NW Snow Resorts: Oregon
Oregon
By Diane Rudholm and Fiona Cohen
Photo at right: Serene trails at Mt. Ashland. Photo courtesy of Mt. Ashland
Anthony Lakes
Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort offers alpine and Nordic trails, cat-skiing and yurt rentals in the Elkhorn range of Eastern Oregon’s Blue Mountains. With a base elevation of 7,100 feet, this winter playground is a lovely spot to soak up views on bluebird days.
Hoodoo
Hoodoo has been around for more than 75 years. The ski area started with just one rope tow, but nowadays, patrons can take one of five lifts up the mountain to explore 800 acres of alpine and Nordic trails, and enjoy skiing, snowboarding and snow-biking lessons.
Mt. Ashland
This season marks Mt. Ashland’s 50th anniversary, which means in addition to its usual events — like the Moonlight Jam, Bavarian Night and Big Mountain Bash — there will also be a huge birthday celebration on Jan. 11, 2014.
As if that weren’t enough reason for celebration, there will also be more parking this year, and the beginners area has been contoured to have a gentler slope from top to bottom.
Mt. Bachelor
Visitors to Mt. Bachelor will be able to ski 650 more acres during the 2014 –15 winter season — though they will have to hike out after their runs. The 650 new acres will have the cardiac benefits of backcountry skiing, but with in-bounds avalanche control and a ski patrol presence. (The ski area plans to put in a new lift next year.) If, after slogging through the snow, you have a craving for something a bit more civilized, you can also check out a new sit-down restaurant in the Pine Marten lodge.
Mt. Hood Meadows
This Oregon resort had a stump-removal drive that will allow for early opening and smoother grooming in the areas served by the Hood River trails lifts. Also, basking outside on the Paradise Sun Deck will no longer be a pleasure reserved only for March and April. Thanks to the new ice melt on the deck, customers at the Alpenstube Restaurant can enjoy sunny days outside from December through February. A new fiber optic line will allow guests to stay connected this season, as the bandwidth to Meadows will increase by nearly 20 times.
Mt. Hood Skibowl
Skibowl has added a new Prinoth Bison X snow cat to its groomer fleet. Even more, cosmic snow tubers and adventure park enthusiasts can yawp in delight this year, as the Skibowl has added more than 100 four-person tubes to its collection.
Parking-related updates include news of a 220-foot conveyor lift replacing the old parking lot rope tow, and two Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in the works.
Collin’s Lake Resort, just a hop, skip and a jump away, offers seasonal pricing for out-of-town visitors.
Timberline
Like Stevens Pass, Timberline is offering season passes with “Powder Alliance” privileges — this fusion pass gives skiers and snowboarders reciprocal access to Timberline and Mt. Hood Skibowl, and three free days at 10 other areas including Stevens Pass and Schweitzer Mountain Resort.
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