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Mount Bachelor
Mount Bachelor from Sparks Lake
Elevation	9,068 ft (2,763.9 m) NAVD 88  [1]
Prominence	2,665 ft (812.3 m) [2]
Location
Mount Bachelor Deschutes County, Oregon, USA
Range	Cascade Range
Coordinates	43°58′45.9″N 121°41′18.6″W / 43.979417°N 121.6885°W / 43.979417; -121.6885Coordinates: 43°58′45.9″N 121°41′18.6″W / 43.979417°N 121.6885°W / 43.979417; -121.6885 [1]
Topo map	USGS Mount Bachelor
Geology
Type	Stratovolcano (on top of a shield volcano)
Age of rock	less than 15,000 years
Volcanic arc/belt	Cascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption	8,000 to 10,000 years ago
Climbing
Easiest route	ski lift

Mount Bachelor, formerly named Bachelor Butte, is a stratovolcano atop a shield volcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range of central Oregon.^[3] The Mount Bachelor ski area has operated on the mountain since 1958.

The volcano lies at the northern end of the 15-mile (24 km) long Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain.^[4][5]

Geology

Mount Bachelor was formed between 11,000 and 15,000 years ago as a shield volcano but was later capped with a stratovolcano as the eruptions apparently became more explosive over time. It is the youngest prominent volcano in the Three Sisters area of Oregon. Bachelor is composed mainly of basalt and basaltic andesite.

It last erupted between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago and is entirely covered with Mazama ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Mazama about 6,845 years ago. There is no geothermal activity at present, though some areas popularly thought to be fumaroles are caused by air movement through the porous structure.^[4][5] Several are near the top of the Pine Marten chairlift and occasionally present a hazard to skiers and snowboarders where the snow is undermined.

Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain

Portions of this section include public domain text from the USFS Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests - Crooked River National Grassland.

The Mount Bachelor volcanic chain, southeast of South Sister, consists of Mount Bachelor itself and a series of cinder cones, lava flows and three shield volcanoes.^[6] The northernmost shield is capped by a steep-sided summit cone of Mount Bachelor. Minor explosive activity built the many cinder cones which fed the many lava flows that account for the bulk of the erupted material.^[7]

Eruptive activity of the chain can be considered in four episodes:

1. The oldest episode occurred approximately 18,000 - 15,000 years ago during glacial retreat. Most activity during this episode was located in the central part of the chain and built a shield volcano called Sheridan Mountain. In an area near Sparks Lake a group of vents formed beneath glacial ice and interacted with the ice to form hyaloclastite deposits and thick lava flows impounded by glacial ice. The resulting steep sided plateau is capped by Talapus and Katsuk Buttes.^[7]
2. During the second episode, eruptive activity was along the chain of scoria cones and lava flows that extends from the south side of Sheridan Mountain to the explosion crater at the south end of the chain.^[7]
3. During the third episode of eruptive activity built the shield volcano of which is capped by Kwohl Butte and the shield that underlies Mount Bachelor. The final phase of this episode built the summit cone of Mount Bachelor. The oldest glacial moraines recognized on Mount Bachelor are approximately 12,000 years old so the cone had nearly attained its present size by then. These moraines are overlain by the youngest lava flows of the third episode.^[7]
4. The last eruptive episode occurred approximately 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and produced a scoria cone and lava flows on the lower north flank of Mount Bachelor. All activity ended before 6,845 C-14 years BP, since tephra from the climactic eruption of Mount Mazama is found on all deposits of the Bachelor chain.^[7]

Skiing

Mount Bachelor ski area operates a chairlift during the summer as well as during the ski season (weather permitting). The resort is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest with a skiable area of 3,683 acres (14.9 km²) and a vertical drop of 3,365 feet (1,026 m).^[8]

Name

Mount Bachelor is so called because it "stands apart" from the Three Sisters, a group of three volcanic mountains that are northwest of Mount Bachelor. In early days Bachelor Butte (as it was originally named) was frequently called "Brother Jonathan".^[9] The resort developers were concerned that skiing on a butte might be perceived by consumers as "small-time" and so named their resort Mount Bachelor.^[9] Over time the popularity of the ski area led to the name Mount Bachelor coming into popular usage and in a divided decision, the Oregon Geographic Names Board voted to change the name from Bachelor Butte to Mount Bachelor.^[9][10]

See also

• Cascade Volcanoes
• Geology of the Pacific Northwest
• Deschutes National Forest

References

External links

• Mount Bachelor ski area
• Information on Mount Bachelor's various ski lifts

Major Cascade Volcanoes British Columbia Silverthrone Caldera · Franklin Glacier Volcano · Mount Meager (Capricorn · Job · Plinth · Pylon) · Mount Cayley · Mount Garibaldi Washington Mount Baker · Glacier Peak · Mount Rainier · Goat Rocks · Mount St. Helens · Mount Adams Oregon Mount Hood · Mount Jefferson · Three Sisters · Broken Top · Mount Bachelor · Newberry Volcano · Diamond Peak · Mount Thielsen · Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) · Yamsay Mountain  · Mount McLoughlin California Medicine Lake Volcano · Mount Shasta (Shastina) · Mount Tehama · Lassen Peak

From Wikitravel

Mount Bachelor

Do

There are many things to do at Mount Bachelor. It all depends on the season. If it is the summer you can go see the sights of the Mountain by taking chairlift rides up the mountain. Winter time is when the mountain is at it's peak, during this time you can ski or snowboard on one of the best resorts in the nation. The mountain usually opens around thanksgiving, but it all depends on the weather and usually closes it's season around the end of April, pending how much snow it has. The price for a daily lift ticket varies depending on the time of year, here is a lay out and the high and low prices.

• Adult $49-$52
• Youth (6-12) $30-$32
• Teen (13-18 ID Req.) $42-$45
• Senior (65-69) $42-$45
• Senior (70+) Free
• Adaptive $24-$26
• Lower Lift Special $32-$34
• Child (5 and Under) Free

There are many other things you can do at Mt Bachelor. The mountain offers a lot of cross country skiing trails, along with snowshoeing, and many snowmobile trails are in the area.

Also Mt Bachelor offers a lot of fun events during the year, some of them include:

• Free Day usually in February
• Chevy Grand Prix, an olympic qualifying event
• Winter special olympics held from March 3-5

These are just a few of the events offered each year.

Stay Safe

If you are planning a hike or skiing adventure into areas less travelled it is advised to take a Personal Location Transponder. If you should become lost, injured, or trapped this device will help emergency crews to locate you quickly via a GPS signal. The technology can now locate you to within 10 feet of your actual placement. A great accessory for snow enthusiaists in avalanche zones. Always get weather reports for the area prior to travelling.

Eat

On the mountain, Mount Bachelor offers three lodges all which provide food, also allows people to bring their own food. West Village lodge is the main lodge of the mountain and the only place you can purchase your lift ticket. There is also the Pine Marten lodge at the top of Pine Marten express and then Sunrise lodge.

Sleep

Althouh Bachelor doesn't have any places to stay on the mountain there are many places to stay in the area. The two that most people stay at are Bend which is a half hour drive away and also Sunriver which is a twenty minute drive. If you are looking for a place with more things to do at night like malls and restaurant then Bend would be the better choice. But if you are looking for a cabin to stay in then Sunriver is a better choice.