With similar weather to last week — clear skies, highs in the 40s — I aimed to get work done early the past few days to free up some daylight hours for some gravel riding. Besides my indecision on where to ride, Tuesday was smooth sailing.

I planned to check out the Horse Ridge trails via some U.S. Forest Service roads from the Horse Butte area. According to Google Maps, it was a 12-mile ride from where I parked to Horse Ridge via county roads and Highway 20. Surely, it was shorter if I could find a more direct route on the forest roads. I should’ve known early on there were gaps in my scope of the area when what appeared to be a road on the map looked more like a private driveway. An hour till sunset and I was starting with a double-back. Luckily, I had lights and, with new roads ahead of me, was in high spirits.

I rode east on Arnold Market Road to where it meets Gosney and Ford roads. I took a right onto Ford, which was a mix of gravel, dirt and wet sand at this point, and was well on my way to the ridge. It was a straight shot ahead.

I came upon three dirt bikers and another gravel rider on their way back into town. “How is it back here?” I asked the rider. “A bit loose but no traffic,” he said with a smile, as he opened a gate for the both of us, heading in opposite directions. He added that he was out the night before and enjoyed watching the moon rise over the desert, pointing to the eastern sky. “Moon?” I thought to myself. “I’m not going to be out here in the dark.”

About 10 miles in and the sun was fully blocked by the Cascades. It was getting cold and turning around seemed like the wise choice. But the distant ridges and pink clouds drew me in. “Keep riding.” This wasn’t going to be an out-and-back.

I reached Golden Basin and had climbed its southeastern ridge when it was time to turn on my light for the descent. Once down the backside, my mindset became “Get to the road and get back to the car.” At this point, it was dark. I could see a few headlights out in the distance, some on China Hat Road, more on Highway 20. I followed a gravel road around the south side of Horse Ridge, jumped on Highway 20 for a bit and detoured onto Horse Ridge Frontage Road. I spotted the moon to my right, its light creeping through the clouds and trees. I hopped back on 20 and hung a left onto Rickard Road, and another onto Billadeau Road to get me back to Horse Butte.

Bonked and freezing, I arrived at the car shortly before 7 p.m., thinking at no point did I go astray.

Bluebird, groomer skiing is on tap for the weekend. Weather in the mountains is expected to remain about as it has all week — no snow in the forecast and temperatures peaking in the mid-30s during the day. Local ski areas have plenty of snow.

Temperatures are supposed to drop significantly this weekend. Highs are in the mid-30s in Bend, with lows around 20 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. Expect sun with a chance of clouds Saturday. Lower Phil’s trails were still too soft Wednesday, but could be rideable as the ground freezes this weekend. Find better riding at Horse Ridge, Maston, Cascade View and other lowland trail options.

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

More bluebird skiing this weekend

Mt. Bachelor

As of Thursday, Mt. Bachelor ski area had received no new snow in two days and 4 inches of snow over the week, according to the mountain report. The mid-mountain forecast also predicted no snow through Tuesday. Skies are expected to be clear and partly cloudy through the weekend, with temperatures above 30 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Winds should top out at 10 mph.

Bachelor has a season total of 244 inches of snow. The mountain’s base depth was 99 inches Thursday.

Hoodoo Ski Area

Hoodoo had received no new snow overnight Thursday, and the ski area was expecting more bluebird days to come, staff wrote in the ski area’s report. The mid-mountain forecast confirmed this — clear skies Saturday and Sunday with temperatures above freezing. Hoodoo’s base depth was 66 inches Thursday. The ski area had received 148 inches of snow so far this season.

Willamette Pass Resort

Willamette Pass had seen 2 inches of snow in seven days and no new snow in two days, according to the snow report Thursday. Its base depth was 46 inches. The resort had received a total of 122 inches of snow this season. All trails and lifts were open Thursday.

Bull trout, 13-inch kokanee in Lake Billy Chinook

Anglers report good winter fishing for both kokanee and bull trout in Lake Billy Chinook, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) website. Anglers have seen kokanee averaging 12-13 inches — larger than the past few seasons.

The daily trout limit is one bull trout over 24 inches. Anglers can now keep five kokanee in addition to daily trout limit. No bag or size limits on brown trout and bass. The Metolius Arm closed to fishing at the end of October. It reopens March 1.

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

Biking, hiking Horse Butte and surrounding areas

Horse Butte Trailhead is often considered a good riding, trail running and hiking option during the winter. It offers access to more than 30 miles of trails. The area includes Swamp Wells, Coyote Loop and Arnold Ice Cave — all intermediate-level trails. It also has various gravel Forest Service roads, like Ford Road, that head southeast toward Horse Ridge, the Newberry Caldera and the rest of the expanding High Desert.

Horse Butte is also about a 20-minute drive southeast from town. Horse Ridge, too, taking Highway 20.

The wide-open views of the Cascades and desert are astounding. Recently, the sunsets have been spectacular. And, on the right day, the calm, cool air and rare silence found there could be called sacred. Whether its Deschutes National Forest or Bureau of Land Management lands, like the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, take an afternoon or evening to get out to enjoy the High Desert this winter.

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

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