2021
Like last year's 2020 staff update, this 2021 version covers the whole year. In fact, it covers more than just Summer 2021. There's some major things that happened in 2020 that need to be mentioned. First of all, many of you probably already know that Mike and Lynne OFFICIALLY put the camp up for sale, back on March 16, 2020. This was right when Covid was closing all the ski areas here in Oregon. Would anyone want to buy a ski camp with all the uncertainty of the Pandemic? Some 411 days later, an offer came in.
And also like last year's update, this staff update is mostly just a bunch of photos. It's a lot of scrolling to get thru it all, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so there's lots to share. Plus, I didn't write anything down, so there's that.
Also, I posted this video at the top of the page, vs at the bottom, as it didn't get too many views last year. Too much scrolling, I guess?
Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Camp 2020 thru Spring Camps 2021
Timberline didn't let us set gates during Thanksgiving week camp, even though there was enough snow on the ground. So, we got creative and used a combination of ski poles, spray paint and pine bows to set a course. .
There was so much snow, you could see the Timberline Lodge swimming pool from outside the fence.
Former staffer, Kim Jong Yun, made a guest appearance on the hill.
What's wrong with this picture below?
Robert Johnson: BEFORE and AFTER
Swish.
The agony of defeat.
A little surreal to see the camp property listed for sale on the internets.
The Ivy Bear. Have driven by thousands of times, but never stopped to eat there. It's currently a pizza restaurant.
Flashback to 1988. This camper found a big green slug at the Wildwood camp picnic and ate it for $44. I kid you not. Same kid, pierced his ear with a lift ticket wicket. *Artwork by 80's MHSSC coach, Johanna Hall.
Session 1, 2021
Here we go! Summer '21! We had about 30 campers, so nice start to Summer.
Andrea Dahl, made a guest appearance.
We were still doing temperature checks on a daily basis.
Yep, a dead mouse. Or maybe it's just sleeping.
Session 1 camp picnic was in Hood River. For some reason, there was crazy traffic in every direction. Bill Toney and I couldn't even drive to the Hood River Marina, where the picnic was, so we parked in town and walked about 3/4 of a mile.
6-time Olympian, Sarah Schleper and her daughter in a touching moment on the hill.
Session 2, 2021
Had some wintery weather to start this week.
Still masking indoors
Messy children.
Session 3, 2021
Malfunction in the camp office bedroom, so Mike and Lynne had to move the operation to the staff table in the dining room.
This was the BEFORE photo. I can't locate the AFTER photo. The annoying over-grown bush was removed.
We had 3 yellow busses going. Camp was busy.
Session 4, 2021
There were some insane lift lines at times.
Since Covid, we could no longer do group video analysis at the top of the Palmer chairlift inside the terminal. So we brought these old-school TV stands down and put them in the burn pile at camp. They had a good life!
As you can see, lots of camps sharing the mountain.
Scotty Veenis!
Congratulations random wedding couple in the parking lot!
Jack Suierveld!
Is that a Bruno or a Heidi?
Session 5, 2021
Counselors!
Counselors in Training!
CRAZY Record-Breaking All-Time EVER Heatwave hit the area in late June. 99 degrees in Govy!
So Fu*king hot, I slept outside a couple nights during the heatwave, only about 20 feet from highway 26.
Former MHSSC freeski coaches Sean Decker, Nolan Willard and Kevin Malone made a guest appearance.
Triple parking! hashtag idiot! hashtag get-a-clue! hashtag you-get-the-green-sticker-treatment
Bill found $50 bucks! score
This was hanging in someones' garage at Collins Lake Condos. What movie is this from?
Flashback to 1987. This was camper Trish Lampach. Yeah, yeah, and one of the light green forest service vans.
Speaking of the 80's, this is former MHSSC staffer, Mike Attolico. Mike's daughter was training with one of the camps this week.
Session 6, 2021
80's staffer Karen Brazier and her daughter.
go to your browzer and type in mthood.biz. This was an old website Delphine Ettinger built a bunch of years ago.
And Delphine made a guest appearance in Govy. We went on a hike, and met up with Mike Annett and Bill Whalley for dinner in Govy.
Tim Feeney's name sticker is still alive and well on the ceiling at Charlie's.
Violence at the work place is rarely a good thing.
Olympic Champion Jonny Mosely, guest coaching at Party Beach ski camp. *They "stole" our picnic shelter.
Anyone remember Gus and Mickey from about 20 years ago?
Session 7, 2021
Based on the first photo, looks like the county let us remove our masks by the time 7th session rolled around.
If the martians landed here first, what would they think?
Fuxi's final summer at Mt Hood? Time will tell.
Session 8, 2021
Mike Attolico's daughter. Love to see 2nd generation on the mountain, from the 80's staffers.
The old "Korean Condo". Yes, it's still there.
Due to drought conditions and high fire danger, the forest service said we could not barbecue at the camp picnic. We had to pre-cook the burgers back and camp and bring them down in a big metal tray.
Some people said this camper looked like he could be my son.
Session 9, 2021
H-O-R-S-E
Ski Bowl Hike
Carson, unfortunately, injured his knee.
Session 10, 2021
Midway Palmer.
Still giant lift lines into August.
Timberline was squeezing all the camps into too small of an area to train. In all the years I've been part of this, this was the most sketchy training situation I've witnessed.
Session 11, 2021
Although we had 13 sessions scheduled, we only made it thru session 11. The snow just didn't last after that major heat-wave in late June and a pretty hot summer overall. So, Timberline pulled the plug.
Yep, we were walking off the top of the chair, down thru the dirt, to get to the snowfield. This has been the case 3 or 4 different low-snow years in camp history.
Kids these days.
Sherars Falls on the Deschutes River
Getting rid of some old technology. Some of these TV's ended up used as props in this music video --> here.
Post Summer, 2021 thru Spring 2022
Mike and Lynne's retirement party at a restaurant in Hood River
Bill Toney and I ventured over to Hillsboro for a minor league baseball game. Go Hops!
Post-camp hike to the top of Palmer on September 1, 2021
Mike taking some of the camp stuff to his house.
I had the honor of being asked to Officiate a wedding at MHSSC in mid-September. This is me practicing my lines while relaxing at the Oregon Coast.
Meanwhile, back at camp, Mike and Bill and Co. were busy trying to liquidate some of the old crap still at the lodge.
Wedding time!
This was Molly Halstead and John Richter tying the knot up on the camp soccer field in mid-September 2021. I had coached both of them on the Southridge high school ski team about a decade prior. Both were also MHSSC campers at one point of time.
Bill Toney joined me for a KISS concert at "The Gorge" in central Washington in late September. The Gorge is one of those venues where you camp out and leave the next day. Great show for these old guys on their "End of the Road" tour.
We ended up with good seats, 18 rows from the stage. We weren't supposed to be that close, but circumstances happened in our favor.
Long-time staffer Robert Johnson has retired from MHSSC and has moved to Florida. We took him to Charlie's for a send-off dinner.
Winter Camp 2021
Timberline had ZERO inches of snow on the ground on December 1, 2021, but accumulated over 100 inches in the month of December. We had a Thanksgiving ski race camp scheduled for Sun Valley, but there wasn't enough snow, even with their snow-making capabilities. Just too warm.
No snow-blower to use to clear the walk-way, as it's all packed away at Mike's house in Odell. We had to use the side door all week.
And that's a wrap! The camp lodges & property officially sold to the new owner on January 3, 2022. From what I heard, the new owner planned on making the place into vacation rentals.
A new Mt Hood Summer Ski Camps era begins in June 2022. Stay tuned.