More Pow And Cheap! Mt Bachelor Has Even More...

Next to the town of Bend, Oregon in the Cascades mountain range, Mt. Bachelor towers over the clouds, inviting skiers and snowboarders to visit this stratovocano.  

The mountain itself is equipped with some of the best views in the country, and the snowfall fall accumulations are insane. Along with the great snow, the mountain is inexpensive, allowing those on a budget to enjoy riding and still have enough money left over for some après-ski. Another plus is the resort’s accessibility to Bend, Oregon, which is one of the best beer towns in America. Yeww.

Since Mt. Bachelor is a volcano, you can almost get a 360-degree mountain experience while skiing or boarding. There are runs on almost every inch of the volcano, and there is the terrain for every kind of rider out there. Being a non-traditional mountain, the features around the mountain are a little different. There are a lot more bumps and small obstacles around the mountain to play on, giving it a more “surfy” feel from other mountains. With so much natural terrain to play on, it is more snowboarder friendly than a lot of resorts out there.  

On top of the natural components, the freestyle parks at Bachelor are also top notch. With six different parks, there is no shortage of fun here. Advanced riders can find themselves in huge obstacles at the Central terrain park area or at the West terrain area where the halfpipe is located. Beginners can make their way to the Short Sands to practice on the beginner park.

Mt. Bachelor is well-rounded when it comes to levels of riding. There is your fair amount of easy terrain at Sunrise Express and Rainbow Chair. These lifts give beginners the best chance to learn how to ride on easy, groomed runs. One of the highlights of the mountain is the numerous, long groomed runs. On almost every lift, great, wide-open groomed blues weave throughout the trees, letting intermediate riders explore the entire stratovolcano. Blue runs are even under Summit Express lift, allowing those not looking for crazy thrills to enjoy the view of Oregon from one of the highest places in the state. Of course, Mt. Bachelor also has a wide variety of difficult features. Those looking for challenging options can head to the back bowls for runs such as Upper Plains and Smoky Bowl.  Black runs are also available off other lifts such as the Outback Express and Northwest Express.

Being near the coast, Oregon sees a lot more snow than other resorts in America. Mt. Bachelor sees over one hundred more inches of snowfall annually than other popular resorts such as Breckenridge or Vail. This leads to a lot more powder days and an endless amount of fun. There can be a few minor downsides, however.  The summit can be closed sometimes due to high winds, and early/late seasonal conditions can bring rain to the mountain, but these are rare, and usually, the conditions are great for all.

 Mt. Bachelor sits next to a great little city called Bend, Oregon.  Only twenty minutes away by car, the city is the perfect place to stay while visiting Bachelor.

Constantly being voted as one of the brewery capitals of America, Bend takes pride in its beer. With breweries such as Crux, Worthy, and Deschutes, there is a beer here for every taste bud imaginable.  Is there anything better than touring some world-class breweries after a wonderful day of riding? Along with the beer, there is some amazing food to be had.

For a casual meal, try Planker Sandwiches, or get fancy with the Spanish-influenced restaurant Ariana. Visiting at the right time? Enjoy Bend’s WinterFest in February for some great food and music. Combining the great skiing of Bachelor with the city of Bend is not something you want to miss.

Traveling to Mt. Bachelor is easy. Fly into Redmond Airport next to Bend, Oregon and just pop on over to the mountain. Cheap flights are available from big cities such as Portland and Seattle. A mountain shuttle also runs all day back and forth from Bachelor to Bend, making it easy to get to if you don’t have a car. The mountain is also inexpensive. A single day in the advance pass can run you only USD $79, almost half the price of Colorado resorts.  Kids under 12 can even ski here for free with advanced tickets. What is better than free skiing?