MEADOWS BLOG

Your "No Boards or Skis in the Lodge" policy is extremely annoying. If I just step one foot inside the door with my board then almost immediately there is some staff member on top of me telling me to take my board outside. Some of them are nice about it, however, there are quite a few who are not. One person came up to me when I had just walked inside to tell my friend something and in a very angry, stern voice said that I had to immediately take my board outside; like I was threatening the lives of all the people in the lodge by having my board inside. He then proceeded to turn me around and physically push/guide me towards the door. I think you guys need to lighten up a bit. I know you are cramped on space but you don't have to flip out if I just step a foot inside with my board. Its not that big of a deal, relax a bit.

Matt's reply:

Jordan: Why would you bring a board into the lodge when you've seen the signs, and have been asked not to bring it into the lodge? The equipment stays outside - that's where you use it. Put it in a rack - that's why we have them. Check it at board check or buy a lock and use it. We have had to replace too many windows and repair too much damage from boards and skis sliding. The interiors are cramped spaces and there have also been problems with other guests being struck by someone carrying their equipment in the lodge. Please respect the posted signs, then you don't have to hear a staff member ask you to not bring your equipment into the lodge.

--Matt

Well as a regular seasoned pass holder living in Hood River who has skied many different Ski areas in her day, all I can say is you are doing great on all fronts. I say this because one of the best parts about the management at Meadows I feel is that you are open to constructive criticism, suggestions, feedback and new ideas. And if something works you will make the change for improvement.

Sounds like that should be the norm but realistically it isn't.

Just having that as one of your management foundations for advocating customer service at the the Mountain puts Mt Hood Meadows miles ahead of many other ski areas.

Of course there is always room for improvement and change and there is NO WAY in heck you are going to make everyone happy.  I speak from experience in my career for sure!

But the deal is, for example this blog presents a forum and opportunity for customers to make their voices and suggestions (& whining) heard, acknowledged and discussed. Being heard and affirmed even if no change is made makes a difference in any business and personal relationshiop. It really amkes a difference.

My 5 year old daughter and I have been up weekly and we are thoroughly enjoying this years season. And for us when there is something that happens at the Mt that might not be perfect or just the way we would want it.. well we simply practice flexibility, work with what is presented at the  time, make it a great day regardless and are grateful for the ability to ski and enjoy the Mountain in its entirety.

Then ther is nothing to complain about.

 Thanks for all your efforts!

and yes Matt~ ONWARD we go!

Matt's reply: We are both humbled and honored with your post. It inspires us to work harder to improve the experience for our guests. Thank you for your kind comments and I will share them with our staff.

--Matt

Matt,

The service this year has been awesome. Well deserving of another award. The safety programs have been executed a lot better this season. Last year I felt it was not perfected. Tell your ski patrol they are doing a great job. Last year my wife and I witnessed a couple bad interactions with patrol which did not shed good light on the safety program or the patrol. It had to be hard not letting tempers flair when no one was respecting what Meadows was trying to implement. This year there seems to be a lot more respect for the slow zones and the staff that patrol them.

The only criticism that I have is the report shown online right now. Do you have to boast “SURFACE CONDITIONS:  Powder, packed powder. Private Reserve should be excellent!”? I don’t want everyone dipping into Private Reserve before I get there. Just let them find it on there own. Don’t celebrate it.  

See you on the mountain,

Spence

Matt's reply: Thanks for the post. I will definitely pass it on to the ski patrol. It is good to get some feedback about the safety education program this year - awareness precedes change and we have stepped up our efforts to make our guests and staff more aware of the responsibility code.

We'll address your concerns regarding Private Reserve and how we inform our guests about it.

--Matt

you guys are lame for not opening HC on sunday.  a patroller told me most of the staff was working on cascade.  how lame is that?  anyone who looked at the forecast knew the wind was going to pick up anyway.  

Matt's reply"

God Wall: The information you are sharing hear is incorrect. The forecast did not indicate that wind speed would prevent operations later in the day. And while lift maintenance and grooming worked to deice the lift and dig out the terminal and upper tours, our patrol staff was working on avalanche control work in Heather. Those efforts were compromised because of several guests who ducked the rope and to take turns in the canyon during AC work, delaying it for everyone. I do understand and appreciate your passion for the canyon. But conditions did not allow it to be opened Sunday.

--Matt

  I really appreciate the focus on safety that MHM has adopted.  A couple of seasons ago, it felt like complete anarchy on the slopes and it was a frightening experience to take your family skiing even in the designated "comfort zones".

  I feel that I can now bring my family skiing to MHM and we can have a great time without constantly fearing for their lives.  I say, keep up the good work.  I think it takes constant education and vigilance to make the ski slopes fun for all.

  Also, many thanks to the ski patrol who do a great job of not only keeping the slopes safer, but also for being great ambassadors for MHM with their friendly and welcoming manner.  

Matt's reply: Thank you for your comments. We will continue to educate all of our guests to "Live the Code" making them more aware of their situation and what is going on around them. I especially appreciate your comment about the men and women on our patrol staff. They are great ambassadors for Meadows, the sport and the mountain. They're incredibly knowledgeable and truly enjoy their work. They inspire all of us.

--Matt

Hi Matt,

Well I must say that the Meadows staff that I have bumped into on the mountain and in the lodge are doing a good job.  But the person updating the report on your conditions page is lost in space; one day it will be wrong temps, another day it will be wrong snow amounts, today it's NOT snowing hard and you don't have 4" since 4 a.m. - that was yesterday!!  Hopefully the snow will keep piling up with many more days of 12" of powder for us powder hounds out there; looks like a good week coming!  I can only continue to hope for Heather Canyon to open on powder days but know that this is just a dream now; still amazed that other ski areas can open up steep slopes with HUGE cornesses but not Meadows???  I know, it's a high avalanche danger area; check out Mott Canyon @ Heavenly, most of Jackson Hole, the whole top of Mammoth, etc....

Keeping the faith and loving the snow.........No I won't be buying skins and walking up the mountain for freshies.

Later

Matt's reply:

Powder Hound: Thanks for the post. You are always good at pointing out the areas we can improve and for that I am grateful. Both snow reporting and Heather Canyon are high profile issues which receive a lot of attention. One of the main issues we have with HC is visibility. We are manually conrolling the canyon but without visual verification it is not possible to guage the effectiveness and we are reluctant to send guests into an area under such circumstances. We are working on resources we can use in the future which will allow for more effective AC measures during periods of low or no visibility.

I like the new handle and this is certainly the "year of the Hound!"

--Matt

This is the first year we bought season passes-We were there with my sister and nephew from Australia for a week--The staff was great -my nephew went from never seeing snow, to snowboarding all over the mountain with the help of the learning center.

The servers you have in the alpenstube restaurant are fantastic.

We were up there on New Years day and my daughter who is 9 got sick at Easy Rider lift-the lift operator immediately came over to check on her and called for a sled-wish I looked at his badge but I was concerned about the my daughter. In the clinic they treated her and she recovered enough to recouperate in the lodge. Kudos to all who helped that day.....

I know this has been brought up before but some days the parking lot is more dangerous than the slopes!

Also in the lot they park cars too close sometimes-with my husbands F250 long bed we couldnt get out very easily at times.

But thats all I have to complain about.Keep up the great atmosphere.(Lift operators at Mt Hood Express are great!)

Just my 2 cents

Matt's reply:

Manya: Thank you for your post. It is very satisfying to hear that you've had such good experiences in so many aspects of the resort. Consistancy in training is off-times the most difficult part of offering a great experience, as it only takes one negative situation to ruin the day (and the perception of Meadows). We continue to focus on our parking situation - particularly on peak days. We have some short term plans and longer term solutions.

Onward!

--Matt

Matt,

Overall, I think things at Meadows are moving smoother than in the past.  That said, I think parking could still be vastly improved, cars should be parked tighter; when lots are filled, cars should immediately be rerouted (this may involve radios for all parking staff or counting of cars); buses really do not need to stay idling the whole day and blocking the way for people walking (which is a huge safety issue, if someone walks out between two busses and gets hit).

The other thing that I still think needs improved is the opening of the mountain in a more timely fashion.  I have read everything posted or linked about Heathers Canyon, spent lots of time there, Newt & White River, backcountry all over, and skied countless other resorts in numerous countries and all over the US.  Heathers is not more unique than what some other resorts face.  Regardless of what has been said before, I personally think Heathers could safely open many times when it doesn't and earliker when it does.  I do agree with the erring on the side of safety arguements (especially this year), but I also feel that Heathers Canyon, Private Reserve, Jacks, the upper lifts, etc... really do not open for financial reasons.  If there was enough staff, who started early enough with that being enough of a priority, those areas would all open more or earlier.  As it is, it is hard to argue with safety arguments, but those areas are what helps make Meadows what it is, and in my opinion should be considered a higher priority.

All in all though, I think Meadows has made huge improvements this year.  I hope it keeps improving.

Thanks, Ben

Matt's reply:

Ben: Thank you for presenting your concerns. I appreciate the constructive nature - and providing us with some suggestions on how to improve. Additional AC certified patrollers would be helpful, but only on days that visibility would allow the control work which is necessary. In other words, twice as many people not being able to see what they are doing, or the results of their efforts, aren't going to be more effective.

With the feedback we are getting regarding the Heather Canyon, largely due to the huge snow year we are experience, I can assure you that it is a high priority and will be even more so in the future.

Thanks for the post.

--Matt

For the most part it's been a good year.  I will say though I've seen many a Sunday morning (1/20 in particular) where the parking crew is nowhere to be seen in the HRM lot at 8:30.  If you look many who park in HRM lot are there by 8am and the parking crew should be there too to help keep things organized.

There's another thing I'm curious about.  You keep pushing "Live the Code" but I'm wondering lift ops or any other Meadows staff have checked to see if a snowboarder is using a leash?  I bet no snowboarder has been cited in any way for not using a leash.

Matt's reply:

Tom: Thanks for the post. Not having parking crew at HRM by 8:30 is highly unusual - we have a separate crew for HRM so we may park simultaneously with the upper lots on peak days. I'll look into this.

We routinely talk to snowboarders who are "leash-less" about rule #5 of the Responsibility Code. We take these opportunities to educate our guests on first being aware that there is a code, then knowing it. Ultimately we would like to see all of our guests and staff "Live the Code."

--Matt

Awesome-ness:

Staying strong with the 4x4 and 10 time pass pricing and availability

More events!  Moe Dixon, 40th anniversary, demo days, etc.

The blog!

The staff - top to bottom - has been fun and appears to genuinely be interested in delivering a good experience to guests.

Improvement areas:

Communication - lift schedule, updates around the mountain on what is open and closed throughout the day.  IE: utilize the big LED reader board on Cascade.  Install at other lifts so people have real time on what is available.  EX: why was blue closed Sunday?  Allows people to plan and eases crowds at lifts.

Post closed runs/features for private groups so people know ahead of time.

A grooming board: what was groomed and when, incl. runs and features, posted in base area by MHX.  Similar to Bachelor's.

This week's frustration:

Happy 40th Birthday to park riders: we groomed zero of our freestyle features except the one that we closed for a competition without making any note on any of the informational sources so people would know.  Closing the biggest and best park on the Mountain to the general public for a full weekend day was very disappointing.

Overall, loving Meadows this season, and have had many amazing days, but you asked for feedback, so enjoy and keep up the good work!

Matt's reply:

Brandon: This is an awesome post. You've given us feedback on what you think we're doing well and what we need to improve, providing actionable items. Sounds like most of the areas of improvement revolve around communications - lift status, parks status, etc. We will take note as we make adjustments this season and plans for the future.

--Matt

Matt...

First of all I think you and your staff have done a great job with the snow this year.  Keep the storms coming and we will be skiing in June.

As far as the code goes, I will say I know it now as does my 8 year old son.  Has it decreased on hill incidents.  Hmmm..I was only hit twice by out of control snowboarders last weekend.  And seeing the skier crash into the "Be Aware" sign was worth a good laugh.

Things we would like to see improved.

1. Hot Cocoa.  Where is my hot cocoa at ski check????

2. Meat on the Nachos.  Love the nachos but I need more protein.  And not chili.  Meat or beans please.

3. Lifty Language.  I ski with a 8 year old.  The next time one of your lifties drops a f bomb or otherwise right in front of him, I'm going to lose it.

4.  The Buses!!!  Last Saturday, I walked through the buses at lunch time and 1/2 of them were idling.  What a diesel bomb.  And when leaving, serious danger.  You need to either move the buses to the back or at least leave a wide path between them like a crosswalk to get to the parking lot.  Someone is going to get hurt weaving between them.  

5.  Boards in the lodge.  What is your policy regarding snowboards in the lodge???  My son has got knocked in the head enough times that I have him wear his helmet inside.  Boards and ski's should be left outside unless being taken to your shop.  The lodges are crowded enough with just people.

6. Skiers/Family Park.  How about a area where skiers can take our kids into that has small jumps, some gates to run, perhaps a few bumps.  

I will say that your early bird private lessons are great.  I totally gave up on your group kids lessons and have gone this route.  He loves it and actually learns something.  

Thanks....Bill

Matt's reply:

Bill: Stellar! This is exactly the feedback I was hoping for - I appreciate you identifying those areas where we can make improvements.

FYI: Our entire management team (and a very large portion of our staff) if focusing in on this blog. Your comments will reach those departments and staff members who need to hear this in order to make improvements.

I hope Jordan has a chance to read your comment above regarding equipment in the lodge. Perhaps he would understand a little better why our staff members become assertive regarding this issue.

--Matt

First, let me say, I have always been happy with my experiences with your staff. They have been helpful and polite and always have worked to resolve problems in a timely manner.

I used to live in Colorado and have skied at most of the resorts there. I also have skied at Whistler and Mt Bachelor. I have enjoyed most of my skiing at Meadows as much as I have at other places. The biggest difference isn't really one that you have much control over, which is the amount of dry powder. Meadows tends to have spring-like conditions much of the year.

There are, however, a few areas of improvement that I would love to see.

Some small changes that I would like:

* Affordable ski locks like those used in Whistler Blackcomb racks. Ski check is a nice service, but really rather expensive compared to having racks that users can purchase their own locks for

* Kleenex stations all over the mountain. Some resorts have them at the top and bottom of every lift, which is nice to have and pretty easy to implement.

* Electronic status boards that show wait times, runs/lifts open, lifts on stand-by, etc... I know you have already talked about plans to add this, so enough said.

Some of the bigger changes I would like to see.

* Back country policy that allows out of bounds skiing at your own risk/expense.

* A small village at Meadows. Which would include some lodging , restaurants owned by others, small grocery store, etc... I expect that since this is in forest land, it may not be possible.

* A lodge as nice as Timberline. You have to admit that is a beautiful lodge. :-)

* Combined season pass with Timberline, Skibowl. I know you are better skiing most of the time but, sometimes it is fun to go other places. I personally would pay a bit extra to have the flexibility.

* More terrain. I'd love to have more options for skiing. Especially since Heather Canyon is closed quite frequently. Not sure how realistic this is, but one can hope!

Thanks,

Celia

Matt's reply:

Celia: Thank you for the constructive observations. I appreciate your perspective - having experience at other resorts - and being able to make these comparisons and suggestions for improvements. Our staff is taking note of these suggestions so that we may evaluate and create action plans for implementation.

--Matt

I was up at there on sunday and was just a little upset at how some of you lift workers were talking to people. One of them even was rude to the people in the singles line over on shooting star. He said something like, If you singles don't move faster I am going to stop calling you and you can just sit there for all I care. I'm sorry but as a paying season pass holder that was not called for.

Matt's reply:

Brian: I agree with your last sentence - sounds like some of our lifties need a refresher. Sometimes the most challenging part of good guest service is in those areas which are "redundant" - performing the same tasks over and over. Machines do this very well, and so do the majority of our lift attendants. But some times a staff member can have a bad day, or start to wear out. I'll talk to our lift management about looking for these signs and addressing them with a refresher.

--Matt

The pipe is the best one you guys have ever cut, many thanks for that!

I would like to see more care put into the in-runs of the rails/boxes.  I realize the snow pack has been crazy and it won't always be possible but I think a little more care will make everyone happy.

Elevate the boxes onto a platform of snow and have the top of the jump no higher than the bottom of the box.  Then we can pop up to the box and will make it 10x more fun.

What's up with the wall ride in Rose City?  Need a ton of speed to clear the gap only to land on the top for a split second before you're flying off it... Replace it with a box that's longer...

Matt's reply:

In-Run Joe: Great observations! I will pass them on to the parks crew. Thanks for keeping the vibe so positive, enjoying the rides we're providing and making suggestions to make them better.

--Matt

Hi Matt,

You are doing a terrific job This is absolutely the the most organized and friendly atmosphere I have seen in my 40 years at Meadows. I have made a point to compliment your staff when I see outstanding service and attitude.

Please pass on my comments above to all your staff.

On another subject:

We had a temporary closure of The Express chair on Friday Jan. 25 and there were quite a few disgruntled customers because no one could give them a reason for the shutdown or when it would be back on line.

My suggestion is that all staff be alerted to any situation so that they can give clients an idea of what's happening and what action is being taken.

As usual everyone is always wondering when Heather is going to open and continue to make the rounds in hopes of getting a run in when in fact there is really no chance of that happening.

On Sunday based on my observations of snow and weather conditions I knew there was no way Heather could possibly open. My friends were not convinced and insisted in going to the gate to hang out. Luckily there was a ski patrolman at the gate to inform us, that in fact it would not open.

It would really be helpful to have a dry erase board at the top and bottom of each lift to communicate the conditions in Heather or any other conditions that may develope such as lift closures.  

I think that people would be more understanding if they knew that conditions were not safe.

Hope to see you Thursday

Matt's reply:

Fred: Thanks for the compliments and the suggestions. A common theme here is better communication of the current status - we are taking notes. We are a little reluctant to forecast actual opening times, as we've gotten in trouble before raising expectations. But I think we can and will do a better job of communicating the current information to our guests.

--Matt

Overall I've always had good experiences. But since you've asked......Only recently I've noticed the smoking by parking staff and lift operators at HRM. A couple of Friday's ago I had to ask a male and female parking attendant with coffee in one hand and cig in the other to move away from my van so I could put my gear on in cleaner air. On another occasion a HRM lift operator attempted to hide his cig when he noticed that I saw it. I appreciate it when your guests refrain from smoking in lift lines. What's up with those employees?

Matt's reply:

Cam: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will remind our staff members that there is no smoking while on duty - only while on break and only in designated areas which are generally out of site of the guests (and that the bottom of lifts is not a designated area).

--Matt

Hey there,

Wow what a season!  Keep up the good work.  With all this snow I know there has been plenty to go around.  I do have to take issue with a statement on the conditions page yesterday saying that, "Private Reserve should be great."  I feel this does not show the proper respect for skiing/riding past the gates.  One should never venture through those sticks of bamboo without: local knowledge of terrain/snowpack, a beacon (and knowledge on how to use it), shovel, probe and a buddy.  Posting that remark on the web-site encourages under-prepared people to go.  That puts so many things at risk.  If you are striving to be the, "Best in the West" please give the out-of-gate terrain the deference it warrants.  Maybe you should hold some classes about snow-safety and avalanche awareness.  They should be free to season pass holders and $5-10 for anyone else.  That would be a pro-active step in your, "Are you Aware?" campaign.  Many other resorts in the area (baker, whistler, etc.) do this and it helps keep everyone safe and happy.  Thanks

Matt's reply:

swede: Thanks for the post and the concern about promotion of the Reserve. We're having discussions on that and we'll have a fairly comprehensive blog in February addressing those issues. Thanks for the suggestion on the snow-safety and avalanche awareness classes. By the way - how was the Reserve?

--Matt

I think your staff works very hard especaily on the weekend. every body wants first at somthing, parking,the bathroom, fresh tracks,fast food and so on,you guys keep it all rolling and even keep smileing. Great place,great times thanks. Live the code! SKI AND RIDE THE CODE!            

Matt's reply:

curtis: Keeping it fresh for everyone - perhaps that's a different way of approaching our continual improvement commitment. Thanks for the post.

--Matt

Matt,

First off, your dance team is doing spectacular work with their two step, b-boy routine, samba, waltz or whatever it is they're doing to channel all this great snow - keep up the good work.

I didn't catch his name but whoever was running the shooting star lift line on Sunday morning 1/28 deserves recognition for keeping his head up and noticing that the singles lines were getting dangerously long. Calling 4 singles is a simple way to alleviate this and this crew member is one of the few who kept it up as needed. Please train the crew at HRM to do the same at peak times.

Speaking of lift lines, some sort of plan to improve the flow at HRM is much needed. Until a new layout can be accomplished in the future, assigning some of the lifties who do a great job at MHE to HRM on peak days would really help that line - It was random and disorganized during the peak time on Sunday.

I understand that your patrol knows way more about snowpack and the heather terrain than I, so I won't bring up that well worn subject. Related to this however is the reader board at SS. How about having it tell what lifts are open? On Saturday it simply said that Heather Canyon is Closed and a message about the Code, nothing about Blue, Vista, Cascade or any other lifts or terrain. Cascade even opened late in the day I'm told but as far as I saw this wasn't ever posted at SS. Other updates having to do with wait times (or just noting "peak boarding time") at lifts it would seem could also be easily implemented on these electronic boards which would likely help disperse crowds more efficiently and ease some guest frustrations. Of course I'm assuming those boards are controlled from a central location and if so, just adding cameras on the lines would make this pretty simple.

Lastly, a great way to solve the questionably disputed "fact" that Meadows rarely opens heather, jacks, cascade, PR or even vista would be to post detailed daily opening and closing times on this site - seems fairly simple to me?

Oh yeah, working with ODOT to suspend the driving priveledges of the deranged jerk in the teal Audi who passed a snow plow on 35 Sunday morning around a blind turn in the oncoming lane will likely save some innocent persons life in the future. BTW, Mr. Teal - you beat those of us who stayed behind the plow for 1 whole mile by 8 cars. If I hadn't have stopped to urine in govy, your car would have gotten a much deserved shower.

Keep up the good work MHM team!

Matt's reply:

Chill: Excellent post - thanks for sharing your observations and providing suggestions for improvements. You win the "Most entertaining post" award, given for posting in a way that will keep people reading to the very end.

Our team is reviewing each blog posting to create action plans for improvements (either immediately or future) and also to recognize and reward those deserving staff members mentioned. We'll give the SS lift attendant the kudos he deserves.

--Matt

Matt-

It seems like every year the patrol gets slower and slower on opening up places like the reserve and Heathers on a day after a nice dump of snow. To me it looks like their are more patrollers sitting around guarding the gates when they could be working on helping to get them open.

Other than that I think everything is great besides things that you really can't do about like people driving erratically on the way up to the mountain, and the parking situation. Me and my friends have solved that by getting up there around 7-7:30am.

Other than that I'd like to see a gondola that takes you from HRM or Base all the way to the top of Heathers, But I doubt that will happen anytime soon :). Has there ever been a thought to put a drop station @ Shooting star for the Heathers lift? That would help out tremendously for people trying to make good quick rounds for the canyon.

Matt's reply:

Matt: Thanks for the post. We have increased our patrol staff, including our avalanche control staff. Most of the control work occurs out of view. The patrollers you do see also serve a useful purpose - preventing rope duckers from entering the area in which we are controlling. One of the reasons we are not able to open areas as early as we could is because of these poachers.

Interesting thought on the unload station at Shooting Star, although that would only serve to track that powder up faster. But if the tracks are yours that isn't necessarily a bad thing =0}

--Matt

I agree it has been a great year for snow.  All in all I think the staff is doing a great job.  I have noticed one place that something could be imporved.  It is the drop off and pick up area in front of the lodge.  I know the busses need space but is there a way that you could create a drop off and pick up for the vehicles?  I think that sometimes the area on the parking lot side of the flags is meant for that, but the snow is pushed up so high that no one in the family knows when you have pulled up.  So you end up leaving your car and going to find them which boggs that area up for others.  Also I have seen many people climbing over that same hill of snow with there equipment which is just an accident waiting to happen.  Is there anyway the snow could be pushed somewhere else?  Or could passthrough spaces be cut into the snow bank so people could see the cars easier and get to them faster?    

Just a thought.  Keep up the good work!!  

Matt's reply:

Chad: Thanks for the suggestion. I'm hoping that snow mound in front of the lodge continues to be a problem until June. Not a bad problem to have! It has become sizeable, the question is where to put the snow if we start cutting paths through it, and performing the necessary AC work - that is, shaping the snow in such a way that it doesn't become a tunnell that could deteriorate, weaken and actually slide. We'll discuss the drop off situation - we could make that more efficient.

--Matt

Matt,

Congrats on the 40th and many more with implementing needed changes to make Meadows more of a major league ski area.

For the typical ski guest who is not there to catch the first chair for first tracks, seek out the untracked stuff and waiting for Heather and Clark to open, I'd say Meadows is doing a pretty good job. If that's all Meadows aspire too be, maybe it has reached its goals and can push the cruise control button....I hope not.

For the skier who is seeking out the stuff mentioned above..well, not so good. Another day waiting in vain for Heather to open yesterday. I had my hopes up and was so ready to give Meadows thumbs up for the day seeing the Heather chair running with cleaned off seats after a nice dump of snow. But it just ran and ran for hours without anyone getting down there to actually ride it up after enjoying knee deep powder in Jacks or slightly higher up. It's nothing new, but this is where Meadows fall very short of many other ski areas. I understand the concern with the upper reaches of Heather Canyon and the possibility of a mega slide running all the way down the run out. It has happened, but I think the last time was back in the mid 70's according to a person I talked to. I've never seen it myself and I've been skiing at Meadows for 20 years. Given the concern, Meadows need a canon put back in the gun tower (you'd probably need to build a new gun tower though). That would speed up controlling the upper reaches and not put patrollers in a very exposed situation. Meather and Clark add so much value to the ski experience at Meadows. Without it, it's just another minor league mountain with predominantly flat terrain except a few short bowls.

This issue has been batted around for years by many, many guest with little to no changes.

Another issue are the snowboarders sitting around everywhere. In the middle of a run, blocking passage ways to the runs, under terrain where you can see them sitting on their butts. This is not an exclusive Meadows issue, rather a mentality that has permeated the snowboard community. I take the opportunity to tell them what dangers they are putting themselves and other people in by sitting around everywhere. Question is...what is Meadows doing about it?

Now to the kudos and the kudos goes to the medical team at the ER. I hit a patch of ice, which I certainly didn't expect to do after spending the day skiing in 12-16 inches of powder, slid out and smacked either the tip of the ski when it released or my pole in my goggles which in turn tore a pretty decent gash in my eyebrow. Dr. Mike (don't know the last name) did an awesome job stitching it back up. The nurse in ER was great..thanks for taking the cell phone picture. I like the tone in the ER as well. It's a great blend of humor that I would think make people feel a little more at ease after things happen. Mine was one of these freak accidents that doesn't happen every day and at no fault of Meadows. The probable reason why I think there was a patch of ice is perhaps due to a school of snowboarders side slipping down the short narrow section where it happened...but that's a different snowboarder peevee of mine.

More effort on getting the mountain open in a timely manner. The critique is not directed to the patrollers as a whole....I wish there was more of them to get things going, but to the urgency of getting the job done. Consider giving more access to the backcountry meaning Superbowl, over to the Newton drainage and so on. I'm enthused to see more and more skis with backcountry bindings on them. I think more and more people are getting feed up with the crowds in-bounds and is seeking out terrain that is not filled with other people. Playing it safe out there is an educational process that I don't see Meadows very willing to participate in other than saying NO with threats of losing your ticket or pass. In other words, scare tactics instead of a collaborative educational approach.

Matt's reply:

John: Thanks for your input. In our 40 year history we have never been satisfied to just put it on cruise control. We have strived to continually improve the experience for our guest and we will continue to do so. We have a reputation for "pushing the boundaries" in a lot of areas, but we will continue to take a reasoned and cautious approach to accessing Heather. We are well aware of the appeal of Heather and Clark and are committed to opening it when conditions allow. We will be addressing these back country access issues in an upcoming blog.

Thanks for the kudos for the clinic - our medical staff provides a vital service and deserve the recognition.

--Matt

I think things are going good so far.  I've not encountered many problems this season.  Well one day the entrance to the main lot had a wall of snow with a tractor just pushing it back and forth for several hours, but that's pretty minor.  I'd like to see maybe a pic of the day section on the website.  I think that would be a good representation of what conditions are really like.  Check the Snowbird website for example.

Matt's reply:

dic: Thanks for the post and the suggestion about the pix of the day. We are adding photos to our galleries on a regular basis http://www.skihood.com/photos/ but I do understand the need to see updated pictures on a regular basis.

--Matt

Can we please have Dave back?

Matt's reply:

Will: Dave who? Just kidding. Will - you'll need to elaborate. What is it that you want us to improve or that you feel is lacking?

--Matt

Instead of having people stand at the signs waving at you to slow down, maybe have them go out and ride with the rest of us, maybe one on each lift, and if you see someone riding too fast, follow em down and tell them to slow down. but dont be to harsh barge and all, and pull their pass just give em a friendly reminder.

Remember pulling passes is like late term abortions.

PS (give us bigger park jumps!)

Matt's reply:

Matt: We are increasing our efforts to educate guests on the Code and other matters of safety. We are focusing on those areas that have created problems in the past. Our staff members do ride the lifts and frequently engage guests regarding safety. I disagree your pass pulling analogy above. It is more often an action that will prevent an accident from occuring.

--Matt

Hey Matt,

I would say overall, the staff as a whole has done a good job of spreading the word about safety, especially about patrolling the slow zones.  

However, I think that the staff really needs to work on consistency in all other areas of the mountain.  Consistency seems to be lacking in several areas.  For example:

The reader boards sometimes show the status of other lifts, but rarely.

The last few weekends, there has been music at the base but not at buttercup/vista.

Easy rider always reads as open for night skiing, but sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't.

Only once during the carpool drawing incentive did the parking agents hand out tickets.

Mazot hasn't been open on the past few peak days I have been there, maybe due to stormy weather.

I know these are minor gripes, but I think they are legitimate. Consistency is the key to a good guest experience.

My biggest gripe this past weekend was the multiple race courses that cut up the mountain.  Races under stadium, the face, on shooting star and under easy rider really cut up the mountain.  I dont know if you can do anything about this or not, but one thing bachelor does is open up paths across raceways in between racers.

I would say keep up the efforts on safety, try to increase the consistency so we can receive what we expect, and try to make the mountain accessible to everyone, not just racers on peak days.

Thanks,

John

Matt's reply:

Johnny T.: Thanks Johnny. You make some valid points regarding constency. I'll be sharing this with our staff so that we can work on those areas specifically, and do some self evaluation about our operations.

--Matt

Matt,

Considering the scope of the challenges Meadows faces, your team has done a wonderful job.  Your lift team has been especially friendly and helpful this year.

My suggestions for improvement are as follows:

1.  Spend some time and energy developing and managing a system that notifies customers of estimated opening times for lifts and runs.  Whistler does this with their Green, Yellow and Red light system.  I personally would be less irritated if I was kept informed without having to bug the patrol or lift operators who most often are guessing too.

2.  Why was blue closed on Sunday?  Heather and Cascade were closed.

3.  How about designating an area for a signature bump run?  Last years attempt on 2 bowl was at best a lame attempt.    

4.  Place (working) clocks at the top and bottom of each lift.  I'll spring for the batteries if you need me to.

5.  Where did the kleenex boxes go at the bottom of the lifts.

6.  I only noticed three instances of people aggressively cutting in line last weekend.  Two were off duty lift operators and one was (I assume) an off duty restaurant worker.

Thanks for the forum Matt.  

Matt's reply:

Eric: Thanks for sharing your observations - it's a good "punch list" for us to focus on. Regarding #6 above, how do you know they were off-duty and what departments they were in?

--Matt

Matt- I have a place in Govy so I have a vested interest in this question- Are there plans in place to run a Gondola from Govy to Timberline, and then a Gondola from Timberline to Meadows with the idea to make Government Camp a "ski village" similar to European ski villages?  

The above question in in context to the growing problem of congestion along the Hwy 26 corridor during weekends and peak holidays; any thoughts on a shuttle to Meadows from Govy?

Matt's reply:

Doug: The concept of centralizing destination resort facilities, services and amenities at Government Camp with alternate transportation connectors to the ski resorts is valid, and to a certain extent is already happening. A gondola connecting Meadows to Govy has been discussed in the past, but no plans have been presented for review or approval. We certainly can visualize it and at some point in time, could be a deemed a viable solution to people moving on Mt. Hood.

--Matt

thx for the reply above. I take back the "lame" comment - just post-heather-denial syndrome i guess.  I have a suggestion: don't you think it would be great to open the area between heather canyon and private reserve to those who want to hike in?  you could do a little AC but not regular petrols. there are cliffs back there but no worse then the band in private reserve. seems like a couple years ago i could get fresh lines till 2:00 in private reserve but now with better trail maps, etc, it gets pretty tracked out. it would be great if those who wanted to earn turns could do so in bounds, especially since heather rarely opens on pow days.

Matt's reply:

God: (I feel as though I should be replying while kneeling..) The cliffs in that area are much more extreme than what you'll find in the reserve. Several times a season we need to "rescue" people who thought they could take and easy way out to Heather from the bottom of Star. We refer to the area as "S&R Cliffs" for search and rescue. It is very dangerous - not only with cliffs, but sliding snow, thick brush and open streams. If you do survive the cliff descent it requires a long walk out with several stream crossings. Best to stick to Elk and Yoda Bowls and of course "God's Wall" for now.

--Matt

Thanks for your reply to Jordan, as well as your NO BOARDS/SKIS IN THE LODGE policy.

Yesterday I was stepping over boards on the floor in the lodge in my ski boots while carrying two tall cups of boiling water for cocoa. Talk about dangerous!  Little kids scurrying around underfoot added to the danger.

I do not understand why people have this compulsion to bring their equipment into the lodge. Ski check and or locks is a better option. Perhaps counseling too.  :)

Thanks for your continuing efforts to make Meadows a better experience.

Matt's reply:

skied: Thanks for illustrating the reason why we have the policy.

--Matt

It would be really nice if you could post signs in the lift line saying "NO SMOKING" and also have your lifties enforce this policy. I and others come to the mountain to enjoy the clean air, NOT the second hand carcinogens some steezy retard is spewing in the lift line. Every weekend I've been up (doesn't seem to happen on weekdays) there has been at least one person smoking in the lift line at Mt Hood Express...which already feels long enough without having to breath someone else's secondhand filth. When other skiers confront peole about it generally the lifties seem to ignore the confrontaiton, and/or laugh about it.

Also, on days when it's so crowded that people are parking on the access roads, and the weather is bad enough to close cascade, vista, and heather, it would be really nice if Meadows stopped selling tickets. I realize from corporate standpoint this is probably not the most effective short term financial solution, but I'm sure that many of your loyal long term customers would appreciate not having to wait in line for hours at a time and be more willing to continue buying passes/tickets for years to come.

Matt's reply:

Nick: Thanks for the suggestions. Each lift has "No Smoking in lift lines or on lift" signage. I've seen our employees point out the signs to offenders, and we will remind our lift attendents to ask for cooperation, particularly when assisting guests who are pointing out those not following the signs.

We have turned away traffic one day this season after we had no more parking capacity. There is some self-regulation which occurs - on days that the weather doesn't allow the upper lifts to operate we generally do not have as large a crowd. When the weather allows for Cascade to operate (such as a clear day) we get more people but more of the mountain is open to disburse the larger numbers. I wuld like to know where you waited in a line for hours at a time - I haven't seen that happen this season, even on our peak days.

--Matt

So first off...banger of a season so far!! Love it.

Staff is about 98% positive, lifties being the only exception on rare occasions.  They need to take control of the line at all times, and not let people slide by.  this takes 2 people, 1 for each side...check passes, front row out, etc., etc.  I've seen people cut and lifties simply get frustrated and let chaos ensue.

KEEP 4X4 PRICING!!!!!!!! This is the best deal in all the ski industry short of Colorado college student passes.

Yes parking...a little closer to the vehicle to the left and the right could add 2-3 vehicles per line, and with about (I'd guess) 40-50 rows of cars there could be room for around 100 more cars in the lot.

Agree w/ Heather Canyon access.  Hundreds of similar slopes under similar conditions open everyday.  I do understand our unique weather creating lower visibility though.  Consider back country gate access, with card (a la Alpethal) and a gear check of beacon, shovel, and probe.

HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN THE SUPPOSED CAT SKIING @ MEADOWS??  I've seen this for 3 years and never heard once of anyone actually taking it into the upper canyon.

I agree real time LED trail and lift status signs @ the top of MHX, HRM, Shooting Star, Cascade, and Vista would be super helpful.

How about a natural terrain park...with log features, stumps, etc. in one of the gullies a la "The Stash @ Northstar"...i.e. bottom of shooting star, or many others.

More events...real music @ events.  Moe dixon is not what I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about bands that would cater to the freestyle event crowd ON SNOW!!  Punk, metal, hip-hop, etc.

Move the buses...far far away, and make them turn off their engines.

RV hookups??  At least power.  Crystal Mountain has these for a small fee, and it makes for an incredible trip, with less generators running.

Overall my experience @ Meadows has been super positive, I love the snow, and think the staff is pretty darn great, and you are doing your best.  I love the fact that there isn't a village and lodging, and night clubs.  I love everything about it ALMOST.

A

PS-How about a new logo??  The double humps just aren't doing it for me.  I want to fly the flag of my  mountain, but the logo is just boring.  I'll do it for 2 season passes next season!!!!

Matt's reply: Super post - some affirmations as well as suggestions for improvements. We'll review them with the different departments. Perhaps at some point we'll do a blog about a new logo - but not during our 40th anniversary season!

Here's a great trivia question - who designed the original Mt. Hood Meadows logo?

--Matt

The medical clinic staff were all very kind and helpful when I had to go there on Dec. 8th when I fractured my left arm.  I was very glad you have an x-ray machine, too.  

I _highly_ recommend, though, that the med clinic be relocated into its own (new) building.  It was very cramped that day, with not enough space for everyone to be able to move around comfortably (or to stay put comfortably).  Your med clinic should be at least twice the size it currently is.

This past Sunday, I finally got to ski again!  The cake was great!  Let's have more cookies, too, like last year.  

The new couches in the Finish Line Pizzeria are quite comfy, too.  I love them!  Thank you.

I would like Meadows to have, like in the past, lockers that accept quarters.  I would like to pay $1.00 to put my lunch, extra clothes, etc., in a locker in the morning, and then $1.00 to put stuff in the locker after I eat my lunch.  $2.00 is an acceptable amount.  $6.00 (or whatever it is now) is not an acceptable amount to pay for the above locker use situation -- which, I think, is pretty typical for most people who want to use lockers.  Your new lockers might be nice for families who are always in and out of the lodge, but for people who just want to access their stuff once (lunchtime), they're overkill (and overpriced!).

Finally, your lift ticket pricing -- this is something that I wrote to Dave Riley about.  His answer was that Meadows wants more people to buy passes.  But...I think having $64 lift tickets for peak days is CRAZY.  Especially since just two years ago, those same tickets cost $52 or so.  A $12 increase in 2 years is UNHEARD OF.  At least, in Oregon.  My friends with new houses, cars, and kids -- I have many such friends -- are not skiing at Meadows anymore.  They go to Skibowl, because they only go once or twice a year.

In the past, I could convince them to come with me to Meadows.  Since the price skyrocketed over the past 2 years for day tickets, they won't anymore.  

I love the 4x4 deal, but I think Meadows is losing customers.  Of course, with your lots full on the weekends, you probably don't even notice!

Overall, I like the changes at Meadows, keep up the good work!

Matt's reply:

Chad: Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear about your successful return to the mountain. I appreciate the suggestions you have made for improvements. Regarding pricing - we will always offer our most loyal guests the best deals - such as the season pass and 10 Time Pass products. We also have deals for your friends which they can find on our deals page - such as the family pass (two adult lift tickets and two 14 and under tickets for $125). There are affordable ways to enjoy Meadows.

--Matt

Open Heathers in the morning -- i know its been said but  that is some amazing terrain and many other resorts have similar terrain and open it daily.

I think for the price of a ticket its not too much to ask to be able to get fresh turns in Heathers on powder days.

Matt's reply:

Derek: We'll keep working on it. Please keep in mind that with the storm systems we have been receiving there have been issues of visibility to first perform AC and then evaluate its effectiveness. This has been a great year for powder, but also a challenge for control work.

--Matt

I began skiing at MHM over 35 years and have seen many wonderful changes, and one I would like to see you bring back is opening lifts at 8AM. That was nice.

The new metal fences in the lift lines would be great if we didn't ski over the metal parts holding them up. Some plastic covers would be nice.

More garbage cans at the top of the lifts, and advertize them. Can't believe all the trash that gets thrown onto the slopes. Last year I landed on a two litre plastic coke bottle someone threw on the slope up on ridge run and ended up on crutches for 10 days, and no skiing for 6 weeks.

The bottleneck at the top of MT Hood Express where you head into south canyon is ridiculous. Have you thought about extending the chair up about a 100 feet?

Been a great year so far. Hope the cats get to take us up higher soon.

Matt's reply:

Keith: Thanks for your observations and suggestions for improvements. We'll give each serous consideration - except for extending the chair 100 feet. We couldn't justify that cost.

--Matt

Good:

· In the lodge, there are always plenty of staff around to answer questions and such, this has been great all season.

· My experiences so far this season with the lifties has been pretty positive, even on Saturdays when the lines are long and positive attitudes are usually hard to find.

· Conditions have been great! (If only the sun would stop in to say "hi" every once in a while!)

· The slow zones seem to be managed much better this year; they are very well posted and virtually impossible to miss.

Not So Good:

· Where can I go fast?  When I get off Mt. Hood Express, a giant banner with the words "Space Not Speed" is staring at me, as if to say "Yeah, you on the snowboard.  Don't even think about having fun today."  I understand that there are "slow areas" and "comfort zones," and I try to avoid the learners' hill when possible, but as I roam the rest of the mountain, I ride at all times fearing that someone is going to stop me and take my pass.  I know that once Cascade can run more regularly later in the season, it opens up a lot of nice wide-open groomed runs, but there need to be posted "go fast here" areas.  I mean, if I wanted to go slow I could have gone cross-country skiing, right?

I know there are black diamond runs that are supposed to be for "experienced" riders and skiers, but generally these are chopped-up bowls that require fancy footwork on a snowboard to get down comfortably.

Plenty of weekends I go up there and see whole sections of the mountain "closed for racing," but these types of areas are never set up for general guests to utilize.  When I watch Boardercross on TV, I just get sad with the thought that Meadows doesn't offer these sorts of runs.

Am I just being a bit too paranoid, do these areas exist up there and I just haven't been able to find them, or do I need to find another resort that welcomes "fans of the fast"?

Also, I've gotta say, thanks for keeping up the blog, it has been a great resource since the beginning, and only seems to be getting better!

Matt's reply:

Space AND Speed: You've covered a lot of ground. Thanks for sharing both what you see as good those areas that need improvement. The objective approach is always best. There are plenty of places to ski at a higher rate of speed - primarily on more advanced slopes in uncongested areas. We're not try to take away the fun or the thrill, we just want people to be more aware of the situation around them, particularly in high traffic areas.

We do maintain a boarder cross course skiers left of Rose City Park and USASA has competition dates scheduled February 3 (this Sunday), 16 and March 1. You can get details here: http://www.skihood.com/fridaynightclinics/

--Matt

Well, I was going to ask for ski locks like Whistler (beats screwing around with ski check), and was going to ask for some sort of accurate status boards like Whistler, and even the Kleenex stations like Whistler, but my friend Celia beat me to it.

Matt's reply:

TooMuch: We'll place another tally mark in each of the ski lock, status board and Kleenex columns (just like Whistler). Thanks for the post.

--Matt

Overall i couldnt be happier with Meadows. Im from the Whistler Blackcomb area and have to say that your staff and operations are on par or above the standard with other resorts around the world and could rival big name resorts like Whistler Blackcomb if they didnt have so much more terrain. Here are some of my suggestions even tho you may have read most of em

A few areas of improvement possible.

I agree that a possible backcountry policy that is at your own risk and expense would be pretty awesome.

The lifties need more breaks. They seem burned out more than ready to work. I know how that is since i was a lifty for 3 years. The language and not so kind remarks towards paying customers doesnt bode well upon the management or HR.

Always a good idea to put up some real time electronic signs with lift status and run status.

More night skiing terrain as it would relieve some of the crowds during the day. Pricey option but i would love to see this. Take Ski Bowls "Largest night ski area in America" title away from them. I would get a good laugh out of that

Keep doin what your doin with the slow areas and the ski patrol that is nice rather then complete jerks of past years.

Heather Canyon is the best riding in the Northwest but its never open. New Lift, A new access run (switchback style) to get in to it at a not so steep angle as to take away some avalanche danger, A couple not so possible options but figured id throw them out there. I miss the Canyon

Expand the HRM base lodge to accomodate more people and food like products. Or the Main lodge could be expanded or another lodge at the top or half way would work.

Open new terrain similar to what Timberline did this year

Im happy with Meadows but crowd control is an issue now and seems like itll only get worse unless something is done. Great work with what you have on hand.

Matt's reply:

Fast: Thanks for the suggestions. We recognize that we can improvements and it is extremely helpful to see our operations through the eyes of our guests.

--Matt

Just a quick response to Brian's post.  I'm also a season pass holder and I rode most of the day on Shooting Star on Sunday, January 27th and thought the lifties were great.  They did a fantastic job at managing the singles line and keeping things moving.  They were friendly and fun.  Everyone seems to have a different experience and I thought I would pass on the compliments since personally I had a great experience.

Singles line management has been better this year.  However, I would be even happier if they would consistently send out pairs from each side of the singles line to form a group of 4.  I've seen this happen at Shooting Star, but not so much at Mt. Hood Express.  This would really help with congestion and safety in the base area and SS.

Other than that, you work in the snow business.  Conditions change from day-to-day and even if things don't go right I'm still happy because its apparent you are trying to do the best job possible.  And in my opinion, the meadows team does an amazing job.

Thanks again from a 3rd Year Season Pass Holder.  Happy Anniversary!

Matt's reply:

Snow Dance: Your post is both humbling and inspirational. I'm going over to hug a liftie at Shooting Star right now. We'll share your comments with the lift department, first so we can recognize the good work at Shooting Star and so we can spread the secret of that success to our other lifts.

--Matt

Every weekend I come up and walk threw the lines of parked buses more then half of them are idling. you guys do a good job on the bus services and trying to lower environmental impact but with these buses idling for hours on end it does not help at all.  Yes there are still drivers in the buses but they could easily walk 50 yards into the lodge and read there book.

Matt's reply:

Nick: We are issuing idling schedules to the buses upon arrival. I've monitored the situation on several weekends and the only time I've seen more than half idling is just before departure as they warm up for guests. We'll continue to keep an eye (and ear and our noses) on the situation. We realize these buses are high profile and quite noticeable parked so close to the lodge.

--Matt

Hi Matt,

I would like to say that I do not feel that Meadows provides very good customer service. Most of the interactions I have had with Ski Patrol and Lift Operators have bordered on the ridiculous. It seems like they go out of their way to assert authority over the customer, without regards to logic let alone customer service. Two incidents stand out: 1) When I went to get my 4x4 pass, there was no line at all. Nobody was in the line, and yet there was a large maze set up should a long line form. Rather than walking back and forth for 5 minutes for no reason. I went around the barriers to the desk. The patroller there told me that I did, in fact have to walk through the barriers. "It's a test" he said. I really can't see the point of making somebody do that, except to show them that you can make them do that, and it certainly is not good customer service. 2) At the end of one recent day my friends and I went to the bottom of Cascade hoping to get in one more run down HC. We arrived at 2:55, and the clock at the lift said 2:55. The lift op said "Sorry, we're closed, we close at 3". We pointed out to him that it was not yet 3 on the clock, and he said "Well, Ski Patrol already made their sweep, so we're closed". I don't know why patrol would make their sweep so early, there certainly could still be skiers/boarders out there, and they should not make the sweep bofore tho lift's posted closing time. I have skied all over the world and most resorts will give you a 5 minute "grace period" after they say they close, because they know you are there to ski, and they try to accomodate you so that you can feel that you've gotten a full day in. I can't say the staff at Meadows makes me feel like they care if I'm getting in a good day. I will not be getting a pass at Meadows again.

Matt's reply:

matt: Thank you for bringing these experiences to my attention. The season pass maze should have been set so that it could be opened when not full. But you may be overlooking the more important fact that there was no season pass line to begin with. Regarding Cascade - do you have the date that occured? I'd like to look into it. This is not the normal procedure, unless weather is closing in and requires that we sweep early.

I'd appreciate a reply - to have a chance to address these problems. Our staff, and that includes me, is very concerned about you getting in a good day, and by talking to us about it we can improve the experience for you and others.

Hoping to hear from you.

--Matt

Hey Matt!

I've really been loving my second season at MHM. It is really cool to enjoy an advanced ski area that is close to home.

I just wanted to comment about the impassable wall of carbon monoxide and bus exhaust that looms in front of the main lodge on weekends. I really appreciate Meadows' commitment to reducing their environmental impact by offering Green Tags and supporting renewable energy, carpooling and offering bus rides to the mountain during peak riding times. However, it seems ironic (and pointless, really) for me to purchase a $20 Green Tag with my season pass (and additional Green Tags later in the season), only to have any carbon offsets that I am trying to make, offset by the 30 diesel engines running for 8 hours each Saturday and Sunday in the parking lot. I understand that the bus drivers like to stay warm, watch tv, etc. but I feel like Meadows needs to step up and ask the drivers to merge into just a few buses that keep their engines running all day. I want to enjoy further seasons like this one for years to come! Can something be worked out to alleviate this problem?

Additionally, I have several positives for you and your staff. I wanted to say that Abel (in Manuel's Cantina) is a really professional staff member who does an awesome job managing a really busy cash register. I am actually really impressed by the entire staff in the Cantina as there are always A LOT of people to serve and they manage to do it almost perfectly almost all of the time. Thanks for the Nachos:) Keep it open until the close of the season!!!

I have seen several especially great lift operators at Shooting Star this year. MHM has done an excellent job of staffing the lift with the most up-beat, considerate and professional lifties! I think that John W (???? reddish beard) is the best Lead Lift guy as he is deftly able to manage everyone in line, no matter how crowded.

The safety program is really effective for high traffic areas, especially around Vista/Easy Rider. I felt very safe taking my first time riders to that area last weekend!

Ok, that's all for me! Thanks again for the awesome season and opening up to comments!

Matt's reply:

Melissa: Thanks for the post - we'll pass on the kudos to Abel in food services and John W at Shooting star. Thank you for noticing and letting us know so we can recognize and reward them.

Regarding the buses - we have implemented a rotating bus idling schedule. According to the schedule each bus is allowed to idle no more than 20 minutes every three hours - less when the temperatures are warmer. As I mentioned above there is a time just before departure that many of the buses are idling at the same time warming up for passengers. But we do not have 30 buses idling for 8 hours - that's not the case.

Why do we park the buses in this location? First it provides bus passengers convenience - a reward for taking mass transportation. Second, it allows the bus drivers more convenience to the lodge, meaning they'll spend less time in their buses idling. Third, we can manage them better than if they were sent to a remote lot, where we believe there would be much more idling (out of sight out of mind).

OK - here's what I'd like everyone to do. As you pass a bus that is not idling, stop, knock on the door and thank that bus driver. How about giving recognition to the ones who are following the schedule?

--Matt

I'm a season pass holder, and have been for the past several years, and generally enjoy my experience at Meadows. However, a few things seem to need some improvement.

1) Opening Heather Canyon earlier in the day. Obviously, safety must come first, but it sometimes seems as if the necessary AC work doesn't begin until several hours after first light. This seems to be more of a problem this season.

2) Getting the ropes up in the liftlines before the lifts actually open. The liftlines are difficult enough to navigate when the ropes are up (see below).

3) Poorly monitored/controlled liftlines. I know the liftline operators have a difficult job, but there seems to be a "free for all" type atmosphere in liftlines that is increasingly becoming a problem. People routinely cut in line to "catch up with a friend" who is often at the front of the line, ski under the ropes to "catch up with a friend," etc. I know the liftline crew can't see or control everything but it would be nice if standing in a liftline weren't such a frustrating and annoying experience. No one enjoys having being shoved out of the way so someone can cut in front of them. Obviously, rude skiers are the real problem here but it would be nice if the liftline crew would say something to these people.  

Overall, it just seems like there is a certain amount of work that isn't getting done before the resort and/or lifts opens. This didn't seem to be the case last season or in previous seasons.

Matt's reply:

Titus: Good observations. I think #1 is more a factor of the amount of snow - which means reduced visibility - remember we received only one sunny day from December 14 through January 12. It's interesting - when we got into the sunny stretch for almost two weeks beginning January 13, and Heather was open early and on time each day, we received no comments. Guess that goes with the territory. There is control work occuring routinely on stormy days even before sunrise. But we can not complete AC work and clear it for opening until we have visual confirmation - and many days this season with wind and snow visual confirmation was not possible.

We can make improvements in all three areas above - and I appreciate you posting your comments.

--Matt

Open up Heather canyon!!! I can coun't on two hands the number of days that it has been open during the weekends. You guys a getting so lame!! But where else are we going to go, you got us all by the short hairs. All I can say is you used to open her up all the time, no I don't even know why I come up sometimes. Please do us all a favor and HIRE MORE PATROLLERS TO DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO OPEN IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for listening

Matt's reply:

Frustrated: No need to shout - I (and our entire management team) am tuned in closely to this blog. Here's some information that you need to know about AC work in Heather.

It is nearly impossible to groom, maintain or AC terrain when it is snowing and blowing consistently over a 24 hour period due to drifting and poor visibility issues. This year's snow pack is unusual not so much in terms of gross accumuluation, but more in terms of the snow packs make up.  These unusual low density characteristics are making snow safety and avalanche control work more complicated than in prior years. We are working on expanding our Snow Safety and Patrol Departments both in terms of numbers and higher level training. Due to the snowfall, high winds and cool temps, we are re-setting rope lines and blowing cornices EVERY morning.  This work takes time, regardless of how many patrollers we have working at one time.

I'm not saying we're perfect, we know we can improve. But I really don't think we're getting credit for the efforts that we are making. I appreciate having the opportunity to address these issues with our guests. The exchange is important.

--Matt

A few tiny things I could see you improve on.

The report on your website are pretty accurate. Unfortunatly, you post a link to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center's Telemetry site and that is different.

Another issue is that while there are signs that say no smoking in the lift line, I have seen a lift opperator at the bottom of HRM smoking on several occasions while checking tickets.  Yuck!

My final disappointment was a few weeks ago when I was on the first chair up HRM then went over to Shooting Star to be told that it would probably be 30 minutes before they opened.  Luckily they got it going in about 15 thanks to some encouragement by I believe Jessie.  A sign at the top would have been nice since there was no where to go just stand and wait and watch the line get long and people get mad.

Other than that things seem to be better than last year which was better than the year before.  

Keep it up,

Jen

Matt's reply:

Jen: Thanks for sharing your observations and suggestions for improvement. Sorry about the lift attendent smoking. We'll review our smoking policies with our staff. Good suggestion regarding communicating the status of Shooting Star at the top of HRM. More than that if Star wasn't operating then access should not have been available - rope lines should have prevented access. We can improve in both areas.

I appreciate your comment regarding things getting better than previous years. We are on a journey towards continual improvement and your comments will help us along the way.

--Matt

I think overall, that Meadows is a great place to ski.  Having been to several other areas in the NW as well as Colorado/New Mexico, I can apprec