Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mt. Bachelor - 9/23/17
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Just_Some_Hiker
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Location: Snoqualmie, WA
Just_Some_Hiker
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PostSun Oct 22, 2017 10:54 pm 
I went back and looked at my post history and apparently I've never made a report for the month of September. Probably due to a combination of crappy weather and post-summer depression which doesn't subside until October/November. Well, here it is...and only a month late. I attempted to summit Mt. Bachelor once before when I was living in the Bend area, but weather came in and I had to bail. After that I was busy exploring other parts of the Three Sisters Wilderness and didn't bother with another attempt before I moved back to Washington. Around the time of this trip we had just had a big dump of snow in the high country, and I had a hunch that Oregon was going to be the place to take full advantage it. On my way down to Bachelor I stopped off at Hood just because. I hiked up just shy of the Hogsback but stopped due to lack of visibility. I had a mostly good ski down but the snow got a little sticky at lower elevations. Overall though it was a amazing way to kick of the first day of fall.
Hood, first day of fall
Hood, first day of fall
I continued on my way to central Oregon and, after arriving, slept in my car at the Dutchman Flat trailhead. Fortunately I brought my winter sleeping bag because temps dropped to a very brisk 25 degrees overnight. The next morning I made a lazy start around 9 AM. The first time I attempted to summit Bachelor I started from the Sunrise Lodge, as that seemed like the most logical way (there's a service road all the way to the top). However, the road to the Sunrise Lodge was gated and snowed-in this time, so I decided to start from the West Village Lodge a little farther down the road. I wasn't quite sure exactly what the best route was going to be from this starting location, so I just started following a well-established skin track. About 20 minutes in I encountered a couple of skiers getting ready to turn around. During a brief conversation, they informed me that my chosen route was probably not viable and that conditions at higher elevations were likely terrible. I decided to continue and explore the situation for myself. I soon realized that they had been completely wrong about everything. Not only did snow conditions improve dramatically (from crust to powder), but it was low-angle skinning almost the entire way. I only had to carry skis for a brief distance as the slope I was heading up got a little too steep and icy for my comfort level. Upon reaching the summit, I had excellent views of the surrounding area and the Three Sisters in particular. I was met by three other skiers and a dog which had apparently come up from the Sunrise Lodge (they parked alongside the highway and walked passed the locked gate and up the road). I decided to descend via the large bowl beneath the summit. The area around the summit was mostly rime ice, but the snow in the bowl was nice and powdery. The skiing quality was amazing and it seemed more like a powder day in January than the second day of FALL! As I got close to the parking area the snow got mushy and sticky, but I still couldn't complain given the fact that I was skiing car-to-car in September. This was definitely the best summit hike + ski I've had for the month of September. Hopefully next year will be so kind.

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Brushbuffalo
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Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
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PostMon Oct 23, 2017 7:09 am 
Pretty astounding skiing conditions for that early. Let's hope it's a beginning to a great ski year!

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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Jim Dockery
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Jim Dockery
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PostMon Oct 23, 2017 8:00 am 
Sweet up.gif Wish our ski areas had the same!

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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostMon Oct 23, 2017 8:46 pm 
The number of high volcanoes in close proximity in Oregon is under appreciated outside of the state. Your photos show a bunch of them. That looks like a great route for ski ascent.

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Just_Some_Hiker
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Just_Some_Hiker
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PostMon Oct 23, 2017 8:57 pm 
puzzlr wrote:
The number of high volcanoes in close proximity in Oregon is under appreciated outside of the state. Your photos show a bunch of them. That looks like a great route for ski ascent.
Indeed. Central Oregon is basically a volcano theme park and backcountry skiing wonderland.

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