Mount Hood ski areas hitting full stride

Mount Hood Meadows will begin night skiing on Friday.

The ski area will shift to its normal operating schedule, which is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, said Dave Tragethon, executive director of communications.

Hood River Express chairlift will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and the Hood River Meadows parking lot will be open. The service center will be open for chairlift tickets, restrooms and lockers, plus the cafe will be open.

Cooper Spur — Cooper Spur Ski Area will open for the season at 9 a.m. Saturday. There is 24 inches of unsettled base snow.

Cooper Spur has one main chairlift, a beginner rope tow and two tubing tows.

Tragethon said it is not yet known whether tubing will be offered, but the ski area hopes at least one tubing lane will be ready.

Open hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Officials will decide next week whether to add Fridays and night operations.

Mount Hood Skibowl — Skibowl opens for the season at 9 a.m. Friday.

The Lower Bowl, Upper Bowl and Multorpor chairlifts will be running, plus the parking lot and handle rope tows. The Cascade chairlift will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Skibowl officials report 37 inches of snow at mid-mountain.

Timberline Lodge — The resort has 60 inches of snow. Operating chairlifts include Pucci, Molly’s, Bruno’s, Stormin Norman and Jeff Flood Express.