Conditions Report
Report from January 22, 2024
Mondays are no fun at work, so I talked my partner, Katie, into a quick trip to Bend to catch the snow on the east side of the Cascades. We drove from Portland around 4:00 A.M. to ensure we would make opening bell at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon.
Mt. Bachelor is my home mountain and it was wonderful to see it with a healthy snowpack. The storm we arrived to face was relatively mild, dropping warm snow and big flakes. In the morning, that made for some excellent lines.
In the afternoon, the snow was heavier and wetter, making the lower lines in the trees less viable. That said, tracking west of Outback Express, toward the Northwest territory, there were excellent turns. Unfortunately, Northwest Express was encased in ice after the most recent icing event in Bend. Hopefully, it will open soon.
A side note on Black Crows Nocta skis. I tried a pair of 178-centimeter Noctas at the end of last season and really enjoyed them. But I thought they were a little short for my tastes. I managed to find a pair of 185-centimeter Noctas about a month ago and this was my first trial day. Unfortunately, the heavy snow and my 150-pound frame didn’t mix— I think I will bring the shorter pair with me to Canada in February.
We ended the day when Outback Express closed.
Weather Forecast
Going forward, Mt. Bachelor’s forecast calls for more snow and colder temperatures. NOAA suggests the mountain’s assessment is a tad rosy, and the precipitation may be warmer than we might hope. In general, the Pacific North West may experience some warmer weather.
