3 ski areas | 3 days | 888 miles (from Portland, OR)

January 24, 2007

That is correct – 888 miles for 3 ski areas in Northeast Oregon. The trip started in Portland. The first stop was Friday night skiing / riding at Spout Springs, then Saturday morning at Ski Anthony Lakes, then over to Ferguson Ridge in the Wallowa Mountains Sunday, and back to Portland, OR Sunday night.

The open spaces of Northeast Oregon can be a hindrance and a thing of beauty, all at the same time. Right now, I must give thanks for the drives that lead from small town to small town, on endless stretches of concrete. Without those roads, I would have missed a lot of places that I have been, and I would not have been able to take the trip I took this past weekend.

I headed east on I-84, from Portland to La Grande, a mere 256 mile stretch that transported me from the west side of Oregon to the east side. It is very possible that the east side of Oregon is unchartered territory for a few of you. If this is true, you should plan a trip right now. Check out the Eastern Oregon Visitor’s Center website.

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Meadows Opening Day 2006

December 11, 2006

Saturday December 9, 2006: Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area
Snow Quality: 10, because there was fresh snow on Opening Day!!!

Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area is located on the SE side of Mt. Hood; from Government Camp, go east on 26 / north on Hwy 35 for 10 miles; 35 miles on Hwy 35, from I-84 (Exit 64) in Hood River, OR. (Pssssst...did you know we're giving away ski weekend to Meadows this month?!)

Opening Day at a ski area is something special. The lodge is bustling with smiles and energy. Everyone is eager to get loaded on a lift and start sliding and gliding down the mountain. Season Pass holders get to realize their fall investment and can start their expectations of what is to come. Employees realize their roles and how fun everything is going to be, including meeting new people and getting to enjoy the excitement and energy flowing throughout the entire ski area.

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The Speedsters Hit the Uncrowded Slopes of Willamette Pass

December 6, 2006

Our friends (aka "powderhead speedsters") Sally and Jeannine who work at VisitLaneCounty hit Willamette Pass Resort on opening day last week. Here is what they had to say...


MIRTHQUAKE ALERT….
What induces giggles, guffaws, and sidesplitting surrender to being in the moment??? The answer: the first day of the ski season at Willamette Pass – back on the hill with the sun shining, speedy snow, no crowds, and ample comradery.

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Powder and Sunshine at Ski Anthony Lakes

December 5, 2006

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 1, 2 & 3, 2006
Snow Quality: 8 (1-10, 10 being perfect)

Ski Anthony Lakes is located 19 miles west of North Powder, Oregon; in the Elkhorn Mountain Range of the Blue Mountains in NE Oregon.


I got out of Portland about 2 pm on Friday, December 1. I was very excited about this trip, as this past week the Pacific Northwest received some great snow, falling in the low 20’s and teens across the state. The snow blanketed the scenery in low elevations, which would make the 300 mile drive out east much easier. Ice crystals hung on the walls to my right as I drove east on I-84, and all I could think about were the fresh turns waiting for me at Ski Anthony Lakes in NE Oregon!

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Finding the perfect Oregon Christmas Tree

December 2, 2006

Now that we made it through stuffing ourselves full of turkey on Thursday, what better to do with the rest of our long weekend then to go deep into the forest to cut down the perfect Christmas tree? We invited our friends, Dan and Jill, to join us because they had only gotten their tree from the grocery store parking lot and never actually cut down their own tree before, so this was going to be fun showing the ‘newbies’ the ropes!

We woke up early on a Saturday morning and got dressed in our warm, winter clothes since we knew it would be cold where we were headed, even though frankly in Salem it wasn’t really that cold. But hey, we were going to be seeing our first snow of the season so we wanted to be dressed for it! After making sure we had the car packed with extra dry clothes, saws, camp stove, hot cocoa and assorted flavors (some adult flavors too!) to go in the hot cocoa, whipped cream, snacks, blankets to keep warm in the car, tarps for transporting the trees back home, bungee cords music cd’s for the drive (no radio reception where we were going), game boys (for the kids) and the obligatory dog, we filled up our gas tanks and headed to the Detroit forest.

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The quest for powder on Skibowl

November 30, 2006

November 27, not even December yet, and there are 6 foot snow packs at a couple of the Oregon ski areas. A great start to 2006-07!

The drive up to Mt. Hood was one of the coldest and snowiest I have experienced in quite a long time, with snow sticking as low as Sandy. My friend and I knew we were in for a real treat! We pulled into the Mt. Hood Skibowl parking lot around 4 pm.

Skibowl reported 10” today (Monday) with temps in low 20’s. Saturday’s report was very similar (a bit warmer, 30 deg.) and Sunday’s report showed 6” of new snow with low temps…that’s 26” of snow in 3 days, with the last two days’ temps in the low 20’s…this is what Oregon winters are all bout!!

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What's new this year at Oregon's ski resorts?

November 29, 2006

Oregon's '06-07 ski season is here, and our 10 mountain resorts are celebrating what is to be an epic year. Beyond incredible conditions, skiers and boarders have many reasons to be excited, including a new high-speed quad, a two-resort pass and so much more...

We're ringing in the ski season with a whole lot of new, exciting additions and improvements at Oregon's mountain resorts. Here, a sampling...

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Girls Go Bend Weekend at Mt. Bachelor Village

November 28, 2006


I recently had the opportunity to spend an amazing weekend at Mt. Bachelor Village in Bend, Oregon. This particular trip was a result of a promotional package, called "Girls Go Bend". The details of this package were outstanding: accommodations for four women in a gorgeous condo overlooking the Deschutes River, spa treatments, a snowshoeing trip, and dinner at Merenda Restaurant

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Snowed-In? We’ve got some ideas!

BRRRRRRR! In case you haven’t looked outside lately, the temperature is rapidly dropping and the falling snow has cloaked Oregon's evergreen forests, prairies, high desert and...ahem…yes, even the beach...with an abundant dusting of powder!

This winter wonderland is the perfect destination for an action packed "snow day". So bundle up those kids from head to toe, pack up the picnic basket, and head outside…here are a few ideas that will surely cure your “cabin fever”

What you will need: A pile of well packed snow (courtesy of Mother Nature), warm dry clothes, warm dry boots, regular snow shovel (to cut large shapes), smaller beach shovel (for detail work), spoon (for fine details), spray bottle of water (optional).

What to do: You're never too old to relive your childhood and play in the snow! Use the next snowfall as an excuse to get creative with your kids. Here are some ideas to get you started:

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The Gift of Snow and the Exaltation of Trees

It’s a dark 6:00am and it’s raining. I’m walking Shaman, my Collie, who’s picking up routine scents like a morning roll call. We come across the old Noble Fir on our path – it’s literally in the path of the sidewalk, which by mason’s design has been respectfully curved around its massive trunk. This tree is more than 150 years old, as old as Oregon itself. Shaman stops abrupt, a sesquicentennial of squirrel tracks and critter squats punctuating the scent. The rain on his back is now a smattering of snow flakes and I whistle him back to our walk.

The morning’s drive to Forest Grove, West of Portland, is awash in white. Raised a Midwestern urbanite, I like to think I know snow. I’ve driven through blizzards and shoveled once, twice, three times in a day. As a kid, I remember holing up in blanket caves during chilly power outages, making snow angels and castles out of four-foot drifts, and praying for snow days with plotting abandon. The temporality of snow was my prairie child’s wish, and my city girl’s chore.

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Inside Scoop: Snow is on the way!

November 9, 2006

Even though I’ve been sliding down mountains since I was three years old, I still turn into a kid every time my season pass arrives in the mail.

Each year I anxiously await the first big snowfall of the season. It’s this time of year I find myself day-dreaming about the epic days I’ve had, and the great experiences the mountains have given me. From the silent serenity in the aftermath of a big snow storm to the memories laughing with friends and family on warm spring day, the mountains have always provided me with something to look forward to.

This season is no exception. I recently caught up with Jerry Krieg, Director of Marketing for Ski Oregon, to ask him what we can expect for the upcoming season. Read what Jerry has to say about this year's Oregon ski season.

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