THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 11
THE OUTDOORS
bendbulletin.com/gooutdoors
another outing
MORE
OUTDOORS
COVERAGE
Find places to explore, conditions,
expert columns and outstanding
features in The Bulletin’s new
Explore Central Oregon section
in Friday’s paper
If you’ve spent any time south of Bend,
you’ve likely driven past Lava Butte, a
500-foot cinder cone immediately
west of Highway 97 between
Bend and Sunriver. Lava Butte’s
base is home to Lava Lands Vis-
itor Center, behind which one
can access paved paths atop the
sprawling boulder field created
by lava that spewed from the butte
some 7,000 years ago, as well as a bike
path running to Benham Falls East Day Use
and Sunriver beyond. The flow covered over
6,000 acres to the north and west of the butte,
altering the course of the Deschutes River and
creating terrain so rugged Apollo astronauts
trained here for moonwalks.
And many visitors stop at the lava field, but
for those willing and able to hoof it up the steep
Forest Road 100, which corkscrews to the top of
the butte, the peak affords even better views of
Catherine Jasper makes her way
back to the parking lot after
hiking up Lava Butte.
the Cascades to the west, Pau-
lina Peak to the southeast (also
part of Newberry National Volca-
nic Monument) as well as Luna,
Kelsey and other buttes to the east.
(There is a shuttle service to the top
from Memorial Day through Labor Day.)
Now is a great time to make the hike, about 3.5
miles round trip from the visitor center.
Getting there: From Bend, drive south on U.S.
Highway 97 to the Crawford Road entrance and
proceed to the southwest of the visitor center,
where parking is available even when the center
is closed. Follow the sidewalk in front of the cen-
ter to the cinder road and the top of the butte.
— Photo and story: David Jasper, The Bulletin
Bulletin file photo
Backcountry guide Jonas Tarlen makes the first tracks in a glade near the top of Tam MacArthur Rim.
Backcountry
skiing on Tam Rim
BY MARK MORICAL
The Bulletin
B
oasting a plethora of perfectly pitched
north-facing slopes, Tam McArthur
Rim has become a popular locale for
backcountry skiing and snowboarding in
Central Oregon.
Accessing Tam McArthur Rim (often
called Tam Rim) requires a 6-mile snowmo-
bile ride from Upper Three Creek Sno-park,
just south of Sisters, to Three Creek Lake.
Jutting 1,500 feet above the lake, the rocky
Tam Rim stretches for 2 miles, a scenic in-
vitation for snowriders seeking deep, virgin
powder. Located near the lake are a number
of yurt dwellings where backcountry skiers
can stay overnight to maximize their oppor-
tunity. Timberline Mountain Guides (which
operates Oregon Ski Guides) and Three Sis-
ters Backcountry Inc. offer guided ski trips
at Tam Rim, which reaches as high as 7,732
feet in elevation.
Directions: From Sisters, travel 11 miles
south on Forest Road 16 (Elm Street in Sis-
ters) to Upper Three Creek Sno-park. Ac-
cessing Three Creek Lake and Tam Rim
requires a 6-mile snowmobile ride (or
cross-country ski or snowshoe) from the
sno-park.
Contact: threesistersbackcountry.com or
oregonskiguides.com.
ý
Reporter: 541-383-0318, mmorical@bendbulletin.com
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