We all saw the Instagram glory of early season power in and around Mt. Baker. And now many of the lifts at resorts comprising the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association are spinning full time. Other resorts in the Northwest are evaluating current snow depths and watching the weather forecasts, and PNSAA will send updates as more resorts announce opening dates. Last week’s colder temperatures and abundant sunshine made it a great time to get on the slopes in Pacific Northwest mountains.
Following is a rundown of what was operating as of December 7:
WASHINGTON
49 Degrees North is operating its normal winter schedule, Friday through Tuesday, 9 am-3:20 pm. For the current operations and conditions go to: http://www.ski49n.com/snow_report.php or contact Eric Bakken, [email protected] or 509-935-6649 ext. 603.
Crystal Mountain is operating daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with limited operations. For the current operations and conditions go to: https://crystalmountainresort.com/the-mountain/current-conditions/ or contact Tiana Anderson, 360-663-3012 or [email protected].
Hurricane Ridge is scheduled to open with 43” of snow on Saturday, December 9. Scheduled operating days are on weekends plus Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day and the 4 weekdays after Christmas (Dec. 26 – 29). Season ends April 1. For additional details go to https://hurricaneridge.com/.
Methow Trails is open for cross-country skiing. For more information on trail grooming and conditions go to http://www.methowtrails.org/winter-trails/grooming/ or contact James DeSalvo, 509-996-3287.
Mission Ridge reopens Saturday, December 9 and Sunday, December 10, 9 am-4 pm. For up-to-date conditions and operations go to https://www.missionridge.com/snow-report or contact Tony Hickock, [email protected] or 509-588-9404.
Mt Baker is operating on a normal daily schedule 9 am to 3:30 pm. For more information go to https://www.mtbaker.us/snow-report or contact Amy Trowbridge, [email protected] or 360-734-6771.
Mt Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park reopens Friday December 8, 9 am to 4 pm. Tube hill opens Saturday December 9 and Night skiing December 15. For more details about operations and conditions go to http://www.mtspokane.com/snowreport or contact Brenda McQuarrie, [email protected]
or 509-238-7011.
Stevens Pass Mountain Resort is open for daily operations 9 am to 4 pm. For more operations and conditions information go to https://www.stevenspass.com/site or contact Chris Danforth, [email protected] or 206-812-7856.
The Summit at Snoqualmie is open at Summit West through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more operation and conditions details go to http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/blog/let-2017-18-season-begin, or contact Guy Lawrence, [email protected] or 425-434-6728.
White Pass will reopen for daily operations beginning Saturday, December 9, 9 am to 4 pm. Lifts in operation will be 2 surface lifts, Great White, Far East, #4 Chair, and Basin Quad. For conditions and operation updates visit www.skiwhitepass.com or contact Kathleen Goyette, [email protected] or 509-945-3189.
OREGON
Mt Bachelor is open for daily 9 am to 4 pm. For more information on operations and conditions go to http://www.mtbachelor.com/conditions-report/ or contact Drew Jackson, [email protected] or 541-693-0953.
Mt Hood Meadows is open daily 9 am to 4 pm. For more about operations and conditions go to https://www.skihood.com/the-mountain/conditions or contact Dave Tragethon, [email protected] or call 971-373-8111.
Mt Hood Skibowl will be open for tubing the upcoming weekend. For additional details go to www.skibowl.com or contact Karen Norton, [email protected] or 971.274.3165.
Timberline is operating daily from 9am-4pm, conditions permitting. For more details and conditions go to: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/conditions/ or contact John Burton, [email protected], (503) 272-3345.
IDAHO
Lookout Pass is open pen Thursday, December 7 through Monday, December 11, 9 am to 4 pm. For more information go to https://skilookout.com/snow-report or contact Matthew Sawyer, [email protected] or 208-744-1301.
Silver Mountain Resort will open Saturday, December 9 through Sunday, December 10. For more information on operations or conditions go to http://www.silvermt.com/snow-report or contact Willy Bartlett, [email protected] or 208-783-1524.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort is in full seven-day winter operating schedule. More details on operations and conditions at https://www.schweitzer.com/explore/snow-report/ or by contacting Dig Chrismer, [email protected] or 208-255-3031.
ALASKA
Alyeska Resort will open for the 2017/18 ski season with limited terrain on Saturday, December 9. Lifts and the tram will operate starting at 10:30AM until 5:30PM. Lifts for opening weekend will be determined based on conditions. The Sitzmark will also open at noon on Friday for the season. For more information on operations and conditions go to http://www.alyeskaresort.com/snow-report or contact Ben Napolitano, [email protected] or 907-382-6579.
Eaglecrest Ski Area will open the Porcupine Chair and the Lower Nordic Trails for the season on Saturday, December 2. The
Porcupine Chair will operate from 9:00am – 3:00pm. The Rental Shop will be open and the Snowsports School will be offering lessons. The Eaglecrest Grill and Mountain Lift Coffee will be open. The Lower Nordic Trails will be packed and track set. For more details on operations and conditions go to https://skijuneau.com/mountain-information/snow-trails-reports or contact Jeffra Clough, [email protected], 907-790-2000 x219
MONTANA
Whitefish Mountain Resort begins its 70th Winter Season this Thursday, December 7 with the newly relocated Chair 5 lift operating among the six lifts, chairs 1, 5, 6, 7, 11 and T-Bar 2, operating to access 29 runs at the top of the mountain. Downloading on Chair 1 will be required. Chair 1 will be open for uploading 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There will not be any terrain open to ski down to the Base Lodge, so the resort will provide shuttles to transport guests between the Lift Plaza and Base Lodge as well as lower mountain parking lots. Food & Beverage services will be 100 percent open as well as the Kids Center & Daycare, intermediate lessons at the Ski & Ride School equipment rentals and retail shops. For more details on conditions and mountain operations visit www.skiwhitefish.com or contact Christina “Riley” Polumbus [email protected] or 406-862-1948.
The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association is a non-profit trade association, which represents the interests of 35 ski and snowboard facilities located in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and California. The Association’s member ski areas – most of which operate on public land – collectively host an estimated 5.1 million visits annually. For additional information on Pacific Northwest skiing and snowboarding, contact the PNSAA office at (877) 533-5520, or visit www.pnsaa.org.