Sunny skies and freshly groomed trails after a previous night's snowfall on March 7 made for excellent skiing conditions.  Charlie Cornish led a beginner group around Currant Way then back on the Tangent Loop to Pine Drops.  Climbing up and descending Pine Drops to the 5 way intersection at Tangent they continued their way up Mistletoe to the Meissner Shelter.  At the shelter they stopped for a photo-op and a brownie break.  Leaving the shelter they skied Manzanita to Tangent and back to the Meissner snow park.  This was another ski in a series of Beginner ski tours, getting the beginners and novices developing their ski legs. 

  

While the rainy and windy weather in Bend Sunday afternoon March 10 was intimidating to some, those who persisted in the drive to the Meissner Sno-Park were greeted by fresh snow and a few sun breaks.  The advertised route of doing the entire Tangent loop was modified due to a strong SW wind that would make the southern leg of the Tangent loop a breezy experience.  As an alternative route the group initially intended to ski a loop starting out Ponderosa towards Snow Drops, only to discover no tracks thru 5" of fresh snow since last grooming.  So they back tracked to the trail head and proceeded out Tangent to Mistletoe and to the Meissner Shelter.  After a photo op and (another!) brownie break, they returned to the trailhead via Manzanita and Tangent.  The tracks along Tangent were set and their skis slid well--a much better day for classic as the morning snowfall covered the groomed corduroy.  They ended their tour in time to head home for dinner, glad to be on our skis another day.