MOUNT HOOD, Ore. — Oregon’s ski season has started slow this year with snowpack levels well below normal, leaving some ski resorts closed. On Sunday, skiers got what they were waiting for with a foot of fresh snow on Mount Hood.
"This is the first time I’ve skied on fresh snow this year," said Thane Hawkins, who has been skiing for over 50 years. "It’s definitely been a waiting game and so I’ve been working on my patience. But looks like we're going to get blasted so I am very excited about the next week or so."
Three of western Oregon’s ski resorts are currently open: Mount Bachelor, Timberline Lodge, and Mount Hood Meadows. With snowfall over the weekend, there's hope that the rest will follow.
Tyler Barnes is the learning director at Mount Hood Meadows Learning Center. He said with the snow they've received, they're open and it finally feels like winter is here.
"Nature finally delivered," said Tyler Barnes, the learning director at Mount Hood Meadows Learning Center. "We were a little bit light over the Christmas holiday. However, our mountain operations team did a great job of working with the snowfall that we had to get the terrain open."
Skibowl is open for tubing but has yet to open its ski slopes. This may change with the current forecast showing Mount Hood could receive a few more feet of snow in the coming days.
"I’m hoping it just increases from here," said skier Kera Connolly. "So we can have a long season since we got a late start, I'm hoping through May."
Drew Klinsing said he usually visits Mount Hood 15 to 20 times in a season, but Sunday was his first trip of the year.
"Oh, it's just been a bummer but we're just excited it's finally coming down, it's beautiful up here," Klinsing said.