Mt. Hood Meadows
Encyclopedia
Mount Hood Meadows is one of the largest ski resorts in the US state of Oregon
and the largest ski resort near Mount Hood
. It is located about 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland
, and 35 miles (56 km) from Hood River
along Oregon Route 35. It has both alpine
and Nordic
ski areas and offers night skiing
, lessons and equipment rentals. There are no overnight accommodations at Mount Hood Meadows itself, but a number of hotels and motels nearby offer shuttle services to the resort.
In 1964, Mount Hood National Forest
announced that a feasibility study was underway for a new ski area on the east side of Mount Hood. A group of Hood River businessmen, incorporated as Hood River Meadows, Inc., had raised $3,500 to finance the study. The group included Jack L. Baldwin of Cooper Spur Ski Area, also L. R. Steeves, Dr. J. Allan Henderson, and Roland B. Leavens, among others.
On February 28, 1966—after more than two years of publicity—the Forest Service accepted a bid from another group including John Gray, and former Mount Hood Skibowl
shareholders William Rosenfeld, Russell McJury and Shepard Wilson. The permit was for two ski lift
s, one T-bar lift
, a rope tow, and a day lodge. The first runs were cleared late summer 1966 and the Forest Service built the two mile entrance road from Bennett Pass. Highway 35 was in the midst of a four year straightening project to remove the quaint, tight curves and make winter snow removal practical. Until it was finished mid-1968, skiers had to drive through Hood River
to reach the ski area.
Skiers began using the resort named Mount Hood Meadows in December, 1967. Resort operators in Government Camp were uneasy due to Meadow's intense publicity and the ultra-modern facilities. This concern lasted only a few weeks, as long lift lines redistributed disenchanted guests to the other areas. The original paved parking lot had a capacity of about 330 autos, but was enlarged by 1974 to hold about a thousand.
The T bar was installed on the west side of the lodge, probably in the lower portion of the current Daisy chairlift. The #1 chair—now called Blue—and #2 chair—called yellow until 2007 until being renamed "stadium", also the name of a central run below the lift—provide access to intermediate and advanced skill terrain. It was one of the two original lifts when Mount Hood Meadows opened in January, 1968. At that time it was referred to simply as “The North Lift”, rising 548 vertical feet from the base area and accessing terrain in the northern portion of the ski area’s permit area. The name was later changed to Yellow reinforced with painting of the chairs. For the 2007-08 season, a new drive and chairs removed the color; a naming contest resulted in it becoming "Stadium" which hosts many ski racing events each season. The new name tributes recreational skiers and snowboarders who run gates or participate in events. #3 chair was built in 1968, now Easy Rider, was called Red before the chairs were upgraded around 1995. In 1972, the T-bar was removed to build chair #4 (now Daisy).
Chair #5, Texas, was finished August, 1974 and was complicated by the deep snowpack present making it necessary to bulldoze and excavate snow to place some tower footings. Texas was replaced by Cascade Express, a quad detachable, in 1993.
The top of Cascade Express is the highest point at the area, however additional snowcats take people nearly 1,500 feet up to 5 more double-blacks. The salvaged Hood River Meadows lift; replaced by the Hood River Express, was installed in 1996 as the Heather Canyon lift.
The Hood River Meadows (chair #6) opened in 1976, and was upgraded to a high speed Poma
quad in 1995. Chair #6 was heavily lobbied against by conservation groups and outdoor clubs including appeals to the Region Forester and the National Forester by the Sierra Club.
Before the 2011–2012 season, a new high-speed quad chairlift, the Stadium Express, was constructed by Leitner-Poma to replace an older lift.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and the largest ski resort near Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
. It is located about 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and 35 miles (56 km) from Hood River
Hood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...
along Oregon Route 35. It has both alpine
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and Nordic
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
ski areas and offers night skiing
Night skiing
Night skiing is the sport of skiing or snowboarding after sundown, offered at many ski resorts and mountains. There are usually electric lights along the piste which allow for better visibility...
, lessons and equipment rentals. There are no overnight accommodations at Mount Hood Meadows itself, but a number of hotels and motels nearby offer shuttle services to the resort.
Alpine terrain
Chairlifts
| Lift Name | Nickname | Vertical | Type | Ride time | make |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Hood Express | M.H.X. | 1178 feet (359.1 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
4.5 min | POMA Poma Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,... |
| Hood River Express | HRM (Hood River Meadows) | 1400 feet (426.7 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
5.5 min | POMA Poma Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,... |
| Shooting Star Express | Star | 940 feet (286.5 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
5 min | POMA Poma Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,... |
| Cascade Express | 1391 feet (424 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
6 min | POMA Poma Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,... |
|
| Vista Express | 1121 feet (341.7 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
5 min | Leitner-Poma Leitner-Poma Leitner-Poma of America is a North American aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the North American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company Leitner Technologies, part of the Leitner Group. The North American company was formed in 2000 when... |
|
| Stadium Express | 548 feet (167 m) | High-speed quad Detachable chairlift A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the... |
2.9 min | Leitner-Poma Leitner-Poma Leitner-Poma of America is a North American aerial lift manufacturer based in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is the North American subsidiary of French-based Poma, which is owned by the Italian company Leitner Technologies, part of the Leitner Group. The North American company was formed in 2000 when... |
|
| Blue | 1177 feet (358.7 m) | Double Chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs... |
10 min | Riblet Riblet The Riblet Tramway Company was once the largest ski chairlift manufacturer in the world.The Riblet Tramway Company was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Riblet was born in Osage, Iowa, in 1865 and earned a... and Lift Engineering Lift Engineering Lift Engineering, more commonly known as Yan Lifts, was a major ski lift manufacturer in North America. Founded in 1965 and based in Carson City, Nevada, the firm came under scrutiny by state safety officials after a fatal accident in 1985, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July... |
|
| Buttercup | 122 feet (37.2 m) | Double Chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs... |
4 min | Lift Engineering Lift Engineering Lift Engineering, more commonly known as Yan Lifts, was a major ski lift manufacturer in North America. Founded in 1965 and based in Carson City, Nevada, the firm came under scrutiny by state safety officials after a fatal accident in 1985, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July... |
|
| Easy Rider | Red | 432 feet (131.7 m) | Double Chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs... |
7 min | Riblet Riblet The Riblet Tramway Company was once the largest ski chairlift manufacturer in the world.The Riblet Tramway Company was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Riblet was born in Osage, Iowa, in 1865 and earned a... |
| Heather | 705 feet (214.9 m) | Double Chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs... |
7 min | Lift Engineering Lift Engineering Lift Engineering, more commonly known as Yan Lifts, was a major ski lift manufacturer in North America. Founded in 1965 and based in Carson City, Nevada, the firm came under scrutiny by state safety officials after a fatal accident in 1985, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July... |
|
| Daisy | 672 feet (204.8 m) | Double Chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs... |
8 min | Doppelmayr Doppelmayr The Doppelmayr Garaventa Group is an Austrian-Swiss company that manufactures chairlifts, cable cars, gondolas, surface tows for ski and amusement parks as well as urban people movers and material handling systems. To date, Doppelmayr and Garaventa have produced over 13,700 installations in 78... |
Trails
- 87 trails skiable
- 15% green (beginner)
- 50% blue (intermediate)
- 20% black diamond (advanced)
- 15% double-black diamond (expert)
Elevation
- Lowest point: 4523 feet (1,379 m)
- Main lodge: 5366 feet (1,636 m)
- Highest point (reached by the chair lifts): 7300 feet (2,225 m)
- Highest point (reached by optional snowcatSnowcatA snowcat is an enclosed-cab, truck sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to move on snow. Snowcats are often referred to as 'trail groomers' because of their use for grooming ski trails or snowmobile trails...
service): 9000 feet (2,743 m)
History
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
announced that a feasibility study was underway for a new ski area on the east side of Mount Hood. A group of Hood River businessmen, incorporated as Hood River Meadows, Inc., had raised $3,500 to finance the study. The group included Jack L. Baldwin of Cooper Spur Ski Area, also L. R. Steeves, Dr. J. Allan Henderson, and Roland B. Leavens, among others.
On February 28, 1966—after more than two years of publicity—the Forest Service accepted a bid from another group including John Gray, and former Mount Hood Skibowl
Mount Hood Skibowl
Mount Hood Skibowl is a recreation area on Mount Hood located near Government Camp, Oregon. It is the largest night ski area in the United States, and the total skiable area encompasses an area of . The resort is the closest ski venue to Portland, with an elevation of at the lodge, rising to...
shareholders William Rosenfeld, Russell McJury and Shepard Wilson. The permit was for two ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s, one T-bar lift
T-bar lift
A T-bar lift, also called T-bar, is a mechanised system for transporting skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope...
, a rope tow, and a day lodge. The first runs were cleared late summer 1966 and the Forest Service built the two mile entrance road from Bennett Pass. Highway 35 was in the midst of a four year straightening project to remove the quaint, tight curves and make winter snow removal practical. Until it was finished mid-1968, skiers had to drive through Hood River
Hood River, Oregon
The city of Hood River is the seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,831...
to reach the ski area.
Skiers began using the resort named Mount Hood Meadows in December, 1967. Resort operators in Government Camp were uneasy due to Meadow's intense publicity and the ultra-modern facilities. This concern lasted only a few weeks, as long lift lines redistributed disenchanted guests to the other areas. The original paved parking lot had a capacity of about 330 autos, but was enlarged by 1974 to hold about a thousand.
The T bar was installed on the west side of the lodge, probably in the lower portion of the current Daisy chairlift. The #1 chair—now called Blue—and #2 chair—called yellow until 2007 until being renamed "stadium", also the name of a central run below the lift—provide access to intermediate and advanced skill terrain. It was one of the two original lifts when Mount Hood Meadows opened in January, 1968. At that time it was referred to simply as “The North Lift”, rising 548 vertical feet from the base area and accessing terrain in the northern portion of the ski area’s permit area. The name was later changed to Yellow reinforced with painting of the chairs. For the 2007-08 season, a new drive and chairs removed the color; a naming contest resulted in it becoming "Stadium" which hosts many ski racing events each season. The new name tributes recreational skiers and snowboarders who run gates or participate in events. #3 chair was built in 1968, now Easy Rider, was called Red before the chairs were upgraded around 1995. In 1972, the T-bar was removed to build chair #4 (now Daisy).
Chair #5, Texas, was finished August, 1974 and was complicated by the deep snowpack present making it necessary to bulldoze and excavate snow to place some tower footings. Texas was replaced by Cascade Express, a quad detachable, in 1993.
The top of Cascade Express is the highest point at the area, however additional snowcats take people nearly 1,500 feet up to 5 more double-blacks. The salvaged Hood River Meadows lift; replaced by the Hood River Express, was installed in 1996 as the Heather Canyon lift.
The Hood River Meadows (chair #6) opened in 1976, and was upgraded to a high speed Poma
Poma
Poma, also known as Pomagalski S.A. is a French company, specialising in construction of cable-driven lift systems, including fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Poma has installed more than 7800 devices on five continents,...
quad in 1995. Chair #6 was heavily lobbied against by conservation groups and outdoor clubs including appeals to the Region Forester and the National Forester by the Sierra Club.
Before the 2011–2012 season, a new high-speed quad chairlift, the Stadium Express, was constructed by Leitner-Poma to replace an older lift.