Finally, Ski Hood
Ever since the idea of moving Portland crossed my mind, I thought about skiing. Back in Maryland, I didn't have a lot of opportunity to ski. When I was in high school and college, I seemed to make it up a mountain with some regularity. Since graduating from college, I haven't skied very much at all. In fact, I haven't skied since 2004. Portland was hopefully going to change this pattern. The proximity of Mt. Hood provides three ski resorts in my backyard. I couldn't wait to take advantage. Unfortunately, a ski trip hasn't been in my cards this winter until now. On Saturday, I took my first trip up the mountain to Mt. Hood Meadows.
The journey began in the Northeast. Mt. Hood Meadows runs a bus program that brings skiers from the city to the resort. The last pickup spot is about 15 minutes from my house. This made the 730am pickup time bearable. Teresa dropped me off, and I was on my way with ease. Teresa doesn't ski; she doesn't like cold weather.
The bus ride lasted for about one and a half hours. The traffic wasn't bad, but the driver did have to stop in order to place chains on the rear wheels. I marveled at the beauty and listened to Radiohead. Mt. Hood Meadows operates as a "natural partnership" with the Mt. Hood National Forest. The drive is very serene. The mountain has had unseasonable snowfall; the trees are still blanketed in fresh snow.
As we reached the parking lot, the sun began to shine. Everyone on the bus seemed super excited at the prospect of the day on the slopes. I quickly exited the bus, grabbed my Snowblades from the cargo compartment and walked into the lodge to change.
I was weary of long lines. Most people I spoke to said the lines could be long at Meadows. On the flip side, I was told they have the best skiing on Mt. Hood. I did have one thing going for me; its late in the spring season. As I mentioned before, the mountain had been blessed with late season snow. Just Friday, they received five more inches. If it snowed anymore, I heard they'd break their base record. My first line was for a lift ticket. I only waited about five minutes, so no complaints there. All in all, the time from bus to slope was very quick.
At the top of the lift, I went left toward the greens and blues near Mt. Hood Express. I was a little shaky, but it felt great. I can't accurately describe the feeling of skiing. It is a wonderful mix of adrenaline, pain and awe. Your body is pumped up. You use muscles not normally used. You're surrounded by gorgeous landscape. The experience is exciting.
I went up and down Yellow and Mt. Hood Express a few times. The lines moved quickly, and I took advantage of the singles lane. I continued on the blues and greens and skipped Bowls 1 through 5. I wasn't quite ready for black.
Eventually, I made my way over toward the lifts far to the left. It was nice to build some more confidence on those greens, but I was itching for some more excitement. Just in time, the Cascade Express opened to the top. I gladly jumped on one of the first lift rides up.
Most of the mountain was covered in new fresh snow. It was a joy to ride on groomed trails. I can ski pretty well on the Snowblades, but they aren't great for powder. Because I am so use to Snowblades, I didn't want to rent skis. Last time I tried skis, I just couldn't do it. I require a day of training to relearn the craft. I just don't want to do it; I didn't want to waste the day. So, there I was at the top of the mountain. The show was blowing, and the visibility was poor. I decided to try a blue called My-Ty, and I was doing alright for the first few minutes. That side of the mountain has little to no trees, and the trails seem to blend from one to the next. Before too long, I was stuck. The snow was too deep, and my Snowblades didn't have enough surface area. I had to find my way back to a groomed surface to continue down the mountain. I used the Snowblades as snowshoes and walked through the powder. That was my first and only ride up the Cascade Express.
I took a few more runs from the top of the Vista Express and Daisy lifts, but they weren't very exciting. I really wanted to checkout the runs around the Hood River Express. I slowly made my way across the mountain to the top of Discovery and Nettie's Run. I kept trying to grab trails to the right, but I was unsuccessful. This gave me a chance to stare at Heather Canyon. Ominous. I could ski that in High School -- on skis. I wasn't going to attempt those runs on this day. I did go up and down a few times, and I rode the Shooting Star Express back to the top. Most of the runs are blue, and I was getting better each time.
Eventually, I caught Lady Finger to Kinnikinick to HRM Face. That run is so enjoyable. It takes about ten minutes and is a nice mix of speed and turns with a slight steep face at the end. The Hood River Express had barely any riders. I had found my base for the next few hours. I completely skipped lunch and lived off oranges, granola bars and Gaterode from my backpack. The weather was constantly changing from sun to snow. This kept the conditions awesome with fresh snow. I was astonished by the snowflakes. That is right, you could see snowflakes on your winter gear. I guess, I was so high up in the atmosphere, the snowflakes hadn't deteriorated while falling. Seriously, you could see them on your arm. They looked just like the paper cutouts from elementary school. I was dumbfounded. During the moments of sunshine, I was awestruck by the trees, snow and landscape. It was downright beautiful. A few times, I stopped on the side of a run just to stare. It was really a magical experience that I can't accurately describe.
As I mentioned before, I stuck to the Hood River Express for hours. There were so many choices for runs, and it wasn't close to being crowded. I kept gaining confidence and skill. I tried my first black -- Willow. It is very enjoyable. Essentially, it is a unmarked run through the trees. You follow three to five foot paths carved by other skiers. Amazing. It does have some open spaces; as does Skillit. In the early afternoon, I skied down Park Place just to enjoy the bumps and jumps. However, I didn't do anything crazy. It was fun just to ski up and down the man-made hills. In between harder runs, I gave my legs a break with trips down Skiway. Its so relaxing. My favorite part of the day was spent on this portion of the mountain.
The bus was set to leave for Portland at 4pm. We could start loading at 330pm. Around 3pm, I took my last run down to the Hood River Express. I needed to ski back to the Main Lodge to catch my ride. At the top of Hood River Express, I easily skied Titan down to the Shooting Star Express. I rode that lift to the top and made my way down to the Mt. Hood Express. The lift line was short, so I got in a few last runs. I was even able to ride 4 Bowl! I was back on the bus with ten minutes to spare.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to ski Mt. Hood. I am pretty sure I won't have another chance this season. It is almost April, but I throughly enjoyed my one chance! I didn't get hurt, and I had a ton of fun. I was lucky to time my trip with fresh snow. I was also lucky to find my groove with the runs around the Hood River Express. If I make my way back to Mt. Hood Meadows, I am headed straight there. It really is beautiful. I am happy with my progress throughout the day. I didn't push myself too hard, and I was even able to complete a few blacks. After a four year absence, I didn't expect much more. This won't be a day I soon forget. I hope I won't let myself stray from the joy of skiing for another four years.
