April can be a tricky month in Central Oregon. Even Mother Nature can’t decide whether to hang back with winter or spring forward.

To me, April is the month that really tests your priorities. Will you dig out the bike, the canoe or your hiking shoes? Or will you cling to the last vestiges of winter with your skis in one hand and your snowshoes in the other.

If you’re tired of winter, there are plenty of snow-free trails opening up now. But if you share my sentiment that this past winter hasn’t been the greatest, April represents one last shot at playing in the snow. You’ll just have to head higher to do so.

For the most part this winter, a day on snow meant a trip up the Cascade Lakes Highway, so I thought last weekend would be a fine time to head a little bit farther north to Santiam Pass. About 20 minutes past Sisters, at the turnoff for the Hoodoo Ski Resort, lies the often overlooked Ray Benson Sno-park.

For Bendites, Ray Benson doesn’t seem to have the same name recognition as Virginia Meissner, Edison or Dutchman Flat sno-parks. That’s too bad, because it’s in a prime location for lots of snow and has trails to accommodate almost every winter enthusiast. There are long trails for snowmobilers, skijorers and dog mushers, and shorter trails for cross-country skiers and snowshoers. And with the Pacific Crest Trail running right through the park, if you’re self-propelled, you can tailor the length of your excursion to your time or fitness limit.

Arriving at the sno-park somewhat late on Sunday morning, we were expecting to see a parking lot full of cars. After all, the sun was shining and it was still five days until tax day. But we found just a few trailers and snowmobiles.

We pulled up right by the trailhead — no jockeying for parking spots, no following people to their cars to be first in line.

We headed out on snowshoes on the North Loop trail, a well-marked 4-mile loop over moderate terrain, with a warming shelter about two-thirds of the way going clockwise. The trail bends through the forest, with peek-a-boo views of the Hoodoo slopes and the flat-topped Hayrick Butte.

According the U.S. Geological Service, the butte is a tuya, a type of volcano that forms when lave erupts below a glacier or ice sheet. As the lava melts the ice above the eruption, the lava pools create a characteristic plateau on the top, and near vertical walls where the lava cooled against the surrounding ice. Hayrick Butte is one of the best examples of a tuya in the continental U.S., with a half-mile-wide plateau top and vertical walls rising 700 feet.

As we hiked around the loop we found ourselves among the remnants of a forest fire, opening up the view between the snags. On clear days, you can also see the scraggly summit of Three Finger Jack up close and personal. But we only saw the base as the peak was obscured in clouds.

When certain members of our party — who shall remain nameless — started to tire, we decided to cut across the well-marked Pacific Crest Trail, shortening our loop by about a mile. The PCT isn’t maintained for nordic skiing or snowshoeing, so it’s a bit more rugged. There are more up and down portions, the trail comes perilously close to tree wells, and it’s just not as wide, making it difficult to avoid stepping on the ski tracks, as we had tried to do on the loop.

There were plenty of tracks on the snow, from both skis and snowshoes, but on this day, we didn’t see a single soul on the trail.

We looped back toward our car, and soon we heard the whine of snowmobile engines signaling our arrival back at the parking lot. The snow had warmed up quite a bit over the two hours we were out. Even with snowshoes on, we sometimes sank deep into the snow.

It’s amazing how much heat is radiated of the snow when the sun comes out. Even after shedding our jackets along the way, it was hard to imagine it was winter.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to find my bike.

If you go

What: Ray Benson Sno-park

Getting there: From Sisters, take U.S. Highway 20 west to Santiam Pass, Take the turnoff for Hoodoo Ski Area on the left side of the highway, and follow the signs for the sno-park

Difficulty: Moderate

Cost: Sno-park permit required through April 30

Contact: Willamette National Forest, 541-225-6300