Snowolf

First Annual Snowboard Forum Summer Meet at Mt. Hood

Dates

Wednesday June 16`th 2010 through Sunday June 20`th 2010

Cost

Airfare will obviously vary depending upon your location from Portland Oregon and the carrier. Your best bet is to go to the PDX link below to find carriers who fly in and out of Portland and check with them.

Lodging is something that is a work in progress. Obviously, the more people who attend and share the cost, the cheaper it will be overall. Our goal is 10 confirmed guest to share a rental cabin. If that number is attained, we can expect about $300 per person for the entire stay which is a bargain

Lift tickets will be around $50 a day from Timberline. As the time nears, I will try to see about special group rates, but Timberline has not set their summer prices yet for the 2010 summer riding season, so stay tuned for that.

We have one main off hill activity scheduled and that is a day of white water rafting on the Deschutes River in the central Oregon desert with All Star Rafting. Again, as the time draws near, I will be negotiating with All Star on a group rate for this. Expect this to be in the $75 tp $100 per person range.

We have some options for daily, side country trips out of and returning to Timberline`s in bounds permit area. Much of this will depend upon weather and snow stability and will be determined daily. There is one major back country trip planned for a climb to withing about 800 feet of the summit of Mt. Hood. This is a non technical climb with intermediate terrain to ride back to Timberline. Any member is welcome to participate in any of these trips, but it is not required. At all times, there will be in bound riding available including groomers and terrain parks for those who choose not to go out of bounds.

Transportation to and from the mountain to the cabin is being looked at. Currently, we are leaning toward renting a large van and using it for our primary transportation. Everyone is of course free to rent their own car, but parking at the cabin may be a little limited.


Summary

We have east coast meets and west coast meets during the riding season. What about the summer when so many people lament the fact that their snowboarding season is done and they are looking at Christmas time to ride once again? Why not come to the only place in the U.S. where you can enjoy lift accessed snowboarding in the middle of summer?

Let`s start trying to put together the first annual Snowboarding Forum Summer Shred In The Hood at historic Timberline Lodge on majestic Mt. Hood! Besides the novelty of summer riding on the flank of a sleeping volcano and Oregon`s tallest mountain, there is a plethora of summer activities to enjoy after a day of riding to make this a memorable meet.

The area offers spectacular day hiking in old growth forests with majestic waterfalls and sweeping vistas of Mt. Hood, Mt Adams, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. St. Helens. A short drive to Maupin, Oregon offers full and half days of thrilling whitewater rafting in the central Oregon desert on the Deschutes River. A short drive to Hood River, Oregon offers wind surfing and kite boarding on the Columbia River. Right in Government Camp, Ski Bowl has a summer alpine slide and other recreational activities such as hiking and mountain biking. After the sun has set, take in some of the rustic local charm of Hood River and Government camp, enjoying some local micro brews from Hood River Brewing, The Naked Winery, Mt. Hood Brewery and the Deschutes Brewery.

Adjacent to the mountain, the area offers lodging ranging from primitive camping to modern resort hotels. For those with the cash and advanced reservations,there is the historic Timberline Lodge where parts of The Shining were filmed.

An hour away, the city of Portland offers metropolitan culture and conveniences. PDX is a modern airport serving several major airlines and is an easy destination to fly into and out of from almost any city in America.

The riding at Timberline offers something for every type and level of rider. For the park rats, Timberline has a great public park with a small half pipe, medium to huge tabletops and boxes and rails to suit any level of park rider. For the speed freak, the Palmer Glacier is perfect for bombing at Mack 3, but is also great for mellow riders to cruise and play around with overall riding be it switch or spinning 1`s and 3`s or doing butters all the way down.

Lower down on Magic Mile the terrain is super mellow for our newer riders but still offers eye popping scenery and views as well as fun natural features to explore. The top of the Mile and the bottom of Palmer are side by side so people of different riding levels can still meet together each run if they want.

For anyone who wants to ride back country or get their very first taste of it, hiking above Palmer toward the summit is a great experience for the veteran back country rider and novice alike. In the summer, the PNW snow pack has stabilized and the avalanche danger goes down as close to zero as you can possibly get. It is one of the few places that a rider can do back country riding safely without the beacon, probe and shovel. Due to the nature of the PNW snow, we do not experience the dangers that afternoon sun brings to Continental snowpacks so after a morning of riding, you can take the chairlift to the top and hike up. Timberline has an open gate policy to the back country. In the 5 years living here, I have hiked this area nearly 25 times and can guide our party anywhere we decide to go for an amazing day of riding with a guarantee of a 4,000 vertical foot ride back to the lodge (weather permitting).



Timberline In Bounds:

The Magic Mile and Palmer on Mt. Hood from the Timberline Lodge parking lot:


Riding the Magic Mile:


Riding Palmer:


The Top of Palmer:





What you can expect to experience on the back country climb

Breathtaking views:


Looking down on Illumination Rock and an ocean of clouds towards Portland:


Looking up the Hogsback at the Bergshrund Crevasse and the summit of Mt. Hood:


View down onto the fumuroles on Crater Rock from the Hogsback near the summit:


The view of the Reid and Sandy Glacier headwall from the top of Illumination Chute:


Illumination Chute:






Links


The Mountain
Timberline Lodge

Skibowl


Camping & Lodging

Mt. Hood National Forest - Recreational Activities

Mt. Hood Oregon Resorts - Resort at the Mountain - Mount Hood Lodging

Mt Hood Village RV Resort Reservations | Welches Campgrounds

Mt Hood Inn - Lodging at Mt Hood, Oregon

Huckleberry Inn Home page - Mt. Hood - hotel and Restaurant in Government Camp, Oregon

Welcome to Collins Lake Resort


Food and Drink

Full Sail Brewing Company | Home Page | Handcrafted Ales and Lagers in Hood River, OR

Ice Axe Grill - Mt Hood Brewing Co.

Splash

Alpine Bar & Pizzeria at Government Camp, Oregon - The Ratskeller Restaurant & Pub

Charlie's Mountain View - Government Camp, Oregon

Skyway Bar And Grill

Rendezvous Grill & Tap Room -- Home Page

Mt. Hood National Forest - Recreational Activities

The River City Saloon


Transportation

Portland International Airport






Will post another page on off mountain recreation available to round out a meet with some summer fun to go along with snowboarding.

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coffeenirvana

Although I am biased based on living here, I think this is a great idea! Let me know how I can help.

Milo303

Sounds interesting. Depends on what my $ and job situation is at that timE

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dharmashred

I'm in! A summer meet in Hood will be just what we need to tide us over until the 2010/2011 season! I am 100% down for the back country, I've really been wanting to get the full experience of the mountain. Seems so rewarding and those pics looks so breathtaking (probably literally). I'm in + 1. Dates are flexible, so whatever the consensus is on dates is cool.

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Bizzman

yup this looks pretty BALLLINNNNNNN def down

Snowolf

The best time is mid to late June. This affords the best snowpack and best overall weather. As it gets into July (especially this El Nino year) the snow begins to thin leaving only the Palmer Glacier for riding. For the park riders, June also is best for the park and grooming crew have ample snow for their features.

For those who are unsure about the back country part of this, the terrain, with the exception of the Hogsback above Crater Rock is actually very mellow and wide open. Most of this is under 30 degrees. This time of year, you will be hiking up in nothing more than snowboard boots and the ride back down is on spring corn. In reality it is like riding fresh groomed Corduroy although it can get sticky. I will have plenty of high flouro, graphite wax which helps significantly. This is a non technical climb within sight of the main resort so it is an awesome way to get your feet wet in back country riding.

For those not interested in hiking, don`t think that a Mt. Hood meet is some kind of exclusive back country thing. Most days will be spent riding lifts and cruising or hitting the park. On the hike up as long as the weather is good, anyone can stop and turn back where they reach their personal limits. If the weather is at all threatening, we will need to as a group make a go/ no go decision. I carry topo map enabled GPS and have navigated off of this mountain in zero visibility conditions. As backup, I also carry paper topo maps and compass. I carry avy gear, PLB, Radio and other emergency equipment to deal with any situation.

This is a meet that offers terrain for any level of rider...


Maps

USGS Topo Map

Timberline Trail Map in PDF

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Bizzman

Will I need my avalance airbag? lol

Sam I Am

If funds kick in (which is a sure thing), then I am definatly in.


how long will this meet be?

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Snowolf

That is something we need to start discussing. I am thinking realistically we might have this open for a week. Some obviously won`t be able to devote a full week, some might stay a few days more. I myself won`t be able to spend the entire week up there, but will devote at least 4 days. I am kind of thinking about a Thursday through a Monday - Tuesday sort of thing....

This gives us some mid week days and the weekend.

As we get closer and people commit, I will talk to River Drifters in Maupin about a group rate for a day float on the Deschutes for a fun filled down day off the mountain. Many of my fellow instructors work for River Drifters in the summer and I am optimistic that I can arrange a decent deal on this. I have my own 14 foot rig and will be using that as well. It has a frame so it serves well as the gear boat. The river float should be done on a week day, not on the weekend however dur to river traffic.

We will also start getting a list of people so I can contact The Resort at the Mountain in Welches and see about reserving a block of rooms for this. I think this would be the ideal lodging for the group with others choosing their own thing from the list of other great businesses.

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dharmashred

Beer...we must carry beer...strictly for hydration purposes of course.

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Every turn is a blessing.