With ski and snowboard season approaching, UO skiers of all levels are eager to return to the slopes.
Two of the closest resorts to UO, Mount Bachelor and Hoodoo Ski Area, opened early this season. Hoodoo opened on Nov. 29, one of its earliest opening dates in the last decade. Mount Bachelor was open the weekend of November 22, operating three lifts with more than 600 acres of skiing.
Planning a ski trip without a car and storing skis in the dorms or a smaller living space can truly be a headache. Luckily, Eugene and UO have equipment rentals and ski trips ready to ensure everyone can make it to the mountains this season.
Returning students are excited to get out to the mountains they frequent each season here in Oregon. Alpine skiing is one of the many club sports we have on campus, and Henry Adams, president of the UO Alpine ski team, says the early season snow accumulation will help the team’s performance this season.
“We were able to get an extra team training weekend in at Bachelor,” Adams said. “It was awesome to ski with our freshmen before the season started.”
The alpine team travels five out of the ten weekends in winter term to resorts all over the Pacific Northwest. But if you’re just looking to ski occasionally this season, Berg’s Ski and Snowboard Shop has all you need to shred the fresh powder in the Cascades.
Berg’s has snowboard and ski rentals for everyone regardless of proficiency level, fulfilling all your equipment requirements for a day on the hill. For your transportation needs, Berg’s provides buses to get to the mountains. Starting January 4 through March, Berg’s will be running a bus every Saturday to Willamette Pass and Hoodoo.
Chris Stowell, general manager of Berg’s, is optimistic about this being the best season in recent years. “If it keeps up like this, we’ll have some really good ski days ahead,” Stowell said. Stowell encourages everyone to take advantage of the equipment repair the shop offers.
When it comes down to it, seasoned ski and snowboarders are just excited to see snow this early in the season. Getting a ski weekend in before Thanksgiving is always a good sign for the upcoming season.
Former Alpine Ski racer and fourth-year student David Erickson recommends Bachelor as a mountain to visit if you can.
“All the lifts kind of come back to one spot,” Erickson said. “The backside has some great tree skiing.”
Erickson said that going on a colder day will mean you don’t run into any slushy runs, and on sunny days, you’ll catch people barbecuing and hanging out in the parking lot. It’s easier to get some van life going when the elevation and wind don’t block your sight.
“I like when the vibes are hot around the mountain, usually when It’s nicer, stuff’s going on around,” Erickson said.
This winter, grab some friends and hit up any of the mountains near Eugene to take advantage of the snowy conditions we’ve seen early on.
