Local Effort To Buy Oregon's Largest Ski Resort Gains Momentum

Mount Bachelor Community Inc. (MBCI), the local group intent on purchasing Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, from its current owners—POWDR Corp.—saw continued momentum with the hosting of a kick-off rally late last week on Saturday, October 12th, in Bend, Oregon.

The event's speakers included Dan Cochrane and Chris Porter, the co-founders of MBCI, and Melanie Kebler, the mayor of Bend, Oregon. It also saw hundreds of Central Oregon residents in attendance.

The rally marked MBCI’s seventh week of operation and followed a successful fundraising campaign that produced over $40,000 to support legal and compliance services essential to the organization’s acquisition effort. These contributions have allowed MBCI to engage with Miller Nash, a law firm that supported Willamette Valley Vineyards’ IPO.

Porter and Cochrane want MBCI to operate like Willamette Valley Vineyards, which is owned by over 20,000 wine enthusiasts. MBCI intends to offer two buy-in opportunities for local ownership of Mt. Bachelor, one of which includes shares estimated to cost $5 for the general public and would let Mt. Bachelor fans own a piece of their favorite resort.

“As one of our region’s largest employers and most prominent visitor attractions, Mount Bachelor is essential to Bend and Central Oregon’s economies,” said Kebler. “Transitioning the mountain to a community-centric ownership model is in the region’s best interest and is in strong alignment with the City of Bend’s 2023-2025 Council Goals.”

POWDR listed Mt. Bachelor for sale earlier this year , prompting rumors about prospective buyers. Porter and Cochrane started an email account dedicated to a local attempt to buy the resort, which was soon filled with numerous emails, indicating that the Bend community was more than stoked about the idea of local ownership.

“The incredible response to our organization’s mission, exemplified by a fundraising campaign that exceeded its goal in just one week and the energy on display at today’s rally, proves that we have the Mount Bachelor community’s full backing,” said Cochrane. “This includes lifelong Bend residents, weekend warriors from Portland, and even families from other West Coast states who make annual ski trips to the mountain with their kids.”

In an era dominated by corporate ski resorts, community ownership may seem like a longshot, but, as Porter told POWDER in a conversation last month, “We've really caught lightning in a bottle here.”

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