Cooper Spur ski area is a
ski area
A ski area is the terrain and supporting infrastructure where skiing and other snow sports take place. Such sports include alpine and cross-country skiing, snow boarding, tubing, sledding, etc. Ski areas may stand alone or be part of a ski resort.
...
located on northeast
Mount Hood,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, United States. The resort has one double chair
ski lift
A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald.
Types
* Aerial ...
serving ten
runs, and a vertical drop of 110 meters (350 ft). There are of
cross-country skiing trails. The uphill capacity of the lift is 1,200 skiers per hour, and the summit rises to . The resort encompasses of terrain, and receives an average of of
snow
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
per year.
Cooper Spur Mountain Resort has of forest on which condos, log cabins, a restaurant, and a hotel are located.
Expansion
In the summer of 2001, Cooper Spur was purchased by an affiliate of
Mount Hood Meadows
Mount Hood Meadows is a ski resort on the southeastern face of Mount Hood in northern Oregon, and is the largest of the mountain's ski resorts. It is located about 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland, and 35 miles (56 km) from Hood Ri ...
named Meadows North LLC, and announced its intention to develop the Cooper Spur area as a year round destination resort with additional lifts, runs, and accommodation.
A July 18, 2001 proposal included developing a golf course, 450 housing units, a conference center, ice rink, swimming pool, amphitheater, shopping mall, and other developments.
The development was opposed by groups which favor preserving and expanding wilderness areas of northern Mount Hood. Other concerns include potentially disrupting a key elk migration route, watershed disruption for two thousand nearby residents, and deforestation.
A controversial land swap was concluded with
Hood River County by Meadows North LLC which increased the acreage adjacent to Cooper Spur owned by Meadows North LLC.
In the summer of 2002, the decades-old
T-bar lift
A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-c ...
was replaced with a double chair, and excavation work created a
tubing area.
After Meadows North LLC abandoned its initiative to develop Cooper Spur, a proposal was made to trade Cooper Spur's facilities, existing , and its
special-use permit A special-use permit authorizes land uses that are allowed and encouraged by the ordinance and declared harmonious with the applicable zoning district.
Purpose
Land use is governed by a set of regulations generally known as ordinances or municipa ...
which authorizes of development in exchange for of Forest Service land near
Government Camp. The proposal became a provision of House Bill 5025
09th(''Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act'') and passed the House, but expired without senate approval. According to a
GAO
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
assessment, the value of lands were not appraised equivalently and probably not fairly.
See also
*
List of ski areas and resorts in the United States#Oregon
References
External links
Cooper Spur Resort - Official Website{{Oregon Ski Areas
Buildings and structures in Hood River County, Oregon
Ski areas and resorts in Oregon
Mount Hood
Mount Hood National Forest
Tourist attractions in Hood River County, Oregon