Mt. Hood Meadows Opens For The Season On Monday

Mt. Hood Meadows will begin daily operations for the 2020/21 ski season Monday, with lifts scheduled to operate from 9 AM - 4 PM. The resort has good coverage with a 41 inch settled snow depth in the base area and 55 inches at the top of the Mt. Hood Express. Thanks to good early season snow and advanced snow harvesting capabilities, Meadows will open the season with at least four high speed quads in operation. 

The first few days are for season pass holders only, and no day tickets, lessons or rentals will be available at the ski area this season. Pass holders do not need to make a reservation, but everyone else will need to have purchased their lift access online in advance. 

Meadows will be operating under strict COVID guidelines, detailed at www.SkiHood.com/COVID. Some changes this season that all guests need to know before arriving at the resort include:

•  Masks will be required at all time in the parking lot, lodges, in shuttles lift lines and on lifts (unless you are on the lift alone) and anytime you are outdoors and cannot maintain at least six feet of distance from others.
• All lift tickets, lessons and rentals must be purchased online in advance - they will not be available at the resort this season.
• Meadows will sell to-go food but eating will not be allowed inside lodges or on decks due to the governor’s order. Meadows will not have any tables set up inside the lodges and we encourage guests to use their vehicle as their lodge for dining and warming up.
• Indoor rest rooms are available but guests are asked to limit themselves to 10 minutes in the lodge at a time. Additional porte-potties are also available for those who want to avoid coming indoors.
• The only places at the resort to pick up passes are at the ticket booth in the base area or the ticket windows at Hood River Meadows. All guest services and pass holder services have been moved outside to these locations.
• Guests are asked not to approach lifts until after 8:30 AM, after the lift mazes are completely set.
• Thank you for being patient, flexible and kind.

Lifts scheduled to operate Monday include at least four high speed quads, along with the Buttercup and Easy Rider lifts and the Ball Room Carpet. Lift operations can be affected by wind and visibility, and there is another storm forecast that could drop another five to nine inches Monday. 

Meadows will not be making daily lift tickets, lessons or equipment rentals available for advance purchase until it gauges the early season turn out of pass holders to manage flow and volume. Once it is determined the resort can handle the demand, then day products will be added to its web store for advance purchase. No lift tickets will be sold day of at the ski area this season, so everyone needs to have either their season pass or an advance purchased lift ticket to ride lifts at Meadows.

Three terrain parks have been built supplemented by harvested parking lot snow. Freestylers will be able to enjoy rails and jumps in the Shipyard, Fireweed and The Zoo parks. 

The Nordic Center will begin daily operations as well with set track for skating and traditional striding. The first few days will be for Nordic season pass holders only, so there will be no walk up day of track fees, rentals or lessons available. Those are expected to be placed online once demand is determined. 

The COVID operational protocols as well as the lift operational schedule and other important information is available at the resort website, www.SkiHood.com.