Backcountry Skiing in Bend, Oregon with Pine Mtn. Sports

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These morning staff meetings are exhausting.

You wanna make some turns, do you? Side Country, Slack Country, Back Country… What ever name you call it by, it boils down to the same thing. Powder skiing is where it is at and if you spend all your time inside the resort you will run out of fresh turns quickly. The solution is having an alpine ski set up that you can also use to skin up to the top. These days the backcountry gear is so advanced that you no longer have to sacrifice much speed and power for uphill performance.

Backcountry Brands We Love

Pine Mountain Sports is Bend’s original full-service backcountry and alpine touring ski shop. We’ve been selling backcountry gear since before it was cool! Our tele offerings have faded away, but we still feature quality alpine touring gear and accessories from companies like Rocky Mountain Underground, Black Diamond, Fischer, G3, Rossignol, 22 Designs, ATK, Ortovox, Helly Hansen, and Arc’Teryx.

New to Backcountry? Take a Class

If you’re new to the whole backcountry skiing thing, we’re here to help. Our popular Begin To Skin: BC101 presentations and guided outings are part of our Pine University series of winter clinics – and are a great way to learn the basics of the equipment and how to use it. Our BC101 classes are happening from Dec thru Feb each season – with the schedule posted by Oct/Nov.

Where to Ski?

Central Oregon has some amazing backcountry skiing opportunities. Ask us for some of our favorite backcountry destinations. When you’re in the store, invest the $20 and treat yourself to a copy of one of our favorite guide books: Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes – Oregon. It includes maps and details for every adventure from Lassen Peak, through Oregon, up to Mt. St. Helens.

Parking Passes For Sno-Parks?

Keep in mind that you must have a valid Sno-Park permit displayed in the windshield of your vehicle if you park at designated Sno-Parks between November 1 and April 30. We have these daily Sno-Park passes ($6) and the annual/winter Sno-Park passes ($29) at the store during the seasons they are required. Ask our staff for suggestions on planning and parking for your adventure.

Uphill Skiing at Mt. Bachelor?

Mt. Bachelor’s Uphill Travel Policy allows access for skinning uphill within the ski area but only along a designated route to the popular Cinder Cone, as well as an east side route to Mt. Bachelor’s summit, so long as conditions are safe. For a description, maps, and policies on these routes visit MtBachelor.com.

Current Weather at Mt. Bachelor?

First off, check the current conditions report at MtBachelor.com. That said, our favorite source for accurate weather at Mt. Bachelor is this Mountain Forecast and the one at National Weather Service. Keep in mind that the parking lot at Mt. Bachelor is at 6000 ft and the summit is 9000 ft.

Current Trailhead Conditions?

We strive to provide current snow and trailhead conditions for Bend and Central Oregon from our friends at the Deschutes National Forest. The following link contains a detailed report of the most recent trailhead and Forest Service information…

Most current Trail Conditions Report from Deschutes National Forest

And finally, for current mountain snow and trail conditions feel free to call us at the store.

Know Before You Go

We would like to echo the advice from the Deschutes National Forest regarding safety while traveling in the back country:

Backcountry users venturing into avalanche terrain should be aware of potential risk and should be skilled at recognizing potential avalanche areas and snowpack conditions and act accordingly. Be responsible for your own safety and that of others around you; perform careful snowpack evaluations, stability tests and make safe route decisions. Avalanche potential can increase with increasing slope angle, snowfall, rain, wind, changing temperatures, other factors and avalanche hazard can escalate in a short time. If you do not have avalanche training, consider sticking to low profile, non-avalanche prone terrain.