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Any word on Palmer Snowfield/Timberline conditions given the heat wave?

Rudi Riet

AKA songfta AKA randomduck - a USSS coach, as well
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Given that, as I type this (9p ET/6p PT on June 27), it's 96°F/36°C at Government Camp, I can't imagine the big heat dome in the Pacific Northwest is doing anything good for the conditions on Mt. Hood.

Are any of our community out there to give a first-hand report?
 

pchewn

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@Rudi Riet : Here's the report today, Monday June 28

Dear Freestyle Customers- It has been a very challenging week to work on snow. We have never seen conditions this drastic on Palmer Snowfield. Last night we encountered another 70 degree night with 50mph hot east winds. This is causing rapid melting in all areas of the snowfield. In the terrain parks, the tremendous efforts of our park and grooming staff yesterday to set rails and shape features was all for naught. Rails will have to be completely reset again before opening and every feature reshaped.

It’s heartbreaking to deliver this message, but we cannot open the FTC parks tomorrow (Tuesday). Our goal at the moment is to have FTC parks open on Wednesday the 30th. Mile Public Park will open Tuesday with very limited terrain.

Please stay tuned to our social media outlets and website conditions page for further updates.
 

slowrider

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We were planning a skiday at tline last Friday and cancelled. It's 102 in Central Oregon and heading for 108. Snowflake chance in hell.
 
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Rudi Riet

Rudi Riet

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Sounds like the summer ski camps are going to get really hosed by this heat dome.
 

CascadeConcrete

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Was up there over the weekend. I wasn't around before, but word from people that were is that there was substantially more coverage just a week or two ago. Lots of rock bands that just recently became uncovered. While I was there it was not getting all the way to freezing overnight up on palmer. Salted lanes were actually holding surprisingly well (there was a pretty strong, cool breeze that was helping), but anything else was seriously slushy by about 10.
 
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Rudi Riet

Rudi Riet

AKA songfta AKA randomduck - a USSS coach, as well
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It seldom gets truly below freezing on Palmer from mid-July thru mid-August, but with the amount of salt they spread on the lanes things firm up nicely. The public lanes aren't treated nearly as much as the race training lanes, so they get softer earlier.

But with lows around 70 there isn't any chemical that'll make that surface firm. And the south wind (coming from the warmer low country and valleys) will only accelerate the melt.
 

Bennoch

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Any further updates and / or speculation on what this may mean for camps later this summer?
 

Muleski

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I am hearing that they are notifying groups with lane space reservations after 8/15 that they will likely be closed for the summer season. And….there are many who think that early August may be iffy.

Depending on who you speak with, and believe, the numbers on snow lost this far in the summer season are astounding. I’m hearing as of now 15 to 20 feet.

Now having said that, they have a pretty great surface right now for the USSS/USST projects golng on. I hear they are able to get a lot of work done.

So, lets hope for no more 100F days in OR.

There is a lot of pressure on Hood and a large volume of groups there, as virtually “nobody” is headed outside of the country. Unusual year #2 in a row.
 

hbear

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We know some groups that have gone to Italy, but for the most part it's staying local to North America.
This is year 2 my daughter is missing her NZ sessions but we anticipated that was going to be the case given how we know NZ is goverened (looks like they are getting amazing snow which just twists the knife!).
Looking like it's going to be a long stay in Sweden this fall to catch up on milage lost.
 

Muleski

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Yes. My son is on the coaching side. Big club, fastest oldest kids. He had plans locked in, as he typically would, many months ago, in case things really loosened up. Not so much.

But….no Ushuai, no La Parva, no NZ, no Saas Fee, no Hintertux, no {for them} Stelvio. All cancelled. Plans for Sept, October still in place. Parents are also a bit on edge. Conflicted.

Was able to train at Mammoth, Loveland and Copper. Will be at Hood very soon. Twice this summer. So, yes domestic is “big!”

It’s an unusual summer. Two in a row. He’s actually hoping that essentially the summer off will be good. Nobody will be burned out come early fall. Also sounds like he has very few equipment issues to deal with. So a summer of being active and fit….off snow….who knows? Might really be good for some.

Might also be that parents back off and realize that until you are a certain age, it might not be that critical.

NZ is tough. But, they are not playing around. He has athletes who are Kiwi’s, current and former. Lots of friends, and he’s been there for about a month for 20 straight summers…until missing 2020! And those are typically pretty good race starts.

Oh well, make the most of the cards that you are dealt!
 

AlpsSkidad

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We made the trek to Europe and our kids have reconnected with their French ski team and have spent the past 2 weeks on snow in France. First Pissaillis (Val D’Isere) and second week Tignes. Snow is generally pretty good this year through about 12:30 or 1:00.
 

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