Farewell to an Amazing Ski Season

This post is a love letter to ski season 24-25.  It was absolutely incredible!  There were so many wonderful days on the slopes I wanted to recap the highlights here for posterity.  This story is mainly for my benefit, so if skiing's not your thing, feel free to breeze by the pictures and move on.....

First day of the season - in November!

After enduring several past winters of skimpy to non-existent mountain snow throughout the month of December, this year's ski season got off to a stellar start.  Huge storms walloped the Cascade Mountains in early November and Mt. Hood Meadows, my local ski area, opened on the ridiculously early date of November 15th (they usually don't open until early December if we're lucky.)  By November 21st, there was a good four feet of snow on the ground, and the resort began 7-day-a-week operations, with nearly all of the chairlifts running.  My first ski day of the season was on November 25th, the earliest I've ever started in nearly 20 years.  And conditions were excellent!  It didn't look like early season, that's for sure!

Kim in the powder

Of course I went back right after Thanksgiving for two more wonderful days on the first week of December.  The following week, I got my good friend and best ski buddy Kim up to Meadows to enjoy a deep dumping of lovely powder snow.  Conditions were sublime!

Photobombed!

We always have fun on the slopes, taking selfies and photobombing each other.

My son at Showdown, Montana

Over Christmas, my hubby and I visited our son in Montana.  My son's local ski area was also doing great in the snow department, so one day we headed over to the tiny resort of Showdown to enjoy a sunny day on the slopes.  Although temps were frigid, the four inches of light, fluffy powder snow that blanketed the slopes were amazing.

Having fun with my son

It's always extra special when I can ski with my son!

Glen getting ready for the "Vista Experience"

Another of my long-time ski buddies is former co-worker Glen.  We've been sharing the slopes together since the late 90's.  Glen is now 78 years old, but the way he skis, you wouldn't know it.  Mt. Hood Meadows gives a free season pass to anyone over 75, so Glen has been skiing free for 3 years now.  (He was sooo happy when he reached 75 and got his first freebie pass!)  

Lovely Mt. Hood from the top of Vista lift

On the of the chairlifts at Meadows is named "Vista."  Several wide-open cruising runs fan out from its upper terminal.  Glen's favorite is one nicknamed the "Vista Experience."  After all these years, we've yet to determine what exactly is a "Vista Experience" and it's become our running joke.  Either way, it gives wonderful views of Mt. Hood as one skis down the mountain.

My new ski buddy Deneen

Another person I've started skiing a bunch with this season is Deneen.  I met her through work, when we were both assigned to transit projects.  Deneen retired this winter, and looking for people to ski with, reached out to me.  We both purchased midweek season passes for Mt. Hood Meadows and I introduced Deneen to the glories of weekday skiing (no crowds and zero lift lines!)

 

Cool clouds over Mt. Hood

Deneen used to work for the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol, so she was an excellent skier.  It was fun to ski with someone who challenged me and wasn't afraid to try the steeper slopes and ungroomed snow.  I was starting to get lazy, preferring blue groomers.  Deneen reminded me how fun it is to try some of the off-piste runs.

Mt. Bachelor summit

Not only did I have a Meadows pass this winter, I also purchased a midweek season pass to nearby Mt. Bachelor.  Located in Central Oregon, about a 4-hour drive from home, it's hands down my favorite Oregon ski resort.  Not only does my buddy Kim own a vacation home nearby, one of my brothers lives in the nearby town of Bend.  And he likes to ski!

The ride down from Mt. Bachelor summit

I made five trips to Mt. Bachelor over the 24-25 season, roughly once a month from December to April.  January came with three weeks of unusually sunny and dry weather.  Besides sunshine and great views, these springlike conditions meant Bachelor could open Summit chairlift.  (Winter storms often keep this lift closed for days on end.)  As it's name implies, this lift takes skiers to the very top of 9,000 foot Mt. Bachelor.  Although a wee bit steep, it's an amazing trip down from the summit.  The views are spectacular!

Skiing with my brother

And it's always great fun to ski with my brother.

Mt. Hood Meadows has the best Hood views

Back at Meadows here - enjoying more January sunshine with friends Kim and Young.  Mt. Hood Meadows has some of the best views of Mt. Hood from it's ski slopes.  Although the snow was getting a bit icy and skied out from three weeks of dry weather, we were happy for the sunny skies.

Tumalo Mtn from Mt. Bachelor

The snow finally returned in February.  Although that meant low visibility and tough driving conditions, it sure was nice to have fresh powder.

February snowstorm

Kim and I returned to Mt. Bachelor to enjoy the snowy conditions.  We had another fun ski day with my brother - although neither of them were looking when I tried to capture this selfie.

Kim enjoys the pow

I do love storm skiing.  Although visibility can sometimes be a challenge, you can't beat fresh tracks every time!

Stellar mountain views from Mt. Bachelor's slopes

Lucky for us, skies cleared briefly on our last February Bachelor day, treating us to stellar views of the surrounding mountains.  This is one of the many reasons I ski here!

Mt. Hood view on the highway approaching Meadows

The highway approaching Meadows gives some amazing Mt. Hood views.  Gets me all excited to ski every time!  I captured this one sunny morning heading up to ski (no, I wasn't driving.)

Mt. Jefferson view from Mt. Hood Meadows

One day Deneen and I arrived at Meadows, and the staff had groomed lots of runs - many more than usual.  We were like kids in a candy store.

Deneen preparing to ski "Sunburst"

This is what a freshly groomed run looks like.  Skiers refer to the marks made by the grooming machine as "corduroy."  There's nothing better than making first tracks on fresh corduroy.  Early in the season Deneen discovered an out-of-the way run called "Sunburst" and when conditions were good, it quickly became our favorite.  The run usually wasn't ever groomed, but on this day it was!  After making first tracks, we returned to Sunburst again and again - it was that good!

We ended up logging 26 runs that day - a new record for us both.

Frigid day in February

However it was frigidly cold that day.  Temps hovered in the low teens, with an even colder windchill.  I put on so many layers, I felt like the Michelin Man.  And my nose got so cold, even that had to be covered up.  Looking back I can't believe I lasted so long in that artic blast.  Of course I took a selfie to commemorate our bundled selves.  (We even had nearly matching purple jackets!)

 

The gang's all here!

My friends Young and John were frequent Meadows visitors.  John loved to ski so much, it seemed he was always on the slopes.  John ended up with over 60 ski days this season!  Here's a group photo from a day when Kim, Glen, and I met up with Young and John.  You can tell we were having a good time.

Kim skiing down from Cascade

At 7,300 feet, the Cascade chairlift is the highest lift at Mt. Hood Meadows.  Like the Mt. Bachelor Summit lift, windy, stormy conditions often keep it closed.  But when Cascade is spinning, everyone heads up high to enjoy the wide open slopes and Mt. Hood views.  I enjoyed quite a few Cascade days this season.

St. Patrick's Day at Mt Bachelor

Back to Mt. Bachelor for St. Patrick's Day!  A huge snowstorm dumped several inches of snow the day before.  Not fun to drive through but sure great to ski in.  Talk about luck of the Irish - the sun came out and we enjoyed a bluebird powder day.  One of the best days of the season!

Look how deep the snow is!

Although the first day of our Bachelor trip was sunny, the next two were quite stormy.  Winds were howling, and visibility was bad.  But the snow was sure good!  The fourth day got so windy, it forced the ski resort to close nearly all of the lifts.  I didn't bother going up.  You don't want to be on a chairlift in high winds.

My brother sporting green beads

There were many other memorable ski days this season.  In early March, Deneen and I enjoyed more great grooming at Meadows.  Conditions were so good we ended up skiing past 3:30 and logging a new record 29 runs, smashing our previous record of 26.  Boy was I tired that evening!

Yeah, my brother is much taller

Stormy second day

It wasn't all glorious sunny powder days - I had one trip where temps hovered just above freezing and it started to snow, which soon switched to rain.  There is nothing fun about skiing in the rain.  Once my gloves soak through (which takes about 2 hours) I'm done!  Skiers call rain the four-letter "R" word.

Soggy chairlift ride

We're lucky in Oregon to enjoy a long ski season.  Although we often get slow starts, March and April snowstorms usually keep the chairlifts turning until early May at Meadows and Memorial Day at Mt. Bachelor.  And Timberline ski area, on Mt Hood's south side, usually operates into the summer months.

Celebrating my last day of the season

But as the season begins to wind down, resorts close lifts and terrain, and then start to cut back operating hours and days.  After April 20th, Meadows was only open weekends.  I skied my final day of the season on April 17th.   

Kim and I met up with Young and John that day.  I was surprised to see John wearing jeans instead of his usual ski pants.  John confessed he'd forgotten his ski bibs on the couch at home!  The joke is always that only newbies or people who aren't very good ski in jeans, so we gave John a bit of good-natured ribbing.  But as you'll see in the above video I shot on my GoPro camera, John is an excellent skier.

Such a great year - I didn't want it to end

Final stats for the 24-25 season:  42 total ski days (a new personal record!)  One day at Showdown Montana, 14 days at Mt. Bachelor, and 27 days at Mt. Hood Meadows.  I certainly got my money's worth on both season ski passes!  Although it was an incredible season, I wasn't ready for it to end.  I'm missing my ski days already.

Back in the parking lot

And although I could still ski at Mt. Bachelor in May, blooming wildflowers in the Gorge are calling my name.  I've hung up my skis, and put away my gear.  It's time to hike.

Until next year Mt Hood Meadows!