Skiing in Mount Bachelor

Mount Bachelor Ski Area

Mount Bachelor is well regarded for beginners (15 percent) and intermediates (25 percent) but most of the 3,683-acre (1,490-ha) ski area is for expert skiers, including several double black diamond trails for experts.

The east side of the mountain has excellent cruising trails favored by intermediates and beginner skiers. The New Summit Express, Outback Express, and Northwest Express lifts access the most difficult terrain. Steep bowls in The Cirque, gladed tree trails, and deep chutes leading into tight trees are the benchmarks of these lifts. Mount Bachelor is also keenly building its reputation as a good location for snowboarders with 3 parks and a 400ft Superpipe. The parks are called the Slopestyle Arena, the Air Chamber and the Sunshine.

In the early 2000’s eight Super Wizard Snowguns were installed in the Pine Marten Express lift area to assure good coverage for early-season runs. Cross-country skiers will find plenty of room to roam too with more than a dozen trails totaling 35 miles (56 km). All trails are well maintained and wind through the scenic Deschutes National Forest.

Mount Bachelor Beginner Skiing

About 15 percent of trails are for beginners. The best area for beginners is on the east side of the mountain, where the bulk of the easier cruising trails can be found.

However, green trails can be found at every chair except New Summit Express, Outback Express and Northwest Express. The greens are all well marked on trail maps, along with a special yellow area indicating the easiest descent. A good itinerary for a beginner is to ride the Sunrise Express quad and follow Marshmallow down the mountain, then take the Rainbow triple chair and the West Village Getback trail down to West Village Day Lodge. Then ride the Pine Marten Express quad to Pine Marten Lodge, and take the Skyliner route back down the mountain to the bottom of the quad. Then you should go up the lift again and this time take Leeway back down to West Village Day Lodge for a well-earned rest.

Mount Bachelor Intermediate Skiing

About 25 percent of the terrain is suitable for intermediates.

For a good day’s intermediate skiing, park at the West Village Lodge, warm up on Old Skyliner, Coffee, and the Canyons. Then take a screamer down Ed’s Garden to the Outback Express quad. Follow that with another screamer on Downunder. Then Downunder West. Then Bushwacker, and so on until you have skied each trail on the Outback Express. Then start over again with Ed’s Garden.

Mount Bachelor Expert Skiing

Around 60 percent of the trails are designated for advanced and expert skiers and riders.

The trails in The Cirque are considered the most challenging, are difficult to get to (hiking required), steep, difficult to get out of, and susceptible to the weather. The glades around the Outback Express quad and the black diamond trails on the new Northwest Express quad are best for advanced and expert skiers. The un-named chutes to the west of Northwest Express are tight and deep, and all lead into thick trees. If powder’s your thing, the back of the mountain (accessed only from the Summit Express quad) keeps powder the longest, but is rarely open. The trees and glades around the Red Chair boast steep but short lines.

On a fresh powder day, park at the base of the Skyliner Express quad before Mount Bachelor opens, and get in line with the locals who will be waiting. Use the green Summit Crossover trail to warm up your legs, then ride the New Summit Express quad to the peak. Conditions vary so you must be on your game and alert. Shoulder your gear and hike 15 minutes to the peak above The Cirque. Dropping straight down Chute 1, snow flying into your mouth as you gasp for breath, avoid smashing into The Pinnacles on your left. Once clear of The Pinnacles, keep cutting to your left to join into Chutes 2, 3, and 4. Just below Pine Marten Lodge run the tight trees around Tippy Toe. Although by now many will be on the hill, Tippy Toe will be relatively untracked. End at the base of Pine Marten Express quad ready for more.

Skiing from the summit down to the base of Northwest Express quad also provides varied and changing conditions on a 1.5-mile (2.5 km) trail. There is no out of bounds skiing allowed at Mount Bachelor. Except for crowded areas, jumping and fast skiing is allowed if in control.

Mount Bachelor Boarding & Freestyle

Snowboarders are welcomed at Mount Bachelor. Check out the Superpipe, a 400-foot (120-m) long Olympic-quality run with 17-foot (7-m) walls.

A new HPG R17 Superpipe cutter will groom and contour the walls and keep it in shape for all your best moves. Boarders can also enjoy the 6,300 feet (1,890 m) of sculpted trails in the Air Chamber Terrain Park, next to the Skyliner Express lift, with a variety of hits, spines, tabletops, jumps, and rails to complement the light, dry powder. Two new parks, the Slopestyle Arena and Sunshine have also been added. The layout of Mount Bachelor creates easy traverses between lifts for any type of snow rider.

Mount Bachelor Mountain Restaurants

There are seven restaurants on the mountain spread around the three lodges: Sunrise, Pine Marten, and West Village, with a range of food from cafeteria-style through Pacific Northwest cuisine to Italian.

Pine Marten Lodge features some of the highest restaurants in the Northwest, with spectacular views. Scapolo’s for open-hearth pizzas; Pinnacles Espresso and Smoothie Bars for coffee, pastries, and smoothies; head to the Pine Marten Grill for a large family dining facility including burgers, fries and a wide range of deli and grill items; also on offer is The Skiers’ Palate for a fine dining experience, although dress code is ski-boot friendly.

At West Village Lodge, the Cocoa’s Café is good for breakfast, pizza, pasta, and traditional American fare, while Carver’s has a menu of made-to-order sandwiches, soups and fresh desserts. The Clearing Rock Bar has a full-service bar and restaurant offering a lunch menu to those aged 21 years and over, while The Espresso Bar is good for coffee and pastries. Over at Sunrise Lodge the Sunrise Café offers Mexican and traditional American food.