Get the most out of our club!

To get the most out of our club, do all of the following. At each of these events, you will meet a slightly different mix of people.
   *  Join a 10-person PACRAT recreational racing team (see below);
   *  Join us on at least one trip this season; the best way to get to know us.
   *  Come to at least one of our parties this season.
   *  Get on our email list to receive the "Lift Lines" newsletter and other news updates. To be added to the list, just send an email to Emilio at info@mthigh.org.

An overview of our club

Updated: July 2019

1. We have about 250 - 300 members  There has been a slow but steady growth in membership over the past few years.

          2019:   257 members

          2018:   253 members

          2017:   250 members

          2016:   245 members

          2015:   304 members

          2014:   298 members

          2013:   322 members

          2012:   317 members

          2011:   322 members

          2010:   302 members

          2009:   314 members

          2007:   210 members

          2006:   199 members

          2005:   149 members

          2004:   136 members

          2003:   120 members

We are a really mixed group of people, of all ages (from mid 20s to late 60s), all skiing abilities, and with varying backgrounds (artists, craftsmen, engineers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, machinists, hairdressers, self-employed, government-employed, and more). We have a mix of single and married people, almost 50-50.

2. We are known as "The club that really skis", meaning we really spend time on the slopes. That is not to say that we don’t visit the bar after a day on the mountain! But first things first! Most of us are passionate about skiing.

3. The majority of us are downhill skiers. We have several beginners and lots of intermediate skiers, but a good portion of us are advanced skiers, and many with a taste for powder skiing. Most of us seek powder only within the boundaries of ski areas, but several also seek the out-of-bounds, back-country experience.

4. We have a small but growing number of   snowboarders.  Only about 5 or 6 people at this time. Only a few of our members are cross-country skiers.

5. Almost half of our members are involved with recreational PACRAT racing. Many are purely “recreational” racers or beginner racers, some of them actually actively breaking through the gates all the way!  On the other hand, at least a dozen or so are serious enough about racing to invest in  skin-tight racing suits. PACRAT racing is one of the best ways to meet up with other club members for regular visits to the mountain, because you become part of a 10-person team. Anybody can join a team, but it has to be done before the first race of the season, as the PACRAT league (Portland Area Clubs’ Recreational Alpine Teams) is a separate organization. If you want to join a racing team, there is an extra charge for that.  The annual PACRAT fee of about $85 gives you 5 races, 5 après ski parties (with food, drinks and door-prizes), plus an Awards dinner party at the end of the season, and you also get discounted lift tickets on race days. Contact our Racing Director for more info (See the Racing page or Contacts page).

6. We have a number of planned trips throughout the season. Every winter, we have at least one weekend bus trip to some nearby area, as well as at least one longer trip to somewhere farther away. We also participate in a number of larger, joint trips with other clubs. And, of course, we all go on day trips to the 3 larger Mt. Hood ski areas, with Mt. Hood Meadows being the favorite choice for most. We usually meet in Sandy and then carpool or caravan from there. Many of us stay in touch with portable radios on the slopes. There is even a small group of mid-week skiers, ready to go up any time there is fresh powder on the hill!

7. History: There used to be 2 separate clubs: "Plaza" and "Edgeset" which both had origins in the 1970s. The name "Plaza" comes from the Standard Plaza building in downtown Portland, where the original core members worked when the club was formed in 1975. The Edgeset club is a bit older. In the Fall of 2000, these 2 clubs merged into one, becoming “Plaza/Edgeset”. In November 2003, the club’s name was changed to “Mountain High Snowsport Club”. Each club had their own newsletter.  After the merger, the Lift Lines Newsletter was started by Emilio Trampuz in November, 2000. The club got its first Web site in June 2004, thanks to the efforts of Les Furnanz (the original webmaster) and later Emilio Trampuz (newsletter editor and current webmaster).

8. Our membership fee is only $30 per year for singles, or $50 for couples. Membership usually runs from fall, through the winter season and into next fall. If you join in the middle of summer, this will be counted as your membership for the upcoming winter season.  The registration form with instructions is available on the forms page.

9. Our club has a few members scattered in places as far away as Salem, Bend, and Yakima (WA), but the vast majority of our members live in the greater Portland area. We are definitely a Portland club. All our social events happen in the Portland area. And most of our skiing happens on Mt. Hood.

10. We have social events, meetings, parties, TGIFs and activities (such as bowling, bicycling, rafting, hiking, etc.) throughout the year. We don’t have regular monthly meetings (other than Board meetings, which are open to everyone). But, almost every month we have at least one or two club organized activities. These are always announced in our newsletter.

Please feel free to come to any of our club events, ski outings, or ski trips! Most of our social events, parties, and day outings are free and open to all. For the more organized events and trips, if there is a charge, only occasionally do we impose a slightly higher price for non-members. But, mainly, we want you to come and visit. Check us out. You might like the club. It might be the beginning of a long-term relationship! 

List of Membership Benefits.

Application form (to join, or renew membership) - PDF file.

Application form (to join, or renew membership) - Word document.