News

We’ve been working on trailhead improvements at a number of the Sno-Parks along the Cascade Lakes Highway corridor this fall. There’s a new ladder board at the Common Corridor crossing, a bit farther back from the road and in a better spot for access.
We also have installed two new ladder board supports at the Dutchman Sno-Park, and one at Wanoga Sno-Park. The bulletin boards for these supports should be finished in mid-December. New, better quality maps and updated winter recreation information will be on all the boards.
There are some updates to the signage regarding dog closures at the Sno-Parks on the north side of the highway. The new signs include the closure dates and also help direct people to where dogs are permitted.
You may also notice some orange fencing at Dutchman and Swampy Lakes Sno-Parks; these are protecting foundation holes for new summer trailhead kiosks at both locations. Work on those kiosks should be completed in the spring.
This work was done in cooperation with Deschutes National Forest with funds provided by the Bend Sustainability Fund, through Visit Bend. Thank you for your support of winter trails!

Assembling the new ladder board supports

It took a fair amount of effort to set the ladder board supports in place.

The final touches on filling the holes around the supports.

The Common Corridor ladder board with new info panels installed.

New ‘No Dogs’ info signs at Meissner. New signs have also been installed at Swampy Lakes, Vista Butte and Dutchman Sno-Parks

The orange fencing at Swampy Lakes trailhead protects the foundation holes for the new summer kiosks that will be installed in the spring. Similar fencing is in place at Dutchman Sno-Park.

Nordic Ski World Cup- Minneapolis

Below is an email I recently received from Paul Gruen; please read it!  If you have ever wanted to see World Cup Nordic in person, this might be your opportunity.  Below his email, I've reproduced the 4 page flier for the WC event.

I've responded to Paul that I would circulate this email to CONC members, and have invited him to Bend.  If he does come, I will reach out to everyone to help show him a great time!

Eric

Paul G <pcgruen@gmail.com>

Hello Nordic ski friends in Oregon!

My name is Paul Gruen, and I recently became an official "ambassador" for the 2024 cross country ski World Cup in Minneapolis.  I am a native of Minnesota, and currently work at the REI flagship store in Seattle, as a sales associate in the Nordic Ski department.

The Loppet Foundation is organizing the events in Minneapolis, and they asked me to be a PNW contact person on their behalf. Part of this involves reaching out to the Nordic ski community, and help locate enthusiasts and supporters who were not able to get tickets.  You might know that spectator tickets were sold out almost immediately after they were available.

If you are in need of tickets, or if you know of more people we should be contacting, I hope you can let me know. There is no cost.

Here is the schedule for the CONC ski lessons:

Skate lessons
12/ 5/2023, 12/12/2023, 12/19/2023, and 12/26/2023.
Dennis Krakow is the lead teacher.  He will lead all the lessons. 
Four stand alone separate lessons- same skills taught in each lesson. Do not sign up for more than one session.  Experienced skate skiers only (@15 times on skate skis)
groups of 4

Meet at Meissner. 10 am. Further details as we get closer to lesson dates.

Questions to Jerry at jsebestyen@eoni.com

Register through the Events page or the links above.

Beginner-Beginner ski lessons-  Groomed trails (Rolled)

12/17/2023 - Swampy Sno-Park

Lessons geared toward those with only 4-5 times on nordic skis.  Limited to 25 members.

Topics include navigation, uphill techniques, equipment, falls and righting yourself, downhill techniques, and across the flat.

Registration or questions to Jerry at jsebestyen@eoni.com

Additional details as we get closer to lesson (ie meeting time and place, organization, groups...)

Beginner- Backcountry lesson-  tracked and untracked snow

1/10/2024 - Swampy Sno-Park

Lessons geared toward those who are comfortable on groomed but want to learn back country skiing.  Limited to 25 members.

Topics include navigation, uphill techniques, equipment, falls and righting yourself, downhill techniques, and across the flat.

Registration or questions to Jerry at jsebestyen@eoni.com

Additional details as we get closer to date.  (ie meeting time and place, equipment, organization, groups...)

X-C Downhill at Mt. Bachelor

Date TBD (February)

The lesson will use Mt. Bachelor's Early Riser lift. (Lift is free)

Appropriate equipment and skills required. Limited to 10 members.

Respond to Jerry at jsebestyen@eoni.com

Additional details as we get closer to date.  (ie meeting time and place, equipment requirements, ...)

Telemark outing and seminar

Date TBD (A Thursday in March)

The outing will be at Hoodoo ski area on a Thursday.  Lift tickets are discounted on Thursdays

Woody Keen will lead the outing.

Appropriate equipment and skills required. Limited to 10 members.

Respond to Jerry at jsebestyen@eoni.com

Additional details as we get closer to date.  (ie meeting times and place, equipment requirements...)

Events are always posted on the calendar, but you can get an immediate email when an event you're interested in is posted.  You can remove yourself from these emails just as easily.  Also, if you are interested in being notified about volunteer events, this is how you do that to.

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If you haven't yet read and agreed to the liability waiver, you'll have to do that.  Click on the text to open the waiver so you can read it.  Then check the box.

Don't forget to save the changes to your profile.

Contributed by Gary Elnan, CONC Firewood Coordinator

The firewood stocking is now completed for Swampy, ACDC, Swede, and Nordeen winter shelters.  We have stocked a total of 7.4 cords of firewood.  All of the efforts of the CONC volunteers and Deschutes NF folks is deeply appreciated.  We just need a bit more snow and away we go!

I tried to make a few measurements to track our stocking now and will measure again at the end of the winter season. Ideally, we can get to the point of knowing what we use on average at each shelter and stock only enough to use up completely during the winter months and leave no firewood leftover for summer use where it presents more fire hazards.

The firewood is mostly in front of each shelter and some stowed under benches.  Each has a plastic jar with matches, fire starter cubes, kindling, and newspaper to get a fire going.  The exterior firewood is well wrapped with lumber wrap kindly furnished by Miller Lumber.

Thanks to all who helped!   

This week, Dennis DeLapp, Christie Crowe and Frank Florence completed work on the new AC-DC Shelter Snowshoe Trail by installing junction signs and reassurance markers and trimming for marker visibility. This trail offers an out-n-back snowshoe route to the AC-DC Shelter and its views of Mt Bachelor. To get to the trail, one snowshoes 1 ½ miles to the west from Edison Sno-Park on the Tesla Snowshoe Trail to junction “E”. At the junction, turn right, and snowshoe 1-mile on this new trail to the shelter. The trail is rated as “most difficult” due to the 2 ½ mile distance to the shelter from the sno-park and an elevation gain of 500 feet; though none of it steep.

The history of the AC-DC Shelter Snowshoe Trail goes back to about 2009. Jim Davis, AKA Dr Snowshoe, and his group of volunteers proposed and flagged a route to the AC-DC Shelter from the Tesla Snowshoe Trail. Unfortunately, Jim couldn’t get approval for implementation of the . When Jim passed on the stewardship responsibility for the snowshoe trails in 2013, he included a map showing the proposed AC-DC Shelter route.

Fast forward to December 2020. With encouragement about getting new snowshoe trails approved, Chuck DelCambre and Dennis Delapp joined me to snowshoe Jim’s proposed route. Amazingly, we found a few bits of Jim’s flagging in the trees. With approval in October 2021 by the Forest Service of CONC’s request for new and re-routed Nordic and Snowshoe trails, Dennis DeLapp, Chuck DelCambre, Christie Crowe and I returned in February 2022 to detail flag the trail. The trail was 4th on the list for implementation in the fall of 2022. After completing the Long Loop re-route, followed by the Tesla Short Loop Snowshoe trail, we stashed the extension ladder along the trail, ready for use on the AC-DC snowshoe trail the following week. Unfortunately, snow came early and implementation of the trail was deferred to 2023. The extension ladder waited patiently along Tesla for our return this fall.

Earlier this month, Gary Evans and Dennis DeLapp helped with initial clearing. A week later, David Alward, Frank Florence, Christie Crowe, and Dennis DeLapp spent a long day clearing blowdown and brush. Work was completed this week with installation of junction signs and markers. 

Oct 15, 2023, contributed by Kelly Cleman

A group of six hikers met up at Thump Coffee to hike the Dry River Canyon. This trail is closed seasonally for nesting birds and reopens in the fall and winter to hikers. The approximately 6.5 mile trail one way goes from an obscure trailhead near the Badlands wilderness and ends at Hwy 20. There isn't much gain although there is a rocky area to cross where poles and sure footing is a plus. The day was very sunny and warm and we enjoyed a nice ramble in this picturesque area. We walked up-canyon, admiring the colors and textures of the rock surrounding us. The trail winds through sagebrush, juniper, and the occasional ponderosa pine. We decided not to go all the way to the Hwy 20 junction and opted instead to stop about 1/4 mile short and enjoy some lunch. On the way back, we encountered what we thought was some scat, but couldn't identify what creature it was from. Perhaps a reader of this blog can identify it.  (CONC Members: If you are logged in, you can enter a comment below.)

October 1, 2023, contributed by Kelly Cleman

A full group of 12 hikers showed up to do the 9 mile hike up to South Matthieu Lake via the Scott Pass trail. Although this hike goes up to Matthieu Lake, the Scott Pass trailhead does not require a Central Cascade Wilderness permit. It is also not very heavily trafficked, so it makes for some good trail solitude. Although the weather had been rainy on the days prior to the hike, this Sunday dawned clear and not too cold. The trail goes through some pretty wide open terrain due to a burn from several years ago, so we enjoyed views of North Sister for most of the hike up to the lake. We arrived at the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail, and then walked for a few minutes down to South Matthieu Lake. We found a nice spot by the lake and enjoyed our lunch and the views of North Sister and Yapoah Crater out in the lava field. We then headed back to the trailhead at a leisurely pace. 

Contributed by Mitch Luftig

A few years ago, my wife, Stephanie, and I were skiing the North Loop out of Ray Benson Sno-park. We brought along a snack of tangerines and string cheese, which we looked forward to consuming once we reached the Blowout Shelter, designated for day use. However, when we arrived, a large group was overnighting at the shelter, with backpacks and camping equipment strewn along the wooden benches and hammocks strung like spider webs from the walls and ceiling, leaving no room for us to get out of the cold and enjoy our snack.

The good news. According to the National Forest Service, there are two Santiam Pass Area Shelters appropriate for skiers and snowshoers to use for an overnight stay.

 Mountain View Shelter can be accessed from the Maxwell Sno-Park. It is open for both day use and overnight stays. A maximum capacity of 15 persons are allowed to overnight.

 Described by Hike Oregon as spacious, fully enclosed shelter with lots of windows and a big wood stove. The shelter is usually stocked with fire wood, although if you are going late in the season, it is best to bring your own just in case the supply at the shelter has run out. There is an outhouse close by for convenience. 

 Views from the shelter area include Mt. Washington, the Three Sisters (to the south) and Three-Finger Jack and Mt. Jefferson (to the north).

 South Maxwell Snow Shelter can also be accessed from the Maxwell Snow-park. The shelter is open for day use and overnight stays, with a maximum overnight capacity of four persons. South Maxwell has a wood stove, no door, and a gravel floor.

 Forest Service Shelter Regulations:

1.        Shelters cannot be reserved and exclusive use by individuals and groups is prohibited.

2.        Overnight stays are permitted from November 15 to April 30.

3.        Maximum stay limit is 3 nights.

4.        Shelters must be shared with whomever would like to use the shelter.

5.        All shelters are backcountry sites – all garbage and human waste (if there is no restroom facility) along with extra food and supplies should be packed out. Follow Leave No Trace principles as you enjoy your winter outing.

6.         Candles are not allowed. Please bring your own lights.

7.        Firewood (if provided) is to be used in woodstoves only.

 

 Directions: Maxwell Sno-Park is located 3.5 miles west of Santiam Junction on state Highway 22.

According to GAIA GPS, one-way distance from the snow park to the shelter is 4.7 miles, taking approximately 2 hours, 33 minutes to complete. There is 676 ft of elevation gain.

Amy Brown of Outdoor Project says the easiest route to shelters heads north from Maxwell Sno-park on the Flat Loop Trail and then northeast along the Mountain View Loop. All of the trails lead through the thick Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar, and generally the trails are very well marked with blazes and signs at junctions; note, however, that abundant fresh snow may make route finding a bit of a challenge, so be sure to travel with a map.

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