Conditions Report
Report from Tuesday, February 4
Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area is located on Oregon’s tallest peak. With a peak of 11,250 feet, Mt. Hood dominates the landscape and boasts some of the best skiing in the Pacific Northwest. The ski area’s history started in the 1967/68 season when it opened to the public with two lifts and over 1,000 vertical feet of skiing. Today, Mt. Hood Meadows offers 2,777 vertical feet of lift-accessed skiing and an additional 1,700 vertical feet if skiers hike up to the Super Bowl above Heather Canyon.
Thanks to my Indy Pass, I had the opportunity to ride Mt. Hood Meadows for the first time on Tuesday. Conditions had been favorable, with 20 inches of snow accumulating over the past few days. Tuesday morning greeted us with light snow and low visibility. The mountain seemed empty, and we rode groomers and explored it as we waited for the Cascade Express lift to open.
The summit was hidden behind the clouds for most of the day, occasionally poking through to give us a glimpse of the giant peak. Later that morning, lift operations and mechanics managed to get the Cascade Express spinning after it had been closed during the latest storm.
The Cascade Express access boosted us to untouched snow that rode incredibly well on aspects protected from the harsh wind. It wasn’t long until Heather Canyon opened up, and we traversed to the A-Zone. The A-Zone is a huge bowl and is the first gate into Heather Canyon from the Cascade Express lift.
Visibility had become nearly non-existent, and our turns became selective until we were about halfway down the canyon. The terrain became clear once we gained enough visibility, and the snow was surprisingly light.
Itching for another lap, I dropped in further down the canyon at Twilight Bowl, where deep turns awaited me. Twilight Bowl rode insanely well, and the ride through Heather’s Canyon to the Hood River Meadows parking lot was a beautiful sight. The runout trail constantly crosses a beautiful stream and provides a sneak peek of the gnarly terrain inside the Private Reserve zone.
We explored as much of the mountain as possible, which left me excited to return. There was too much terrain to ride in one day; I will need a second trip to hike up the Super Bowl and check out the Private Reserve. As of the 2022/23 season, Mt. Hood Meadows joined the Indy Pass, which offers two lift passes to over 230 independent ski areas.
Mt. Hood Meadows Snow Numbers
- Current Total Snowfall: 285”
- Current Base: 108”
- Lifts: 12
- Trails: 87
Weather Forecast
