| Mount Bachelor | |
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Pine Marten Express chairlift at Mount Bachelor |
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| Location | Mount Bachelor Deschutes County Oregon United States |
| Nearest city | Bend 22 miles (35 km) east |
| Vertical | 3300 ft - (1006 m) lift-served |
| Top elevation | 9000 ft - (2743 m) Summit Express |
| Base elevation | 5700 ft - (1737 m) Northwest Express 6350 ft - (1700 m) Pine Marten Express |
| Skiable area | 3,683 acres (14.90 km2) |
| Runs | 71 total - 15% novice - 23% intermediate - 35% advanced - 25% expert |
| Longest run | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Lift system | 12 - 7 express quads - 3 triple chairs - 1 Magic Carpet - 2 tubing tows |
| Terrain parks | 4 |
| Snowfall | 370 in. - (940 cm) |
| Snowmaking | none |
| Night skiing | none |
| Web site | Mt Bachelor.com |
Mount Bachelor ski area is a ski resort located in central Oregon, approximately 22 miles (35 km) west of Bend,at the end of Century Drive Highway. The ski runs are on the northern face of Mount Bachelor, a stratovolcano built atop a volcanic shield in the Cascade Range. Mount Bachelor is owned by Powdr Corporation. It is the largest ski resort by more than 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in Oregon,[1] the second largest single-mountain ski resort in the U.S., behind Vail,[2] and the sixth largest of all ski resorts in the nation.
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The Mount Bachelor Ski Area was founded by Bill Healy (1925–1993) on December 19, 1958, with $75,000 and a one year lease from the United States Forest Service for the land.[3] The four other major stockholders were Felix Marcoulier (1917–2004), Dr. Bradford Pease (1912–2004), Oscar Murray (c. 1917-present), and Phil Gould. The founders raised $100,000 from local investors and made many important management decisions that would shape the path of Mount Bachelor and Central Oregon for decades to come.[4]
The ski area opened as Bachelor Butte in November 1958 with one rope tow and one platter lift. The geographical name changed to Mount Bachelor in 1983 after the Bend Chamber of Commerce persuaded state and federal officials to adopt the more descriptive term "mountain" .[5] Well known broadcaster and avid skier Lowell Thomas visited the resort in 1961.[6] The first area of the mountain developed for skiing was the northeastern side. In the summer of 1975, the Outback chairlift was added on the northwestern side, replaced by a high-speed quad (Outback Express) in the summer of 1987. The lengthy Northwest Express chairlift was added in the summer of 1996, a high-speed quad with 2,365-foot (721 m) vertical. This lift further expanded the terrain to the west and increased the resort's overall vertical, lowering the minimum lift-served elevation to 5,700 feet (1,700 m).
Due to its challenging terrain parks and excellent snow conditions, Mount Bachelor is the official home training resort of many professional and Winter Olympic athletes, and hosts several professional USSA competitions each year.
The mountain is famous for its dry snow with typical snowfall of over 350 inches (890 cm) per year and a mid-winter base over 100 inches (250 cm). The resort boasts a lift-served vertical drop of 3,300 feet (1,000 m) with a lift running to 9000 feet (2743 m), just 65 feet (20 m) below the volcano's summit, which is accessible via a short hike. As one of the tallest mountains in the vicinity, Mount Bachelor often experiences high wind speeds causing the chairlift to the summit to be put on standby. Total lift accessible area is 3,683 acres (14.90 km2)[7][8] with approximately 1600 acres (6 km²) groomed daily. The longest run is just over 1.5 miles (2.4 km). There are 10 chairlifts, seven of which are express quads.
In recent years Mt. Bachelor has made sweeping efforts to attract freestyle skiers and snowboarders. A 400 foot (120 m) super pipe is among the best on the continent, and hosted the 2006 USSA Olympic Qualifier. The resort's Bachelor Parks terrain park encompasses 3 parks, is nearly a mile (1.5 km) long, descending 850 vertical feet (260 m) and featuring a number of jumps, rails, boxes, and jibs for freestyle riders. Other parks include "Slopestyle Arena", and "Sunshine Park" for beginners.
In 2003, Transworld Snowboarding magazine (editors & readers) ranked Bachelor as the fourth best snowboarding resort in North America.
Mount Bachelor also has a cross country skiing area with 12 groomed trails covering 35 miles (56 km) and 850 vertical feet (260 m).
Other features at Mt. Bachelor include snowshoeing, dogsledding, interpretive tours and snow-tubing. Seven restaurants, three bars, and three coffeehouses on the premises are distributed in four day lodges. Additional accommodations and lodging are nearby at Sunriver and in the city of Bend.
[9] One of the nations longest, opening Mid-November through the end of May (Weather Permitting)
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