If you can brave the cold, low-elevation trails have been great this week. For those heading up to the mountain, fresh snow is on the way.

Morning frost has left lower-elevation biking and hiking trails in great shape come midafternoon this week. I rode Phil’s trails on Wednesday and the dirt was great. Be on the lookout for snow and icy patches in shady areas and on north-facing hills that may get little, if any, sunlight. Voodoo and everything below was rideable. Prepare for the cold. Temperatures drop quick as dusk approaches, and my gloved hands were numb and aching by the time I got home.

Local ski areas are open this weekend and expecting a few inches of snow. Expect warmer temperatures and overcast skies in town. Highs are nearing 50 degrees Fahrenheit again with lows overnight around 30 degrees.

Below are some recommended spots for recreation this weekend. For mountain bike and other trail-specific updates, check out bendtrails.org and the BendTrails Facebook group.

Flurries forecasted for local ski areas

Mt. Bachelor

As of Thursday morning, Bachelor had received no new snow over the past week, according to the mountain report. The mountain’s base depth was 50 inches and has received 120 inches of snow so far this season.

Cloudchaser and Outback lifts began operating for the season on Thursday, which expands the resort’s skiable terrain to 2,100 acres. Conditions permitting, Northwest lift is schedule to open next Thursday, Dec. 12. Woodward Mountain Park was offering 12 jibs at Pacific City, three jumps and five jibs at Cannon Beach, one jump and six jibs at The Point and five jumps and six jibs at Short Sands on Thursday, the mountain report said.

Mt. Bachelor’s uphill policy remains in effect. Skinners should pick up a free uphill pass before starting their ascent.

Expect light snow on the mountain this weekend, with a possible accumulation of over an inch of snow both Saturday and Sunday, according to the mid-mountain forecast. Temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing midday Saturday and remain around 20 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday.

Hoodoo Ski Area

Hoodoo had received no new snow overnight Thursday and was not expecting new snow, staff wrote in the ski area’s report. The ski area is expected to get a couple inches of snow both Saturday and Sunday, according to the mid-mountain forecast. Hoodoo’s base depth was 33 inches, as of Thursday morning. Early season conditions are in effect.

Willamette Pass Resort

As of Thursday morning, Willamette Pass had received no new snow over the past week, according to the snow report. Its base depth was 33 inches. The resort had received a total of 45 inches of snowfall this season. Twenty-two of 30 trails and four of six lifts were open.

Consistent trout fishing on Lower Deschutes

According to reports on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) website, trout fishing on the lower Deschutes River has been consistently good. Anglers have been out between Mecca and Trout creeks, near Warm Springs, recently to find trout and some steelhead. Steelhead fishing is expected to wind down by the end of the year.

Chinook season is closed on the Deschutes, but coho retention is open through Dec. 31. Chinook are currently spawning in the river. ODFW asks that anglers watch out for their redds — fish nests — or spawning fish when wading in areas with a lot of gravel substrate.

If you catch a steelhead, coho or fall Chinook with an orange external tag that reads “ODFW THE DALLES,” ODFW asks that you record the tag number and call its office at 541-296-4628. If you release the fish, leave the orange tag in place.

The lower Deschutes stretches from the river’s mouth to Pelton Dam, just south of Warm Springs and about an hour drive from Bend.

Check out the ODFW’s website for more fishing reports.

New trail to check out at Cascade View

Recent reports on the BendTrails Facebook group say that the Cascade View trails are riding well this week and there’s a new trail. Named the Rattler, the 2-mile intermediate trail added this summer offers some technical, rocky riding, according to Trailforks. Find it off of Blue-Belly Stem or via the connector from Eagle Crest Road.

Just west of Redmond and Cline Buttes, the Cascade View trail system has 12 miles of beginner and intermediate trails designated for mountain bikes and horseback riding. Hikers and trail runners are welcome on both. As the name would suggest, these trails offer great vantage points of the Cascade Mountains and the surrounding Central Oregon landscape. In total, the networks has about 700 feet of climbing total.

Check out nearby Maston and Cline Butte trail systems, if you’re looking for more miles with similar terrain.

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

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