2022

Session 1, 2022 update

A new era begins in the Summer of 2022. Mike and Lynne sold the old lodges on January 2, 2022, but the new owners were not interested in running a ski camp. So, we are keeping it going. We lodged the majority of the kids at the Aubrey Watzek Lodge, near White River Canyon, just off of highway 35. Aubrey Watzek lodge is also known as the Boy Scouts Lodge, as the boy scouts apparently have been using this lodge for years. I believe this lodge sat unused during two Covid lockdown years. For those of you that were around during the Snow Bunny Lodge years, this has a few similarities: it's old and rustic. It sleeps 100+. But there is only one actual shower in the building. With that being said, we rented a shower trailer and parked it right next to the lodge. (see picture below). This shower trailer had a lot of issues, and I don't think it got up and running fully until around day 3 of camp.

We had a Counselor-in-training suffer a concussion while doing a follow-cam of another skier. So he pretty much filmed his own concussion, which you can view here if you have a facebook account.

This new lodge has very few parking spots, so that's probably the worst thing about this place. We have a secondary parking lot that is about 200 yards away. And during the early sessions, you are walking thru the snow to from the parking lot to the lodge.

We had 4 "bad" kids at camp this week. They ducked a ski patrol rope and got their passes pulled. Plus they were really good about showing up super late and avoiding their coach, by hanging out on the magic mile instead of the race lanes on Palmer. They got the nickname of "the fab 4".

Also a little kid kept forgetting to bring his gloves to the mountain......all week. Never learned his lesson.

Starting you guys off with a video. This is just a montage of different stuff captured on my iphone during the summer.

Who was Aubrey Watzek?

Aubrey R. Watzek (1888-1973) was an attorney, lumberman, and philanthropist, who lived most of his life in Portland, Oregon. Watzek was born in Davenport, Iowa. He was a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School. In 1912 he oved to Portland, Oregon to practice law. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, Watzek returned to Oregon and entered into the lumber business. His family already owned timberlands in Alabama and Arkansas. Watzek expanded the family holdings into the lower Columbia River region. Watzek became a supporter of Oregon art and architecture. His home, designed by John Yeon is a landmark example of Pacific Northwest architecture. Watzek was a board member of a number of Oregon institutions including the Oregon Historical Society, Reed College, the Portland Library Association, and the Portland Area Council of Boy Scouts.

Here's part of that trail from the alternate parking lot, to the boy scout lodge.

Shower trailer.

First official staff meeting of 2022! We used to meet in one of the big yellow school busses, but it's parked too far away.

Shit weather

Still lots of snow at the boy scout lodge for some tubing and snowboarding action.

The new kitchen. This new lodge actually has 4 small kitchens, but the k-staff mostly lives in this particular kitchen. Two of the other kitchens were converted into video viewing rooms. And the 4th kitchen is a food pantry.

Mike making a rare appearance last summer.

Waffles!

New trampoline.

Session 2, 2022 update

Shit weather for session 2. Lifts were closed Monday and Tuesday. Palmer was closed on Wednesday for "storm recovery", so all the camps trained on magic mile. Thursday was thick fog; lifts closed early because of the crappy visibility. Friday it snowed, but we managed to get in a decent day. The Mogul group NEVER got to train on actual moguls due to all these weather and snow challenges.

Nicole Cordingley made a guest appearance!

New snow

Somehow the van keys ended up getting locked inside the van. They managed to get one of the van doors open and save the day! *Future car thieves!

Ski Legends Phil and Steve Mahre.

Session 3, 2022 update

The boys built the new skateboard ramp.

Voodoo donuts

Lots of cars show up every Sunday for camp orientation. Parking is a bit of a mess if you don't know where the alternate parking lot is.

This little kid was still wearing his ski boots at the camp picnic, hooping it up!

Maguire and Terry on trail clean-up detail.

Former MHSSC staffer, Kim Jong Yun and his young son made a guest appearance on the glacier!

The trail from the alternate parking lot to the boy scouts lodge.

Bill Toney found this old restaurant sign near the railboard tracks in Odell, Oregon. Pictured here is mogul coach Jack Simon.

Session 4, 2022 update

Spotted one of our old rails over at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl.

Maguire's 21st birthday started out at the Ratskeller and then bar hopped over to Charlie's. You only get to turn 21 one time in your life, so make it count.

Session 5, 2022 update

Parking wars!

Although we had an established physical address, the post office, FedEx and UPS refused to deliver packages to us. Maybe next year? Our packages were delivered to Mt Hood Meadows ski resort a few miles away.

Top of Upper Bowl chairlift at ski bowl on a foggy afternoon.

Always great to see Scotty Veenis make an appearance!

Session 6, 2022 update

You are nowhere. Pretty much sums it up.

Power outage on the mountain. A snowcat eventually showed up and took coaches up to pull the courses.

Hurry up and wait. This was bottom of Magic Mile. We were there for almost 2 hours before they got the chair going.

Session 7, 2022 update

John Rust and daughter Bergen Rust. Two generations of Rust who have coached at camp.

Tamanawas Falls

I don't know the whole story behind this van that was parked in Govy.

Former staffer, Stu Halverson, made an appearance on the mountain.

Session 8, 2022 update

Session 9, 2022 update

Marijuana chocolates some dude was selling in the Timberline parking lot.

Session 10, 2022 update

Thunderstorm headed in our direction. They shut the lifts and we had to bail for the parking lot.

Former staff, legend Bill Whalley!

Classic Car day at Timberline Lodge

Ski racing legend Diane Roffe.

Session 11, 2022 update

We only do 11 sessions these days. This was the annual Adults-Only session. Timberline doesn't want anyone to schedule camps beyond August 20, regardless of the snowpack. *There was plenty of snow to make it to Labor Day. Such is life.