Alpine Skiing in the Cascades

Skiing in the Cascades of Oregon and Washington has been and continues to be one of the most underrated places in the country to ski. None of the resorts in Oregon or Washington have any of the fancy amenities or other attractions such as a ski town filled with fine dining and shopping that so many other western ski resorts pride themselves on. The resorts in the pacific northwest have for the longest time attracted mainly die hard ski bums and locals, and are only just now beginning to attract a broader skier base. In this post I'm going to focus on the six biggest and most recognizable resorts in the pacific northwest, four in Oregon and two in Washington. There are two major mountains, both dormant volcanoes, where the four Oregon resorts are located, Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor. Three resorts are situated on Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Timberline Lodge ski area, and Mt. Hood Meadows. The fourth prominent Oregon resort is situated at Mt. Bachelor ski area. The three resorts at Mt. Hood are all best known for something different. Mt. Hood Ski Bowl has long been considered more beginner and family oriented since it has the least amount of vertical drop and the most green and blue trails out of the three Mt. Hood resorts. Timberline Lodge ski area has the smallest skiable terrain but also the highest point of lift accessible terrain and is the only resort in the lower 48 states with consistent chairlift accessible summer skiing. Mt. Hood Meadows is considered by many to be the premier Mt. Hood resort as it has the most skiable terrain, the greatest variety of challenge and the greatest vertical drop. Mt. Bachelor ski area is the largest ski resort in Oregon in terms of sheer skiable terrain, but is also the farthest away from the major population center of Portland. Native Oregonians who live around the major cities of Portland and Corvalis tend to flock to the trio of Mt. Hood resorts due to their relatively close proximity to the two cities. Residents of Bend, the third largest city in Oregon in terms of population size, favor Mt. Bachelor due to the easy twenty minute drive it takes to get there. All four Oregon resorts share one thing in common though, which is the rustic, more undeveloped nature of the base area and the main emphasis being on the quality of skiing. All four Oregon resorts have a nice variety of trail difficulty and they all receive approximately the same amount of snow, so what separates them is the in bounds trail terrain and the backcountry terrain as well as the overall skiing vibe of the resorts. I haven't been to any of the pacific northwest resorts yet so I can't attest to what the vibe is like, but I do know that each of the resorts has its own distinct backcountry experience. Mt. Hood Meadows is generally considered to be the go to resort for eastern oregonians looking for a decent backcountry offering, while Mt. Bachelor has the best backcountry offering for inland oregonians. Moving onto Washington the two most prominent resorts with the most to offer are Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain which are both conveniently located around an hours drive from the major population hub of Seattle. Stevens Pass is located closer to Seattle and Tacoma which means it is usually the first skiing option for Seattlites. Crystal Mountain on the other hand due to its farther distance from the major cities tends to attract fewer people even though it boasts a much higher max elevation and twice the amount of skiable terrain. The two Washington resorts mentioned in this post have more in common than the four Oregon resorts as both Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain have roughly the same backcountry access and terrain. One thing that all six pacific northwest resorts share in common is the general vibe which I would assume is much more laidback and less stuffy than some of the comparable Colorado or Utah resorts.

     

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