Oregon has some of the best places to go have fun in the snow. Whether you want to spend the day just playing in the white stuff, snowboarding, skiing or tubing, there are a variety of places that await you. Mountain resorts in Oregon include Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo, Mt. Ashland, Mt. Hood, Willamette Pass Resort and Timberline.
The closest mountain to Eugene is Willamette Pass. A daily ticket is much cheaper at Willamette than other resorts, priced at $49. The options of purchasing hourly tickets are available, which is $13 an hour. There is a two-hour minimum to purchase a ticket hourly. Willamette Resort has a cheaper season pass options for students. The student gold season pass is listed at $399, where regular adult gold season passes are $499. The mountain offers snow tubing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends only.
Another popular place to go snowboarding or skiing is Mt. Bachelor. It’s about a two-hour drive from Eugene, but it is a fun mountain to ski or snowboard. A full day pass goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and runs $79 for an adult. There is also a late pass option, which is from noon to 4 p.m. and costs $67 for an adult. Season passes are also available, which you could use to ski or snowboard every day during the winter. The season is tentatively planned for Nov. 23 through May 25, 2014 with no restriction dates. The price for a winter pass is anywhere from $849 to $1,049, depending on when it is purchased. Additionally, anyone can buy midweek winter season passes, which allows you to ski during the weekdays.
Each mountain has a rental service center where rental equipment is available. At Willamette Pass, the prices are fairly similar to both renting ski and snowboard equipment. Guests can rent both a board and boots for $26. If you already have a board but need boots, they will rent boots for $15. If you need to rent a board and already have snowboard boots, the board will cost $22 for the day.
During winter term, the University of Oregon’s Outdoor Program organizes trips to different mountain resorts for the day, which allows students to get a ride. This is a great opportunity for groups of friends to take a bus to the resort and ski or snowboard for the day.
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