I live in Portland, so Shanwnee is only about an hour dive apposed to a 3 hour drive anywhere else. I go up there every Monday, Friday and Saturday. As long as the conditions are good. So far this year... I have not been up there on a bad day... I was in California skiing mammoth during all the rain in December... Shawnee is a small mountain that does not have any extremely challenging trials or any world renown snow fall, but the mountain is an awesome mountain to grow up on. It is cheap, not crowded, and they have plenty of ski patrol just in case. This mountain is the best overall home town mountain! I grew up in California, skiing places like Mammoth, Tahoe, and Big Bear... all of which can be found in Warren Miller films. If you haven't seen a Warren Miller film... then you don't belong on a ski slope.

I tried Shawnee Peak with my kids (3 & 5) last year and was really pleased with the friendliness of the employees (particularly the lift attendants) and the cool little carpet lift in the base area. It's perfect for a single parent - cheap (only cost $10 for me to ride the lift - free for the kids) and parking is right up close to the base lodge. No shuttles from distant parking lots. I'll definitely be back

Shawnee Peak is a pretty nice ski area. Most of the trails are easy to moderate and the conditions are usually icy, but it doesn't detract from the fun. If you get bored of the easier trails you can find some great steep thrills on trails like Cody's Caper and the Dungeons. this mountain has something for everyone. The service is good and the food in the lodge is excellent.