There is something for every snow angel in Central Oregon. If you’re not a beginner or an advanced skier, but you fall somewhere in between, there are plenty of runs perfect for you to enjoy skiing or snowboarding in Bend Oregon.
Mount Bachelor
There are tons of runs perfectly made for the intermediate skier or snowboarder. We love Mount Bachelor because it has runs of every skill type in a 360-degree snow sport experience. Beginner runs are the only kind of trails that don’t reach to the 9,065-foot summit.
The four-person chair lift, Cloudchaser, will take you most of the way up the mountain so you can drop from one of several intermediate runs. The Summit Express will take you up the second half of the mountain if you’re looking for longer runs and more vertical drop. There are also several intermediate level Nordic skiing trails. Visit the Mount Bachelor website for more information.
If you want additional skiing instruction, try a Learn to Ski or Ride lesson. They’re one of the top Bend activities for beginner to advanced skiers. The two-hour group lessons are offered twice per day, in the morning from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. They cost $119 and include all day equipment rentals and an all-day lift ticket for the Sunshine Accelerator beginner chairlift.
Hoodoo Ski Resort
For skiers levels 3 through 6, Hoodoo offers lesson for skiing and snowboarding in Bend Oregon in the same fashion as beginners, though slightly more expensive. For $75, you can get a two-hour group lesson, all mountain lift ticket, and gear rentals. Lessons happen daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. We love that you can customize your experience at Hoodoo. For example, if you want to pay less, you can just pay for the lesson, or just pay for a lesson and rentals.
Hoodoo Ski Resort is the only ski area in Central Oregon that offers night skiing and riding. During the 2017-2018 season, the resort installed permanent lights with custom-built filters and diodes. You can now night ski on 23 different runs and over 500 acres of terrain between 3:30 and 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Hoodoo also has groomed Nordic ski trails for all skill levels. Hayrick Glade is a 1.16 km easy, rolling trail that is a great option for intermediate skiers. The Black Jack Loop is a diversion from the Hogg Meadow Trail and is just .55 km long.
Guide for Skiing and Snowboarding in Bend Oregon
If you’re looking to gain some more mountain skiing skills, look no further than Oregon Ski Guides. This guide company also offers introductory ski lessons, but where they truly shine is in providing hands-on mountain skiing instruction. One such lesson is a three-day course on Broken Top, an extinct stratovolcano in the Three Sisters Wilderness. You’ll learn technical solutions to access difficult terrain such as chutes and big mountain faces and how to use crampon and ice axe techniques, rope skills, building anchors, pitched snow climbing, belaying and rappelling.
Winter terrain doesn’t get better than this. Whether you are backcountry skiing or dropping from the top of Mount Bachelor, you’ll be rewarded with great views, great powder, and great beer in Bend. Call us or visit our website today to learn more about Bend activities and to book your next winter getaway!
