by Geon, Bryan
For more information, or for a map of winter parking areas where permits are required, visit www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/pages/vehicle/sno_park_permits.aspx (for Oregon) or www.parks.wa.gov/winter/permits/ (for Washington).
For information about chain and traction tire requirements for winter driving, see the Transportation chapter.
Downhill Skiing And Snowboarding
The most popular and developed ski areas in the state are on Mount Hood and elsewhere in the northern Oregon Cascades, one to four hours from Portland. The closest ski areas to Portland are:
Cooper Spur Mountain Resort, 541-352-6692, www.cooperspur.com; this old-school, family-friendly ski area on the east side of Mount Hood has one chair lift, a rope tow, and an inner tube tow.
Hoodoo, 541-822-3799, www.hoodoo.com; closer to Salem and Eugene than to Portland, Hoodoo offers five lifts and two rope tows serving 800 skiable acres, with a good mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs.
Mt. Bachelor, 541-382-2442, 800-829-2442, www.mtbachelor.com; not really a day trip, Mt. Bachelor is 20 miles west of Bend, in Central Oregon. Despite the distance from Portland, Mt. Bachelor’s weather (sunnier than Mount Hood) and generally good snow conditions, combined with nearly 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, make it a popular destination. Mt. Bachelor is usually open into late spring.
Mt. Hood Meadows, 503-337-2222, 800-SKI-HOOD, www.skihood.com; with 11 lifts, including five high-speed quads, Meadows is the largest ski area on Mount Hood. Including a snowcat skiing option, Meadows has almost a 4,000-foot vertical, and its location on the mountain’s east side gives it noticeably more sun. On the downside, it’s a slightly longer drive from Portland than Timberline or Skibowl.
Mt. Hood Skibowl, 503-272-3206, 800-SKI-BOWL, www.skibowl.com; this large ski area has a large number of black diamond runs and is the closest ski area to Portland; because of its relatively low base elevation, snow conditions can be iffy during winter warm spells. In summer, Skibowl turns into an adrenaline sports park.
Summit Ski Area, 503-272-0256, www.summitskiarea.com; perched above the rest area at Government Camp, near Mount Hood, this small ski, snowboard, and tubing area opened in 1927 and is the oldest ski area in the Northwest. Summit is good for beginning skiers, but not very challenging for anyone beyond novice level.
Timberline, 503-272-3158, 800-547-1406, www.timberlinelodge.com; with an annual average snowfall of more than 400 inches, Timberline usually has the deepest snow base of any Oregon ski area, and has a stunning setting high on the south slope of Mount Hood. Fans of The Shining will recognize Timberline’s Depression-era lodge.
Most of Oregon’s large ski areas, and some of the small ones, offer night skiing. Mt. Hood Skibowl claims to have the largest night ski area in the country. If you don’t own your own equipment, rentals are available at outdoor stores in the Portland area; in Sandy, Welches, and other communities along Highway 26 on the way to Mount Hood; and at the ski areas themselves.
Farther afield, several ski areas in eastern and southern Oregon have small or nonexistent crowds. Anthony Lakes (www.anthonylakes.com), in the Blue Mountains near Baker City, usually has the best powder and some of the most challenging terrain in the state. Many diehard Portland skiers and riders make the seven-plus-hour trek north to British Columbia’s Whistler Blackcomb resort (www.whistlerblackcomb.com), venue for most of the outdoor events of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Several Portland-area ski and snowboard clubs sponsor outings, races, lessons, and social events. For a fairly complete list of local clubs, visit the Northwest Ski Club Council website, www.nwskiers.org.
Nordic and Telemark Skiing
The mid-to-high elevations of Oregon’s national forests are laced with Nordic (cross-country) ski trails for all abilities. Extensive trail networks radiate out from Government Camp on Mount Hood, Santiam Pass east of Salem, and in the Mount Bachelor area near Bend. There are several good guidebooks to cross-country ski routes in Oregon and Washington (see A Portland Reading List for suggestions). Telemark skiers have abundant opportunities as well; for a memorable experience, do a spring ascent of Mount St. Helens on a clear day, and ski most of the way down (permit required).
Novice snowshoers (and occasionally large dogs) sometimes obliterate ski tracks on some cross-country routes. To guarantee a clear trail, try one of the following groomed trail networks:
Cooper Spur Nordic Center (541-352-6692, www.cooperspur.com), near Cooper Spur Ski Area on the east side of Mount Hood, has 6.5 kilometers of groomed trails.
Mount Hood Meadows Nordic Center (503-337-2222, 800-SKI-HOOD, www.skihood.com), off Highway 35 on the southeast side of Mount Hood, maintains 15 kilometers of groomed trails.
Mount Bachelor Nordic Center (800-829-2442, www.mtbachelor.com), near Bend in central Oregon, offers 56 kilometers of groomed trails, and includes a Nordic freestyle terrain park.
Teacup Lake Nordic (www.teacupnordic.org) offers a 20-kilometer network of groomed trails off Highway 35 on the east side of Mount Hood.
If you’d like to hobnob with likeminded skiers, contact the Portland chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club (www.onc.org/pdx-onc) or the Bergfreunde Club (503-245-8453, www.bergfreunde.org).
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing has exploded in popularity in the last five years, The sport has several attractions: it’s free (apart from the cost of renting or buying the snowshoes), it requires no special skills or training, and it can be done pretty much anywhere there is a snowed-over road or trail. If you’re following a ski trail, please be courteous and keep to one side to avoid obliterating ski tracks.
If you’d like to try snowshoeing, but don’t want to set out on your own, Portland Parks and Recreation (503-823-PLAY, www.portlandparks.org) offers several snowshoe excursions each winter.
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is allowed on many national forest roads and trails; access is generally from sno-parks or from private resorts. For more information, contact the Oregon State Snowmobiling Association, www.oregonsnow.org.
Other Recreational Activities
Automobile Racing
Portland International Raceway (West Delta Park, 1940 N Victory Blvd, 503-823-7223, www.portlandraceway.com) hosts a variety of auto races and other motorsport events.
The Woodburn Dragstrip (7730 Highway 219, Woodburn, 503-982-4461, www.woodburndragstrip.com), located in the Willamette Valley between Portland and Salem, generally limits its offerings to drag races.
Billiards and Pool
Many bars around Portland have pool tables, but for a dedicated pool hall ambiance try one of the following establishments:
Hot Shots Westside Family Billiards, 4900 SW Western Ave, Beaverton, 503-644-8869, www.hotshotspool.com
Rialto Poolroom Bar & Café, 529 SW 4th Ave, 503-228-7605, www.rialtopoolroom.com
Sam’s Billiards, 1845 NE 41st Ave, 503-282-8266, www.portlandpoolhall.com
Uptown Billiards Club, 120 NW 23rd Ave, 503-226-6909, www.uptownbilliards.com
Bowling
Some might argue that it’s more a sport (or a way of life) than a pastime, but however you classify it, bowling is a popular activity. Most bowling alleys host at least one, and usually several, bowling leagues; check with the alley for signup information, or visit the website of the U.S. Bowling Conference Greater Portland (www.gpusbc.com). Alleys are sometimes completely reserved for tournaments, league play, or birthday parties, so check the alley’s website or call first to find out when open bowling is available. If ordinary bowling is too tame for your taste, most area lanes offer glow-in-the-dark bowling and other jazzed-up versions of the game.
The Portland metropolitan area has about two dozen bowling alleys; the lanes listed below are the most centrally located. Some close-in alleys, such as the venerable Hollywood Bowl, have closed in recent years to make way for retail developments and apartment complexes. For more suburban options, look online or peruse the Yellow Pages listings for “Bowling.”
AMF Pro 300 Lanes,
3031 SE Powell Blvd, 503-234-0237, www.amf.com/pro300lanes/
Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge, 808 SE Morrison St, 503-236-2695, www.thegrandcentralbowl.com
There is also a little-known bowling alley in the Viking Gameroom in the basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union at Portland State University (www.pdx.edu/gameroom/bowling). There are only six lanes, but the prices cannot be beat.
If you prefer your bowling outdoors, the Portland Lawn Bowling Club (www.portlandlawnbowling.org) has a clubhouse and green in Westmoreland Park, at Southeast 22nd Ave and Bybee Blvd. If your tastes lean to the even more esoteric, note that this green is also used by the Portland Pétanque Club, www.pdxpetanque.org. The Portland Bocce League (www.portlandbocce.com) plays on the bocce courts on the North Park Blocks.
Casinos
The Oregon Lottery (www.oregonlottery.org) promotes scratchoffs, Powerball tickets, and the video poker machines that infest every darkly lit tavern in town (while halfheartedly reminding Oregonians that lottery games should not be played for investment purposes). For real casino games like blackjack and dollar slots you’ll have to visit a tribal casino. Indian casinos are among the state’s biggest attractions, and although there are no casinos in the metropolitan area, other than three cardrooms in La Center in northern Clark County, the following establishments are within a two-hour drive:
Chinook Winds Casino Resort, 1777 NW 44th St, Lincoln City (Oregon Coast), 541-996-5825, 888-CHINOOK, www.chinookwindscasino.com
Indian Head Casino, 3236 Hwy 26, Warm Springs (Warm Springs Reservation), 541-460-7777, www.indianheadgaming.com
Spirit Mountain Casino, 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy, Grande Ronde (west of Salem), 503-879-2350, 800-760-7977, www.spiritmountain.com
Chess
The Portland Chess Club (503-246-2978, www.pdxchess.com) organizes tournaments and casual play for all ages. Local organizations that focus on younger players include the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation (www.oscf.org) and Chess for Success (www.chessforsuccess.org). Northwest Chess (www.nwchess.com) is an excellent source of information about chess in the region, including chess news, tournaments, activities, and club listings.
Dancing
If you’re interested in pursuing dance moves that go beyond random nightclub gyrations, you’ll have plenty of company. Portland harbors a wide range of dance-oriented clubs that offer lessons, organize competitions, and host dances. Portland Dancing (www.portlanddancing.com) is a clearinghouse of information on clubs and events, and covers styles ranging from Lindy Hop to country line dancing and from salsa and tango to Israeli folk dancing. You can also check Willamette Week or the A&E section of the Friday Oregonian for dance events and get-togethers. For formal dance instruction, check online or look in the Yellow Pages under “Dance Instruction.”
Horse Racing
The horses are on the track from October through May at Portland Meadows (1001 N Schmeer Rd, 503-285-9144, www.portlandmeadows.com) at Delta Park in North Portland.
Model Railroading
The Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club, 2505 N Vancouver Ave, 503-288-7246, www.cgmrc.com, owns its own building, which contains a truly amazing 500+ square foot scale model of train lines in the Columbia River Gorge. Farther south, you might want to look into Pacific Northwest Live Steamers, 503-829-6866, www.pnls.org, which operates Shady Dell Train Park just east of Molalla, open to the general public May through October.
Yoga
In addition to the private studios listed below, Portland Parks and Recreation (503-823-PLAY, www.portlandparks.org) offers yoga classes at many of its facilities; check its website or its seasonal printed catalogs for details. Some health clubs also offer yoga classes to members, as do many spas and wellness centers. While yoga is probably the most popular “alternative” fitness regimen in Portland, the city is replete with studios for Pilates, CrossFit, and other forms of non-traditional strength and fitness training. The following is a non-comprehensive list of establishments that are solely yoga studios:
Amrita, 0110 SW Bancroft St, 503-552-YOGA, www.dayafoundation.org
Bikram Fremont Street, 4831 NE Fremont St, 503-284-0555, www.bikramfremontstreet.com
Gudmestad Yoga Studio, 3903 SW Kelly, Suite 210, 593-223-8157, www.gudmestadyoga.com
The Movement Center, 1021 NE 33rd Ave, 503-231-0383. www.mcyoga.com
North Portland Yoga, 55 NE Farragut St #1, 503-995-3570, www.northportlandyoga.com
OmBase, 6357 SW Capitol Hwy, 503-922-3100, www.ombase.org
Portland Yoga Arts, 4400 NE Glisan St, 503-287-1078, www.portlandyogaarts.com
Yoga Bhoga, 1028 SE Water Ave #265, 503-241-5058, www.yogabhoga.com
Yoga Pearl, 925 NW Davis St, 503-525-9642, www.yogapearl.com
The Yoga Project, 1229 SE Nehalem St, 503-235-1155, www.theyogaproject.org
Yoga Shala, 3808 N Williams St, 503-963-YOGA; www.yogashalapdx.com
Yo Yo Yogi, 1306 NW Hoyt St, Ste 101, 503-688-5120, www.yoyoyogi.com
Health Clubs
Portland is full of health clubs and gyms. Most have workout equipment, conditioning classes, and personal training programs, and some offer swimming pools, yoga, specialized workouts, and childcare. Call or visit the club you’re interested in to get details on their programs.
If you work for a reasonably large organization, ask human resources about membership discounts for fitness clubs. Note that the health club business is generally one without fixed prices; the dripping person on the adjacent treadmill may have paid twice as much or half as much as you did. Also, it pays to read the fine print on any agreement; the terms “annual membership” and “no fees” may not mean what you think they do. Even if everything looks good, the fitness business has some shady operators that have been known to skip town and padlock clubs; try to avoid paying for a year in advance, for example. Be aware that many clubs offer frequent promotions—membership fee discounts or waivers, the first month at half price, free seven-day passes, and the like—so if you’re in no hurry to join a club it might be worth waiting to see if a better deal comes up.
The following partial list of Portland health clubs should help you start your search. For a complete list, do an online search for clubs in your desired neighborhood, or check the Yellow Pages under “Health Clubs.” In addition to private clubs, many municipal community centers have exercise facilities; check with your local parks and recreation department for details.
Cascade Athletic Club, 9260 SE Stark St, 503-257-4142; 2456 SE Powell Blvd, Gresham, 503-618-4142; 19201 SE Division St. Gresham, 503-665-4142; 16096 SE 15th St, Vancouver, 360-597-1100; www.cascadeac.com; a FitLife network member (see below)
ClubSport Oregon, 18120 SW Lower Boones Ferry Rd, Tigard, 503-968-4500, www.clubsports.com/Oregon; a FitLife network club
Curves, 800-848-1096, www.curves.com; this worldwide network of franchised women-only fitness clubs has more than 40 locations around the metropolitan area.
East & West Side Athletic Clubs, 555 SW Oak St, 503-222-7800; 9100 SE Sunnyside Rd, Clackamas, 503-659-3846; 4606 SE Boardman, Milwaukie, 503-659-3845; www.eastsideathleticclub.com; these clubs are FitLife network members.
The FitLife Club Network includes dozens of independent fitness clubs in Oregon, Washington, and Montana, including some 20 clubs in the Portland metro area. Members of each club get reciprocal use of other member clubs. Visit www.fitlifeclubs.com or call 503-445-6235 for a list of network clubs.
Hollywood Fitness, 5223 NE Sandy Blvd, 503-281-4776, www.hollywoodfitness.net
The Green Microgym, 1237 NE Alberta St; 7703 SE 13th Ave; 503-933-2230, www.thegreenmicrogym.com; where else can you ride a stationary bike that generates electricity for the building? A separately licensed green gym (The Green Microgym Belmont, 828 SE 34th Ave, Ste B, 503-313-6216, www.thegreenmicrogymbelmont.com) is located in the Belmont Street neighborhood.
LA Fitness, www.lafitness.com, has 11 locations in the region.
Lloyd Athletic Club, 815 NE Halsey St, 503-287-4
594, www.lloydac.com; a FitLife network club
Loprinzi’s Gym, 2414 SE 41st Ave, 503-232-8311, www.loprinzisgym.com; this unpretentious, old-school-style neighborhood gym offers affordable, pay-as-you go memberships.
Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6551 SW Capitol Hwy, 503-244-0111, www.oregonjcc.org
The venerable Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St, 503-223-6251, www.themac.com, has long been a place where Portland’s movers and shakers could, well, move and shake, as well as hobnob. The eight-story clubhouse and 600-car parking garage remind you that you are not in Kansas anymore, as does the ban on “manual labor work clothes” in the lobby areas. (Seriously.) Sadly for would-be Gatsbys, with a few exceptions (e.g., legacy members and spouses of current members) MAC membership is by annual lottery.
Nautilus Plus OC, 10466 SE Main St, Milwaukie, 503-659-4111; 1715 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, 503-657-7717; www.nautilusoc.com
Northwest Women’s Fitness Club, 2714 NE Broadway, 503-287-0655, www.nwwomensfitness.com
Sunset Athletic Club, 13939 NW Cornell Rd, 503-645-3535, www.sunsetac.com; a FitLife network club
24 Hour Fitness, 800-224-0240, www.24hourfitness.com, has 14 locations in the Portland area.
West Coast Fitness, 2640 NE Alberta St, 503-288-4500; 2310 N Lombard St, 503-688-5130; 7522 N Lombard St, 503-283-5404; www.pdxgym.com; a FitLife network club