Skibowl

After driving past Skibowl on my trips to TImberline and Mt. Hood Meadows, and being jealous of the folks still skiing after 10pm on my way home, I finally decided to stop in. Starting at Multorpor lodge, I made my way to the lift and noticed that there was snow far above the level of the loading area. This season has been good to Skibowl, it seems, and the snow on this day was nothing short of amazing. I had seen powder before, but nothing really prepared me for the depth and volume I found at Skibowl. I stayed on the groomed trails and made my way down to the lower bowl lift, and then rode up to stop at the Warming Hut. One mocha, coming up. After downing my espresso (yum!) and taking a few moments to admire the classic architecture and photographs of the warming hut, it was time to explore the slopes. Another quick trip down the lower bowl, and then I was off to the summit. I decided to try out Skyline to get my bearings, and was pleased to find that my skills were now refined enough to get me over the hills along the way. Another quick trip to the summit, and a few over the hill, and the outback was open. I made a quick run there, and found the powder to be nothing short of epic. Do I need a bigger board? The sheer volume of powder was overwhelming in the outback, particularly between the trees. One run in that waist deep powder and I was ready for lunch. A quick crossover to Multorpor, a bite to eat, and then back to the bowl. I cruised the upper bowl most of the rest of the day, enjoying the fantastic conditions, with light snow covering my tracks by the time I came around the next run. On into the night I boarded, no longer jealous of the late night crowd. Skibowl has got it all under the lights.

Mt. Hood Meadows

Meadows is an amazing resort. I had never seen so many skiers and snowboarders in one place - or so many lifts. I started this sunny day at Hood River Meadows, and decided that the fantastic conditions warranted the open to close lift ticket. After a couple of runs in the sun, I stopped at the Renaissance Cafe mid mountain to grab a mocha and rest my legs. Espresso on the hill is one of the great features of Meadows - aside from absolutely fantastic runs. It took me a while to become familiar with the massive area, but after a few runs I was able to see why so many people enjoy skiing and boarding here. There is terrain enough for all, with great stops along the way, and enough lifts to keep things moving even on the busiest of days. I think I finally hit my stride on the wide open runs at Meadows - I began to carve with confidence, and even took a run through the terrain park (just to take a look). Later in the day, I stopped for another mocha above the terrain park at the Mazot eatery, a cute little bar built on the footing of a former ski lift. This was my first evening of night boarding, and I must admit, I am now hooked: the snow is even more beautiful under the lights.

Hoodoo

I brought my dad along for a trip to explore Hoodoo, as he was interested in the Tubing Hill. While he was happily sliding down the runs there, I was eagerly carving up the powder from summit to base. This was my first visit to Hoodoo, so I began with a few short runs, and stayed off the main lift until I was warmed up. Soon enough the hodag was calling my name, and I took the lift on up to the summit. There was light snow all day, which kept the runs in great shape, and after a few hodag runs, I decided to try out the deep stuff. I made my way down from the summit to Powder Valley, and spent the rest of the day making runs through deep, soft powder. The slopes were in great shape, and I often had a whole run all to myself. It was a dream to have such a great snow day, and I skipped lunch so I could get a few more runs in. By the time the day was over, the smile on my face was fixed in place.

Mt. Bachelor

I purchased a snowboard and then drove straight to Bachelor the next weekend, anticipating the thrill of trying out my new board. By the end of December, I had decided that I would like to make it to all the ski areas in the state (who knew there was a Ski Oregon Challenge?), and to that end I had bought my first snowboard. Bachelor was the perfect location to test out my new gear. After a couple of runs down the hill, I was all smiles, and glad to be there for a true powder day. On the drive up, I had been worried about too much snow, but my fears were allayed once I took to the hill. Conditions were great, and there would be fresh dry powder all day long. I met up with my sister, her husband, and a family friend, and we all took our boards up to try out the moguls. Not having any experience on moguls, the first run was a little bumpy, but I started to get the hang of it quickly, and by the end of the day I was actually carving turns with confidence. A full day at Bachelor called for some relaxation, so we all went back to Sunriver to enjoy a soak in the hot tub. Good times!

Timberline

My second trip of the season was to Timberline. I had not yet explored the blue runs at Timberline, or even the Magic Mile. Today was the perfect day to expand my horizons. I brought along a friend, and after making a quick stop at the rental shop (we were first in line), we hit the slopes. The snow was great, and the weather was perfect. A couple of runs down Pucci and then Norman, and I was ready to check out the Magic Mile. I enjoyed peeking back over my shoulder as we sped up the chairlift, taking in the amazing views of the cascades. We decided to start with the East Mile, and it was in fantastic shape - soft powder, and no ice. It was such a beautiful day, I had to take off my hat to cool off! After making a couple of runs on the East Mile, we decided to be even more adventurous, and made our way down to the top of Norman. Having followed the ski area boundary down from the top of the mile, we kept going along the west edge of the ski area, and made our way down Paintbrush. It would be my first attempt at a black diamond, and my friend's as well. Deep breath, and then down we go. It was a thrill, and even though I had to unstrap and kick in a few spots, I was ready to go again. My friend was a little slower, so I made my way to the bottom, gave a friendly wave on the ride up Norman, and then caught up on my second run - no kicking involved. Awesome. We spent the rest of the day cruising the Magic Mile, and soaking up the sun and snow. What a beautiful day.

Willamette Pass

This season I finally decided to get serious about snowboarding. I had only been on the slopes three times before this season, but that was enough for me to get the bug. I started my season with a trip to Willamette Pass in December, where I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent conditions. After parking my car in Eugene, I rode the ski bus to the mountain and headed straight to the rental office. The employees were very helpful, and had me on the hill in no time. I checked my bag at the desk, and took to the slopes. Being a relative beginner, I started out with a few passes down the front side, and then made my way to the summit to try out some blue runs. The weather was sunny, and the view from the summit was amazing - I really felt on top of the world. A quick stop to strap in, and the rest of my day was spent exploring the intermediate runs, with an occasional detour to duck through the trees. It was a beautiful day, and by the time I returned my gear, I had decided that this year would be the perfect year for snowboarding.