Happy Easter and early spring snow!

Central Oregon area mountains are getting a refresh of snow this week that should be encouraging for the devout winter recreationists this shoulder season. We even got a couple of flurries in town on Thursday. But don’t be afraid. According to weather forecasts, that looks to be short-lived.

Forecasts predict highs near 50 degrees Fahrenheit in town this weekend, with the sun expected to come out Saturday and skies to stay clear into next week. Individuals who have flexible schedules and are eager for warmer weather, might want to save their outdoor excursions for early next week as temperatures are expected to reach the mid-60s Monday and 70s Tuesday.

Deschutes National Forest trail crew supervisor Joe Welke reported in last week’s conditions update that the snowpack remained robust in the area’s sno-parks. And, following a week of more snow falling in the mountains, snow coverage should be good this weekend, making it a great time to celebrate Easter out on the snow.

Below are some recommended spots for recreation this weekend.

New snow at all area mountains

Mt. Bachelor

Mt. Bachelor had received 2 inches of snow overnight and was expecting another couple of inches throughout the day Thursday, according to the mid-mountain snow forecast. As of Thursday morning, the ski area had received a total 15 inches of snow over the past week, with 6 inches falling in the last 24 hours. The mountain’s base depth was 111 inches.

Temperatures on the mountain are expected to remain below 30 degrees Fahrenheit through the weekend before a dramatic rise starting Monday that may signify the beginning of spring conditions. Now might be the time to get those last winter turns.

The ski area also has events all weekend, with a party in Woodward Peace Park on Saturday and Easter festivities Sunday.

Hoodoo Ski Area

As of Thursday morning, 4 inches of snow had fallen on Hoodoo Ski Area and another 5-11 inches was expected in the next 24 hours. Winds were high on the mountain but expected to die down by Friday.

The mountain’s base depth was 82 inches. It has received 227 inches of snow so far this season. The Autobahn lift remains open for tubers looking to slide down the mountain. The ski area will also have an Easter egg hunt on Sunday.

Willamette Pass Resort

Willamette received 6 inches of snow during the past week, with half of that falling within 24 hours of Thursday morning. Staff was expecting “epic” conditions Thursday, and more snow was predicted to fall throughout the day. The mountain’s base depth was 48 inches. A total of 278 inches of snow has fallen at the ski area this season. All 30 trails and five out of six lifts were open Thursday.

Spring trout fishing on Lake Billy Chinook

Anglers report that the winter and, now, spring fishing for kokanee and bull trout has been good on Lake Billy Chinook, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website. The Metolius Arm closed to fishing in November, but the rest of the reservoir remains open all year. The lake also has smallmouth bass, brown and rainbow trout. Fishermen can keep one lake trout, 24-inch minimum length, per day and, as a new rule, take home five kokanee. There are no bag or size limits on brown trout and bass.

West of Madras, Lake Billy Chinook is over an hour drive north from Bend and lies in a canyon at the confluence of the Crooked, Deschutes and Metolius rivers. The reservoir was created through the construction of the Round Butte Dam in 1964.

Check out the Cascade View trails

The Cascade View Trail system is in good shape this spring, according to recent reports in the BendTrails Facebook group. Just west of Redmond, near Maston and Cline Butte, the trails offer 12 miles of beginner and intermediate trails with designated mountain bike and horseback riding trails. Hikers and trail runners are welcome on both. It’s in the name, but these trails also present great vantage points of the Cascade Mountains and the surrounding Central Oregon landscape. There’s about 700 feet of climbing total.

If you’re looking for more miles, head on down the road to Maston complex.

Wanoga ski trails offer fair spring outing

Last Saturday I rented classic cross-country skies and boots from Pine Mountain Sports and drove up to Wanogo Sno-Park. It certainly wasn’t the best snow I’ve ever skied, but having only ever skate skied before, it was a fun, casual afternoon out on the snow. With temperatures hovering around freezing, the snow was fairly wet. We were, however, fortunate to get a fresh dusting of snow while out. The area also received more snow during the week and, with grooming four-days-a-week, conditions should be primed for this weekend.

The sno-park also offers snowmobiling, fatbiking, snowshoeing and sledding throughout the winter months. A sno-park permit is required until April 30. Thanks to grooming and maintenance work done by local organization DogPac, the Wanoga area trails have been open to off-leash dogs for 15 years. For safety, dogs must be on a leash in the parking lot.

For a full list of conditions updated regularly, visit bendbulletin.com/explore/conditions.