Otto still holds the door to the ski
school for guests when he's not
teaching lessons.

How do you honor a man so central to the history and spirit of Mission Ridge that he’s practically part of the mountain? It seems the only respectable thing to do is to give a bit of the mountain back to him.

Otto Ross – the smiling 87-year-old holding the door at the Mission Ridge ski school, who was among the first group to scout Mission Ridge in 1962 – will complete his 62^nd year of ski instruction this spring.  In homage to Otto's legacy at Mission Ridge, the soft-rolling basin currently known as the "Outback" will here forth be known as "Otto's Outback."

Otto Wells Ross, born January 27, 1926 in Wenatchee, started skiing at an early age when his father bought him a pair of pine skis (without edges) from a Sears & Robuck catalogue. A love affair was born. At the age of 23 Otto became National Ski Patroller #1375 at Stevens Pass, and two years later obtained Professional Ski Instructors of America Northwest (PSIA-NW) certification #25 (certifications are now above 200,000). Otto would later become Chairman, Head Examiner, and President of PSIA-NW.

Driven by the desire to see ski instruction grow locally, Otto and friend Frank Cumbo started ski schools in Waterville, Chelan-Manson (Echo Valley), and Entiat between 1956-58.

In 1959, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came knocking. After four weeks of trials, Otto qualified as one of the 45 U.S. Professional Ski Patrollers to serve during the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA. He was chosen as an Honor Guard Patrol, and skied during the opening ceremonies with gold medalist Andrea Mead Lawrence carrying the Olympic Torch.

Otto Ross, right, and Gordon West, the original ski school director, in 1966.

After the Olympics Otto returned to his passion, teaching skiing, first at Big Mountain in Whitefish, MT and then at Stevens Pass. Then in 1962, Wilmer Hampton led Otto and three others to the top of a ridge outside Wenatchee to scope the possibility of a new first-class skiing operation. In 1966 Mission Ridge opened with Otto as Assistant Director of the ski school under Gordy West. Otto was the first person to ride Chair 2 and ski from the Mission Ridge summit to its base!

But Otto was not quite ready to settle down. In 1968 he was selected as one of 10 U.S. professional ski instructors to attend the French National Ski School in Chamonix, France. Otto was one of the four who passed, and was certified as Moniteur, the highest stage of French Ski Instructor certification.

Otto returned to the U.S. to teach skiing at Alpine Meadows in Tahoe (where he taught actress Goldie Hawn) and then at Echo Valley before making his way back home to Mission Ridge in 1976, where he has been teaching skiing and opening the door to the ski school for guests ever since.

For one student in particular, Otto’s kindness, perseverance, and passion for skiing have been life-changing. Pat Turner first met Otto at the Entiat Ski Hill when she was in elementary school. “Then my parents enrolled me in ski school in my early teens, and that was the beginning of my journey in the ski world with Otto,” Pat recalls.

Just before Christmas 1965 at the age of 17, Pat was in a car accident which resulted in the loss of her right leg. “Otto asked my parents if they thought I would want to ski again.” She did, and Otto wanted nothing more than to help her. “He got one of the first amputee instruction books published by the Flying Outriggers Ski Club at Mt. Hood and some outrigger skis.”

Otto and Pat’s hard work through the years paid off. Pat went on to become a three-track instructor and racer at Mt. Hood, a member of the amputee demonstration team for the 8^th INTERSKI event in Aspen, and a silver medalist at New Zealand’s NASTAR race. “Otto opened up a world of possibilities for me with those eight little words, do you think she wants to ski again.”

The naming of Otto’s Outback is a small gesture in the humble hope of honoring a man whose passion for skiing has affected the lives of thousands over his 62-year career as a ski patroller and instructor. With or without his name on the trail map, Otto has always been and will always be a part of Mission Ridge – not just as the namesake for one of the mountain’s more beautiful bowls, but even more so in the hearts and minds of those who have had the pleasure of skiing with him.

The 2013-14 Mission Ridge Season Pass spring sale started today. Here's all you need to know.

A few details:

• Spring pricing is the lowest for 2013-14 season passes.
• We also offer a Spring Pass upgrade (unlimited skiing until the end of this season) for $49 with the purchase of a 2013-14 season pass.
• Average Mission Ridge Season Pass prices are 15% lower than last year's Spring sale!
• On average, Mission Ridge Passholders will begin saving money over purchasing lift tickets on only their FIFTH ski day when they purchase their pass before June 1^st.
• Orders can be placed online in our new online store or at the Season Pass/Ticketing office.
• The Spring ONLY Pass will go on sale on March 11, 2013, and will sell for $99 for all age groups.
• The new and popular Young Adult pass (ages 13-24) will remain for the 2013-14 season.

By Jared Eygabroad

"The Best Quality Snow in Washington" was the concept behind this episode of the Emission Web Series.  Seems easy enough, right?  Just film some skiing and snowboarding and throw together an edit.  But no, we were in what seemed like a drought for a month or so.  I was worried each day about finding snow as I toted my camera to the mountain, but somehow, I still managed to find fresh light tracks due to the desert-like climate preserving the precious snow in and around the area.  Absolutely incredible.

 
Not only does Mission get the lightest natural snow in the Northwest that seems to remain perfect for weeks, but it also has the best grooming and snowmaking in the area.  While we were without snow for the end of January and beginning of February, I found a new love for the rolling slopes that were perfectly manicured each day by Mission's veteran groomers.
 
For the past 3 seasons, I had only focused my skiing on the untouched terrain that Mission has to offer.  However, when all the Northwest areas went dry, I found out there was no other place I'd rather be than Mission.  Every single run, I experienced soft, quality snow that made skiing FUN.  The snowmakers and groomers worked so well together during this time and so extremely hard to create a product that all the customers would enjoy.  They succeeded, and in turn, I found a new love for the courderoy.

 
So we had the two elements for the video, BOTH the highest quality "natural" snow and "unnatural" snow in the Northwest.  Still, we wanted another element.  That's where Gordon West, the third-ever General Manager of Mission Ridge, came in.  Not only had Gordon served as the the General Manager for Mission, but he had also served as the Ski School Director for more than 10 years beginning in 1966, the first year Mission opened its slopes to skiers.

 
Gordon West skis like I wish I could ski; hard, fast, and with perfect form.  Filming him was amazing, and hearing the stories about Mission Ridge from a legend was a true honor.  Since Gordon has been at Mission from day one, there was no one better to talk about "the best quality snow" in the Northwest.  If you see him up at the Ridge, make sure to say "hello" and "thank you!"  His efforts are a huge part of why Mission is successful, and why there will be a great ski area to enjoy forever.  Enjoy the video.

By Jared Eygabroad

Our simple mission to explore Mission’s “Back 40“ turned into an eye-opening experience.  Both Kyle and I thought we knew Mission’s sidecountry terrain so well, but we immediately found out that we had been missing out on THE GOODS.  Not only did we not know the terrain like we thought we did, we discovered new chutes, cliffs, and untouched powder fields we never new existed.  It was almost as if this place was an undiscovered world that didn’t allow anyone to experience its many secrets from only gazing up from below.

Not many people know that Mission has 2000 acres and and 2200 vertical feet.  Even more don’t know that these numbers make Mission Ridge a larger mountain that the Alta Ski Resort in Utah.  What’s more, anyone who skis at Mission Ridge has the ability to board the high speed quad, hike for 20 minutes, and then take a non-stop run of 2200 vertical feet to the parking lot.  Oh, and did I mention there would be fresh tracks two weeks after the storm?

It was two weeks after the last snowstorm when Kyle and I began hiking and traversing to the Bowl 4 area of Mission’s sidecountry.  It was sunny, and the inversion left our fingers tired from snapping so many photos.  I have never seen anything like it, mountains were poking their peaks out like islands in a sea of dense rolling clouds.  It was absolutely beautiful and it made me feel like anyone would enjoy this area of Mission Ridge, whether they were on a mission to find new chutes and cliffs like Kyle and I were, or just on a mission to find “optical pleasure.”  

The problem with skiing and being a filmer are logistics.  Me to Kyle, “Ok, I’m giving you the GoPro and I am strapping this 15 pound camera setup to my backpack and two feet above my head so I can film this chute I’m going to go ski.  I just have to ski it and I’ll have to ski it clean.  Go ahead and point the GoPro at me so I get the top shot too.  Then, I’ll have my good camera down below to film you as you come down your line, as long as I don’t crash and break anything of course.  Make sure to press record on the GoPro when you ski your line.  Dropping.”  

Kyle followed directions.  I did not.  The high center of gravity of my Canon 60D mounted on the bulky tripod suspended from my pack led to my demise as I burst from the chute at mach speed, losing control at the traverse line.  I began to ragdoll, over and over.  Even though it was two weeks since the last storm, my feet, then head, then feet, then head, kept hitting soft deep snow.  Praise God.

As I looked around at my yard sale, I remembered the camera tied awkwardly to my pack.  Was it still there?!?  I took it off and much to my surprise, it was still on and apparently still filming.  When I played back the footage, it was strange because during the fall, the camera took photos instead of video while I tomahawked again and again until stopping.  It was an epic fall and I have to admit, I was bummed I wasn’t going to relive the carnival ride.  Nevertheless, my trusty 60D was working and we finished out the day filming and skiing until the closing hours of the mountain.  What a great day.

The moral of the story?  I don’t think there is one.  I just know that if you’ve never experienced Mission’s lift-serviced backcountry, you need to.  It’s a whole other world out there... every time you enter. 

The word “epic” gets thrown around pretty casually in ski and snowboard circles. This year at Mission Ridge we mean it when we say it. Epic. Historic. Amazing. Pick your happy adjective. We have received 124 inches of snowfall so far in November and December, the second highest snowfall total for the first two months of the season since record keeping began 42 years ago.

We received 53 inches of snow in November, and 71 inches so far in December. The mountain received 133 inches of snow in November (33”) and December (100”) of 1996.

What makes this start maybe even a little better than that 1996/97 season:  the way the snow has come in. Our early snowstorms dropped some relatively wet snow, followed by cold temperatures. When the snow settled and froze, it formed an excellent base coat. All our subsequent snow has fallen and stuck (instead of blowing or melting off).

What it all means: Mission Ridge is painted white, with amazing early season coverage that has allowed us to open all of our terrain. The ski patrol likens it to type of coverage we would usually see in February. In fact, in conversations with locals who have skied here since the beginning, word is it’s never been better.

Epic indeed.

Join the fun. Season passes are $299 for ages 7-24 and $499 for adults. Buy online or learn about all the bonuses that come with owning a Mission Ridge season pass.