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Latest in Oregon
Timberline Lodge Drops Gondola Plan, Pivots to Two New Chairlifts on Oregon's Mt Hood
Timberline Lodge has scrapped its long-planned gondola project and is replacing it with something more skier-focused: two new chairlifts on the lower mountain, plus a new base lodge. The gondola was meant to physically connect Timberline and Summit Pass - acquired back in 2018 - but the resort has decided a lift-based solution better suits its long-term operations. Still needs Forest Service approval before anything gets built.
Michael Fulton
Mt. Bachelor Begins Major Modernisation Project on Northwest Express Chairlift
Mt. Bachelor in Oregon has launched a major modernisation project on its Northwest Express chairlift ahead of the 2026-27 season. Upgrades include a new electric motor, auxiliary power unit, control system overhaul, buried fibre lines, expanded operator shacks, and a night-drive system to combat ice buildup. The lift serves some of the mountain's most popular advanced terrain - and carries the seventh-largest vertical drop of any lift in North America at 2,336 feet.
Michael Fulton
Worker Dies After Maintenance Basket Falls From Chairlift at Mt. Hood Skibowl
A maintenance basket fell from the upper bowl chairlift at Mt. Hood Skibowl East on 30 April, killing one worker and seriously injuring another. The incident occurred in steep terrain during what appears to have been routine maintenance work. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified and is investigating.
Michael Fulton
How the West Lost Its Winter: The 2025-26 US Snow Drought Explained
The 2025-26 ski season across the western United States wasn't just a bad year - it was the worst on record. A massive marine heat wave, a stubborn high-pressure ridge, and relentless warmth combined to destroy snowpack across eight states, force at least 69 ski resorts to close early, and wipe roughly $100 million from Vail Resorts' bottom line. Here's what happened, why it happened, and what it means for skiing's future.
Michael Fulton
Mt Hood Meadows Closes April 12 After Latest Opening Day in 30 Years
Mt Hood Meadows will close April 12 following a season that didn't start until December 23 - the resort's latest opening in three decades. Insufficient snow coverage has forced the early closure, with pond skim and Pride events cancelled.
Michael Fulton
Western U.S. Ski Resorts Close Early as Warm Weather Compounds Poor Snow Season
A heat wave hitting the western United States has forced dozens of ski resorts to close early or abandon their seasons entirely. With below-average snowpacks across the region, the warm spell has ended operations at over 40 resorts from Arizona to Montana.
Michael Fulton
Pacific Northwest Ski Resorts Just Got Buried — March 2026 Snow Report
Washington's ski resorts have just received a serious dump, with several areas recording over 50cm of fresh snow in a single 24-hour period. Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie, and White Pass are all showing big numbers, and the broader Pacific Northwest — including Oregon and Montana — has copped a solid hit too. Here's what the data is showing right now.
Michael Fulton
Mt. Bachelor Announces Northwest Lift Upgrades and New Programs for 2025-26
Mt. Bachelor plans improvements to its Northwest lift and introduces new community initiatives for the 2025-26 season, but questions remain about the true impact for skiers and riders.
Michael Fulton
Mount Ashland's Record-Breaking 2024-25 Ski Season
Mount Ashland Ski Area concludes its longest season in three decades, with impressive snowfall and attendance figures despite early challenges.
Michael Fulton
Mt. Hood Meadows Retires 55-Year-Old Blue Chairlift
Mt. Hood Meadows is bidding farewell to its iconic Blue Chair after 55 years of service. The resort is hosting a special event for skiers and riders to take their final rides before the chairlift's decommissioning this summer.
Michael Fulton
Tragic Accident Claims Young Snowboarder's Life at Mount Bachelor
A 13-year-old snowboarder from Washington lost his life in a collision with a tree at Mount Bachelor Ski Resort in Oregon, despite wearing a helmet.
Michael Fulton
Mt. Bachelor to Remain Under POWDR Ownership
POWDR has decided to keep Mt. Bachelor as part of its portfolio, ending speculation about a potential sale. The company plans to invest in upgrades and introduce new pass options for the Oregon ski resort.
Michael Fulton
Mt. Bachelor Opens Summit Chair Early: Record-Breaking Start to 2024-25 Season
Mt. Bachelor kicks off its 2024-25 season with milestone achievements, including the earliest Summit chairlift opening in over a decade. With 123 inches of snowfall already recorded and more storms approaching, the Oregon resort offers prime skiing conditions across its 2,800-acre terrain.
Michael Fulton
Latest News
More from the SnowStash desk
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026