Nothing like a soft blanket of powder all over the mountain and fresh flakes filling in every turn you make. Even better when it’s April 27 and lifts from Vermont to Colorado to California are closed for the season.

Sunday, April 27 was a day of euphoria on Mount Hood. The snow was light as air and smooth as velvet, and the late-season crowds were thin. The wind was blowing from the Southwest but there were plenty of places of refuge in the trees and on the leeward slopes.

Even just sitting in the stuff was fun (photo by Grant Myrdal).

More than a foot of fresh fell on that late spring day, and amazingly, the snow never turned the slightest bit heavy or sticky. It was vintage powder. And it kept right on dumping after the resort closed, making for an epic Mount Hood Meadows employee appreciation day on Monday, April 28. Here’s what the parking lot looked like that morning at sunrise:

All in all, 2013-14 was a mediocre snow season on the mountain, with bare spots dominating at Meadows and Timberline well into January and relatively few opportunities to enjoy the Upper Bowl at Skibowl. But what a spring! And what a finish!

These two slide shows from Grant Myrdal Photography serve as solid evidence that this was the Mount Hood season-ender to end all season-enders.  The first collection of photos is from Sunday, April 27 and the second is from the Meadows Employee Appreciation Day on Monday, April 28. If you were on the mountain either of those days and want to find photos of yourself, check out Grant’s archives here.

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The light improved substantially for Monday, as you can see in the shots in this second slideshow. Thanks for sharing with Shred Hood once again, Grant!

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Last modified: May 5, 2014