Mt. Hood Skibowl — Attraction in Sandy

Ski Bowl has REMARKABLY low prices for lift tickets, especially considering what you'll find at some ski resorts here in the states (and really North America in general). It also has halfway decent terrain diversity, with many of the single blacks themselves posing as real challenges (I have yet to experience this place's double black diamond terrain by the time I'm writing this, which is the 14th of February, 2025). Some of these single blacks have EXTREMELY high and dangerous cliffs, as well as trees to avoid that make me question if some of the single blacks like Ski Bowl Summit should actually change to double black because of how careful you need to be to navigate the runs. However, with this being said, aside from the delightfully cheap tickets, it being less of a drive compared to Meadows and Timberline, as well as the solid challenge, Ski Bowl is truly a ski destination and nothing more than that. Facilities are EXTREMELY bare bones and simplistic, making even Meadows look plentiful by comparison. I'm not saying this out of snobbishness, but just to let people know what they're getting themselves into. There's no lodging, not many food options, and a small shop for rentals that piles up QUICKLY on peak days. Alongside this, the ski lifts are plain and simply archaic. So far, if I'm not mistaken, there are only three major lifts in this resort, and when you arrive on the mountain, you only have access to two lifts off the bat: one that takes you to the midway point of the mountain (which isn't all that high up and caters to beginners and some intermediates although not really), and the second lift that takes you ALL the way to Ski Bowl Summit. I am not exaggerating when I say that. This is in VAST contrast to Meadows and Timberline that house MANY more lifts and a LOT more routes for all skill levels to ride around on. This makes for (at least for now) what can become a rather repetitive experience in my opinion. As for the archaic part, the two major lifts that get you up the mountain are old, VERY slow two seaters that rock a LOT, even when it's not windy outside. And when it DOES get windy? Oh boy, the experience is not pleasant; I felt nauseated on several occasions, which is unfortunate. To make things worse, they also don't have bars either, so not only do snowboarders like me have a bit of a hard time, but that in combination with the lack of space and constant rocking make it difficult to organize items or get comfortable in any capacity. Overall, it is for all these reasons why I simply cannot rate any higher than 3 stars. There's just not enough here! Am I saying that you'll be having a bad time? No! Not at all! But just understand that this is a rugged and simplistic skiing experience. Not one that's BAD, just simple (good for experts who want to practice too!). If you're willing to spend some extra money, I will say that Meadows will give you a much greater...

My husband and I took our young children tubing at skibowl this last weekend. We had a great time, and I really appreciated the fact that there is a conveyor belt to pull riders back up the hill (standing) with their tube once each ride is completed.

There is a nearby outdoor kiddie "Playland" for young children; we never entered this area, but it looked like a lot of fun for those aged 12 months to maybe 4 years of age, with several fun snowy activities to get kids in on the fun of playing safely in the snow without having to experience the giant ride down the slope.

Parking was super cramped, the spaces look to be very old and are extremely tiny if you have any average sized vehicle, like our Kia Sorento. Even if we had been driving a small Toyota Corolla etc, it would have been a tight squeeze, which obviously makes things difficult if you have to unload multiple people from your car.

The lodge right next to the tubing area is nice, it is warm and cozy and well decorated, and there are clean restrooms (the women's was quite well cared for, however my husband complained that the men's room was fairly disgusting and in need of attention) downstairs near a locker room. There is food available to purchase, however our one qualm was that paper sack lunches from home are strictly forbidden within the lodge, unless you'd like to eat them in the basement (locker room and bathrooms), which is very frustrating for anyone wanting to head into a warm building with little ones and save money on food by bringing one's own from home.

The tubing slope itself was very fun, with probably eight (plus or minus) lanes to coast down. The last time I went tubing was probably over fifteen years ago, so I'm not sure if things have just changed a lot since then, or if maybe I just experienced different tubing locations with a different set of rules, but the safety requirements and rules were a lot different from what I was used to, as well as the turnaround time when waiting to take our turn to go down the hill. You are not given your own tube when you arrive and get your tickets, but rather it is a free for all to grab whatever tube (they offer singles, doubles, and quadruple tubes) is lying off to the side of the slope, cast off by previous riders. You then wait in line at the lane of your choice, taking turns whenever the employee in charge deems it safe to go down, then you take your ride, use the conveyor belt to get back up to the top, and get in line again. It was safe and tidy, but not as much fun as I remember the relaxed tubing of my teen and childhood years being. Adults must ride on their stomachs facing forward, children on their bottoms with feet out of the tube in front.

Overall we would return to skibowl for tubing, but mostly because of that conveyor belt. Otherwise, it was a good experience, with great customer service and a...

Ski Bowl is an "old-school" ski area that offers good night skiing and some nicely steep slopes as well as good intermediate terrain.

Pros: Proximity - it is half a block off of Highway 26, so it is the closest ski area to Portland (by about 15-20 minutes) and the road is generally well-maintained. View - it has stunning views of Mt. Hood. Almost worth it for the selfie opportunities alone. Steep - There are some true black and double-black steeps here. There is also some decent intermediate terrain. No crowds: You can usually ski right up to the lift, even on weekends. Night skiing: If you want to ski on a Tuesday night, this is the place. (Note that the lighting is minimal on many runs. Some skiers/boarders actually wear headlamps.)

Cons: Lifts: The lifts are creaky old fixed chairs. I've had globs of grease drip on me. It takes five times as long to go up the mountain as it does to ski down. Newbie snowboarders really struggle with the closely spaced chairs, so the lifts often stop multiple times during each ride up. Parking lot: If the parking lot is cleared of snow, the space lines are painted so close together that it is totally absurd. Trying to get in and out of the car is a challenge. I've never seen the lot full, and if the lot were full lift lines would be unbearable. This is pure stupidity having such tiny parking spaces when so many drive trucks and SUVs. Terrain: Yeah, it is steep, but when it comes down to it, there are really only a handful of runs. The runs are short (typically less than two minutes for a decent skier) and there's a flat section at the bottom of each run. Snow: The base of Ski Bowl is 3600 feet. It rains here when Timberline and Meadows are getting snow. The top is just over 5000' - the snow just isn't as good here as it is at higher elevations. Lodge: Yeah, I'm rating during Covid, but the food selection is pathetic compared to what you'll find at Meadows or Timberline. Pack a lunch. Vibe: Some of the lift operators are nice, and it seems they make an effort to seem happy, but I get the impression that dealing with these old-school chairlifts is exhausting. The loading/unloading process is especially hard for snowboarders and little kids. The vibe at the bottom of the chair is stressful; the staff can be cranky.

I hate lift lines, but I ski about the same number of miles in a day at Ski Bowl as I do at other areas because, while there aren't long lines, the lift takes a long time to go up. It's a few dollars cheaper here, but, unless I'm going night skiing, for my money I'll go to Timberline or Meadows over Ski Bowl. Ski Bowl is a local haunt, not a destination. Some people appreciate that sense of nostalgia, but I'll take the better terrain, better lifts, better amenities, etc., found at neighboring areas in...