MT. BACHELOR: Local Knowledge

Resort Name: Mt. Bachelor
Web address: www.mtbachelor.com
Distance from nearest major airport in miles: 20 miles to Redmond, OR
Rideable Acres: 3,683
Lifts: 10
Parks: 3
Pipes: 1
Best Après Hangout: The Taco Stand, or The Deschutes Brewery
Cheapest Lodging: Sonoma Lodge
Cheapest Food: IGA Grocery
Cheapest Drink: IGA Grocery
Best Meat Market: On The Rocks
Locals’ Bar: The Wall Street

Situated smack dab in the center of Oregon, Mt. Bachelor is the recreational jewel in the volcanic Cascade Mountain Range. With its landlocked desert location, the snow at Mt. Bachelor is consistently dryer than at its rival to the north, Mt. Hood. This is the subject of billboards around the Portland area, taunting the northern resort while exposing Bachelor’s ample amounts of dry, fluffy powder and the steep pitch needed to shred it. For once, advertising doesn’t lie. With up to 200 inches of annual snowfall, Bachelor has the facts to back up their claims.

As far as the terrain, Bachelor boasts a large acreage—3,683 to be exact, and a large percentage of that is above tree line. Wide-open steep pitches descend from the peak of this volcanic mountain. Exposure to the elements creates wind lips and cornices, the likes of which have been the subject of many a photograph, with Bachelor locals such as Marcus Egge, Tyler DeWilde, James Jackson or Allister Schultz flying off rollers and jumps on trails such as Cliff Hanger.

Due to the desert environs, weather at Mt. Bachelor moves quickly. Without a nearby ocean, river, lake, or other mountains to clog things up, the snow dumps and then moves on. This means reliable sunshine, a feature most Northwest resorts can’t claim. But even when the weather is crummy, there’s always terrain to be had. You can shred nearly 360 degrees of the mountain, dodging the storm or riding right in it if you like.

Besides the free-doggin’, Bachelor has built a reputation as the freestyle center of the Northwest. With the influence of Olympic pipe cutter Pat Malendoski, Bachelor has a legit superpipe as well as three parks to suit varying abilities. Due to their solid program, Bachelor has been host to many national events, from Triple Crown and Grand Prix contests to HCSC winter camps. Each season as the spring turns the snow slushy and the sun stays out late, Bachelor’s terrain park gets swooped on by heavy-duty film crews—both Robot Food and Mack Dawg Productions feature after hours sessions in the Bachelor park.

Adding to the draw of Mt. Bachelor is nearby Bend, Oregon. The actual resort is located a 15-minute drive into the Deschutes National Forest, which means unless you plan on pitching a tent, you’re going to stay in Bend. And this is just fine, because Bend has the reputation of being warm, fuzzy, and full of rugged outdoors types. In exchange for a short drive, you get to hang out in an actual après-shred town, as opposed to some stripped out Disneyland-esque resort.

Adding to the draw of Mt. Bachelor is nearby Bend, Oregon. The actual resort is located a 15-minute drive into the Deschutes National Forest, which means unless you plan on pitching a tent, you’re going to stay in Bend. And this is just fine, because Bend has the reputation of being warm, fuzzy, and full of rugged outdoors types. In exchange for a short drive, you get to hang out in an actual après-shred town, as opposed to some stripped out Disneyland-esque resort.