Cooper Spur ski area

Cooper Spur ski area is a ski area located on northeast Mount Hood, Oregon, United States. The resort has one double chair ski lift serving ten runs, and a vertical drop of 110 meters (350 ft). There are 6.5 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails.[1] The uphill capacity of the lift is 1200 skiers per hour, and the summit rises to 1,326 meters (4350 ft). The resort encompasses 0.2 km² (50 acres) of terrain, and receives an average of 2.5 meters (100 inches) of snow per year.

Cooper Spur
Cooper Spur looking down the liftline
Cooper Spur
Location in Oregon
Cooper Spur
Cooper Spur (the United States)
LocationMount Hood, Oregon, US
Nearest major cityHood River 23 miles (35 km) north, Portland 60 miles (100 km) west
Coordinates45.41228°N 121.60501°W / 45.41228; -121.60501
Top elevation4,350 ft (1,330 m)
Base elevation4,000 ft (1,200 m)
Skiable area50 acres (0.2 km2)
Runs10
Longest run0.25 mi (400 m)
Lift system1 chair, 1 rope tow, 2 tows for tubing
Snowfall8.3 ft (2.5 m)
WebsiteCooper Spur

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort has 3.1 km² (775 acres) of forest on which condos, log cabins, a restaurant, and a hotel are located.[2]

Expansion

In the summer of 2001, Cooper Spur was purchased by an affiliate of Mount Hood Meadows 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.[3] 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.[4][5] The development was opposed by groups which favor preserving and expanding wilderness areas of northern Mount Hood.[6][7] Other concerns include potentially disrupting a key elk migration route, watershed disruption for two thousand nearby residents,[8] and deforestation.[9]

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 was replaced with a double chair, and excavation work created a tubing area.[3]

After Meadows North LLC abandoned its initiative to develop Cooper Spur, a proposal was made to trade Cooper Spur's facilities, existing 770 acres (3.1 km2), and its special-use permit which authorizes 1,350 acres (5.5 km2) of development in exchange for 120 acres (0.49 km2) of Forest Service land near Government Camp.[10] The proposal became a provision of House Bill 5025 [109th] (Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act) and passed the House, but expired without senate approval.[11] According to a GAO assessment, the value of lands were not appraised equivalently and probably not fairly.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Adventures—Cross Country". Cooper Spur ski area. Archived from the original on 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  2. Sommer, Joshua. Fusion Pass gives holder access to two Mount Hood resorts. The Oregonian, October 28, 2007.
  3. "Cooper Spur issues". Friends of Mount Hood. Archived from the original on 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  4. "Overview of Land Trade Case". Active Cases - Public Documents. Crag Law Center. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  5. "Declaration of Dennis Chaney" (PDF). April 10, 2002. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  6. "The Sierra Club's Positions on the Threats to Cooper Spur". Sierra Club. August 23, 2004. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  7. Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Coordinator (December 29, 2006). "Moving forward on the Mt. Hood Wilderness". Oregon Wild. Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  8. Mazamas Conservation Committee (April 2002). "Mazamas statement on the proposed destination resort and ski area expansion on the NE side of Mt. Hood". The Mazamas. Archived from the original on 2002-04-05. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  9. "Logging in the Cooper Spur Area" (PDF). Bark. July 8, 2002. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  10. Congressman Greg Walden and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (July 18, 2006). "Congressmen Walden and Blumenauer's Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act (HR 5025) Land Exchanges". Archived from the original (word document (.doc)) on August 30, 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  11. "H.R. 5025—109th Congress (2006): Mount Hood Stewardship Legacy Act". GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation). September 27, 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  12. US Government Accountability Office (September 26, 2006). "Federal Land Exchange: Assessment of Mount Hood Land Appraisal Reports" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-02-22.
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