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Mt. Hood stands at 11,250 feet tall, but gazing up at it from the valley below, you would be forgiven for thinking it was higher. From the bustling metropolis of Portland, you can make out Hood’s unmistakable pointed spire, often silhouetted as the sun rises behind it in the east. Below, the Reid Glacier and Sandy Headwall taunt mountaineers, their intimidating features standing in stark contrast to the gentle slopes of the south side. Just out of view though, tucked into the southeast border, is Mt. Hood Meadows: a skier’s paradise hidden in plain sight.
Full disclosure, Meadows is not where I learned to snowboard—being from the Ice Coast, that honor is reserved for the world renowned steeps of New Jersey—but Mt. Hood Meadows is where I learned to fall in love with snowboarding again, dopamine flooding my brain while my legs cry out after hundreds of turns through the famed Cascade Concrete.
Since my first introduction to riding on Mt. Hood, I have learned that skiing and snowboarding here is steeped in culture. After spending the last few years navigating (successfully, so far) the Govy 500, the famed bumper car course of commuters slipping and sliding en route from Portland to Mt. Hood, and awkwardly pausing mid-conversation while driving past silent rock, it is not a stretch to say that the experience of riding at Mt. Hood Meadows starts well before you even step foot onto the slopes. You would expect nothing less from a resort that has been in operation since 1967, and although a lot has changed in the past 60 years, some has stayed the same: Meadows is still known for having the best in-bounds terrain on Mt. Hood, and with yearly snowfall totals averaging 430 inches, in any given year you can be sure you will have a shot at it.
From the cruisy bird’s eye views Vista Ridge offers, to the short and sweet steeps of the number bowls just off the main lift, Meadows has terrain for almost everyone. Where it really shines, though, is when you step into the gated terrain of Heather canyon and the Private Reserve. Offering 33 named runs within the gated terrain alone (and 85 across the whole mountain), Meadows has one of the largest areas of steep, lift accessible terrain in the Pacific Northwest.
Here, skiers and boarders alike can push their limits carving through bottomless powder above treeline or navigating the infamous cliffs of the Private Reserve. It is through these gates that I’ve shared incredulous laughter with friends after another never-ending turn, breathed in more snow than air, and found religion, or at least a bit of pucker factor, on the aptly named “God’s Wall” on more than one occasion.
The season looks to open this December, and before long, thousands of devout disciples will be lining up, waiting for their shot at Heather canyon and the endless lines it holds. Will you be joining them?
