Resort Skiing and Riding
Let’s face it. Mt. Hood is stormy. It’s the highest point around for hundreds of miles. What do you expect? That doesn’t mean you can’t have excellent skiing in the middle of a storm.
Storms bring powder, duh.
Come ski season, you’ll find the snow/rain/storm forecast here. Until then, go train for turns!
There are four ski areas within an hour of Hood River: Skibowl, Mt. Hood Meadows, Cooper Spur and Timberline. Mt. Hood Meadows’ most coveted feature is the experts-only open bowls of Heather canyon, along with the top-ten rated Superpipe. In spring, ski hikers can access Superbowl’s black-diamond terrain by skinning or boot-packing an additional 1700 feet.
Skibowl boast the steepest tree skiing on Mt. Hood, but its lower elevation causes problems in warmer ski season. Outdated two-seat chairs access the best terrain, keeping crowds at bay and powder untracked all day long. Semi-open ski area boundaries access the fabulous backcountry bowls of Tom, Dick and Harry peaks.
Timberline, the highest area on Hood, is the starting point for mountaineers and ski mountaineers. Timberline has an open boundary, allowing knowledgeable backcountry travelers to access steep, untracked backcountry terrain. Timberline remains open all but two or three weeks of the year, giving mid-summer ski junkies their fix.
Sorry Stina – but there a no skate groomed trails in the Mt Hood area that allow dogs. Teacup has a strict no dogs policy and enforces it. However – here’s a suggestion. At Mt Hood Meadows, there Nordic area is found in the Parking area access to the Hood River Meadows lift. Along the Sout side of that parking lot is a groomed trail that runs from the Nordic center (just a trailer really) to the Alpine ticket office and cafe. About halfway between the two is a cat track that is used by both back country and the alpine skiers skiing several more extreme treed areas on the mountain. While I would not take a dog or ski up against that downhill traffic during operating hours, the lift closes at 4 PM and I often skate ski a mile or two up that cat track and then back down – its a fun workout that you and your dog can enjoy!
Thanks for the update on Teacup! I love to skate ski and telemark ski (Crystal mtn local), and look forward to trying some skating in the Mt. Hood area. My question is: where can I skate on groomed trails that allow my dog to run with me? There is only a few trails I know of in the Methow Valley. My dog loves to go with me sailing at the gorge and biking in Post Canyon, but she loves running in the snow best. Please email me at stinastring@msn.com if you have any tips on dog allowed cross country trails in the gorge.
Okay – Maybe Teacup Nordic is not quite a resort. But just 30 minutes from Hood River, and before you get to the Meadows, it does offer the very best groomed cross country skiing (x-c skiing or Nordic Skiing) in this part of the state! With 21 kilometers of double tracked 13 ft wide skating and striding there are trails for all ability levels and on weekends and every Wednesday (plus every day during holiday school breaks) the fire warmed comfy cabin is open right in the middle of it all and just a few hundred yards up a groomed track from the Teacup Sno-Park parking lot.