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Mountain DispatchBy Ski Flock Editorial Desk

This Oregon Mountain Cut Its Season Pass by $400. A New Law Explains Why

Timberline on Mount Hood rolled season pass prices back five years, with Tier 2 now $849 versus $1,249 last year, after Oregon's SB 1517 eased liability rules.

Ski news: This Oregon Mountain Cut Its Season Pass by $400. A New Law Explains Why

Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood has rolled its season pass prices back to roughly where they were five years ago, and a change in Oregon law is the reason it can. Senate Bill 1517, signed by Gov. Tina Kotek in April, gives ski operators protection from negligence claims under certain conditions. Last year Timberline had raised prices, citing higher insurance costs tied to liability waivers that were hard to enforce in Oregon.

The difference shows up right on the price list. Timberline's Adult Unlimited Season Pass started at $749 in Tier 1 this year, down from $949 at the same tier last year. Tier 1 closed at the end of September, and the current Tier 2 adult price is $849, compared with $1,249 a year ago. That is $400 less for the same pass. The Young Adult Unlimited Season Pass is $499.

Why the law mattered

For more than a decade, Oregon has been an outlier. In 2014 the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in Bagley v. Mt. Bachelor that a ski area's release could not shield it from a negligence claim, which left Oregon operators with less legal protection than resorts in many other states. KATU reports that this was the legal technicality behind last season's price jump.

A Timberline spokesperson called the rollback "a meaningful step toward keeping skiing accessible," and said the resort is thankful for SB 1517 while recognizing "there is still work to do" as the framework evolves.

What the pass gets you

  • A very long season: Timberline bills itself as having the longest ski season in North America, and Tier 1 buyers got access through June 13, 2027.
  • Big vertical: the resort says passholders can ski 4,540 vertical feet from the top of the Palmer area down to Government Camp.
  • Fusion option: the Mt. Hood Fusion Pass adds Mt. Hood Skibowl plus Powder Alliance benefits.
  • Perks: 25 percent off hotel rooms at the lodge and daily discounts on lessons, retail and food.

Mount Hood already had several inches of fresh snow by Monday afternoon, drawing early skiers and snowboarders up the mountain, according to KATU. See current pricing on Timberline's season pass page, and use the Timberline Lodge encyclopedia page for terrain, lodging and driving details from Portland. Skiers weighing Oregon options can also compare Mt. Bachelor.