For those that did not get to visit Mt. Bachelor, we are very sorry! It was a beautiful location and the ski mountain was wonderful! The weather had been mild up until our arrival and we were “credited” with bringing much snow and cold weather with us. The area had been unusually warm and low on snow, so the cold temperatures and snow storm we got beginning Monday was very welcomed for the skiing and winter adventures but also to sustain their summer activities as well.
Given what happened with the prior United trip, I was checking the flight schedule daily to make sure the Chattanooga-to-Chicago United flight had not been cancelled as happened to the Snowmass trip. But all concerns were for naught as we left bright and very early Saturday morning. Our next flight from Chicago to Denver was also without any issues. Our plane to Redmond Saturday evening was packed and we were all praying that all the luggage was somewhere in that little, yet full, jet! Again, the United team did not fail as we arrived in Redmond at 1:30 PM PST. We were met by two shuttle buses. Brian, the owner, and his employee in the other shuttle texted me they were there and came into the airport to get our luggage. They worked non-stop from that time until we all received our many bags and they were loaded on the shuttle. While enroute to the hotel, both drivers provided ideas of what to do (or not to do) during the week. At the hotel, we didn’t need a porter (good thing since the hotel didn’t have one) because our shuttle drivers unloaded all our luggage and brought it to the sidewalk of the hotel or into the hotel for us.
The Doubletree Hotel sponsored the wine and cheese party Saturday afternoon so that everyone could have the information before beginning their week there. The Mt. Bachelor rep brought our lift tickets and mountain information. The Wanderlust Tours owner provided information on the non-ski activities. Mt. Bachelor arranged Ambassador tours of the mountain for Sunday morning to those interested. We had several that did not ski the first day so they arranged a second tour on Monday.
The Doubletree Hotel was about 30 minutes from Mt. Bachelor, so we had another private shuttle (large passenger bus) dedicated to our group with trips at 8:15 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. to the mountain and 2:00 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. from the mountain. This shuttle was provided by the hotel and was nice because we were the only ones on this bus. The bus schedule allowed all day on the slopes or a leisurely morning or afternoon.
Mt. Bachelor is a unique ski resort in that it is not developed around the slopes. It is within a National Forest and cannot be developed. Thus, there are no large hotels next to it and there are no ski-in and ski-out condos or homes on the slopes either. There were restaurants at the base with a separate bar for those over 21 and other facilities around the mountain. The management did allow small independently-owned food trucks at the base where folks could also purchase a quick lunch. All the CSC skiers received a 20% discount on ski rental and the ski storage at the end of the day. The ski storage was well worth the $20 for the week!
The mountain has a varied terrain with blues, blacks, and some greens, with blue access to the volcano summit. We did have a good bit of snow Monday that continued all night which provided fresh powder skiing on Tuesday. We had clear beautiful weather Wednesday – Friday with cold mornings and pleasant afternoons. The clear weather provided wonderful views from the summit. One of the Mt. Bachelor ski Ambassadors told us that we had the best snow of any ski club trip this year.
Unfortunately, we did have one injury on the trip that required an early exit to return to Chattanooga for medical attention and schedule surgery.
Our ski club dinner was Wednesday night at the hotel's Mt. Bachelor room which was spacious and allowed socializing of all the attendees. We pre-ordered pizza for delivery to the hotel and asked the hotel to provide plates/cups/napkins which they willingly obliged. They allowed us to bring in soft drinks but required alcohol to be purchased at their bar which seemed to be no problem for those attending! It was a good time with the members of our group getting to know each other better.
The hotel and staff were another highlight of the trip as they did everything they could do to meet/greet, check us in expeditiously, and get us whatever we needed. The rooms were nice and most of us were on the same floor. The hotel is located at the corner of the town with great access to the many restaurants, brew pubs, and shops within a short walk.
The hotel provided a hot buffet breakfast every morning and on the morning that we departed, they surprised us with a “brown bag” breakfast of yogurt, orange juice, muffin, and an orange. That was perfect for the early shuttle ride to the airport. The daily morning breakfast was also a good opportunity for those on the ski trip to get to know each other better. Of course, the daily hot cookie that Doubletree provides to their customers was a special treat that everyone enjoyed!
The Wanderlust tours included snowshoeing to Crater Lake National Park, snowmobile rides, and a night snowshoe tour with a large bonfire and warm drinks. These non-skiing options were great for those that joined us but did not elect to go snow skiing. The Crater Lake NP tour offered a spectacular view of the amazing blue lake. Some of those on the trip slid/rolled down a steep hill for the fun of it and then got to snowshoe back up the hill! Ask Janet Gill to see the video!
We had 22 people on this trip and several made their own flight arrangements to meet us at Redmond and take advantage of the shuttle with the main group while others met us at the hotel. We also had others that departed for other parts of the country after the ski trip. With all the various flight arrangements and arrival/departure times, we all met as planned and there were no “hiccups” in the schedules.
In summary, the club arrangements for the flights and airport shuttle, the arrival party, the shuttle to the slopes, the welcome and the pizza parties, the hot breakfast and the selection of the hotel all worked as planned and the weather cooperated for a great week of skiing at the beautiful and unique Mt. Bachelor ski area.
The ages of the group varied from late teen to senior citizens. All bonded with the skiing and non-skiing activities, food and drinks. It was a great group to have the pleasure of joining them on the trip!
For those that didn’t have the opportunity to go with us on this trip or one of the others the CSC had, please consider joining one of the great trips planned in 2023.