P L AY
LET IT SNOW In the early 1900s, Norwegian and Swedish immigrants arrived in Bend to work in the town’s flourishing timber mills. With them came skiing, and ever since, snow sports have been staples of Bend’s winter sports scene. With more than 4,300 acres of lift-accessible terrain, Mt. Bachelor is a must-do on your vacation bucket list. It’s the resort with the highest skiable elevation in all of Oregon and Washington, with enough steeps and trees to keep extreme skiers and riders happy. When it comes to snow, Mt. Bachelor has the best powder conditions of any West Coast resort and one of the longest seasons, with operations through the end of May (and occasional Fourth of July skiing after an especially good winter!) Mt. Bachelor is also known for their popular kids-ski-free program. If you’re contemplating terrain park and halfpipe action, Mt. Bachelor delivers: catch air in six terrain parks and a 400-foot-long Superpipe with 18-foot walls. If Nordic skiing is more your scene, start your adventure at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center. The area boasts 55 kilometers of groomed trails for skate and classic skiing, and the longest groomed Nordic season in North America. A bit closer to town off Century Drive, there are close to 30 kilometers of groomed trails at the Virginia Meissner Sno-Park. For those who prefer un-groomed but marked trails, the Swampy Lake and Edison Sno-Park trails are an ideal way to escape the hustle and bustle and glide into the serene. You can even Nordic ski with your pooch on the dog-friendly trail at Wanoga Sno-Park. Are you an experienced backcountry skier? With the Three Sisters Wilderness and its volcanic peaks and cinder cones so close, Bend’s backcountry skiing is among the most accessible in the country. Try Tumalo Mountain just across the road from Mt. Bachelor for a great mix of open bowl and tree skiing. Head back into the wilderness for all-day trips featuring long climbs and descents. Guided backcountry trips can be arranged through Oregon Ski Guides. If you prefer to try it on your own, maps and supplies are available at local ski shops. Then, there’s snowshoeing—the wintertime cousin to hiking in Bend. Try Drake Park in the heart of Bend when there’s
snow in town, or head up along the Cascade Lakes Highway to scout out a variety of Sno-Parks along the way. Try the marked snowshoe trails at the Edison, Swampy Lakes, and Virginia Meissner Sno-Parks. You can also nab a free corridor pass from Bachelor’s Nordic Center to shoe your way to Todd Lake. Or, try an all-inclusive tour led by a naturalist guide at Wanderlust Tours. Invite your pup to join you on the dog-friendly snowshoe loop at Wanoga Sno-Park. In the mood to twirl around the ice? The Pavilion near the Old Mill District offers Central Oregon’s only full NHL-sized sheet of ice, which is perfect for everything from hockey games to family skate dates. You’ll also find rinks at Seventh Mountain Resort, Sunriver, and a small community rink in nearby Redmond. Nothing says family-friendly winter fun like sledding. Wanoga Sno-Park off the Cascade Lakes Highway offers kids and the kid-at-heart the opportunity to sled, build a snowman, and play in the snow to their hearts’ content. More tubing fun can be had at Mt. Bachelor’s Snowblast Tubing Park with an 800foot ride over rollers and slippery slopes. For a shot at one of the most unique wintertime activities around, consider a dogsledding adventure. Oregon Trail of Dreams dog sled tours leave from the Sunrise Lodge at Mt. Bachelor. Owned and operated by Jerry Scdoris and his daughter, Iditarod racer Rachael Scdoris, Oregon Trail of Dreams harnesses some of the sport’s top dog athletes for fun and exhilarating family rides. If you want to rev your engine, snowmobiliers will find more than 250 miles of groomed sled trails fan out into the mountains from a variety of Sno-Parks less than 15 minutes from downtown. For the adventurous, try an overnight excursion to Elk Lake Resort or to Paulina Lake and back.
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