Historic Hood River
First Tracks
12-19-2018
Notes
This March 1969 Joe Kollas image shows Mt. Hood Meadows ski area in the very early days. Meadows opened only weekends its first season (1967-68) because Highway 35 wasn’t complete. They didn’t open for a 7-day per week schedule until February of 1969, just before this image was captured. According to Meadows website, this season was one of the deepest snow falls on record.
The collection of cars in the lots will leave our friends at WAAAM drooling. I see no fewer than three early Ford Mustangs, two VW Beatles, a Studebaker wagon and a VW bus, most fitted with ski racks. But wait, where are the Subarus and 4WD pickups? And where are the crowds?
Please share your early memories of skiing at Meadows.
Dale Nicol
Arthur, how right you are!
There is a Buick Skylark, maybe a Ford Fairlane, Chevy, Olds Cutlass(?) and a lonely Volvo wagon.
Kathie A.
In the early 70’s, I drove my 1966 Corvair up to Mt Hood Meadows for ski lessons. With the rear engine it got around in the snow pretty well.
Arthur
Charlott sends these recollections:
My Dad, along with Myron Weygandt and John West of Government Camp (his parents owned and operated Summit Ski area at the upper end of Government Camp) worked for Drake and built that first chair life. I think that one was called "Blue". Myron and Dad operated that chair lift initially, but don’t known how many seasons it was. In those days there were no CA rooms to hold fruit, so packing season was over prior to Christmas. That first year and maybe it was more my Mom went up and worked in the original snack bar. They had to leave here at 5 in the morning to safely get up there and get things operational prior to opening for the day. One morning they met with disaster when a deer came flying off a berm type area right onto the hood and window of the car. Need I say both deer and car met the same fate. Thankfully, though scared out of their wits no one was hurt…..
Buzz
Does anybody else have the problem of their "COMMENT RSS" being messed up or is it just on my laptop?
Arthur
Buzz, I don’t see anything unusual about the Comment RSS feed on my browser. What browser are you using?
Judy Newman @ WAAAM
We are trying to save all those old cars and we do have quite a few of them. They bring back such memories. My girls drove a yellow VW to Meadows for ski racing and that thing always got them to their destination. What a fantastic picture.
Buzz
Arthur—msn
longshot
Jody Gehrman must of made a couple of thousands of trips up to Meadows in her VW, I think it was a few years newer than the ones shown.
Arthur
Judy, I love the idea of a tow truck for WAAAM. There are lots of great examples of converting Model T’s or TT’s for tow truck usage. I think the TT you just acquired (the one with the bullet holes) would be an excellent candidate.
Dayne Weatherill
That’s the nose of a ’69 Mustang next to the VW bus….and a couple more early Mustangs.