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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1985)
Cross Country Skiing: Places and Programs by Talbot Bielefeldt Cross country ski areas include any patch of ground that happens to be covered with snow. Conse quently, any guide to the sport is bound to be incomplete. The par tial list of nordic resources below is roughly arranged according to distance from Eugene and Spring field. Eugene Parks and Recreation Department Outdoor Program 301 N. Adams Eugene, OR 97402 687-5329 Willamalane Park District Memorial Building Community Center 765 N. “A" St. Springfield, OR 97477 746-1669 Both of these recreation pro grams feature beginning and inter mediate ski lessons, plus ski tours, handicapped programs, and spe cial classes in cross country, downhill, racing and instructor training. Eugene Parks and Re creation runs an accredited ski school, but since the two cities draw on the same pool of instruc tors, Willamalane’s program is more or less the same. Gold Lake Sno Park This is the port of entry to the sport for many beginners. The parking area on Highway 58 just west of Willamette Pass provides access to gentle road tours to Gold Lake (north side of the highway) and Pengra Pass (south side). Marked Forest Service trails link with more adventurous tours to Mid night Lake, the Willamette Pass Ski Area, Rosary Lakes and other destinations. The volunteer Nor dic Ski Patrol maintains a base at the parking area. For maps and r 1 Take A Bagel Along Better yet, take a dozen. Bagels are great for all outdoor activities. They’re durable, lightweight, water repellent and nutritionally sound. We also have great: • Croissants • Fresh Breads • Muffins • and a Dell Section humble bagel co. Open Daily 7:30-7:00 24th & Hilyard trail information, contact the Oakridge Ranger Station, 46375 Highway 58, Westfir, OR 97492, 433-2234. Odell Lake Lodge P.O. Box 72 Crescent Lake, OR 97425 433-2540 The resort at the east end of Odell Lake is the closest thing to a nordic center near Willamette Pass. The rustic lodge offers hotel and cabin accommodations, a res taurant, ski rentals and lessons. The ungroomed trail system was lengthened during the summer and the trails have been widened. Additional Forest Service trails are accessible from the lodge. Odell plows its own lot and access road from Highway 58, so Sno park permits are not required. Day visitors do have to pay a small parking fee, however. Call early for weekend reservations. Old Davis Lake Road In some respects, this is the ideal day tour: a rolling, snowed in road leading to an open hill that makes an ideal picnic-spot-cum ski-play area. The only catch is the road rolls a little sharply for first-timers, and it can be a little hard to find. Skiers can park at Odell Lake Lodge or at a turnout east of the Lodge access road on Highway 58. The Old Davis Lake Road is on the north side of the highway between Odell and the turnout. It also is possible to ski on a marked trail from the turn out, if you can handle a dicey crossing of Odell Creek. A number of other trails loop off of the road. The Willamette National Forest (see Oakridge Ranger Sta tion, above) publishes a trail guide describing some of these routes. Crescent Lake Lodge and Kesort P.O. Box 73 Crescent Lake, OR 97425 433-2505 Crescent Lake Lodge does an admirable job of catering to both nordic skiers and snowmobilers. Perhaps the resort should consider hosting U.S.-Soviet arms control talks. To get to Crescent Lake, turn off of Highway 58 at Cres cent Junction. On the way to the resort you pass the Crescent Air strip (flattest of the flat—a good place for first timers) and a snow mobile parking lot that also serves as the Fawn Lake trailhead. Fawn Lake, in the Diamond Peak Wil derness, can be reached by 4.5-mile intermediate-level trails from both Odell and Crescent Lakes. A popular arrangement is to leave cars at each trailhead and to do the whole nine miles with a shuttle at the end. Hoodoo Ski Bowl Box 20. Highway 20 Sisters. OR 97759 Hoodoo Toll Station 1 or 2 Hoodoo maintains a groomed cross country track that is closest to the mid-Willamette Valley. Five kilometer events are set daily, Tuesday through Sunday, with additional distance added for special events. Restaurants, ren tals, ski patrol and lessons are available at the area's twin lodges. Nordic downhill races are held the second Sunday of each month, with cross country races every third Sunday. Participants earn points throughout the series, which culminates on closing day, April 13. This year, Hoodoo also offers accommodations across from the ski area at Santiam Lodge, on Highway 20. Santiam Sno-parks Excellent off-track touring is available from the Ray Benson snowmobile Sno-park, off the Hoodoo access road, and from the Pacific Crest Trail parking lot east of the ski area. The loops around the snowmobile lot offer chal lenging trail skiing through rolling second-growth forest. The PCT climbs into the meadow country of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. Numerous lakes offer destinations for day tourers and for over nighters. Views of Mt. Wash ington and of Three Fingered Jack are easily accessible. Wilderness maps are available from the Forest Service. The nearest ranger sta tion is at Sisters, OR 97759, 549 2111. Blue Lake Resort Star Route Sisters, OR 97759 595-6671 or 595-6675 for Nordic Center only The newest groomed track in Oregon is Blue Lake's eight kilo meter course, maintained Friday through Sunday by Outfitters Un limited. Trail fees are $3.50 per day. Rentals, lessons, snack bar, ice skating and overnight accom modations are available at the resort. The Nordic Center is lo cated between Blue and Suttle Lakes, a few miles east of Santiam Pass on the south side of Highway 20/126. The Nordic Center should be particularly popular with skiers staying at the numerous resorts in the Sisters/Camp Sherman area. All Outdoors, Inc. P.O. Box 1100 Redmond, OR 97756 923-9264 All Outdoors is a company pro viding outdoor recreation for peo ple with disabilities and other special needs. (Able-bodied per sons can participate, as well.) AOI’s cross-country ski program is open to stand-up and sit-skiers, and includes basic instruction, day tours and Special Olympics racing classes. One unique pro gram on the calendar is a five-day cabin trip in December, with transportation by dog sled. Breitenbush Conununity P.O. Box 578 Detroit, OR 97342 854-3501 or 854-3314 j s BRING SOMEONE YOU LOVE pOMAZZl'S AA .9 ITALIAN FOOD 3377 E. AMAZON at 687-2252 Most people think of Breiten bush as a summer conference and retreat center, a hot spring or a rural commune. It is these things and a winter resort besides. Brei tenbush offers ski weekends com plete with guided ski trips on sur rounding roads and trails, meals, evening entertainment and a tour of the self-sufficient community. Best of all, guests can dissolve in the resort's hot springs after ski ing. Swampy Lakes The Forest Service marks an ex tensive network of trails around Swampy Lakes, north of Century Drive between Bend and the Mt. Bachelor ski area. Most of the routes are moderate, with one no torious hill above Swampy Lake itself, and a couple of steep pitches northwest of the parking area. Several log shelters make good lunch spots and good campsites. Connecting trails lead west to Dutchman Flat and north to Tu malo Falls. These provide full-day expeditions for skiers willing to shuttle cars. Information on Swampy Lakes and other trails in the Deschutes National Forest can be obtained from the Forest Head quarters, 1645 Highway 20 East, Bend, OR 97701, 388-2715. Mt. Bachelor P.O. Box 1031 Bend, OR 97709 382-2607 Mt. Bachelor, west of Bend on Century Drive, is the largest ski area in the state for both downhill and cross country. Fifty kilo meters of immaculately groomed trails take off from a new nordic center. A full program of lessons, rentals, races and retail sales allows the nordic enthusiast to absolutely wallow in skiing. The developed facilities are conveniently backed up by the Three Sisters Wilder ness, with.its miles of above-tim berline touring terrain and pic ture-perfect glaciated peaks. There is no lodging at the ski area, but Bend and the surrounding resort communities are just wait ing to put you up. Bachelor's cen tral reservations number (382-8334) wil put you in touch with a number of inns and motels. Elk Lake Resort P.O. Box 789 Bend, OR 97701 389-6736 or Mobile Operator YP7-3954 For most winter visitors, skiing at Elk Lake really means skiing to Elk Lake. The resort is about 10 miles from the snow gate on Cen tury Drive at Mt. Bachelor. The trip in is technically easy and spec tacularly scenic, although nordic purists will have to accept sharing the road with snowmobiles. The resort will provide snow machine transportation ($12 one-way) for those who don't feel up to an all day tour with a pack. Lodging is in cabins, with meals and gro ceries available at the res taurant/store. By reservation on ly Happy Jack Skiventures P.O. Box 842 Bend, OR 97709 382-9381 or 382-8330 Happy Jack is a guide service that outfits ski trips ranging from half-day tours to week-long expe ditions. Cornerstone of the pro gram is an A-frame cabin near the Three Sisters Wilderness boun dary that serves as a destination and as a basecamp. The cabin also is available for rent by groups with qualified leadership. Other Happy Jack trips go to Blue Lake and Crescent Lake Lodges and to backcountry camps in the Three Sisters and on Steens Mountain. Timberline Lodge Government Camp, OR 97028 800-452-1335 Touring at Timberline, the most famous of the Mt. Hood ski re sorts, is limited by topography. Skiers can go west until they hit Zigzag Canyon, east until they hit White River Canyon, or south on the West Leg Road to Govern ment Camp. Competent nordic downhillers can play on the alpine runs or can climb the peak for a ski descent from the highest point in Oregon. All these projects de pend on weather, which hits Tim berline sooner and harder than any other place in the Cascades. On the other hand, you can find snow at Timberline year round. The resort is reached via an access road from Government Camp on Highway 26 east of Portland. Trillium Lake The most extensive touring trails around Mt. Hood are in the Trillium Lake basin south of Gov ernment Camp. Most of the routes follow gentle logging roads and al low novice and intermediate skiers to cover a lot of ground. The direct descent into the basin from Government Camp is quite thrilling. Most skiers start from the snow bunny snow-play area east of the village. The Oregon Nordic Club holds a twenty kilo meter ski race at Trillium Lake every spring. For information on snow trails on the south side of Mt. Hood, contact the Zigzag Ranger Station, Zigzag, OR 97049, 666-0704. White River Nordic c/o Charles Lake P.O. Box 41 Rhododendron, OR 97049 622-3419 White River Canyon, on the east side of Mt. Hood, has long been a popular beginner's area. In recent years, groomed tracks have been set south of Highway 35. The trail fee is $4. There is no lodge and are no services except the track setting, but rentals and lessons are available through shops in Portland and at sur NIVCRSIIY QAVCL 774 E. 13th Second Floor Smith Family Book Bldg 683-5577 I I I ROUNDTRIP FARES AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS Eugene-Frankfurt Eugene-Las Vegas Eugene-Los Angeles Eugene-Phoenix Eugene-San Francisco $649 $218 $218 $258 $158 "all fares subject to certain restrictions
