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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2022)
The BulleTin • Friday, January 21, 2022 B9 EXPLORE MORE Pilot Butte Base Trail Watch your step: In win- ter, snow and ice can make for slick con- ditions along the north portion of the Pilot Butte Base Trail, which works itself around the lower por- tions of the butte. david Jasper/ Bulletin photos BY DAVID JASPER The Bulletin The Pilot Butte Base Trail wraps around the lower portion of Pilot Butte, a 480-foot lava dome in Bend. drew Peterson/Submitted photo Snowshoeing may be a good compromise when snow conditions are less than optimal, suggests writer Cris- tina Peterson, seen here snowshoeing near Suttle Lake. Snowshoeing Continued from B1 Making some change while still pursuing adventures and spending time outside is possi- ble. POW understands it’s not realistic to ask people to stop getting out to do what they love. Those adventures may be what inspire people to take more action. POW advocates for making change where pos- sible such as putting pressure on ski areas to power lifts with renewable energy sources; making conscious decisions about commuting to trail- heads either in a carpool or in a low or no emissions vehicle; searching for used gear to re- place items only when they are really needed rather than just to have the latest and greatest. There can be a balance be- tween effort and surrender, be- tween going to such extremes that life loses its joy and re- signing to do nothing. Every person’s mere existence creates a carbon footprint, and every person has agency to reduce it. There’s also an effort and surrender in choosing an outdoor activity in these less- than-ideal snow conditions. Some will make the effort, con- tinuing to head into the moun- tains in search of smooth turns in the snow. Others may sur- render to the warm tempera- tures, get out the hiking boots or mountain bike to find dry trails (remember not to ride on muddy trails, creating deep ruts or widening them by go- ing around large puddles). Maybe this is an in-between option: Snowshoeing! Since this activity can be done in various depths of snow and doesn’t require sliding (un- less you’re doing it wrong or being super extreme), it can be a way to experience the woods in the winter even if the snow is crusty or sticky. There are many snowshoe trails on the Deschutes National Forest at various elevations. Snowshoe- ing provides a pretty good car- dio workout if you add some elevation gain or go for miles and miles. It doesn’t require much skill or coordination since it is basically hiking over snow, so almost anyone can try it from young children or older folks. Snowshoeing can also fall into the middle ground of re- quiring some gear but not much: snowshoes and some old poles, in addition to cloth- ing and boots appropriate for the weather. It’s important to be prepared for any outdoor activity in the winter as the cold increases risks for ex- posure and some areas can be harder to access if help is needed. So be sure to bring es- sentials such as food, water, ap- propriate clothing, navigation tools, heat source, headlamp and a first aid kit. If you don’t want to go alone or don’t have the gear, check out the free snowshoe tours at Mt. Bachelor. Outings are led by a U.S. Forest Service volun- teer and snowshoes are pro- vided. Visit mtbachelor.com/ things-to-do/resort-activities/ snowshoeing for more infor- mation. For more info or to get in- volved with Protect Our Win- ters, visit their website at pro- tectourwinters.org. e Outdoors writer Cristina Peterson is an avid climber and trail runner. Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint is home to the Pilot Butte Summit Road Trail and paralleling Nature Trail, each of which is one mile long and wraps around the 480-foot butte, among the most heavily trafficked trails in Bend. That’s no surprise given the many neighborhoods sur- rounding the park, which is located on Bend’s east side and a convenient place to grab a quick bit of cardio ex- ercise. But Pilot Butte also has a much less widely traveled trail, the 1.6-mile Pilot Butte Base Trail. Don’t let the name fool you. As this reporter and his nearly 13-year-old dog were re- minded earlier this week, the trail’s name is a bit of a misnomer given the fact that a good portion of it — the sections on the east and south sides — are located a little way up the butte. I’m not sure about the dog, but this reporter was also reminded what a gem Pilot Butte is as we strolled among the junipers. You can patch into the Base Trail from the summit road (closed to vehicle traffic in win- ter), or if you’re arriving on Larkspur Trail or you’re parked in the parking lot to the east, start on the paved trail up the butte, a la hikers with higher aspirations, and keep an eye for Base Trail signs. Staying on the main trail may prove a little trickier on the west side of the butte, where there are fewer signs and more user-created trails, and keep an eye out for lingering ice near where the trail abuts Pilot Butte Middle School. Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint is located at 1310 NE Highway 20, Bend. Contact: 541-388-6055 or ore- gonstateparks.org. e Reporter: 541-383-0349, djasper@bendbulletin.com
