Hoodoo is ready — and hoping for snow

Hoodoo Mountain Resort is ready for action this winter — Mother Nature just needs to cooperate.

Before last ski season, Hoodoo owner Chuck Shepard had completed most of the items on his list since buying the resort several years earlier. Shepard and his team built a new lodge, added lifts and parking and generally spiffed up the recreation area. But the snow was sparse and ski season was “terrible.”

“This season, we hope, starts Thanksgiving weekend,” said Shepard, President of Hoodoo Family Recreation.

Shepard said many regional and national publications have noticed the recent improvements at Hoodoo and called it a “hidden treasure.” There are now five ski lifts and almost 16 kilometers of Nordic trails which are groomed on weekends and holidays. But accolades won’t bring skiers if there’s no snow.

“We’re right on the edge of having things work,” said Shepard. “What I need now is for the season to start well.”

When Shepard bought Hoodoo in 1999, he brought with him his love of skiing and his background in real estate and business. He decided the resort needed a “three-pronged approach” of year-round activities to be successful. First, Hoodoo needed new lifts and parking. Second, the business needed income beyond ski season.

“We needed to defray the costs by doing something productive during the summer,” said Shepard. “Right now, the winter business has lost a lot of money.”

He initiated Frisbee golf, tubing, and other summer fun such as an alpine slide.

“It’s like a water slide without water,” said Shepard of the luge-like ride. He hopes to complete all the summer projects pending approval from the Forest Service. Shepard said he has encountered “bureaucracy” and hopes to cut through red tape to create a stronger summer program.

The third part of Shepard’s plan is to efficiently manage and maintain the campgrounds. They are spread out across wide geography which makes the overhead high.

“We manage the campgrounds that nobody else wanted,” said Shepard. “We break even at best.”

Shepard is positive about the future of Hoodoo if he can implement all three parts of his plan for upgrading the resort.

“We need all three of those things to happen in order for Hoodoo to make money.”

“Sisters could be another Park City,” said Shepard, referring to the successful ski area in Utah which hosted the Olympics. “We are a strong draw to the area.”

So the resort, located 20 miles northwest of Sisters on the Santiam Pass, is ready and waiting to see what the weather will bring next month. Of course, the long-term weather forecast calls for precipitation.

“The question is — is it going to come in rain or snow?” said Shepard.

To check ski conditions and other activities at the resort, visit http://www.hoodoo.com.