The BulleTin • Friday, March 5, 2021 B9
TOP PICKS
WHERE TO
EXPLORE
Trails and parks
in Bend
Submitted photos
John Sterling, of Bend, skins his way toward North Sister last month.
Central Oregon Avalanche Center forecaster Gabe Coler examines the
layers of snow after digging a pit in the Central Oregon backcountry.
Continued from B1
“It’s just a fact of time and
money right now,” Grove said.
“But that’s our goal is to one
day offer a forecast seven days
a week. Overall, the commu-
nity has been very compli-
mentary and, I think, values
the resource. We’re seeing
more members this year, and
we’re seeing more membership
dollars.”
Roy said that COAC has had
a 37% increase in members
and 41% increase in social me-
dia following this winter.
“The information on the
forecast platform is easier to
digest and more user friendly
due to the use of diagrams,
photos and colors along with
short summaries to describe
the current avalanche hazard,”
Roy said.
She added that every back-
country skier, snowboarder,
snowmobiler and climber
should check coavalanche.org
before venturing out into the
backcountry of the Central Or-
egon Cascades.
“However, it’s important to
remember to use your senses
once you’re out in the backcoun-
try and pay attention to the
snow, weather and terrain,”
Roy said. “No matter what
the avalanche forecast says,
even if it says low danger,
there is always still danger.”
e e
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COAC uses the North
American Danger Scale, which
runs from 1 to 5: 1, low; 2,
moderate; 3, considerable; 4,
high; 5, extreme. The center
pays four professionals (two
forecasters and two observers)
to analyze and report the con-
ditions at select areas in the
Central Oregon backcountry.
Skiers, snowboarders, snow-
mobilers and climbers can
then use that information to
make decisions about if, when
or where to go.
COAC forecaster Gabe
Coler has been hard at work in
the Central Oregon backcoun-
try assessing the snowpack and
providing avalanche forecasts
this winter.
“Sometimes, it’s so danger-
ous that no one should be ski-
ing on steep slopes,” Coler said.
“But the goal of the avalanche
forecast is to point people in
the direction of which slopes
are safe, and which ones will be
dangerous. Wind slabs are the
most prevalent avalanches here,
which is when wind moves and
compacts a lot of snow and can
create a hard slab.”
The forecasting zone for
COAC runs from Mount Bach-
elor north to Tam McArthur
Rim, the Three Sisters and San-
tiam Pass. Grove said the center
would like to eventually offer
reports for the Mount Jefferson
and Three Fingered Jack areas,
as well as Paulina Peak, located
east of La Pine in the Newberry
National Volcanic Monument.
The most popular back-
country spot for skiers, snow-
boarders and snowmobilers in
Central Oregon include Tum-
alo Mountain, Broken Top,
Ball Butte and Tam McAr-
thur Rim. All of those loca-
tions have snow slopes that are
prone to sliding, according to
Zoe Roy, development director
for COAC.
“Those are well-skied spots,
and if a person sees ski tracks
on a slope, it’s imperative that
QU
S
Avalanche
they still make their own assess-
ment and judgment of the ava-
lanche danger,” Roy said. “Many
of our Central Oregon storms
come in with heavy snow and
wind, making for prime ava-
lanche conditions. And those
conditions don’t necessarily dis-
sipate the moment the storm
ends — it can take a few days
for the snow to settle.”
When Coler goes into the
backcountry as a forecaster, he
analyzes the snowpack, looking
for weakness in the layers and
how the wind has redistributed
the snow that could lead to un-
stable slabs. He combines that
information with weather fore-
casts to offer an avalanche fore-
cast and a danger rating for the
next day on the website, along
with other descriptions of the
avalanche problem such as the
type, likelihood and size.
“There’s lots of new users in
the backcountry, too,” Coler
said. “More people have more
free time, and more people are
getting into the backcountry.
It’s especially a good service for
them. It’s about how they inter-
pret an avalanche forecast and
go touring in an appropriate
place.”
Grove, an engineering pro-
fessor at Central Oregon Com-
munity College, said the goal
of COAC has always been to
become a Type 1 center, like
the Northwest Avalanche Cen-
ter — which serves the Wash-
ington Cascades, the Olympic
Mountains and Mount Hood
— and offer a forecast seven
days per week.
Alpine Trail — Located off
Century Drive, the trail con-
nects the Broken Top neigh-
borhood to Cascade Middle
School. Totaling in at just under
a mile, it also connects to many
more trails west of town that
are part of the U.S. Forest trail
system. The undeveloped site
the trail resides in is great for
taking your dog for a walk or
just a quick and easy place to
get out of the house. Because
of the trail’s more rugged look,
keep an eye out for critters big
and small.
Drake Park — You really can’t
beat this Bend original. Cel-
ebrating its 100th birthday
this year, the 13-acre park sits
nicely along the banks of the
Deschutes River at Mirror Pond.
With 13 acres to roam through,
it’s easy to find your own corner
to bask in or play on a sunny
day.
Pine Nursery Park — The
159-acre park on Bend’s east
side is home to just about ev-
ery activity you can think of.
With beach volleyball pits, soc-
cer fields, pickleball courts, an
off-leash dog area and even a
fishing pond you can find it all.
The park also has a long loop
trail covering its circumference
if you’re looking for a leisurely
stroll.
IRIE
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On NE Franklin Avenue across from Les Schwab
541-318-4868