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MOUNTAIN SCORE

#3 in Washington

#61 Overall

WRITTEN REVIEW

MOUNTAIN STATS

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN 

See our criteria

Snow:

Resiliency:

Size:

Terrain Diversity:

Challenge:

Lifts:

Crowd Flow:

Facilities:

Navigation:

Mountain Aesthetic:

GOOD TO KNOW

1-Day Ticket: $49-$84

Pass Affiliation: Indy Pass

On-site Lodging: No

Après-ski: Limited

Nearest Cities: Spokane (1.5 hrs)

Recommended Ability Level:

  +   Pros

• Local feel

• Low crowds

• Lighter snow than Washington resorts further west

  –   Cons

• Modest vertical drop

• Limited true beginner terrain

• Slow lifts in most areas

MOUNTAIN STATS

Skiable Footprint: 1,308 acres

Total Footprint: 2,325 acres

Lift-Serviced Terrain: 100%

Top Elevation: 5,774 ft

Vertical Drop: 1,871 ft

Lifts: 7

Trails: 88

Beginner: 30%

Intermediate: 40%

Advanced/Expert: 30%

Mountain Review

Tucked in the northeastern corner of Washington State, 49 Degrees North defies some of the expectations guests may have of Washington skiing. The resort offers light, dry powder and minimal crowding even on weekends, and offers a local, non-commercialized experience in lieu of the luxury its neighbors have.

Size

49 Degrees North is a midsized ski area with primarily tree-defined terrain. The resort claims a skiable footprint of 2,325 acres, which would theoretically make 49 Degrees North the second largest ski area orbiting the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area and one of the largest ski areas in Washington State. However, by our measurements, the actual skiable footprint is only 1,308 acres, which is in line with several other resorts in the state of Washington, although not class-leading.  

Terrain Layout

There are two base areas at 49 Degrees North. The main base area is where most visitors and all overnight RV campers will start their day, and the much smaller Sunrise Basin base area is primarily geared towards season pass holders, as it does not have any ticketing or rental services.

49 Degrees North consists of two main peaks, Chewelah Peak and Angel Peak. Chewelah Peak is the main summit where three significant lifts converge, two of which are base-to-summit chairlifts out from each of the bases. On the far west end of the resort, Angel Peak contains its own isolated pod of terrain, although the chairlift accessing it is usually only open on certain weekends and holidays.

Beginner Terrain

While there may appear to be a fair number of green trails at 49 Degrees North, the only true beginner terrain exists off the lower-mountain Payday chairlift. This lift is the next step up for beginners who have graduated from the first-timers’ Gold Fever Conveyor and it features green runs of varying pitches and steepness.

However, any green run not originating from the Payday chairlift or Gold Fever Conveyor is basically just a green run in name only. Rather than a true beginner run, the green trails at other parts of 49 Degrees North are just the easiest ways down from the summit or a traverse—and, as a result, these runs are essentially intermediate in difficulty. The first halves of Silver Ridge and Huckleberry Ridge are wide open and groomed, which initially would seem great for beginners and light intermediates to cruise. However, both of these runs unavoidably funnel into much steeper and narrower segments towards the bottom that are not beginner-friendly whatsoever. Beaver Slide is a particularly odd trail to mark as a green, as it leads down to a flat area where the mid-station of the old Bonanza chairlift used to be. With that now gone, the only real way out is a trail that leads to a black diamond. Overall, beginners at 49 Degrees North will face a rather steep difficulty curve when progressing from the lower-mountain learning areas to the rest of the mountain.

Intermediate Terrain

Intermediate guests will find plenty of terrain to enjoy at 49 Degrees North. Green runs not on the Payday chairlift are challenging and long enough to entertain most intermediate skiers, plus the resort offers a solid selection of blue runs of varying difficulty across most mountain areas. In recent years, 49 Degrees North has made continual improvements to their grooming fleet, and more runs of varying difficulties are regularly groomed. Intermediates looking to push themselves can choose from a plethora of black diamonds that are wide and immaculately groomed. Still, many runs remain ungroomed, and intermediates can test their mettle with bumped and moguled runs.

Somewhat mellower intermediate terrain exists off of the Grubstake chairlift, but ever since the Northern Spirit Express was installed, Grubstake seldomly runs. This means that accessing this milder terrain usually requires skiing from the summit down a very steep blue run just to get to this terrain pod, which negates its effectiveness as progression terrain from the lower-mountain greens.

A cool and unique run at 49 Degrees North is Hobbit Forest, a gladed area with a very mild, almost beginner-level pitch that serves as a wonderful introduction to gladed skiing for lower level skiers and snowboarders.

TRAIL MAP

Advanced Terrain

Black diamonds are arguably the strongest part of the 49 Degrees North experience. The variety in advanced terrain is excellent, with the resort featuring lengthy groomed bombers perfect for high speeds and carving, long mogul runs for a sustained technical challenge, and a rich selection of gladed skiing that ranks among the best in the Pacific Northwest.

Glades can be found on almost every chairlift at 49 Degrees North, ranging from the thicker woods between defined runs to thinner, decently-large official glade trails. The glades at 49 Degrees North also feature different tree densities and gradients, meaning there is something for everybody and good snow preservation during and after snowfall.

When open, Angel Peak is worth checking out for advanced visitors thanks to its steeper pitches and limited grooming. While there are some intermediate runs on the trail map, this area will appeal most to the advanced skier.

Expert Terrain

For those seeking truly harrowing expert terrain, 49 Degrees North doesn’t offer much in the way of chutes, cliffs, rock outcroppings or perilous pitches. The double black diamonds marked on the map are primarily glades next to a single black diamond run. The only true exception to this rule is Lower Cy’s Glades, which is simultaneously very steep and densely forested. The single black diamonds have a lot to offer for those who enjoy that level of challenge, but those seeking adrenaline-pumping runs may have to look elsewhere.

Terrain Parks

For most of the ski season, 49 Degrees North has two separate terrain parks. A small terrain park exists very close to the top of the mountain next to the Silver Ridge run, and has a steep narrow entrance and 2-4 jump features. It’s a small terrain park, but a fun way to start your run before heading anywhere to the skier’s right of the Northern Spirit Express chairlift.

The main terrain park at 49 Degrees North exists along the Claim Jumper run. For most of the ski season, this terrain park starts at the bottom half of Claim Jumper below the steep segment, giving it a very mild pitch loaded with many jumps, boxes, rails and other snow features as it runs alongside the green run Silver Dollar. On some occasions, this terrain park can extend all the way up Claim Jumper close to the top terminal of the Grubstake Chairlift. While neither park is particularly high-end, 49 Degrees North offers a pretty competitive setup when compared to neighboring ski areas.

Snow Quality and Resiliency

Although located in Washington State, 49 Degrees North does not see quite as much of the wet and heavy accumulation that most Pacific Northwest ski resorts are notorious for. Rather,this ski area sits in the Selkirk Mountains much closer to the Rockies than the coast. While not on the level of Utah or Colorado snow, fresh snow at 49 Degrees North is overall  light, somewhat dry, and powdery, and those riding here on one of the resort’s many powder days will enjoy some of the highest quality snow to be found in Washington State.

49 Degrees North experiences  weather patterns that typically offer frequent snow refreshes but relatively low accumulation numbers per snowstorm, which averages out to a respectable average seasonal snowfall average of around 225 inches. The fairly consistent refreshes help counteract the fact that 49 Degrees North’s fairly low elevation can result in frequent freeze-thaw cycles.

RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR 49 DEGREES NORTH

NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.

Navigation

Overall, getting around 49 Degrees North is a pretty straightforward experience. The major weakness of navigating this ski area is that signage can be hard to read due to inconvenient placement, and the resort lacks signage outright at some significant junctions. 

Still, it is difficult to truly get lost, despite the decently-sized footprint. All runs will eventually funnel down into one of three areas; the main base area, the bottom of Sunrise Basin, or the valley with the bottom terminals of the Silver Lode and Angel Peak chairlifts—which also has a traverse down to the main base area. From the main base area and the bottom of Sunrise Basin, the Northern Spirit Express and Sunrise Basin chairlifts lead straight from their respective base areas right to the summit, meaning almost all of the ski resort can be accessed in a singular lift ride, save for Angel Peak.

Lifts

For a very long time, 49 Degrees North had a reputation of being the largest US ski area without a detachable chairlift. However, their Northern Spirit Express ended that reputation, becoming the longest detachable chairlift in all of Washington State. The Northern Spirit Express is still the only detachable chairlift at 49 Degrees North, but considering it is a base-to-summit chairlift that serves a large amount of terrain, most guests will find that a lot of their lift rides throughout the day will be on this high speed lift.

The rest of the chairlifts at 49 Degrees North are older fixed-grip chairlifts, some of which were purchased secondhand from other ski resorts. No lifts except for the Northern Spirit Express have safety bars. Some of the fixed-grip chairlift rides are more arduous than others, ranging from the reasonably-fast-feeling Silver Lodge double chair, which provides helper service to the front side of the mountain, to the painfully-slow Sunrise quad chair, which provides the only access out of the Sunrise Basin base.

Crowds

But even though many of its lifts are slow, 49 Degrees North is almost never crowded. Even on powder days, weekends, and holidays, the resort is one of the least crowded ski areas in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene region. On busy days, the most crowded areas will be at the top of Chewelah Peak, where multiple chairlifts converge, and the top segment of the Silver Ridge, but it’s never overwhelming.

The layout of the mountain results in long top-to-bottom or near-bottom runs, and long chairlift rides help spread out crowds out on the slopes. The worst lift queues are almost never more than a couple minutes.

On the busiest days, the relatively small Little Calispell Lodge at the main base area and Cy’s Cafe in Sunrise Basin can be a bit pressed for seating. However, with the recent addition of a second base lodge next to the Little Calispell Lodge, finding seating has been less of an issue. 

The parking lots at both base areas are very close to the slopes, so those who bring their own lunches and keep it in their car can bypass any waits entirely, without too much walking.

On-Mountain Facilities

49 Degrees North offers pretty run-of-the-mill facilities that aren’t fancy, but handle the visitation levels well. At the main base area, the Little Calispell Lodge is a comfy, mid-sized facility offering a bar, cafeteria style foodservice, two different restroom facilities, and ticket sales. There is plenty of seating both indoors and on the deck outdoors, with the outdoor seating given covers and patio heaters during the coldest months. A downside of the Little Calispell Lodge is how cramped the restrooms are.

New for the 2023-24 ski season is an additional lodge built next to the Little Calispell Lodge; this “Sprung Structure” provides a major increase in available indoor seating, although the construction wasn’t entirely finished during its inaugural season. Starting in the 2024-25 ski season, this new structure will be where all of 49 Degrees North’s skier services will be located.

At the bottom of Sunrise Basin is a very minimalistic, relaxing base area that consists of a deck with a small amount of seating attached to two Yurts and a restroom building. One yurt is for employees only, but the other houses Cy’s Cafe, which provides some seating with shelter from the elements and a small menu for food and alcoholic beverages. The restroom building can have long waits at times, as it has three individual private restrooms, but they’re heated, clean, private, and rather roomy.

Mountain Aesthetic

On clear days, 49 Degrees North has beautiful views of the surrounding forested mountain ranges and the nearby valleys. Besides the base areas and the Nordic Center yurt, there is no other visible development for miles around 49 Degrees North besides the Flowery Trail Road itself. 

To the north is Calispell Peak, a mountain just tall enough to have an above-treeline mountaintop to contrast the densely forested surrounding landscape. When skiing on the Lost Dutchman run, there are great views of the valley below where the small town of Chewelah can be seen, and looking south from the summit offers beautiful views of a rural landscape extending all the way to another ski area, Mt. Spokane. To the east, more mountains and a valley containing the Pend Orielle River can be seen. There is absolutely no village development or on-site lodging, and most of the buildings in the main base area are surrounded by trees, so 49 Degrees North is a place visually defined by nature with little development unrelated to the ski area at this time. However, this will soon change in the Sunrise Basin, with numerous parcels being developed to eventually accommodate private houses and condos below the base area.

Getting There and Parking

49 Degrees North is about an hour and twenty minutes from downtown Spokane and an hour and forty minutes from Coeur d’Alene. The best route during winter is via US-395 approaching from the west, where roads are generally well-maintained. In contrast, the eastern approach from Idaho involves steeper, less-traveled roads that can be trickier in icy conditions. The nearest airport with commercial flights is Spokane International Airport, approximately an hour and a half away in good weather.

Parking at 49 Degrees North is free and requires no advanced reservations. The walk from the parking lots to the base areas and lifts is a very short one, which also makes bringing your own lunch and stowing it in your vehicle or tailgating a viable and convenient option. It’s very easy to find any necessary skier services upon arriving thanks to the simple layout of the main base area. Numerous employees often wait around the main parking lot, offering to help carry the gear of guests up the small hill to the lodges. The main parking lots are unpaved, and can be unpleasantly muddy on days when snow isn’t layered over it. 

As for Sunrise Basin, there is a limited amount of parking available, but this base area is only usable for season pass holders as there are no skier services other than the available food and restrooms. Those who can park here will be treated to an extremely short walk from their vehicle to the slopes.

RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR 49 DEGREES NORTH

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Lodging

There is no on-site lodging at 49 Degrees North, although there is some overnight RV parking available on a first come first serve basis at affordable prices. Some RV parking spots have electrical connections, but no water or sewage RV connections are available.

The nearest lodging available is in the town of Chewelah, a short twenty minute drive away, and almost all of the available lodging consists of budget motels; the only actual hotel in the area is the recently opened Mistequa Casino Hotel. Additional budget oriented lodging is also available a little farther away in the towns of Newport and Colville, although those wanting more options will have to drive farther to Spokane.

Après-ski

49 Degrees North has no après-ski scene, as the bars and food service close shortly after the lifts stop spinning for the day. The ski area is surrounded by forests and rural communities, so at first glance there isn’t very much to do after a day of skiing on the slopes unless you drive to Spokane or Coeur d’Alene. However, within a thirty minute drive of 49 Degrees North are two casinos which can provide a fresh and unique après-ski experience with plenty of food and entertainment for an evening.

Verdict

49 Degrees North avoids a lot of the weaknesses of Washington skiing, namely the lack of crowds, lower prices and lighter, dryer snow, and can be great, affordable fun for intermediates and advanced skiers. However, the lack of truly beginner terrain, no onsite lodging, older lifts, and rural setting may make this place a tough sell for vacationing families. Still, 49 Degrees North is very much worth a weekend trip or as part of a broader ski vacation through the Pacific Northwest, especially when factoring the how many neighboring ski resorts are also on the Indy Pass.

Pricing

49 Degrees North offers a rather affordable skiing experience, with tickets cleverly priced at $49 for non-holiday weekdays, and a peak ticket price of $72 for weekends and holiday periods. Combined with cheap accommodations a short drive away, 49 Degrees North can offer a shockingly affordable several-day vacation. Season Passes are also competitively priced and undercut almost every other ski area in Washington State.

49 Degrees North is also a member of the Indy Pass, which offers two days of skiing at over 200 partner resorts. Nearby Silver Mountain is also on the Indy Pass, meaning it would be very easy to visit both of these resorts on an Indy Pass-fueled trip.

If you have an Ikon Pass product for the 2024-25 season, you may need to make in-advance reservations for lift access to certain resorts. This reservation system opened up on August 1, 2024, allowing guests to start securing spots at participating mountains. But with many of Ikon’s most popular mountains requiring these reservations, do you need to commit now to secure your spot? In this piece, we’ve compiled all you need to know about Ikon’s reservation system—and whether you should rush to figure out your itinerary if you haven’t already.

Which Ikon Pass mountains require reservations for lift access?

The following Ikon resorts will require reservations for the 2023-24 season:

• Jackson Hole, WY

• Aspen / Snowmass, CO

• Big Sky, MT

• Summit at Snoqualmie / Alpental, WA

• Loon, NH

• Windham, NY

• Deer Valley, UT

Which Ikon products does this policy apply to?

All Ikon products, including the full Ikon Pass, Ikon Base and Base Plus Passes, and Ikon Session Passes, require reservations at the aforementioned mountains.

Do you need to book your reservations on August 1 to secure your spot?

No—if previous seasons are any indicator, reservations to these mountains will not fill up on day 1, even at the most popular mountains on the busiest days. But if you already have your vacation booked, there’s no harm to securing your reservation now so you don’t forget to do so later.

When will Ikon Pass reservations really start to fill up?

Based on previous years, we expect that Ikon Pass reservations will start to fill up by the middle of the fall. Holidays and peak weekends at top-tier destinations such as Jackson Hole, Big Sky, and Aspen will be the first to go, with the other destinations following shortly after.

For the most hassle-free experience, try to secure your reservations before mid-October—assuming you are visiting on a weekend or holiday. That said, if you plan to visit these mountains on off-peak weekdays (i.e. Monday through Thursday on a non-school vacation week), you may be able to wait until the day of to book your reservation.

If a reservation date is completely full, is there any chance it will open up?

Yes—if you check back religiously, chances are you can snag a spot, even if your date has already filled up. Others may cancel their reservations, or resorts may open more spots depending on expected snow conditions.

However, if you don’t want to deal with the stress of being in this situation and checking the Ikon website four or five times per day, it’s best to secure your reservations early.

Can you cancel your Ikon Pass reservations if you decide you don’t want to ski/ride on a particular day?

Yes—you can cancel your reservations up until 9am the date of your visit with no penalties. So even if you aren’t 100% sure of your itinerary, it may be a good idea to secure your spot now, and revisit later if need be.

It’s worth noting that if you do not show up or cancel after that time on the date of your reservation, you may be restricted from making or taking advantage of future reservations.

Is there a limit to the number of Ikon reservations one can make at a time?

Yes—passholders can only make reservations for up to the number of dates of access they have at each mountain—meaning seven for each mountain with the full Ikon Pass, five for each mountain with the Ikon Base and Base Plus Passes, and two to four total depending on the Ikon Session Pass product (none of the reservation-mandating mountains offer unlimited access on Ikon).

As a result, passholders can’t “over-reserve” if there are a lot of potential dates they want to secure spots for.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Ikon passholders won’t need to scramble to secure their reservations on August 1 for access to Jackson Hole, Big Sky, and other popular mountains. But these reservations will begin to fill during the fall for peak weekends and holidays, and while spots do open up sporadically, passholders will save themselves a lot of hassle by booking reservations as early as possible. If you’re not 100% sure of your itinerary, you can always cancel your reservations up until the day of with no penalty!

Not sure of whether the Ikon Pass is right for you? Check out our in-depth comparison between the Ikon, Epic, Mountain Collective, and Indy pass products. Additionally, you can check out our Ikon Pass mountain reviews here.

MOUNTAIN SCORE

#4 in Oregon

#92 Overall

WRITTEN REVIEW

MOUNTAIN STATS

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN 

See our criteria

Snow:

Resiliency:

Size:

Terrain Diversity:

Challenge:

Lifts:

Crowd Flow:

Facilities:

Navigation:

Mountain Aesthetic:

GOOD TO KNOW

1-Day Ticket: $67-$74

Pass Affiliation: Freedom Pass

On-site Lodging: No

Après-ski: Limited

Nearest Cities: Medford (1 hr), Redding (2.5 hrs), Eugene (3.5 hrs)

Recommended Ability Level:

  +   Pros

• Surprisingly extensive advanced and expert terrain

• Local feel, both on the mountain and at the base lodge

• Great views of surrounding area

• Ease of access from Ashland

  –   Cons

• Tiny size

• Comparatively small annual snowfall for region

• Difficult progression from beginner to intermediate slopes

MOUNTAIN STATS

Skiable Footprint: 240 acres

Total Footprint: 240 acres

Lift-Serviced Terrain: 100%

Top Elevation: 7,533 ft

Vertical Drop: 1,150 ft

Lifts: 5

Trails: 45

Beginner: 2%

Intermediate: 42%

Advanced/Expert: 54%

Mountain Review

It’s not the biggest resort by a long shot, but Mount Ashland is certainly one of the more interesting smaller ski areas in the country. Located in the Siskyou mountains of southern Oregon, this little area packs a punch with some tough terrain, great views, and cheap prices.

Management and Future Upgrades

Mount Ashland is unique as one of the few ski areas run as a nonprofit, which allows for more reinvestment in comparison to other ski areas of its size. During the summer of 2024, Mount Ashland is building a new chairlift, the Lithia chair, to serve some low intermediate terrain, filling a gap in the terrain progression, and expanding into terrain that hasn’t been lift-served in many years.

Mountain Aesthetic

Mount Ashland is the tallest mountain in the Siskiyou Range and one of the tallest in the region, and it provides incredible views of the surrounding area. This includes the prominent Pilot Rock, a nearby volcanic plug, and Mount Shasta, a stunning Stratovolcano and one of the most prominent mountains in North America. Also visible are the snowless fields of the Rogue River Valley 5,000 feet below the ski resort. However, Mount Ashland is prone to high winds and fog due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which often block these views. 

Within the ski area boundaries, there are a few other unique sights. The upper mountain is covered in wind-shortened trees, which can become pseudo-Snow Ghosts due to rime ice, making for some unique tree skiing. Trees further down the mountain shade well-maintained glades, which offers an interesting dichotomy on such a short vertical drop. Finally, the most famous terrain at Mount Ashland, known as The Bowl, holds beautiful rock-lined chutes and massive cornices and is a surprising sight at such a small ski area.

Size

At only around 250 acres, Mount Ashland is very small, even when compared to other local West Coast ski areas. The vertical drop is a somewhat respectable 1,150 ft, though this vertical is only served by the Ariel chair, and other pods have much shorter runs.

Terrain Layout

Mount Ashland has a very straightforward terrain layout, albeit with a few quirks. The parking lot is above some ski runs, giving parts of the resort an upside-down feeling. The lodge is also in a spot that separates the beginner hill from the rest of the mountain, which makes the beginner area much less crowded. The rest of the terrain is on a single face, with three lifts serving pods of increasingly steeper runs and glades.

TRAIL MAP

Snow

If you’re looking for the high snow totals and dense powder typical of the Pacific Northwest, you’ll be surprised by Mount Ashland. Due to a high base elevation of 6,350 ft, one of the highest in the Pacific Northwest, snow is a little lighter than typical cascade concrete. Along with the northern exposure and consistent winds from the southwest, which blow snow into the northeast facing slopes, coverage remains good across the mountain till late in the season. This is somewhat unexpected given the very low snow totals, averaging less than 250 inches annually, which is much closer to mountains of the east coast than the west. The wind also leads to some issues with terrain and lift openings, as strong winds and limited visibility can lead to closures in some of the most distinctive terrain.

Lift Infrastructure

All lifts at Mount Ashland are slow, fixed grip lifts. The only lift to the summit, Ariel, is the longest and oldest lift on the mountain, and has an antiquated center pole chair design that can be difficult for loading.

Beginner Terrain

For beginners, terrain offerings are limited, but great for learning. The beginner pod includes a dedicated carpet and chairlift, and is in full view of the base lodge, allowing parents to watch their kids learn from a cozy environment. However, once beginners have outgrown this area, there is a steep learning curve to the rest of the mountain. Luckily, for the 2024-25 season, a new chairlift will open more lower-intermediate terrain right next to the current beginner area, making for a better learning progression.

Intermediate Terrain

For those looking for long, blue cruisers, Ashland may scratch the itch, but it won’t blow anyone away. The best blue runs are in the Ariel pod, which nearly run the resort’s full vertical and provide great views of the rock-lined bowl and the surrounding area. The majority of intermediate runs are served by the Windsor and Comer chairs, and are much shorter than the runs in the Ariel pod. These runs all have good, consistent pitches, if a little steep for blue runs. Most of these runs are regularly groomed, so if you’re looking for a larger variety of intermediate terrain such as easy mogul runs or less steep glades, you may want to look elsewhere.

RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR MOUNT ASHLAND

NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.

Advanced Terrain

Mount Ashland really starts to shine at the advanced difficulty runs. Many narrow bump runs are found in the Ariel pod, and between these are glades with varying tree densities and types. The peak of Mount Ashland hosts many short, rime-covered trees, which give way to taller trees offering shaded slopes in lower elevations. Runs to the skiers right of the Ariel lift require a catwalk across the top; however, this catwalk is basically non-existent, and much edge control is needed to access this area. If The Bowl is open, advanced skiers can find some open runs in the 2nd Bowl, which requires a catwalk across the top of The Bowl. This bowl is very short, though the runout is through some winding trees along the boundary rope.

Expert Terrain

Surprisingly, Mount Ashland has a few runs that are dangerous enough to be classified as “expert”. The Bowl, which is easily accessible from the Ariel lift, hosts a few short, steep drops that are rock-lined, have steep cornice entrances, or both. While these runs only extend for about 100 vertical feet, these are no-fall zones, as going over can result in hitting rocks and not being able to stop until the bottom of the bowl. There is a small uphill section below The Bowl, but it’s easy to make it up with enough speed. This section, while easily accessible and lappable, is quite small, and can be fully skied within an hour.

Terrain Parks

Ashland also hosts a small, but well featured, terrain park. This, combined with night skiing, allows for the people of Ashland to have after-school/work park laps.

Navigation

Getting around Mount Ashland is very straightforward. Most of the ski area is in a single face of the mountain, and runs go down the fall line with a few useful traverses. There are, however, a few quirks that make it more confusing on a micro scale. For example, the beginner area starts at the base lodge, though to access it you need to hike up a small hill, which can be difficult for beginners on icy days in ski boots. Another navigational quirk is that you cannot access the Ariel lift from the bottom of the terrain park, even though it looks like you could from the map, so navigating to this lift can be a bit confusing.

Facilities

On the mountain, there is only one place to stop in, though it is definitely a unique one. The main lodge was built in 1963 and had some very interesting architecture elements. The lodge has four floors, and an open, airy feeling, and multiple large windows for enjoying the views from the heated interior. In the building there are a few places to get refreshments, including a main cafeteria style eatery, a small cafe-like counter, and the bar. All these options are fairly priced for a ski area, and are high quality. The bar has a local vibe, and the bartenders are very friendly and willing to give drink suggestions.

Getting There and Parking

For those in the Ashland area, Mount Ashland is very easy to get to. Located just nine miles off Interstate 5, and the only attraction at its exit, traffic is a non issue. Parking is not free, as the parking lot also serves a sno-park, and costs $6 for a day or $30 for a season. Parking passes can be purchased at many places throughout Oregon, including at the mountain, of course. Another parking issue is the long, skinny parking lot that can lead to long walks if it’s a busy day.

RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR MOUNT ASHLAND

NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.

Lodging

There is no lodging on site, but there are plenty of options to stay in Ashland or in Northern California to the south. Mount Shasta is an hour and a half south, and offers more intermediate and beginner slopes as well, which could make for a compelling combination for traveling families.

Après-ski

If you’re looking for bar scenes late into the night, you won’t find that at Mount Ashland. The bar at the resort shuts down 30 minutes after the lifts; however, the town of Ashland hosts many cool late night spots.

Verdict

Mount Ashland is not a destination resort, but for a town hill, it punches above its weight in challenging terrain, views, and vibes. It does get low snow and can be very wind dependent, as well as a bit boring for intermediates, but at the price you’ll pay at the window it could be well worth it for the right people.

Pricing

Lift tickets at Mount Ashland top out at $74, which is quite reasonable. Due to long weekend hours from night skiing, there are also cheaper options for different time periods, such as half day and twilight tickets. Along with cheap on-mountain food and night skiing, it’s clear that this is a locals oriented mountain, though visitors are welcomed in with good prices and fun terrain. Mount Ashland is also accessible through the Freedom Pass coalition, which allows for three free days of skiing at other member mountains. Mount Ashland is one of the few mountains to leave the Indy Pass, which the resort claims to have done in order to give their pass holders better value with the Freedom Pass.

UPDATE 7/28/24 8pm: Updated to accurately reflect the events that each ski resort is hosting.

The Winter Olympics are coming to Salt Lake City—again. This past week, the International Olympic Committee voted to pass the Olympic torch back to Utah’s capital city, meaning it will host the games for the second time in the 21st century. 

But hosting the Olympics doesn’t just mean setting up some competition courses—doing so will involve profound capital investments and marketing pushes, even though the resorts already have a ton of infrastructure from when they hosted back in 2002. As a result, it’s fair to assume that the bulk of major Utah ski resorts—all of which are within an hour’s drive of Salt Lake City—will see substantial changes to their overall mountain experience in preparation for the games.

So what should you expect for the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and what kinds of experience changes will the resorts see as a result of the games? In this piece, we’ll go through just that.

Which Ski Resorts Will Host The 2034 Olympics?

Salt Lake City is going to spread the events across multiple different mountains. At this point in time, the host roster is the same as that of the 2002 Olympic Games.

Barring any substantial changes, Deer Valley, Snowbasin, and Park City will host the vast majority of skiing and snowboarding events. As with in 2002, Deer Valley will host the freestyle slalom, aerial, and mogul skiing events, Snowbasin will host the men’s and women’s alpine downhill and super-G skiing competitions, while Park City will host the freestyle giant slalom and halfpipe snowboarding events. All three of these resorts still have the infrastructure to support these events again in 2034, and we expect significant capital upgrades in the direct vicinity of where these events are taking place.

At each of these resorts, a few specific places are clear candidates for resort upgrades.

Expected Lift Upgrades for Deer Valley

At Deer Valley, it’s easy to envision the Carpenter Express, which serves all three of the trails that hosted competitions at the resort’s 2002 Olympic Games, receiving an upgrade to either a six-pack or gondola. This lift will be nearly 40 years old by the time of the games, so it may just need a lifecycle replacement anyway. Observant industry followers may note that Deer Valley is expected to install a different gondola out of its Snow Park Base as part of its Mayflower expansion, but this gondola will not stop at the part of the mountain needed to access the three competition runs, so a separate Carpenter upgrade is likely in the cards to exclusively serve these trails.

Expected Lift Upgrades for Snowbasin

At Snowbasin, the Strawberry Gondola, Needles Gondola, John Paul Express, and Allen Peak Tram will all be over 35 years old by the time of the games. The latter two directly serve the Olympic competition runs, so those lifts are clear candidates for capacity upgrades of some sort. If Snowbasin indeed does host some events in 2034, we wouldn’t be surprised to see John Paul upgraded to at least a six pack and the 15-passenger Allen Peak Tram replaced with a more traditional 40 to 60-passenger model, provided there is enough room at the top terminal.

Expected Lift Upgrades for Park City

Finally, the 2034 Olympics may break the stalemate that Park City Mountain Resort has had with the town of Park City over additional lift investments to increase its out-of-base capacity. The town recently blocked the resort from upgrading its Eagle triple chair to a six-pack over crowding concerns, but the Eagle lift also happens to be exactly where the terrain used for the 2002 Olympic freestyle events is located. It’s really hard to believe that the town wouldn’t let the proposed six-pack upgrade go through if Park City hosts these events again in 2034.

Expected Facilities Upgrades

We wouldn’t be surprised to see these resorts see on-mountain facility upgrades as well. Snowbasin’s extraordinary base and mid-mountain lodges were built as part of their 2002 Olympics capital improvements, so it’s not out of the question that the resorts hosting the 2034 events will invest in new complexes to keep visitors comfortable during the cold-weather conditions of the games.

2034 Olympics: Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons

As a result of their difficult logistics, it’s very unlikely that any of the Cottonwoods resorts—which include Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude—will host Olympic events. However, even if they don’t host any events, we might see some significant resort enhancements anyway thanks to the resorts taking advantage of the increased global visibility.

The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics set the precedent for these types of investments. In the five years directly before the 2002 Games, Snowbird opened its Mineral Basin backside as a major expansion area, Alta replaced its Sugarloaf triple chair with a high-speed quad, and Brighton replaced its Snake Creek triple chair with a high-speed quad.

Three out of the four of the Cottonwoods resorts (Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude) are now owned by capitally-liberal ski resort mega corporations such as Alterra, Boyne, and Powdr, none of whom have shied away from investments in recent years. However, don’t be surprised if we see some big ones occur in the years directly preceding the games.

For the best sense of what these investments might be, it’s worth looking at the resorts’ Master Development Plans. These plans are way too detailed to fully cover in this article, but a few examples of projects to expect include a two-stage, out-of-base gondola at Solitude, expanded base facilities at Alta, and an extended lift line and capacity increase for Snowbird’s backside Mineral Basin Express lift. Maybe Brighton will take the Olympics as an opportunity to increase the size of its new but tiny Snake Creek Lodge!

2034 Olympics at Smaller Utah Ski Areas

One possibility that’s unlikely—but not impossible—is that an under-the-radar local hill will receive upgrades to not only turn it into a viable Olympics course, but also transform it into a true fly-to destination.

After all, what if a new competition gets added by 2034? Additions to the Winter Olympics happen all the time, with events such as big air freestyle skiing and mixed team snowboard cross added just in 2022.

It may be easy to forget, but this type of destination-grade transformation is actually what happened with Snowbasin for the 2002 Olympic Games. The resort saw 40% of the terrain that exists today, both of its gondolas, its Allen Peak Tram, and its first high-speed chairlift all installed specifically to complement the games. In the remote chance that Salt Lake City and other stakeholders decide to invest in a smaller mountain such as Sundance or Nordic Valley to give them a chance to host some events, we could see these mountains propelled onto the destination stage as well.

Are Ski Slopes Coming to Downtown Salt Lake City?

While there’s a lot of attention on the resorts themselves, one of the most interesting parts of the 2034 Games is that there’s a plan to bring the ski slopes directly to downtown Salt Lake City.

When it comes to hosting the big air freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions that were just recently added, none of Utah’s existing resorts currently have the requisite infrastructure. So how is Salt Lake City going about solving this? Well, it turns out that the venue for this will be a massive skiing and snowboarding ramp just blocks from the center of the city.

This marks the first time a ski slope will ever be constructed in downtown Salt Lake City, and its development indicates that even if new Winter Olympics skiing and snowboarding events emerge over the next decade, the city is not locked into holding them at the ski resorts themselves.

Snowmaking Enhancements

In addition to the flashier upgrades we just highlighted, we expect Utah’s ski resorts to see some investments from a more practical standpoint. One key area that we’ll likely see a lot of focus on is snowmaking. As winters in Utah have continued to become less and less reliable—and there being no sign of that trend ending anytime soon—the resorts will need to make sure there’s enough of a snow base to not just host the Olympic Games themselves, but also provide reliable recreational slopes as well. Expect extensive snowmaking upgrades at every resort that’s hosting an event, with expanded capabilities in places that don’t currently have snowmaking—and the installation of more efficient snow guns in areas that have been using the same machines for decades now. 

Environmental Sustainability Initiatives

Speaking of efficiency, the International Olympic Committee has been focused on the environmental sustainability of its games for years now—after all, if the snow stops, the Winter Games won’t be a thing—so expect them to subsidize programs that prioritize environmentally-friendly recreation. In addition to more efficient snowmaking technology, expect investments in renewable energy such as wind, solar, and biodegradables. Several Utah resorts, including Park City and all the mountains in the Cottonwoods, have been moving towards net-zero emissions for years, but expect additional investments from those funding the Olympics to accelerate them towards that goal.

Lodging and Temporary Housing

Another facet of the 2034 Olympics that the ski resorts will need to prepare for is in on-site lodging. With the influx of out-of-towners set to visit for the Olympic Games—and a number of folks expected to temporarily move there to actually put on the events—expect several hotel and short-term housing developments to account for demand.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see the bulk of these developments based directly in Salt Lake City—especially in the athlete village that, like in 2002, will be based at the University of Utah. However, resorts such as Snowbasin and Deer Valley certainly have room to add some more hotels—and with both mountains already expected to add on-site lodging in the coming years, they could potentially take advantage of Olympic funds to expand their lodging developments even further than initially intended. Even at existing lodging options, we might see major renovations to get them into tip-top shape for the Games.

Road and Public Transportation Upgrades

While Salt Lake City locals may not be looking forward to the traffic that will likely come with 2034’s Olympic Games, one potential long-lasting benefit that could come with the Olympics is the investments in roads and public transportation infrastructure.

It’s worth noting that Salt Lake City took advantage of the 2002 Olympics to install its downtown light rail system. While no official plans to do this have been announced, expanding this network into the mountains—and perhaps some of the ski resorts—would be a game-changer, turning any resorts with direct light-rail service into the only ones in North America with frequent rapid rail transit. Even adding a much more robust public bus system or widened access roads could substantially improve the way people access Utah’s ski resorts.

Unfortunately, public bus service to Utah’s ski resorts has been cut in recent years, and parking has both become more pricey and harder to plan for, with many resorts implementing frustrating paid reservation systems. The 2034 Olympics could be the opportunity the state needs to finally rectify these wrongs. If the state knows what it’s doing and gets recreational visitors used to using public transportation options, they could prove sustainable and get personal cars off the road for years to come.

How Will Salt Lake City’s Investments for the 2034 Olympics Compare to the 2002 Games?

So the announcement of the 2034 Winter Olympics means exciting times ahead for Salt Lake City and the nearby ski resorts over the next decade. But we do have to note that the investments for these games probably won’t be as extensive as they were for the 2002 Olympics.

First off, a lot of infrastructure to host the Olympic Games already exists. In fact, Salt Lake City cited its ability to keep costs down and reuse existing facilities as a factor in justifying its bid for the Olympics a decade from now.

In addition, Utah is not exactly an under-the-radar destination for winter sports anymore, with the region struggling more to keep crowds out than actually getting them to come to the state. One could argue the resorts don’t need the marketing to the same extent that they used to—especially those on the Epic and Ikon Passes.

Speaking of Epic and Ikon, we’re really interested to see how these products handle the explosive demand for skiing and riding in Utah the year the Olympics happen—provided these passes still exist at that point.

Could Salt Lake City Become a Permanent Winter Olympics Host?

It’s worth noting that Salt Lake City’s selection for the 2034 Olympics may be emblematic of a world in which it hosts the games again in the near future. With fewer destinations willing to shell out the capital to make the games practically happen—and climate change making certain locations essentially unfeasible as hosts—the Winter Olympics may move to a circuit of rotating hosts rather than a truly new city every four years.

The International Olympic Committee recently noted that Salt Lake City was the only city that bid to be a host of either the 2030 or 2034 Olympics that actually seemed ready to host the competition. Does this mean that Salt Lake City will become a perennial Olympic town, and we’ll eventually see the Winter Olympics take place in Salt Lake City every four years? Only time will tell.

Final Thoughts

So while much is still to be decided before the games take place ten years from now, one thing is clear: Salt Lake City’s selection for the 2034 Olympics was not just a stroke of luck. The area has the natural snow conditions, basic infrastructure, and political will to not just make it a viable contender, but maybe the only one around—and the surrounding ski resorts will see substantial attention because of this. And thanks to being the only location that seriously considered hosting the 2034 Games, Salt Lake City will have the upper hand in laying down terms for its capital investments.

As plans materialize, we can’t wait to see what the region has in store.

Considering a ski trip to Utah this upcoming winter? Check out our full comprehensive Utah and Rockies ski resort rankings, as well as our Utah rankings in video form below.