Mt. Bachelor set to begin daily operations
Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort is starting daily operations on Friday, nearly a week after the first lift opened amid a slow start to the season.
Thanksgiving weekend saw just one lift opening for only Saturday and Sunday.
But now, with another foot of snow in the past week, Drew Jackson, Mt. Bachelor’s director of marketing and communications, said they’re ready to go.
“You know, everyone’s champing at the bit, us included at the mountain, to really get this season started and to gain some momentum,” he said. “And we think with the opening that’s coming up again, this will be that momentum train to get us all the way though.”
“And with more storms coming, next week, the week after, we’ll continue to ramp up our operations, add lifts, terrain, and hopefully have a good Christmas coming up,” Jackson added.
The Sunrise, Sunshine and Skyliner lifts will open Friday, with Pine Marten on standby. Officials say as the season progresses, more lifts will open.
To prepare for visitors, the Oregon Department of Transportation has been busy taking care of the Highway 372 (Century Drive), the road to the mountain.
On Wednesday night, crews put deicer on Century Drive, and on Thursday they were busy sanding and plowing.
Tim McGinnis, a transportation maintenance manager for ODOT, said he wants everyone, visitors and locals, to just be careful.
“The biggest thing that I’d ask is leave a little early have some patience,” he said. “(Highway 97 at) Lava Butte we always know is going to have some problems. Going up to the mountain, you’ll get there, we’ll get you there. Definitely just have some patience going up and coming down.”
As far as how many people to expect, Mt. Bachelor officials said it’s hard to say.
“It’s always tough to forecast exactly who’s going to show up, and when kids are in school on Friday this week, it’s not like it’s the holidays like it was last week,” Jackson said. “So we’ll have a lot of locals show up, a lot of season pass-holders. So this is really a kind of good time for them to be here, to have the mountain to themselves.”
The resort will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
