‘Safety first’: Mt. Bachelor preps for plenty of weekend snow
As storms hit, buddy ski and use familiar trails to ensure safety
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Mt. Bachelor is expecting lots of snowfall over the next few days, but the already stormy conditions didn't keep many skiers and snowboarders from getting out there and hitting the slopes on Friday.
Resort officials say you should ski in pairs in this kind of conditions.
Mt. Bachelor is expecting a foot-plus of snow each day for the next couple of days. Those anxious to ski or snowboard will be battling high winds and low visibility.
You're advised to use trails you're most familiar with to avoid getting lost on the mountain and stay away from the base of trees.
Leigh Capozzi, director of communications at Mt. Bachelor, says make sure someone knows where you are.
"Across the mountain, when we have snow like this coming in, we really recommend riding with a partner," Capozzi said. "What that means is, not just having a partner that you're going to meet at the bottom of the run, it's skiing and riding and having auditory and visual contact."
Capozzi says they will have extra patrol and avalanche teams on duty the next few days, in case of emergencies.
Establishing a meeting point, having a charged cellphone and setting a plan in the event that something goes wrong are also ways to ensure your safety through the changing weather condition.
Some skiers shared with NewsChannel 21 their experience on the mountain Friday.
"At the top, it was very low visibility and medium winds -- couldn't see a thing," Chloe Jordan said. "Getting off the lift was fine. Making it -- we wanted to take Skyliner down, making it over there was not easy. We did not know where the elevation change was, or really how fast we were going, so it was a bit challenging."
"I was the straggler, so I watched them come in and now I'm just catching up," said Kris O'Conner. "But definitely, everyone should partner up and have some communication with each other, in case you get lost, so safety first."
