First signs of ski season showing up.

Byline: INSIDE THE OUTDOORS By Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Mount St. Helens may be blowing off steam, but the rest of the volcanoes and cinder cones in the Cascade Range are chilling out nicely, thank you.

In fact, an unseasonable cold front already has blanketed Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters with snow, which quickly melted in the September sun.

If early snowstorms weren't warning enough, then the arrival of the annual ski swap and movie season and the publication of ads touting discounts on season lifts passes and want ads seeking ski area workers ought to tell us that ski and snowboard season is just the turn of a (calendar) page away.

In fact, Bend-area snow hounds have only a week to rummage through their garages and attics to find any old gear or clothing they'd like to find a new home for at the annual Skyliners Ski Swap, the largest snow equipment swap meet east of the Cascades. The 38th annual event will be Oct. 16.

Meanwhile, in Eugene, Oct. 29-30 will mark the 35th annual Ski Swap at the Lane County Fairgrounds. (Consignments are accepted on the 28th and 29th.)

As usual, three local ski patrols (Santiam, Willamette Pass and Willamette Backcountry) will run the event, which matches up hundreds of potential buyers with sellers. Sales commissions and consignment fees are used to equip the ski patrols and outfit them with medical supplies.

For details, log on to www.santiampassskipatrol.org, then click on "ski swaps."

Another harbinger of ski season is the annual screening of Warren Miller's latest ski movie.

"Impact" is the title of the 2004 film, which is No. 55 in the Miller motion picture series. As usual, it will showcase some of the top winter sports athletes in the world. In recognition of Miller's 55th anniversary of movie making, it also takes a look back in time.

"Impact" is scheduled to screen at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene. Tickets are $16.50 and are available at Ullr's Sport Shop, Ticketswest and, the night of the show, at the box office. Everyone who attends the Eugene show will receive a free lift ticket to Mount Hood Meadows, a free twilight lift ticket to Willamette Pass and a free day demo ski use from Ullr's Sport Shop.

Meanwhile, ski areas in Oregon are gearing up for the winter season.

Mount Bachelor will hold its annual `Instructors Job Fair,' at which the mountain's ski and snowboard instructors are hired, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 23.

The majority of other seasonal positions at Mount Bachelor - lift operators, ticket sellers, etc. - will be filled at "An All-Mountain Job Fair" to be held Oct. 30-31, 2004. Details: www.mtbachelor.com .

One new product Bachelor is offering this year is a `season pass' on equipment rentals. One rate gets you a season's use of the latest gear.

Also, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the governing body of snowboarding in the U.S., announced recently that the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix schedule will include events at Mount Bachelor during both the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Breckenridge, Colo., and Mountain Creek, N.J., will also host Grand Prix events the next two years. The 2005 competition at Mount Bachelor is scheduled for Jan. 7-9.

Meanwhile, Hoodoo Ski Area will have something a little different inside its day lodge.

"Hoodoo is assembling what appears to be the best snowboard museum collection in the world," owner Chuck Shepard said.

The collection of boards used in historic races and by well-known racers belong to a collector who does not want his name known, Shepard said. The boards will be mounted on the interior walls of the day lodge.

Mike Stahlberg can be reached at [e-mail].