Team Newsletter 11.15.25

Table of Contents

Welcome Home

As winter settles in and the mountain comes alive, we’re excited to welcome even more new faces to the Mt. Hood Meadows team and celebrate the return of familiar ones who help make this place feel like home.

No matter how long you’ve been here, you’re part of a crew that thrives on teamwork, resilience, and the shared joy of working in a place where the view never gets old. Each day on the mountain brings something different; fresh snow, clear skies, changing conditions, and the unexpected challenges that make our work meaningful.

What stays constant is us: the way we show up for each other, step in when needed, and bring that Meadows spirit to everything we do. By supporting one another and embracing the “everybody shovels” mindset, we’ll keep this season moving forward with strength and stoke.

Your Mountain Home is where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there. To all our Team Members new and returning, welcome. We’re glad you’re here too!

Here’s to a season full of growth, good turns, hard work, and the kind of memories only a mountain can provide.


The Paradise Paradox

“S.T.A.Y. is honored to bring to you 3 screenings of The Paradise Paradox – A long overdue look at the silent mental health crisis that’s been sweeping our mountain towns and how we can all work together to find lasting solutions. We hope these screenings will continue to shed light on this issue and deepen the conversation as a community. 

The screenings are free, but there will be limited seating available (first come/first serve). S.T.A.Y Somebody’s Thinking About You resources will be available at the screenings along with various EAP information for ski resort workers.

We look forward to seeing you there! 11/17 6:00pm Mt. Hood Town Hall, 11/18 6:00pm The Ratskeller, and 12/15 6:00pm The Trout Lake Hall. 

Slopeside Sustainability

Start the season off by planning for reducing your use of disposable/single use products whenever possible.

If you know you’re going to get food in a quick serve location such as Sahale Grill, Schuss, or Fresh Tracks, please consider bringing your own reusable/durable cutlery.  You’ll save resources and save plastic from going into the landfill where it takes forever* to break down.

Even better, order your food for here and bring a container to put your food in, then transfer it in to-go and save a single use container.

Your actions are an important part of our company’s efforts to reduce our waste sent to the landfill, and our overall impact on the planet.

* Plastic cutlery takes hundreds to over a thousand years to break down in a landfill, though estimates vary based on the type of plastic and landfill conditions.

Slopeside Sagacity

Around the mountain, you hear some pretty great things; thoughtful, funny, honest, and everything in between. I asked your coworkers, “If you could say anything to the whole team (completely anonymously), what would it be?”

Here’s what was shared by the crew!

“Enjoy your time here, very few jobs offer such a great location to drive to every morning”

“Use your points and discounts at Cooper Spur!”

“Think snow….Don’t worry, it’ll happen”

“Come use the daycare!”

“Be kind to your neighbor”

“I’m allowed to be a work in progress”

“Lots of construction still going on around the resort, please stay out of the way and do not cross the yellow caution tape”

“Whatever happens today, I can handle it”

“We get to ski on a volcano…how sick is that?!”

“Don’t be sad, be silly. It’s a lot more fun”

“Wisdom is best reflected by the things we DON’T do. Pause for a moment ahead of that thing that can’t be undone.”

“Be kind to your neighbor”

“Please complete your onboarding prior to your first day” 

“Opportunity favors the prepared”

“Check out dining in The Vertical this season. Good food, live music, and happy hour deals”

Find the Lyric Winners

In case you missed it: In each newsletter this season there will be a hidden song lyric or lyrics. Be one of the firsts to find the hidden lyric, and swing by the HR office to say, or even better sing, the lyric(s) and win a prize.

Last Weeks Winners:

Maddie Engelsman – Sales Manager

Lauren Yaeger – Daycare Manager

Rob Vogel – HR Generalist and Safety Manager

Mike Blawn – Caretaker

Your friendly sister resort, Cooper Spur Mountain Resort would love to see you!

As a reminder of your benefits at Cooper Spur:

  • 30% off food & N/A beverages in Crooked Tree Restaurant.  You can also earn points on your purchases with us at Cooper Spur!
    • Breakfast                             
      Fri-Sun 8am- 11am
    • Lunch & Dinner                
      Thurs- Mon 11am-8pm
    • Closed Tuesday & Wednesday
 
  • 25% off lodging (non-peak timeframes)
  • As a bonus Cooper Spur is offering Mt. Hood Meadows team members a lodging code to use or even share with family and friends!  Book a stay now through December 18th, any unit, and receive 50% off your stay with us.  Code = family26 (all lower case)  Don’t forget your dog, at Cooper Spur pets are family too!

Safety Corner

Welcome to the Winter 2026 Season!

We’ve made some updates to Safety Processes this season, here’s what you need to know!

Injury and Hazard Reporting: Injury reporting has returned to a supervisor-centered process. This matches most industries and gives our front-line leaders exposure to root cause analysis and prevention planning. Thanks in advance to all departments for increased commitment and involvement, the HR Safety team is here to support you.

Here’s the link to Injury and Hazard reports. You can also report unsafe behaviors (anonymously), as well as vehicle or property damage incidents: REPORTING PORTAL

The Safety Committee will once again meet on the last Friday of every month. Outdoor Team at 1:00 PM, Indoor at 3:00. We got off to a great re-start last year, we’re poised to make a real difference this year! If you are interested in participating, please see your supervisor or email Rob: robert.vogel@skihood.com

Get Shreddy, our in-house Snowsports performance and slope safety program is ready for beta launch! This program is VOLUNTARY. That means we can’t pay you for time spent in Eloomi/Dayforce Learning. On the other hand, proprietary Snowsport-readiness programs usually come with a price tag, and our program is going to be as good as any of them – with your help! The coursework is now open for self-registration – take a look! It’s still truly Beta at this point, and we welcome all feedback and contributions. If you want to help with aspects of the program like running a blog or producing safer fall videos, we’d love the help! Email Rob at the link above or let your supervisor know you’re interested in greater involvement. Meanwhile… GET SHREDDDY!

Sno Park Permit Reminder

We are out of the shoulder season, and Snow-Parks Permits are now required in all Mt. Hood Meadows Parking Lots.

Be proactive and get yourself a Parking Pass, not a Parking Ticket! 

These annual passes can be found online at   https://dmv2u.oregon.gov/eServices/_/

Or locally at:

  • Any DMV
  • Ace Hardware – Sandy
  • Best Western Hood River Inn
  • Hoodland Thriftway – Welches
  • Huckleberry Inn – Government Camp
  • Joe’s Donuts – Sandy
  • Parkdale Farm Supply
  • Visit Hood River – Hood River

Crag Rats Fundraiser

TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH presents ‘PRESSURE DROP

EVENT DETAILS
Doors open: 6:00pm
Film: 7:00pm
 
 
The event will benefit the Crag Rats, which is our local all volunteer Search and Rescue. They will be celebrating their 100 year anniversary in 2026, making them the oldest Search and Rescue in the nation. In the past years we’ve helped them raise enough monies to buy 4 AED defibrillators, which were then used during a rescue last summer!
 
SYNOPSIS
Pressure Drop is the latest chapter in a 30-year journey—forged from a dream, fueled with cash from commercial fishing in Alaska, and driven by an obsession with life on the edge. This film follows the world’s best skiers and snowboarders, alongside the next generation, through Alaskan spines, stacked pillow lines, massive cliffs, giant couloirs, deep powder, and insane jumps. From Norway to British Columbia, California to Alaska, and home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, each line becomes a brushstroke in the art of descent. 
 
Pressure Drop captures that fleeting space between calm and chaos—when breath slows, vision sharpens, and the mountain demands everything. It’s the moment before gravity takes over. For three decades, we’ve stood at the edge—where fear meets flow and everything else fades. Pressure Drop continues the tradition of what it means to dedicate your life to the fall line.