Tony from UNITED STATES writes:
Timberline, Ski-Bowl and Mt Hood Meadows are all on the wet side of the Cascades. That means occasional great powder, sometimes ok-ish powder and frequent cascade concrete.
MHM (Mt Hood Meadows) has much better snow quality than Timberline and due to the low-elevation, Ski-Bowl is usually just too iffy (agreed, when it's on, it's great but that isn't very often).
Even with the opening of the new lower runs at Timberline, MHM (Mt Hood Meadows) still has the best terrain hands down (though I agree, I think Timberline may be better for boarders/terrain-parks).
Obviously colder climates such as Utah, Colorado and Wyoming are going to have much higher quality snow but they are nowhere near Oregon and they'll cost you.
The $444 season pass for MHM (Mt Hood Meadows) is only if you get a bunch together, I think the regular rate is quite a bit higher but if you can do it, it's a great deal. $99 for a Mar/Apr spring pass; unbeatable. Timberline this year went to premium pricing for every weekend in Jan and Feb. Bleh.
My complaints about Mt Hood Meadows are:
a) the whole Cooper Spur thing, which led me to boycott them for years but hopefully is now over
b) the non-snow management, customer service, food quality, food prices etc. The only one that really annoys me (as I take my own food) is the customer service. The staff are just useless and think they're too cool for their jobs. We had a recent experience in the ski shop that was just surreal. Another time they never opened due to high winds. Fair enough but the staff had no info, management gave them no info. The guys who knew what was up, and who I should have listened to (and gone home at 9 rather than waiting till 11) were the guys running the ski-check.
Mt Bachelor in Bend is just so much better in this regard. If you like to eat at the resort, a lot of the food is made on site and it's close to in-town pricing rather than movie theater pricing. The staff are so friendly that it takes a while to get used to. A convo on the lift with someone who now refuses to ski at MHM (Mt Hood Meadows) said that Bachelor had made a real effort to improve service in the last few years. It shows. MHM should do the same.
But it still has the best snow quality, best terrain and best pass prices on Mt Hood Meadows.
2009-03-16 |
