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Well, CONC finally toured Flagline Tie on Friday March 21.  Many things could have turned a thick snow day into an epic something or other.  But the sun stayed away and for the first couple of miles we skied tracks from 2 days before that were covered with a few inches of new.   Then the group operated as a democracy and voted to tackle trail breaking to Flagline Tie; now that showed great character! And...at the Butte Trail/Flagline Tie Trail intersection an energetic couple came by and broke trail on the Tie and Flagline!  Still, when we got near Swampy Shelter, it was a unanimous no brainer to rest and eat before the final push back on the well travelled Swampy Loop.

 

It never hurts to have a bit of luck when going to the Ochocos.  You don't really know if the snow will be any good or if the road to Walton Lake will be plowed.  But Tuesday, March 18, we got lucky; a good thing after driving 65 miles!

 

There was 8" of powdery snow under the trees, and a breakable crust with an inch or two of overnight fresh on top.  We decided to ski out Corral Loop, then round on Butterfield, and return on Corral.  We broke trail all the way out (about 5 miles), then skied back on our initial tracks for a total of about 6.8 miles.

The Ochocos are quite different from the Cascades, with more open, rolling terrain.  The slopes are dotted with fir and Ponderosa pines, which were nice to see now that Edison is closed.  Starting up the road to Walton Lake, we passed a half dozen wild horses and a band of wild turkeys.  And no other skiers!

 

Thanks to Roz for sharing her wealth of knowledge about this area, Kris for photos and spotting the turkeys, and Gary for the excellent banana bread!

For his first tour (on March 13), new leader Steve Sangster chose a loop in the tracks at Meissner.  He guided us around Tangent and up to the Meissner Shelter for a brief stop, then down to the lodge for lunch and a return to our cars.  It was a very well organized tour!

 

The tour started with a cap at 8 people, but was soon increased to 10.  The pace was casual, with plenty of opportunity to socialize and get to know each other.  Conditions were excellent, with a couple of inches of fresh snow covering the old hard pack, which was noticeable in the tracks even though it had been groomed.  Ending the tour with lunch at the lodge was nice, giving us all more opportunity to socialize.  Thanks to Steve; and Welcome to the Leaders group!

 

Contributed by trip leader Dennis Damici

It turned out to be an ideal day for a snowshoe adventure. The group decided to do the extended loop around Swampy Lake.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Contributed by trip leader Dennis Krakow

Three of us set out on what looked like a possibly icy outing.  After getting through the first 100 yards or so and got out of the groomed trail and the trees, we had perfect crust skiing.  Less than 1/2 centimeter of new over the not icy crust.  The high clouds allowed views of Kwohl Butte, Mt Bachelor Broken Top, Tumalo Mountain and Tam Mac Arthur Rim.  We skied the perimeter of the clear cuts.  Conditions were such that we saw 4 skate skiers and 1 mountain biker enjoying the off-trail conditions.  I wish more people would venture out there as it is special.  It won't be too many years from now when the lodgepole trees are dense enough and tall enough to change the experience.

Trip Report contributed by Ed Johnson

CONC’s Annual Crater Lake weekend ski and snowshoe trip.
Trip Summary
Dates: Friday to Sunday (Feb 28 - Mar 2)
Lodging & Food: Prospect Historic Hotel
Participants: 21

Some trip outings
Friday: North entrance ski to the Pumice Desert
Saturday: West rim Ski and Snowshoe
Sunday: Snowshoe with a Ranger

Crater Lake National Park is a premier winter destination for backcountry cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, thanks to its heavy snowfall (over 40 feet per year), stunning scenery, and quiet, pristine wilderness. The park remains open year-round, though Rim Drive and most park roads are closed to vehicles from late October to early summer, making them ideal for winter recreation.

Popular Ski and Snowshoe Routes

• West Rim Drive: Offers stunning lake views; can be done as a out-and-back trip. (Beginner 2 miles and Intermediate/Advanced, up to 11 miles one way)
• East Rim Drive More remote with spectacular scenery. (Advanced, up to 20 miles one way)

This years attendees participated in several group activities, or chose their own activities (hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing) in smaller groups of two or more.

Friday was a bluebird dayand some participants went straight to the Park rim for some spectacular views. Six participants parked their vehicles at the north entrance (closed in winter) to ski the unplowed park road to towards the Pumice Desert. This ski can be whatever distance you choose. A roundtrip to the Pumice Desert is about 8 miles on easy (mostly flat) terrain (see map). The weather and snow conditions were perfect.

Saturday morning started off nearly cloudless and afforded skiers and snowshoers alike with spectacular views of the lake and caldera. A group of 7 participants skied about 2.5 miles of the deep snowpack on west rim road (see map), lunched with spectacular western views,  before a leisurely return to the Rim Village Cafe.

Sunday, 7 participants met Ranger Grimes at the Steel Visitor Center for the educational tour “Snowshoe with a Ranger.”

This year’s trip to Crater Lake is the latest in a long history CONC visits here. The Prospect Historic Hotel where we stayed is under new management (an extended family effort). The new owners did not disappoint. Meals were included (2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, 2 bag lunches).

If you haven’t seen Crater Lake National Park in the winter check it out!


Mill Creek joins the Rouge River in a spectacular water fall just a mile from the Prospect Historic Hotel.

The Prospect Historic Hotel.

Plenty of snow at the rim.  John Fertig reports " This was the highest snow pack that I’ve seen in several decades at Crater Lake."

Lunch break near the rim.

Mt Thielsen (upper right) from the Pumice Desert.

Friday ski to the Pumice Desert.

Contributed by Instructor Woody Keen

The forecast going into CONC's Intro to Telemark Clinic was a bit dubious sounding: high winds, cold temps and snowing. A few asked if we planned to cancel and others noted they did not want to drive to and ski at Hoodoo in high winds coming out of the east (Hoodoo faces east so pretty exposed). But for the folks who did join Mark and I, we were all treated to a great day of skiing. Winds were not nearly as bad as predicted, fresh snow for fun and beauty, and the clouds parted giving us great views of 3 Finger Jack and other nearby mountains. It was truly a great day of skiing and learning the telemark turn, the oldest and best turn on snow.

For those interested in learning more and finding out about other opportunities:
Join Bend Area Telemark Skiers and look for opportunities that fit your skill level, we host group skis from Beginner Friendly skills progression skis to Intermeasy (intermediate but at a mellow pace, and more advanced. Find us here: Bend Area Telemark Skiers (BATS) | Meetup

And for folks on Facebook, consider joining us here: Telemark Oregon | Facebook

Sat March 1 is World Telemark Day and TeleFest at Hoodoo Mountain, please consider joining us for that fun event. We will host clinics and group skis as well as other fun events and a wrap up bonfire.

On behalf of Mark Waters and I, we love teaching these more advanced clinics for CONC and getting to ski with you folks and watch your skills progress. Thank You.

Woody Keen 

And some comments from students:

"Woody and Mark do a real good job of basic telemark skiing.  The one thing I noticed this year, is the ability of the skiers is going up and there are new faces.  The members of the Nordic club should take this session, to get out of their comfort zone.  It’ll make you a better all around skier." - Brad

"I wanted to share the clinic was both fun and informative/educational experience.  Hat’s off to Woody and Mark for being able to teach multiple people at multiple levels all at the same time.  Impressive to say the least.  We had the most superb conditions". - Piper

David Gast led a tour to the Swede Shelter, enjoying the longer intermediate. The snow was soft and the trail had been skied recently so they did not get to enjoy breaking trail. 

The several short steep downhill sections require one to be able to negotiate long moderately steep and short steep hills as outlined in the requirements for intermediate tours. The side hill section of about 1/4  mile in length on the trail between Swede shelter back towards swampy was tricky as usual but there was plenty of soft snow and it was not icy. We had minor issues with snow sticking to skis which reapplying of glide wax got our skis back to gliding happily.

Text contributed by trip leader Mark Waters
Photos and video contributed by Mark Darnell

It should be called Potato Chill since the windchill temps were around -10 on the more open upper sections. Three Nordic Club skiers all on AT gear that had some stellar powder and wind deposited powder on the upper mountain and a fast run down Jackpine trail back to the snopark!

Check out this video from the day: https://youtu.be/X1g6kIBLfPY

Contributed by trip leader Kelly Cleman
Eight snowshoers left the Skyliner Sno Park and headed out along the Tumalo Creek Trail towards Tumalo Falls. Temperatures had warmed up for the previous few days and so it wasn't so hard to get going. The trail was trodden in by previous users, but the snow was still soft and easy to walk on. It started snowing softly about an hour in as views of snowy Tumalo Creek came into view. We made it to the Falls and snapped some personal as well as a group photo at the base. There were a few other small groups there, but not crowded at all. The snow was already up past the picnic tables, so we had to have our snacks standing up. One participant had brought chocolate chip cookies to share with the group--a welcome treat. We then headed back along the road. The track was well trammeled, so we probably could've taken off our snowshoes and walked. We encountered several people who were without snowshoes and not having any trouble walking. We made it back to the Sno Park in good time. A good day to get out and be in nature!