Even though Oregon is not known for its incredible mountains and top-tier powder, Oregon still has great mountains and opportunities for skiing and snowboarding. Luckily, a lot of these opportunities are readily available for students on and off campus. From Eugene, three main mountains range from just over an hour to about three hours from campus.
The most notable and popular mountain of those three is the Mount Bachelor Ski Resort. Bachelor is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S. and has over 4,300 acres of terrain to explore. The mountain also has a top elevation of 9,065 feet with a total of 101 runs. Bachelor is located only 30 minutes outside of Bend, meaning it is roughly a two-and-a-half-hour to a three-hour drive from Eugene. The UO Freeride Club is an amazing way to access this mountain and join a tight-knit community of avid ski enthusiasts.
“Originally, it was about 25 kids that just wanted to ski and they set the foundation for us. And now we’re 10 seasons in and we’re at 175 kids on the team, so we’re the biggest club sport on campus right now,” Noah Warnell, the vice president of the club, said. The club goes up on buses every Saturday in the winter term to Bachelor where members are free to do whatever skills they want to or just enjoy a day on the mountain. The Freeride Club also participates in competitions throughout the season with the U.S. Ski Association where members can showcase more of their experience.
On the other hand, Hoodoo Ski Resort and Willamette Pass Resort are the closest and most affordable mountains for students to visit. Mount Hoodoo is located in Linn County and has five chair lifts with a total of 34 runs for students to shred. Hoodoo has apeak elevation of 5,703 feet along with one run that stretches three miles long. Hoodoo is great for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels due to their variety of beginner, intermediate and expert runs.Lift tickets range from $62 to $69 depending on the time of day, but lift tickets are only $38 if you take advantage of Hoodoo’s night skiing. Hoodoo is even more accessible through the University of Oregon Outdoor Program where they have frequent adventure trips to go with other students or your friends. The Outdoor Program offers select rentable equipment and motor pool vans that drive up to Hoodoo in the morning when a trip is planned.
Willamette Pass Resort is the other cheaper option for students to visit with it only being a bit over an hour’s drive from campus.Willamette Pass consists of 555 skiable acres with a summit elevation of 6,683 feet. Although Willamette has one less chair lift and fewer trails than Hoodoo, Willamette is great for skiers and snowboarders who want more verticality on their slopes. Lift tickets at Willamette are also cheaper than lift tickets at Hoodoostarting at $19 on weekdays and between $25-$55 on the weekends and on holidays.
If you need to rent skis or any other equipment, Berg’s Ski and Snowboard Shop is a great place located in downtown Eugene. “Also for off-campus opportunities, there’s the Berg’s ski bus, which is a big thing,” Warnell said. “They go to Willamette every Saturday, and it’s pretty cheap and affordable.” The bus always has plenty of spots open and claiming a spot is only $25.
No matter what skill level you might be, there are opportunities for all types of skiers and boarders in and around Eugene. “It builds a lot of community, especially for those younger kids that get to come and connect with people that have really similar interests,” Warnell said. “It’s a pretty niche thing.” Even though these trips can be time-consuming and somewhat expensive, it is always an amazing time to be out on the mountain with a community that loves to do the same.
