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Rumours of year round snow
I had heard that one resort in the USA is open 12 months of the
year. Timberline, on the southern flanks of Mt Hood, has skiing
on the Palmer snowfield - a sort of football field shaped glacier
at an angle of 20 something degrees. This place wasn't just famous
for its skiing - it was also the setting for the Overlook Hotel
in the movie The Shining, where Jack Nicholson slowly looses his
mind from isolation. I was told that last winter was the lowest
snowfall in Oregon in many years and this had caused Timberline
to close its slopes for the first time in a while. But I hadn't
skied in over a week...
I've only been up here once before, about the same time of year
and there was a whole lot more snow; now there is nothing visible
below the base of the top chair! The view south was worth a look
with Mt Jeferson, Broken Top and the Sisters (part of the Cascade
volcano chain) visible in the distance.
  
Abandoned gumshields
Undeterred I set off hiking. There is a nice wide trail that winds
its way from the parking lot all the way to the top of the lower
chair. From here on up, however, there is just unstable piles of
pumice, basalt and some small snow patches, all normally covered
wiith a blanket of snow. There were many bits of abandoned ski junk,
the expected bits of poles and bamboo slope markers but more curious
were gum shields and major binding parts - but then again this was
the site of the last Superpark competition...
At about 7800ft I reached
the lower edge of the Palmer snowfield. Not much to look at anymore,
but I was here to ski, so skins on, unlock heels and up I went.
Most of the field was grey ucky snow with suncups like somone had
done a really hard pole plant and stuffed the basket about 10" into
the snow. On the far climbers left it was white slush - easier to
climb whilst I listened to the snow melting really quickly due to
temperature being about 30F!
Slush and kickers
The top was just shy of 8500 feet almost right next to the top of
the chair. Looking down it didn't appear as bad as I thought - it
wasn't going to be that many turns, but more than I had got anywhere
else this summer! I skied the slushy field, then trugged down some
mud to one of the gullies for a few more turns, past a pair of snowboarders
playing on a very small jump. I almost made it back to the base
of the top chair before having to hike out.
 
The ride home was interesting
as my van leaks oil and has to be fed a litre or two every 100km
of journey, but not far from the start, just shy of the highest
point on my return trip home to Hood River it just died. Pump out,
beat roughly, replace and I was off again, but we cut out again
just over the crest. We lasted another 20 miles on the downhill
before it got too flat, but no amount of hotwiring or beating would
persuade it to pump fuel and run... the last 20 miles I hitchiked.
Words and Pictures
from Tom
Greenall - Natives Resort Reporter
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