The BulleTin • Friday, January 21, 2022 B9
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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