If you want to ski in July there is only one place you can consistently do it in the lower 48: The Timberline Lodge ski area on Mt. Hood, Oregon. Although if challenged, I bet the Perfect family - owners of Timberline Resort in West Virginia’s Cannan Valley - could harness their snowmaking expertise to come up with some snow at the other Timberline! Nevertheless, Oregon’s Timberline Lodge offers nearly year-round, lift-served snowsports and has been doing so since 1939. So, if you need to ski in July, you come here.
They can offer summer skiing by being located halfway up Mt. Hood, which tops out at 11,249 feet. The weather patterns that make Portland, Oregon one of the rainiest cites in the U.S. dumps over 350 inches of snow a year up here. The Palmer snowfield, located at the 7000-foot level, holds a deep snowpack year-round.
Now it takes a certain type of skier to “want” to ski in July: those of us who want to squeeze every day out of the season, no matter what the weather or conditions. I am one of those people and even better, I raised one of those people as well. So, when I casually mentioned to my son that I would be in Portland in July and might go ski at Timberline Lodge, he responded, “I am in.” So, on a bluebird Sunday in the middle of July when most folks were heading to the river or the lake, we were already half up the twisty alpine road up Mt. Hood on the way to the snow.
Once you pull into the parking lot you realize you have entered the hardcore skier/boarder’s world. There are the ubiquitous Sprinter vans, Subarus and other outdoor sticker heavy vehicles, but there are also all types of “team” vans boasting various ski teams or clubs. Thus, the reason Timberline Lodge can operate nearly all year: summer camps.
If you are an aspiring young ski/boarder or if your parents think you could be, this is the place to spend your summer. Campers come from across the country to hone their skills. Lodging down off mountain, the campers are bussed or “vanned” up the hill each morning. To accommodate the campers, the Palmer snowfield is divided into lanes (like a swimming pool) and each camp has its own lane. The campers lap their lanes with their coaches providing coaching along the way.
It was fun to overhear these future Olympic or professional stars chatting in the lift lines. Were they chatting about the guidance their coaches just provided or the snow conditions? NO! they were chatting about the stuff kids at summer camp chat about:
“What’s for lunch?” “Did you see X with Y last night?” “I hope we can go to town tonight.”
Typical camper kid stuff at a very expensive rate! Also fun to see there is a real pecking order to the campers. The slopes are open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Serious downhillers and GS types show up for first chair when the snow is hard and fast. Slalom racers roll in a bit later when the snow frees up a bit and they can set their gates. Just before lunch, the mogul specialists arrive as the snow softens. Boarders roll in after lunch. They stick to the Freestyle Training Park with its features of all shapes and sizes, a superpipe and a skier/boarder cross training course accessed by rope tows. I assume they stay well after the official closing time hiking to tricks.
Also interesting is that the snow is preserved by “salting.” Coaches could be seen shuttling bags of road salt up the hill and sprinkling on the lanes. The salt melts the snow, which then refreezes to form a harder, faster surface. Perfect for racers.
The public is welcome to ski/board in the lanes not used by the campers. Also due to some late spring storms, during our visit there were a few off-piste ungroomed routes open around the edges leading back to the Palmer lift. This lift was upgraded to a high-speed quad in 1996 and is only open during the summer. The rest of the year it is buried under the snowpack and must be dug out at the start of the summer season.
During the winter season when conditions are right, Timberline Lodge runs a snow cat service to the top of the snowfield in place of the lift. By combining the snowfield and the resort trails below, one can link together a 3.5-mile run that drops 4,500 feet. Presently you need to ride a bus to get back to the resort, but a new lift is in the works. So, this will soon be one of the longest lift-served leg-burning runs in the country.
We had an absolute bluebird day. Not a cloud for miles. The snow started out rock hard (very east coast) but transformed throughout the day. Once most of the campers left around noon, the snowfield lanes opened. The snowfield was an amazing soft corn. Other than the long run out back to the lodge, the snow was never slushy. Also, other than at the beginning of the day when the campers and their huge backpacks were heading up the hill, we never waited in line. My son crushed the day with 23 runs and over 34K of vertical. Me a more sedate 24K.
Overall, it was amazing fun. So great to be sliding on snow in the middle of the summer. If you get the chance, go! You will not regret it.
Robbie Allen is an avid small hill skier. He has written several articles on the many small hills he has sought out.
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