NORTH POWDER — When you run a ski area, the term “record high temperature” might as well be one four-letter word.

A couple of early fall storms whitened the slopes at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort but that promising start devolved into a period of unseasonably mild temperatures, according to Chelsea Judy, marketing director for the resort in the Elkhorn Mountains west of North Powder.

Although a bit of snow still lingers in sheltered areas, there’s not enough to thrust a measuring stick into it to get a reading, Judy said.

“I wouldn’t call it a (snow) base yet,” she said.

That was just a day after the temperature rose to 54 degrees at the Baker City Airport, breaking the previous record high, for the first day of December, of 53 set in 2013.

But Judy points out that at Anthony Lakes, with the highest base elevation (7,100 feet) among the Northwest’s ski areas, the transition to full-fledged winter can be, and often is, rapid.

“A couple of good storms” can sometimes be enough to kick off the ski season, she said.

Typically, Anthony Lakes needs about 2 feet of snow to start running the lift, although a deeper base is required to fully open all the downhill runs.

The weather forecast looked promising late last week, but the National Weather Service, after consulting its sophisticated computer models, tempered its initial predictions for significant snowfall in the mountains this week.

Weak storms brought light snow to the area late Dec. 4, and again Dec. 6, and cooler temperatures, and a chance for more snow, is forecast for later in the week as well.

With snow scarce across Oregon and the Northwest, Judy said she expects skiers and snowboarders will be eager to make their first runs when the weather allows.

“We’re definitely expecting pretty big numbers as soon as we’re able to open,” she said. “We’re all excited to ski.”

Judy pointed out that attendance was up at ski areas across the nation last winter, a trend industry officials attributed in part to people looking for outdoor activities during the pandemic.

On the viral front, Judy said this winter should be different from the last at Anthony Lakes.

Barring any new state-imposed restrictions, the plan is to open the lodge as usual this winter and have a normal parking system, she said.

Last winter, by contrast, Anthony Lakes encouraged visitors to use their vehicles as a staging spot, and although restrooms were available, the lodge was otherwise closed.

Although face masks will be required indoors, they will not be mandated in lift lines, as was the case last winter, Judy said.

One change from last winter that will carry over to 2021-22 is on the Nordic side.

Judy said the mobile Nordic “outpost” — a converted trailer — will again be parked in the Elkhorn Crest trailhead lot about a quarter-mile east of the lodge, just off the highway. The outpost will have Nordic trail passes and hot drinks, among other services.

The Anthony Lake Guard Station, which formerly served as the Nordic center, is now available for overnight rentals during the winter, an option that was popular last year, Judy said.

The trailhead parking lot has more space for vehicles than the site near the guard station, she said.

New options for beginners

The gentle slope near the lodge where fledgling skiers and boarders hone their technique has a new look.

And a new name — Alice’s Wonderland.

The ski area has replaced the “carpet,” which conveyed skiers up the hill, with a covered conveyor nicknamed the Caterpillar (hence the reference to Lewis Carroll’s beloved fantasy tale).

Judy said visitors whose skills surpass the challenge of Alice’s Wonderland can move on to the Mad Hatter Handle Tow, previously known as just the handle tow. The Mad Hatter also accesses the Rabbit Hole terrain park for beginning skiers and riders.

Future characters, in the same theme, are in the works.

Alice’s Wonderland, as distinct from “Alice in Wonderland,” honors Alice Trindle, a Baker County native and lifelong Anthony Lakes skier, longtime ski school instructor and member of the board of directors for Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association.

Trindle recently stepped down from her board role but she remains an integral member of the ski school, where she started teaching in 1978.

Supporting locally owned businesses

In place of Anthony Lakes’ previous half-price Thursday lift ticket promotion, the resort is offering $25 lift tickets on Thursdays — the usual price is $45 — for visitors who bring a receipt showing they had spent at least $40 in the previous week at a locally owned restaurant or shop in Baker, Union, Grant or Wallowa counties.

“We’re encouraging people to get out and shop locally,” Judy said.

She encourages snow enthusiasts to check the resort’s website, www.anthonylakes.com, for the latest snow conditions, schedules and other updates.