Recently the Central Oregon Nordic Club began working with the Forest Service on our long term plans for ski and snowshoe trails. This work on the trail systems that the Nordic Club maintains is being led by Sue Sullivan for ski trails, and by Bob Timmer for the snowshoe trails. Trails are rerouted for a variety of reasons, including user safety such as trails too steep for the trail classification, capacity where there is over-use, and wildlife sensitive areas where human activity will be disruptive. Proposed changes are presented below by snopark for both snowshoe and ski trails.
EDISON SNOPARK
Ski trail reroutes are for wildlife areas and are shown in red. Proposed reroutes include AC near the AC/DC shelter, and the south side of the Light Bulb loop.
Snowshoe trail reroutes are in yellow and include wildlife areas and safety or capacity issues. They include the Snowshoe Long Loop for wildlife, a Tesla Loop cutoff just above the High Voltage ski trail, and a Tesla Loop extension parallel to the DC ski trail up to the AC/DC shelter.
DUTCHMAN FLATS
Proposed ski route changes are shown in red on both the satellite and map images. The Big Meadow trail is being rerouted to eliminate the meadow crossing where blue poles have often fallen down. On the Water Tower trail, a reroute is proposed to avoid the bridge crossing at intersection 84.
A new snowshoe route from the Dutchman Flat Snopark to the Common Corridor is also proposed, and shown in yellow on the map.
VISTA BUTTE
A dedicated snowshoe trail is proposed that will allow access to the Vista Butte trail.
SWAMPY & MEISSNER
Ski trail reroutes are for both safety and capacity. The Swampy Beginner loop has a couple of hills that prove to be fast and steep in more icy conditions, so a more gentle route is proposed with changes to two sections of the loop. Access to the Swampy Shelter is increased by adding a tie in from the Butte trail and by tying into that one from the Flagline trail. Another reroute is on the north side of the Swede Loop, so that the trail avoids a marshy area at the intersection with the Swampy Loop.
Two Snowshoe trail reroutes are also proposed. Just north out of Swampy snopark, the Porcupine trail goes straight up the side of Telemark Butte. An alternate, less steep trail, is proposed around the base of the Butte. Then in the Meissner system just north of the snopark, a section of the Nordeen Snowshoe Tie near intersection 14 is being rerouted due to a grade over 35%!
