Unlike many here in Bend, Oregon, I was neither devastated nor disappointed when the purveyors of our local ski area—Powder Corp.—shut down the hill for lift-serve skiing/riding on 4-20. Sure, in a town where IPAs, tight-blunts, and “craft” weed stores are as ubiquitous as Subarus and bike quivers filling all the niches—Gravel, XC, Enduro, Trail, DH, and Bikepacking—you could feel and smell the dank collective exhale by some when the diesel engines ceased, the wheels stopped spinning, and the now skierless chairs stopped defying gravity.
To be clear, I am aware of the heavy economic impact that a poor snow season has on our community. Across the board, there are fewer tourists, which has a huge negative impact on local businesses. This is to say nothing of Mount Bachelor’s employees, who expected, at a minimum, at least another month of work during a normal season.
Needless to say, a group of us daydreams aloud about a time when the mountain becomes a permanent human-powered wonderland.
