Timberline Lodge Expands Palmer Snowcat to Daily Operations

Timberline’s Palmer area during the core winter, as pictured from the Magic Mile lift below it. This area will receive daily snowcat service when conditions permit.

Mount Hood’s Timberline Lodge is running daily Palmer snowcat service through the 2021-22 season, according to sources within the resort. When conditions allow, the Oregon ski area will run its snowcat from the top of the Magic Mile high-speed quad to the top of the Palmer snowfields, a series of high-alpine runs chiefly advanced in nature. Snowcat access is included with a valid ticket or pass product.

While Timberline’s Palmer high-speed quad serves the same terrain as the snowcat, the lift is too difficult to effectively operate during the winter months and typically opens for spring and summer operations only. The snowcat service will continue until the Palmer chair opens for the season. Despite the daily schedule, Palmer snowcat operations will be highly subject to conditions such as storms, high winds, ice, or low-visibility.

This will be the first season of daily operations for the Palmer snowcat. Service was suspended for 2020-21 due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, but the cat ran on weekends and holidays, weather permitting, prior to that.

Our Take

Timberline’s Palmer snowcat has run in previous seasons, but the big news here is that the resort is adding weekday service, theoretically making Palmer access a lot more practical for many resort guests. However, upper-mountain Timberline areas are closed so frequently during the core winter season that it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that the cat will still only run a handful of times throughout the winter. Palmer can host incredible untouched powder stashes throughout the winter, but we recommend that those looking for a reliable opportunity to visit Palmer wait until the spring when the chair starts spinning.

This news comes in the wake of a major development from Timberline earlier this year, when it annexed the beginner-centric Summit Ski Area as part of the resort. We’ve written about this change in detail here.

Considering a trip to Timberline Lodge next winter—or next summer? Read our comprehensive mountain review here. Additionally, check out our Oregon and West Coast rankings.