MEADOWS BLOG

Massive Snow Requires Even More Awareness - When Will Heather Open?

Hi Folks.

This snow fall has been incredible – not unprecedented by any means – but to have two straight weeks of continuous snow accumulating more than 11 feet is simply spectacular. And this is the good stuff – light, fluffy, POWDER, comparable to the champagne associated with Colorado and Utah. It is worth celebrating and enjoying, but we must offer this cautionary note as well.

There is a massive amount of new snow at Mt. Hood Meadows. Our base went from 38 inches on December 15 to 102 inches December 28. This unconsolidated snow pack is creating some hazards that you need to be aware of.

These hazards are most evident in ungroomed areas with trees and less skier compaction. Significant accumulation of unconsolidated snow aka POWDER increases the risk of deep snow immersion. The tree canopy diverts snow from around the tree trunk, creating a well. Tree wells are a common hidden danger on the slopes. When you're out enjoying the snowy wilderness, you may encounter trees that are partially buried. Equally important are trees that have been completely covered in snow. The boughs of the trees create air pockets which can pull you down into the snow if you step on them or fall on them. Tree well information is addressed on our web site at this page: http://www.skihood.com/Mountain/Safety/TreeWells/

Ways to prevent tree well and deep snow accidents:

1. Avoid deep snow and treed areas
   Skiing or riding in treed areas and deep snow is a choice
2. Ski or ride with a partner and keep them in sight
   Always stay in visual contact so that they can see you if you fall
   Stay close enough to either pull or dig you out
   Remember, if you lose visual contact with your partner you could lose your friend
3. Ski and ride defensively
   Choose areas of widely spaced trees
   If you are a skier, remove your pole straps before heading down an ungroomed powder slope
   As you ski or ride avoid looking at the trees. Rather look at the areas in between them
   If you are sliding toward a tree well or a deep snow bank, do everything you can to avoid going inverted into the snow
   Carry a transceiver, shovel, probe and whistle
4. Fight to survive
   Resist the urge to struggle violently
   Make a breathing space around your face
   Stay calm

There is an entire web site dedicated to tree well and deep snow safety: http://treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/

Now on to the unstable snow conditions in Heather Canyon, which is directly related to its opening.

With all this new snow it is only natural that our most avid skiers and snowboarders want to know when Heather Canyon is going to open. Heather offers some of the best advanced terrain in the northwest. It’s wide open expansiveness feels like a ski area all its own. The sustained steep pitch propels you from one turn through another, creating an exhilarating rhythmic dance with the mountain. Heather is especially appealing after a powdery snowfall, such as the ones we’ve been receiving.

But all these features that make Heather so attractive for skiing and snowboarding also make it prone to avalanches. The snowfall we have been receiving over the past two weeks has added a different twist to both the science and art of avalanche control work in Heather Canyon. We do not have our normal maritime snow pack and there are layers of deep instability with in the current snow pack. There has been significant natural slide activity recently through out  Heather Canyon, as well as in White River Canyon.

So thanks to the abundant snowfall we’ve been able to complete some of the groundwork for getting Heather Canyon open. Most importantly, however, is the remaining avalanche control that has been complicated by the snow pack received to date this season  The current storm cycle has prevented us from performing our normal systematic and methodical avalanche control routine. You can’t control what you can’t see, and this series of storms has been raging for two weeks, reducing our avalanche control work to basically “lobbing” explosives into the canyon from the ridge line. This tactic is used to trigger smaller avalanches to prevent the snow from building up to a major, uncontrolled release. Because of the size of the canyon, a variety of techniques are used including hand charges, ski cutting, and gas propelled avalauncher explosive devices.

Our patrollers and Snow Safety personnel go into the canyon during storm cycles on a limited basis and only when necessary due to visibility and safety concerns. Currently Heather Canyon is extremely dangerous, with limited or no visibility and highly unstable conditions. So we must wait until the end of the storm cycle to conduct the required and necessary control work before opening the canyon to the public.

There are other “control” issues - rope and bamboo closures down in the canyon have to be set (and reset as they get knocked down due to heavy snow or by avalanches). The lower terminal requires massive re-grading by cat. It’s a sequential process also. Certain things have to be completed before other tasks can start.

We fully understand how important Heather Canyon is to our guests.  We remain 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 and support their decision. We must treat Heather Canyon, and all of the terrain at MHM with the respect that it commands – particularly under the current conditions.

NEVER, NEVER ski Heather Canyon, or any other terrain at MHM, when it is marked “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. The intent of avalanche control work is to increase slope stability by pre-releasing unstable conditions. Why would you want to jump into the Canyon when the very nature of the work above you is to cause an avalanche? When the canyon is closed, it’s closed for a good reason. Additionally, your thoughtless tracks into marked closed areas may inadvertently encourage others to follow you, putting them in harms way. Equally important, if you elect to exercise some very poor judgement and disobey closure signs and/or roped off areas you are potentially placing our dedicated and highly trained patrol personnel at considerable and completely unecessary risk as they attempt to either find or rescue you. Obviously, this behavior is unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly and severly.  

So, when will Heather Canyon open? We anticipate near the end of this current snow cycle, when our Patrol professionals are presented with the conditions necessary to access, assess and accomplish the appropriate avalanche control work. Our commitment is that we will conduct this work as soon as possible and as professionally as possible, so that we can all enjoy Heather Canyon. Please have patience, exercise good judgement, and remember, this whole process repeats after every storm cycle.

As always, have fun, but Be Aware and Live the Code!

--Matt

FOLLOW-UP: Peak Day Parking at Mt. Hood Meadows 12/20/07

Hi folks!

This blog posting is a follow-up to the early December 2007 blog asking your thoughts about Peak Day Parking at Mt. Hood Meadows.

We received some really great input, and enjoyed a healthy dialogue with you, regarding Peak Day Parking.  I want to thank you for taking the time to participate in this dialogue.  Your feedback is very important to us and has a real impact on shaping our short and long-term planning.

I also want to reiterate that we are focusing mostly on Peak Day Parking at MHM.  To review, Peak Parking Days at MHM occur December 22, 2007 through January 6, 2008, then weekends through March 2, 2008.  However, some of the great ideas we received can improve parking and the overall experience at MHM at ALL times!  Other suggestions focused on transportation issues to/from MHM.  Parking and transportation challenges at MHM and on Mt. Hood are vitally linked, and so are their potential solutions.  Most writers agreed with our objective of working to find a combination of solutions for peak day parking that most benefited our guests, our environment and our community.  Some of the suggestions we received included concepts that we have been studying, and others were great new ideas.  Some ideas we can implement right away, others will take more time, effort, and resources.  Let’s focus on the suggestions that we can and will implement right away. As you are reviewing these please keep in mind that we will need to fine tune and make adjustments as we go along.  This is how we evolve:

1. Keep Traffic Moving:  This was an often repeated suggestion.  While this is intuitive, there are a few things that we can and will do starting with this blog to help educate our guests on how to improve traffic movements to and from MHM parking lots:
   a. Make sure that you and your vehicle are well prepared for mountain weather: wipers clean and in good condition, windshield washer tank full with de-icer/cleaner, battery fully charged, battery cables tight and in good condition, complete auto safety kit in your vehicle, heater/defroster working correctly.
   b. Make sure you have traction devices in your vehicle and know how to use them, and/or have traction tires.
   c. Use the designated areas to put your traction devices on in advance as opposed to waiting until you spin out and clog traffic for everyone else.
   d. Check the road conditions before you leave. For current road condition information in Oregon, call 511 or (800) 977-ODOT (6368).  Reports are available 24 hours/day.  Visit www.TripCheck.com for information on road and weather conditions, incidents and traffic delays.
   e. Drive slowly and defensively, we will all get there faster: Slow down in advance of shaded areas (especially curves) and bridges, do not pass sanders or plows.  If your vehicle loses traction, slow down by taking your foot off the gas – do not slam on the brakes. Mountain driving is NOT the place to practice stunt driving.
   f. Maintain good distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.  This will give you more room to brake and maneuver, and help save your windshield from rock dings and cracks.
   g. Purchase your Sno-Park permit in advance or in the MHM parking lots when you arrive. A Sno-Park permit costs $4 for the day or $22 for the season when purchased at MHM.
   h. On peak days take Highway 35 north through Hood River, and I-84 back to Portland.  Avoid the traffic jam that can occur between MHM and Government Camp.
   
2. Car Pooling -- MHM Employees Lead by Example:  Most MHM Employees members already either carpool or use the MHM bus service to get to and from the resort.  We have expanded our employee bus service significantly this year to accommodate the increasing numbers of MHM employees who wisely choose to ride the bus.  Employees who choose to carpool on Peak Parking Days will receive incentives.
   
3. Encourage Guests to Car Pool:  We aim to help educate our guests on the benefits of carpooling and encourage them to do so.  On Peak Parking Days we will be issuing raffle tickets for a drawing for ten $50 MHM Gift Cards to drivers that park in any of our lots in vehicles arriving with three or more (driver and two or more passengers) on Peak Parking Days.  Look for our dedicated Parking Lot Crew members who will be issuing these raffle tickets in the parking lots to drivers arriving with two or more passengers in one vehicle on Peak Parking Days. All carpool drivers need to do is to write their name, phone number and email on the back of the raffle ticket and deposit in the Suggestion Boxes located at the Concierge Desk (South Lodge, level one), Salomon Rental Shop (North Lodge, level one), Black Diamond Wraps (North Lodge, level two), or the main desk at the Hood River Meadows Lodge.  Daily drawings will be at 2:00PM and the Concierge Desk will contact all winners. Winning carpool drivers can pick up their MHM Gift Cards at the Concierge Desk (South Lodge, level one) any time this season after being notified.
   
4. Continue to Aggressively Promote Busing Options:  Mt. Hood Meadows has one of the most comprehensive busing programs in the ski industry. Up to 25% of our guests arrive via bus on our peak days, compared to an industy average of 6%. But we can do better. We encourage our guests to sign up for our multi-week neighborhood ski and snowboard bus programs from their neighborhoods. You can find these buses and the dates they run at this link: http://www.skihood.com/SkiSchool/contacts_youth_multiweek.aspx
   Meadows also operates Park&Ride buses on weekends and holidays. Reservations must be made in advance through our eTicket system, and Meadows will continue to add buses to this service as reservations dictate. For more details visit: http://www.skihood.com/GetHereStayHere/Transportation/ParkandRide/default.aspx
   
5. Expand Guest Communications: We will be expanding guest communication capabilities on both the website and Snow Phone to include current parking lot status, in addition to weather conditions and lift operations status -- particularly during the morning and swing shift time frames.  We will also be adding more truck-mounted digital reader boards at MHM to help provide current travel and parking status information to our guests upon arrival to the MHM parking lot access roads and upon departure.  The Concierge Desk will also continue to be another excellent source of current information and status.
   
6. Continue to Expand Intra-Resort Transportation:  We will continue to expand our intra-resort transportation capabilities to reduce shuttle wait times to a maximum of fifteen minutes.  Our goal is to have more shuttles running continuously throughout the day to achieve shuttle wait times that are fifteen minutes or less. Of course the bottom line remains, when traffic is moving -- the shuttles are moving on time.  So let's all work on keepin' it moving!
   
7. Continually Improve Parking Lot Operations:  From parking to Sno-Park permit sales, we will continue to look for means and methods to improve the efficiency of our parking lot operations.  These efforts will include additional parking lot staff, training and attention to guest service details – including the implementation of our carpool education and incentive program.  Look for our Parking Lot Crew in the orange and tan uniforms, waving flags and wearing smiles while quickly directing you to your parking spot.  They are there to help you park, greet you and answer your questions, make sure you have a Sno-Park permit (and sell you one if you don’t), help guide you to one of many shuttle pick-up points, and make sure that your day at MHM starts off on the right foot.

There is no one magic solution to parking and transportation issues at MHM.  We are confident, however, that the combination of these Peak Day Parking initiatives and opportunities for cool incentives will help provide positive steps toward improving parking and transportation to, from and within MHM.  We will continue to refine and expand these initiatives based on our experiences and your continued feedback as to how we are doing.

Thanks again for your input. Stay tuned for upcoming blogs including an exciting post regarding our 40th Anniversary celebration starting in January 2008.  In the meantime, on behalf of the MHM Team, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

Peace.

--  Matt

ARE YOU AWARE?

Hi folks!

This blog focuses on our continuing safety education efforts on the hill at Mt. Hood Meadows. Many of you may already be familiar with our award winning “Are You Aware? – Skier / Rider Safety Education Program”.   Our consistent implementation of this program has helped skiers and snowboarders become more aware of slope safety, the Skier/Rider Responsibility Code, and how their actions and behavior on the slopes affect those around them.

This season we are bolstering our “Are You Aware?” program with a renewed focus on the Skier / Rider Responsibility Code.  You will see “Know the Code. Live the Code.” messaging frequently along with a listing of the seven provisions of the Skier / Rider Responsibility Code:

The Skier/Rider Responsibility Code is common sense.  The Code was developed in the 1950’s by the National Ski Patrol and the current Code is officially endorsed by the NSAA and is in use through out North America. Yet it is surprising to us the high percentage of our guests that are not aware this Code exists.  Tough to practice what you do not know. We are confident that the more guests that know the Code, the more they will practice it routinely, and perhaps even help mentor others to do so along the way! 

As with the industry as a whole, MHM actually has very few accidents per skier visit.  Nationwide the chance of an injury on the slopes leading to serious injury or fatality is right around 1 in a million. Statistics indicate that the injury rate for skiers is about 2 in 1,000 a little higher for snowboarders. Just under 7% of all reported accidents on the slope are due to collisions with other skiers or snowboarders. However, a percentage of these incidents is a result of one or more guests not following the Code. So we are increasing our efforts to educate our guests to “Know the Code. Live the Code.” when skiing and riding at MHM.  If you have questions about the Code at MHM, please seek out one of our many well trained MHM Patrollers or on mountain Guest Hosts, or go to the brand new Patrol Headquarters (“PHQ”) near the top of the Blue Chair – you can’t miss it!

We are spreading the word on the mountain with safety awareness banners, displays, safety cards that you can put in your pocket, in the trail map and even on the peel off back of our lift tickets. At the recent Portland Ski Show we asked that guests tell us at least one of the seven provisions of the Code before we stamped their coupon book. January 19 - 25, 2008 has been designated "National Ski Areas Associating Safety Awareness Week" and we'll be celebrating safety during a safety fair in January. Use the opportunity to find out more about mountain safety and awareness, have some fun and win some prizes.

One other safety concept that we require all of our guests to comply with is reducing speed through our slow zones at all times. We post these signs for a reason - and it is expected by all that you'll check your speed in these areas. This really is important, to the point where last year we pulled many day tickets and season pass tickets from guests who were traveling too fast through these zones. Although they do not wish to be put in a position to have to do this, MHM Patrol is fully prepared to do the same this year -- so PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE SLOW SPEED ZONES. When you see the slow sign - slow down, and be super aware of those around you.

There are many ways to help spread this education effort and broaden our “Are You Aware” program -- in addition to this blog, on mountain messaging, and guest mentoring.  What are your thoughts regarding other means to broaden our “Are You Aware?” Program, including “Know the Code. Live the Code”?  We look forward to hearing from you on this important topic.

Know the Code. Live the Code.

-- Matt.