Mt. Bachelor, OR

Words / Henrik Lampert

Just 20 minutes up the road from beautiful Bend, Oregon, Mt. Bachelor offers an amazing skiing experience without the glitz and glam of many other large-scale resorts.

Bachelor is comprised of 3,683 acres of skiable terrain, 3,365 feet of vert, 462 inches of average annual snowfall, spectacular tree skiing, loads of expert-only terrain and a ski season that typically runs from November until late-May.

A dormant volcano, Bachelor allows skiers to ride 360-degrees off its 9,065-foot summit—the highest inbounds skiable terrain in all of Oregon and Washington. Many of Bachelor’s trails were naturally formed by lava flows, and are thereby reminiscent of natural halfpipes. These runs are conducive to large, sweeping turns. Natural wind lips are aplenty, too, ideal for those who enjoy catching air. Many will tell you that you don’t ski Bachelor, you surf it. If that sounds like your cup of tea, this is one spot you don’t want to miss.

Mt. Baker, WA

Words / Donny O’Neill

What Mt. Baker lacks in easy access, it more than makes up for in burly terrain and gargantuan snowfall totals. The ski area—an hour-and-a-half drive east from the city of Bellingham, in Washington’s Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest—averages 682 inches of annual snowfall. In 1998-99, it broke the world record for snowfall by a ski area with 1,140 inches.

Baker’s inbounds terrain is highlighted by steep—and we mean, steep—lines situated between the towering Pacific silver fir trees that populate the North Cascades. For those who enjoy rocketing through the air, Mt. Baker’s wooded paradise is chock-full of big cliffs to drop. And for context on just how large these rock outcroppings can be, the ski area has placed signs in the glades stating simply, “Non-Survivable Cliff.”

While Baker’s inbounds terrain is surreal, its lift-accessed backcountry is the stuff of wet dreams. A quick hike from the top of Chair 8 leaves the entire North Cascades at your disposal, literally. For quick backcountry laps, head looker’s left toward Mt. Shuksan and the zone called the “Shuksan Arm.” It won’t suck.

Crystal Mountain, WA

Words / Erika Dahlby

Standing in the shadow of the iconic 14,409-foot Mt. Rainier, Crystal Mountain is home to some of the best skiing in the Cascades. With 2,600 acres of rip-roarin’, hair-raising terrain at your disposal, you’re bound to have a good time. Head to the High Campbell chair, formerly Chair 6, to access Southback. A 45-minute hike to the 7,012-foot summit of Silver King brings you an incredible view and deposits you atop sick terrain. Charge down Avalanche Basin for open bowls, cliffs and chutes. The zone is avalanche controlled, but beacon checks still apply.

Make your way across the mountain and hot lap the backside of Snorting Elk Bowl, off the Green Valley chair. The Northway lift is the golden ticket for some of the finest tree skiing in Washington. The pow days in these glades are unforgettable. All of the runs are ungroomed, catering to those with a taste for variable terrain.

Round out the day at the Snorting Elk Cellar with a stone fired pizza and a frothy Elysian Elk Frost micro brew.

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