The Little Pine chairlift carries skiers and a snowboarder on opening day, Dec. 13, 2021, at Mt. Bachelor ski area. Mt. Bachelor expects to open Wednesday for 2022.

There was plenty of turkey carving last week. This week Mt. Bachelor ski area wants skiers to start carving the mountain.

A winter storm dropped half a foot of snow at Mt. Bachelor on Monday, providing enough base for the resort to start lift operations on Wednesday.

The Little Pine chairlift looks certain to open, said Johnny Sereni, a spokesperson for the ski area.

Pine Marten chairlift is also likely to open but is not yet certain.

Sereni recommends skiers check the Mt. Bachelor website on Wednesday morning for updates on what lifts will be running.

“We got a good dump of snow overnight, nearly a foot, and there is more coming,” said Sereni.

“The plan is to open (Pine Marten), but we still have to wait and see.”

Sereni expects more of the mountain to open up by the weekend. He said Skyliner and Sunrise lifts could all be open by Saturday, while again cautioning skiers to check the website for the latest conditions before driving up to the mountain.

Pricing for tickets is dynamic this year and can change based on various factors, including the number of chairlifts operating.

For example, a daily adult lift ticket costs $82 through Dec. 9, according to Mt. Bachelor’s website. Prices then vary from $103 for a lift ticket for those ages 19-64 to $155 per ticket the week after Christmas. For most of December, lift tickets bought on Saturday or Sunday will run $127.

Buying tickets well in advance can also lower the price. Skiers also get a big discount by purchasing lift tickets online instead of buying them at the ticket window.

Sereni said skiers who buy ahead, and then decide they don’t want to ski because not enough lifts are open, can cancel their tickets and apply the credit to future tickets.

“We are going to get open Wednesday with something. There is weather still around, so we are expecting a crowd and are actually trying to open a lot more of the mountain for Saturday,” said Sereni. “As long as it keeps snowing, we will keep opening things.”

Mt. Bachelor has received 43 inches of snow this year as of Monday midday, and has a base of 20 inches. Snow is forecast at the mountain every day this week, with daytime temperatures in the 20s, falling into the teens overnight.

Elsewhere in Central Oregon, Hoodoo Ski Area west of Sisters has not set its opening date. As of Monday the ski area had 20 inches of snow and is expecting more on Wednesday. Once the mountain has 30 inches the resort operators will begin packing snow to start operations.

“We are hoping this storm on Wednesday gives us another 10 inches ,” said Tracy Streeter, manager of Hillside Ski & Sport, Hoodoo’s ski shop in Sisters. “With these storms coming, it’s looking good.”