Mt hood from summit county Colorado (Portland, Bend: to rent, hotel, theatre)

[a bag of it]

Thinking of moving to hood from summit county Colorado. Looking for more snow, better snowboarding, better summers, and less crowds/tourists. Where do locals usually live? I'm trying to be a close to riding as possible.

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[hamellr]

We don't live on Mountains here in Oregon like y'all do in Colorado. Sandy and Hood River are the two biggest cities close to Mt. Hood, both are 30+ miles to the ski areas.

You can live up at places like Government Camp, but then jobs are very seasonable if you need one. Lower down on the west side of mountain you have a few small logging/tourist towns, again jobs are sparse. The East Side is less populated, but you get into the Hood River Valley which has more jobs in the form of field work.

[Deezus]

Bend, Oregon out by Mt. Bachelor is really the big ski-town for Oregon(though it's almost at the size of small city at this point). That's where you have more of a ski scene where people and if you live in town, you can get up there on weekdays and often have much of the mountain to yourself(great ski area too).

Mt. Hood is more a daytrip from the Portland burbs--though if you want to be a skier near Mt. Hood--Hood River isn't bad--as you have a nice drive up the Hood River Valley to Mount Hood Meadows(about a 30 minute drive). It's a great town as well--nice spot on the river, great for mountain biking or windsurfing also, lots of fun bars downtown.

Living in Government Camp isn't for most people, but if you want to live up on the mountains(literally)--you'll have a small ski village atmosphere(really small) with some cozy funky bars and diners and wooden cabins and chalets to rent up in the woods. There's jobs at Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge, and Ski Bowl that they're always looking to fill(especially since not that many people live up there), but those area dependant on how good the ski season and how long as well. There's more people there in the summer actually, when they get a lot of pros who go up to Timberline for the summer camp season. Likewise in the winter Government Camp can feel pretty isolated during a big storm, but it can be sort of cool to have the mountain all to yourself after the storm as well.

As far as ski areas go--Mount Hood Meadows is the biggest and most commercial one. There's some good expert terrain in Heather Canyon and Clark Canyon for open backcountry--other than that, however it's an intermediate sort of place. Timberline Lodge is cool for it's location and old lodge, though it's mostly easier blues and greens--though when they have the top two lifts open(or the Palmer Snowcat) in the winter or spring, it's pretty cool to ski down from Hood at about 8000 ft up(or hike a little further). Mt. Hood Ski Bowl is the cheapest, smallest and funkiest of the bunch. Sort of like a mini-Arapahoe Basin. Great deals on cheap tickets, largest night skiing in the country, and really good steep bowls off the top of the summit lift--plus they've got an old beer stube run by an old Czech ski racer. But it's still pretty small, though I've been going there for years and know every secret chute and tree run to find powder stashes a week after a storm--so I have fun there.

Mt. Bachelor is actually the closest thing to a big destination Colorado-style resort in Oregon--and it's a good big mountain with a lot of great tree skiing and bowls off the top of the volcano. Other than that the Northwest has some other goood smaller areas--or you can drive to somewhere like Crystal Mountain in Washington near Mt. Rainier--or make the trek all the way to Whistler-Blackcomb for the real big league stuff.

[kapetrich]

Deezus is right. Check out Bend. I was looking for a 'mountain town' out west and decided on Bend out of alllllll the other options. It's a special place.

PM me if you'd like more information

[hamellr]

OP also asked this question in the Washington Forum. I think for what he's looking for that's going to be the better way.

But, I'm also not a skier. Snow on the ground means sitting inside with a good book and a cup of Irish Hot Chocolate.

[crazyme4878]

Deezus--your descriptions make me even more melancholy that we weren't able to apply for a job in Hood River! We looked at the area and fell in love. The upside is that my husband couldn't apply for a job there because he got a job on the coast. Excited to move and excited to try the hills next winter (even if it is only for a couple days).

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by kapetrich

Deezus is right. Check out Bend. I was looking for a 'mountain town' out west and decided on Bend out of alllllll the other options. It's a special place.

Yeah, Bend is the best combination of mountain town and amenities of anywhere in Oregon(and maybe Washington too). Just about every other place you can live close to skiing in the Pacific Northwest seems sort of like just a small mountain village, but there's not much to do--or you're just driving up from a place down in the valley. Bend actually reminds me of Tahoe, but without the maddening crowds and hype, even though the Bend area it's grown a lot. Even though Bend is actually larger than most mountain towns, but it's nice because you have stuff like the ampitheatre which gets fairly big name acts and don't have to drive to another place to go shopping or so on.

Originally Posted by crazyme4878

Deezus--your descriptions make me even more melancholy that we weren't able to apply for a job in Hood River! We looked at the area and fell in love. The upside is that my husband couldn't apply for a job there because he got a job on the coast. Excited to move and excited to try the hills next winter (even if it is only for a couple days).

Hood River is great, I've always thought about moving there if I could find a work there(or tele-commute from a job in Portland). Actually my girlfriend and I have discussed a dream idea where we just open a hotel or restaurant out there and move there for good. I love the Hood River Valley too--really nice area--the vista of Mt. Hood on one side and Mt. Adams on the other is amazing on a sunny summer day...

[whirnot]

Knowing Bend a little and Summit county pretty well, If it is better snow you are looking for, stay where you are. You have much more variety and choice, Than in Bend or Mt Hood. As far as weather Bend and Summit County will be similar, Bend a little warmer.

For Culture I explain Bend is a cross between Breckenridge and Boulder. Mt Hood is kind of like Wolf Creek, good snow, but other than the mountain there isn't that much there.

I am sure if Delta chimes in she can give you great info as she has lived very closeto you, skiis, and lives in Central Oregon.

I have not skiied Oregon Mountains, but have heard the term "Cascade Concrete". Growing up in the Land of Champagne Powder, that would concern me.

You might also consider Crested Butte, they get great snow.

[kapetrich]

I don't know that I agree with your snow statements - not that I disagree, but it's a little more nuanced than that if you're an avid skier.

Colorado in generall hasn't had much snow the last few years and that is only slated to get worse and worse. I've already met a handful of people on the lifts this year that have moved to Bend from places all through Colorado due to their lack of snow fall.

One thing the PNW does not have a shortage of is snow. In fact, unless we get over 5 inches of powder over night I don't even venture up. Tell me that in summit county you'd ever dream of skipping a 5 inch powder day. They're rare. Here in the PNW I end up having to skip 5 inch + powder days because my legs are so dead from the back, to back, to back, to back storm days. It's just apples to oranges.

But, you're right. We don't get the dry powder like the inner contenental, butttt in the dead of winter (right now) our snow consistancy isn't that bad (I'd like to hear Detla's impressions, too) - but again, it's not Colorado powder Also, our terrain isn't what it is at the contental divide either. We don't have the steep like you all do. If you want to find that you need to venture up to Washington and even there you might thumb your nose....That said, what's the difference if you've got steep good terrain if you don't have any snow to ski on it.

Case in point, I was in Santa Fe last week. I tried both Ski Santa Fe and Taos which are part of the Southern Rockies. Great steep terain, especially Taos, but I was dodging rocks the entire time with their 30 inch base (give me a break, much less). I would hardly call it skiing, to be honest. Good thing I was renting....I think we had a 30 inch base the first week of operation over Thanksgiving this year on Bachelor. Now? 106 base, 120 mid-mountain and over 250 total this year and some of our best skiing is still ahead of us. (Yeah, our big snow bases has to do with the density of snow that falls, too, not just the amount)

Fact of the matter, Colorado has some of the best terrain and snow, if it ever comes, in the world. It also has crowds, tourists, traffic, etc. especially in and around Summit county. The PNW has more snow than the OP would know what to do with, riding from November-July (more in many parts) and zero crowds compared to what you're use to.

If the OP is looking for more snow, he/she should look, almost, nowhere else in the USA but the PNW, but be prepared. We aren't fair weather skiers like many in Colorado. Be ready for storm days. That's our bread and butter.

[whirnot]

AS far as amount of snow, I will agree completely. And yes we have suffered as of late,except the year before last which was really good. Where the OP is from (summit county) has Three major mountains in his back yard and another two 30 miles away. It usually isn't hard to find good skiing somewhere between them because of exposure. I have skiied just about every trail on all of them.

I have seen some fantastic snows in Summit county, A foot per day for 8 days straight! But I am not debating, as you say we are talking apples to Oranges. The quality of the Snow is unbelievable.

Often in late march, you can find snow on top that is light as a feather. and of course mashed potatoes at the bottom. Partly because of the elevations in excess of 11,000 feet. And as you mentioned this can be enjoyed with Blue bird skies. One advantage of this can be since the weather is so stellar, a lot of Tourists don't ski when it is snowing hard, and you have the mountain to yourself.

Also the OP mentioned wanting to ski where there aren't so many tourists, I think that goes with the territory, almost anywhere.

And as I said, in fairness I have not skiied the PNW. A lot of my information is second hand.

Disclaimer: I might be a little biased, I was born and raised in Aspen Co.