Mt. Bachelor plans to welcome skiers and snowboarders back to the slopes Friday, December 4, as the Central Oregon resort prepares for a winter season featuring expanded youth lessons, local races and the Nordic Center’s 50th anniversary. The opening will depend on snow conditions, with the resort prepared to start earlier if the mountain is ready.
Opening-day activities are scheduled to begin with the first chair at 9 a.m. The resort plans to operate until 4 p.m., with music at Rock Bar beginning at 10:30 a.m. and a season-opening toast at West Village Lodge at 11 a.m. Available lifts and trails have not yet been confirmed.
For Oregon residents planning a winter visit, December 4 remains the target rather than a guaranteed opening. The resort will provide updates through its mountain reports, lift and trail information, and webcams as crews prepare the slopes for skiing and snowboarding.
This winter’s plans include more opportunities for children and teenagers to develop their skiing skills. Two new multiweek programs will join the Ski & Ride School schedule, with instruction ranging from mountain safety to an introduction to teaching other skiers.
Cone Crew will serve skiers ages 10 through 17, covering uphill travel, skiing outside groomed runs, basic snow safety and outdoor skills. All-Mountain Pros, for ages 12 through 17, will combine advanced skiing with teaching and communication skills for teenagers interested in becoming instructors.
Existing youth programs are also changing. The resort is moving its multiweek programs to the Sunrise base area and extending the winter session to 10 weeks. All-day programs will include lunch, while Mighty Mite classes will be limited to three students per instructor. A Sunday afternoon Mighty Mites session is returning.
Cross-country skiers will find anniversary activities throughout the winter as Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center marks 50 years. Plans include an anniversary party, a speaker series featuring people connected to the center’s history and special offerings for Nordic passholders. Every alpine passholder will receive one complimentary Nordic ticket during the season.
Local competition will expand with the Mt. Bachelor Cup Race League, a five-week series of Friday afternoon slalom races for skiers and snowboarders. Teams of four will accumulate points toward the season title, and participants may enter as many or as few weeks as they choose. Each race will be followed by a gathering at Base Camp in Bend.
The resort also plans terrain park competitions for local skiers and snowboarders, including rail jams and jump events. An invitation-only competition is planned for The Cornice, a feature reached from the Summit chairlift.
Off the mountain, Trailhead Lodge will enter its first winter since opening during the summer. The 70-room hotel near Bend offers ski and snowboard storage, pet-friendly room options and a café and bar. Some rooms will be reserved for seasonal resort employees. The lodge also hosts community activities, including live music and fitness classes.
Mountain preparations include improvements to the Northwest and Little Pine chairlifts. Crews are updating the existing lifts to improve reliability, with Little Pine’s work expected to be finished by opening day. Northwest improvements are intended to help crews restore service more efficiently after storms.
A new wood-fuel heating facility at West Village is also expected to operate this winter. It will heat several buildings and help keep designated surfaces clear of snow using wood byproducts from forest restoration and wildfire mitigation projects. The resort estimates the system will replace approximately 150,000 gallons of propane each year.
Holiday plans include appearances by Santa on the slopes, a group ski run in Santa costumes and a one-day sledding activity near the Lava Tube carpet. Children’s activities will continue through the season, with snow sculpting joining s’mores roasting, helmet decorating and cookie decorating on the winter schedule.