Mt. Hood Meadows Bids Farewell to Original Chairlift

Due to anticipated demand, Mt. Hood Meadows will hold a lottery between May 1 and May 31 for the chance to purchase a chair. 142 chairs will be available, and they'll each cost $900 (the ski area is holding on to a few chairs to give them to charities who will auction them off as fundraisers).

Lottery winners will be determined soon after June 3, and they'll have until June 15 to pick up their chairs in the Mt. Hood Meadows main lot, with pick up dates to be determined in the future.

Further updates will be shared on Mt. Hood Meadows' website and social media pages.
 
Over the years, Mt. Hood Meadows' chairlift infrastructure has expanded, making Blue obsolete.

For instance, the Mt. Hood Express, a high-speed four-seater that runs parallel to Blue, was installed in 1994. In 2023, the Mt. Hood Express was upgraded to a high-speed six-seater, further emphasizing Blue's position as a relic from a different, slower-paced time. 

These developments slowly pushed Blue into an auxiliary role, and today, the chairlift is rarely used. So, Mt. Hood Meadows decided to say goodbye. This summer, Blue's haul rope and chairs will be taken down, while its lift towers and terminals will continue standing for the foreseeable future.

But Blue won't go quietly. On April 19, 2025 Mt. Hood Meadows is hosting the aptly named "Last Blu-Rah" in honor of the lift's decades-spanning service. The ski area encourages attendees to dress up in their best 1960s attire and get their photos taken while they sit on Blue.

Mt. Hood Meadows plans to continue operating until May 3, with an end-of-season rail jam event scheduled for April 26. Just up the road, Timberline Lodge, Oregon, will continue operating during the summer months.