Hood's Melting Fast. The Andes Are Just Loading Up.Timberline's summer window is closing early this year, so here's where to point yourself from Oregon to the Andes.
Mt. Hood’s clock is ticking faster than usual this year, and if summer turns are on your radar, read the fine print before you commit to the drive up. Timberline is the only lift-served summer snow in North America, full stop. The Palmer Snowfield runs on natural snow alone, no guns, no backup plan, just whatever the winter banked up high on the south side. This past season banked less than usual. The mountain came into spring sitting around 66 inches at 6,000 feet, off a season total near 297 inches against an average closer to 400. That math doesn’t lie. The current target for last chair is July 19, weeks ahead of the August shutdowns we used to count on, and a real step in from last year’s August 17 close. So the move is simple. Go now. June still has Mile Canyon Park spinning down low with pipe, jumps, and rails before the whole operation migrates up to Palmer for the back half. The camps are running their usual circus, High Cascade and Windells loading the lanes with groms and pros alike, and the public always gets a ribbon to lap. Just don’t dawdle. Once that snowfield thins out it goes quick, and there’s no making more. If your summer itch needs a longer scratch, point your compass south. The whole bottom half of the planet is just clocking in for winter. Australia kicked off the first weekend of June with Perisher, Thredbo, Buller, Falls Creek, and Hotham all turning lifts on early storm snow and a lot of guns. Manage expectations down there this year. The seasonal read leans below average with an El Niño threat hanging around, so it’s more about the scene than the snowfall. New Zealand is the better all-around bet for a trip. Coronet Peak jumped early in late May, with the Remarkables, Cardrona, and Mt. Hutt filling in through mid-June. The forecast points to a soft opening and then colder southwest flow through the guts of the season, which is exactly when you want to be there anyway. Chile is where I’d put my own money. The high central Andes, Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado up top, and the steep cathedral that is Portillo, all sit in the zone the El Niño signal favors most this year. Valle and La Parva are tied tighter together now under one ticket, so you can lap thousands of acres without sorting out logistics. Argentina’s heavy hitters, Catedral above Bariloche and Las Leñas in Mendoza, open later toward the end of June into July, and Las Leñas on a good cycle is a beast worth the gamble. The Last Word Hood is your quick fix and it’s fading fast, so treat July like a deadline. The Andes are your real summer mission, and this looks like a year to chase the high terrain in Chile. Either way, the snow doesn’t wait for anybody. Pack the sunscreen, book the ticket, and go get a few more before the lifts stop spinning down south too. You’re currently a free subscriber to that snowboarding blog. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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