La Niña is shifting into high gear now, with a promising snowy weather pattern forecast for the next 10 days. The storm has already dropped 3 inches of snow as of early Friday morning, and we could see another foot or two by Monday. And that is great news for our season!
We expect to be very busy this weekend; we all love to play in new snow. We have already limited day ticket sales for the weekend, only noon - 4 PM tickets are available for purchase online, but even so, we expect to see a lot of pass holders (including last year's pass holders who didn't renew, and who have until December 20 to use their passes). Here's some tips on how to best get your turns in this weekend.
- Expect large lift mazes - lines will be longer than normal. This is to be expected, since we are using ghost lanes and spreading people out in our mazes, and we're not maxing our chair-seating capacity. So be patient - the line moves faster than it looks. You still need to spread out and give everyone their space, and of course, wear your mask covering both your nose and mouth.
- Weather may affect upper lifts as the storm progresses. At this time, Saturday's weather looks more favorable for Vista and Cascade to operate, but that can change with the storm and visibility. That will add more pressure to our other lifts.
- Don't rush to be early - our peak ridership historically, and even last weekend, is between 9 AM and noon. By the afternoon, there are far fewer riders and since the forecast has snow falling through the weekend, the runs will be refreshed.
NOTE: On Saturday, this wasn't the case. The conditions were awesome all day and we did not see the early departure we normally see and that led to fewer parking spaces opening up in the afternoon. Generally by noon, we see our parking lots reopen as morning skiers depart. We addressed this on our blog.
- Use double chairs - even last weekend, Daisy and Easy Rider didn't have a lift line, while Mt. Hood Express and Vista had large mazes.
- Know the flow - last week, while there were full mazes on other lifts, there was virtually no lift line on Shooting Star at 11 AM. We will be updating our lifties with maze line status so they can pass that information along.
- Be patient - be flexible - be kind. It's going to be a great day!
We suggest using your vehicle as your lodge for warming up or eating, as our outdoor dining spaces may be affected by the storm. We will have restaurants open for grab-and-go items, and if you need to use restrooms, we appreciate you limiting your indoor time to just 10 minutes so we can accommodate the needs of everyone.
Night Operations Begin Wednesday
In addition to the new snow piling up - we are looking forward to beginning night operations Wednesday, December 16. We will move right into our regular season operational schedule 9 AM - 4 PM Monday and Tuesday; 9 AM - 9 PM Wednesdays through Sundays. So Night Pass holders can begin using their passes beginning Wednesday!
Hours of Operation