12/16/08

NOT a place for beginners or small kids

by KlutzK

I've tried Meadows three times now and was sorely disappointed. The staff are robotic on their best days, surly most of the time. There is no tolerance of beginners. My last time there, I fell coming off the chairlift and couldn't get out of the way in time for the next group coming off. One of the next group ran over my arm with his ski, then turned around to lecture me on getting out of his way as I lay there clutching my arm in pain--turns out he was one of the ski patrol!! Just prior to that I was turned back at the chairlift after waiting in a long line because they didn't like the way my lift ticket was attached to my jacket (it was through the corded zipper loop, and not the metal zipper clasp). They sent me all the way back to the kiosk to be issued another lift ticket (let's see, that's four long lines for one run). Couldn't they just let me ride this first time up and I would go to get it fixed when I came back by the kiosk after the first run?? No! And not a very polite NO! either.

Also few places to eat or warm up-- restaurant service snotty- no loitering in the building, keep moving please. And no one seems to stop to assist the injured--what's with that??

It's too bad. This place has what look like some very nice routes, it's just that they do everything in their power to treat the skiers and boarders badly. The place is a meat market.

• Cons: No parking but buses shuttle you in Takes about a half hour to get from park to lodge

09/03/08

This place is the best.

by adam251

I have been boarding at Meadows since I started boarding back in 1998. It doesn't let me down. I have always had a blast and though the lines get long on weekends, you can avoid them if you know where to go and when to go there. I don't care much for anything accept the mountain itself. The terrain is incredibly diverse and suits all skill levels. The snow is great, depending on the year and time of season of course, but I can't complain! They have a pretty good park set up each year around various parts of the mountain, and hold numerous events that can be pretty entertaining througout the year. This is my favorite resort in range of a Portland by far.

01/01/08

Mt Hood Meadows snow rocks!

by sstelepro

The Meadows is a myth buster! What myths - you ask? That the snow is always wet and heavy. That to find good powder you have to go to Utah or Colorado. Forget it. Right now the Meadows has a base of 110 inches at the base and received an average of more than 10 inches of light powder every day since Dec 14th - a total of 180 inches in 16 days. That's more snow than many areas will receive all year, I ski the Meadows at least 60 days per season. I've skied more powder in the 3 seasons I've skied here than I did in the 8 previous years in Idaho - skiing Sun Valley, Bogus Basin, Brundage and Tamarack. Only Targhee - just across the Idaho border gets comparable snow. And the season at the Meadows extends from mid November until the end of May. The Mountain has a great mix of easy - intermediate and expert terrain - 5 high speed quads make getting anywhere on the mountain easy, and the ski school is clearly one of the very best in the west. What's missing? No onsite accombidations. No pretentious luxury carpeted lodge.

No valet service. If you want that - go to Sun Valley or Vail or Whistler. But if you want great skiing on great snow, at an affordable price - don't overlook Mt Hood Meadows in Oregon.

• Pros: snow
• Cons: lodge

Winter sports fans flock to this snow zone for snowboard pipes, cross-country and advanced ski runs.

by Contributor

The Scene
Situated on the sunny, wind-protected side of Mount Hood, Meadows offers skiers and snowboarders a vast amount of terrain. And the fun usually lasts from November to May, due to an average annual snowfall of 430 inches. The Demo Ski and Snowboard Center, in the South Lodge, is also an attraction for those wanting to take the latest gear for a test run.

The Slopes
Meadows consists of both gentle slopes for beginners and insanely steep areas in Heather Canyon and the Badlands area. There are nearly 100 marked trails--more than 20 remaining open until 10pm. Meadows also has 15 kilometers of groomed cross-country tracks. The cross-country learning center is located at the Hood River Meadows parking area and is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday.

Vital Stats
Vertical drop: 2,777 feet
Base elevation: 4,523 feet
Top elevation: 7,300 feet
Lifts: 11
Skiable acres: 2,150
Snowboarding: Full facilities
Beginner terrain: 15 percent
Intermediate terrain: 50 percent
Advanced terrain: 35 percent

11/28/03

Great for Families

by wangfoy

Mt. Hood Meadows is a great place to go skiing for families. They have a good day care center for little ones - it's a little pricey, but what do you expect? For older ones, they have a "mini" kid zone with games and rope tows. The snow conditions were great - no ice whatsoever and they are constantly grooming the slopes. We went on Thanksgiving day and there were no lines and the slopes were relatively open. Bottom line, if you're looking for a good local resort for the family - both ski and snowboard, go here.

• Pros: Kid programs, No lines, Great conditions
• Cons: Remote parking lot

11/12/02

Great pick

by fstmalibu

Great place to find powder. Great runs for any level. Fast lines.

• Pros: POWDER, Great runs, Price
• Cons: nothing