Mt. Bachelor, Oregon: Possibly the Best Ski Trip Your Club Has Never Taken
By Chris Johnston

There is no slopeside lodging. No quaint, European-style base village. On-mountain apres-ski partying is limited. The closest airport is 45 minutes away in Redmond. Many ski clubs find there is no easy way to get to Oregon. So, why would your club want to take a ski vacation at Mt. Bachelor?

If the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location, then Mt. Bachelor is actually in a prime spot. Surrounded by the Deschutes National Forest, there aren’t any condos or tons of bars and restaurants on the mountain. But, without the commercial clutter you don’t have the crowds or high costs either.

What you do have is the real ski town of Bend, Oregon, twenty miles down the road. Once a logging town with two of the biggest lumber mills in the world, Bend now has the most restaurants per capita of any city in Oregon, That includes five brewpubs, a gin and vodka distillery and a winery -- all encircling the quaint downtown core.

When you’re done eating and drinking you have over 5,500 beds to choose from. Hit the sack at a hotel like The Riverhouse or in a condo at the newly renovated Inn of the Seventh Mountain. Another option is Sunriver Resort, 20 miles south of Mt. Bachelor which features a variety of accommodations. All three properties are group friendly with lots of meeting space and on-site bars and restaurants.

Without the pervasive on-mountain development you won’t find a latte stand at the top of every lift, but you will find dozens of terrain options. From numerous groomers to deep powder in the trees, this is a real ski mountain.

< Current Issue | Top ^

Powder in Oregon? Believe it, thanks again to location. The mostly north-facing slopes of Mt. Bachelor are on the eastern side of the Cascade Range, butted up against the high desert. This far inland, where the air is drier and colder, the 370 annual inches of snow that falls is pretty similar to that of Utah (8-10% water content). Although known for sunshine, the snow can fall for days at a time making one wonder whether the summit really exists. When this happens, the black diamond runs in the Northwest Territory are the toughest on the mountain. They are very steep at the top so you should be prepared for long, long tree runs where you won’t see another soul.

If you’re not into trees and glades and want to find the best snow you may be tempted to ask the guy on the barstool next to you. Don’t. Instead ask a Mt. Bachelor employee. At most ski areas the employees keep their favorite stashes a closely guarded secret. With 3,683 lift served acres, Bachelor employees will list off their five favorite runs on the mountain and still keep five for themselves. From the guys in the repair shop to the lifties checking tickets, everyone at Mt. Bachelor is friendly and forthcoming.

Those who don’t like asking for directions should know that the area around the Sunrise Express and Skyliner Express chairs generally have better visibility during storms. This is the place to let your ego run on the Blue and Green cruisers. The Sunrise Lodge is also a great place for that mid-morning break since it is less crowded than either the West Village or Pine Marten Lodges.

When the Summit Express chair is open you don’t need to ask anyone where to ski. From the Summit, the runs fall away in every direction. If you’ve been enjoying the cruising down below take the perfect corduroy of Healy Heights or Beverly Hills nearly 3,000 vertical feet to the Rainbow, Sunrise Express, and Skyliner Express lifts.

< Current Issue | Top ^

A ten-minute hike to the true summit gives access to the Cirque Bowl, the only Double Black Diamond terrain on the mountain. When freshly cleared by the avalanche squad, this steep and deep experience takes you right into the crater of this dormant volcano.

Rather than dropping into the Cirque strap on the boards and keep heading west. Over the course of a mile and a half and 3,365 vertical feet you’ll experience every terrain option imaginable as you test yourself on the way to the Northwest Express or local’s favorite Outback Express chair.

The real secret stashes are the Backside Bowls where skiing with a partner is encouraged. Advanced intermediates to experts can experience the backcountry inbounds when they drop off the backside of the Summit. These seven bowls don’t have any official names and runs aren’t marked until you reach the getback trail along the ski area boundary, but experts can make about eight circuits of the backside in a day. Advanced Intermediates will be happy and tired after one or two runs.

Of course, with the top-rated lift system it’s easy to become exhausted before closing time. Seven of ten chairs are high-speed quads at Mt. Bachelor and it’s possible to get nearly anywhere on the mountain with one chairlift ride. Although it’s not really sexy having the best lift system in North America, it’s also not really sexy standing in lift lines, which is something else you won’t find at Mt. Bachelor.

With slightly more than half a million guests each season, Mt. Bachelor is still largely an undiscovered resort. According to figures compiled by the National Ski Club Newsletter, Oregon isn’t even on the radar of most ski clubs in North America. Which means you’ll have all that great snow to yourself.

< Current Issue | Top ^