When dreaming of a romantic getaway, you might not fantasize being out in the blistering cold, exploring unmarked terrain.
But for those adventurous couples, a winter in Oregon can offer plenty of exciting excursions. One of the most unique getaways involves heading into the great outdoors to explore the backcountry.
Cat skiing and heli-skiing are two options for couples to experience the thrill of navigating endless trails with that special someone.
For cat skiing, you embark on a motorized vehicle known as a snowcat to reach remote slopes for skiing and snowboarding. It’s a cheaper and more accessible alternative to heli-skiing, in which passengers are transported by helicopter to remote mountains and backcountry snow.
Oregon has a handful of outfitters to facilitate your backcountry adventures in different parts of the state.
In Eastern Oregon, Anthony Lakes Ski Resort offers cat trips at the highest base elevation in the state, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest between Baker City and La Grande.
“You’ll get to go ski a bunch of untracked terrain on the backside of our ski area, and basically get the whole day on the cat,” says Chelsea Judy, Anthony Lakes’ marketing director. “You get to choose where and who you get to ski with,” which “makes it a fun experience. It’s about 2,000 acres back there and the terrain varies.”
Groups cat skiing at Anthony Lakes (47500 Anthony Lakes Hwy, North Powder) can also choose to add a lunch, where staff members set up a barbecue at one of the endpoints and grill your food while your group skis. Skiers can get anywhere from six to eight laps in a day.
“Our guides are good at figuring out where the best skiing condition is that day,” Judy says. “The base elevation of our ski area is 7,100 feet, and the cat ski goes lower than that so there’s definitely a lot more variety than what’s on the front-side ski area.”
Anthony Lakes has been offering this backcountry cat ski excursion for more than 20 years. Reservations open on November 1, and the trips typically begin in the middle of January and run through the first weekend of April, from Thursday to Sunday.
Couples can choose a variety of different lodging options in nearby Baker City, including the downtown Fisher Loft or the historic Geiser Grand Hotel. You can also stay at the Pythian Castle Hideaway, a romantic getaway featuring a luxurious one-bedroom apartment that blends old-world charm with modern elegance.
La Grande has the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs, offering a chance to soak and stay at one of the largest hot springs in the Northwest.
If you want a more outdoorsy experience, there are yurts a quarter mile from the Anthony Lakes lodge.
Based out of Central Oregon, Timberline Mountain Guides and its subsidiary Oregon Ski Guides offer guided backcountry tours near Bend and Mount Hood.
Rather than a larger, enclosed snowcat, Timberline Mountain Guides owner Cliff Agocs provides snowmobiles to get skiers to the backcountry powder and transport their gear.
“We drive to the end of Cascade Lakes Highway, and we’ll jet out on the snowmobile to wherever the snow’s best,” Agocs says. “We’ll go to Broken Top, Todd Lake, Devil Hill near South Sister and look for the best terrain.”
Agocs has eight other certified and highly trained guides on staff, all with experience in the local terrain. “We really pride ourselves on finding the best skiing out there and will try to match what people are interested in along with their ability,” he says. “The guides start early in the morning with the avalanche forecast, so by the time we meet folks we have a good idea of where we’re going.”
A daytrip into the backcountry is $350 per person for a couple. The season starts in mid-December and goes until mid-April or early May, depending on the snowfall.
For lodging, Central Oregon offers a plethora of options in Sunriver, Bend, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. Oregon Ski Guides partners with LOGE Camp and the newly opened Westman Hotel, both in Bend.
LOGE Camp is on the outskirts of town and offers a cabin-like experience, while the Westman is a boutique hotel downtown that specializes in amenities for adventurous couples seeking a higher-end experience.
Oregon Ski Guides also offers a backcountry excursion in the Mount Hood Wilderness outside Government Camp. This experience begins at Timberline Lodge and visits the White River drainage basin, the Newton Clark drainage and Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain. Timberline Lodge offers world-class lodging and Government Camp has an assortment of house and cabin rentals.
With so many options spread across the state, adventurous couples have no shortage of ways to experience Oregon’s winter backcountry together.
