Snow Riders’ Guide

Backcountry Hut Trips Close to Home
Wallowa Alpine Huts, Camp Norway and McCully Basin, Enterprise.
You will never have more fun than this on cross-country skis. Gather a posse, book a trip (spring is best) and enjoy mega-days touring around the bowls, glades and couloirs of “Little Switzerland,” located in Eastern Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. Recover from your big day of backcountry travel with a bottle of bourbon and some beef stew, best enjoyed inside the luxurious Wallowa Alpine Huts, which are outfitted with a sink, woodstove and enough beds for your whole crew. Wake up, make bacon and coffee, repeat.

Extreme outdoor videos are not only great for killing time, but they can raise your stoke-level by significant amounts. Because we love you and want you to spend your time wisely, we talked to Bend’s shredd-iest shredders in order to compile this short list of genre-spanning snowriding films.
Basically these are the best of the best. Yes, we all love Hot Dog, but we decided to forego corny, though classic, in favor of movies that display art, skill and industry breakthroughs. Take a peak through the ages and get fired up for the first snowfall.

Skjersaa’s Rail Jam and Tetherow Big Air Competition
Dates TBA, stay tuned to the Source for more info
Both events are a great opportunity to check out some of Central Oregon’s best ski and snowboard talent. And you don’t even have to leave town! The Skjersaa’s rail jam will kick off the season in mid-November with boarders and skiers slip-sliding on some epic rails. In mid-December, check out the Big Air Comp at Tetherow to see top-shelf freestyle riders huck their meat for fun and profit. And proceeds go to a good cause. Everybody wins!

K2 Panoramic Splitboard, 158cm. $599 at Great Outdoors. The lightweight bombproof Bambooyah construction allows riders to take this spiltboard deep into the backcountry.
Ride Sash Boa Coiler, Women’s snowboard boots. $229 at Aspect Board Shop. The Stash boots boast a luxurious interior and a comfy and secure lacing system.
Never Summer Industries Proto CT, 157cm. $549 at Aspect Board Shop. This all-mountain board won a “Gear of the Year” award from Outside magazine, thanks in part to its rockered and cambered profile, wood core and graphite-impregnated base.

Three Sisters Backcountry Inc., situated at the base of Tam MacArthur Rim, now offers immersion-style avalanche safety classes. These American Mountain Guide Association certified classes include two to three nights in their backcountry yurts, indoor and outdoor instruction, discussion and lots of skiing! If you’d rather spend the night in your own bed, you can also sign up for one of their three-day field courses—but the huts are where it’s at, trust us.

It doesn’t matter what you call us—chics, betties, women, girlies, bims, moms, daughters, sisters, or any of the other myriad terms for women, we all share a common feeling—a need for adventure.
But let’s face it, when it comes to backcountry skiing there are a thousand excuses why a “girl” shouldn’t go. We have all heard them said: “It’s dangerous. You could die in an avalanche; you could freeze to death; you could encounter wild animals or rapists; you should really carry a gun.”

Few things are as enjoyable to watch as a well-shot shredding session. Whether it's point-of-view scenes from a helmet cam or professional footage shot from the inside of a helicopter on a $30,000 field production camera, good action sports footage is inspiring and motivating.

If you're the kind of skier who likes to earn your turns, then you're no doubt well aware of the overnight options in Oregon's backcountry. But for those who are more accustomed to season passes than mountain passes, there are several options that open Oregon's vast backcountry skiing options through guided trips that include gear rental (minus skis) and support.

Among those snowriders who don't allow a little uphill to get in the way, the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center and Virginia Meissner Sno-Park are inarguably the most popular local cross-country ski destinations. They are also, consequently, the most high-traffic. The Nordic skiier's choice partially depends on local grooming conditions, snow levels, and the preferred technique (skate or classic). But for those unafraid to bushwhack (er, snow-whack?), Central Oregon abounds with several lesser-known sites that allow you to escape the crowds and enjoy the quiet winter serenity that the skinny skis afford.
If you're looking to test your endurance, drive south to Paulina Lake, cradled in the Newberry Crater. While many flock to the trail on their bikes in the summer, it remains one of the area's best-kept Nordic secrets. Try the Paulina Lakeshore Trail, a seven-mile loop with a 230-foot elevation gain. Looking for something slightly less taxing? The Paulina View Trail and Ponderosa Rim Trail are both three-and-a-half mile ventures. The Paulina Nordic Loop offers a two-mile option.