SANDY, Ore. — Ever the optimists, skiers and snowboarders at Timberline Lodge ski area on Friday assessed Mount Hood's current condition.
"It's uh, it's ski-able," said Konrad Dimmitt with a wry smile. "I wish there was a little more snowfall up here but you take what you can get, man!"
Oregon's relatively warm winter has impacted the snowpack. Only the state's three largest and highest ski areas are open — Mount Bachelor, Mount Hood Meadows and Timberline Lodge — while smaller slopes are still closed, waiting for significant snowfall.
This year's El Niño winter has so far brought warmer weather to the Pacific Northwest, a process made worse by climate change.
Uma Freeman, after finishing her runs at Timberline, said it's a big change from last year's season.
"Palmer was great at the very top, there was some actual snow up there that was very nice," Freeman said. "On Pucci, it was like all sludge, like skiing in mud basically."
Dakota Jones, in his third season of snowboarding at Timberline, said he's enjoying the mountain no matter what the snow totals look like, even if his friends are more picky.
"I have a couple friends who are waiting to get up here until there’s snow because they’ve been riding for a while, so they’re waiting for the good stuff," Jones said. "They’re a little bugged out because they got their season passes but hopefully it comes sooner than later."
At lower elevations on Mount Hood, it hardly feels like January is days away. Summit and Skibowl are closed, still waiting on the first large snowfall that sticks around.
Skibowl vice president and general manager Mike Quinn said there's pent-up demand to get things going.
"In the grand scheme of things, missing Christmas is challenging. But there’s a lot of winter left," Quinn said. "Many years it doesn’t get started until first of the year in January so we’re still hopeful for that to come."
Tubing at Skibowl is open, a saving grace for Quinn and an option for family fun, even if he's still looking for a promising weather forecast.
"Well, if everyone can do their snow dances that will help," he said.
Meanwhile, ski shops in Sandy and other cities around the Mount Hood area have been feeling the effects of a slow start to ski season.
Andreanne Rode at Otto's Ski Shop said she did about 10% of the business she normally would over the holiday period, a sign of decreased traffic and visits to the mountain.
Dimmitt said all eyes are on the clouds and the forecast, as people hope for a snowy start to 2024.
"We’re getting into January and you’re like, 'How much more ya got until this is all over with,' so the mentality is you take what you can get up here," he said.