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Recreate Yourself

8/31/2009 12:00:00 AM by Dave Tragethon in Connection | 8 comments

Hi Folks!

Hope your summer has been nothing less than awesome!

Fall is just around the corner and the anticipation of great days and nights of recreating on and exploring this magnificent mountain is growing. The excitement of reflecting back on the great times diving into familiar or unknown terrain, meeting new friends and sharing those great experiences with those close to us is also building. Each fall and winter season is a chance to renew and recreate ourselves returning to riding this mountain that we love. Bring on the snow and the new season - here's your invitation to Recreate Yourself at Mt. Hood Meadows!

We've been busy doing just that over the past several months! Meadows has recreated its logo - we haven't changed the shield - it still represents the sun, sky, mountain, tree and snow elements as it has for the past 41 seasons - but the font is bolder and more contemporary. We also have a new trail map illustrated by James Niehues - the industry's foremost mountain resort illustrator.

In keeping with our recreation theme, we are stoked to introduce our re-engineered web site - skihood.com. It has been “recreated” from the ground up, just like building a great snowpack for a fabulous season. Check out the new look, streamlined efficiency, easy navigation and the killer content. Be sure to let us know what you think by using the new direct feedback to management option.

The site features a comprehensive events calendar keeping track of winter recreational happenings that go beyond our own slopes, so you can keep in touch with what's going on in your own neighborhood. It also features an innovative media gallery, combining pictures and videos in one viewer, and allowing you to easily upload your own videos and pictures of Mt. Hood Meadows.

The re-engineered front page responds to your input regarding updated mountain conditions and lift status so you can stay current with our unique maritime weather. In fact, this season our weather conditions will be delivered automatically near real time and the lift status changes will be date stamped. You'll know as soon as a lift is opened, or if conditions have caused it to be placed on weather standby. You'll be able to follow this information on our web site, on your PDA and even on Twitter as we send out tweets with changing lift status. You can subscribe to our weekly eNews or daily snowpack reports to keep informed, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The site's open invitation for you to give us feedback and comment on our operations is vital. There's a connect button at the top, a contact button on the side, and contact information in the footer of each page. These will allow you to reach us through email delivered directly to me and our exec team regarding the topic of your concern, observation or suggestion.

  • There's a survey invitation so we can continually evaluate and improve our overall operations and guest service initiatives.
  • Our blog page will feature frequent updates regarding our operations. A special Parks Blog will talk about what we have going on in Paradise Parks, and there'll be an FAQ Blog which we'll use as an online resource for helping others with their Meadows experience, either online or at the resort.
  • You can share your experiences by submitting your story to our moderated Guest Stories page.
  • You can “Tweet” at us with your comments and observations.
  • We have a Facebook page so you can comment or write on our wall, and share it with others.
  • And if you're old fashioned, we have department phone numbers listed so you can pick up a phone and give us a call (communicate directly with MHM executive management - what a concept!)

And while these electronic forms of social connecting are great, the best communication is always face-to-face. I, along with our dedicated management team, will be at Mt. Hood Meadows and Cooper Spur Mountain Resort throughout the season collecting your input and working with it to continue planning more improvements for your recreating experience at Mt. Hood Meadows.

There will never be a virtual replacement for the pure rush, freedom and excitement alpine recreation delivers. So I'm closing up the lap top, putting down my PDA and heading out for bike ride to get ready for another fantastic season. I invite you to do the same as you get ready to Recreate Yourself at Mt. Hood Meadows this season!

Onward!

Matthew Drake, CEO
Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort

8 Comments

  1. Ben

    August 31, 2009

    Awesome changes to the website! Much easier to navigate through and layout is way better than before. It seems more on par with the bigger resorts like Bachelor or even Whistler/Blackcomb. Can't wait to see how the updates to weather conditions and lift operations work, that was a headache in the past. Thanks for taking the feedback seriously from customers.

    Oh yeah, I like the return of making blog comments without having to create an account or "log-in". I know it's nice to start building an online community for users, but I noticed a huge decline in blog comments with the log-in requirement change made last season

    All and all, two thumbs up from me, can't wait for a great season!

  2. Ohlaph

    September 1, 2009

    I LOVE THE NEW SITE!!! Just what Meadows needed!!! I already purchased my pass and can't wait until the season. . .

  3. Jonathan

    September 1, 2009

    So with the 4X4 this year. In the past you have had a booth at the Portland Ski and Snowboard show where people can meet up to set up a group. This year though the show isn't until November. Is there anywhere on your site where you will have it set up to help people meet up with a group?
    Overall though the site looks pretty cool, curious to see how it will go throughout the season... hoping well (hoping the same with the season as well.)
    Looking foward to snow.... think white powder.

    Meadows reply:
    Jonathan: The 4x4 deadline ends October 31 this year a week before the ski show. We've added an individual early season pass price @ $499 (just $50 more) for those who don't want to go the group route. That $499 price will still be available through November 8, the last day of the ski show. There are plenty of people looking to save $50 on their pass, so talk it up with the friends you work and/or play with. Put it on your Facebook page or try Tweeting. Our online store allows four strangers to form a group since each person pays for their pass individually and privately.
    Thanks for the post and we'll see you on the mountain soon!
    --Meadows Team

  4. Daniel

    September 2, 2009

    Thanks for keeping the pass rates at a fair rate. I'm a 34 year old skiier and pass holder of many years. I work part-time and go to school full-time, so a steep increase would push some of the demographic that I represent away. Thanks again.

    Daniel

  5. Pete

    September 9, 2009

    The new website design is nice and it is great that you are updating lift status more frequently. In addition, particularly in early season, you should also provide updated trail status. It is disappointing to see a lift open and then realize there is only one trail open off that lift. Important for Heather Canyon but also on other trails when early season limits the amount of open terrain. Almost every other resort I know of has done this for a long time. Plenty of examples out there if you want to see it done.

    cheers.

    Meadows reply:
    That's a great suggestion. We currently offer a "groomed run" report that is updated each morning, and is presented is categorized by lift, but it only shows groomed runs (not runs that may be closed). We'll take a look at how we can more accurately announce runs that are not open, particularly in the early season.

  6. Scott

    September 10, 2009

    Dave - What happened to the link on the website to the weather station that showed temperatures, wind, precipitation at two different elevations on the mountain? I liked thyat because it was 'just the facts' and it was independent of Meadows (no offence). I know it's still out there (here's the link: http://www.nwac.us/products/OSOMHM), but it would be nice to have access to that from your site. Perhaps I just missed it, but in looking around it's not apparent. Thanks.

    Meadows Reply:
    The link is on the conditions page under the Useful Links section towards the bottom of the page. It's an hourly snapshot of readings from the two NWAC stations (one at the top of Mt. Hood Express, one near the bottom.) We improved our ability to report current conditions so the current temperature and wind will be automatically updated every five minutes for near real time reporting.
    Thanks for the comment!

  7. Harrison

    September 26, 2009

    Dear Mount Hood Meadows,

    Neat web site. I was wondering. Why don't you get the Charter Busses instead of the Mount Hood Meadows' busses? It's hard to get skis on and off your busses. Hope you're doing well.

    Meadows reply:
    Loading and unloading regardless of motorcoach or school bus, tends to be the time consuming issue with buses. We're looking behicles that have more side doors allowing for quicker loading. We've placed racks on our buses in the past - they do tend to be an obstacle next to the ice wall, and even with them many people just didn't want to let go of their equipment.
    Thanks for the post!

  8. John

    September 30, 2009

    The addition of the lift status will be killer, assuming its really kept up to date as real time as stated.

    I am sure i am not alone in leaving the HRM side on rumors Vista/Cascade are opening, only to get there and see they arent and then be punished further when your stuck in the MHExpress lift line!

    Only thing i could think of that would take it to the next step would be camera's at each of the quad's lines. Would help in trying to figure out what lift doesn't have long lines to ride too.

    Meadows reply:
    We're committed to keeping the web site updated and sending out alerts with each change in lift status. We've established a Twitter feed just for those updates - twitter.com/MHM_Lifts - you can get a twitter account "follow" MHM_Lifts and turn your device (cell phone) on to receive the updates.
    Interesting concept about web cams on the lift lines - we've been placing them where we can show conditions on the mountain. We're looking at installing another camera at the top of Cascade plus one in the base area this season.
    Thanks for the post.

    --Meadows Team

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