How are current ski conditions in Oregon?

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Have Bachelor, Hood and Timberline been having a poor/good/great snow year thus far? Based on predicted weather patterns what should the spring hold for these areas?

Also: having never been skiing in Oregon before what are conditions at these 3 areas generally like in early April ? (slush-fest, or full range of conditions as you desecnd the mountains?).

Thanks!
 
I can break my answer down into two parts: the season up until a few weeks ago and now.
We have experienced a wonderful season with above average snowfall and snow quality. The Deschutes basin was at 115% of normal a few weeks ago. Then we had a major wind and rain/snow event that blasted the upper mountain here at Bachelor. Since then it's been gorgeous bluebird days, cold east wind and hard snow. The surface conditions are good for skiers and lousy for snowboarding. But it is still winter snow with the sun too low to cause any melting. Since I get bored quickly skiing at Bachelor and with no pow to ride (snowboarding), I've been going nordic skiing. It's been epic.
As for April, usually it's early spring conditions here. I can't speak for the Hood areas. That means great powder, corn or sticky mush, depending on the day. But usually it's still winter snow on Summit chair with corn lower down, especially on NW and Outback which end lower and face west. Later in April, the corn cycle takes over and it can be REALLY GOOD. The Summit Chair starts to be open on a regular basis and you can just follow the sun around the mountain as we have 360 degrees of exposure.
 
Mt. Bachelor is the best area I've ever skied for spring corn, and I've skied over 100 lift served areas. Especially recommended in a deep snowpack year like this one. If Mammoth snowfall doesn't pick up the pace, I may go up there myself in April for a spring corn fix.

The Mt. Hood areas have higher humidity, less likely to freeeze overnight, thus more likely to have slushy snow. Base will still be very deep in April this year.
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Three more questions:
1) is Timberline only big enough for 1 day if you're a strong skier?
2) how long of a drive is it (really) from Hood River to Bend?
3) in early April is it unreasonable, based on history in El Nino years, to expect storms to leave 'winter' snow conditions at Bachelor, Hood and Timberline?

Thanks again.
 
Bachelor will be the best shot at winter conditions due to altitude, lower humidity and chronic wind. The steep Cirque Bowl is probably at least 50% to have winter conditions in the first half of April.
 
To answer your questions:
1) If I had only one day I'd probably go to Meadows, they have much more interesting terrain (the tradeoff is a more surly, urban scene). Timberline rules in the summer, however. They're open for skiing all summer and have excellent lunch at the Lodge (try the BLT's with a Full Sail chaser). Last Labor Day we rode in the AM, had lunch and then drove to Pacific City for the evening glass off surf session. That's the flip side of "suffering" through snow that's heavier than what you get north and east of here...Try that on some 95 degree September day in Colorado.
2) Two and a half hours. If you're hungry, be sure to stop at Martina's in Madras. They have great breakfast burritos, lunch plates and homemade flan. Not your ordinary "el norte"-style bland Mexican food. We always stop for the tamarindo-flavored sodas and stock up on the candy.
3) Again, it all depends. There is no other reasonable (to get to) place on the planet that can almost guarantee winter snow and sun in April. Bring your clubs/bike/fishing rod/kayak/etc for the afternoons. But it will probably be snowing.
 
schubwa":1t38h4zh said:
To answer your questions:
... Again, it all depends. There is no other reasonable (to get to) place on the planet that can almost guarantee winter snow and sun in April. Bring your clubs/bike/fishing rod/kayak/etc for the afternoons. But it will probably be snowing.
Click to expand...

Check out my avatar (left). That picture was shot in the cirque on April 30th a few years ago. Almost cloudless day, but it had snowed 1" overnight--which in the cirque collected 12"-18". We skied uncut powder lines until 12 PM. Of course, outside the cirque it was crunchy in the moring and turned to great corn about 10 PM. It was a wonderful day, but it seemed a bit unusual because powder that late is likely uncommon. I believe that the lifts closed around 1:30 PM.

Hard to say, with the snowfall pattern this year, but right now, Bachelor and Whistler are the most likely places that we will ski in mid-April this year.

Cheers,
Jeff
 
Great + useful info, guys - thanks again!

I've been to Whistler in April and know that you can get the full range of weather + snow surfaces from top to bottom in the same run.

LAST QUESTION: is the summit chair @ Bachelor really closed (on average) due to wind as much as it is rumoured to be?
 
I'll let schubwa supply real long term stats for closure of Bachelor's Summit, but I'll put in my 2 cents worth, since the top of Mammoth has similar issues.

1) My long term average at Mammoth is top closed 25-30%. Used to be at the high end of that range, now a bit less because there are times chair 23 can run when the gondola cannot.

2) Bachelor's Summit is more vulnerable than the top of Mammoth, because the lifts at Mammoth are on the leeward side of prevailing wind while Bachelor's Summit is in crosswind. I had thought Summit was closed about 40% midwinter, but now I suspect it's over 50%.

3) Those closure percentages at both Mammoth and Bachelor drop a lot in spring. I think it's safer to book a trip to Bachelor in April than in a winter month.

4) I'm pleased to report that I have skied 15 days (3 December, 5 February, 5 April and 2 May) at Mt. Bachelor and that the Summit has been open 14 of them (closed day was in April). YMMV.
 
I'm going with Tony's 50%+ guesstimate, although it's open only when you don't care (when it's hard and nasty). It never seems to be open during the high quality soft snow periods. I haven't got ONE day off the south bowls this year. And there was plenty of good snow through mid-January.
But later in the season things mellow out and it is open more and more. The sun gets higher in the sky, flowers bloom and the corn ripens. Hope to see you guys up here this spring!
 
This confirms my impression that the south and west sides tend to be windblown and slabby in winter. But I've had great winter snow in the Cirque Bowl, which appears to get lots of blow-in judging from the size of the cornice on its western side.

But in spring you get the whole 360 degrees.
 
Tony Crocker":131g8yca said:
This confirms my impression that the south and west sides tend to be windblown and slabby in winter. But I've had great winter snow in the Cirque Bowl, which appears to get lots of blow-in judging from the size of the cornice on its western side.
Click to expand...
You usually can't just ride pow straight off the top of the Summit directly down to the catch line or off the top of NW Express. It's often drifted whoop-dee's or frozen coral for a short bit. But, and this is a big butt, the snow below is what it's all about! The lower aspects of these areas hold our most treasured secrets and sometimes it rocks right off the top.
Maybe I'm not like most, but if the top opens and south looks like it will too, I take maybe one run on the front. After that it's off the back for what is often heli quality long runs down to the catch line. It's never open so there is no skier erosion. When it's there...charge it.
Our somewhat denser pack floats well and covers blemishes even after a few inches. Add a little wind and the boys smile.
 
Hi All...this is my first post on this board :) ...I'm headed out to Bachelor next Sat 3/10 for the first time.

The conditions are looking pretty good from what I can see, but some local feedback would be much appreciated!

From this thread I've noticed that the Summit chair is closed 50% of the time...a little disconcerting...so, do you have any tips on mining the *goods* on this mountain when that chair is closed?

Thanks in advance!
 
I have not been there for twenty years, but I remember going fast to minimize the hike to the top of the Cinder Cone which had about 10-12 turns in deep, mostly untracked powder before hitting the trees, even a day or two after a storm. The Northwest Express was not there in the 80s, but looks like it could be good in powder.
 
LONG TERM...LITTLE CHANGE THIS MORNING. LOOKS LIKE QUITE A BIT OF
SHOWER ACTIVITY ON WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE WET COLD FRONT TUESDAY
NIGHT...WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING BELOW PASS ELEVATIONS IN THE
CASCADES. MODELS HAVE BEEN VARYING A FAIR AMOUNT BEYOND THAT...BUT IT
APPEARS A SERIES OF SYSTEMS WILL BRING MORE RAIN AT TIMES TO THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND NEXT WEEKEND.

I'm a little concerned about the threat of warm storms towards the weekend. But a lot of times they show high snow levels a week out and then adjust as it gets closer.
Otherwise, the above is a good forecast from a Mt Bachelor regular's perspective...
 
Way too warm. Looks bad. My shorts can go from my gym-to-home with 65F the rule. Probably no freezing overnight in the Sierra.

West Coast is f-ed again.
 
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