HISTORY of Mt. Hood Meadows

Mt. Hood is one of a string of volcanoes that run along the crest of the Cascades from northern Washington into California. All have a warm heart as evidenced by the fumaroles, steam vents and hot springs. The last eruption, which was similar to the recent Mt. St. Helen's eruption, occurred about 1790 - 1810.

Government Camp: In the days of the pioneer movement west, one route that was opened as a toll road to avoid the high cost transportation down the Columbia River to the Willamette Valley, was the Barlow Trail which skirted the south side of Mt. Hood. A government train which left Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in October, 1849 encountered severe weather which forced it to store some of their wagons there for the winter. The area was referred to as the "government camp at Camp Creek" and eventually just Government Camp.

Ski activity started to surge in the late 1920's with the first Jumping Tournament organized by the Cascade Ski Club's president Fred H. McNeil’s at Multorpor Hill in 1929. McNeil was also the guiding hand in an organizational meeting of the six Oregon-Washington ski clubs in 1930 to form the Pacific Northwest Ski Association (PNSA) and served as it's president for it's first five years. The first ski race on Mt. hood under international rules, the Far West Kandahar took place at Timberline in 1940 featuring a SL and D/H. Timberline Lodge was built in the midst of the Great Depression as a Federal Project (WPA) and was dedicated in September, 1937 by President D. Roosevelt. The first surface lifts appeared on Mt. Hood in the late 30's with rope tows at Summit, Ski Bowl and Mazama Hill and the first chair lift, a single chair, at Timberline in 1939, three years after the world's first at Sun Valley.

Mt. Hood Meadows was created in response to pressure from skiers who wanted to ski the drier and lighter snow on the mountain's east flank. In 1966 the state agreed to keep the road from Hood River to the Hwy 26 junction open and free of snow and the resort was completed and opened for business in December 1967. It grew fast to it's present size of two lodges which include restaurants and lounges to fit every palette, an administration building, large maintenance facility, and a medical clinic fully equipped and professionally staffed. It has 10 lifts, four of which are high speed quads and one complimentary rope tow. It boasts of 2150 races of skiable area and 2,777 vertical feet which includes terrain ranging from the "Comfort Zone" (speed controlled) to the most challenging Black Diamond runs.

My first trip to Mt. Hood to ski was in 1938. The Journal - JC Ski School was operating at Summit (called Red Devil at that time) which had a rope tow. Free lessons were advertised in the Oregon Journal, the Oregonian's competing news- paper at that time. The transportation to get there was to take a city bus for a nickel to Portland's downtown bus station to catch the Blue Bus to Government Camp - fare was $0.60 round trip. After we mastered sidestepping, the herring- bone, snowplow and gliding we would cross country to Multorpor to put these skills to use. With no rope tow, we first had to pack the hill and then got to ski. One of the most difficult parts of getting there was crossing a creek. I'm sure I set the class record for falling into it - the snow bridges weren't structurally sound that year. Three years later when old enough to drive (and own a car) my girl friend (now my wife), my good buddy and his girl friend and I would drive up in my 1930 Ford Model A roadster, not the best snow car. I can't remember how we carried the skis on it but I do recall it must have been pretty cold in the rumble seat because my buddy and his girl scootched down in it and closed the lid - like slamming someone in the trunk. Also, the car's radiator leaked and we had to stop by Zig Zag river and fill it by carrying water up the bank in the cars hubcaps - it took many trips. In 1943 my girl friend, her sister and I cross countried up the Glade trail to Timberline to ski. The lodge had been closed the previous November for the duration of WWII, and we couldn't get in or arouse anyone to even get a drink of water, so, we skied down, me and two whiny women through fog, snow, sleet and rain. That ski trek convinced me that the Ski Troops were not for me and a few months later after graduating from high school, I enlisted in the Army Air Corps. My skiing was sort of put on hold during my time in the service and after to go to college and raise kids until about the mid '60s when I started again. Now I look forward to every trip up there whether it's to free ski or freeze my fanny at the top of the race course. There's just something about that Mountain that gets into your blood.

On behalf of the Meadows Race Team and Mount Hood Meadows, it's my pleasure to welcome all the athletes, coaches. parents and friends of the athletes. USSA Officials and volunteers to the Western Region J3 Junior Olympics and wish you an exciting experience and a pleasant stay.

ORV BORGE

Start Referee 2002 & 2006 JOs