Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

Your tan is fading, your heater is all the way up and you're wearing boots to work: It is conclusively fall. But what comes after fall? Winter! When the mountains fill with snow, fools in sedans try to drive slippery roads and you get up early to stand in line to fling yourself down a mountain.

Here are Oregon destinations where you can point your skis, or your board, downhill and zoom through the snow, every month this winter and even some of the spring.

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Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian

Need more ideas?

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November: Whatever resort opens first

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Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian

Skiing in November in Oregon is a real crapshoot. Some years, you can get a lucky pre-season snowfall. In 2017, Timberline opened on Oct. 14, but this year the resort is hoping for Thanksgiving weekend, like many other Oregon resorts.

Realistically, your best bets in the state are probably Timberline or Mt. Bachelor.

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December: Mt. Bachelor

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Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian

is the crown jewel of skiing Oregon. With 4,000 skiable acres and 101 runs, why not start your season with Mt. Bachelor, before everyone remembers skiing is even a thing and mobs the mountain?

Mt. Bachelor's targeted opening date is Nov. 23, spokesperson Drew Jackson said over email.

If the past two years are any indication -- the mountain opened Nov. 18 in 2017 and Nov. 25 in 2016 -- Bachelor should be open all of December.

If you don't make it in December, you have a whole season to make up for it. Bachelor doesn't usually close until the end of May.

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Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

How much is a ticket:

An all-day lift ticket for ages 19 to 64 will cost $99 when

this year. According to Jackson, "All tickets sold in person, on-premises at Mt. Bachelor this winter will be $10 higher than the online price."

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Courtesy of Sunriver Resort

Where to stay:

If you want to stay as close as possible to the mountain and get a ride up every day, go with

, where housing options range from lodge rooms to houses for your entire extended family.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

What to do besides skiing:

Nearby Bend

. If you don't want to hit the slopes, drink beer at one of the many breweries or wander the Old Mill District. If you're staying in Sunriver, go ice skating!

Pictured: Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint just east of downtown Bend.

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January: Mt. Hood Meadows

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

The holidays will be over and you will be deep in the mire of work in January. This will be the perfect time to take a midweek "sick day" and hit

, the biggest resort on Mount Hood.

By January, the mountain will be open and, we hope, fully operational. And this year, Meadows is introducing "dynamic ticket pricing," where ticket prices will be based on demand. So, you are definitely going to want to find a day when no one else is on the mountain, will probably midweek.

If you don't make it during January, that's okay too. According to spokesperson Dave Tragethon, Meadows expects to open around Nov. 30 for full operations, In 2017, Meadows opened Dec. 2 and in 2016, it opened Nov. 25. Meadows usually remains open with full operations until the end of April and for weekends only into early May.

All of this, of course, depends on snow.

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Kristyna Wentz-Graff/The Oregonian

How much is a ticket: With dynamic pricing, Tragethon said, "We expect lift tickets to be available as low as $39 or $49 up to $89 or $99 depending on the demand."

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Steve Gibbons/The Oregonian

Where to stay:

If you want to stay on the mountain,

. Definitely get a milkshake.

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

What to do besides skiing: Meadows does not have the greatest hangout lodge. Instead, go into Government Camp and grab a beer at one of the spots on the main drag -- try Ratskeller -- then take a walk through the snowy woods.

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February: Hoodoo

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

By February, you will need a vacation. Sure, you could go somewhere warm, but why not instead head to the Cascades and

, where you can enjoy the cheaper prices of a small ski resort and also enjoy proximity to Sisters, Camp Sherman and Suttle Lake.

This year, according to spokesperson Josh Alder, the mountain will offer night skiing from 3:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays starting in mid-December, which means you can spend the day adventuring in Central Oregon and the evening skiing under the stars.

In 2017, Hoodoo opened Dec. 22 and in 2016, on Dec. 15, so you can expect Hoodoo to open again as soon as there is enough snow. Generally, the resort closes in late April.

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How much is a ticket: An all-day peak ticket for ages 13 to 64 will cost $59 this year.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Where to stay:

If you can get a spot at

, you'll be close to the mountain and have a place with fancy food to come home to at night.

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

What to do besides skiing:

Go into Sisters and grab a burger and milkshake at

.

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March: Mt. Ashland

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Courtesy of Logan McConnell

As spring inches closer, take a trip to

. The resort has five lifts and 23 runs and is close to the Southern Oregon gem of Ashland.

This year, the mountain hopes to be open Dec. 8, according to spokesperson Michael Stringer, and close on April 7, barring a major snow, so March is a good bet to get in some turns down south.

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Courtesy of Mt. Ashland

How much is a ticket: A weekend/holiday ticket for anyone over 13 will be $52. A ticket on a weekday will cost $45.

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Janet Eastman/The Oregonian

Where to stay:

Janet Eastman, The Oregonian/OregonLive's resident Ashland experts, suggests

, which sits on 14 acres in Ashland or

, which is between Ashland and Mt. Ashland.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

What to do besides skiing:

Ashland

. Drink the water in Lithia Park or take a walk on Alice's Hiking Trails in Wonderland

Pictured: Lithia Park

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April: Timberline

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Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian

By April, the ski season will be winding down in most places across the state. But up at

, the season doesn't stop until September.

Up on the glacier, you can get the most out of spring skiing -- great views, bluebird days and the best lodge for just hanging out in.

Spokesperson John Burton said that while the resort is shooting for a Thanksgiving open, "Mother Nature dictates."

No worries though, because Timberline will run winter operations through Memorial Day weekend (yes that's May) and then switch to summer operations until early to mid-September.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

How much is a ticket: $73 for single-day lift ticket for an adult 18 to 64.

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Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian

Where to stay:

For the full experience, and general driving and parking sanity, stay at

, a rustic and beautiful old-timey lodge perched on the mountain.

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Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian

What to do besides skiing: Timberline Lodge is a great place to hang out. If you are a guest, do not skip the pool and hot tub, outdoors and open year round. Then get hot chocolate and play games in the bar for an extremely cozy experience.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

Want more?

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-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker