“This is the best snow I have ever ridden!”  was my favorite quote overheard in the lift line at Mount Hood Meadows last week.  After a roller coaster of weather between January and February my man Jack Frost has decided to give it one last hurrah before the arrival of spring.  The last three weeks have seen storm cycles that dropped huge amounts of cold and dry powder.  These storms were followed by cold temperatures and sunshine making it a riders dream, giving us the best conditions in all the west.

Anyone who thinks winter in Oregon is over, think again!

The snow is great and so are the deals on the mountain.  With the Unlimited Spring Pass lasting through May 25th at Timberline for $99, Fusion Spring Pass combining Timberline and SkiBowl for $179, to the Unlimited $99 Spring Pass at Mount Hood Meadows which also gives a $10.00 credit for use anywhere at the resort there is no excuse why all the riding dreams cannot be fulfilled in this late blooming winter.

So to all the Oregon dreamers, get out and enjoy the beauty of the mountains!  In these tough economic times it is good to know that not only do we have the best snow in the west but the deals as well.

Photography by Randy Boverman, http://randyboverman.com/

What started off as a hectic, late for the mountain morning, was quickly remedied with six inches of new powder and the sun peaking through Sunday at Mt. Hood Meadows.  Haley went to her sixth ski lesson and they had her going down “Mercury” and “Apollo”.  Forty years ago those would have been references to NASA missions.  Today, it referred to the black diamond runs my eight year old daughter skied down during her “Snow Blaster” Lesson.

During her morning lesson, I disappeared up the express lift did a quick minute run down “Middle Fork” and “Show Off” to warm up and then spent the next two hours exploring the bowls.  Lunch with my daughter was hot cocoa, peanut butter and jelly and sliced apples…mmmmm.  Then off again.  This time I decided to follow along with Haley and her instructor, Rolando.  Afternoon had some great runs, smaller crowds, breaks in the clouds with a little sunshine.  Life is good.  Quick stop at “Joe’s” for a delicious maple bar on the way back home because we were too late to stop in the morning!

The gear is ready, the car is packed, and the family is excited to hit the slopes of Mount Hood to fulfill all their riding dreams.  You call the snow phone half way up to the mountain just to see how much powder you will be enjoying and in the most cheerful voice you hear “It is 32 degrees and snowing at the top and slightly misting at the bottom.” The smile turns into a clenched jaw and the Bob Marley playing on your stereo no longer sounds so ire.  What do you do?

Last holiday season we had two cars filled with family in a similar situation.  Turning around and taking a nap seemed to be the best solution but the look of disappointment on the young ones of the bunch stopped this from happening.  I decided to shift gears and rent cross-country gear and go out on a trail.  My lady being the brains of our dynamic duo suggested we rent snowshoes as she explained it is much easier to walk rather than balancing on cross-country skis.

The trails we could do started through my head: Trillium Lake, The Snowshoe Trail, Tea Cup Lake, Sahalie Falls Loop and my childhood favorite Ski Bowl West/Multorpor Lodge. We chose my old favorite for the simple reason that at the half way point, Multorpor Lodge, we could warm up and enjoy hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, and french fries.

We stopped at Mountain Tracks, in Government Camp, and with the assistance of a great staff were on our way with snowshoes, boots, gators and poles.  The laughs started the moment we got on the snow and I pushed my lady over for making fun of my love of boy bands.  A few miles of snowshoeing, many hot chocolates and an endless memory of laughs later, we were singing Backstreet Boy songs on our way to a family dinner in Molalla.  The fact that all we could do over dinner was tell stories from our day and laugh made me realize that 32 degrees and snowing really is pretty fantastic.

My dad always—and I mean always—told me good things come to those who wait. Well for us Oregonians who ski or snowboard that wait ended the week of December 15, 2008. Good things came in the form of 5 feet of super cold powder over a four day period!

The lift lines at Mount Hood Meadows were electric from all the pent up energy due to the late start to the 2008-2009 ski season. The lift line was filled with comments like “I wish I had fatter boards”, “I think it might be too deep”, and “I can’t believe that it was over my head”. The smiles and “hi-fives” were contagious on the mountain. In these days of gloom and doom it is nice to be reminded that good things really do come to those who wait.

With snow piling as high as 6 feet on Oregon’s peaks, our ski resorts are celebrating what is surely an epic year! For up-to-date conditions at Oregon’s ski resorts, check out SkiOregon.org or follow them on Twitter.

Editor’s Note: Asit Rathod is from Hood River and is perfectly comfortable scaling unclimbed peaks, base-jumping or enjoying the solitude of Oregon’s backcountry. Read about his adventures here. Photo Credits: Randy Boverman

Opening Day, Mt. Hood Meadows

You must have been doing your snow dance, because Oregon’s mountain resorts are starting to open for the year! With snow already piling high on Oregon’s peaks, this will surely be another epic year! So far, here is the update on resorts that are currently open:

1. Bachelor: 7 inches in the last 24 hours; Pine Marten Express and Sunshine Accelerator is scheduled to open at 8:30 am today. There will be action on Thunderbird and Skyliner Runs. Home Run and a medium jib park is open, accessed by Sunshine Accelerator. Other trails will have deep snow and also exposed rocks and hazards (it’s been a light and dry snowfall) – Keep on the open runs.

2. Meadows: Meadows opened for the season Sunday with three lifts – Buttercup, Easy Rider and Daisy (and the Wondercarpet) operating.

3. Timberline: Bruno’s and Pucci are Open 9AM-3PM and Molly’s is open 9AM-2:30PM.

For updated conditions, check SkiOregon.org or follow us on Twitter.