A. We welcome males and females ages 9 to 20 at Youth camp. Adult camps are for ages 21 and up. The Workshops are designed for ages 13 and up.
Q. What’s included in the cost of camp?
A. Everything but airfare (Each camper is responsible for booking their own flight into and out of the Portland Airport on the first and last day of their session between 8am and 4pm).
Transportation from the Portland Airport and back Demo equipment (NEW Skis, boots, and bindings) (Call for availability) 24-hour SuperVision™ lift tickets coaching Access into exclusive terrain parks and OUR PRIVATE SKATE FACILITIES 3 meals per day (spending money is recommended, $50-$75 per session for drinks & snacks) All camp activities (including whitewater rafting, skateboarding, etc)
Q. SKIING in the summertime – are you for real?
A. Yes, we are… Timberline’s Palmer Snowfield hosts North America’s only lift-operated summer sKIING. They have snow 365 days a year and have been running their lifts for summer skiing for over twenty years. Windells has been running sKI camps on Mt. Hood since 1989, and we’ve never run out of snow.
Q. What makes WINDELLS an INCREDIBLE camp?
Best Mountain. Best Snow. – Timberline (Mt. Hood) is the only summer ski area in the United States and the only one in the world with near year-round lift serviced groomers, pipes, and terrain parks. Two high-speed quad chairlifts access over two miles, top-to-bottom, runs with up to four dedicated handle tows servicing the meticulously maintained Freestyle Training Center with its Olympic super pipe, airbags, immaculate jumps, and beginner / intermediate features.
Best Facilities – From the world class on-snow facilities serving as the summer training grounds for the top Skiers in the world, to our beautiful campus with its legendary skatepark, top-notch mountain biking trails, and not one, but two super tramps, we have the best facilities to offer.
Best Weather – Of the few places in the world where you can ski in the summer, Mt. Hood has the most sunny, warm days of them all.
Best Employees – When it comes to staff, we have the cream of the crop. Our employees are better trained, better respected and better rewarded than any camp staff. Every staff member passes required drug testing, criminal background checks, is CPR/First aid, and USOC Safe sport certified and receives over a week of intense training prior to the start of camp. Roughly 50% of our staff are college graduates, while the other half is working their way through school or chasing their dreams in skiing, skateboarding, and endless other passions. Over 80% of our staff return to work at Windells each summer.
Q. What skill level do you need to be to attend WINDELLS?
A. All skill levels are welcome. All our full-time summer coaches are required to take an AASI level one certification course, ensuring that they are qualified to teach all levels of skiing —from complete beginners to experts. Our Soft Start™ program has been specifically designed for never-evers and those who have only tried skiing once or twice.
Q: How does it work with so many different ability levels at each session?
A. Campers are placed into small coaching groups with 6-8 campers per coach. These coaching groups are based on ability levels, so that you feel comfortable progressing with riders of similar ability. Before you come to camp you’ll fill out an ability questionnaire which will help us place you in the best possible coaching group. It is important that you fill out the ability form accurately so that you placed in a group appropriate for your ability. If you end up in the wrong group we can move you to a new group as needed.
Q. Which session is the best session to attend?
A. There is no ‘best’ session. Each session has different Takeover™ Pros, but other than that, you get the same great value any session you choose. Our parks have consistent snow coverage all summer long due to their higher up location on the mountain. The loss of snow as the summer progresses is seen mainly in the public areas of the resort, not in the parks. The majority of the campers at windells spend 99% of their time in the parks, so the public terrain available isn’t much of factor to most campers. We do recommend that beginners attend Session 1-3, as that is when Soft Start™ is offered and there is more beginner terrain available.
Q. Do campers ever stay for more than one session?
A. Yes, many campers stay for multiple sessions. Special supervised activities are planned for our multi session campers. The campers will not be skiing due to our the park being shut down for maintenance. Weekends include supervision, lodging, meals, and activities.
Q. What’s the weather like on Mt. Hood?
A. The weather on Mt. Hood is generally very nice but can be unpredictable. When skiing at Mt. Hood in the summer it is best to layer up as the mornings can be brisk and the afternoons warm. (The first session during the beginning of June may be colder and require heavier gear.) Late in the summer the temperatures in welches can reach over 90 degrees. The majority of the time it is shorts weather, but be sure to pack pants, sweatshirts and additional layers for cool evening weather and varying on-snow conditions.
A. We highly recommend that you bring your own equipment to camp. We offer a full fleet of next years equipment in our demo center, however sometimes we have a limited number of skis or boots in common sizes, so it is good to have your own gear as a backup.
Q. What should I bring to camp?
A. See the list of what to bring in thePARENT GUIDE.
Q. What airport should I fly into?
A. Portland International Airport. Portland, Oregon. Airport code: PDX.
Q. How far is WINDELLS from the Airport?
A. About a one-hour drive.
Q. When should I arrive for my session?
A. Please make plans to arrive on Sunday, the first day of your session. The first and last days of each session are travel days, and there is no skiing. If you are flying, please book flights to arrive on Sunday, the first day of your session, at PDX between 8am and 4pm and to depart on Saturday, the last day of your session, between 8am and 4pm. Flights booked outside this window will be charged a transportation fee.
Q. How are youth campers supervised?
A. Experienced adult counselors live in camper housing with campers. A maximum of ten campers are assigned to each counselor for campers 15 or older. For campers under age 15, each counselor is assigned to eight or fewer campers. All activities on-snow and off-snow are supervised at a maximum ratio of eight campers per staff member. windells employs a full-time registered nurse who is on call 24 hours a day.
Q: What is your policy on drugs and alcohol?
A. We enforce a zero tolerance policy at windells when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Any camper caught having anything to do with drugs or alcohol at camp will be sent home.
Q. What happens if a camper gets hurt?
A. We have a nurse on-site 24 hours a day. If your child is sick or injured our nurse will assess the illness or injury to determine if additional outside care is needed. If a camper needs to go to a hospital, they will most likely be transported to Hood River Memorial Hospital, which is about 45 miles from camp.
Q. What does ‘Grom’ mean?
A. Short for ‘grommet’ this term was once a way to describe young surfers, but now has crossed into skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and other ‘action sports’. Basically it’s endearing term for the ‘younglings’ participating in action sports.
Q. What is your ‘Grom Program’?
A. The Grom Program at High Cascade is our way of accommodating our campers, ages 9-12. Although campers mature at different ages, we’ve recognized that our youngest campers ages 9-12 need more supervision and structure than our older campers. Extra check-in points, smaller SuperVision™ ratios, and earlier curfews are just some of the ways our groms are accounted for at camp. Each session there is a minimum of one Grom cabin.
Q. What is "Windells GirL™"?
A. WINDELLS Girl is optional all-girl camp programming promoting a fun, relaxed environment within the co-ed setting of our camp. windells may be a co-ed camp, but sometimes it’s nice for girls to do their own thing in a supportive all-girls environment, especially since there are quite a few more guys than girls at camp.
As far as off-hill activities go, each session we have several afternoon/evening “All Girls/Only Girls” Activities. Some of the past activities have been Roxy Night, Bonfire S’mores parties, activities, All-Girls Skateboard Clinics, All Girls Mountain Biking, Guest pro Q & A’s and so much more! All Sessions feature optional windells Girl programming. If you’re more of a guys’ girl, you won’t be forced into any of the all-girls activities you don’t want to do.
Q. Are cell phones allowed?
A. Yes, campers are allowed to bring cell phones. All major cell phone providers receive service on Mt. Hood, and are permitted at camp. However, Cell phones are kept with counselors at bedtime. We’ve found that “lights out” works best when campers do not have their cell phones in bed with them. Texting and talking to parents during evening downtime, when campers are tired, can feed feelings of homesickness. In addition, cell phone usage is very disruptive to other campers trying to sleep.
Parents are expected to help foster a positive camp environment by enabling parental content and safety controls in their camper’s phone settings. Viewing, creating, and/or distributing content of a vulgar, violent, or sexual nature is not allowed and may be cause for expulsion from camp, with no refunds or credits given. Please help us out by contacting our office immediately if you become aware that your camper sent, received, or viewed any inappropriate digital content.
Q. What is The Staff Sale™?
A. Each session Windells' staff and visiting pros sell their new and used gear at the legendary Staff Sale™. It’s kind of like a ski flea market – deals of the century can be found on new and used skis, boots, bindings, goggles, clothes and accessories. Since this is a flea market setting with staff members selling their personal items, only Venmo, Paypal, Cashapp, etc. are accepted. Amounts of spending money ‘needed’ for the camp sale ranges anywhere from $0-$500 depending on what you’re shopping for.
Q. How much spending money is needed?
A. All meals and activities are included in the cost of camp so the only extra spending money you may want would be for snacks and drinks and for any extra shopping. $50-$75 would be more than sufficient for snacks and drinks for a session.
Read more about spending money at camp in PARENT GUIDE
Q: Does WINDELLS offer Travel Insurance?
A. Windells recommends Assurance Solutions, Inc. for our campers’ travel insurance. Call Assurance Solutions, Inc. at 502-762-9185 or www.protectmytrip.net. Travel insurance will repay lost deposits or tuitions, flight costs, and even pays some medical expenses.
Q. What is the deposit required to register?
A. Online registrations require a 25% deposit with a VISA or MASTERCARD. If you would like to pay by check, please call 503.206.8520 to register over the phone.
Q. When are final payments due?
A. All payment must be received in full by May 15! This is made easily by our Payment Plans! For certain situations, payment extensions can be granted when pre-arranged and authorized.
Q. How do I register?
A. You can register online with a VISA or MASTERCARD or over the phone if you’d like to pay with a check or you do not have internet access. Still have questions? Check out the the Camp Guide or contact us at 503.206.8520.
Q. I live in china. Do you have anyone who speaks mandarin who can help me with my visa and answer questions about camp?
A. Yes! Please let us know and we will have a representative who speaks Mandarin give you a call.
