Top picks for playing in the snow

Published 1:30 am Thursday, January 7, 2021

Tumalo Mountain — The summer hike favorite is also open to snowshoeing and backcountry skiing come winter. The winter route may be hard to find given the snow, so have it downloaded to your smartphone before you set out, and plan to arrive early to score a parking place with some of the best views to be found in Central Oregon.

Wanoga Sno-park — Wanoga consists of a snow-play area for sledding and a traditional sno-park for cross-country skiing, fatbiking and snowmobiling. Fatbike loop trails are typically groomed a few times a week, according to the Forest Service, and walking around groomed trails in boots is not permitted, as footprints make fatbiking and snowshoeing more difficult. With recent snowfall, Wanoga will be a popular destination for all of the above types of recreation, and bear in mind that tubing is at the user’s own risk. A sno-park permit is required.

Willamette Pass Ski Area — The ski area 70 miles south of Bend along State Highway 58 has one of the steepest skiing slopes in the world, RTS, which clocks in with a 52% pitch. Open Wednesday through Sunday, Willamette is generally less crowded than ski areass to the north. According to willamettepass.com, the snow is currently very deep off the groomed runs, and the ski area strongly recommends riding with a partner and being alter to the dangers of tree wells. All tickets and rentals must be purchased online prior to arrival at the ski area, and the resort is operating cashless, so bring a credit card for other odds and ends.