MEADOWS BLOG

First Chair Saturday morning! I'll be the guy with the huge smile on his face! Hopefully the traffic won't be a nightmare(thank you civil war).

Matt's reply:

Joel: See you Saturday! But drive with care - the roads will most likely be requiring traction devices.

--Matt

AWESOME! thank you! i was just wondering when we will be seeing some JUMPS around the mountain? see you this weekend!

Matt's reply:

J: You are welcome! The 40 inches of blowing snow has buried Shipyard, and there's been no opportunity to build jumps during the storm. When it relents the Paradise Parks crew construct some awesome parks!

--Matt

Great work Matt and Crew!

I'll be there bright and early tomorrow!

Matt's reply: Emphasis on the Crew! They are amazing. See you in the morning.

--Matt

Thank You Matt for opening up as much of the ski area as quickly as possible.  One question - If Cooper Spur and Ski Bowl can open on Saturday, then why isn't HRM chair open at Meadows with limited access?  This would really free up some space on Saturday @ Meadows main lot!

Keep up the GREAT work all of the Meadows employees and may the snow continue to fall!

Later

Matt's reply:

Steep: We will continue to assess terrain and open lifts as snow allows. The terrain at the bottom of HRM has significant Willow growth and rocks and requires more compacted snow than other areas to open.  We'll get it open soon -- keep checking our conditions page for updates.

--Matt

Guess I'll have to call in sick tomorrow.

Matt's reply:

Kyle: Cough, cough. I think I'm coming down with it too!

--Matt

Hey Matt! I can't believe I'm the first commentator!

We're Super excited that the season is finally getting under way. Please know that Dave did a great job of keeping the blog updated and people like us love to get information this way. Thanks for continuing to use the blog to get out info and news about events, conditions etc...

I love the thought of slooshing down 2 bowl Saturday!

Peace! and THANKS!

Matt's reply:

Scot: This opportunity to dialogue with our guest is and will continue to be a high priority for this company. Long live the Blog!

Regarding the bowls - here's a heads up. We won't know what shape they are in after this storm blows through. There was very little snow pack on those steeps before all the storm deposited this light powder. It may not take much to scrape the snow right off those steeps. In other words, it's not a guarantee that the bowls will be open. Please be aware of this and respect the closures or rope lines if conditions require us to close off those runs.

--Matt

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!! Thank you Matt and Meadows Crew! This is so awesome and I can't wait to get up on Saturday. See you all then!

Matt's reply:

Melissa: Extra big emphasis on the "thanks to the crew" -- they are simply the best.

See you at MHM.

-- Matt.

any new terrain park features this weekend?

Matt's reply:

Zach: Slope Maintenance and Parks and Pipe crews are working through this storm.  New features and rails will depend how much more snow we receive -- they get burried quickly (nice problem to have!).  See you at MHM.

Thanks for the post.

 -- Matt

Hi Matt,

First: Good job on the blog - Keep it coming.

Second: Now that the snow Gods have graciously answered all our voodoo, prayers and goat sacrifices with all this snow, do you have an ETA on night skiing?

I work early shift for a very stressful sales job so I live for night skiing. Any insight you can provide on that is greatly appreciated :D

Matt's reply:

Ride: Although we have received a good amount of snow this week, it is very light and dry Colorado style powder.  Great for riding and skiing, but tough to compact into a stable base. We need a little more snow to work with to open night skiing.  We are, however, evaluating this daily in an effort to open nights as soon as possible so stay tuned to the website for updates and announcement.

Thanks for the post.

--  Matt

THANK YOU!

But will the bowls be open?

Matt's reply:

Josh:  We are doing snow safety and avalanche control work in the bowls every day.  Open status will be Patrol's call and will depend on the snow and weather conditions at the time. Please pay careful attention to signs, rope closures and Patrol directives and be aware that early season conditions still exist.

Thanks for your post.

-- Matt

THANK YOU!!!!!  Especially also for opening on Friday!!!

Matt's reply:

Kevin: You are welcome and we will look forward to seeing you at MHM.

-- Matt

Awesome, I can't wait. See you this weekend.

Matt's reply:

C Dub: Look forward to seeing you this weekend as well.  Please drive carefully!

--  Matt

Oh God!!!!

Matt, I don't think I've ever heard a better reason to skip work and log Day 1.  I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.  Thanks for the update, dude.  See you tomorrow, bright and early. (I'll be the guy with pee dripping down his leg.)  Ciao!

Josh

Matt's reply:

Josh: Rest up tonight so you can ride your brains out tomorrow. Also, you may want to check out the newly remodeled, totally cherried out Men's Room in the North Lodge on Level One. Have fun and take it easy on Day 1 -- leave a little for Day 2!

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt

Wahoo!

Just out of curiosity, why don't you open the Stadium and Blue lifts?  It seems to me they cover the same terrain as Mount Hood Express, and could help distribute the traffic.

Matt's reply:

Sam: Top of Stadium is very exposed and can be a particularly inhospitable place during a storm cycle like this one. The snow from this system has been so light that it blows into the woods at the top of Stadium as opposed to staying put on the exposed terrain. This area, and many of the runs off the Stadium lift, need a little more snow before we can open Stadium, but we will open this lift just as soon as that occurs!

Blue is ready to turn and can operate if conditions warrant.

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt.

Hey Matt,

Thank you so much for the effort you guys have made to get this season going! I am going to let the storm pass over through sunday, but regardless I am going to be up on Monday.

I am not going to complain about Leashes at all. My views are better safe (and maybe somewhat annoyed) than sorry. But just a question. I have a little 9" hard rubber strap that clips onto my boot from my bindings, is the leash substantial enough for me to "live the code"? Also, where can I find one of the leashes that attaches somewhere near your knee? I haven't seen one of those in years.

So, will all runs to shooting star be open? Like O-ring and 3d? I am sure those of us who are in desire of more technical terrain are wondering this.

I won't ask any more, you're a very busy guy with lots of things to do to get ALL of the mountain ready. Thanks again.

Jon

Matt's reply:

Jon: Thanks for the nice words -- I'll be sure to pass them along to our tremendous crew. Also thanks for your questions. Let me answer them:

Retention device: As long as you have one you are Live'n the Code -- and thanks for that! If you want to look into getting a longer one, please go see one of our techs in the High Performance Center in the South Lodge Level One.

Runs on Star: We are aiming to get all of those runs open, but again that is somewhat dependent on the volume and moisture content of the snow we receive and the amount of wind associated with this current system (i.e., drifting, loading and like). Please pay careful attention to signage and rope closure and be aware that early season conditions exist.

See at MHM!

-- Matt

OK, so here's the deal. I love Meadows. I love skiing . But I cannot afford to ski there any more, at $54 a pop. Is there any way a poor guy like me can ski there any more? Coupons, specials, etc???

Matt's reply:

Wes: We have all kinds of ways to enjoy Meadows affordably. We have them listed on our web site on the "Deals" page: http://www.skihood.com/Pricing/Deals/Default.aspx

I might also mention that Cooper Spur Ski Area will open this weekend - 9 AM - 4 PM each day. With a t's a great little area, particularly enchanting for families with young children. Fun terrain and a $20 lift ticket. And there's also a tubing hill.

--Matt

i noticed that it is supposed to rain on monday...will that close any lifts or trails becuase i plan on going that day rain/snow/shine!!!

Matt's reply:

Shred: Tough to say. Monday is an eternity away in terms of weather -- much can happen between now and then so stay tuned to <skihood.com> for updates and announcements.

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt.

When I checked online today and saw that you're opening more lifts it made my day.  I was planning on going up there this Sunday, but now I might go Saturday as well.  Thanks for all your efforts to get everything going so quickly!

Matt's reply:

Jon: You're welcome -- and I will pass your appreciation on to our crew. They appreciate (and deserve) the recognition.

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt.

Thank you... You guys are AWESOME! See you tomorrow!

Matt's reply:

Bobby: The entire MHM Team is AWESOME, and they look forward to continue to prove it to you all season long!

We look forward to seeing you at MHM.

-- Matt

Matt,

Today was my first time ever at MHM. I wanted to go up Tues. for my 40% birthday but I had to work, I understand that you have to have rules and if you make an exception for me than you would have to do the same for everybody. Anyway, I have to say that I was relatively pleased with MHM. The little terrain that was open was good and operations seemed great. Being a native pacific northwesterner I have been to nearly every ski area in Washington, Oregon, and B.C. and I have to say that MHM is third to Whistler and Baker.

Matt's reply:

Adam: Wow, thanks for the kind words. #3 behind Whistler and Baker is pretty good, but we are aiming to continue to improve!

Hope you have a great season at MHM this year.

-- Matt.

Woohoo!  I like the lifts opening, any chance it might be more?  A vista run saturday morning would be incredible...and probably impossible, but i aint giving up hope!  I know it all takes mucho work, I was watching the ski patrol and everyone else on the mountain working hard so we could have the runs we did.  

But any chance for Vista??  :)

Matt's reply:

JonO: Vista is ready to turn, we just need a little more compacted base at the top. High winds and light snow have not been condusive -- yet. Vista is very "iffy" for this weekend unless the weather and snow conditions turn more favorable. Know this, we'll getter going just as soon as possible.

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt.

YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Game on!

Santa is leaving snowboards for me and my son, when I checked the packages I noticed I needed to get stomp pads and leashes. Why was the leash rule not enforced before this year? Why are so many whining about someting so cheap and trivial?

Anywho, yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! We got snow!

Matt's reply:

Mike: Gotta love your enthusiasm and awesome attitude. You embody: "Live'n the Code".

See at MHM this season!

-- Matt.

I was planing on shining work and taking a ski day but the boss would not appiciate it on a Friday. Civil Sat but will be up on Sunday. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.

GODUCKS

Matt's reply:

Chet: See on Sunday!

-- Matt.

Kick ass! Glad to see more of the lifts and runs are opening up! Keep up the good work! Don't forget about us and give us some more blog goodness so we can keep busy when we cant make it up to ride the mountain! More Blogs More Blogs More Blogs! say it with me everyone!

Matt's reply:

Pow: More blogs are on the way so stay tuned. As we take on more snow, we'' be opening more terrain and lifts.  Those announcements will be on the front of the website and snow phone, which will be updated several times daily. Upcoming blogs will be dealing with other topics of equal interest to our loyal guests.

Thanks for your post.

-- Matt.

Coming home for the holidays Dec. 5th, can't wait to get at some fresh lines, this is just really great news...  BTW the mountain I slide at while school is in session offers a free lift ticket for bringing first timers, ever thought of something like that?  I'll be bringing a friend from the flatlands who's never skied.  

See you on the ever deepening slopes,

Hermit

Matt's reply:

Hermit: Thank you for introducing and sharing this great sport with others. Your friend will be able to take advantage of the early season price on our Learn to Ski or Snowboard package - just $40 which includes beginner lift ticket, 2 hour lesson and equipment rentals. This is for ages 13 and older and you can puchase it right at our Salomon rental center (no reservations necessary). Hurry though, the price goes up to its regular $59 price December 22. We don't have a rewards program as you described. We'll look into it though.

--Matt

It's awesome you guys are going to open those chairs, is there going to be enough snow to have some park jumps for this weekend?

Matt's reply:

Superskier: We'll see - our Paradise Parks crew is up for any challenge. However, 40 inches of light blowing snow has buried Shipyard and prevented any jump building. They'll do all they can to put something together for the weekend, if the weather allows.

--Matt

Awww Yeah!

McLovin is Mc-freakin-lovin' it!

McMatt's reply:

McLovin: We'll see you at the McMountain soon!

--Matt

I'm coming up Monday! No school, first ride of the season. I have my snowboarding playlist all set for my iPod, my board's freshly waxed, and I'm excited. See you Monday!

Matt's reply:

Tony: Ride on! We'll see you Monday.

--Matt

Matt,

I have a feeling the Season pass pic line on Saturday is going to be epic (though it never could be as bad as two years ago).  "Open during lift hours" means 9:00am?

Any plans to change that to an earlier time for Saturday?

Thanks,

Pete

Matt's reply:

Pete: Our dedicated season pass crew will be prepared to take pictures well before the published time. So feel free to get to Meadows early to get your pass and still catch the first chair.

--Matt

woooo hooooo! let it snow, let it snow!! I'm definately coming up tommorow, and stoked about the two extra chairs opening, I enjoy riding the park and would love to hit some nice sized jumps but i definately know how much work it is to try to maintain a park when it's dumping outside.  To be honest though you'd have to be crazy to not rather see it all burried under 3 feet of fresh!  The more fresh snow, the better the skiing, and when it all clears up, the bigger the parks!  see you all tommorow, can't wait to come out and cruise!

Matt's reply:

Derek: Your post is getting me stoked for some great powder riding! See you on the slopes.

--Matt

I would just like to send KUDOS to you for doing such an excellent job

keeping the blog up & running! Its better than ever!

Hope we all have a terrific season!

d

Matt's reply:

Dee: Thank you - the Blog is a priority for us. But you really need to credit those reading and posting comments. That's what makes the Blog interesting and relevant.

--Matt

Matt, I've been waiting and dying to go boarding soon, but is there any idea when night boarding is gonna start?

                                         -Mike

Matt's reply:

Mike: We'll be making an evaluation of our conditions after this storm ends, most likely on Monday. At that time we'll be in a much better position to determine when night operations can begin. It won't be this weekend, but it should be soon. Hang in there!

--Matt

Matt,

At first sight the forecast for monday and monday night looks bad with all the rain but then I got thinking that with all this really dry Utah or as you said Colorado style snow it has not allowed you guys to build a real stable firm base. What this rain will help to due is to really firm up the base in preparation for more powder. What do you think?

Matt's reply:

Adam: I think you have a degree in snow physics. A wetter snow and even rain cycle will allow our base to congeal and firm up to create a more solid base. In that way it would be a good thing.

Thanks for the post!

--Matt

BOO YAH! i dont really know what else to say, im ridiculously stoked and cant wait to SHRED!!!! I gotta give it up for "THE CREW!!!" cuz without them none of this is possible.  Also a big thanks to you for answering all our questions and making the dream come true for a nice start this season.  I think the only thing more depressing then waiting to get off work, is watching the snow melt away....but lets not think about that for a while!  Got my LEASH got my POD i am READY!!!!!

Matt's reply:

answered prayers: It is going to be a GREAT season! Thanks for stoking the crew - I'll pass along your compliments.

Live the Code - have a great day on the mountain!

--Matt

Yeah!

Oh yes i am so excited for the powder. Especially since you said it was a dry powder. So much nicer to ride on than wet powder but i am well aware that it doesnt pack as well. Actually im just excited more of the mountain is opening!!! MMM Fresh powder and more terrain. What more could you ask for? If the parking lot down by HRM isnt gonna be open are you gonna have enough parking for this weekend? Thanks to your crew for all the awesome work this week. See you tomorrow!!!!!!

Matt's reply:

Fastone: You've characterized the snow dynamics very well - light powder is great to glide through but it doesn't compact very well into a base. But we'll take it!

We'll have more information on HRM later today. The answer to parking is yes - we'll have enough parking even if HRM isn't operating. We have plenty of shuttles and we'll shuttle to the annex and HRM lots if necessary.

--Matt

Matt, Kudos for keeping up on the Blog.

Its a way all of us can visit MHM while still had at work and get excited.

I have that Google screen saver that displays the RSS photo feeds from the blog on my work computers. It would be great if you could keep stuffing new photos into it.

Would like to see... Runs (Vista area), Lifts, Slope Maintenance, Park building, Crew, and People having fun.

The slide show goes deep into last year and it would be great to have more new photos!

P.S. My girl and I really enjoy how much care your staff takes in maintaining the lift loading areas. "Other Places" just don't seem to care about such things. And it all makes a big difference!

Thanks!

Matt's reply:

Photo-matic: A photo does speak 1000 words. We are working on updating our galleries, including Matt's gallery. I am glad you are taking advantage of the technicial offerings we have to keep in touch with our operations. We will continue to add these kinds of features.

I'll pass the compliments on to our grooming and lift ops crews. They take pride in their work and will appreciate that you noticed.

--Matt

The Lewis & Clark College community thanks you Matt for opening up the lifts for this weekend!  Most people were unsure about getting up to the mountain so close to finals, especially with only a few being lifts open.  Thanks for giving us the mountain to spend our last free weekend before exams!

Matt's reply:

Ben: Enjoy the mountain - get invigorated and ace those exams!

--Matt

Great to see winter is here.  For those that enjoy back country skiing, Meadows is on the interface of White River, and Newton Creek.  I do not ride the lifts and do not want to be in conflict  with mountain operation and avalanche control work. Still I would like to enjoy winter on this mountain that we share.     Do you have any advise that you might share to avoid conflict?  Thanks for your response and congrats on opening pre-December.

Matt's reply:

Tom: Thanks for the post. Our boundary policy was outlined at great length in a response in "The Art of Weather Forecasting" blog. It's about three-quarters of the way down in the responses - fairly easy to find because there was a lot of bold black and red type. Here's a link to that post: http://skihood.com/cs/blogs/daveriley/archive/2007/11/03/the-art-of-weather-forecasting.aspx

Travel safe!

--Matt

Gettin pretty much stoked.  I can't wait to ride the best parks in the NW!  Thanks, park crew!!

Matt's reply:

Stoked: They are chompin' at the bit. I mean we love the powder, but our crew wants to have a chance to start constructing some fun parks, which this storm has prevented.

--Matt

Hey Matt, just wondering is Daisy and Stadium chairs going to operate regularly this year or are they going to be of how busy MHM is.

Matt's reply:

Ekool: Lift operations schedules vary daily depending on weather and operating conditions.  In general, however, we aim to maintain "open" status for our lifts as frequently and consistently as possible -- subject to the variable conditions broght about by the unique maritime weather conditions for which Mt. Hood is well known.

Thanks for your post.

--  Matt

So the weather service is predicting windy conditions on Sunday, with the possibility of very gusty winds. How much would the high winds effect the lift schedule sunday.  What does it take for MHM to close down in windy situations? I have ridden up there with 70mph or so gusts and I was able to ride all night. A little painful, but thats why you get the right equipment, like a leash. :)

Keep up the great work MHM crew!

Matt's reply:

FattyJay: We are watching this storm carefully! There isn't a setwind speed limit per say - again because of the variables. Besides wind speed there's the issue of wind direction. A wind striking the chair (and its riders) from the side can create more latteral swing or sway, which could lead to a potential derail (cable jumping off the pulley), potentially requiring an emergency evacuation, not the most pleasant exercise in stormy weather.

Obviously upper lifts above tree line, such as Cascade Express or Timberline's Palmer lift, are more vulnerable to high winds. Hood River Express, which is entirely below Timerline and less exposed than other lifts, is rarely shut down due to high winds, although we may have to reduce speed (which will reduce sway). We'll just have to wait and see what the weather brings, and respond accordingly.

--Matt

Lots of great snow! Can't wait to shred again tomorrow! Quick question, any thoughts of what this "monster storm" hitting the nw sunday will do for snow? by the looks of it the snow levels will hopefully stay low enough to equal an epic puking of the white stuff at meadows. any comments?

Matt's reply:

Sam: It is a huge storm which has the potential to drop a lot of snow on us this weekend. However, by Sunday evening it could warm up and we could have rain Sunday night and Monday before it cools down Tuesday. It could be a wild one.

--Matt

Way stoked to see MHM spinning chairs and making people smile yet another year!  Those Oct-Nov days of looking west and waiting are over and I am looking forward to yet another smashing season!!!!!!!!!

Off topic but VERY interested to here your take (and your readers) on Burton's current campaign against Alta, Deer Valley, Taos, and Mad River. (www.burton.com/poachers for those that have not seen it)  I ask because for years there was such segregation between skiers and boarders but now the two co-mingle and enjoy the the same hill with almost a fun rivalry.

Last season brought some local skier/boarder controversy but MHM acted accordingly by not blaming any one group. Instead they took a bad situation, addressed the issue, and turned it into a very positive campaign for all involved resulting in a safer mountain for all.

I do remember one specific section of Two Bowl that had a Skiers Only sign up top but when I asked why, I was informed that it was to allow conventional moguls to form for an event or something. At any rate, it was such a small section of mountain that it was not an issue.  Had you said boarders only in the terrain parks or skiers only on Shooting Star, well, that would have been different.

On the flip side, when you go to the Alta website, the title bar reads "Alta Ski Area Welcomes You" and then lower in the page it states "Alta is a Skiers' Mountain Snowboarding is not allowed"  I guess you are only welcome if you ski...  I bet mono-skiers are very conflicted there :)

Taos takes it to a different level - the proudly display a statement "TAOS IS 100% SNOWBOARD FREE!" as if it were something requiring penicillin to get rid of.  Proud to discriminate...  that confuses me

At any rate, I am interested to hear your thoughts on three specific questions -

1. Is it wrong for Alta, Deer Valley, Taos, and Mad River Glen to choose not to allow snowboards - especially if they operate in a national forest?

2. Was Jake Burton / Burton Snowboards in the wrong by encouraging if not flat out daring people to defy the rules at these resorts by offering $20,000 in prize money as a reward?

3. Is this good for the sport or does it push snow sliders in general back?

Matt's reply:

Hollywood: Great post - I'm sure it will draw some response. Generally we don't comment on the policies of other ski areas, or for that matter a manufacturer. I look at it this way - Warren Miller was one of the early accepters of snowboarding. I remember his comment that a snowboard only left one track in the powder instead of two.  My dad is another pioneer who embraced the snowboarding phenomenon early on as another powerful expression of alpine recreation freedom and fun.

We have a beautiful mountain and an incredbile outdoor recreational experience here at Mt. Hood Meadows, which we believe should be shared with everyone - skiers and snowboarders (so long as everyone Knows and Lives the Code).

Thanks again for your post.

--Matt

Man, If monday was not so rainy, it would be one heck of a day. With over a foot possible two nights in a row, this could be the storm that opens the whole mountain! Well, that is up to you and your safety crew, who I greatly appreciate.

I am getting in the car now and will be there soon, this feels amazing. It has been too long.

Matt's reply:

Jake: Travel safely - and have a great day on the mountain!

I remember the last time I went up on a weekend with just Mt. Hood Express and Shooting Star Express open: 20-30 minute lift lines. As excited as I am to get up there and ski, I've just gotta hold off until you have more terrain open. I hope this next storm takes care of that.

Matt's reply:

Jpow: I understand how you feel. But I do have to tell you that you missed some AWESOME powder yesterday! We are assessing the moutain and determining what additional lifts we can open as the snowpack builds.

--Matt

Is the halfpipe going to be closed most of the weekends for high school contests again?  And if so, can you make two halfpipes?  It really sucks to buy a season pass, and not be able to ride the halfpipe.  

Matt's reply:

Mikey D. There will be competitions in the pipe but they are scheduled so that there's only one competition per peak weekend to so the public can use the pipe. We're also making it a priority to clear the pipe quickly following a competition to get it opened to the public. Since the pipe is night-lighted it allows you to ride into the evening.

--Matt

I know it really hasn't been an issue this winter yet, but I thought that I would address this concern early.  Every other ski resort that I have been to they open most if not the whole mountain at the same time, at opening.  The groomers have been working all night, so all the runs are ready, and the Ski Patrol has done their checks and bombed out the avalanche-prone areas. Why is it that Meadows opens one lift at a time, and sometimes, it seems like on weekdays, they don't even open certain lifts.  I feel that it is really unfair that the whole mountain isn't opened everyday, so long as reasonable conditions exist.  I am a season pass holder and would like to have access to all the lifts everyday I am up there.  I have noticed that the current practice of opening one lift at a time makes it so a "mob" goes from one area of the resort to the other.  I was interested if there is anything that can be done to allow all the lifts (obvious natural factors taken into account) to be open everyday to be fair to everyone that pays for a lift ticket.

Matt's reply:

Johnny: Thanks for the post. Meadows opens as much terrain as the snow allows. Please understand that before Tuesday our base was 14 inches - and we were operating the two lifts that served that terrain. We received 12 inches Tuesday night which allowed us to run Daisy on Wednesday, but there still wasn't enough coverage to open any upper lifts. But by Thursday evening we had received 40 inches in just three days. We groomed all night every night, and we were able to open two high speed quads on Friday (a midweek day - we didn't wait for the weekend).

Saturday we opened Hood River Express for uplift and groomed the trails so guests wouldn't have to shuttle to get back to their cars. While I appreciate your concerns and thank you for expressing them, I feel that we have demonstrated this early season our commitment to open terrain as soon as the snow allows.

--Matt

So am I just dumb or why can't I find a list of what runs are open and closed on the website? Most resorts I know of list this in the same area as the lift schedule. Is that info on the site somewhere?

Thanks.

Matt's reply:

Pete: The grooming report can be found on our conditions page or on the Mountain drop down menu. Here's a direct link to the page, which is updated between 7:30 and 8:30 AM each day. http://www.skihood.com/Mountain/Conditions/groom.aspx

--Matt

how much wind does it take to shut down a lift. Because there's supposed to be 60 mph gusts on monday and I'd prefer not to get blown off the mountain.

Matt's reply:

Colin: We survived the day OK, even with the gusts. The upper lifts are the most exposed, but they weren't running today due to visibility.

--Matt

Matt,

You just made my day when I heard that shooting star and Hood River Express are open!!!  For me, there is nothing better than riding the trees in those areas.  Two questions for you:  1) When do you predict the night operations will begin and what requirements must be met before night operations are possible, and 2) how much time a day do you spend answering these blog questions?

Thanks!

Matt's reply:

Ohlaph: Night operations are scheduled to start at Mt. Hood Meadows this Friday, December 7. Hope to see you here! And I spend an hour or two a day on the blog. It's been a great exercise to help keep our staff focused on those things that are most important to our guests.

--Matt

Wow, just got home, what a GREAT powder day! Having all those lifts open really helped with the crowds. MHE was a little busy, but everywhere else was nice and quick! All the MHM staff was very friendly and very helpful! Great work guys!

The music today was much better, thanks for addressing that one!

Keep up all the good work and see you next weekend! Hoping night skiing will start soon, 9-4 just isn't enough!

Matt's reply:

FattyJay: It was another epic day with incredible powder. Night operations are scheduled to begin Friday, December 7. We'll keep you updated on our conditions page and on our snow phones. See yo on the mountain soon!

--Matt