Superbowl Ski Weekend

Many football fans (including my husband) can't wait for Superbowl Sunday.  But for me, it's one of the best days to go skiing.  Everyone's so busy with parties and game watching, sparse crowds at resorts are guaranteed. 


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

Football?  No way!

I normally travel to Bend and ski Mt. Bachelor at least twice a season.  Possessing a four time pass for the resort, I wanted to be sure to use it up.  The planets aligned, and Superbowl weekend became clear on my calendar.

The heck with football - it was time to ski!

Dale and Max on the summit

Friday evening found me on the road to Bend.  Bright and early Saturday morning I was on the lift heading up the side of Mt. Bachelor.  I was delighted to have my brother Dale and his son Max join me for the day.

Dale makin' turns

Coming off a successful photo recon the prior week, I again packed my DSLR, hoping to capture some action shots of my brother and nephew.

And here comes Max!

I couldn't believe how much Max had grown.  He's wearing the same shoe size as his dad, and is rapidly approaching Dale's height.  Max has really improved in skiing too.  He had no problem keeping up with his old aunt.

Proof that I made it to the summit

Saturday was a beautiful warm, blue-sky kind of day.  Hard to believe it was early February!  The clear conditions meant Mt. Bachelor Resort opened the Summit Lift.  Of course, we had to ride up and check things out.

More proof I was on the summit

From 9,000 feet on top of Mt. Bachelor, the views couldn't be beat!  Photo ops abounded.  Dale even got a couple shots of me to prove I was actually there.  (And for those of you who wonder how I tote my DSLR when skiing - the fanny pack around my waist is where the "big girl" camera resides.  It's a fairly safe spot.  My skiing falls are usually to the side or back.  And in the unlikely event I fall forward, I figure there's enough blubber around my belly to protect the camera).

Dale and Max take in the amazing views

The ski down offers incredible views of the surrounding mountains to the north, and high desert plains to the east.  Most snow-riders whip quickly down Summit's steep slopes.  But Dale, Max and I took our sweet time.

The chairlift ride isn't bad either

Lots of great scenery to enjoy!  As long as the weather's nice, I don't mind the long lift ride.

Looks like you're heading up to heaven

This shot is looking towards the summit proper.  Kind of appears as though you're heading straight up to the pearly gates!

The mountain views can't be beat

Of course the best view from anywhere on the resort is of the Three Sisters and Broken Top Mountains.  Absolutely jaw-dropping!  This is one panorama I never tire of seeing.

The cone covered in tracks

Superbowl Sunday morning, found me back on Bachelor's slopes.  This time I was solo.  The prior days skiing had tuckered out Dale and Max.  It was another incredible bluebird day.  The first glimpse I had from the parking lot was of the cinder cone's intricate snow patterns, made by many ski tracks.

Bachelor's summit shadows

Bachelor's summit shimmered in the early morning light.  The shadows made it look almost blue.

Here comes the sun

I headed over to the Northwest Express Lift.  The trails off of Northwest are long, steep and super-fun.  Although the lower portions were nicely groomed, the price of admission was surviving a swath of Dolly Parton-sized moguls on the very top.  Bumping through those deep, crusty obstacles was a true challenge.

Looking east from Northwest Express Lift

But once through the mogul field, it was a fast, easy cruise to the bottom.  The lower runs were so much fun, I nearly forgot about the difficult moguls on top.  That is, until starting back down the run again.

Skiing towards the cone

Sunday was just as great as the previous day.  Although I didn't count the number of runs, or vertical feet descended, I know I got my money's worth out of that pass!

Heading down the mountain about 3:00, I walked through my brother's front door just as the Superbowl was starting.  But I couldn't stay - it was time to head home to Portland.  On the road the entire time, I didn't see a bit of the big game.

But a fantastic weekend skiing in Central Oregon will always trump the Superbowl.  Let the tradition continue!