Mt. Hood Podcast

Send us Fan MailErika is a professional snowboarder who makes her home at Mt. Hood Meadows.  Asit introduced me to Erika and said I needed to have her on the podcast.   Against most of my instincts I followed his advice and I'm glad I did.   Amazing human who has done quite a bit as an athlete and now activist.   Find her on Instagram (I'm not 100% sure how to do that) and on her website https://www.erikathevikingvikander.com/And for those of you listening in Iran, Vietnam, or Boznia, please reach out!   I'm curious how you found this and why you are listening.   I'm actually curious why anyone is listening....Enjoy the show!Andy  [email protected]

Send us Fan MailDave and I take a hike, manage to find the remains of Swim, and talk about it.   Maryellen hops on to give a first hand recollection of actually swimming there as a girl in the 40s.  Please come to the fundraiser for the museum on May 30, 2026 to join us for breakfast, a presentation about swim, and a hike to the site to see what is still there.  Details coming soon here:  https://mthoodmuseum.org/event/ As always, send me some feedback if you have an episode idea, love something, hate something, or just need to practice typing!   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailToday we are talking to Christopher Van Tilburg about the Crag Rats, his work with them, and his new book "Crisis on Mt. Hood."    Find out more about him at https://christophervantilburg.com/ and as always shoot me an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailMatt Hasenohr breaks down SkiMo, local races and events, and it’s debut in the Olympics this winter.    Seems like a lot of work to get turns but I guess not everyone is as, ahem, efficient (lazy) with their skiing as I am.   It was a motivational interview to me for getting on the touring gear more.   Enjoy and see you on the snow soon!!!Website: SnowGoat Skimo (snowgoatskimo.com)Instagram:  Wy’Easter Ski Mountaineering Race (@wyeasterskimo)  SnowGoatSkimo (@snowgoatskimo) Strava: Wy'Easter Skimo

Send us Fan MailToday I talk to one of the key people in Government Camp again.  Dave Winterling is the Director of the Mt. Hood Museum and Cultural Center and he gives us an update on what they were  up to this summer, what’s coming this winter and future plans for the Museum.   He tries to spill the beans on a future episode as well but I shut off his mic.  Just kidding, I don't know how to do that...  ;-) Enjoy an update on one of my favorite places to go in Govy!As always, love to hear what you want to hear.   Get in touch at [email protected] museum website is:  https://mthoodmuseum.org/ Thanks!!

Send us Fan MailToday we talk to John Vermaas and Hunter Bissler about grooming the trails, tech, and snow science.   If you've ever wondered how that trail was turned from moguls and ice to silky smooth corduroy, well, take a listen.Sorry for the delay - Been super busy with non-podcast life action.   And I'm skiing again so that takes precedence over typing and recording!    Thanks to Skibowl again for letting me see how the sausage is made from the inside.     As always, shoot your ideas to [email protected]

Send us Fan MailMatt Nelson talks to us about his local newspaper for Mt. Hood, The Mountain Times.  It’s an interesting look inside publishing and how his paper is thriving when other major papers are dying off.   Find it online at https://mountaintimesoregon.com/Shoot me feedback, requests, or money at [email protected]!

Send us Fan MailIf you are interested in ski and snowboard racing on Mt. Hood there are several groups and teams you can join.   All the groups I talk to today have websites – I recommend getting in touch if you want to go fast!https://www.schneevogeli.com/https://www.skiyente.com/https://pacrats.org/And as always, love to hear what you would love to hear about!  [email protected]

Send us Fan MailToday I’m so stoked to introduce Asit Rathod to those of you who don’t have the pleasure of knowing him.   We talk life of a pro skier, our beloved mountain, and his new book “11,239, a Skiing and Snowboarding guide from the summit of Mt. Hood”  It’s a good talk, some great stories, and quite of bit of swearing so warn the kiddos.   Book can be bought here:  https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AAsit%2BRathod&s=relevancerank&text=Asit+Rathod&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1Find Asit on Instagram:  @asit_rathod And tell me what you want to hear at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIf you ever wondered what it would be like to live and work full time on the mountain, todays guest has some great insights.  Zach Kelvington has been a full time Govy resident for several years. Today he shares his experiences and the pros and cons of living and working up in our winter wonderland.  Find Zach at https://mthoodoutfitters.com/As always, love to hear about what you would love to hear about!   [email protected]. 

Send us Fan MailAll about the Ski The Glade Event this last weekend.    To find out about the event for next year, keep an eye on the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum website or join as a member and get on the distro list!  https://mthoodmuseum.org/events/Sorry about the sound jumping around.    First time with new portable mics.   Turn the volume down after the sound warning.Love to know what you want to hear about!   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailChris is a legend.   He's retired and skis more and better than most people I know.   While looking for results to Oregon High School Ski races, he noticed there was a big gap prior to 2001.    He took it upon himself to research the results and fill in the history books.   His knowledge is unmatched and he chats with us today to share the history of High School Racing in the state of Oregon.   Find his project at:  https://www.skifastskilong.com/See Chris live April 19th at the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and museum:https://mthoodmuseum.org/events/Email me at [email protected]!  

Send us Fan MailIf you would like to come meet me, correct me, or buy me a beer, this Saturday is your chance.    I'll be speaking at the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum's "Social History Happy Hour" on Saturday, Feb 15, 2025 from 7-8pm.   $5 at the door donation.    Drinks available for purchase.https://mthoodmuseum.org/event/social-history-happy-hour-3/

Send us Fan MailJon Bell is an Author, climber, hiker, skier and lover of Mt. Hood.   His 2012 book “On Mt. Hood” should be on the bookshelf of any fan of our beloved volcano.    He reads an excerpt from the book and then is nice enough to answer my dumb questions.    Please buy his book and read it on the next powder day.   You won’t be disappointed.Find Jon at:  https://onmounthood.com/Find me at https://trailmapvideos.com/Love to hear your ideas for episodes!   Shoot me an email [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn 1964 a massive flood did damage to the PNW.   The Mt. Hood Corridor was hit especially hard.   Stephen Imeson was living in Government Camp at the time and went to school down the mountain in Welches.   He tells us his memory of the event and what Govy was like in the 1960s.I quote a lot of wikipedia and Oregonian articles for this episode.   Sorry you all have to listen to me but there was a bunch of info I felt was relevent.https://www.oregonlive.com/search/?q=1964%20floodhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_flood_of_1964And about the White River Canyon washout:   https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/highway-35-improvement-projects-complete-six-years-after-washout/article_faa3486c-f768-5a99-a4c8-c18f4e7c1213.htmlAs always, love feedback if you have any!   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailI’d like to start a series about the restaurants and lodging on Mt. Hood.   First off in the series is Charlie’s Mtn View.    It’s a great place to start due to it’s history in the town, it’s location (dead center of Government Camp) and it’s reputation as the de facto living room in Govy.   Charlie Sperr is the second generation owner and a town local.    He grew up in town and probably knows as much about the town and it’s residents as anyone.    He joins us today to talk about the building, the business, and what it’s like to run a bar in a ski town.   Hope you enjoy Charlie Sperr.   As always, love to know what you want to hear about.   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailToday on the Mt. Hood podcast I’m talking to Mike Quinn.   He’s the general manager at Mt. Hood Skibowl.    Now, the Mt. Hood podcast strongly recommends you avoid Skibowl on powder days, but if you are interested in Skibowl and it’s future happenings have a listen.   It’s also an interesting interview on the path to making a career on the mountain.   As always, love your feedback and hopefully I’ll see you on the snow soon!  https://skibowl.com/about-winter/trail-map/https://trailmapvideos.com/

Send us Fan MailSnowVana is in Portland Nov 1-3, 2024.   See their website for more information.    Quinn was nice enough to give us some insight into the event.    https://snowvana.com/ As always, send me feedback at [email protected].    Snow is flying on the mountain!  See you all up there soon!!!!!!!!

Send us Fan MailHunter is a certified nutritionist for the US Ski and Snowboard team.   He gives us an inside look at nutrition and training for the elite skiers of the US.

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode and the first episode of season 2 has Jordan Hartman telling us about the Avi Dog Program at Meadows and the film he helped make to give a behind the scenes look at it.   Be sure to see the film at EVO Portland on Wednesday, September 25 at 6PM.  More info, RSVP and vote at https://trewtoyouportland925.splashthat.com/?A360=31336095&=  The Meating Place is actually amazing and you should see if their raw dog food is a good fit for your pup.   Don’t mention this podcast if you go.   https://meatingplacepdx.com/ Contact me at [email protected] with show ideas, comments, complaints, and for directions to Skibowl on powder days.   

Send us Fan MailDave Winterling is one of the biggest experts on the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol.  He has been a patroller for 8 seasons, been the Chief Patroller, and is currently serving as the President of the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol.    He joins us today for some skiing and a two part interview about the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol.    Please donate to the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol at https://mthoodskipatrol.org/www/pmwiki.php/Main/Donate To find out more about the National Ski Areas Association Skier’s code click here:  https://www.nsaa.org/NSAA/Safety/Your_Responsibility_Code.aspx#:~:text=People%20ahead%20or%20downhill%20of,downhill%20or%20entering%20a%20trail.

Send us Fan MailScott Wazny is a member of the elite Seven Summits Club.   He’s climbed the highest peak on each continent.   He also is a Mt. Hood regular and did a lot of his training and learning on the south side of Hood.   I sit him down and chat about his experiences, what set his expeditions apart, and how Hood formed a foundation for his elite skills.   Enjoy!    As always, please reach out with an questions, comments, concerns, or corrections.   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode we have Jeff Goldberg.   Jeff is a biologist with the National Forest Service for the West side of Mt. Hood.    He answers my questions about critters in the Mt. Hood National Forest and talks about challenges facing them.   We also talk mountaineering wolverines and how the Beaver protects the forest from forest fires.   Find out more at www.fs.usda.gov/mthood.    As always, love your feedback.   Reach out at trailmapvideos.com or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailI'm honored to have a couple real historians and filmmakers with me this week.   Ned Thanhouser and Jeff Thomas talk about their two Mt. Hood shorts: “Cabin in the Sky” and “Ranger, the Canine Alpinist.”    Before you listen, go to https://oregonrockthepioneers.com/ and watch them both.    I’ll wait.   Glad you came back, enjoy my interview about the movies!   As always, love to get your feedback and ideas for future shows.Andy  [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWe talk to reps from three of the major ski teams on Mt. Hood.   Mike Greenslade is the son of the founders of Mt. Hood Academy and Race Team.    It is an accredited High School that focuses on preparing athletes for FIS level racing while providing a live in High School.    Cooper Spur Race Team is represented by Shana Sweitzer and Mt. Hood Meadow’s Race and Big Mountain Team are represented by John Rust.   All are great programs – if you are or have a youth interested in racing or big mountain competition, I highly recommend looking into one of these programs.    https://www.mthoodacademy.org/https://www.meadowsraceteam.org/https://cooperspuralpineteam.org/As always, I’d love to hear your feedback on likes, dislikes, ideas for future shows.    [email protected]

Send us Fan MailOn February 28, 2008, Mt. Hood history was made.   Matthias Giraud intentionally skied off Mississippi head for the first time in history.   Seconds after getting airborne, he deployed his chute, glided gracefully down into the canyon, and skied into the history books as the first ski base jump on Mt. Hood.  Today on the Mt Hood Podcast we are honored to hear living history straight from the Super Frenchie’s mouth.    Hope you enjoy my conversation with pro skier Matthias Giraud.”To see the GoPro of this event go to:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZd1TqcVAkTo connect with us:   https://trailmapvideos.com/  or [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThis was a fun interview for me.   I’ve been a huge fan of Greg Stump’s movies for the last 35 years.    His films had a big impact on my skiing and where I wanted to go with it.   He’s a truly revolutionary filmmaker that changed the genre forever.    We talk about his one shoot on Mt. Hood, the movies that were his favorites, Tom Brady, Scot Schmidt, Seal, and so many others.    If you haven’t seen any of his films start with License To Thrill.   Just my opinion, but it is amazing.   Visit him at https://blizzardsnowstore.com/ to get all his movies.   Find me at Skibowl rain or shine.   [email protected]

Send us Fan MailGetting to the ski resort is half the battle.   Today we break down what kind of car you need and what tires to put on it with a couple experts.   Doug Newcomb is a contributor for Popular Mechanics.   One of his areas of expertise is vehicles and he’s tested over a thousand.    Find him athttps://www.popularmechanics.com/author/7343/doug-newcomb/TJ Campbell is lead tire tester for tirerack.com.    He breaks down what makes a good winter tire, the different categories, top models, and how they test them.    Find his work at:  https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testSearch.jspFind me at SkiBowl on a powder day.    [email protected]

Send us Fan MailTwo of my favorite people join me on the Pod.    Jason Rogers wears a few different hats supporting High School Racing and the Club racing on Mt. Hood.    He gives a great breakdown of the different groups and options for kids to race on the mountain.Kiara Green is the most popular coach on the mountain for anyone under 12.   She also coaches at Sunset High School and gives some great insight into coaching at the different levels.  In addition to these two, my daughter hops on to do some co-hosting and interviews her favorite coach.  Love to get any feedback.   Find me at trailmapvideos.com or [email protected] for listening!Andy

Send us Fan MailIt's a long one, sorry!In this episode I talk to my two most trusted gear gurus.    Greg owns Boots and More (www.bootsandmore.ski) in Portland, OR.   He is a master boot fitter and ski tech that will help you find the right boot and fit it to your foot.     We talk about boot fitting, the importance of the boot, and the future of ski boots.    He was Army so this episode is labeled explicit.    Sorry, not sorry.Barry is a former US Ski Team member and the PNW sales rep for the Volkl family of brands.    We talk about the challenges of representing 65 different models of ski, what skis work great on Mt. Hood, what the top selling ski in the PNW is, some Volkl history, what's in store for the future of skis, and what the little UVO devices on my Deacons do.  He also gives us an inside look at the life of a rep during the crazy summer season on Mt. Hood.    Love to get your feedback, ideas, and any questions I can hunt down an expert to answer.    Reach me at [email protected] or visit trailmapvideos.com to virtually ski the place you should never go on a powder day.Andy  

Send us Fan MailRod Hill is the Chief Meteorologist for KGW TV, a local TV station in Portland, OR.   He has been forecasting weather in Portland for over 25 years and is an expert on our local micro-climates, including Mt. Hood.We start off talking about the Mt. Hood weather, how El Nino's and La Nina's affect it,  what climate change is doing to our snowpack, then diverge into a deep dive of how he forecasts and what it is like to be a TV meteorologist and local celebrity.   Huge thanks to Rod for taking so much time with me.    I learned a lot and I hope you will too!Find Rod on KGW TV, https://portlandweather.com/, and his youtube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@rodhillweather Find me at trailmapvideos.com or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailLloyd Musser is the curator of the Mt. Hood Museum in Government Camp, OR.    He is retired from the Forest Service and has spent more than a few decades roaming the mountain and collecting its history.We talk about the pre-settler history, the Oregon trail, and some of today's well known figures on the mountain.    My favorite story he told was that of Joel Palmer and his contribution to the Barlow Road.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_PalmerPlease visit the Mt. Hood Museum sometime in Government Camp, OR - it's worth your while and a key piece of the mountain's heritage.    

Send us Fan MailLiz Westby is a geologist with the Cascade Volcano Observatory.   She covers geologic history of the mountain, some features and formations, and eruption history.   It was my first recording and done with a crappy mic setup.    Promise it will get better.Send questions or comments to [email protected] our companion site trailmapvideos.com for more info.   

Send us Fan MailI introduce myself a bit and describe the reason for the podcast.