Willamette Pass Resort

"Fun smaller ski area!"

Last March (08) we decided to take the family skiing.  I wanted to introduce our 6-month old to the snow and get him 'sliding'.  (Disclaimer: We have a big family of skiers and snowboarders.  I am ex-ski racer and would modestly classify myself as an expert, so I felt comfortable taking our son out in the Baby Bjorn.  I would say if you are not comfortable with it, don't do it.  I was also skiing with my dad who is a ski patroller, my aunt who is a ski instructor, and my husband who were all keeping people a safe distance from us.) 
The area itself is great, and I have always loved coming here, as this is where I learned to ski when I was really little. The lodge is nice and big and when we didn't have our son out with us, he hung out in the there with Gramma and played.  They got to look out the big windows and watch for us and there was lots of space to crawl around.  The time we were there wasn't super busy either, so the lodge was relatively quiet and it was easy for him to take a nap (especially snuggled in the ErgoBaby carrier).  Please know, there is not a day care, but they do provide ski lessons for the younger set.
The runs on the bottom of the mountain are nice and easy (mainly all green runs with a couple of blue).  As you go higher up the mountain the runs definitely get more challenging and Willamette Pass boasts one of the steepest runs in the nation (it is called RTS).  There is an area for beginners that is away from all of the other runs called Sleepy Hollow and allows new skiers to feel protected.  There are also plenty of ungroomed runs (for those pow-pow days), and nice long groomers for tired legs.  There are runs for everyone.  If you prefer something a little slower paced, they have lots of nordic trails (I am not super familiar wsith them as I have spent most of mt time on the alpine side).  There is also a tube park.
One of the things I like best about the area is that it is smaller.  We live closer to Mt. Hood, but the areas there are so busy and crowded and huge. As our son gets bigger I won't worry about him going off on his own to ski Willamette Pass with his friends.
When we got up there we paid $1, which will cover our son until he is 5 (it is basically the release for the mountain), bought our tickets and hit the slopes.  We went in March just before spring break and there weren't that many people on the hill (plus we were there on Thursday and Friday).  The weather was amazing also, and we really had spring skiing conditions (we made sure to put on lots of sun screen too...very important!).
The views from the top are simply fantastic.  You can see all of the other mountains in the Cascades, Odell Lake and trees as far as the eyes can see.