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FAQs

8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM by Dave Tragethon in FAQ | 44 comments

Those who seek out the adventure and thrill of snow sports in the mountains are naturally curious. And boy do they have questions! So here's a place to find out what others are curious about. Perhaps you haven't been to Meadows before and you have some basic questions which need to be answered. Maybe it has to do with something on the mountain, why we do something a certain way, or an observation you had. Could be you're having a technical issue in the online store.

Whatever your question - ask it here. We'll receive your question and get back in touch with you with an answer. And we'll post those that are asked a lot or is good knowledge for others.

Your questions and feedback will help us improve the guest experience at Mt. Hood Meadows. Thanks for asking!

44 Comments

  1. Jeanne Kistner

    September 9, 2009

    Hi Dave,
    It appears you may have eliminated your 10x10 passes. Having purchased this pass with a group for many years, I cannot tell you how disappointed I am if in fact you have eliminated this option. I have promoted this pass to so many people and have been able to get a number of people who would not normally buy any passes to come up skiing as they had the 10x10 pass option. Many of us do not use the 10 time completely, so having the group rate for this makes it more justifiable. If you want to get more people on the mountain, I suggest you keep this as a group ticket option!

    If you have decided to eliminate this option, I know alot of adult friends who will be extremely disappointed. Possibly this is not the case? Let's hope not.
    Thanks for your reply,

    Meadows reply:
    In past years we required people to form or join a group of 10 or more in order to get the early discount. This year we're offering the discount - $349 (regularly $399) - without having to join or form a group. This can be purchased in our store. The price will increase after November 8. It's an exceptional deal - we just made it easier to purchase.
    Thanks for the post!

  2. Jason

    September 24, 2009

    I am wondering what maintenance you have performed on the lifts over this summer? I can't help but think back to the peak weeks of last season (around Christmas) the Mt. Hood Express was shut down for days at a time. Being that it's the main artery leaving the lodge, that makes for a difficult day on the mountain.

    If there has been any overhaul on your chair systems, I suggest you boast about it on your blog because I'm sure I'm not the only one concerned about this issue.

    Meadows reply:

    Jason – thanks for the post and our apologies for the delay in responding but we wanted to check the history of Mt. Hood Express operations during the Christmas Holiday. I think you’ll see that with the exception of extreme weather events, Mt. Hood Express operated as scheduled with very little or no down time.

    We experienced one of the most severe and sustained winter storms between December 27 and January 2. December 28th we did not operate Mt. Hood Express due to high winds. December 31 and January 1 we closed the lift early (along with several other lifts) again due to high winds. George Taylor the former state climatologist has described last winter as one of the most extreme in history, due largely because the jet stream was right on top of us. January 2nd we didn’t start operating Mt. Hood Express until 7:30 in the evening, due to all day deicing of every lift at Meadows. We operated the Blue lift that day.

    Between December 24 and January 4, Mt. Hood Express was scheduled to operate 12 days. Three of those days were affected by the extreme weather which would not allow the lift to operate. The 9 remaining days the lift was scheduled to operate 80 hours. During that time service was interrupted a total of 50 minutes, or an average of around 5.5 minutes per day, or about 37 seconds for every hour of operation. Three of those days there was no down time at all. Most of these delays were just 4 to 5 minutes in duration and simply required resetting a sensor or adjusting chair spacing – again the result of icing and winds. We have a very talented and dedicated lift maintenance crew which routinely maintains each of our lifts with precision and discipline, as well as providing immediate response in the event of heavy weather and/or mechanical problems ..

    Which brings us to the next point – summer lift maintenance. We don’t normally crow about this, we just do it as we have every summer for the past 42 years. But given this opportunity to speak to the issue, essentially we spend the entire summer inspecting and maintaining welds, fasteners, bearings, liners, pulleys, sheaves, belts, brakes, gearboxes, cables, tension systems, grips, chairs, safety systems, pumps, electronics, motors, drives, foundations, towers, and many other systems and components. This includes in-depth Non-Destructive testing methods of critical components as well as load testing lifts, visual and auditory and vibration inspections as well as a pre-season insurance and United States Forest Service on-site inspection which must repair or correct any deficient items prior to operating any ropeways to the public. All maintenance is done in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures for maintenance and in accordance with ANSI B77.1-2006 (The American National Standard for passenger ropeways).

    Our Director of Lift Operations Tom Scully helped prepare this response. Tom was awarded the PNSAA “Tower of Excellence” two seasons ago. But he is more proud of this same honor being awarded to his Lift Maintenance Supervisor Dean Hardman this past season. Meadows has won that award three of the past four years due to the commitment, skill and passion for excellence of our entire Lift Maintenance department including team members like Tom and Dean.

    Jason, we appreciate you expressing your concern. We hope this explanation demonstrates our commitment to safety, specifically in the maintenance of our lifts, as well as the pride we have in those providing these services. We thank you for the opportunity to be able to showcase the normally behind the scenes but substantial efforts of our lift maintenance crew.

    -- Meadows Team

  3. VonKlem

    October 4, 2009

    Hi Dave,
    I'm sure I'm not the first to ask but how about allowing noboarding at Meadows (with a leash of course). I remember 20 plus years ago people asking to allow snowboarding. I guess it’s true, history does repeat itself. Seems to me this would be a great opportunity for Meadows to be a leader in the next phase of snowboarding.

    VonKlem

    Meadows reply:
    Unfortunately bindingless boards are not included in our current operational plan with the USFS, even with a strap. So at this time we're not going to be able to host Noboards.

  4. Justin

    October 10, 2009

    Everyone has great Ideas! Not to pull off topic too much or maybe it needs its own, but in the future I would like to see overall improvments on the Mt. in parking, and general safety. My biggest concern is traffic in and out. The main lot is usually a skating rink, or sank in snow. I worked two seasons ago at meadows and seen the worse when we had all that wicked weather. On a weekday just about every bus and car had to be towed out, untill the evening groomers arrived and saved the day! We have a sander but can't spread gravel for enviromental reasons? Maybe I'm wrong, but something could be done. So how to work on that is beyond me, go Meadows! You can do it!

    And another issue is parking all the lots. Wouldn't it be nice to park a straight row everytime? Fill every lot to its potential max? How you say??? This nifty new thing called Localized GPS, accurate within inches, not 15 feet. And implementing a system like that in the future could do wonders! Besides the parking lot, young kids could have locaters, so nobody gets lost, every meadowns bus and vehicle can be located,(save some insurance bucks?) Even down to rental boards. I'm sure you can think of more. Call it crazy now, but one day you'll see.

  5. dylan

    October 15, 2009

    is there any plans to make the daisy chairlift express? it would be nice to have a chairlift that can get you to the parks fast on days when vista can't open, plus it would be good for night riding.

    Meadows reply:
    Thanks Dylan. Daisy is a great lift which serves the parks and other great terrain well. We don't have plans to upgrade it at this time as there are other lifts that we'll be focusing on where the uplifting needs are greater.

  6. George I

    October 27, 2009

    My friend and I are both 18 years old and want to buy the 3x3 season pass deal but do not have another person within our age range. We do however have a friend that is 30 years old and is willing to pay extra for his pass if he can be the third person in our group. So my question is; Can our 30 year old friend be in our group of three if he pays a little bit extra on his pass but not the regular full price for a single pass?

    Meadows reply: Hey George - thanks for the question.
    The group pricing only works within the same age groups. So you'll need to find one more for your 3x3 group, and then have your other friend join or form a group. If you're having problems finding someone, check out our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/mthoodmeadows
    Make sure you purchase by the October 31 deadline!

  7. mary

    October 29, 2009

    what are the terms and limitations to the individual passes regarding holidays and weekends? any days that are blacked out to pass holders?

    Meadows reply:
    The individual season passes are Unlimited - meaning they are valid for every lift, during all hours of normal operations, every day. There are no blacked out days.

  8. Chris Strizver

    October 30, 2009

    I couldn't find mid-week passes. Are these no longer offered?

    Meadows reply:
    Midweek passes are $500 for the season - so right now it is more affordable to purchase our group season passes through October 31, or our individually priced passes through November 8. Once we go to regular pricing after November 9 the midweek pass will be available in our store.

  9. Brenner

    November 4, 2009

    Hello,

    I have been a long-time customer of Mt. Hood Meadows. You offer a great product and I wanted to offer a suggestion to make things a little bit better. It would be a nice change if you were able to keep people's pictures on file and send them their passes in the mail. This would eliminate people coming into the Clackamas or Mt. Hood locations and you having to deal with huge crowds at busy times. It would also save your loyal customers time which they could use on the mountain.

    Hope this helps.

    Thank you,

    -Brenner

    Meadows reply:
    Thank you for your patronage and the kind comments. You have a very good suggestion which will greatly improve guest service. This past season we offered those who purchased season passes for this season last April, who had a picture on file, that very service. We don’t offer it as we get close to opening the season as we feel we would be overwhelmed with requests to return by mail right at the pass deadline, which occurs often right about the time we open. We plan on continuing to offer this service next season.
    If we have a good season this year we will most likely be installing access gates which will allow us to use a pass that transcends seasons, so you won’t need to put a new picture on it every year.

  10. Ella

    November 8, 2009

    Can I add money to a season pass after purchasing the pass or must I do it at the same time?

    Meadows reply:
    You can add value to your season pass after purchase at our Passholder Services Center - in the South Lodge just down the hallway from the Concierge.

  11. Chriss

    November 8, 2009

    Just found a $50 gift card that my husband was unable to use due to injury the year he received the card. Do the gift cards have an expiration date or will he be able to use it this year.

    Meadows reply: Bring it on up with you and we'll give it a read.
    Thanks! and here's to a great season for you on the mountain!
    Chriss

  12. Sean

    November 9, 2009

    Looking at the lift ticket rates I don't see anything for student or military discounts. Is there any such rate for shift or all day lift tickets? Thank you

    Meadows: Military receives $10 off a shift ticket or night ticket. College students can purchase a $10 College Card with proof of enrollment, which provides a $10 discount off the shift or night price every time you visit.

  13. HOORAY FOR SNOWBOARDING

    November 9, 2009

    How much is ski check again?

    Meadows: $35 for the season or $3 / day.

  14. Yolanda

    November 11, 2009

    When do night operations start?

    Meadows: TBD - we'll know more after the next storm.

  15. LeeAnn

    November 14, 2009

    Me, my dad, and my brother all ordered our passes online, and we were wondering where and when can we get our picture taken for them?

    Meadows: All pictures are being taken at our new Passholder Services Center in the South Lodge, concourse level, just down the ramp from Concierge. We're open daily at 8 AM and take pictures during all lift operating hours.

  16. Paul

    November 16, 2009

    Hi Team ,
    I have never been to your resort and I am looking for the proper GPS address to program my rental car GPS --

    So How do I program my GPC yto find your resort ?

    PS -- you might consider fixing the google link to be useful :)

    Meadows reply: Thanks for the email. We updated the GOOGLE MAP per your suggestion:
    http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.329706,-121.662792&num=1&t=h&sll=45.437008,-122.066345&sspn=1.150554,1.900635&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=45.329318,-121.661525&spn=0.002938,0.004265&z=18

    You should be able to plug these coordinates into your GPS system:
    45.329706, -121.662792
    Address:‎
    Placement on map is approximate
    +45° 19' 46.94", -121° 39' 46.05"

  17. Jim M

    November 16, 2009

    I purchased my Season pass last spring. Do I pick it up at the lodge? Or do I still have to get my picture taken?

    Thanks!

    Jim

    Meadows: We're taking pictures and issuing passes at our Passholder Services Center on the concourse level of the South Lodge.

  18. Rachel

    November 17, 2009

    My husband and I have poles and boots, can you just rent skis? What is the cost?

    Meadows: You can rent skis only in our High Performance Center. The cost is $50. The whole package - skis, boots and poles in our regular rental center is $37, or in the demo center is $55. The reason for the high price for skis only is the liability we take on to make sure the ski / binding set up performs correctly with your boot. There are some boots that we can not set a binding to due to the age or perhaps style of the equipment. Hope this helps - and we'll see you on the mountain!

  19. Shawn's bro

    November 18, 2009

    Hi,
    I have family coming into town for Christmas and I'd like to give them each a lift ticket as a gift so that we can all hit the slopes together. I'm not seeing an option for buying individual day passes online, though. Can you point me in the right direction?

    Thanks!

    Meadows: Our individual lift tickets, lesson packages and rental packages will be online soon - by next week. You'll be able to purchase them in our online store.

  20. debo

    November 20, 2009

    When I come up to get my picture taken for my season pass, will I be able to get my pass and ski this same day? What is the wait time to get my usable pass?

    Meadows: Our average time from walking into Passholder Services to the time you walk out with our pass is under 7 minutes. The longest anyone has had to wait is 15 minutes. You can use it the very same day. See you on the mountain!

  21. Guy Ragnetti

    November 20, 2009

    Can I pay the difference and upgrade from a 10 Pass to a season pass after November 8th? If so, how much is it if I purchased my 10 pass before November 8th. Love the terrain there! I've lived in Boulder and Bozeman, MT and it's right up there!

    Meadows: You can upgrade your 10 Time Pass at any time to an Unlimited Season Pass - the cost is the difference between the price of your 10 Time Pass and the current Season Pass price, regardless of when you purchased the 10 Time Pass.

  22. Joel

    November 24, 2009

    Hi, I was wondering if Meadows offers a family pass. There are 2 adults and 2 kids under 12. Iam looking for a cost effective way to spend some quality time with the family. Thanks.

    Meadows: The answer is yes, thanks to our partnership with Safeway. The total cost for two adult lift tickets and two 14 and under lift tickets is $150. On peak days (weekends and holiday periods) that's a $218 value, so the savings is significant. Those wearing the family ticket can also rent our standard ski or snowboard equipment package for just $25 - another significant savings.

  23. Napster

    November 26, 2009

    I am looking in to buying the 5 night pass. I can not find anything on the website to say what time the pass is good for ? Mostly going to be for a test of the mountain because I have recently moved out here from the midwest....Any advice on a good time to come check the place out and snowboard for the first time in the area would be helpful, Thanks.

    P.S. If I were to buy the 5 night pass would I be able to upgrade it to another pass limit like Season or would I need a new pass ?

    Meadows: The 5 Time Night Pass is an individual season pass (it has your picture on it) and is good for 5 evenings of Meadows After Dark 3 - 9 PM lift access. It's a direct to lift pass and a tremendous deal at $75. This particular pass isn't upgradeable, although other passes such as the 10 Time Pass are.

  24. Jonathan

    November 27, 2009

    It's not much fun walking through the parking lot. Weaving through the cars is like an obstacle course when you're carrying skis or a board, and walking along the edges you get in the way.

    How about making a pedestrian path down the center of the parking lot? You could mark it out with cones so (hopefully) nobody thinks it's a parking space. The cones could then be removed for nighttime maintenance.

    Another thing is trying to find your car in the lot. It's huge, and the car is always farther away from the lodge than you remember. Maybe you could put up some movable letter signs -- by the center pathway -- like they have at the airport, to make it easier to find the car?

    Meadows: Your suggestions have been referred to Guest Services and Parking for further consideration. Thanks!

  25. Bob

    December 5, 2009

    If I purchase the transportation (bus) package from Beaverton, Tualatin or Gateway, do I get my day pass while on the bus so I do not have to wait in line for a ticket when I get to the Mountain? That to me is the true value of this service, being able to just get out of the bus and go hit the slopes without waiting in line.

    Thanks.

    Meadows: Lift tickets are issued at any point of purchase - ticket windows, concierge, group services desk, rental shop. While it isn't direct to lift convenient, it's close as there are so many available places to pick up your ticket.

  26. James

    December 10, 2009

    I live in Alaska and am coming back to Oregon to visit family. I have a condo rented in Welches for the first week in February. What type of deals can you offer for skis, boots, and poles rentals? I would like to be able to go skiing at least three or four times during the week, but it depends on the prices. Please let me know what you have.

    Thanks.

    Meadows: Hey James. We have a 3 time rentals deal online or at the rental shop for just $75. It's a great deal - so we'll see you at Meadows!

  27. Kristin

    December 20, 2009

    Is there a place to buy a ticket in the city? Or a gift card?

    Meadows: Yes at our Clackamas office 8800 SE Sunnyside Road Suite 112N (503.659.1256) - or you can purchase a package of three lift tickets from Costco.

  28. Doug

    December 26, 2009

    What are the limitations to the lift tickets you can purchase at Costco? We would like to ski this Sunday December 27th and Costco would make it allot more affordable for a family of 6.

    Meadows: There are no limitations on the Costco package of three lift tickets ($159.99). You can use them any day this season(ending Spring 2010).

  29. Trev

    December 28, 2009

    I am interested in Snowboarding lessons with a buddy who is only 10 years old. The packages on your site show 13 years and older. Do you offer lessons for under 13 as well?

    Meadows: Yes - these lessons are offered daily through the Children's Learning Center - you can get more information at this link: http://www.skihood.com/Lessons/Age-4-to-12-Daily-Lessons-and-Camps/Daily

  30. Mariah

    December 31, 2009

    If we purchase lift tickets or the packages over the internet and it turns out we can not use the pass are they refundable? Also, I was reading some of the other questions, and it turns out you guys do offe military discount, but there is no option to put your military for the night tickets, which I purchased and there is a 10.00 discount, how do I get my discount?

    Meadows: Our night lift ticket discount with military I.D. is $5 - you receive that the discount right at the lift ticket window. The "shift" ticket discount is $10 off - again you need to purchase this at the lift ticket window. We do not offer discounts off of our online products. Thanks!

  31. Andrea

    January 2, 2010

    Hey! Are the Safeway Sunday discounts after dark still valid?? $10 off sunday nights 3-9pm??

    Meadows: Not this season. We are selling the 5 Time Night Pass for $75 (which comes down to $15 / night) - that's an individual (non-transferable) direct to lift picture pass. We have a Safeway "family day pass" for $150 which provides two adult (15 and older) and two junior (14 and under) lift tickets at one price.

  32. Ben

    January 18, 2010

    Hi, what is the distance is between the main lodge and HRM (traveling by car)? How much time does it save me to park at HRM if I'm coming from Hood River? Thanks!

    Meadows: The HRM lot would be approximately 2 miles closer to Hood River than the main lot, and it would save you about five minutes or so depending on traffic flow.

  33. Smeds

    January 23, 2010

    Is it possible to access our trip information from the website? I noticed that the lift operator scanners have access to quite a bit of information when they scan your pass (name, birthday, number of days on the mt. etc..) It would be cool to have access to this trip information from the website. Is that information available or possibly in the works?

    Meadows: It is in the works - we do have the ability to review guest lift scans and we're working on a way to make that accessible through password protected user accounts. This will most likely be added as a feature in time for next season.

  34. john

    March 5, 2010

    I ski and enjoy both Meadows and the backcountry around it. I understand the legality and why it's not allowed to use lifts & then access the backcountry. What is your policy on entering slopes from the backcountry?

    Meadows: With gated terrain we ask that people not reenter the permit area because they won't know what control work is going on.

  35. Jacob

    March 25, 2010

    Hey Meadows,

    I love going to up the mountain to board, I usually go in the early hours of morning. I decided to go night skiing and am curious about the hours, your lift guide says they will be open for night skiing until april the 25th, I have since gather that thats from 4-9pm. Is this information accurate?

    Meadows: Night operations have ended for this season. Lifts are scheduled daily from 9 AM - 4 PM through April 25, and we may extend operations into May at least on weekends depending on snow conditions and turn out.
    We extended night operations one additional week this season, through March 14.

  36. Tom

    September 29, 2010

    Regarding Brenner's November 4th post, tell us more about the access gates. Will the system be like the one used at Mt. Bachelor? I support that idea 100%.

    Meadows: We're still researching gated access systems, including the kind used at Bachelor. We most likely couldn't install such a system for a few years however.

  37. Cody

    October 26, 2010

    I am looking in to buying the 5 time night pass for $75. Is there any catch to this? It says any scheduled wed-sun. Does this mean there are blackout dates, or can I use this anytime night skiing is open? Thanks!

    Also, what is the average base depth that is required to open for the season? Or does opening for the season depend on more than the base depth, like future weather forecasts. Thanks, and here's hoping for an early start to the season!

    Meadows: Our normal schedule is Wednesda - Sunday evenings once night operations begin, which is usally by mid-December. The only nights you need to pay extra are fund raising nights for charities on MLK Monday and President's Monday - these are special nights offered in addition to our regular schedule.
    There really isn't an average snow depth required for opening because of all the variables. As soon as we have a quality product that we can sustain for the season we'll be open!

  38. Harrison

    October 26, 2010

    Dear Mount Hood Meadows,

    Your web site for Mount Hood Meadows is fantastic. I try to come to your web site often. I was wondering. How come you can't open this weekend? There's a lot of snow on the ground already. Hope you're doing well.

    Meadows: Thanks! We need more snow to be able to offer the quality product we want our guests to enjoy. Plus we need enough snow to sustain and opening and connect it to the rest of the season. October is still very early but we're hoping for more snow!

  39. Martz

    October 31, 2010

    I just bought a season pass for my son but I could not get back to the site to find out where I could get his picture taken. Can he wait until he is on the mountain or where can I find out the schedule? Mart

    Meadows: We're taking pictures at the Portland Ski Fever show Friday through Sunday. If your son can't make it to the show he can get his picture taken and pass issued the first day on the mountain. If he's under 18 you'll need to sign a liability release and have him bring it: http://www.skihood.com/passrelease

  40. Harrison

    December 9, 2010

    Dear Mount Hood Meadows,

    On the stormy days when Cascade Express and Vista Express go on to standby. I was thinking instead of standby these lifts can resume but at lower speeds. Can we do that? Hope you're doing well and happy holidays.

    Meadows: Thanks for the question. We routinely reduce speed as an alternative to closing a lift. But many times it isn't the wind but the visibility or the condition of the snow that requires placing a lift on standby. You can't ski what you can't see and the thick fog we've been experiencing can create near white out conditions.

  41. Harrison

    January 4, 2011

    Dear Mount Hood Meadows,

    When lifts have to closed because of a mechanical problem. Why don't crews work around the clock to ensure that all lifts are running? Why is the Buttercup lift closed? What kind of maintenance does it need? Just thought I would ask. Hope you're doing well.

    Meadows: Thanks for the question. Our crews did work round the clock to get Buttercup back online. The gear box was removed and taken to Portland for bearing replacement. It was reinstalled as soon as the bearing replacement was completed.

  42. Skiingspoon

    February 15, 2011

    Do you need a parent to purchase 14 and under pass?

    Meadows: Not the lift ticket, which can be purchased at the resort. But if you're purchasing a season pass you'll need a parental signature in order to be issued the picture pass.

  43. Harrison

    November 30, 2011

    Dear Mount Hood Meadows,

    How come the Stadium Express lift doesn't have a foot rest on it? I was up there when I notice that there wasn't a foot rest on the Stadium Express lift. There are foot rests on all the other express lifts. Anyway, I like your web site and your resort. Hope you're enjoying the La Nina winter.

    Meadows: Since the lift ride is under 3 minutes we felt the foot rests weren't as necessary as on longer lifts. Thanks for the question.

  44. Anonymous

    January 17, 2012

    Your site is great overall, but I could not find any information on the level of difficulty of each of the ski slopes. E.g., which slopes are green level and how do they rate in the increasing order of difficulty. This information would help someone like me who is new to the resort plan our trip better. Thanks.

    Meadows: Thanks. Our trails are ranked by green (beginner level,) blue (intermediate level,) and black (advanced.) We don't have a trail by trail rating. The color ratings are indicated on our trail maps.

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