SAM Magazine--December 5, 2006, Mt,. Hood, OR - Mt. Hood Meadows will open for the 2006/07 season this Saturday, December 9, after a glacial outburst washed out the area's public access on November 7. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced today that highway 35 will reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday, allowing access to the resort for the first time since the wash out.

The number of lifts and trails that will open will be determined later this week, but resort president and COO, Dave Riley, said it will be a bigger-than-usual opening. "We have five feet of settled snow in the base area, more than six feet at mid-mountain, and we've had time to groom it. That is substantially more than what we would normally open with and we look forward to getting as much of the mountain open as conditions will allow."

Hundreds of staff members who have been on hold while the road was repaired will be reporting to work this week.