MEADOWS BLOG

Meadows Season Passes Represent Best Value in Oregon

DaveTragethon — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:29:00 GMT

Hi Folks!

We’ve announced our season pass pricing for the 2008/09 season. And in response to your overwhelming request we’re pleased to tell you that we’re continuing the season pass and 10 Time Pass group offers again this season. These offers make Meadows season passes not only the best value, but also the most affordable unlimited season pass price of any major resort in Oregon. Passes will go on sale on our web site September 1.

The 4buy4 (4 adults age 23 – 64) is $444 each; the 3x3 (3 between the ages of 15 – 22) is $333 each and the 2x2 (2 passes between the ages of 7 – 14) is $222. These deals represent a savings of more than 50% off the regular adult unlimited pass price, and nearly 50% off of the other age groups. It’s a substantial savings. You just need to get your groups together and complete your purchase online before the November 16 deadline.

The program essentially stays the same – organize your group, create a group online by inputting all the group members and then purchase at least one pass. That qualifies everyone to come back and receive the group deal on his or her pass. All group members must complete their pass purchase before any pictures can be taken or passes issued.

We are committed to the “form a group structure” – we believe it gets people talking and “stoked” about the upcoming winter. We also see people socializing more before, during and after the season. Creating this kind of buzz on a skier to skier, snowboarder to snowboarder level is key to this program, which is why we’re dedicated to the group program.

We are also offering the group of 10 or more deal on the 10 Time Pass, which is greatly improved this year. It has a picture and you’ll be able to go direct to the lift, avoiding a stop at the ticket window. The normal price is $399, but in a group of 10 the price is just $330. Group organizers receive a free lift ticket for putting the group together, and for every 20 purchased in the group we issue a complimentary 10 Time Pass. There is one change this year – the 10 Time Pass will no longer be shareable at the end of the season as it has been in past years. But the direct to lift convenience should more than make up for that.

We’re also holding the price on our off-peak adult lift ticket at $54. Peak times (primarily weekends and holiday time frames through the first weekend of March) the shift ticket will be $69. So the group pass deals are a tremendous value, which we hope you’ll take advantage of. Season passes go on sale September 1 right here on our web site.

We’d like to hear back from you, particularly if you’re excited about the upcoming season. Is the fall weather that August has been bringing getting you in the mood for winter? Remember, you need to join the community in order to post a comment.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Onward! And see you soon - the snow will be here before we know it!

Meadows Team

Summer Improvement Update

MatthewDrake — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:44:00 GMT

Hi Folks.

Here’s a midsummer update of the projects we are currently engaged in as we ready for the upcoming season.

The big construction project is the new Medical Clinic and Ski Patrol HQ – which is located in the main base area between the bottom of Daisy and the vehicle shop. The new building will double the space for the Medical Center and provide a state-of-the-art facility for medical response. It will also house a larger base of operations for our expanding ski patrol operations. There will also be room for parking and transportation offices. The building is a significant upgrading that will provide improved working environments for our clinic, patrol and transportation staffs. We are following LEEDS standards in the construction of the new building, which furthers our commitment to sustainability and to safety.

The Schuss is undergoing a major remodel. The front counter has been redesigned to move the line more efficiently and reduce the order to pick up time. We’re replacing the equipment and appliances in the kitchen and the tables out front. All the food and beverage areas are undergoing general equipment upgrades and equipment replacement designed to improve quality and service for the guest as well as allowing us to become more energy efficient in those operations.

We are also remodeling the North Lodge bathrooms on the slope level, similar to the improvements we made to the 1st floor bathrooms last year. Speaking of bathrooms – our season locker holders will be glad to hear that we are installing a unisex bathroom in the locker room. No more having to run upstairs.

There’s some big news in the “Fun Zone” – we’re replacing our rope tow with a WonderCarpet skier/rider conveyer. It’s 280 feet long and is fully enclosed. It’s a far more comfortable uphill conveyance than a standard WonderCarpet and certainly the rope tow it replaces. The whole length is supported on a deck that can be raised and lowered with the snow depth allowing us to open this lift reliably on time, regardless of snowfall. It will make the first-time experience for beginners and especially kids even more enjoyable.

It is a very busy summer for our I.T. department. We’re significantly upgrading our season pass software, allowing greater flexibility for picture taking and products in the future. We’re also installing direct to lift access with a scanning system at our chair lifts. Our lift attendants will have scanners to read tickets and passes. This will allow certain products – such as the 10 Time Pass – to bypass the ticket window and go direct to the lift. We’ve also changed over to a new email server and phone system – internal improvements that ultimately will improve communications both within our company and with our guests.

We’ve placed a significant order for new rental equipment – Salomon skis, snowboards, boots and bindings. We’re in our third year of partnership with Salomon and have basically replaced all of our rental equipment during the partnership.

We've purchased three Prinoth 350 snow cats all with terrain master tillers and blades to replace older cats. Meadows continues to differentiate itself from other ski resorts with one of largest and current snow cat fleets, and highly skilled team of professional groomers who are also riders and skiers.

Our web site skihood.com is undergoing a redesign that eventually will improve social networking capabilities on the site. It will still provide our guests with the most updated mountain information, as well as the place to purchase season passes and eTickets.

Over at Cooper Spur Ski Area we are building a new ticket office – which will expedite ticket lines. In the past all business had to go through the rental shop – now those that only need lift tickets will be served much faster.

This is just a quick listing of the more visible projects we are working on this summer. This is over and above the general lift and facilities maintenance that occurs every season, which is also considerable.

Season passes will be going on sale September 1, just a month away, so get ready. The season will be here before we know it!

Onward!

Your Meadows Team

The New SkiHood.com

MatthewDrake — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:18:00 GMT

Hi Folks.

You may have noticed from the front page of the web site that we are undergoing a web site revision project. We’d like to get your feedback about what you’d like to see skihood.com become, and have established this link for you to participate in this survey:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227TJJWZH4R

We have learned a lot through this blog, particularly how important your involvement and participation on this site is. It brings a freshness, new perspective and makes it more interesting. Through this survey we are looking for your suggestions on how to make skihood.com more functional, interesting and a better experience for you.

You can also use this blog to share some of your ideas and impressions of our web site. Let’s have a discussion on how we can make it better.

I hope you’re having a great summer. We’ll be updating the site this summer to discuss some of the projects we are working on.

Onward!

--Matt

Meadows Blog

MatthewDrake — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:18:00 GMT

Hi Folks!

I wanted to take some time to discuss with you some of our new plans for this blog. These plans have been in the works since last July. This blog is a critically important communication tool that allows guests to provide feedback and insight regarding our operations. The comments, suggestions and constructive criticisms posted on this blog have and will continue to impact the decision making process at Mt. Hood Meadows.

I have enjoyed the many good conversations and want to continue this opportunity to facilitate constructive, meaningful, two-way dialogue between our guests and other management team members.

In order to make the blog more effective, we’re making some improvements to the blog itself. First – the name is now Meadows Blog. I’ll still be involved in posting special topics and associated responses. We are, however, expanding the opportunities for input from the very talented members of our management team to formulate some of the responses to your posts. This will improve Meadows Blog in two important ways. First, responding thoughtfully and consistently to the sheer volume of people posting comments -- which is awesome. Since July 2007 there have been more than 2,000 posts to this blog – that is an incredible amount of activity particularly when you consider that each post is read and responses are published to the many posts that are on topic. The second, and more significant reason, is because this blog has evolved to the point that many of your posts are well thought out, asking detailed and challenging questions that demand a thoughtful response. In some cases, we may take a little longer to provide a thorough response, or so that we can organize responses that adequately address similar posts. In this way we will improve the quality of the conversation – your good questions deserve well thought out and detailed answers.

The blog has become a part of the Meadows community. In fact, it may be a key instrument which is helping to build that community, at least virtually. The blog will never take the place of a good face-to-face conversation, but it does provide a way for those who care about Meadows and want to see it improve to express their concerns, ideas and great suggestions in a productive and constructive way. To further advance this concept we will ask you to join the community before posting.

This is a simple process – you select “Join” in the upper right hand corner of this page. You provide as much or as little information as you want – you don’t have to give your real name or set up a profile. You will need to provide an email address to receive and confirm your password. Once you are a member of the community, the “post a comment” box will appear at the bottom of each topic page, allowing you to post freely as you have done in the past. You only need to join the community once, when you come back simply “Sign In” and the page will recognize you – and the “post a comment” box will be visible. Those who aren’t members or haven’t signed in will be able to read the blog topic as well as the posts of others. Many of you have already joined – you do not need to join again, just keep using your current sign in. There are other benefits that this community can provide those who join that we will be exploring further.

Let’s discuss the rules for posting. The two main rules have been that the comment must be on topic and refrain from using profanity in order to be posted.

We would also like to refrain from rude or misleading statements intended to insult other guests or our employees. If you don’t like something about MHM or its operations – express it, but not without a specific suggestion for improvement.

Also, we’re not going to post comments, which are basically advertisements for other ski areas. While providing examples of how things are done at other areas can be helpful, a blatant commercial isn’t going to be posted. Again, we are more concerned about the members of our community who want to make Meadows better.

Through these changes the Meadows Blog serve its purpose – providing a forum and a resource for improving the experience for our guests and staff members. So join the community and have a terrific summer!

Onward!

--Matt

Season Ends Sunday, May 11, 2008

MatthewDrake — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:36:00 GMT

Hi Folks!

Well, all good things must come to an end and so it is with our historic 40th Anniversary Season here at Mt. Hood Meadows. Sunday, May 11 will be our last day of operation for this epic season.

We’re basing the decision on many factors, but primarily due to the quality of the experience that we would be able to offer if we were to continue the season on past May 11, 2008. The forecast is calling for increasingly warm weather through the week and beyond, into the 70s during the day at MHM, and not even down to freezing at night. Clearly not a good forecast for setting up spring corn and maintaining quality riding terrain.

We wanted to make this announcement today for those that would want to join us on our last day of the season on Sunday, May 11, 2008. We appreciate those that joined us last weekend, and those who came out today. But now it is on to summer and all the great recreational and outdoor pursuits Mt. Hood and Oregon have to offer. Here on the mountain we will be busy with many improvement projects which will make the Meadows experience even more enjoyable next season.

We want to thank everyone who has made our 40th anniversary season a real celebration of “Making Winter Fun”, and an historic season in terms of guest participation and snow fall. I would particularly like to express my sincere appreciation to our guests who made Meadows an important part of their winter this season. I would also like to thank all of you bloggers out there who participated in the many lively discussion we carried out on this blog. Mt. Hood Meadows benefitted greatly from your input, and I think you will see the tangible results of much of that input at MHM next season! Most importantly, I want to thank the incredibly talented and hardworking MHM Team for just an awesome effort this season. You consistently and successfully served more guests, under uniquely challenging (and epic) weather conditions, than we have ever done in our 40 year history! You continue to impress and amaze me with your talent, enthusiasm, love for the mountain and constant commitment to our guests.

I will be updating the Blog through the summer with topics that we’ve been discussing. For now I’d like to hear from you, our loyal Bloggers, about this season. What are some of your personal highlights about this amazing season here at Mt. Hood Meadows?

I look forward to receiving your posts, and thanks again for helping to make this an epic season at Mt. Hood Meadows!

Onward!

--Matt

Meadows Will Operate May 10 and 11, 2008!

MatthewDrake — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:18:00 GMT

Hi folks!

Congratulations on the great turn out this past weekend – particularly on Sunday! The first weekend of the May Challenge is in the books and we are a “GO” for next weekend, May 10 and 11. Lift operations will again be from 9 AM – 3 PM.

Based on the lift and trail usage we saw this past weekend, here’s the lifts we’re scheduling for this weekend:
Mt. Hood Express, Cascade Express, Buttercup, Daisy and Heather. Of course this schedule can be affected by weather and snow conditions.

Adding Daisy serves three purposes – it provides an additional lift out of the base area, it serves the Rose City, SuperPipe and Shipyard parks, and it is a quick connect to Cascade. The traffic on the Shooting Star terrain doesn’t warrant running that lift, as Heather is accessible from Cascade, particularly Upper Heather which had the best conditions in the canyon on Sunday.

Hopefully the weather will give us more of what we saw on Sunday, and less of what we saw last Saturday! Spread the word – Meadows is open this weekend.

Onward!

--Matt

May Challenge Saturday and Sunday May 3 and 4

MatthewDrake — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:24:00 GMT

MATT'S NOTE: We had a great turn out in the sunshine Sunday, enough to continue the season next weekend May 10 and 11!

The post below is regarding May 3 and 4. I'll be updating the blog shortly.

Hi folks.

Are you up for the first weekend of the May Challenge? We are. Here are the scheduled lifts for the weekend:

Mt. Hood Express
Buttercup
Cascade Express
Shooting Star Express
Heather

That’s right – both Shooting Star Express and Heather are scheduled. Should be some great off-piste off both lifts this weekend. As always Heather and Cascade will be conditions permitting. Vista would operate as an alternate to Cascade, but I’m really looking forward to the wide open expansiveness and corn snow on Cascade!

On the freestyle front – Rose City Park, the in-ground SuperPipe, Shipyard and the Cascade Park (weather permitting) will all be open.

Our lift hours will be from 9 AM – 3 PM each day. Lift tickets will be discounted to $44 for adults, $25 for juniors (age 7 – 14) and seniors (age 65 and older) and $9 for children 6 and under.

The Retrofits will play both Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 PM at the Paradise Sundeck the perfect place to bask in the spring sun after a day on the mountain. We’ll also have the Schuss (including the full breakfast menu for those looking for the popular Meadow Muffin and hot breakfast) and Alpenstube open. Meadows will continue to offer ski school services for adults and children, daycare (reservations required for daycare), ski and snowboard rentals. You’ll want to check out the special in our retail shops – up to 70% off in our spring splash – liquidation sale, and skis and snowboards (both new and demo) are marked 50% off.

We’ll see you this weekend on the mountain. It’s going to be great!

--Matt

May Challenge is ON

MatthewDrake — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:05:00 GMT

Hi folks.

Thanks to all of you for your posts to my May Challenge revisited topic. I am pleased (and stoked) to announce that we are moving ahead with the May Challenge again this season on a weekend-to-weekend basis.

Daily operations will end Sunday, April 27, but we will reopen for Saturday and Sunday May 3 and 4 for sure. Then we’ll determine whether we’ll extend the season and reopen the next weekend based on the turn out that weekend. The snow depth and surface conditions at MHM are still pretty epic so I hope that you all will be able and interested in taking advantage of the awesome conditions!

Our lift hours will be from 9 AM – 3 PM each day. Lift tickets will be discounted to $44 for adults, $25 for juniors (age 7 – 14) and seniors (age 65 and older) and $9 for children 6 and under.

Meadows will continue to offer ski school services for adults and children, daycare (reservations required for daycare), ski and snowboard rentals, retail shops (which are featuring sales on merchandise up to 70%; and demo equipment at half price) and the Schuss, Alpenstube and the always popular Paradise Sundeck and Grill – the perfect place to bask in the spring sun after a day on the mountain. We’ll have entertainment lined up to perform on the deck in the afternoon, so plan on soaking up the sun (and some suds) and enjoying some delicious BBQ!

We expect to operate Mt. Hood Express, Cascade Express, Buttercup, Shooting Star and Heather* although lift operations are conditional based on weather. We plan to continue operating terrain parks and the current superpipe, although as this season has demonstrated those plans can be affected by weather. We can get a little more specific as we check the weather and conditions going into each May weekend.

To those that have requested we extend operations to midweek, I regret that the business levels we have seen midweek in April just don’t allow us to justify midweek operations in May. It’s been a good April, but not as good as April two seasons ago the first year we offered the May Challenge.

So the May Challenge is ON! Spread the word and get a lot of people headed to MHM May 3 and 4. See you on the mountain!

Onward!

--Matt

*Shooting Star and Heather added Wednesday at 9:25 PM

Avalanche Control - A New Approach

MatthewDrake — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:09:00 GMT

Hi folks.

For the past year, Mt. Hood Meadows has conducted extensive research on developing an improved avalanche control (AC) program that will provide for the safety of our employees conducting avalanche control, and to better serve skiers by getting our in bounds terrain – in particular Heather and Clark Canyons – open more frequently and routinely after storm cycles. This blog is a continuation of prior blogs addressing snow safety at Mt. Hood Meadows and is intended to:
• Review our in bounds terrain and the associated avalanche threats,
• Inform about current options to mitigate this threat, including current procedures,.
• Present the option we are most likely to pursue and the approvals process required for implementation,

The Terrain

The terrain in Heather and Clark Canyons is big, varied (convex slopes, rock cliffs, steeps, trees, etc.) and uniquely spectacular. Combine this terrain with an ample supply of northwest snowfall and you have the recipe for some incredible skiing, snowboarding, and avalanches. Mitigating avalanche hazards in this varied terrain is challenging, particularly during storm systems. It’s hard to get to -- the Cascade Express chairlift is frequently crippled by a large volume of rime ice and it can’t run early, if at all.

Snowmobiles and snowcats are ineffective in pulling the patrollers uphill through deep snow and whiteout conditions, so patrollers must climb on skis or wade uphill with heavy packs of explosives to reach their control objectives. Under such conditions, more patrollers performing snow safety work is not the answer. In fact, such a strategy would further compound safety and productivity challenges in this area.

Our current avalanche control program is one that we have used effectively, for many years and includes a series of both passive and active measures. Passive methods include avoidance and closure. While there are areas within our permit area which we avoid altogether, we use gated ropelines to manage our avalanche closures, as the map below indicates.

Unfortunately, temporary closures are only respected if they are infrequent and of short duration. Long delays in opening Heather Canyon after a storm cycle frequently lead to closure violations. The threat of lost skiing privileges, a fine or possibly death if overtaken by an avalanche, apparently are insufficient deterrents. Safety of our employees and the public is the primary concern of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort and the Mt. Hood National Forest.

Control Zones are often used to help define the terrain in avalanche control programs. Typically, multiple avalanche paths grouped within one zone may have similar terrain features, similar weather patterns, and require similar hazard reduction measures. You can see the different zones on the map below. Each zone generally requires its own unique approach and technique.

Mt. Hood Meadows ski patrol routinely provides active control measures into these areas, including the use of:
• Compaction – Primarily skier compaction, which works best in Lower Heather Canyon, but must thoroughly disturb every snow layer in order for skier/rider compaction to be effective
• Ski Cutting – A major staple of most ski patrol control teams, but is not suitable for hard or deep slabs on the unconfined convex slopes that prevail in Heather & Clark Canyons,

Deep slabs are possible as shown here in A-zone, beneath the Basalt Cliffs

-- you definitely wouldn’t want to try ski cutting this slab.
• Explosives – Using hand charges is the most common method of Avalanche Control delivery in use at Meadows today. Individual explosive charges weighing from two to ten pounds each are thrown, suspended or placed onto the avalanche path by our control teams.

Despite the inherent and obvious hazards associated with handling explosives, using them can reduce control team members exposure to avalanche hazard.

The sequence below shows the effective use of hand explosives to release a slide in A-zone.

Sometimes a 10 pound explosive isn’t enough so a larger explosive is delivered by tethered sled precisely into a control area.

We also use an avalauncher (like the one pictured) which uses compressed nitrogen to throw a 2.6 pound explosive charge designed to explode on impact. Avalaunchers are often times not effective during storm periods as the light-weight charge can be blown off course. And during storm conditions visual confirmation is not possible to determine whether avalauncher “shots” have been effective.

Here’s one of the key challenges of avalanche control work in Heather and Clark Canyons: Because they both funnel into Lower Heather Canyon all of these zones have to be controlled before the terrain below them can be opened. Our crews have to blast their way from one zone to the next, first controlling the Basalt Cliffs, then Upper Heather ridge, on to Clark Ridge and down to Accordion Bowl.

This also means that all the explosives for this trek must be carried in, so our patrollers are performing this work wearing 70 and 80 pound backpacks filled with explosives. Meanwhile, other teams are controlling Heather Ridge, Clark Canyon and Jacks Woods.
The lower canyon can only be opened once the upper potential avalanche areas have been controlled.

Control teams that climb the ridge to reach the upper Basalt starting zones are faced with a very big challenge. These starting zones are huge unconfined convex rolls that get steeper the farther out you go. These are some of the most dangerous types of slopes for control teams to be on. Control teams here are also frequently hampered by high winds and poor visibility. The snow surface is often wind packed and very firm which requires the hand charges to be tethered to keep them from rolling down the slope. “Tippy-toeing” out onto a huge convex hard slab, in a “whiteout”, to tether a five pound booster to your ski pole is extremely dangerous. There is rarely a safe route, and there is no place to hide.

I have the greatest amount of respect for our patrollers who serve on our control teams. They perform their work professionally and precisely, in extreme and inhospitable conditions, with no margin for error. The graph below shows the number of patrollers on the Basalt and upper Heather Ridge routes conducted over the past several seasons.

So that brings you up to speed on our current avalanche control program.

There are other options to performing control work used in other parts of the country. After careful consideration we’ve determined that most don’t deliver the margin of safety or accuracy that we need here in our challenging environment. For our situation, the safest and the most effective avalanche control measure is a military weapon, an option we are currently studying with the intent to acquire and install. Specifically, a M101A1 105 MM Howitzer like the one pictured below, located at Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort.

The 105 MM Howitzer has the ability to deliver appropriate payloads of explosives to remote and inaccessible starting zones with precise targeting, even during adverse weather conditions. That means that control work can proceed during storms, even in whiteout conditions, confidently and precisely. That will enable any required hand throwing or cutting by teams to proceed more directly to those areas. This means we can open Heather and Clark Canyons more safely and potentially more quickly following storm cycles, depending on the weather and snow conditions. It also means less risk to our patrol crews. These weapons are administered by the US Army Tactical Command based at the arsenal in Rock Island, IL. The army “loans” the equipment to another government agency such as the Forest Service or a state highway department with the cost of equipment refurbishment borne by the proposed user which, in this case, would be Mt. Hood Meadows. Military weapons are used for snow safety programs at other ski areas such as Mammoth, Alpine Meadows, Taos, Jackson Hole, Alta, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard and by highway departments in Colorado, Wyoming and Washington.

The acquisition of the Howitzer and construction of the building is a top priority for Mt. Hood Meadows. In addition to the normal USFS permitting procedures, which includes environmental analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, our plan must also comply with and be approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Army. We are working closely with Forest Supervisor Gary Larsen, pursuing a plan which could allow us to construct the firing platform and magazine, and acquire the weapon for use as soon as the 2008/2009 ski season, provided USFS permitting can be achieved in the near future. Here is his perspective:

As Forest Supervisor, I was asked to add my perspective to this blog. I have never blogged before, but welcome the opportunity. While every ski area avalanche management situation is unique, there are a set of factors that need to be well-addressed in the administration and management of any ski area avalanche control program. Among them are:

• the level of avalanche risk the public is exposed to and how public exposure to the risk is managed,
• the level of risk assumed by ski area employees and the ski patrol in controlling avalanches,
• the interaction between weather, avalanche risk, and opening of potentially threatened ski runs,
• environmental effects, and
• cost and difficulty of administering and managing the avalanche control program.

We (MHM and Mt. Hood National Forest) have become increasingly concerned with the level of risk the ski patrol and MHM employees are facing in their current routine avalanche control. MHM has explored a variety of methods for control. Representatives from the Mt. Hood National Forest and MHM visited Snowbird ski area in Utah a month ago to examine their avalanche control program because theirs is one of the best in the nation.

We found out that indeed MHM employees and ski patrol are exposed to greater risk than Snowbird employees and ski patrol. We discovered a high level of public acceptance of the use of military weapons and a very effective system for communicating with the public about risks, planned avalanche control times, and a high degree of management of public exposure to avalanche hazard and control. We also discovered that the environmental effects of military weapon use are smaller than with other techniques because of increased accuracy and significantly smaller dud rate. Lastly, we affirmed the importance of using a multi-faceted approach to controlling risks associated with avalanches and avalanche control — a comprehensive avalanche control program.

MHM has made a proposal to the Mt. Hood National Forest to improve its avalanche control program in several respects, the most significant of which is the proposed use of a military weapon. As we have evaluated their proposal, we find it to be comprehensive and well-thought through. If we approve implementation of their proposed program, risks to the Ski Patrol and MHM employees will be reduced very significantly, risks to the public will be significantly reduced, response times after large snow-dumping storms will be shortened significantly allowing use of some of the best runs while snow conditions are still excellent. The overall environmental effects will be less in comparison to their current methods. The one-time initial capital investment required for the proposed avalanche control program will be high due to acquisition and refurbishing the weapon and construction associated with its shelter and explosive storage. The annual operating costs will also be higher than the current approach due primarily to the training requirements necessary to safely operate the weapon. MHM is also including investment in other avalanche control tools as part of its new comprehensive plan.

The only environmental effect changes that will require analysis are for the installation of the new weapon shelter and explosive storage — an analysis that we will conduct under a categorical exclusion. MHM and the Hood River Ranger District are consulting with stakeholders and local officials as MHM finalizes its proposal. We will look forward to considering the proposal when they submit it after having made changes as the result of their consultations. The Hood River District Ranger has indicated to me that she would solicit additional comments from stakeholders when we receive the final proposal before she makes her decision. From my perspective, this proposal by MHM represents a significant long term investment in the safety of the Ski Patrol, MHM employees, and the public, as well as an investment in providing high quality services to the public.

-- Gary Larsen, Forest Supervisor, Mt. Hood National Forest. April 2, 2008

May Challenge Revisited

MatthewDrake — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:31:00 GMT

Hi folks!

We’ve already announced our operational schedule for this season – daily through April 27 then weekends after that for the May Challenge. We started the May Challenge two seasons ago as a way to collaborate with those guests that wanted the season to continue. So long as our skier visits tally 4,000 or more on a weekend, we’ll commit to open the following weekend. Season pass holders are included in this amount – we calculate the skier visit tally based on the number of cars parked in the parking lot, minus a factor for employee cars, times 2.5 people per car.

Two seasons ago we extended the season into the first weekend of June. Last season we went through the third weekend of May with the May Challenge.

So here’s the question.

We’ve used the May Challenge to extend our season the past two years. What are your thoughts about it? Is it really working? Should we continue it? Any suggestions as to how we could improve on this concept?

Extending the season a week at a time does pose a certain amount of operational issues. It’s difficult to keep key employees who really don’t know when their season will come to an end and have to move on to their summer jobs. We want to make sure we present the correct balance of operational and service levels as we extend the season. Weather tends to be the most influential factor – if the weekend lines up on wet spring storm it really drives the numbers down and can bring a brisk end to an epic season at Mt. Hood Meadows!

Give some thought about the May Challenge and then post your comment. We are experiencing an amazing season – receiving March storms with incredible powder conditions. With more than 15 feet at the base area – we will have great conditions through the end of our season (whenever that is)!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Onward!

--Matt

Unlimited Spring Season Pass Starts Saturday, March 1

MatthewDrake — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:42:00 GMT

Hi Folks.

Just a quick note to alert you that we are again offering our Unlimited Spring Season Pass beginning this Saturday. The pass is just $119 and will be good every day from March 1 through the rest of this season. Our schedule now is to operate daily through April 27, and then continue with weekends through May as part of the May challenge. Who knows, with this year’s snow fall we may even go into June. Night operations continue Wednesday through Sunday evenings through March 9.

There are some other spring specials you should be aware of. Beginning March 7 groups of 15 or more can receive $34 lift tickets by making a reservation in advance. Group members also qualify for discounted lessons and equipment rentals. Spring really is a great time to bring a group to the mountain. And if you can come midweek we’ll offer you the $49 “Uplift Special” which includes lunch and a lift ticket, or a beginner special for the first timers ages 13 and older. We’ll also return to our 40th anniversary special pricing for our learn to ski or snowboard packages – beginner lift ticket, equipment rentals and a 2 hour beginner lesson for just $40 beginning March 3.

Spring weather brings out the best at Meadows – the upper lifts are open more consistently presenting fabulous spring corn in the sunshine. Heather Canyon is spectacular.

Spring is also a great time for kids – so we extend a free season pass for ages 6 and under when their parent or grand parent purchases a Spring pass. We hope you take advantage of it. We’re also kicking off our three-week March programs for Sno-Blasters (elementary school age) and Trailblazers (middle school). The sessions are offered Saturdays, March 8, 15 and 22; or Sundays, March 9, 16 and 23. The sessions are reasonably priced and include a season pass for those purchasing packages with lift and lesson components. We also offer our three-day Kids Camp March 24 – 26 during Oregon spring break, and again March 31 - April 2 and a freestyle camp on those same days.

I said this would be a quick post. But let’s not forget that we have over two full months of winter remaining. Meadows traditionally receives some mid-winter storms in March and April, so don’t hang up the powder skis yet. Having said that, I look forward to your comments – what is it about spring skiing and riding at Meadows that you enjoy the most?

Onward!

Matt

Extra Extra – What About IT!

MatthewDrake — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:36:00 GMT

Hi folks.

Let’s talk about IT! What’s IT? Well, that’s what we’d like to know. Let’s not talk about skiing and snowboarding for a bit. Let’s talk about other activities, events, entertainment or competitions, which would make you interested in visiting Meadows, over and above the ski and snowboarding experience.

This February we have some major events – the Burton Demo Tour Super Stop returns for its second season. This is an international event – last year Meadows set a single day and event weekend record for the most equipment demoed at any tour stop ever held in its previous three year history. Perhaps that’s why Burton decided to make Meadows one of only six locations for its Burton Am Series – slopestyle and halfpipe competitions – the winners of which earn a spot in the U.S. Open. We also have the USSA Revolution Tour this month – featuring SBX, Slopestyle and Halfpipe competitions. These are amateur events, but will feature some major talent as national points are awarded for those trying to earn spots on the U.S. Snowboard Team. In March we’re hosting the NorAm Finals which will feature members of the U.S. Snowboard Alpine teams carving for championships.

Of course we have several local events as well – the Cancer Ski Out to raise funds for cancer research and to support patients, the Oregon High School Ski Racing State Championships, the Full Sail Banked Slalom return in March. April includes Vegetate – skiing and snowboarding for native wildflowers, Snow Jam Bike Jump and the Sno-Kona Pond Skim contest.

Is that IT? That’s my question to you. These are fun events and competitions, but is that what you want to see or experience at Meadows? More entertainment (be specific – what kind)? Competitions – serious or fun? Activities? More demos?

Or perhaps you would prefer to be not IT! That is, you don’t want this additional excitement, attraction or distraction at the slopes.

Here’s your chance to tell us what would influence your decision to come to Mt. Hood Meadows apart from the incredible snow we have received so far this season.
Remember, this is not slope related; we’re not talking about more lifts, more terrain, grooming, parks, etc. We’re looking for events, activities, competitions or entertainment that we could provide that would make your experience more enjoyable, fulfilling or memorable.

So TAG - You're IT! I’m looking forward to seeing your comments – and perhaps we can even take action on these items yet this season!

Onward!

--Matt

How Are We Doing?

MatthewDrake — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:47:00 GMT

Hi Folks!

This has been an amazing season. The snowfall has been astonishing – both in quantity (a base depth that has led the country through most of the season) and in quality – epic powder. The 40th anniversary celebration has been fun – we gave away the big 40 year pass on Sunday in front of a big crowd who braved yet another big Mt. Hood storm system. It was quite the scene, and we still have midweek drawings for a 2007/08 season pass Monday through Thursday through January. It’s exciting to see our guests and staff interacting and involved in these fun events.

We’re also promoting safety on the slopes more vigorously this season, with an effort to educate our guests and staff on the seven rules of the Responsibility Code. The MHM mantra – “Live the Code” has become one of the most popular slogans for the season among our guests and staff.

As you may know Meadows won the outstanding guest service award from the National Ski Areas Association last May. We also won a national safety program award from NSAA (National Ski Areas Association) for our “Are You Aware” skier and snowboarder education program. We’ve made no secret of our goal to win those awards again – using it as both a challenge and a measure to our staff to improve in both areas this season.

So I have a question for you. How are we doing? I’d like to get your feedback. What are your observations and experiences at Meadows this season? Anything you noticed that you would consider to be exceptional by a staff member who provided service beyond your expectation? Have you seen any systematic changes at Meadows which have made your experience more convenient or enjoyable?

What areas would you like to see us improve in? I realize that I’m opening us up for some criticism here which is OK, but I would appreciate it if you offered it constructively, and included a suggestion for improvement, how the problem or issue could be resolved, mitigated or eliminated.

I’m also looking for feedback regarding the “Live the Code” and “Are You Aware” programs. Much of the focus this season has been on boundary management and deep snow issues, because of the nature of our snowfall, but generally, how are we doing in terms of making our guests more aware while on the slopes?

Our intention is to use your comments and feedback to reward and recognize those that have been providing exceptional guest service, and make adjustments to our guest service and safety programs in those areas that need improvement, based on your observations and suggestions.

We are on a journey of continual improvement in all aspects of our operations and you play a key role. If we are successful and win awards again, we will dedicate them to you our guests for helping us to become a company that provides exceptional guest service and safety programs.

Onward!

--Matt

Tom Spangler Named New Mt. Hood Meadows General Manager

MatthewDrake — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:32:00 GMT

Hi Folks.

I am very pleased to announce that Jackson Hole Chief Operating Officer Tom Spangler will be the new General Manger at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort. Tom has been at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort since August of 1998 as Vice President General Manager, Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure his responsibilities included overseeing all winter and summer operations.

During an exhaustive six-month search for this position, I interviewed more than fifty candidates for the General Manager position. These were executives, managers and directors from ski resorts throughout the United States and Canada. There were many talented, and very well qualified ski resort executives who pursued this position with great interest. But, along with the MHM Director Team, I can assure you that Tom is not only the most qualified candidate in terms of operational expertise, but also the best fit for Mt. Hood Meadows -- our entire team, our guests and our community. Tom has a vast amount of experience in the alpine and nordic recreation industries. He has been directly responsible for operations, expansion projects, USFS relationships, and environmental programs at several major day ski resorts and one destination ski resort in the US. I believe Tom possesses the operational knowledge, leadership skills, innovation, drive, character and passion needed to realize Mt. Hood Meadows’ mission of becoming the ‘Best in the West’ in employee and guest loyalty. I am really excited to have the opportunity to work closely with Tom on site at MHM for the balance of this season and beyond.

Tom is a life-long skier who also snowboards. He has spent his entire career in this industry. He knows first hand what it takes to improve the guest experience, from both guest satisfaction and safety perspectives. With his experience he will help us achieve our guest service and safety initiatives that we have made clear are very important to us. He will be a great mentor for our directors, managers and staff. We are excited to have Tom become a part of our Team as we continue on our journey to build this great resort on spectacular Mt. Hood.

Tom is very excited about joining this team, and helping both Mt. Hood Meadows and Cooper Spur Mt. Resort achieve their full potentials. His experience at Jackson Hole the last nine years will be extremely valuable as we pursue completion of our master plan, guest service and safety initiatives.

I would also like to take this opportunity to again thank you for your input on this blog. Late last summer I posted a blog regarding your thoughts on the qualifications, background and character that MHM's next General Manager should possess to help propel us forward aggressively. At the risk of putting too much pressure on Tom, I don't think you will be disappointed!

As you might expect, Tom has projects that he is finishing up at Jackson Hole, but he will be on-site here at Meadows next month. You'll have plenty of chances to meet him - he'll be on the slopes and in the lodges, learning about our operation and talking to staff and guests.

I hope you'll join me in extending a warm Oregon welcome to Tom as he becomes a key member of the Meadows management team, and thanks again for your input and continued passion for quality recreation at MHM.

Onward!

--Matt

What About The Parks?

MatthewDrake — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:21:00 GMT

Hi Folks.

Mt. Hood Meadows was one of the first ski resorts to build a terrain park – Park Place was constructed way back during the 1996-97 season. The year prior we built the venues for the inaugural Vegetate event – a boarder cross, half pipe and big air – and knew we needed to have a park for – at that time – mainly snowboarders to freestyle on. We are proud of the tradition and the reputation we have when it comes to building the best terrain features in the west.

So, why with a 104 inch base in the first week of January don’t we have these parks? Incredibly, we have received too much snow too fast to be able to effectively construct quality terrain features quickly. Our incredible crew continues to make good progress, despite the 170 inches of snow we received since December 15. Before that date our crew’s expertise was showcased by building a hugely popular rail park on just 3 feet of base, most of which was harvested from the parking lots. And as I look at the forecast – we’re going to get up to another foot-and-a-half of snow in the next 48 hours. Not exactly your primo park building stretch of weather.

OK. Enough venting. We have an awesome plan and we are working through it. We have begun building the superpipe – pushing huge amounts of snow up out of the gut so that we can tier off the walls. The pipe acts as a natural snow fence during storms so it is likely to fill right back up again after this storm, but we will continue to push the snow out and further sculpt what will be a truly magnificent spectacle of righteous verticality.

It is very important to build the super pipe walls to the correct grade of between 16 and 18 degrees. We build the skier’s left wall, the sunny wall, a little thicker than skiers right wall, the shady wall, to compensate for the melt factor. After we build the walls, we then take a cat through the gut to begin rough shaping the walls. Then we run the almighty Zaugg down the walls so they ride just smooth and rhythmically. Depending on the amount of new snow we receive while building the superpipe, we are aiming to open it by January 10th.

Park Place currently has one butter box, three table tops, and one hip, although we face the same problems constantly battling large amounts of new snow. During these heavy snow cycles, our hardworking crew spends many hours hand digging and re-setting rails. Jumps need to be rebuilt when the landings and take off’s fill in. The Parks crew pretty much starts over during and after every storm -- this is what makes the features not only ride well but makes them easier to properly maintain.

I was looking at the snow conditions at some other resorts across the country. I think I’ll quit whining about the snow, set some dates and work like hell to hit them. So here goes:

The Zoo and Shipyard – Open and continue to maintain and expand features daily.
Rose City – Open and continue to maintain and expand features, perhaps increasing the size of the jumps a bit.
Park Place – Built to completion January 10.
BoarderCross (on Wallflower) – January 10.
Superpipe – January 12.
Forest Park (now on Tamarack) – January 19.

Our Grooming and Parks departments are committed to do their best to meet or beat these deadlines. As always this is dependent on how much snow we receive. I figure we can’t lose. If it keeps snowing we’ll continue to have the best snow in the country. And if it stops we’ll have the best parks in the country. Hopefully, with just a little break in the weather and an enormous effort by our talented and dedicated parks and grooming crews, we’ll have both. So let us know how fun you find the parks and superpipe.

Onward!

--Matt