Ryan Palo cruises out of the pond during the North American Pond Skimming Championships at Mt. Bachelor in 2014.(Joe Kline/Bulletin file photo)

This season’s precipitous weather and residually thick snowpack means the seasonal transition between outdoor activities may take a bit longer than usual. Most Central Oregonians, despite their outdoor predilections, are pleased with a lingering winter.

“It’s been an incredible winter to say the least,” said Stirling Cobb, the Mt. Bachelor ski area marketing manager. To predict what spring will bring to the mountain, we have to look at where we’ve been this winter, whose season we’re only halfway through, he added.

Since Mt. Bachelor began recording its snow totals on Oct. 1, officials have clocked more than 465 inches of snowfall at the West Village base area, eclipsing last year’s total snowfall of 411 inches. Presently, the area, which resides at 6,300 feet, bears 138 inches. Midmountain, at 7,300 feet, has received 478 inches of snowfall since Oct. 1, and had a snowpack of 168 inches at press time.

March storms typically bring more snow, Cobb said, but this is a solid base and Mt. Bachelor intends to operate until Memorial Day weekend. Cobb doesn’t anticipate operating into June — which they haven’t done since the 1999-2000 season — but there have been a few instances in Mt. Bachelor history that they operated on the July Fourth weekend, such as the 2010-11 season. While it appears all the variables are in place for a prolonged ski season, a hot spring could melt the snow base and dash that possibility.

“We have a full three months to go, and a lot can change in that time, but the forecast is looking favorable,” Cobb said.

Mt. Bachelor is still offering a portion of its spring break deal, which will be bundled into the Gravity School spring break deal that allows unlimited half-day lessons and lifts during spring break (March 25 through April 2) for $299.

Spring passes for both the mountain and the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center will go on sale March 16. Cobb said he wasn’t able to say whether the spring passes would be more costly on account of a potentially longer season. Last season, the mountain spring pass cost $169 during its mid-March sale and $199 thereafter. The Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center spring pass went for $79. This year, grooming will be maintained until May 28.

“We have more skiable terrain deep into the season than pretty much any other resort in the country, which is always fun to experience,” Cobb said. Spring is also when Mt. Bachelor lines up a lot of events, such as the 10 Barrel Hella Big Air Competition on March 25 and the Subaru WinterFest on April 1 and 2.

“Spring is one of the best times to spend on the mountain,” Cobb said. “You get to ski and snowboard in the morning and then go golfing or mountain biking — and everything else that Central Oregon has to offer — in the afternoon.”

Hoodoo Ski Area, near Sisters, currently has around 131 inches in snowpack, and hopes to stay open until mid- to late-April. Willamette Pass Resort, on state Highway 58, operates Wednesdays through Saturday, and will be open for spring break from March 22 to April 2. The resort will stay open weekends in April through Easter.

At Virginia Meissner Nordic Sno-park, snow should stick around through April, Meissner Nordic vice president Steve Roti wrote in an email, although the nonprofit club’s grooming arrangement with the U.S. Forest Service ends March 30. Roti said nordic skiers who abide by groomed paths migrate up-mountain to Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center. In April, nordies, particularly skate skiers, enjoy “crust skiing,” when freezing temperatures succeed warmer ones, resulting in a firm, skiable snow crust, Roti said. Good spots include the Wanoga and Dutchman Flat sno-parks. There are also cross-country ski touring opportunities at Broken Top bowl and other places that are harder to access during the winter months, he added.

For all his nordic enthusiasm, Roti is beginning to itch for warmer weather.

“I’m always sad to see the nordic ski season come to an end,” he said. “But at the same time, I’m glad to get back to the spring/summer sports, such as cycling and paddling.”

Warm-weather gear

The cusp between winter and spring is an opportune time to scour local secondhand gear shops to complete any gaps in your adventure armoire. Consignment shop Gear Fix’s summer buying season roughly stretches from April through October, although Ben Ott, a ski and bike tech, said the shop begins acquiring spring/summer equipment and apparel when consecutive 65-degree days arrive.

“If people are riding bikes again, then we’re going to sell bikes,” Ott said. “But if we get dumped on in the middle of April, we’ll still be taking in skis.”

As the seasonal transition happens, Ott recommends bargain hunters visit the store once or twice a week to catch the latest items they put on display after receiving them from consigners, 8,000 of whom they deal with annually. The store will steeply discount its cold-weather accessories and equipment during its winter sale, which typically happens at the “beginning of summer,” Ott said.

At Gear Peddler, clerk Mike Cumbie said the seasonality of the store’s offerings, which skew toward new dead-stock with some consignment, is predicated on when and what people bring in. He estimated that the shop’s warm-weather supplies will grow by 50 to 75 percent by the time spring is in full swing.

Green ways, mostly snow-covered

When Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville opened its 18 holes on Feb. 17, it broke the longest streak area golfers have gone without being able to golf in Central Oregon.

Meadow Lakes, which typically offers golfing every month of the year, was closed this winter for 73 consecutive days due to snow — the longest stretch since the course’s opening in 1993, said Zach Lampert, the head golf professional and general manager at Meadow Lakes Golf Course. Due to its elevation of about 2,600 feet, the Prineville course is typically the first to open in Central Oregon, Lampert said, and has been popular among golfers from Bend and Redmond, where courses and resorts are still contending with snow on their greenways.

Josh Willis, the director of golf at Sunriver Resort, enjoyed Meadow Lakes’ early start to the season.

“Finally, we were able to start knocking the dust of our clubs,” said Willis, who’s also the president of the 2017 Central Oregon Golf Trail Players Card. The nonprofit organization offers player cards, which cost $169, that grant golfers a half-off discount on afternoon green fees at 15 Central Oregon golf courses and resorts. Of the original 500 cards, around 300 remain.

“Once a good percentage of golf courses open, the sale is very rapid,” Willis said of the card that is valid all year. “The sooner you get it, the longer you’ll enjoy the benefit.”

While “100 percent” of Sunriver Resort’s links are snow-covered, Willis said the extra moisture is good for the turf; the resort is planning to open its first golf course — the Woodlands Course — March 31.

Water sports

Paddlers, kayakers and other river and creek users will have high water levels and strong flows to look forward to — thanks to this winter’s plentiful snowpack, said Topher Robertson, the program director at Tumalo Creek Kayak. If anything, the cold, snowy winter may have boosted participation in the company’s indoor kayak program at the Juniper Swim & Fitness Center. Tumalo Creek’s outdoor programs begin mid-April, a date by which Robertson hopes U.S. Forest Service roads are sufficiently clear of snow to allow access at launching points along the Deschutes River. Its kids camps on Elk Lake begin in mid-June — far enough into the season to not be affected by lingering snow. Robertson also said Tumalo Creek Kayak has seen an uptick in rental and sale inquiries by people stoked for what should be a great season on the water.

Danielle Carvalho, the owner of Bend Kayak School, said the strong, high flows fueled by snowmelt may affect the company’s private March 27 trip to the Owyhee River, which may be flooded. Plan B is an excursion on the Grande Ronde River. Carvalho said local whitewater classes, which begin by appointment in April, will be limited only by customers’ psychological hang-ups regarding cold water; dry suits are available and more than effective in cutting the cold. Carvalho expects a delay in kayak rentals, since lakes along the Cascade Lakes Highway may still be inaccessible. She’s researching kayak opportunities at lakes situated at lower elevations, such as Suttle Lake and smaller neighboring ones.

Still, Carvalho knows a hot spring could fast-track summer recreation.

“There is a lot of Mother Nature” in the mix, she said. Both Bend Kayak School and Tumalo Creek Kayak still have kayaks reservable for the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle, which is scheduled for May 20.

— Reporter: 541-617-7816,

pmadsen@bendbulletin.com