After several exhausting weeks of midterms, I needed a break from school to hit the slopes.
Winding roads led the way up the mountain as fir trees topped with snow covered the surrounding hills. While most people drive up at the crack of dawn, myself as well as a couple of friends decided to leave in the afternoon to make it up to Mt. Hood in time to night ski, free from hoards of people and inflated prices.
We drove to Skibowl, one of the largest night skiing terrains in the country, but discovered spots of dirt faintly poking out above a thin sheet of snow covering the slopes. After about two seconds of deliberation, we decided to head on up the mountain in hopes of better conditions. As the temperature steadily cooled and the snow banks on the side of the road got higher, we knew we were heading in the right direction.
We arrived at Timberline Lodge, and after several references to “The Shining,” prepared for a night of snowboarding as the last few hours of daylight dwindled by.
The slopes can turn icy during the night, but Timberline’s high altitude runs stayed freshly packed and easy to glide over on both board and ski.
While I zig-zagged my way down the slope on skis, University sophomore Matt Carroll was learning to snowboard for the first time with help from his roommate Drew Eyman, also a University sophomore, who has been snowboarding for almost 10 years.
With some background in surfing, Carroll hoped he would adjust to snowboarding quickly.
“I walked into it thinking, ‘No problem, I got this’ … Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong,” Carroll said. “But it was a blast, and I would definitely do it again without any hesitation.”
University sophomore Spencer Arns started snowboarding in his freshman year of high school and hasn’t stopped since. After taking two training classes at the University Outdoor Program, he is now one of many trip initiators for the program, which means he can coordinate outings and ski trips with his friends while the program provides transportation and safety tips.
“Sometimes during night skiing, the snow isn’t as good of quality, but there are less people so it feels like you own the mountain … We are usually begging the people who work there to let us on one last run before it closes and everyone else has left,” Arns said.
It may take about three hours from Eugene to get to one of the many prime skiing spots on Mt. Hood, but it’s worth the time for students like Arns who want to experience some of the best slopes in Oregon. Local ski park Willamette Pass is only a little more than an hour from Eugene, but Arns said the night skiing doesn’t offer much.
“Unfortunately at Willamette Pass there’s only like one run, and there aren’t as many options. I would rather go somewhere else, but if you have the choice between skiing and not skiing for that day — I definitely would take skiing for $20 when it’s nearby,” Arns said.
After the sun went down and bright lights scattered throughout the terrain, Carroll finished his second run after just learning how to board.
“There’s nothing like gearing up for the mountain with friends. A trip to the mountain isn’t a long and arduous process, it’s an activity that can be done in a day or weekend. I couldn’t have trusted anyone better than my close friend to teach me for the first time,” Carroll said.
Will Geller, a University sophomore, started skiing when he was just three years old. As a member of the University Ski and Snowboard Club, Geller has had his share of experiences on the slopes in Oregon.
“My favorite place to ski in Oregon is probably Meadows on Mt. Hood. It’s got good terrain and even though the terrain parks are a little lacking, overall it’s the best place,” Geller said.
Although Arns and Geller would take skiing and snowboarding any time of the day, they both recognized the perks of night skiing.
“It’s just a new way to experience skiing. You can see the night sky and there are less crowds, which is always a benefit,” Geller said.
“It’s way cheaper and still gives you so much time to ski. We get to sleep in and you can snowboard till late. It’s convenient and cheap, and I will always take more skiing for less money,” Arns said.
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