With the highest base elevation of any ski area in the state (7,100 feet) and located in the Elkhorn Ridge of the Blue Mountains, Anthony Lakes has the recipe for light, dry snow. Or, as snowboarder Jerry Krieg puts it: “Serious powder!”
Krieg, a Houston native, spent six years working on Mt. Hood before making the move to Eastern Oregon. Now the marketing director at Anthony Lakes, he appreciates the lack of crowding just as much as the light stuff. “At big ski areas, the runs are all cut up by 11 a.m.,” says Krieg, an avid snow rider. “Here, two days after a big snow, you can still find fresh powder to ski.”
More info:
Average annual snowfall: 300 inches
Base elevation: 7100 ft.
Vertical elevation: 900 ft.
Longest Run: 1.5 miles
Ski Acres: 1100 acres
Lifts: 3
Trail Info: 20% beginner, 38% intermediate, 42% expert
Nordic: Over the past few years Ski Anthony Lakes has worked to develop one the finest Nordic trail systems in the Northwest. Recent trail expansion has brought the classic and skate groomed system to 40 kilometers. Not only does the trail system access the incredibly scenic Anthony Lake Basin and Elkhorn range of the Blue Mountains, but it is maintained by state of the art grooming equipment.
Ski School: Yes
Snowboarding Profile: The terrain park, with several grinding rails, jumps and a fun box, is on the ski area’s longest run—1.5-mile-long Broadway.