
4,323 acres, 101 runs near Bend. Second-largest US resort, 360-degree summit descent, Ikon Pass.
Mt Bachelor's summit reaches 9,065 feet, dropping 3,365 vertical feet to a base at 5,700 feet across 101 runs spread over 4,323 acres near Bend, Oregon. Terrain splits 55 per cent intermediate, 22 per cent advanced, 20 per cent beginner and 3 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 462 inches, among the highest totals in the Pacific Northwest. The resort carries Ikon Pass access and is the second-largest single-mountain ski resort in the United States by acreage, behind only Vail. Fifteen lifts, including nine quad chairs and three triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside three surface lifts.
Mt Bachelor's volcanic cone shape allows genuinely 360-degree descent options from near the summit, a rare feature that gives skiers access to distinct terrain and aspects depending on wind and snow conditions on any given day. Its massive 4,323-acre footprint, more than 1,000 acres larger than any other Oregon resort, supports an exceptionally long season running from late November into late May. The mountain's substantial snowfall total underpins both its scale and its reputation for reliable conditions.
Former 10th Mountain Division ski trooper Bill Healy founded the resort with 75,000 US dollars and a one-year lease from the US government, opening on 19 December 1958 with a single lift and two rope tows operating on weekends and holidays only. The resort has grown enormously from those modest beginnings into one of the largest ski areas in the country. Since 2001, Mt Bachelor has been owned by Powdr Corporation of Park City, Utah, which purchased the resort for approximately 28 million US dollars.
In August 2024, Powdr announced plans to sell Mt Bachelor along with several other properties, but after reviewing the situation the company reversed course in April 2025 and decided to retain ownership of the resort indefinitely. Adult daily tickets run from 99 to 139 US dollars, with a full season pass at 1,199 dollars.
Mt Bachelor spreads 101 runs across 4,323 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 55%, with 20 beginner runs to find your feet and 25 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
The 2025-26 season at Mt Bachelor ran from 28 November 2025 to 25 May 2026, one of the longest seasons in the country at roughly twenty-six weeks. Average annual snowfall of around 462 inches, among the highest totals in the Pacific Northwest, supports this exceptionally long operating window running well into late spring. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions across Mt Bachelor's nine powder-filled bowls and varied aspects. As an Ikon Pass destination and the second-largest single-mountain resort in the country, the mountain draws substantial visitor traffic from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with holiday periods bringing the heaviest crowds. Weekday visits generally remain calmer given the mountain's sheer scale.
The resort's 360-degree summit access means conditions and preferred terrain can shift throughout the season depending on wind and snow patterns, giving experienced visitors an advantage in reading the mountain. The late-May closing date, one of the latest in the country outside dedicated summer-ski operations, reflects both the mountain's elevation and its substantial snowfall total. School holiday periods and spring break bring particularly strong late-season demand.
Specific event programming beyond standard lift operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Powdr Corporation's April 2025 decision to retain ownership, after briefly exploring a sale the previous year, has provided continuity for the resort's long-term planning. Mt Bachelor's combination of massive scale, high snowfall and an unusually long season continues to define its position as one of the Pacific Northwest's premier ski destinations.
Mt Bachelor sits in the Cascade Range approximately 22 miles west of Bend, Oregon, along the Century Drive Highway, with a base elevation of 5,700 feet and a summit at 9,065 feet across a 3,365-foot vertical drop over 4,323 acres. This volcanic peak rises prominently above the broader central Oregon high desert landscape.
Bend is the resort's primary gateway city, offering extensive lodging, dining and services as one of central Oregon's fastest-growing communities, with a strong outdoor recreation culture built substantially around the mountain's presence. The drive between Bend and the resort along Century Drive is a defining part of the Mt Bachelor experience for the region's many local season pass holders.
Oregon State Route 46, the Cascade Lakes Highway, known locally as Century Drive, provides the sole road access from Bend to the resort. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, and the Oregon Department of Transportation maintains the road specifically to support the resort's winter operations. There is no direct public transport service beyond seasonal shuttle options connecting Bend to the mountain.
Redmond Municipal Airport, serving the greater Bend area, is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly 40 minutes from the resort. This reasonably convenient air access, combined with Bend's broader tourism infrastructure, supports Mt Bachelor's role as a genuine destination resort within the Ikon Pass network rather than purely a local mountain.
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Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.

Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.

South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.

Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.

La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.

The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.

Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.

Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
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