Willamette Pass is all about fun. Don't worry if you don't own the latest in fashionable ski outfits. And don't expect a lot of ski egos and wanna-be Olympic racers. Willamette Pass is a great mom-and-pop area, less than an hour-and-a-half drive from Bend. While Willamette Pass prides itself on being a great place for families and beginners, there is plenty of challenging terrain for more advanced skiers and boarders. This family-owned ski area has some of the best tree skiing in the Northwest and an excellent terrain park. It's an attractive mix of adrenalin-producing drops and gentle glades. The mountain has two peaks. Eagle Peak is 6,683 feet, and Peak Two is slightly lower. Terrain ranges from steep and deep to mogul fields to gentle glades and a fun terrain park. The view from the summit is worth the drive—the resort overlooks Diamond Peak and Odell Lake, and on a clear day, you can see all the way from Mount Bachelor to Three Sisters to Mount Jefferson.

Of the resort's 555 skiable acres, less that half are groomed. That means lots of fresh powder on intermediate and advanced runs. The Eagle Peak Accelerator is a six-person lift that whisks you to the summit in three-and-a-half minutes. Beginners should start with Duck Soup on the South Face of Eagle Peak. The best intermediate run is Kaleidoscope to Perseverance, a whopping 2.1-mile moderate roller coaster ride down a wide, sweeping groomed slope. Eagle Peak has four great advanced runs, with R.T.S, a short, steep (52-degree) run accessed by the Summit Chair. Also off Eagle Peak, High Lead and Good Time Charlie are about twice as long and provide thigh-burning mogul fields. Peak Two has even more

Willamette Pass is all about fun. Don't worry if you don't own the latest in fashionable ski outfits. And don't expect a lot of ski egos and wanna-be Olympic racers. Willamette Pass is a great mom-and-pop area, less than an hour-and-a-half drive from Bend. While Willamette Pass prides itself on being a great place for families and beginners, there is plenty of challenging terrain for more advanced skiers and boarders. This family-owned ski area has some of the best tree skiing in the Northwest and an excellent terrain park. It's an attractive mix of adrenalin-producing drops and gentle glades. The mountain has two peaks. Eagle Peak is 6,683 feet, and Peak Two is slightly lower. Terrain ranges from steep and deep to mogul fields to gentle glades and a fun terrain park. The view from the summit is worth the drive—the resort overlooks Diamond Peak and Odell Lake, and on a clear day, you can see all the way from Mount Bachelor to Three Sisters to Mount Jefferson.

Of the resort's 555 skiable acres, less that half are groomed. That means lots of fresh powder on intermediate and advanced runs. The Eagle Peak Accelerator is a six-person lift that whisks you to the summit in three-and-a-half minutes. Beginners should start with Duck Soup on the South Face of Eagle Peak. The best intermediate run is Kaleidoscope to Perseverance, a whopping 2.1-mile moderate roller coaster ride down a wide, sweeping groomed slope. Eagle Peak has four great advanced runs, with R.T.S, a short, steep (52-degree) run accessed by the Summit Chair. Also off Eagle Peak, High Lead and Good Time Charlie are about twice as long and provide thigh-burning mogul fields. Peak Two has even more black-diamond runs, with the first third of Northern Exposure giving the impression that the snow is dropping out from under your skis! The run is accessed by taking the Midway Lift, then hopping over to the Summit Lift. There's also 12.4 miles of nordic trails for the cross-country crowd. At the west end of the main parking lot is a great tubing park, gentle enough for small kids but exciting enough for the young at heart. The tubing area is a great place to rent for private parties.

Kids love Willamette Pass; they don't feel overwhelmed by a monster mountain looming above their heads. Not only is the chair very comfortable, it's ideal for families with lots of small children who want to stick together. Willamette Pass is home to BASEcamp, an activity center for children and their families. It includes the Sleepy Hollow staging ground for lessons, plus plenty of indoor activities for days when small skiers need some warming-up time in the lodge.

Willamette Pass is open Thursdays through Sundays, including all holidays and holiday vacations. Starting in mid-December, night skiing is available on Saturdays and Sundays. Adult daily lift tickets are inexpensive, and you can also get a special twilight ticket, which offers skiing from 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the same price, on Fridays and Saturdays from December through March. For super-snow enthusiasts, super tickets are available for all-day, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Like all of Oregon's ski resorts, Willamette Pass has a day-use-only lodge. Food is cafeteria style, and the cheeseburgers and French fries are highly recommended. There are a handful of hotels, cabins and B&Bs within a few minutes of the ski area. Willamette Pass Inn and Chalets is a few minutes away; Crescent Creek Cottages is about 11 miles east of the ski area and offers stay-and-ski packages.

Where: Willamette Pass is located midway between Eugene and Bend, Oregon. It's about 70 miles east of Eugene (at milepost 62) and an hour-and-a-half west of Bend.