Our family loves to go to Mt. Hood for inner-tubing sessions. This past weekend, while at the mountain, my husband and I chatted about what it would be like to see our kids ski and/or snowboard. They are only 5 and 8 years old. I pointed to the people way up high on the ski-lifts and asked my 8-year-old daughter if she could see herself doing that one day. She scoffed and said, “No way!” But I bet she would, especially if she were taught by a professional. When we got home, I started researching lessons right away. I wanted to get an idea of different locations, prices, ages, and what classes are available. Luckily, Oregon is full of beautiful places to play in the snow. Learning to ski or snowboard would be an asset to any Oregonian, at any age. Below is a list of what I found. 

Mt. Hood Meadows-

Youth lessons are available for kids between the ages of 7 and 14. Half-days are two hours long; full day lessons are 4 hours long. There are also “Parent and Me” classes for ages 3-6. It is a two-hour class that teaches basics like putting on equipment, stopping, and turning. The prices of these lessons depend on whether it is a skiing or snowboarding class, whether a lift ticket is required, and what rental equipment is needed. Mt. Hood Meadows is also offering a 3-day youth camp during Spring break. The available weeks are March 22-24th or April 5-7th. The March session costs $319 and the April session costs $279.

Timberline-

Usually, Timberline offers group lessons but this year, they are only offering private. They advise that families choose a skill level for their child and plan their lessons accordingly. Level 1 means that the student has never skied or snowboarded before and level 6 means the student is comfortable riding nearly the whole mountain and just wants to perfect their skills. All ages are welcome for lessons, seven days a week. The lesson cost is dependent on how many hours and how many participants.

Hoodoo Ski Resort-

Hoodoo Ski Resort offers ski and snowboard lessons for a variety of ages. “Mountain Cubs” is for ages 4-6. Junior ski and snowboard lessons are offered for 7–12-year-olds. Kids who are 13 can attend “adult” classes. An interesting and different offering they have here is “ski bikes” and “ski trikes”. They offer the bikes as rentals and offer a class to obtain a “ski bike” license. Booking lessons can be done through their website.

Mt. Ashland-

Mt. Ashland offers youth ski and snowboard lessons for ages 7 and up. Private lessons are available this season. A 1-hour lesson is $75, 2-hour lessons are $120, half-day (4 hour) lessons are $160, and a full-day lesson is $315. You can add a person to lessons for varied prices. To book a lesson, there is a section on the website to fill out information and make a “request”. Once the request is received, they will find the soonest availability.

Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort-

This resort is in North Powder, Oregon. They offer varied youth lessons called “Ski School”. 4-6 year olds are eligible for the “Tiny Tykes” classes, and 7 and up are eligible for other classes ranging from Greenhorn to Midway (depending on their skill level). Anthony Lakes also boasts a youth ski team. This establishment offers group or private lessons.

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort-

Cooper Spur is on the Northside of Mount Hood. They offer “learn to ski or ride” lessons for all ages. $74 for an hour-long private lesson, $94 for an hour lesson with a lift ticket and rentals. Lessons are available on Saturdays and Sundays at: 9:30, 10:30, 1:00, and 2:30. There is a scheduling link on their website under their ‘lessons’ section.

I plan on getting lessons started for my kiddos sometime this season. Learning a winter sport like skiing or snowboarding, in my opinion, would be an amazing way to spend our time. These options are valuable to me because I do not know how to ski and snowboard, so I honestly cannot teach them. I can’t wait to see them hit the slopes! Best of luck to you all in exploring these beautiful snowy places in Oregon.