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
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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
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