Travel Fail

Do you ever let your kids skip school to go have a fun day? We decided to keep our kindergartner home from school one Monday and take him skiing up on Mt. Hood. It would be an opportunity to spend some quality time with him one on one. He's the youngest of three. 

We got all suited up and loaded the car and proceeded to drive an hour up to the mountain with him. When we got there the parking lot was empty. There wasn't a person in site. Ski Bowl was completely empty. We made a few phone calls and found out that they didn't open until 3 PM. We had to be one the road back home by 2 PM, so there was no way we were going to get to ski at Ski Bowl.

We drove on towards Summit ski area only to find out that they are closed all day on Mondays. Who would have thought in the middle of February during ski season there would be no where to actually ski.

We didn't drive all that way for nothing so, we went to a store in Government Camp and bought a sled and took him sledding. It turned out to be a great day, but it will be the last time we head out without checking the hours of operation. 

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• Ski Bowl - Mt. Hood

Ski Bowl - Mt. Hood

Have you been out skiing yet this year? We just got back from another day trip up to Ski Bowl on Mt. Hood in Government Camp. We decided to get season passes there this year. They offer military members and their families half off tickets and half off season passes. 
The best thing about Ski Bowl is the price. Skiing on Mt. Hood can be expensive, but Ski Bowl is cheaper than most of the others. The second best thing is the location. Located right off the highway as you get into Government Camp. Ski Bowl West is right before you actually go into Government Camp. This make it the closest ski resort to Portland, Oregon. Ski Bowl East is almost as close only a few more minutes away. One ticket gets you into their West and East sides.
The down side to Ski Bowl is their lifts. They only have two person lifts without the rail that comes down to rest your feet on. This can be challenging with kids. If your kid needs help make sure to put them on the side where the lift operator can help you get them on the lift. There are multiple lifts. They also have three tow ropes. (I hate tow ropes.)

Summit Ski Area on Mt. Hood

At the end of the tiny town of Government Camp, OR right off the road is Summit Ski area. It's a cheap place to ski on Mt. Hood and the runs are perfect for kids. This short video will show you how flat the runs are. Our daughter was skiing for her second time. It was amazing how much better she did when we took her to an easier place to ski. She also took a lesson which was cheap and good. The lesson price included the ski rental!

Some things to know before you go ski Summit :
2 Person ski lift
Snowboarding is allowed
Public restrooms available, but they are out by the road
Small snack shack
Rentals Available and included in lessons
Tubing hill

and the view is beautiful