Hi Folks,
Some of the faithful bloggers have contacted me about this season’s 9 a.m. opening. I’ve received both supportive comments from those who like not having to get up so early to get first tracks, and appeals from those requesting a return to an earlier opening.
For more than 30 years Mt. Hood Meadows opened at 9:00 a.m. It was the industry standard then, and continues to be the standard today, as this list of examples from around the west demonstrates.
49 Degrees North 9:00
Crystal Mountain 9:00
Mt. Baker 9:00
Kirkwood 9:00
Jackson Hole 9:00
Keystone 9:00
Bluewood 9:00
Mission Ridge 9:00
Mount Spokane 9:00
Stevens Pass 9:00
Summit at Snoqualmie 9:00
White Pass 8:45
Mount Bachelor 9am w/d, 8am w/e
Hoodoo 9:00
Willamette 9:00
Timberline 9:00
Mt. Ashland 9:00
Anthony Lakes 9:00
Vail Mountain 9:00
Alta 9:15
Deer Valley Resort 9:00
Big Sky Resort 9:00
Sun Valley 9:00
Mammoth Mountain 8:30
Sunshine Village (Canada) 9:00
Whistler (Canada) 8:30
About 6 years ago we started opening Mt. Hood Express at 8:30 a.m. on an unpublished basis (we kept posting a 9:00 a.m. opening), and then we changed again to an 8:00 a.m. opening a few years ago. It was primarily a business decision – an attempt to attract a larger share of the skier market to Mt. Hood Meadows. It was a rather bold experiment for the time, which required a substantial commitment of resources. We discovered that there were more compelling reasons why skiers were attracted to the different ski areas on Mt. Hood - people ski at Meadows, Timberline, and Ski Bowl because we each offer a different and unique experience. The earlier opening time at Meadows didn’t affect market share among the 3 ski areas. Essentially, we increased our operating costs substantially with no corresponding increase in revenue. In the middle of last year we changed back to a 9:00 a.m. opening, mainly as a cost cutting move due to the dreadful situation we were experiencing with the snow. When we made this change last year, many members of the management group commented and lobbied to continue the 9:00 a.m. opening for this year for a variety of reasons as outlined below.
A) It is a way to control operational costs. One hour a day means hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. It’s a balancing act to keep the price of the season pass and lift tickets affordable with the continual increases in operational costs.
B) It allows the staff more time to do the many things that are required to open the area. Grooming and dozing enormous amounts of snow at the lift terminals, avalanche control, and grip de-icing on the detachable lifts are the main factors that challenge us on some mornings. Another hour makes a big difference. Most of the Lift Maintenance staff, and ski patrollers get here hours before opening. For example, Lift Maintenance and the Avalanche forecasters arrive as early as 5:30 a.m. in a storm cycle with others showing up between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. The grooming department works in two shifts. A small shift from 4:00 p.m. to midnight and a large shift from 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The Lift Operations Department can’t load public on any particular lift until they get clearance from the Grooming Department, Ski Patrol Department, and the Lift Maintenance Department. Operational clearance comes from all three departments on a lift by lift basis. Which leads to the next point.
C) The intent is to open all scheduled lifts at 9:00 a.m. as opposed to just Mt. Hood Express at 8:00 a.m., thereby spreading people out faster. Okay, this is where you can slam me for not making that happen consistently…believe me, the mountain department managers and I are aware of the dissatisfaction this creates for you when we move the opening time back an hour then miss the bell. I’m not going to lay out all the excuses – just know that we’re aware of this issue and we are striving the make it happen consistently each day.
D) It allows us to put forth a more refreshed and energetic staff, most of whom live in Hood River and ride our employee shuttle. When we opened at 8:00 a.m. the employee bus used to leave Hood River by 6:30 a.m. We have since moved it back to 7:00 a.m. to provide a cushion to get everything open on time which seems to be working better. Okay, I’m really opening myself up on this one…but it’s true. A large portion of our staff is comprised of teenage people who are working their first weekend job. They are great kids but their bodies are on a different clock. The “no show” rate has dropped dramatically with the change to the 9 a.m. opening. When you need 500 employees to open everything on Saturday morning and 20% of them didn’t show up for work, it’s a problem.
E) Some people claim that the early opening reduced highway congestion in the morning but in fact our records show that the main lot filled at the same rate – just one hour earlier. The primary factor leading to morning highway congestion is snow packed roads and people who refuse to use chains or traction devices – when the roads are clear the traffic flows smoothly.
Ultimately, the 9 a.m. opening allows our management staff and team members the greatest opportunity to consistently put forth the best overall mountain experience that we can offer. The challenge is finding balance. As this quest for balance relates to the decision to go to a 9:00 a.m. opening, I’m comfortable that we’re doing the right thing considering all the factors.
I’m open to listening to the needs and desires of our customers and I welcome your replies to this blog. As always, I’ll post the ones that are postable and on topic. Maybe some of you are going to bring something up that we’ve overlooked.
I look forward to your comments!
Sincerely,
Dave Riley
General Manager
Hi Folks,
Heather Canyon opened today. The best conditions in the canyon are in the lower (skier’s right) section off Shooting Star Express. A big thank you goes out to all who worked to make this happen.
December 7th is a very early opening for Heather Canyon. This is great!
Given the current forecast for a nice inversion (sunshine in the high country with low clouds down in the valleys below) it’s probable that the canyon will remain open all the way through the weekend. It’s going to be awesome at the Meadows.
Enjoy, ride with care.
Dave Riley, General Manager
Hi Folks,
I’ve been informed by Mel Toney, Patrol Manager that Heather Canyon may open tomorrow (December 7, 2005).
She said if it opens it will likely be later in the morning due to further set up work that is still necessary. Parts of the canyon may be completely off limits such as the Clark side, Accordion Bowl, etc. The opening decision will also be weather dependent. One half inch of precipitation is predicted for tonight and tomorrow which may translate to about 6” of snow. On the back side of Shooting Star ridge, that can build to a foot or more and may drive the need for further AC work. As a result the canyon may or may not open. Clear as mud – right? As I’ve said before, the patrol will decide what they will do as conditions dictate.
Surface conditions are quite variable with areas of wind pack, sun crust, and some nicer snow near the trees on the lowest sections of the canyon. Strong north-northeast winds hammered the canyon yesterday.
Significant natural snow slides in addition to slides that resulted from explosives have deposited large snow debris piles in various locations which require care and caution to avoid when skiing or snowboarding. Natural hazards, creeks, cliffs, etc. require awareness and care.
The 5 snow bridges over the creek have been constructed by snowcat.
As always, stay out of the canyon if the ropes are up. Enjoy but ski / ride with caution if it opens.
Just keeping you informed…
Sincerely,
Dave Riley
General Manager
With all this new snow everyone is asking about the opening date for Heather Canyon.
Heather Canyon is Mt. Hood Meadows’ most sought after advanced terrain and arguably the best advanced terrain in the State of Oregon. It’s a huge area that feels like another whole ski area when it’s open. Given that, it’s important to everyone in the company and everyone who enjoys skiing or snowboarding at the Meadows to get the canyon open as early as possible in the season. It’s also very important to open the canyon as quickly as possible after a storm cycle which has required its closure due to increased avalanche risks.
Normally, the canyon doesn’t open until late December, sometimes January. But, this year we have an exceptionally good early season snow base and the odds are looking good for an early opening of the canyon.
There are several things that have to occur to open the canyon for the first time each year. One might think that the only necessary ingredient is to have enough snow to ski on. Actually, the main factor that determines when the canyon opens for the first time is getting enough snow to build 5 snow bridges over Clark Creek. These bridges are constructed with a snowcat and always by our Grooming Manager or our Director of Mountain Operations. Clark Creek is the one that runs all the way down the canyon to the Hood River Meadows parking lot (slightly over 4,500 feet in elevation). Early on, there could be plenty of snow in the canyon above the lower terminal of the lift to ski on but not enough snow to build the bridges down below.
The snow bridges are necessary to provide snowcat access from the Hood River Meadows base to the bottom terminal of the Heather lift. This snowcat access is necessary to properly build the loading and maze area, groom the access trail, and to provide a way out of the canyon for the public should the lift experience a mechanical problem. It takes an enormous amount of snow to build these bridges.
We’ve considered using a helicopter to fly in some sort of arch culvert or log bridges in the summer to allow us to open the canyon with less snow and earlier in the season but have not proposed anything like that to the Forest Service for a few reasons. One of the main limiting factors to this idea is the fact that the river likes to move around in the canyon each year so it would be necessary to be able to remove and relocate whatever structures are installed each year. Given that the river moves all over the canyon bottom, the spans are constantly changing length and location. The structures in some cases would be fairly large and heavy.
The Ski Patrol staff has to perform extensive avalanche control work before the canyon can open for the public. Because of the size of the canyon, a variety of techniques are used including hand charges, ski cutting, and gas propelled avalauncher explosive devices. Sometimes if control work has not been possible like in the current snow cycle we are in (visibility and access issues), delays are caused. Sometimes the patrol loads up a kiddy sled with explosives and slides it down into the canyon on a rope in various locations to get the right placement with a large explosive charge. The cloud ceiling has to lift enough for the experts to see the results of the explosions.
One thing that could help us is to acquire military guns like they have at other resorts such as Jackson Hole and Alta. This idea is one we continue to research internally and discuss with the Forest Service. While having that kind of equipment may help speed things up by generating more productive results from the explosions there are several other pluses and minuses to using that kind of equipment. Another potential improvement that we are considering is the installation of GasX propane explosion devices. These are primarily used in Europe. They can assist with blind control work during storms in locations that are difficult to access but they have limitations because they are fixed structures. They’re pretty bulky structures and would only have limited utility in Heather Canyon because of the size of the area.
Additionally, there are other tasks that the Ski Patrol, Lift Operations, and the Lift Maintenance departments have to complete to get the canyon and lift open and safe for the public. Many of those tasks are not possible to start until the bridges are built and the snow has been stabilized.
It takes a lot of skilled people to make all this happen. The following people each have important roles to get the canyon open:
Steve Warila - Director of Mountain Operations and Planning
Mel Toney - Ski Patrol Manager
Rob Gayman - Grooming Manager
Tom Scully - Lift Maintenance Manager
Monte Day - Lift Operations Manager
Kent Fellows – Lift Electronics Technician
Jim Carney – Master Technician
Dean Hardeman – Lift Maintenance Supervisor
Chris Reed – Lead Technician
Ben Covault – Mechanic
Derrick Streufert – Lead Technician
Brandon Backman – Assistant Patrol Manager
Asa Mueller – Lead Forecaster
Wes Baumann – Patrol Supervisor
Shepard Delong – Assistant Forecaster
Gavin Cummings – Assistant Forecaster
Tighe Stoyanoff – Assistant Forecaster
Nicholi Stoyanoff – Medical Trainer
Brad Urban – Patroller
Jena Christian – Patroller
Taylor Siegel – Patroller
Nick Burks – Patroller
John Bain – Patroller
Ted Cramer – Patroller
Kirk Worrall – Patroller
Matt Rutledge – Patroller
Henry Hughes – Patroller
And many more
Heather Canyon requires a unique and complicated set of tasks to operate during the season after its initial opening. Sometimes our guests get frustrated if the lift does not open on time after a big powder storm. Everything I mentioned above has to happen all over again after the canyon has been closed due to avalanche danger or even just because of an overnight storm. Professional in-house forecasters get up really early to develop the plan for the morning avalanche control routes and map out staffing requirements. There are a number of different AC routes that have to be run. Some of the work requires either a snowcat ride up the canyon edge (impossible in some cases due to poor visibility or a patroller has to literally post hole up on foot in waste deep snow in a blinding blizzard in the dark with a heavy pack filled with explosives). Rope and bamboo closures down in the canyon get knocked down due to heavy snow (or avalanche) which need to be reset. The lower terminal requires massive re-grading by cat, etc. It’s a sequential process also. Certain things have to be completed before other tasks can start. When you see a patroller skiing down the canyon when the canyon is closed, he/she is going down to perform AC work on a particular route or to set up ropes/bamboo (not just to get the freshies first, as some have communicated to me).
Avalanches have been known to start high above the basalt cliffs, even up off the Wy East Face and run clear down the canyon far below the lower terminal of the Heather lift, scouring out the entire canyon gorge and depositing hundreds of thousands of yards of concrete like debris in a huge pile at the bottom. It snakes around the canyon corners ripping out trees and piling them like toothpicks. Having seen this, we treat the canyon with the respect that it deserves.
The lower terminal of the lift was located on an earthen alluvial fan in the center of a stand of old growth trees because we were able to predict that the lift would not likely be taken out if the trees had lasted that long. Nevertheless, the air blast that has occurred from large slides traveling by the lower terminal in the gorge has knocked out the windows of the lift shack at the bottom of the Heather Lift. Can you imagine the speed the slide must be moving to do that?
You might also be wondering why the Heather lift exits the canyon on a ninety degree angle. That’s because if we had run the lift straight up the canyon and put the top terminal near the top of Shooting Star Express or at the top of A Zone (which would be much better from a skiers prospective) the lift would get ripped out in no time by avalanche.
Here is the word of caution and the strong request. NEVER, NEVER ski Heather Canyon when it is closed. Our staff may be doing control work above when you’re thinking its time to duck a rope and get some freshies. The results could be deadly. When the canyon is closed, it’s closed for a good reason. Don’t skin up from the bottom if it’s closed to the public up above. Stay out of the canyon unless the lift is open and loading guests.
You may be thinking, hey, what’s the big deal? Why can’t Meadows get the darn canyon open on a powder day? Other resorts do it, right? What - is Riley trying to save money by not running the lift? Believe me; I’ve heard all of those comments.
While I can’t get into your head to exercise those demons when you’re standing behind the rope on Shooting Star ridge salivating over perfect powder right below the tips of your skis, I can say that I am committed to providing the resources necessary and the encouragement to our staff to get the canyon open as quickly as reasonably possible. Ultimately, our professional patrol department makes the decision when the canyon opens and when it closes – and I’ll always respect their decision.
Heather Canyon is not your normal ski run. It is unlike most any other area within bounds at other areas in the country on many levels. Hopefully this blog helps you understand the differences in opening the canyon verses other areas at Mt. Hood Meadows and at other ski areas that don’t have these conditions. The canyon is truly a unique challenge and has been studied by ski patrol experts across the country because of its complexity and enormity.
Mt. Hood Meadows is committed to getting the canyon open as soon as possible for the first time this season and we are committed to open it quickly after subsequent storms. So, when will the canyon open? The short answer is that it looks like it might be possible sometime during the week of December 5th if we get enough snow in this current storm cycle.
Cascade Express has another set of unique requirements to open after a snowstorm, but that will be the subject of another blog.
I invite your comments. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.
Sincerely,
Dave Riley, General Manager