MT HOOD, Ore. — Mount Hood Meadows ski resort opened early this year for a preview weekend, starting Friday and running through Sunday.
As the resort kicks off their 57th year of operations, this is the earliest that they have opened in the last 15 years.
Between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., skiers, snowboarders and snow lovers can head up to the resort to hit the slopes, a few weeks earlier than they typically would be able to.
“We had incredible snowfall. We've had 55 inches of snow so far,” said Greg Pack, the general manager and president at Mt. Hood Meadows.
Usually, Pack said the target opening date is the day after Thanksgiving, but this year, the snow has been great.
“It's absolutely incredible right now. We just have the south side lifts open right now with four different lifts. But tomorrow, we'll be opening Mt. Hood Express, and then, we're going to open up some other high speed detachable really quick,” said Pack.
He said with a La Nina winter being forecasted, they are expecting to see increased snowfall.
“We typically get over 430 inches a year — on those years, we can bet 480, or over 500,” said Pack.
During their last La Nina winter during the 2022-2023 season, they saw 531 inches of snowfall.
For skiers, this comes as fantastic news.
“I’m stoked about it. I think it’s going to be crazy this season — hope we get a lot of powder, and I can get up here enough to just enjoy it,” said Nate Hoover, who was out snowboarding.
“This was kind of just out of the blue for me. My birthday's actually tomorrow, so I took the day off and was like, 'I’m going to go hit the mountains,'” Hooever added.
“I’m really excited to see how much snow we can get and to see how long it will stay here,” said Daniel Chapman, who was out skiing.
Even for those that aren’t interested in the winter sports, Meadows still might be the place to go.
“Even if you don’t like to ski, if you just want to look up at the mountains and breathe in, and it really helps you realize what’s important and connect with the world around you,” said skier Steven Lehman.
“Life is short; you got to ski when you can,” he said.
Pack said even those who aren’t the most experienced are welcome as well.
“We have some of the best early season conditions you can ask for. We have an incredible learn-to-ride program if you want to, if you're just trying to figure it out. The whole south side mountain's open to you, even our experts. We have some incredible skiing and riding right now,” said Pack.
Although he wants people to have fun, he also said he wants them to be prepared as well.
“If you go wandering off in the trees, there's just not enough base to cover up some of those obstacles, so I'd recommend sticking to some of the groomed trails right now,” he said.
Night skiing is expected to open up on Dec. 19, which will cause hours to range from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The season is expected to continue until early May.