Mount Bachelor ski area

Mount Bachelor
Pine Marten Express chairlift at Mount Bachelor
Location	Mount Bachelor Deschutes County Oregon  United States
Nearest city	Bend 22 miles (35 km) east
Coordinates	43°58′45.90″N 121°41′18.63″W / 43.979417°N 121.6885083°W / 43.979417; -121.6885083 (Mount Bachelor)
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.^{[clarification needed]}

History

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.

Alpine terrain

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.

Nordic terrain

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 activities

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.

Resort statistics

^[9] One of the nations longest, opening Mid-November through the end of May (Weather Permitting)

Elevation

• Summit: 9,065 ft (2,763 m)
• Base: 6,300 ft (1,920 m)
• Vertical Rise: 3,365 ft (1,025 m)

Trails

• Skiable area: 3,683 acres (14.90 km²) accessible by lift, with 1,600 acres (6.47 km²) groomed daily
• Trails: 71 total 15% Novice 23% Intermediate 35% Advanced 25% Expert
• Longest run: 1.5 miles (2 km)
• Average annual snowfall: 370 inches (9.4 m)
• Terrain Parks: 5 (Bachelor Parks P1-5, Slopestyle, and Sunshine)
  • Including 1 Superpipe

Lifts

• 12 Total
  • 7 Express Quads (Pine Marten Express, Outback Express, Sunrise Express, Skyliner Express, Summit Express, Sunshine Accelerator, Northwest Express)
  • 3 Triple Chairlifts (Carrousel, Rainbow, and Red Chair)
  • 1 Magic Carpet^{[citation needed]}
  • 2 Tubing Lifts

References

1. ^ www.go-oregon.net/Skiing/
2. ^ Ten largest ski resorts in america
3. ^ "Bill Healy; Built Mount Bachelor Ski Resort". The Seattle Times. 1993-10-29. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19931029&slug=1728645. Retrieved 2010-09-11. 
4. ^ McDonald, Jeff (2008-11-30). "Mt. Bachelor at 50". http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081130/BIZ0102/811300392/1002/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01. Retrieved 2010-09-11. 
5. ^ [1], "'Media' pioneer helped put Bachelor on map", Bulletin, Bend Oregon, May 25, 1987; Horizons Monthly p. 7
6. ^ [2], "Lowell Thomas, Gov. Hatfield among celebrities at Bachelor", Bend Bulletin, Bend Oregon, March 22, 1961, p.1.
7. ^ trail map ew
8. ^ trail map nw
9. ^ Mountain Stats from mtbachelor.com

External links

• Mount Bachelor - official site
• Ski Lifts.org - photos of lifts at Mount Bachelor
• Oregon History.org - history of Bachelor Butte ski area
• Terraserver - USGS topo map & aerial photo