B10 The BulleTin • Friday, January 21, 2022
TOP PICKS
WHERE TO EXPLORE
Exploring around Redmond
Redmond Caves — Featuring five caves on the edge of redmond, the system is part of the northernmost
reaches of the newberry Caldera. Open year-round, the caves were formed from the collapse of one single
lava tube. Wear sturdy shoes and take nothing but pictures when visiting.
Steve roti/Submitted photos
Skiers prepare to race in the Tour of Meissner at Meissner Sno-park in January 2021.
Races
Continued from B1
On Jan. 29, the Tour of
Meissner 30K classic nor-
dic race will be held at Vir-
ginia Meissner Sno-park, just
southwest of Bend. There is
also a wooden-ski division
offered.
Registration for the Tour
of Meissner is available
at www.webscorer.com/
register?raceid=244164. The
race is limited to 200 partic-
ipants, and the registration
deadline is Monday. There
is no entry fee, but the sug-
gested donation to Meissner
Nordic is $20.
The Tour of Meissner was
staged last January but was
limited to 50 skiers.
“It’s nice we can do this,
and we’re taking a lot of pre-
cautions,” said David Smullin,
organizer of the Tour of Meis-
sner. He added that masks
will be required at the start
and finish but not while rac-
ing.
The Tour of Meissner was
an annual tradition for many
years in Central Oregon, but
it disappeared from the cal-
endar for several winters until
2020, when Smullin brought
it back.
Smullin, an avid nordic
skier from Bend who coaches
Redmond-area high school
skiers, is entered into the
wooden ski race along with
one other skier and is trying
to recruit other skiers with
old wooden skis to take part.
“My first non-wooden skis
were 1977,” Smullin said.
“There are people who still
have them, I know that.”
Signs that mark the chal-
lenging Tour of Meiss-
ner course will remain up
through Feb. 6 for the vir-
tual Boulder Mountain Tour
( bouldermountaintour.com).
The Boulder Mountain Tour
is an annual nordic ski race
in Ketchum, Idaho, held ev-
ery early February, that draws
skiers from across the North-
west. The race is being held
in-person this winter on Feb.
5, but there is also a virtual
option Feb. 1-6.
Organizers of the event
are encouraging nordic ski-
david Jasper/The Bulletin
Looking toward the low-slung entrance to Cave 4, which of the five Redmond Caves is located closest
to Airport Way. Watch your head inside the cave, where the ceiling is low in places.
Skiers race in the Tour of Meissner.
ers from all over the world
to participate virtually on a
course of their choosing from
distances of 15K to 30K. The
website offers several sugges-
tions throughout the country,
including the 30K course for
the Tour of Meissner.
Smullin said a big con-
tingent of skiers from Bend
make the trip to Ketchum
each February to race the
Boulder Mountain Tour. He
even takes some of his high
school skiers from Redmond
to race there every year.
The Tour of Meissner is
suitable for all skill levels,
Smullin said, because touring
classic skiers can take their
time and go at their own pace.
“It’s long and it has a lot of
climbing, but it’s something
that anybody can do,” Smullin
said. “Anybody can tour. It’s
not skating. It brings people
together and gets them out on
the course and gives them a
good tour of the trails. A lot
of people don’t venture that
far out on the trails, and this
sort of introduces them to a
lot of trails.”
Last year, the winner fin-
ished in about 1 hour, 40
minutes, but some racers can
be out on the course for five
hours, Smullin said.
For more information on
the Tour of Meissner, email
dhsmullin@gmail.com or call
541-390-8957.
e
Reporter: 541-383-0318,
mmorical@bendbulletin.com
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Dry Canyon — The urban trail runs nearly 8 miles through the center of redmond, offering paved and un-
paved sections for hikers and bikers to traverse. The trail is nestled in the wider rimrock canyon and is abun-
dant with sagebrush and juniper trees. Several developed areas like playgrounds, ball fields and more can be
found along the path as well.
Smith Rock State Park — There is a reason Smith rock State Park, located a few miles north of redmond, is
one of the most popular hiking areas in Central Oregon. While parking — which costs $5 — is at a premium
on good days, you may be able to score a coveted spot and check out the stunning rock formations just out-
side of Terrebonne with a bit of snow this weekend. Be careful on certain trails as they may become muddy or
icy with thawing.