Heather's Canyon at Mt. Hood Meadows. Image Credit: Mt. Hood Meadows.

Mt. Hood, Oregon — In terms of the best inbounds terrain pods on Mt. Hood, Heather Canyon is a worthy nominee. However, getting it open isn’t easy.

In this video by Mt. Hood Meadows, they break down what it takes to open Heather Canyon. What made this year particularly challenging was the lack of snowpack. There is also an avalanche risk, not just from the canyon itself, but also from the upper portion of Mt. Hood. Then there are the hidden hazards, such as waterfalls and rivers. Another challenging creating snow bridges on the runout, which entails ski patrollers preparing the snow for bridges over not-so-troubled waters and then grooming them.

About Mt. Hood Meadows

Situated in Mt. Hood National Forest, Mt. Hood Meadows features 87 trails across 2,150 skiable acres, 11 lifts, and a vertical drop of 2,777 feet. The ski resort is also home to 15km of trails for Nordic skiers and snowshoers. During the summertime, Meadows features chairlift rides, hiking trails, guided hiking tours, and more. The operators of Mt. Hood Meadows also own Cooper Spur, a smaller ski resort at Mt. Hood.

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Image/Video Credits: Mt. Hood Meadows

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Ian Wood became passionate about the ski industry while learning to ski at Mt. Sunapee. In high school, he became a ski patroller at Proctor Ski Area. He travelled out...