# Ski - Mt. Bachelor - from Ridge at Sunriver {Merged}



## Floridaski (Apr 24, 2008)

Has anyone stayed here, the web site says 18 miles to skiing at Mt Bachelor.  We would love to ski Mt Bachelor - but 18 miles, that seems like a long way each day, as it would be 36 miles round trip.

Has anyone stayed at the Sunridge near Mt Bachelor, it used to be a Gold Crown but now has NO rating by RCI.  

Any help would be great, somebody will snatch this up quickly form RCI inventory.


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## beejaybeeohio (Apr 24, 2008)

We skied Mt. Bachelor from Eagle Crest in Redmond, but it was in late March with no road problems, and the 35 mile trip was not bad at all.  There is not any close lodging to that resort so 18 miles is pretty good.

That vacation was one of our best spring skis ever- ski-golf-ski-golf-hike-golf!  It was a little mushy on the slopes but the sunshine more than made up for the conditions.


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## Floridaski (Apr 24, 2008)

*Ski - Mt. Bachelor - from Ridge at Sunriver*

Sorry for the repost - but I had the resort name incorrect.  Has anyone skied Mt. Bachelor from the the Ridge at Sunriver.  It is about an 18 mile trip one way for skiing Mt. Bachelor.  The 36 mile round trip sounds like a really LONG day.

Has anyone stayed here and skied Mt. Bachelor - if so how was the trip, condo and general area?  It is rated a Gold Crown and it does stand up fairly well in the Tug reviews.  But, there is NOT a recent review and the reviewers do not go into much detail with regards to skiing at Mt. Bachelors.  RCI has a unit the week we need to go - it is a spring ski week.  Mt. Bachelor is open very late, so we might have decent ski conditions.  I just do not know if I am up for a 36 mile round trip everyday.  

Any help is appreciated - this unit will get snatched up quick on RCI.

Thanks!


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## Karen G (Apr 25, 2008)

*Two other resorts near Mt. Bachelor*

We have stayed at Mt. Bachelor Village Resort (RCI#2282) in Bend, OR, and we also looked around at The Inn of the Seventh Mountain (RCI#7610) in Bend. There was bus service from Mt. Bachelor Village Resort and it was one of the nicest units we've ever stayed in.  We drove our car up to the ski area and it wasn't a bad drive at all.

The Inn of the Seventh Mountain was undergoing a big refurbishment project and should be finished by now.  It has been about three years since we were there.


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## Mydogs2big (Apr 25, 2008)

18 miles doesn't sound that far away when your going skiing.  I guess it would take 1/2 hr. each way?  I'm sure you'll be on a main thorough fair, not an old mountain road.  And I'm sure it won't be full of traffic, like the city.

Most of our skiing properties are located above state forest land.  Not many people want to live year round in the snow, so little land is privately owned close by.


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## nodge (Apr 25, 2008)

We own a vacation home in Sunriver, Oregon and have had season passes to Mt. Bachelor for the past few years.  As far as Oregon ski destinations go, Mt. Bachelor is one of the best ski areas in the region, and as far as resorts go, Sunriver is one of the best resorts in the region.  Here is a link to a video showcasing the resort (with Mt. Bachelor skiing video appearing towards the end).

Sunriver resort sits on the edge of the national forest where Mt. Bachelor resides.  There is a paved and extremely well maintained, gradual sloping two lane road through the national forest directly from Sunriver to Mt. Bachelor.  A for fee shuttle service is available from Sunriver Lodge to Mt. Bachelor, but the drive is quick and easy.  There is no on-site lodging at Mt. Bachelor.  All lodging is about the same distance away, albeit the other close resorts (Inn at the 7th Mountain, Mt. Bachelor Village) are in Bend, Oregon, a mid-sized city with its own restaurants and nightlife.  Sunriver is about 15 miles south of Bend, and has a more resort-like feel.

(FYI:  Mt. Bachelor is a "dormant" volcano, just like what people thought Mt. St. Helens was before it erupted a few years ago.  Since no one around here knows when a “dormant” volcano is going to go “active,” people think it’s a pretty good idea that there is a 15 mile “national forest” boundary around the mountain.)

I’ve only ever driven by “the Ridge” timeshares in Sunriver.  They are in a good location, next to Sunriver’s new dedicated sledding hills, and they appear well maintained from the outside.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about the area, and I’d be happy to help answer them.

-nodge


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## Floridaski (Apr 25, 2008)

*Dinner*

Are there many places within easy driving distance for dinner?  The resort looks beautiful, the unit is still in RCI.  So, I will do a little more research and try to decide what we want to do.  It looks based on their web cams that all the snow is gone.  

Normally, based on your experiences when does the transition from spring occur at Sun River.  I understand that the snow may be gone in Sunriver but still be decent skiing at Mt. Bachelor.  Anyway thanks for the help...


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## nodge (Apr 25, 2008)

This late in April, there is currently a 13 foot (that's right foot) snow base at Mt. Bachelor.  The season tends to end around early to mid May, primarily due to lack of interest, rather than lack of snow.  In general, when folks start mowing their lawns in Bend, ski season tends to end.  This year's Mt. Bachelor ski season is currently scheduled to close on May 18, 2008.

Spring skiing is the best at Mt. Bachelor.  It can be downright blustery at the top during the winter so the chairlift to the summit is frequently closed due to wind during the winter.  Snow in Sunriver is hit or miss throughout the winter.  This year we had tons, upon tons of snow (decks collapsed, the works), so it all just melted a few weeks ago.  Other years, the snow tends to go away as early as late February.  This is probably more info than you need, but here is the historical sunriver monthly snowfall data. (Hey, why is my association dues going to pay someone to compile this?)

FYI, Skiing on Mt. Hood (see Tiberline Lodge (as seen in the original "The Shining" movie, and Oregon's only true ski-in/ski-out resort)), continues year-round, even through the summer.

Here are the current weather conditions in Sunriver.  As you can see, it is still pretty cool there.  The Bend resorts will be a little warmer, since they are at a lower elevation relative to Sunriver.

Outdoor swimmable weather in Sunriver won't hit until at least mid to late June, (but you folks from Florida may still think it is too cold to swim in humidity-less Sunriver throughout the summer.)

There are a ton of restaurants and two grocery stores on-resort at Sunriver.  Most of the restaurants are located in the Sunriver Village Mall, which is just a little further down Beaver Drive from "the Ridge" timeshares.

Both Sunriver Resort and the adjacent Crosswater Club have fancy-pants restaurants too if you need ‘em, and Sunriver is also only a 20 minute drive into Bend.

We liked the area so much, we bought a place there.

Good Luck,
-nodge


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## Floridaski (Apr 25, 2008)

*Wow Thanks*

Thank you so much for all the great info.  My research had indicated Mt. Bachelor as a top choice for week 14 skiing.  Mind you I would prefer wk 10-13, but we are tied to our son's spring break.  The resort looks beautiful and you have provided a wealth of information.  Now, I just need to check airline prices and schedules.  I will put the Sunriver unit on hold and then check airline prices.  We got a shocker this year when Delta's code share partner canceled a leg of our most recent Vancouver-Whistler trip.  The replacement tickets would have cost us $1034.00 per head.  We opted to go ahead and spend the 50,000 miles for each tickert via frequent flyer - so I have learned the hard way more then once to check flights before I book any beautiful timeshare.

You are such a wealth of knowledge, what do suggest as the easiest airport to fly into for Bend?  We actually do not mind driving a few hours if it will save a few hundred dollars!  More cash to spend while we are on vacation!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 25, 2008)

Floridaski said:


> You are such a wealth of knowledge, what do suggest as the easiest airport to fly into for Bend?  We actually do not mind driving a few hours if it will save a few hundred dollars!  More cash to spend while we are on vacation!


Bend/Redmond/Sunriver is pretty remote.  PDX is the only major airport within a few hours drive.  Everything else is going to involve a regional carrier, which will increase fares quite a bit (but might not cost any more FF miles were you to use that option). There is regional carrier service into Bend/Redmond.

After PDX the next closest major airport would likely be SeEA- but that's a minimum of 3-1/2 more hours drive time than PDX (longer if you get caught in heavy traffic).  BOI might be a bit closer than Seattle, and there is some major carrier service into Boise (including SWA), so BOI is probably worth a check as well. Drive time from BOI will likely not be much different than Seattle because the roads are likely to be slower (no freeways between BOI and Bend). Of course, traffic congestion will be less of a concern coming out of Boise (though I-84 does clog up in Boise in the late afternoon).

Given that you are trying to slot into a one-week school vacation schedule, I suspect you aren't going to want to lose a day of driving on both ends of your vacation, so your realistic alternatives are probably PDX (if you need to save $$) or Bend (if you opt to get close to your desination).


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## nodge (Apr 25, 2008)

The closest airport offering commercial service to Sunriver is RDM in Redmond, Oregon.  It is about 30 miles north of Sunriver, and a straight shot down US-97.

Delta offers daily service from Salt Lake City.
Horizon/Alaska Air offer daily service from Portland, Seattle, and LA,
United Express offers daily service from Portland and San Francisco, and,
Allegiant Air offers daily service from Vegas.  

Usually, none of these airlines offer particularly great deals to this airport.

The far cheaper airport to fly into would be PDX in Portland, but it is about a 3.5 hour drive (180 miles) to Sunriver.  

In mid to late March, I'd put your odds of getting fresh snow in the Cascades during your drive from PDX to Sunriver at about 50%.  You have the following three options in dealing with this issue if driving:

Option 1:  Plow through Mt. Hood on US 26 to I-97 (Max elevation around 4000 feet)

Option 2:  Go down I-5 to US-22/20 through Sisters (Max elevation around 5000 feet, but about the same distance as option 1); or,

Option 3:  Take I-84 along the Columbia River to "The Dalles" and then hop on US-197/97 (Max elevation only around 3000 feet, but adds about 30 minutes to the drive).  If you don't have an all-wheel drive vehicle, and/or don't have chains, option 3 may be your only available option.

In mountain driving it's all about elevation.  It can be in a complete white-out on Mt. Hood (Option 1), yet you won't see a flake of snow until you enter Sunriver during your drive around the Mountains via The Dalles (Option 3).  On the other hand, the Columbia river gorge (Option 3) can be windy and icy at times.

To help pick your path, the Oregon Department of Transportation has mounted web cams at the highest elevations along routes 1 and 2, and at the usual coldest and most windiest place along option 3.  

Option 1 Pass Cams:  Click on "US 26 at Government Camp" & also "US 26 at Blue Box Pass summit"

Option 2 Pass Cams: Click on "US20 at Santiam Pass"

Option 3 Temp/Wind Check:  Click on "I-84 at Cascade Locks (1)" and verify it is above freezing (32 Deg F) and the winds aren't too bad.

As a local, we like to drive from Portland to Sunriver after work on Friday nights, so I routinely check out these cams to help decide which path to take.

For the sake of completeness, if nothing else, there is this private regularly scheduled bus service from Portland to Bend, that stops at both PDX and RDM (where you could pick-up your rental car).  (I've followed those buses through the mountains for years, so I finally looked 'em up one day).

Hope that helps.

-nodge


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