6
Feature
The CI ac I camas P rint
WedNEsdAy, FebRUARy 6, 2002
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSS FUNK.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF HEILMAN
Left: Jeff Heilman catches some air at Anthony Lakes. Right: The one and only chair lift at Anthony Lakes, which is located approximately 300 miles from Portland.
Bustin' out Anthony Lakes-style
JEFF HEILMAN
StaffWriter
When I finally realized exactly how
good a snow season Mt. Hood was
having this year, I took my thoughts
and opinions east to a very wintry town
called Baker City. This town is very
small, and I would probably never find
myself there if, in fact, I wasn’t bom
there. That’s right, I was a small-town
kid for onlysix months ofmy life. Baker
City is very cold and dry in the winter
and very hot and dry i n the summer, a
place of extreme, natural beauty. About
45 mi les west of Baker City you will
see a sign that says, “Anthony Lakes
Ski Resort 30 miles.” This particular re
sort is known for beautiful scenery,
constant, dry snow and great riding.
I took off on a Wednesday after
noon at 3:35p.m. on a Greyhound bus.
The bus was headed east from Port
land to Colorado. Baker City, Oregon,
was one of the .stops. The ticket costs
$44 from Portland to Baker City. The
ride was okay, nothing good or bad
happened. I arrived in Baker City at
about 10:30p.m. My cousin picked me
up with a friend. They would not shut
up about how good the snow was. So
on that note I got some rest, to prepare
for the first day of snow riding.
The only way I will wake up at 6:00
a.m. with a grin on my face is when I
can expect the beauty of nature and
board sports to harmonize. My expec
tations were correct. The snow was
falling, and the mountain was beauti
ful.
The differences between every Mt.
Hood ski area and Anthony Lakes are
that the humidity content of the air at
Mt Hood is a lot higher than at An
thony Lakes. This means that the snow
at Mt Hood is a lot wetter, causing ice
to form easier, and causing a very hard,
painful base. This year at Mt. Hood
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there is constant snowfall. That means
icy conditions are not as likely, but the
snow sti 11 remai ns very wet and easily
packed.
The humidity content at Anthony
Lakes is the complete opposite, ex
tremely dry and cold. This is a very
good quality at a ski resort. The snow
stays soft and fast the entire season.
Another difference is that Anthony
Lakes has only one chair lift that cov
ers the whole resort. This means that
the resort is a little small. In my opinion
the diy snow makes up forit The price
is $22 for students. All day! The rental
prices vary, but you are in good hands
in the rental shop due to the fact that
my cousin Lloyd, and friends Shawn,
Cody, and Jack run the rental shop.
As the day progressed the snow
fell hander. The visibility was very slim
by the end of the day, but I still had a
lot of good runs.
Day two was very busy due to the
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fact that some racing competitions
were taking place, such as border x for
snow boarders, and the slalom for ski
ers. These events and this mountain
seemed to be a lot more popular than I
thought. I had never seen this resort
anywhere near that crowded, and I
have been snowboarding there since
I learned how to snowboard six years
ago.
During one of my rides up the
chairlift I.met a couple of guys from
Portland who publish a snow riding
magazine called “Volcano.” They told
me they were covering the races and
the mountain.
The day was good, but busy, so I
left the mountain to prepare for the next
and last day at Anthony Lakes but I
didn’t go far. A friend of mine owns a
cabin about five miles down the road
from the resort, a beautiful snow cov
ered sight and stay.
I slept until nine and woke up to the
sun shining and the snow glistening.
This was tire best day I encountered
during the stay. Fluffy, fresh powder
and gorgeous views boosted my spir
its and needs to fly at top speeds down
this natural phenomenon known as
Anthony Lakes.
After this beautiful day had to end,
I left the mountain witfi my cousin and
headed back to Baker City so I could
pack and get ready for my departure
from this mystically beautiful country
side.
The next day I was extremely lucky
to find a couple of friends who were
headed to Albany with extra trunk
space and an extra seat. I was extremely
grateful.
If you are ever headed directly east
from Portland with intention of finding
good ski or snowboard conditions, you
will want to make sure to stop at An
thony Lakes Ski Resort for dry, fluffy
snow, great views and good people.
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