Skiers and snowboarders, welcome to the great Northwest.
For those new freshman Californians who may already be pining for a winter near Lake Tahoe, and for others who may think the finest powder can be found only near Vail or Aspen, Colo., don’t turn up your noses at humble Oregon just yet.
The Beaver state actually has some of the finest skiing in the Western United States at very competitive prices. The current prediction for winter weather is average snowfall, but there’s hardly ever an “average” experience skiing and snowboarding in Oregon.
Here’s a look at what’s new at Oregon’s larger ski and snowboard resorts.
Mount Hood Meadows’ 2,150 skiable acres and 87 marked trails can be enjoyed for the season by those ages 15-22 for only $395 if they buy their season passes before Sept. 30, Marketing Coordinator Phil Breen said.
“Majestic Mount Hood, it’s guaranteed the best terrain in the state,” he said.
Near Meadows is Mount Hood Ski Bowl, which will be offering skiers the chance to take it on for $31 on the weekends and $25 during the week.
Also on Mount Hood is Timberline Lodge, which Rick Wargo, a ski salesman and events manager, said has “the most skier or snowboarder days basically in the country.”
Located high on Mount Hood, Timberline has more than 1,000 acres for skiing and six chairlifts to get skiers there. Average lift-ticket cost is $37, and Wargo said Timberline is offering a season pass for students at $380.
New features at Timberline include a pro-am freestyle tournament and a 12-person Cat that will take skiers up the mountain for an extreme experience, weather permitting.
For those willing to go the distance, Amy Barnes with the Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort near Baker City said skiers will find “absolutely fabulous powder” there. She said the resort receives the bulk of its storms from northern California, so skiers should be ready for blankets of light, dry powder.
Barnes also said that even though Anthony Lakes has only one chairlift, it still has thousands of open and forested acres for skiers of all levels to explore.
“Most people who come here love this mountain,” she said. “Once they get here, they’re amazed.”
Skiers shouldn’t be daunted by the drive out to Eastern Oregon, because Barnes said with so little traffic in the area, it’s actually safer to get to Anthony Lakes than resorts on Mt. Hood.
Lift tickets are $22 with a student ID, she said.
Once out east, skiers and snowboarders may consider hitting some virgin backcountry with Wing Ridge tours based in Joseph. Owner and guide Roger Haverbeck said his service can put together a package for most groups to ski between four shelters in the Wallowa Wilderness area.
Even though the scenic alpine area is prime avalanche country, Haverbeck said most skiers should be able to enjoy it.
“They’re serious mountains, but they are manageable,” he said.
Oregon skiing mainstay Mount Bachelor, near Bend, also has new features for the skier or snowboarder, said its director of marketing, Carly Hogan.
She said one of the best new features is a 400-foot-long super pipe with 17-foot-high walls.
“I was out there today, and people look like ants working on it,” she said.
She added that the terrain park has also tripled in size to become more than a mile long.
Mount Bachelor is offering a special $575 season pass for 19-22-year-olds that can be purchased only over the Internet, Hogan said.
For those who don’t ski or snowboard, Hogan said Mount Bachelor will also offer a new five-acre tubing hill.
Just a short drive on Highway 58 brings one to the local favorite, Willamette Pass. An unlimited student ski pass will cost $249 through Nov. 15 this year. Willamette Pass offers two peaks for the skier/snowboarder and promises runs to challenge all skill levels.
Central Oregon’s other ski resort, Hoodoo, should offer a new 60,000-square-foot ski lodge for snow lovers in January, said spokeswoman Tasha McFarland. McFarland added that folks should head to Hoodoo because it’s “steeper, deeper and cheaper.”
She said a student season pass is $275 from Sept. 24 to Oct. 31.
For those who want to head south, Gene Landsmann with the Mount Ashland Ski and Snowboard Resort said, “We would love to have students come down and give the other Oregon opportunity a try.”
He said the resort is situated in a “beautiful glaciated bowl with a nice cozy atmosphere,” and season passes for students are $249.