I love Meadows and have had a season pass for years.
The teaching staff that we have worked with are wonderful, but I do think that the food is less then good and the attitudes of the serving staff to the consumer is mostly awful. It seems like there is an overall acceptance to treating the people that come up there with poor regard or limited level of respect. There are amazing staff there too, but it is definitely the exception to the rule. Most staff have an attitude that you are bugging them, especially when spring rolls around.
Have to say that the parking staff have seemed to lighten up a bit and are way more professional then they have been, however. Dropping off kids at Meadows from Government Camp was always such a huge deal in the past. Not sure why drop offs have to end up being so stressful when all we wanted to do was get our kids up to the mtn to ski. But it does seem like they have figured out a way to make this not such a big deal.
If we had another option, we would probably have left a while ago, or bought a place in Sunriver and ski at Bachelor. Have ended up skiing at Ski Bowl way more this year, than in the past. They are so much more relaxed and kind there.
My suggestion to Meadows would be to make sure your managers are modeling good behavior and kindness because that's what us NW People expect from a NW area ski resort. If the management and managers aren't happy and flexible, then the staff won't feel like they have to be either.
Kindness and a good attitude makes everyone have a way better day!
January 11, 2013
43yearskier
from
USA - California
Eighty-nine dollars for a lift ticket! Yes, $89.00! Meadows is great skiing, but the prices are so outrageous that one should always ski Ski Bowl or Timberline when conditions are right, rather than pay World Class (read Jackson Hole/Snowbird) resort prices for the "pretty good" skiing at Meadows. By comparison, Ski Bowl is $49.00, Timberline is $66.00, White Pass is $59.00 and even Crystal Mountain (with a gondola!) is $74.00. The good news is the high prices have driven away 1/3 of the skiers, so the lift lines are much shorter now.
Good local ski area. It's not a destination resort. You could stay at Timberline Lodge and ski Timberline and Meadows. As a local ski area Meadows is good. Lots of challenging bowl areas in Heather Canyon. Tree skiing on powder days. Lots of boulevard groomers off of Cascade, Vista and Hood River Express. If you live here or are visiting for work or family, good local resort with varied terrain and lots of challenging runs to build your skills.
Compared to the world class resorts of Colorado, Utah and Tahoe, Meadows is a fail. Way overpriced tickets, wet snow (rain) and no place to stay on the mountain. I live 40 miles away, but often drive to Bachelor before skiing Meadows.
It's a locals mountain. So take the reviews on this site with a grain of salt. People who ski here have no other choice.
New and improved Meadows.The RFID automated gates work great - speed loading and freeing the lifties to focus on customer service! More time skiing and less in line = equals happier skiers. Combine that with the most reliable snow in Oregon and challenging slopes at every level and you have a premier local resort. Add almost 50K of groomed Nordic skate and stride trails at Meadows and Teacup Nordic (just 1/4 mile away) and you have the best Nordic skiing in the Northwest - perfect for those looking for a "daily double" (Alpine and Nordic fun).
Just a note - chains provide the most traction in winter conditions. Snow tires are merely more of a convenience. There's a reason semi's run chains and it snow tires. Regardless, meadows has been pretty good as of lately. Good snowfall every now and then but spring skiing is gonna be awesome!
Wow! It was so awesome up at Meadows. I stayed neared Hood River OR and rode a shuttle van up to the Mountain. Good thing I did as my little Toyota never would have got through the parking lot. The Inn of the White Salmon has a 4x4 van that takes their guests and locals up to Meadows - nice thought and smart.
The resort itself is great. Staff are nice, the hill kicks ass. The traffic is what sucks. Nobody uses chains anymore except dumbasses. Get some traction tyres.