Central Oregon Nordic Club members found fluffy, fresh powder on the first ski trips of the year Sunday, Dec. 2, whether they were at a lower-elevation sno-park such as Swampy Lakes or at an upper-elevation area such as Mt. Bachelor.
Two groups headed out into Christmas-card winter scenes.
Gary Kelley led one group, which parked at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center and skied a 6.5 mile-loop up Big Meadow Trail and returned via Pete’s way and Water Tower trails.
“The snow was a solid ‘10’ – fluffy, cold, hero snow,” Gary reports. “The group was like a herd of border collies, so we yo-yoed a couple of times on Big Meadow Butte.
“Snow coverage is getting really good near the trails, but we need more to cover the larger trees off trail.”
Susan Sullivan led 13 skiers on a trip to the Nordeen shelter.
“We conveniently neglected to inform the crew that no one had checked Nordeen loop for downed trees recently, but among us we had somehow managed to have the foresight to bring three saws,” she reports.
Thus, the group cleared a number of trees on the loop “and had fun to boot,” Susan says. “Conditions were pretty close to perfect.”
(Photos by Jeanni Capell and Nikki Kelley)
