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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2018)
Appeal Tribune ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018 ❚ 1B Sports Snow days Hoodoo finally has snow, $20 lift tickets One skier takes in the fresh snow at Mount Bachelor Ski Area. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOUNT BACHELOR SKI AREA Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Multiple ski runs had become noth- ing but bare dirt. There were signs marking hazards all over the mountain. And even though Hoodoo Ski Area was technically open, manager Mat- thew McFarland knew each weekend that getting people to come skiing would be a challenge. “The snow was so low — beyond low, next to nothing,” he said. “All we could do was hope for the best.” Thankfully for Hoodoo and ski areas across Oregon, the best has finally ar- rived. Snowpack at Hoodoo had more than doubled by Jan. 24 to 50 inches, from just 20 inches most of the season. That number is expected to grow. That means far better skiing at every resort in northwest Oregon, but espe- cially Hoodoo, the closest ski area to Stayton on Santiam Pass. “All of the runs are open, and all of the lifts except Hodag will be open,” McFar- land said. “We still have early-season conditions, just because on some runs we were literally down to bare earth, but it looks as though winter is finally here.” The Hoodoo winter carnival is sched- uled for Saturday, Feb. 10. Ski deal: The best deal at Hoodoo re- mains its ultra-cheap lift ticket prices available on Thursday: $20. It's called "Thrifty Thursdays." “Ditch work, and come get some turns,” McFarland said. Mount Bachelor Oregon’s largest ski area hasn’t been hit as hard by the snow-stingy winter, but it’s still welcoming the deluge. “It was a challenging December and first part of January, as we had to do more ‘snow moving’ than what we would ordinarily need to do,” Bachelor spokesman Drew Jackson said. “The past few storms have deepened our snow base enough that we now have enough snow to operate all of our chair- lifts." “While all of our lifts have enough snow to open, we still need another 2 or 3 feet before every section of the moun- tain becomes safe to ski or ride," Jack- son said. "The trees and glades, espe- cially lower on the mountain in the Out- back and Northwest areas, still need more snow. We advise guests to stay on the designated runs in those areas — and out of the trees — until the base deepens.” Ski deal: Children 12 and younger ski free the same number of days as their parents at Mount Bachelor with the ad- vance purchase of an adult multi-day lift ticket (three days or more). There are no blackout dates on this promotion, so it’s a valid offer for Presidents Weekend. Details here: mtbachelor.com/ticket-deals. Mount Hood Meadows The biggest challenge at Mount The Mount Bachelor Ski Area is welcoming the snow after a stingy winter. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOUNT BACHELOR SKI AREA Hood’s largest ski area has been provid- ing enough terrain on busy weekends, spokesman Dave Tragethon said. The latest snowstorm series allows the resort to open its Hood River Mead- ows terrain served by the Hood River Express. “That lift was open only for a few days this season during Christmas, so that adds a lot more terrain and access from our lower parking lot,” Tragethon said. “That will also help with the week- end crowds.” Ski deals: Learn to Ride deals: Discounted “learn to ride” packages for those eager to hit the slopes and learn to ski or snowboard this winter Olympic season. Let’s go for the snow: This deal packages features three night lessons for $79 and allows the purchaser to add on three night lift tickets and three night equipment rentals for $20 each. Mount Hood Skibowl The Government Camp-based ski area is open and probably best known for its tubing hills and focus on getting kids into the snow. Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 10 years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@Statesman- Journal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors. Fresh snow at Mount Hood Meadows. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS