November 2025 happenings...

This message has been sent to you {Organization_Name}
If you no longer want to receive these letters, you can unsubscribe at any time 

{Organization_URL}
 

CONC November 2025 Newsletter

President's Corner

With the holidays rapidly approaching, calendars are filling up with social gatherings, performances, travel, visitors, and of course, outdoor recreation. As we look forward to getting together with friends and family, I hope that you make time to join your fellow CONC members at a growing lineup of club activities. Be sure to log in to the CONC website and check your profile to ensure that you are signed up to receive emails to be notified about club events in your area(s) of interest. In case you’ve missed an email, the CONC Events Calendar is available anytime that you wish to see all of the club events in one place.

December Meeting and Holiday Gathering

As I have written previously in this column, we are trying something new for this year’s December Annual Meeting. Rather than the traditional potluck, we are looking forward to a catered event at 10 Barrel Brewing’s Eastside location. Although the event requires payment this year, attendees won’t need to worry about preparing something to share. Just show up, enjoy a delicious meal and tasty beverages, and share the excitement with your fellow club members. Be sure to register yourself and up to one guest no later than Friday, November 21st! 

I realize that some members would appreciate the opportunity to attend this gathering without purchasing the catered meal. Unfortunately, the logistics of the venue and requirements of the contract make it problematic to have some attendees with food and some without. While those not in attendance will miss out on the chance to mingle with other club members, there will be plenty of other opportunities to get together. For one, be on the lookout for another after-hours shop visit at Pine Mountain Sports on December 17th.

Interested in Joining the Board of Directors?

We anticipate at least one At-Large Board member vacancy next year. This is a chance to directly shape the future of CONC and ensure our mission thrives. 

If you are ready to contribute your skills and passion, please send me an email with a short description of why you are interested in joining the Board and how you see yourself actively contributing to CONC’s mission.

Stay in Touch!

I always welcome any questions, comments, or suggestions you have about the club. You can contact me directly at: wppreston@yahoo.com 

Happy Trails!

Warren Preston

President

Upcoming Events

News and Announcements

CONC Presentation on Backcountry Ski Trails

Interested in learning more about ungroomed and backcountry ski options in the region? Join CONC members Eric Ness and Sue Sullivan for a presentation on exploring Central Oregon’s ungroomed ski trails, hosted by the Deschutes Public Library. 

Brooks Community Room in the Downtown Bend Library on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 PM

For more information, check the link below:

https://dpl.libnet.info/event/14549472

CONC Presentation on Local Snowshoe Trails

CONC members Bob Timmer and Kelly Cleman will discuss the over 27 miles of dedicated snowshoe trails at nearby sno-parks at this Deschutes Public Library presentation. They will speak about equipment and clothing considerations, sources of information to help you identify which sno-park to visit, and what to expect upon arriving at the sno-park and while on the trail. They will also provide an update on trail conditions at Edison Sno-Park, which is being re-opened this year after being impacted by the Little Lava fire.

Brooks Community Room in the Downtown Bend Library,     December 3, 6:30 PM- 7:30

New Website Feature: Discussion Forum

Have you wondered where you can post to find a snowshoe buddy? Or sell some ski gear? Or let folks know the current conditions if you got out skiing early? Or ask for information for a new hiking destination?

Well, now there's a place for that on the CONC website!

The CONC Forum has launched. 

This is place for discussion on topics that relate to the Central Oregon Nordic Club, so please keep to those topics. The basic rules are  Be Kind  or moderator will step in.  Full guidelines are on the Forum page.

We are starting with just one forum to see how members use it.  We can split in to different subject areas in the future if that better serves our needs.

The Forum is for members only, so you must be logged in to the website in order to access the Forum page.  A brief list of recent topic appears on the home page.

2025-26 Ski Clinics

CONC offers a variety of ski clinics each season for its members.  Full information is at this link.

If you want to get an email when the clinics are posted on the Events Calendar and are open for registration, be sure that you have indicated in your profile that you are interested in getting notified about Ski Events.  You can easily do that through the app or on the website.  

Questions about the clinics can be directed to ski clinic administrator Laura Seaver.

Beginner Clinics

CONC is offering a series of Beginner XC ski clinics to help its members learn the basics of cross-country skiing on groomed XC trials and gain the skills and confidence so that they can develop the confidence to ski on easy XC trails and participate on beginner ski events.  Learning on groomed terrain allows the focus to be on skills and techniques rather than the varying terrain conditions experienced in the ungroomed environment. 

Conditions permitting, clinics will start mid-December and continue in January.

Questions about the Beginner Clinics can be directed to the lead instructor Charlie Cornish.

Advanced Clinics

CONC offers two intermediate/advanced clinics: Cross-Country Downhill (XCD) and Introduction to Telemark.  These clinics are held at Hoodoo Ski Area so students can use their energy to learn new skills rather than climbing the hill.  These clinics will be scheduled for late January or February.  Questions about these two clinics can be directed to the lead instructor Woody Keen. 

Invitation from the Willamette Chapter of Oregon Nordic Club 

"Good afternoon.  I'm Bob Young, treasurer (for some 20+ years) of the Willamette chapter.  Over the years I have crossed paths with some of the CONC members and have heard that more of you are heading to Santiam Pass area, partially to escape the growing crowds in your area and also to seek new terrain.  We've talked about connecting for tours and none have come together yet.  We'd love to share our knowledge of the area, and especially the zones north of the pass where we try to escape the crowds and snowshoers.  Lots of great ski terrain and fantastic views up there."

If CONC members are interested in exploring ski trails in the Santiam Pass area, the Willamette Club Newsletter could be a great resource. Bob also said CONC members are welcome to join ski tours with the Willamette Chapter, but you would need to contact the leader of the tour first to be sure that there is room and that your skill levels and experience are appropriate for the tour. 

Their website is ONCWillamette.org and the link to their newsletters is https://oncwillamette.org/category/newsletters/ 

Gear Fix Donations

Now that hiking season is wrapping up, and you are reviewing and replacing both summer and winter gear, remember that CONC is making good use of your usable cast offs.  We collected over $600 from winter sales as a result of your donations to our account at Gear Fix.  We reserve these funds in our trails improvement and maintenance program.

Many thanks to all who have donated over the years.

Recent Events

For a look at some blog posts and beautiful photos of recent events, please click the links below.

Oct. 21, 2025: Clear Lake Hike

Nov. 9, 2025: Riley Ranch to Tumalo State Park

Nov. 16, 2025: Jeff View Shelter


"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.”

— Andrew Wyeth