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Pleasures
Ski the Northwest
For highway closures and mountain pass conditions, check www.wsdot.wa.gov/sno-info/ on the Internet.
Crystal Mountain
Location: 84 miles from Olympia off state Route 410, just outside the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park.
Size: 2,300 acres, including 1,000 of back country.
Vertical: 3,100 feet.
Lifts: 10 chairs, including high-speed six-person lifts, serving 50 runs.
Nights: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Special features: Early-morning grooming. The resort is awaiting approval from the U.S. Forest Service for a $65 million expansion to take 10 years.
Cost: Prices range from $5 for adults 70 and older after 4 p.m. to $38 for an all-day adult lift ticket.
Call: (360) 663-2265. Snow line (888) 754-6400.
Web site:
www.skicrystal.com.
Stevens Pass
Location: Summit of Stevens Pass on U.S. Highway 2, 78 miles northeast of Seattle.
Season: Nov. 23 to mid-April, conditions permitting.
Size: 1,125 acres.
Vertical: 1,800 feet.
Lifts: 10 chairs, serving 37 runs.
Cross country: 25 kilometers of groomed trails.
Nights: Until 10 p.m. every night.
Special features: New Granite Peaks Lodge opens Nov. 23; six lifts for night skiing and snow tubing.
Cost: Prices range from $5 (ages 6 and younger and 70 and older) to $38 (all day, ages 13 to 61).
Call: (206) 812-4510. Conditions hotline: (206) 634-1645.
Web site:
www.stevenspass.com.
Summit at Snoqualmie
Location: 45 miles east of Seattle off Interstate 90.
Season: Traditionally beginning of December until mid-April
Size: 1,916 acres. Four diverse areas: The Summit West; The Summit Central; The Summit East; Alpental at the Summit.
Vertical: 2,200 feet at Alpental at the Summit.
Lifts: 30 (2 Magic Carpets and 8 rope tows), serving 96 major runs.
Cross country: 55 kilometers.
Nights: 5 to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Resort closes at 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Special features: The resort says it offers the most developed night skiing program in the country. Recent additions include snow toys, day care, tubing center, Nordic center and two high-speed quads.
Cost: Prices range from $5 (ages 70 and older) to $35 (weekends and holidays for ages 13 to 61).
Call: (425) 434-7669/toll free in Washington (888) 804-6404. Snow line: (206) 236-1600.
Web site:
www.summit-at-snoqualmie.com.
Mission Ridge
Location: 12 miles from Wenatchee up Squilchuck Road.
Season: Dec. 10 to April 9.
Size: 2,000 acres.
Vertical: 2,200 feet.
Lifts: Four, serving 33 major runs.
Cross country: Squilchuck Snowpark is four miles away, at the end of Squilchuck Road.
Special features: Full, new bar. Midway restaurant serving sandwiches, soups and chili, stairway connecting lower and upper parking lots, Snowcat, widened runs.
Cost: Prices range from free (ages 6 and younger) to $34 (weekends for ages 18 to 69).
Call: (509) 663-6543 or toll free (888) 75-RIDGE. Snow line: (509) 663-3200 or (800) 374-1693.
Web site:
www.missionridge.com.
Mount Baker
Location: 56 miles east of Bellingham off state Route 542.
Season: Mid-November to mid-May.
Size: 1,000 acres.
Vertical: 1,500 feet.
Lifts: Eight, serving 38 major runs.
Cross country: 4 kilometers, plus back-country trails.
Special features: Much of last year's world record 1,140 inches of snow remains. Fifth-graders can enroll in a program for free lift tickets any day of the season.
Cost: Prices range from free (ages 70 and older and 5 and younger) to $32 (weekends and holidays, ages 16 to 59).
Call: (360) 734-6771: Snow report: (360) 671-0211.
Web site:
www.mtbakerskiarea.com.
White Pass
Location: About 90 miles from Olympia off U.S. Highway 12, southeast of Mount Rainier National Park.
Season: Depending on snow, around Thanksgiving to mid-April.
Size: 635 acres.
Vertical: 1,500 feet.
Lifts: Four chairs and a rope tow, serving 32 runs.
Cross country: 15 kilometers.
Nights: Lasts for a month, starting around Christmas, Fridays and Saturdays.
Special features: All-day "Kids Clinic" program for ages 5 to 12 every other weekend starting Jan. 1 and 2 through March. New halfpipe this year.
Cost: Prices range from free (6 and younger, 73 and older) to $33 (weekends and holidays for ages 12 and older).
Call: (509) 672-3100.
Web site:
www.skiwhitepass.com.
Hurricane Ridge
Location: 18 miles south of Port Angeles in the Olympic National Park. Open on weekends.
Season: Late December to late March.
Size: Small, local area.
Vertical: 600 feet.
Lifts: The area's two rope tows and the poma lift are being repaired after this winter's heavy snows. Call ahead, but the area should be open on schedule.
Cross country: Available.
Cost: Prices range from free for the bunny tow to $9 for a poma lift ticket. Membership rates available.
Call: (360) 452-0330. Call (360) 452-0339 for road conditions.
Web site:
www.olympus.net/skiteam.
North Cascade Heli Skiing
Location: Freestone Inn in Mazama in the Methow Valley on state Route 20.
Season: After Christmas to early April.
Size: Access to 300,000 acres in the Okanogan National Forest.
Vertical: 2,200 to 4,000 feet.
Lifts: Helicopters, serving 80 runs.
Cross country: Available.
Special feature: When the North Cascade Highway closes due to weather, the helicopter will come pick you up.
Cost: Prices range from $550 per person a day to $1,850 per person for a three-night stay at the resort.
Call: (800) 494-4354.
Web site: balsam.methow.com/~heli-ski.
Ski Bluewood
Location: Situated in the Blue Mountains, about 22 miles south of Dayton off U.S. Highway 12.
Season: Nov. 19 to April 2.
Size: 350 acres.
Vertical: 1,125 feet.
Lifts: Three, serving 20 major runs.
Cross country: Available.
Special feature: Terrain garden.
Cost: Prices range from free (kindergarten age and younger) to $27 (all adults).
Call: (509) 382-4725. Snow conditions (509) 382-2877.
E-mail: info@bluewood.com.
Web site:
www.bluewood.com.
49 Degrees North
Location: 53 miles north of Spokane off U.S. Highway 395.
Season: Weekends only beginning Nov. 26. Daily skiing runs from late December to early January. Closing date is in early April.
Size: 1,200 acres.
Vertical: 1,850 feet.
Lifts: Four doubles (new surface lift for beginners), serving 38 major runs.
Cross country: 10 kilometers.
Nights: Yes.
Special features: Two new groomers and an improved terrain park.
Cost: Prices range from $5 for ages 70 and older to $30 for an adult weekend skier.
Call: (509) 935-6649. Snow line: (509) 880-9208.
Web site:
www.ski49n.com.
Loup Loup Ski Education
Foundation
Location: Off state Route 20 between Okanogan and Twisp.
Season: Mid-December to February (call for exact dates).
Size: 630 acres.
Vertical: 1,240 feet.
Lifts: A quad chair, a surface and a rope tow, serving seven major runs.
Cross country: 25 kilometers of groomed trails, five minutes from 50 more kilometers.
Nights: For parties and special events.
Special features: Ski school, full-service repair and downhill and snowboarding rental shop.
Call: (509) 826-2720.
OREGON
Mount Bachelor
Location: 21 miles southwest of Bend off Cascade Lakes Highway.
Season: Mid-November to July 4.
Size: 3,686 acres.
Vertical: 3,365 feet.
Lifts: 13, serving 70 runs.
Cross country: A total of 56 kilometers, divided into 12 trails.
Special feature: One of Oregon's largest resorts offers a $1 bus ride from Bend to Mount Bachelor.
Cost: Prices range from free (ages 6 and younger) to $43 (daily, ages 18 and older).
Call: (541) 382-2442. Snow line is (541) 382-7888.
Web site:
www.mtbachelor.com.
Hoodoo Ski Area
Location: At the summit of Santiam Pass, 82 miles east of Salem via U.S. Highway 20.
Season: Thanksgiving to mid-April.
Size: 806 acres.
Vertical: 1,035 feet.
Lifts: One triple chair, one quad and three double chairs, serving 32 runs.
Cross country: 18.3 kilometers.
Nights: Until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Special features: A winter carnival on Feb. 12 featuring a roast pig dinner. Skiing until midnight on New Year's Eve.
Cost: Prices range from $13 for 65 and older to $29 for all-day adult ticket.
Call: (541) 822-3799. Snow line is (541) 822-3337.
Web site:
www.hoodoo.com.
Willamette Pass
Location: 70 miles southeast of Eugene at Milepost 62 off state Route 58.
Season: Mid-November to April 9.
Size: 550 acres.
Vertical: 1,563 feet.
Lifts: Four triple chairs, new magic carpet, one double chair and a tubing lift, serving 29 runs.
Cross country: 20 kilometers.
Nights: Until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Special features: The only resort in Oregon with snow-making equipment, Willamette Pass also has one of the steepest runs in the Northwest at 52 degrees. It provides tubes and a hand tow for tubing on weekends and holidays.
Cost: Prices range from $1 for ages 5 and younger to $29.
Call: (541) 345-SNOW.
Web site:
www.willamettepass.com.
Mt. Hood Meadows
Location: 67 miles east of Portland via Interstate 84 and U.S. Highway 26.
Season: Nov. 19 to May 7.
Size: 2,150 acres.
Vertical: 2,777 feet.
Lifts: Four high-speed quad lifts, six double chairs, one fixed-grip quad and a pony and rope tow, serving 87 runs.
Cross country: 15 kilometers.
Nights: Until 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Special features: Wednesday and Thursday ski bus program from Salem and Woodburn. There's an additional 1,020 vertical feet for Snowcat skiing.
Cost: Prices range from $9 on Saturday nights with a Safeway Club Card to daily tickets for $46.
Call: (800) SKI-HOOD. Snow line: (503) 227-SNOW.
Web site:
www.skihood.com.
Timberline Ski Area
Location: 60 miles east of Portland and six miles north of Government Camp off U.S. Highway 26.
Season: Open year round (except 10 days for Labor Day).
Size: More than 1,000 acres.
Vertical: 3,590 feet.
Lifts: Six, serving 30 runs.
Nights: Fridays and Saturdays starting around Christmas.
Special feature: Because it is the highest-elevation resort in Oregon, it offers skiing throughout the summer on Mt. Hood's Palmer Snowfield.
Cost: Prices range from $13 (night skiing) to $34 (weekend summer rate for ages 13 and older).
Call: (503) 231-7979. Snow line (503) 222-2211.
Web site:
www.timberlinelodge.com.
Cooper Spur
Location: 4.5 miles off state Route 35, between Government Camp and the Hood River.
Season: Mid-December until April 1.
Size: 100 developed acres.
Vertical: 500 feet.
Lifts: Two surface tows for 10 runs.
Cross country: 10 kilometers.
Nights: Until 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.
Cost: Prices range from $8 for ages 7 to 11 and $12 for ages 12 and older.
Call: (541) 352-7803.
Web site:
www.cooperspur.com.
Mt. Hood Skibowl
Location: 50 miles east of Portland off U.S. Highway 26.
Season: Mid-November to April.
Size: 960 acres.
Vertical: 1,500 feet.
Lifts: Nine, serving 65 runs.
Nights: 34 night runs available Mondays through Thursdays until 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. On Mondays through Wednesdays, Skibowl opens at 3:30 p.m.
Cost: Prices range from $11 (65 and older) to $35 (ages 13 and older).
Call: (503) 222-2695.
Web site:
www.skibowl.com.
Summit Ski Area
Location: On Mount Hood, 54 miles southeast of Portland off U.S. Highway 26 at the east end of Government Camp.
Season: Mid-November to May.
Size: 100 acres.
Vertical: 300 feet.
Lifts: One rope tow and one chair lift, serving seven runs.
Cross country: 10 kilometers.
Special features: Resort is rated for beginning skiers. Only open on weekends and holidays, but tubing is open daily.
Cost: Prices range from $35 for skiing to $45 for snowboarding.
Call: (503) 272-0256.
Web site:
www.summitskiarea.com.
Anthony Lakes
Location: West of North Powder, 19 miles west of Interstate 84 off the North Powder exit.
Season: Depending on the snow, Thanksgiving through April.
Size: 350 acres.
Vertical: 900 feet.
Lifts: One triple chair and one surface tow, serving 21 runs
Cross country: 13.1 kilometers.
Cost: Prices range from free for ages 70 and older to $25 for ages 19 to 59.
Call: (541) 856-3277
Web site:
www.anthonylakes.com.
Mount Bailey Snowcats
Location: 85 miles northeast of Medford via state routes 62, 230 and 138.
Season: Early December to June.
Size: 6,000 acres.
Vertical: 2,963 feet.
Lifts: None; all back-country skiing.
Special feature: Wilderness skiing in the Umpqua National Forest.
Cost: $195 per person or 12 people for $1,950. Call for early- and late-season discounts.
Call: (800) 446-4555.
Web site:
www.mountbailey.com.
Ski Ashland
Location: Half an hour from Ashland. Eight miles off Interstate 5, six miles from the Oregon/California border near the top of Siskiyou Summit.
Season: Nov. 24 to mid-April.
Size: 200 acres.
Vertical: 1,150 feet.
Lifts: Two triple chairs and two double chairs, serving 23 runs.
Cross country: On ungroomed trails outside Ski Ashland territory.
Nights: Thursdays through Saturdays until 10 p.m.
Cost: Prices range from free for ages 8 and younger and 70 and older to $28 for adults on weekends.
Call: (541) 482-2897. Snow line: (541) 482-2754.
Web site:
www.mtashland.com.
CANADA
Whistler/Blackcomb
Location: 75 miles north of Vancouver via provincial Route 99.
Season: Late November to early June.
Size: 7,071 total acres.
Vertical: Blackcomb is 5,280 feet, Whistler is 5,020 feet.
Lifts: 33, serving 200 major trails, including 12 massive alpine bowls.
Special features: 15 high-speed lifts, three gondolas and 12 Quad chairs.
Cross country: 23 kilometers.
Nights: Weekends on Blackcomb, more so during the holidays.
Cost: Prices range from U.S.$17 for ages 7 to 12 to U.S.$41 for a day ticket.
Call: (800) 944-7853.
Web site: www.whistler-resort.com.
The Olympian Copyright 1999
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