heading up into the mountains for a little
skiing, a winter wonderland is a little
over one hour from downtown Portland.
Just as windsurfing brings Hood River
readily to the minds of Portlanders,
skiing conjures the iconic Mt. Hood and
Timberline Lodge.
About 50 miles from Portland, and visible
from up to 100 miles away, Mt. Hood is
the highest peak in Oregon and the fourth
highest in the Oregon Cascade Range. It
is part of the Mt. Hood National Forest
which spans some 1,000,000+ acres. It is
also home to Timberline Lodge, a National
Historic Landmark, the exterior of which
was used as the Overlook Hotel in the
Stanley Kubrick film The Shining, based
on the Stephen King novel of the same
name. In all, the mountain has five ski
areas including Timberline (which offers
the longest skiing and snowboarding season
anywhere in America), Mt. Hood Meadows,
Ski Bowl, Cooper Spur, and Summit. Keep
in mind that there is another season at ski
areas: summer! With Mt. Hood as the backdrop, Ski Bowl, Timberline, and Mt. Hood
Meadows provided excellent venues and
resources to take in the beauty, entertainment, and a range of activities offered in the
warm summer months.
And if Mt. Hood isn’t elevated enough for
your skiing whimsy, or if you’ve exhausted
all of its slopes and you’re ready to branch
out, Mt. Bachelor, 22 miles west of Bend in
Central Oregon, has a lot to offer, including
nearly 3,700 acres of lift-accessible, explor-
able terrain. Located in the eastern flanks of
the Central Cascades, Mt. Bachelor touts the
highest skiable elevation in not only Oregon,
but Washington too—now there’re some
bragging rights. But don’t let the altitude
scare you away—it’s family-friendly fun for
everyone.
Mt. Hood Meadows
14040 Hwy 35, Mt. Hood, OR 97041
503-227-SNOW; www.skihood.com
Meadows is the largest ski area on Mt.
Hood, with over 2, 150 acres of terrain and
12 total chairlifts, five of which are high
speed quads. Mt. Hood Meadows provides
exceptional back country skiing terrain for
experts in Heather Canyon, in addition to
lifts and lessons for beginners. Eight terrain
parks are offered for riding opportunities of
all ages and abilities, many of which are lit
for night skiing. Mt. Hood Meadows operates a “mountain lifestyle” store/lounge in
NW Portland where guests can shop and
enjoy a glass of wine or microbrew while
exchanging stories from the mountain.
Mt. Hood Skibowl
87000 Highway 26
Government Camp, OR 97028
www.skibowl.com/winter
America’s largest night ski area, Ski Bowl,
is also the Portland area’s closest resort, at
about one hour away from downtown Portland, at Government Camp. In addition to
the full range of runs for all abilities, Ski
Bowl offers an expansive outback area
and two terrain parks. Ski Bowl provides
sliding action for those less inclined to
descend its slopes, with its Snow Tube &
Adventure Park.
Mt. Bachelor
13000 SW Century Drive, Bend, OR 97702
800-829-2442; www.mtbachelor.com
For Portlanders, Mt. Bachelor is a destination resort, perfect for the long weekend
with accommodations at Sunriver or Bend,
Oregon. Due to its location in drier Central
Oregon, Mt. Bachelor offers some of the
driest and lightest snow in the Pacific Northwest, and a lot of it! It’s not uncommon for
Mt. Bachelor to see 500” of snowfall. Eleven
lifts take riders to 88 runs and 360-degree
skiing, including the top of Mt. Bachelor to
9,065 feet.
Timberline Lodge
27500 E Timberline Road
Timberline Lodge, OR 97028
503-272-3311; www.timberlinelodge.com
Timberline offers the longest skiing
and snowboarding season anywhere in
America, as well as storied, historical past.
Historic Timberline Lodge is a WPA-era
lodge built in the late 1930’s during the
Great Depression, and was dedicated
by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. For
skiers and snowboarders, the day lodge
provides food and services year round.
Timberline’s total vertical drop is 3,690
feet, making it the most vert in the Pacific
Northwest. The longest run is three miles.
Seven total lifts take guests to 41 runs and
several terrain parks.
GOLF
The only city in the U.S. that can boast
hosting four USGA national championships, Portland Public Golf has been
large and in charge since 1917. Offering
six affordable, but high quality, nationally
recognized courses throughout the metro
area including Eastmoreland, Heron
Lakes Great Blue Course, Heron Lakes
Greenback Course, RedTail, Rose
City and the newly acquired Colwood
Golf Course, it’s a no-brainer why every
year 400,000 rounds of golf are played
on Portland Public Golf courses. Check
out the charts on the following pages for
a list of public and private courses in the
Greater Portland Area.
SKIING RESOURCES
Daily Ski Conditions/Reports/Cams www.skitiger.com/oregon
Road Conditions www.oregonlive.com/roadreport
Oregon Ski Guides www.oregonskiguides.com
Oregon Skiing News www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/skiing
Shred Hood: Mt. Hood news and culture www.shredhood.org
High School Ski Racing
(Alpine, Nordic, Freestyle) www.oisra.org
Ski Oregon www.skioregon.org
