-great snow season in the mountains. This recent storm featured cold, dry & fluffy snow, and while that would be great during the mid-season, it's actually not ideal for base building. The snow will likely settle -- a lot -- meaning that a 30" base could be no more than 20" in a couple days. But that's without additional snow. Thankfully, there's more coming.

After a terrible November & early December, the weather pattern looks much more favorable now for accumating snow. Up to a foot is possible with the Wednesday/Thursday storm, and this weekend will bring additional significant accumulation.

The season is off and running... and I promise not to disappear (for a least a few months). Thanks for being loyal!

Not much to talk about...

Sorry I've been so silent lately... it's just that the weather pattern has been so benign and uninteresting lately. I've been too busy to make it up the mountain much as well. The last time I was up there (two weeks ago), however, it was pretty dead. Without significant new snow, the crowd has been very thin on the weekdays. I heard the weekend of 3/1-3/2 was very busy though.

It looks like we'll get a good burst of new snow later this week. Maybe 1-2 feet if all goes well. I'm talking about Thursday-Saturday. The snow level should be pretty low too... 2,000-3,000 feet. That's pretty low for this time of year.

Each of the three Mt. Hood ski areas is now offering unlimited spring passes for sale. The prices:
- Skibowl $88.00 -- good for unlimited visits until closing day (mid-April?)
- Timberline $99.00 -- good for unlimited visits through the end of May
- Meadows $119.00 -- good for unlimited visits until closing day (April 27 for daily operation, weekends only as part of the May Challenge)

The new trend is for the ski areas of offer good deals on end-of-the-season passes instead of discounting daily lift tickets. Timberline typically has dropped their spring daily rates into the $30-40 range -- we'll see if they do that again this year. And Skibowl & Meadows have offered free lift tickets on closing day in the past as well.

Within the next couple weeks, Timberline should be prepping the Palmer lift for its seasonal opening. We're entering my favorite time of year to ski at Timberline -- when the Palmer lift opens and the full 3,800 vertical feet of mountain is available to ski. It's a thigh-burner going from top to bottom!

Fresh Snow Returns

As many of you noticed, there was a big weather pattern change a couple weeks ago... the result being a lack of new snow recently. Indeed, as the above graphic shows, 175" of new snow fell at Mt. Hood Meadows during a 2-3 week period from late January through early February. But since mid-February -- just 17" total.

While I do not see a return to the very snowy pattern of a month ago, this weekend will mark a return to snowy conditions in the mountains. From Friday night through early Sunday morning, I expect at least 12" of new snow at the ski areas. Saturday should be pretty snowy, with the snow level around 2,500 feet, while Sunday should feature some sunshine.

All told... it looks like a very good skiing & boarding weekend coming up. Enjoy!

My Favorites

I'm back... sorry for the lack of posts this past week. I made it up to the mountain once during the recent spell of dry and sunny weather. It was nice to be up in the sunshine and to let the skis fly on the spring-like snow. Upper Bowl at Skibowl is really fun when it's groomed. Smooth, fast and steep... my favorite type of ski run.

Speaking of favorites... allow me, if you will, to share some of my favorite runs on Mount Hood:

My favorite groomed cruisers:

1) Timberline -- Palmer. I love skiing this run (when the lift is open and when there's lots of snow). It's wide, it's usually well-groomed, and it has the steepest (sustained) pitch of all regularly-groomed, long runs on the mountain. There are steeper pitches elsewhere on Mt. Hood, but none match the length and wide-open nature of Palmer.

2) Skibowl -- Cannonball. This main run down the "gut" of the Upper Bowl is a speed-a-holic's dream -- when it's groomed smooth. If only it was longer...

3) Meadows -- Outer Limits to Memorial or Pluto Bowl (lower Heather Canyon). This route drops 2,000 vertical feet over a 2-mile path and, when groomed, combines the intermediate cruise down Outer Limits with the "hold-your-edge-or-suffer-big-consequences" skid down Memorial or Pluto bowls of Lower Heather Canyon.

4) Meadows -- Two Bowl. Not always groomed, but when it is... it's a fun one-two punch down Two Bowl and then Lower Face.

5) Meadows -- Boulevard. Not as steep as my other favorites, Boulevard can still be challenging at high-speeds because of it's rolls, dips and slight twists & turns. Also, it's one long ride...

My favorite "natural" runs:

1) Meadows -- Silver Bowl (upper Heather Canyon) to Clark Canyon or Heather Woods. When the powder is deep and fresh, nothing further needs to be said. :) Even when there's no new snow, a perviously-triggered avalanche can leave a smooth path right down Silver Bowl (just be sure to avoid the avalanche pile at the bottom). About 3/4 of the way down, traverse left so that you can get over to Clark Canyon. Depending on the snow and recent weather, sometimes the shadier pitches down Clark Canyon are best, while sometimes the sun-exposed paths through Heather Woods are best.

2) Skibowl -- Outback area. Granted, I'm just beginning to explore this area... I don't know it well just yet, so I can't be very specific as to which routes through the Outback I like best. But from what I've seen, it's a powder playground when the weather pattern is right (snowy with a low freezing level). I like the mix of bowls and trees... along with the low density of skiers/boarders.

3) Meadows -- Jacks Woods. Yes, it gets cut-up way too fast. But that first run (or two if you're lucky) on a powder day is heavenly.

4) Skibowl -- the West Wall (in the Upper Bowl). The trees are perfectly-spaced, and there's enough night-lighting nearby such that you can venture into parts of this area after dark. There aren't many places in the world where you get get fresh tracks... in the trees... during a snowstorm... at 8 o'clock at night.

5) Meadows -- Private Reserve. Relative new to the Meadows' collection of expert playgrounds, the "PR" is open more often and skied/boarded less often than Heather Canyon above it. If it weren't for the walk-out at the end...

There you have it... my favorite runs. How about yours?

Tuesday Quick Update

Well... so much for the Wednesday powder day. New computer model guidance now suggests that this Tuesday/Wednesday push of colder air won't be accompanied by nearly as much moisture. So I now expect only a couple inches of snow... at best... Tuesday night into Wednesday.. It will get dramatically colder, however, so if there isn't much new snow... expect very hard-packed conditions off the groomed runs until Thursday afternoon.

This weekend still looks very spring-like, as the freezing level will be near the summit of Mount Hood. Ski area temperatures in the mid-high 40s are likely both Saturday and Sunday beneath bright blue sky, sunshine, and little wind.

A Warm Week

Aside from a shot of chilly air arriving later Tuesday and staying through Wednesday, it's going to be a warm week on the mountain. Tuesday night's and Wednesday's snow showers should total 8-12", but that should be it for new snow this week. So... Wednesday is the one powder day, with Thursday featuring limited leftovers in the morning. By next weekend, conditions should be approaching spring-like again... with hard-pack conditions in the shady spots and up high in the wind-exposed areas.

Future Projects

Over the past year, I've quietly been doing some research on each local ski area's plan for the future. Here is what I've discovered about the future of Mt. Hood's ski areas:

Timberline

With the completion of the new Jeff Flood Express chairlift and expansion into Still Creek Basin, the Timberline ski area is essentially built-out now. The area has no plans for any further terrain expansion. However, Timberline has ambitious plans to improve access by constructing a gondola connecting Timberline Lodge with central Government Camp. Given that the proposed alignment would be along a path previously used by the 1950s-era "SkiWay" areal transport lift (a suspended city bus!), there are relatively few environmental concerns. And the benefits would be huge: dramatically reduced traffic along Timberline road and an environmentally-friendly solution to Timberline's current parking shortage. Timberline is working with Skibowl on this project, and it's on pace to get underway within 5 years. The primary obstacle is funding; the project could cost $15-20 million.

Another project on Timberline's horizon is a new Operations building near the top of Molly's Express. This new building would be larger and more "Timberline-esqe" than the current Operations building in the same location. It would also include a new Patrol Headquarters, allowing that space in the Wy'East Day Lodge to be used for a new Day Care center.

Other projects include underground parking and land restoration in front of Timberline Lodge and a new beginner's complex in the area below the Day Lodge. Farther down the road (and further ahead in time), Timberline would also like to explore the possibility of building parking, a lodge, and overnight accommodations near the bottom of Molly's Express.

Timberline has published a nice brochure outlying it's plan for the next 50 years; you can download from Timberline's website: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/more_info/about_us.php

Mt. Hood Meadows

First, some history. In the late 1980s, Mt. Hood Meadows announced its intention to create a very ambitious new Master Plan for the future. Lots of new lifts, new terrain, new lodges and overnight accommodations were part of that plan. In response, a group of local environmental protectionists formed the Friends of Mt. Hood, a group dedicated to opposing further development at Mt. Hood Meadows. While the Forest Service approved Meadows' proposed Master Plan in 1991, the Friends of Mt. Hood appealed that decision -- and the appeal was successful. Mt. Hood Meadows then modified its plan, reducing the scope of development and eliminating plans for overnight accommodations. This revised plan was approved (with a couple exclusions -- mainly a rejection of terrain expansion into the White River Canyon) by the Forest Service in 1997. The Friends of Mt. Hood, together with other environmental groups, again challenged the approval -- this time in court. In 2001, the court upheld the Plan's approval, but denied permission for parking expansion, pending further study of parking alternatives. In 2004, Mt. Hood Meadows finished the first major project included in the Master Plan: the Vista Express chairlift.

The above is a brief summary; much more information is available (including a litigation summary) at the Friends of Mt. Hood website: http://www.friendsofmounthood.org/fmh.htm

Despite the approval of Meadows' overall Master Plan, each individual project will require specific approval by the Forest Service -- and that approval can only occur after extensive and satisfactory environmental analysis. The public, including environmental groups, will have the opportunity to comment and potentially challenge each major project.

Now, on to the projects. Several new chairlifts are possible:

• A high-speed quad to replace the Stadium (Yellow) chair, with a possible extension to the top of the Heather lift... which would allow easy access to Shooting Star & HRM


• A high-speed quad to replace the Daisy chair in a similar alignment


• A new high-speed quad that would begin somewhere near the North Canyon run and would roughly follow the Upper Elevator run to the top of the Cascade Express lift
  


• A new lift connecting the Annex parking area to Buttercup


• A new lift above Cascade Express servicing Dallas Bowl and providing access to Superbowl and upper Heather Canyon

Also, a mid-mountain lodge is proposed near the top of the Heather and new Stadium chairlifts. This lodge could be open year-round with lift access from the new Stadium quad. Additional night skiing expansion is possible as well. Meadows is also pursuing parking expansion possibilities, permanent snowmaking, and permission to open gates into the backcountry.

The full Mt. Hood Meadows 1997 Master Plan, with additional details about what is listed above, is published and available for public review. While I've not seen it online, there are hard copies out there. The copy I read is kept at the Portland State University library.

In replies to comments on Mt. Hood Meadows' blog, Meadows President Matt Drake has repeatedly indicated that discussions concerning Meadows' future plans are "in a sensitive place". In other words, Meadows executives are privately meeting with representatives from the Friends of Mt. Hood to see if any common ground and/or compromises can be reached concerning future expansion. Both sides would prefer to avoid costly and time-consuming lawsuits, and both sides have agreed to keep the meeting notes confidential. I expect some information about the next couple projects in Meadows' future to be released sometime this year -- most likely by Matt Drake in Meadows' blog.

Mt. Hood Skibowl

Most of Skibowl's future plans center around creating a destination resort in and around Government Camp. Skibowl's parent company owns, operates, and is expanding the Collins Lake Resort, and the company also has plans to add a new lodging complex next to the Skibowl East (Multorpor) parking lot. A central village core in Goverment Camp (as part of Collins Lake Resort) is also in the works. The gondola to Timberline will originate in this village core, with an extension of the gondola connecting Skibowl with Goverment Camp proposed as well. When complete, Government Camp will be a significant bedbase and transportation hub. The number of shops, restaurants, and bars is also expected to increase. It should be a fun little village when all is said and done.

On the mountain, Skibowl's plans are less ambitious. An old Skibowl Master Plan indicates that future projects could include a couple short chairlifts in the novice terrain off the southwest (backside) of the Upper Bowl. A bottom-to-top chairlift is also possible down the road. In the short term, Skibowl is attempting to get permission to cut a run run off the Multorpor chair that would become home to the area's terrain park.


Summary

The future plans I've discussed above, for all three areas, are little more than wish lists by our local resort operators and owners. It's probable that at least some of the projects outlined will eventually become reality... but it's also likely that many of the projects will never get beyond paper plans & dreams. I look forward to seeing how things turn out down the road.

A Milder Week

After a week of huge powder down to very low snow levels, this week looks more "normal". That means we'll see more of a fluctuating snow level from day to day. The jet stream pattern has changed such that we're getting more of a westerly flow now, which means that each arriving storm will push a tongue of warmer air out ahead it. And behind each passing front, colder air will arrive again with lowering snow levels.

As of now (Tuesday morning), it appears that today, Thursday, and Saturday will be the milder days. Snow could switch to rain for a brief time along the lowest runs & lifts at Mt. Hood's ski areas, but any rain that falls will be short-lived, as arriving colder air will switch the rain back to snow within a few hours. The best days this week will be Wednesday and Friday. The stormiest day will be Thursday... with lots of wind and wet snow.

Unfortunately, this warmer storm cycle will take it's toll on the fantastic cold powder we've been spoiled by lately. While rain won't be much of an issue (except down very low), heavy/wet "Cascade Concrete" snow will be more common this week. Avalanche danger will become high again with the increasingly heavy top snow layer, so Heather Canyon at Meadows will likely be closed more than it's open this week... and backcountry skiing/boarding will be very dangerous.

Monster Snow Week

Two to four feet of new snow fell since Monday... and there will probably be another two to four feet before the week ends. This has been an incredible snow season... and all indications are that the weather pattern won't change significantly coming up. The storniness will ease a bit as we head into the weekend... but overall, the dominant long range pattern continues to look snowy.

Below is a chart of the base depth at Mt. Hood Skibowl (at mid-mountain) on January 29th each winter back to 2001.


You can see that this year is the biggest snow year at Skibowl this decade... and it's a bigger snow year than most years in the 1980s and 1990s as well. I can't remember a year when Skibowl's base depth and Timberline's base depth were so near in total. That's a testiment to the low snow level that has persisted most of the winter.

One of the trade-off's of all the deep and fresh snow: it's very difficult for patrol crews to keep up with avalanche control work. This winter's snow has been more slide-prone than most winters' snow... and with the frequent stormy days, it's often been impossible to visibly survey slopes to asses the real avalanche threat. Here in the Pacific Northwest, because the humidity is relatively high most of the winter, the visibility is often much worse than in other mountain areas across the USA. For example, when I was in Montana, even when it was snowing heavily, the cloud base was above the peaks and the visibility remained quite good. That's because the air is much drier there than it is here... even when it's snowing. On Mount Hood, when it's snowing heavily, it's rare that the visibility isn't poor... mainly due to low clouds and fog. This makes a huge difference for patrol crews. They must be able to see. When they can't; the terrain stays closed... and for good reason.

Weather Outlook

We're headed back into a snowy pattern. Starting Saturday afternoon, the snow returns... and accumulating snow is likely every day in the foreseeable future. Some days will feature higher snow totals than other days, but I expect at least 6 inches every day... and as much as 18" of new snow possible on a couple of the days. The snow level should stay low -- 500 to 1,500 feet -- most of the week. It's going to be fantastic... enjoy!