About the Author

Annie Fast

Annie Fast is a lifelong snowboarder and traveler. She was the editor of TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine and prior to that worked at the summer snowboard camps on Mt. Hood. Annie writes about outdoor adventures from her home in Bend.

Ski the Steep and Deep at Willamette Pass

February 3, 2023
For Oregon skiers and snowboarders Willamette Pass is a ski resort always on the radar for its affordability and great community vibes. The resort is the nearest ski area to Eugene, just over an hour or 70 miles by car up Highway 58 at the apex of Willamette Pass. It’s coincidentally almost the exact same distance from Bend traveling on Highway 97. The resort operates five days per week from Wednesday to Sunday. We decided to head over on a Wednesday in January during the...
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Central Oregon , Skiing , Snowboarding , Ski Areas , Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding , Snow Sports ,

6 Great Après Ski Destinations on Highway 26

November 15, 2022
After a day of skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Hood, you might be tempted to rush down Highway 26 with blinders on. But then you’d miss out on the unexpected variety of après ski and dining options available right off the road. These warm, cozy spots are just what you need to rejuvenate after a day on the slopes, whether you’re looking for something quick and filling, or prefer to linger over an expertly prepared meal, there’s something for everyone. More
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Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge , Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding , Restaurants , Eat & Drink ,

Experience European-Style Mountaintop Dining in Oregon This Summer

July 6, 2022
Look no further than Oregon’s mountain resorts for a memorable high-alpine dining experience this summer. Following in the European tradition of fine dining at altitude, these restaurants offer gourmet meals with a view. Whether you choose to hike, bike or simply be swept up the mountainside on a chairlift, you’ll enjoy wilderness landscapes and fresh mountain air to accompany your meal.
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Mountains , Eat & Drink ,

Beat the Crowds at Oregon’s Ski Resorts

January 13, 2022
The call of the mountains has never been stronger — and many are answering it. Weekends and holidays have always been busy times at ski areas, but recently, many factors have added to bigger crowds, which means more traffic. Resorts have responded with new policies including limiting daytime and evening ticket sales or requiring advanced purchase; requiring reservations for lessons, rentals and sledding; and even encouraging visitors pack their own lunches. When you've got the urge to go, it's best to check resort websites and... More
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Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding , Snow Sports ,

U.S. Winter Olympians Take Flight at Timberline Lodge

October 15, 2021
The summer of 2021 saw nonstop action on Mt. Hood’s Palmer snowfield ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. As the only year-round ski resort in North America, Oregon's Timberline Lodge is a perpetual summertime training destination for Olympic hopefuls with dedicated alpine, mogul, halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboard cross-training sites. More
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Mt. Hood & Columbia River Gorge , Ski Areas , Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding ,

Season Pass Sales & Upgrades at Oregon Ski Areas This Winter

September 17, 2021
Great news for skiers and snowboarders across Oregon: NOAA is predicting La Niña conditions with cooler, wetter weather in the forecast for the Pacific Northwest winter season. More
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Skiing , Snowboarding , Ski Areas , Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding , Ski Areas & Sno-Parks , Snow Sports , Outdoor Recreation ,

Hiking Mt. Bachelor’s Summer Trails

August 24, 2021
Sometimes a plan just comes together. That sums up a recent impromptu hike up Mt. Bachelor one sunny Sunday afternoon. Our group consisted of a group of close friends, all longtime Bendites. The idea of hiking up Mt. Bachelor to close out the weekend in late July came though the group chat, and a few hours later, the six of us met up at the West Village base area ready for a chatty hike up the mountain. The great thing about hiking Mt. Bachelor is...
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Central Oregon , Bend , Mountains , Hiking & Backpacking , Outdoor Recreation ,

Oregon’s Flourishing Freeride Mountain Biking Scene with Carson Storch

August 12, 2021
Professional mountain biker Carson Storch is a leader in the sport of freeriding. This popular discipline of mountain biking is defined by building and riding big features including jumps and drops on steep trails. The growth in this sport across Oregon is reflected in the newly abundant lift-accessed freeride trails at mountain resorts, an increase in public freeride trails, freeride-oriented youth camps, and top-tier events on local calendars. Storch can be found at the center of almost all these happenings, as one of the most...
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Mountain Biking ,

Go Skateboarding In Oregon

June 15, 2021
The history of Oregon skateboarding goes deep. Some would say that it started 30 years ago under the Burnside Bridge with a crew of DIY Portland skateboarders. It was on Halloween night of 1990, when a tight-knit group of friends, seeking a sheltered spot to skate, started unloading bags of concrete and building transitions to skate on the bridge columns.   In the process, these skaters spawned a skatepark building boom that continues to this day. The timing was fortuitous as one of the biggest impediments...
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Parks & Recreational Areas , Family Fun ,

Discover Oregon Motorcycle Culture With Thor Drake

May 27, 2021
To the avid motorcyclist, you might not think classic Harleys, custom choppers and off-road Ducatis have a lot in common. But Thor Drake, owner of See See Motorcycles, is a unifier in the disparate world of Northwest motorcycling. More
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Portland , Scenic Drives , Trip Ideas , Scenic Byways ,