C5 Golfer Posted December 25, 2003 Report Share Posted December 25, 2003 My girlfriend and I are planning on going to the New Years Eve Party they host. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how the conditions and terrain are? And anyone else from the Portland area doing the New Years Eve party there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P06781 Posted December 25, 2003 Report Share Posted December 25, 2003 I rode last sunday and it was very hard-icy conditions but it is predicted to snow daily with 2000-3000ft snows levels through new years. The mountain is completely filled in with very little chance of hitting any rocks so it is safe to use your good board(s). I plan on riding sat so I will update you then. I cant make newyears eve as I am working/family w/ small kids. The best place to check conditions is through NOAA...hourly conditions...6" in last 24hrs http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/products/OSOMHM http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/ORZ011.php?warnzone=ORZ011&warncounty=ORC005 At night only MTHood Express is open..... http://www.skihood.com/ Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted December 26, 2003 Report Share Posted December 26, 2003 I was up today. Conditions are great and projected to get better. It's a bit early to know what new years will be like... but the forecast look favorable. I haven't ridden up in WA, so I can't provide direct comparisons, but Meadows has a great mix of terrain. Check out the trail map. The series of bowls under the Mt Hood Express are a lot of fun unless there's frozen moguls. There's a lot of fun terrain off the Shooting Star lift and Hood River Meadows lift. The HRM lift is lower on the mountain though, so it's more likely to get refroze down there. For other steepish stuff, heather canyon is awsome... today was my first time getting in there... huge wide open steepish wall.. just a ton of fun. And if you want truely steep, check out Absolute Magnitude on the trail map... saw people bombing that today, but it's way past my skill level. If the top lift Cascade Express is open, you'll have access to some nice wide open powder fields. It also lets you drop into the upper half of heather canyon... which I have yet to ride, but looks like the lower canyon only better: bigger, steeper longer. For carving, there's 2 good runs off the Mt Hood Express lift: North Canyon and South Canyon. Unfortunately, they can get a little crowded. If conditions are good on the Hood River Meadows chair, there's a lot of wide open groomed trails down there, and usually less of a crowd. Watch out for ski patrol if the're enforcing the "slow speed" tho :rolleyes:. There's a couple runs off the Shooting Star chair that would make for good groomed, with an option of doing some short steeper stuff in the middle. At night, the only express lift open is Mt Hood. Daisy is usually open, and I think there's some ok runs over there.. havent ridden it in 2 years though. Yellow is occasionally open at night, and there's some good groomed runs accessable from there too. I may be there for new years... I'm still not sure how much I like the idea of driving down the mountain with drunk @#$holes though. If you want to get in good riding, I'd definately suggest you get there in time for day ski, and take a long dinner to wait for the night events... it shouldn't be that crowded new years night, but you still miss out on a lot of terrain at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted December 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 On Meadows - will be there for New Years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P06781 Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 Hey, I plan to ride in the morning till 2-3pm. If you come earlier in the day I would be glad to show you around. NWS predicts 4" overnight with 4" more during the day on the 31st . I will be on channel 10-5. Its been kinda icy here in portland so watch out for black ice. I still have 6" on the ground at my house in the west portland hills....elevation 900' on shady side. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted December 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 Originally posted by P06781 Hey, I plan to ride in the morning till 2-3pm. If you come earlier in the day I would be glad to show you around. NWS predicts 4" overnight with 4" more during the day on the 31st . I will be on channel 10-5. Its been kinda icy here in portland so watch out for black ice. I still have 6" on the ground at my house in the west portland hills....elevation 900' on shady side. Jim thanks for the info -- I think out lift ticket with the Party package is good only after 4- But we'll see once we get there. If I can I'll give you a call on 10-5 - hope to see you on the 10th at Crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 I might be at ski bowl for their party, and will be at meadows new years day. I haven't been up since saterday, but I hear conditions were near epic yesterday, and there's another few inches of fresh on the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 I was at Ski Bowl yesterday, conditions wree indeed epic. Jim, I'll look for you tomorrow morning.... will try to get their for opening and will likley be in Heather Canyon once it opens. Al, I'll probablyu suse 10/5 instead of 5/12, if you decide to come out early! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 OK, who's up for Meadows tomorrow AM? It's currently dumping hard at my house in Sandy, elevation 800 feet, so leave early tomorrow morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 I was up today... great conditions. Managed to get fresh lines on lower heather when they opened it. They're only opening pluto bowl though, I guess they fear slides on the upper part of lower canyon (moon bowl?). Elsewhere on the mountain there was great snow to find as well. If you got there early the 2 runs under the shooting start lift were just a mach speed powder blitz... so so so much fun :). Roads on the mountain are ok, but lower down in gresham everything melted and refroze into an ice rink. Same might happen to other parts of the road tomorrow, so be careful. PS. It was still dumping up there when I left. I very much wish I could wiggle out of work tomorrow :/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P06781 Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 I don't think I will make it on fri am. 16+ inchs snow at house and my wife wont let leave with the subaru as it is the only car that can make it out . If I come I will call on 5/12 . Have fun tomorrow ... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Speedy Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 Hey guys, I'm down in Salem... would love to hook up, if I'm able to get away from the house. Hopefully sometime in the next few months I'll obtain a Burton 169 from a friend of mine in Vail...I just fell in love with carving after discovering my need for speed at Banff Norquay and Lake Louise over Christmas vacation. I wish I had read this thread earlier, for sure I would make plans to come up. But my kid needs to go to the doc, and Salem's been getting BOMBED!!! What, 9 inches in my friend's backyard??? So, 2 hours of driving in the slush just to get up the mountain........ Anyways, I'll keep a close eye on this thread and maybe someone here will create a Northwestern Connection and have regular hookups at 'Hood and in Washington. Would love to meet some of you to pick up the art of carving. Aloha, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 I'm certainly not advanced enough to give you much in the way of tips yet, but I'd be happy to make some turns with you. I try to get out one weekday and one weekend morning each week, however if it's been snowing I tend to go for steeps and powder rather than carve. (Although I have been doing said steeps and powder on plates more often than not this season - great fun!) BTW Meadows was excellent this morning - they said only 2" of new overnight but it seemed more like 10 by the time the lifts opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 don't let mike go all humble on you... I've learned a lot following his tracks. wish the snow would pick up so that I could get some fresh tracks tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Speedy Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 Okay seems like I'll be heading up to Meadows Sunday with a couple friends. I'll be sticking with my 154 M3 and breaking in my new soft boots. I'll be wearing a Grey snowboard jacket and brown pants, with a black snowboard.. I have a RED goatee and hearing aids... if that ain't enough, try looking for a fast snowboarder and see if he fits my profile. Hope to get in some runs before another big 'un hits on Monday. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 3, 2004 Report Share Posted January 3, 2004 I wear a gray and black no-name-brand jacket, silver helmet, and Oakley goggles. I'll very probably be on a red 172 w/ no graphics at all (not even logo) on topsheet and hard boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P06781 Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 I guess me and Mark C will show up too for some first runs. I am from wisconsin, so I might go in and watch the end of the packer-seahawk NFL playoff game ... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 Hey guys, I was just up there, and all I gotta say is D@MN FINE DAY. Conditions were great, and steadily improving all day. The moon bowls on heather filled in by this afternoon and were just a nice smooth surf. Not much to carve.... ohhh DARN. ;) I'll be up there, red jacket, blue helmet, pastacio colored board, radio on channel 5:12. Will likely spend my day on shooting star and heather. Ben, Jim, Mike, hope to see you up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 4, 2004 Report Share Posted January 4, 2004 I'll be up there 8 am to noonish! 5/12 as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Great riding with you (again), Jim, Mark, Jason! That first run into Heather Canyon was INCREDIBLE. I don't even miss the groomers ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 What a day. Great to ride with you guys, sorry I slowed you down. I was out of gas at noon, but I ended up staying the afternoon and trying to board anyhow. The wind keept sweeping heather smooth again, so it may be great for a couple days yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Hopefully I can take a day offg next week midweek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P06781 Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Great riding, probably the best powder of the year! I got some pics ---some good , some not. Does anyone want a copies? Perhaps you can firgure out how to resize and repost for BOL to see. Let me know who wants them. Looking foward to Crystal on fri & sat...hope the snow gods will be favorable... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 email the pics to my home email: jason_watkins@pobox.com I'll put em up on the web. I sure hope that's not the best we get this year... but if it is, I'm happy... it was great :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Speedy Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 I was out there at Meadows on Sunday and there was just too much powder for me to carve and along with adjusting to new boots, I was frustrated for most of the day. It was FREEZING too, at about what, 5-10 degrees F at the top of the Shooting Star Express? I saw a couple guys in line with what looks like swallow or split tail boards, they were pretty identical, and I think, softboots. They went straight for the Heather Canyon after getting off the lift at the top.. I was in the chair behind them.. Dunno if you are them? Forgot my friggin' screwdriver and couldn't make adjustments all day.. finally found a run on the ridge bordering Heather Canyon and actually got to cheek-flappin' speed... still, with all that powder, I just couldn't carve decently but I did make a few nice norm drills and I'm still trying to find the spot of comfort... more practice in the new boots and adjustments to be made and I'm sure I'll get there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.