While Chris Colgan (also known by some as Noodlehead) may not live in the immediate Hood vicinity, he sure does spend enough time on Hood to qualify as a local. Making the drive from Bend up to Mt. Hood regularly, Chris has become a staple on hill in the spring and summer. With a smile as wide as his mustache, it’s always a pleasure to link with him—there aren’t many others who have as much fun skiing as this man!
Coming off the lowest recorded snowpack on record, things were looking grim for the 2026 summer scene on Mt. Hood, OR. But like Ray Kinsella heard in Field of Dreams (1989), “If you build it, he will come.”
In anticipation of the low summer snowpack, Timberline put their fleet of Pisten Bullys to good use in the spring to farm snow from higher up the mountain on the Palmer Glacier. The fruits of that planning and labor paid off. With stockpiles of snow in the gullies to pull from and a park crew eager to dig, the pro jump was sculpted by Timberline’s own Casey Tratz, rails and boxes were set, and the rope tows were planted. As far as everyone was concerned, it was business as usual on skiing’s favorite summer volcano.
It wasn’t all about the park features, though. Mt. Hood has been a mecca for backcountry builds for decades. Knowing just a tiny part of that history—think of Sammy C and On Top of the Hood (2011)—and wanting to keep backcountry build traditions alive, I came up with an idea to get the community involved: The Mississippi Meltdown. There is a short time span between the end of Timberline’s spring season and the chaos that is summer, so a handful of locals and I started this inaugural grassroots event (located on top of Mississippi Head on the southwest flank of Hood). Somewhere between 20-30 people turned up and local skiers and riders hand-shaped five different features. We sessioned until the sun went down and celebrated the endless summer days.
As summer winds down and we move into the Southern Hemisphere season, a small crew of core locals remain on the hill—hiking the gutters for rock jibs, testing their lungs against wildfire smoke, and eagerly awaiting an elusive fall dump that will blanket Hood in her white dress once again. Here are a few of my favorite moments on Mt. Hood from this summer.
From my limited understanding of the intricacies of grabs, I believe this is a perfectly executed tail grab by Zoe Atkin (some would argue it’s a blunt). If I’m mistaken, feel free to publicly hit me with a barrage of shame. However, something I’m absolutely not mistaken about: Zoe made it look darn good. Thank you, Zoe, for trusting me to get the shot within a breath of your landing.
Most know Chris “Topher” Newett as a jibber, many know him as a coach, but less know him as a photographer. Just like his other skillsets, Toph is exceptional with a camera. Here he is enjoying the afternoon glow at the Mississippi Meltdown, camera in hand.
Netanya Beard is incredibly strong, and she clearly stays limber. Here she spreads her wings off one of the many features built at the Mississippi Meltdown. When she’s not launching summer afternoons on the mountain, you can find her crushing miles on her bike through Lolo Pass.
Last year I shot a bunch of days with Thibault Magnin, a classmate of Kai Jones. Both skiers are disciples of Dean Spirito and both are, without a doubt, incredibly talented. Thibault asked me last summer if I could get a clean shot over Mt. Jefferson. While I’m not a huge fan of guy-in-the-sky shots, we made it happen. Fast forward to this summer, I found myself riding the chair with Kai and we started chatting about all things skiing and life. Half an hour later, we got this shot together. I’m not sure who did it better, but they both definitely have a mean flat 3.
Three years ago, Joe Blount got a double-page spread in The Ski Journal without knowing it. I had been shooting with the Entourage crew and Joe was sessioning further up the same gully. Later that summer, we became friends, got a double-page spread published, and now we regularly travel into the backcountry together. Joe always puts in the extra effort to stack another block or hike the jump into the darkness “just one more time.”
I’m not sure how many years Nick Goepper has been coming to Hood to ski during the summer, but I do know that the pipe scene wouldn’t be the same without “Unc” around. He’s laser focused and sets a tone of his own for sessions going down. He slowly boosts higher and higher as the day unfolds with seemingly no limit. And just like the Chicago Bulls from the 90’s, Nick’s legacy is still unfolding in real time. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.
We dedicated this day to surfing on snow. When the pro park jump shuts down for a rake and salt, you can often find skiers hitting the side of the knuckle. Here, Gavin Rudy spins his way through a spitting image of an air reverse on a surfboard. Ironically, later that day, he was skimming across water on the very same skis.
Fin Melville-Ives absolutely loves to ski. And not only does he love to ski, he’s darn good at it. I didn’t know who Fin was when I met him, but after a day of lurking around the pipe and shooting, he showed nothing but the warm disposition New Zealanders are known for.
Coming off an Olympic year, there was a little less pressure on the hill for some athletes this summer. Fin Melville-Ives and Cooper Breen took turns chasing each other down the ditch at least 100 times over a couple of weeks. There were plenty of laughs and a few close calls, but mostly good vibes.
From May through June, it’s rare to have a moment of solitude on Illumination Saddle. Here, Dave Hecox enjoys some tranquility on his first ever trip to Oregon’s premiere summer solstice party spot. Not bad for his first time hiking into the backcountry.
