A8 REDMOND SPOKESMAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022
Sports+Outdoors
Ridgeview grad named Academic All-American
BY TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
A Ridgeview High School gradu-
ate and current Oregon Tech soccer
player has been named to the pres-
tigious College Sports Communica-
tors NAIA Academic All-America
Team.
Cade O’Neill, a 2019 Ridgeview
grad, was named to the second team.
He is one of only three men’s soccer
players in OIT history to earn the
award, including a teammate this year.
Student-athletes are nominated by
their institution’s sports information
director and must be selected to their
respective All-District team to earn a
spot on the final ballot.
O’Neill maintains a 3.86 grade
point average in mechanical engi-
neering. He earned All-CCC honors
in 2022 – starting 18 matches — es-
tablishing a new OIT single-sea-
son record for goals (13) and points
scored (27).
“I am so happy for them and their
commitment to our program,” said
OIT head coach Sean McManamon.
“Cade brings an infectious positiv-
ity to this group that will be greatly
missed and is always happy to be
there competing with his brothers.”
O’Neill will depart Oregon Tech
as a leader in nearly every single-sea-
son record. He is the school leader
for points in a season (27), average
points per game (1.42), goals scored
in one season (14), goals per game
(0.68), shots (64) and shots per game
(3.37).
O’Neill
Trail networks near Redmond offer
winter mountain biking opportunities
BY MARK MORICAL
CO Media Group
S
ki and snowboard sea-
son is in full swing as Mt.
Bachelor, Hoodoo and
Willamette Pass ski areas are
all open for business.
Many outdoor-minded folks
in Central Oregon have turned
their attention to the slopes,
and with good reason, as early
season snow has blanketed the
Cascades.
While skiers and snowboard-
ers hunt for powder at area re-
sorts, mountain bikers are left
looking for dry areas where
they can continue their sport
through the winter. Those with
fatbikes (mountain bikes with
wider tires designed for snow)
can handle snow- and ice-cov-
ered trails west of Bend.
But certain areas in Central
Oregon remain relatively snow-
free during the winter, allow-
ing for year-round riding on
a typical mountain bike. One
such area is west of Redmond,
where the Maston and Cascade
View Trailhead networks pro-
vide offseason mountain biking
options.
MASTON AREA
The Maston area is one of the
prime winter mountain biking
destinations, and it’s popular
with trail runners as well.
Located north of Bend be-
tween Tumalo and Eagle Crest
Resort, the Maston area is a
flat plateau just west of the De-
schutes River that includes
about 20 miles of singletrack
with endless loop options. Most
of the trails feature rolling ter-
rain along sagebrush and juni-
per trees.
The singletrack at Maston
was in prime shape in a recent
past weekend. The dirt was firm
and tacky, with no puddles and
just a slight dusting of snow,
making for nearly ideal condi-
tions.
The Bureau of Land Manage-
ment has designated Maston as
a mountain biking area in the
Cline Buttes Recreation Area
Plan. Maston constitutes about
4,000 acres of the plan’s 32,000
acres (50 square miles), where
trails are in the works for moun-
tain bikers, hikers and horse-
back riders.
Over the last few years, the
BLM’s development of Mas-
ton as a mountain biking des-
tination has become evident,
with trail junction signs and a
trailhead with a map kiosk, re-
strooms and designated park-
ing. There always seems to be
at least a few cars in the parking
area November through April.
On weekends, it can fill up.
The area is certainly no se-
cret, especially when other pop-
ular riding spots west of Bend
are covered with snow or ice.
I typically ride the outer loop
at Maston, and it works well in
either direction for about a 12-
to 14-mile outing.
The Rockbar Trail, which
parallels the picturesque De-
schutes River canyon on the east
end of the trail network, is the
most technical trail at Maston.
At first glance, the trail appears
an impossibly technical jumble
of rocks along the edge of the
canyon. But the rocks are per-
fectly positioned for mountain
bikers to ride over while care-
fully sneaking glances of the
river far below.
And for those who would
rather stop to take in the views,
several viewpoints are located
just off the trail.
Bulletin file photo
A mountain biker rounds a corner while riding the Maston Area Trails.
Mark Morical/Bulletin file
A view of the Deschutes River canyon from the Maston trails.
Mark Morical/Bulletin file photo
A mountain biker rides singletrack in the Maston area near Redmond.
CASCADE VIEW TRAILHEAD
Also part of the Cline Buttes
Recreation Area Plan, the Cas-
cade View Trailhead area in-
cludes 12 miles of singletrack
just northwest of Maston and
west of Eagle Crest Resort.
The trails, designed by volun-
teers with the Central Oregon
Trail Alliance, feature various
loops that mix flowing single-
track with technical rock areas,
and just the right amount of
climbing. Add in the sprawling
views of snow-covered Cascade
peaks, and these trails are worth
the 30-minute drive from Bend.
The Cascade View trailhead
is located off Eagle Crest Bou-
levard, which is accessed from
Highway 126.
The trail system is open to
non-motorized users and in-
cludes about 7 miles of trails
open to horseback riders, hikers
and runners in addition to the
bike trails. The pedestrian and
equestrian trails are separate
from the mountain biking trails
to reduce conflicts.
The trails are now well-signed
so bikers can know where they
are. A map of the area is avail-
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
A trail winds through sagebrush and junipers near the Cascade View
Trailhead in Redmond.
able at bendtrails.org.
Mountain views in the area
include Tam McArthur Rim,
the Three Sisters, Mount Wash-
ington, Three-Fingered Jack and
Mount Jefferson.
A recent 12-mile ride from
the Cascade View Trailhead in-
cluded about 500 feet of climb-
ing and took about 1 hour, 45
minutes.
The area should serve to take
some of the demand away from
nearby Maston.
Even in the depths of a snowy
winter, mountain bikers can
find places to ride on the High
Desert.
█
Reporter: 541-383-0318,
mmorical@bendbulletin.com
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
A trail winds through sagebrush and junipers near the Cascade View
Trailhead in Redmond.