Mt Hood Meadows the last couple days- - Snowboarding Forum

pdxrealtor · 02-24-2013, 04:32 PM

Great conditions minus some strong wind. It's been so long since we've had powder I forgot that some lines just don't work in the stuff. Did a lot of unstrapping and strapping.

Here's some pics....... Wolfie showed me absolute magnitude, Jacks Woods, and more Private Reserve, which I've decided for me is not worth it. Too short, too many cliffs, and too much walking when you're at the bottom.

Day two I spent a lot of time in Fright Trees. That's my new favorite run for now........

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pdxrealtor · 02-24-2013, 04:38 PM

Last pic is of the wind blowing like crazy.....might be hard to tell from the photo, but I thought it was worth a pic!

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NWBoarder · 02-24-2013, 05:13 PM

Jacks Woods and Fright Trees are sooo much fun! I need to make my way down to Hood still this season. Meadows is looking real good right now.

pdxrealtor · 02-24-2013, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWBoarder

Jacks Woods and Fright Trees are sooo much fun! I need to make my way down to Hood still this season. Meadows is looking real good right now.

Ya.... what I like about Fright Trees ( a side from the run itself) is it's a great run from the top of the HRM lift through the park, through some trees to a short cat track, and you're there...... then it drops you off right at the lift line.

NWskunkAPE · 03-12-2013, 12:31 AM

I actually left Meadows for a couple years to go back to Timberline to avoid the high prices and long lift lines, I came back because I felt I missed the terrain at Meadows and wanted to try the ew lift and RFID gates, Ugh Im not impressed, The lines on a peak day are almost worse now and prices are still high, to top it off the new lift is short and not all that great. Unless you can hit Heather Canyon before the skiers ruin it with moguls.

Which brings back to the point of Meadows being a let down, Its 80% skiers it seems which is fine nothing aginst them but it does ruin the bowls with their tiny s turns.

To sum it up Meadows is not as great as I remember, Timberline has won me over for good. My opinion anyway, Im sure some agree but alot dont.

pdxrealtor · 03-12-2013, 01:10 AM

I hear you brother...... on top of all the reasons you mentioned Meadows is short and steep. The mellow terrain is shit, whether it be because it's tracked out by skiers or because it's just short steep.

I just got back from Utah and those lift chairs, the HS quads, go so high up you have time to drink a beer and smoke a bowl and then relax a bit.

I'm seriously thinking of taking the fam to tline next year. Hell if i need steep I'll ride the ski bowl chair and still have time to drink and smoke.

Triple8Sol · 03-12-2013, 02:13 PM

Damn these pics are really making me want to come down again this season!!

pdxrealtor · 03-12-2013, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowolf

Well dude with regard to Ski Bowl, it is not that the lift is long, it is painfully slow. I only ride that lift once just to get to the upper lift or over to the Multipor chair. Don't get me wrong I love Ski Bowl and it has the sickest inbound terrain of all three when you ride the Outback! I also like the vibe at Ski Bowl and nothing beats it on a powder night.

Now, to be fair here and you know that I love Timberline and Ski Bowl, I think your perception is a bit skewed and I think you may just be bored with riding the same place. When you look at the actual data, Meadows is not unusually short compared to not just Timberline but to Snowbird and Powder Mountain as well. Here are some of the stats:

Here is the data from Utah:

Not knocking those other places at all but just showing that Meadows is very comparable to the other places that you mention and this idea that it is unusually short just isn't the case when you really look at the numbers. From the top of Cascade to the bottom of HRM can be made into an incredibly long and diverse run going from wide open alpine bowls, through technical steeps and cliff drops, down a few groomers, through a large terrain park and finally through dense timber to the lift and that run while listed as 3 miles can be stretched to nearly 4 if you know the lines to take.

In my search, I was in fact startled to see that Meadows has more vert that Alyeska (my favorite resort) and is 1/3 larger with longer runs. Bottom line for me is Meadows is right in the middle range of average for most western resorts. I like Timberline a lot as you know, but if you are bored with the terrain at Meadows, Timberline will drive you to tears by the end of a season. For me Timberline is a great break from Meadows and my springtime goto resort and is my launching platform to access the backcountry like White River, Zigzag and obviously the summit of Mt. Hood but Meadows blows Timberline away when it comes to inbound terrain.

Having said that, I have my spring pass for Timberline and will get letters to ride skibowl at night now that Meadows is done with nights.....

Maybe I am just board of riding Meadows, and part of it is I've been riding 3-4 hours days then a couple hours at night when the longest two lifts shut down, along with the rest of the mountain and all that's left for a long decent run is the face.

I'm not going to verify all the stats you posted up, I believe you

, but you can have the same vert and acres to ski laid out completely different. Meadows is known for being short and steep. I've been told that since before the first day I ever went there, and it's a fact. It's all about how it's laid out.

If the upper mountain is closed the lower mountain mellow runs are shit. HRM is a chopped up mess, shooting star is so short it get's boring real quick. I'm talking groomer days, not pow days.

The longest ride up at Meadows is 1400 ft. HRM or 1391 ft. Cascade. And that 3 mile run is fun, but it ain't no ride the chair up and take an easy relaxing 3 mile route down. I'd be willing to bet, and I'm sure you know, that in some knee deep pow that 3 mile run would give you problems in a couple places.

In comparison some of Bachelor's shortest chairs are damn near as long as Meadows longest chairs. And they're two best chairs drop you off on straight runs with options to weave in and out of trees etc.... not the option of how to figure out what turn to make next . Those are 2 + mile runs back there and in the deep pow you're not stalling out, anywhere.

Snobirds almost 3k feet from base to top when on the tram line. And the Peruvian chair lift right next to it is just slightly less. And those are one line trails that lead down.... none of this turn right or you'll end up having to take another lift to get your 3 mile run in. And don't get me wrong.....snowbird was cool, but It would be the last place I ever bought a season pass at. It's LONG and steep.

The great western express run at Brighton is 1745 approx. rise. That's one chair lift and 345 ft longer than Meadows longest chair, HRM. And you might say so what is 345ft.... it's nothing really. It's how it's laid out. The great western chair at Brighton is laid out over some beautiful runs, and options.

I don't get why Meadows doesn't extend MHX up and over Elevator to the A-zone path. Then upgrade the blue line for those who wish to or aren't ready to head to the top. Hell, there is always a green run down. Oh wait, hardly any at the upper mountain at meadows. Because it's short and steep!

Or extend shooting star up along the outer limits. Shooting star is 940 ft rise for Christ sake. And for boarders you have to unstrap half the time just to get there. Sure there's some great drops when it's fresh but on a groomer day it just seems so redundant.

Ok..... Tell ya what... .I've got the ski track app. I used it in Utah. I'll run it next time we go out at Meadows and then send you the data. It'll speak for itself.

I'm headed to buy a Tline pass now..... Can't wait to hit those trees.

pdxrealtor · 03-14-2013, 12:04 AM

Learn park??? lol... you know me better than that!

I tell ya what I'm going to learn.... and that's skis.

Touch base in the morning, Ski Bowl sounds good and I can't wait to hit timberline this year.

Don't forget about Bachelor should the snow fall....... we'd love to have ya! I could show ya what a real run is like..... lol...... kidding bro....

NWskunkAPE · 03-16-2013, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowolf

Like I said, not knocking anyplace or you. I just don't feel it like you do and this my 9'th year riding there 2-3 days a week from noon till close usually. Don't know what to tell you about being bored; might be time to start learning park. I had a blast in the Pipe Friday night. I love riding at other places and will hit up Sunrise and Snowbowl again in Arizona if still open on my trip, but I just always seem to find things to do to keep me entertained.

By the way, unless its raining I plan on riding at Ski Bowl Thursday night after riding at Meadows in the day. If you're interested, I will show you around Outback before dark and then lap some upper bowls/Multipor chair later. Not lapping that slow as fuck lower chair....

Also looking at White Pass on the 27'th or 28'th. planning on splitboarding St. Helens next week. If you want to get over being bored and get long runs in, time to grab a splitboard; that's where it's really at.

Well I watched your you tube videos and you look like your not even close to park riding... Sorry calling as I see

02-24-2013, 04:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
pdxrealtor Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 750	Mt Hood Meadows the last couple days- Great conditions minus some strong wind. It's been so long since we've had powder I forgot that some lines just don't work in the stuff. Did a lot of unstrapping and strapping. Here's some pics....... Wolfie showed me absolute magnitude, Jacks Woods, and more Private Reserve, which I've decided for me is not worth it. Too short, too many cliffs, and too much walking when you're at the bottom. Day two I spent a lot of time in Fright Trees. That's my new favorite run for now........ IMG_1413[1].jpg IMG_1414[1].jpg IMG_1415[1].jpg IMG_1443[1].jpg

03-12-2013, 02:13 PM	#7 (permalink)
Triple8Sol Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 3,686 Blog Entries: 1	Damn these pics are really making me want to come down again this season!! __________________ 14 NeverSummer Proto HD . 13 Never Summer Cobra . 12 Gnu Rider's Choice C2PTX 13 Now IPO . 12 K2 Formula . 11 K2 Formula 13 NB x 686 580

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02-24-2013, 04:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
pdxrealtor Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 750	Last pic is of the wind blowing like crazy.....might be hard to tell from the photo, but I thought it was worth a pic! IMG_1436.jpg IMG_1439.jpg IMG_1444.jpg IMG_1445.jpg

03-12-2013, 12:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
NWskunkAPE Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 23	I actually left Meadows for a couple years to go back to Timberline to avoid the high prices and long lift lines, I came back because I felt I missed the terrain at Meadows and wanted to try the ew lift and RFID gates, Ugh Im not impressed, The lines on a peak day are almost worse now and prices are still high, to top it off the new lift is short and not all that great. Unless you can hit Heather Canyon before the skiers ruin it with moguls. Which brings back to the point of Meadows being a let down, Its 80% skiers it seems which is fine nothing aginst them but it does ruin the bowls with their tiny s turns. To sum it up Meadows is not as great as I remember, Timberline has won me over for good. My opinion anyway, Im sure some agree but alot dont.

03-12-2013, 01:10 AM	#6 (permalink)
pdxrealtor Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 750	I hear you brother...... on top of all the reasons you mentioned Meadows is short and steep. The mellow terrain is shit, whether it be because it's tracked out by skiers or because it's just short steep. I just got back from Utah and those lift chairs, the HS quads, go so high up you have time to drink a beer and smoke a bowl and then relax a bit. I'm seriously thinking of taking the fam to tline next year. Hell if i need steep I'll ride the ski bowl chair and still have time to drink and smoke.

03-14-2013, 12:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
pdxrealtor Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 750	Learn park??? lol... you know me better than that! I tell ya what I'm going to learn.... and that's skis. Touch base in the morning, Ski Bowl sounds good and I can't wait to hit timberline this year. Don't forget about Bachelor should the snow fall....... we'd love to have ya! I could show ya what a real run is like..... lol...... kidding bro....