The December 23 issue had two letters saying what a small deal it is to have dogs allowed on the currently ungroomed cross country ski trails.
Here is the way it looks to many of us who like to ski.(Kreg) Lindberg says the Deschutes National Forest is the most restrictive Oregon national forest regarding dogs. I don’t know if that is true, but, if so, it is because DNF is a very urban, highly used forest. It is also very flat, which makes access by users easier. No forest of similar size in the country has more miles of roads. Supposing again that Lindberg is correct, these restrictions are not working, as dog owners are not obeying the rules. Why would we expect them to obey new rules? I have already seen dogs (and their owners) on the ski trails this year.
Dog owners have plenty of places to go in winter now. There’s Edison snow park, Skyliner trailhead and the currently groomed area at Wanoga. This is besides the hundreds of miles of forest roads.
Under DogPAC’s plan, all Swampy skiers will have to deal with dogs in the parking lot and on the trails. Users will have to use the trail leaving the parking lot to go to the trails to Swampy Lake and Swede Ridge. I have NEVER seen a Bend dog that responded immediately to its owner’s pleas to come or heal.
Lindberg uses the word “injustice.” That word is inflammatory. People are not born with dog as a condition. It is a choice. Discrimination against religions, race, disabilities, etc. is injustice.
Greg Evans says the dog people will take away only one-fifth of the Swampy trails. ONLY. Those of use who like to ski without the use of groomed trails have already lost all of Meissner. One cannot ski there without skiing groomed trails. We have lost Edison Sno-park to dogs already.
Evans wants to give half the Swampy parking lot to dog people. Every year, this lot gets busier. Will DogPAC pay for enlarging the parking lot?
Please, everyone, keep in mind that DogPAC is a very vocal and organized group. Those of us who ski are, by nature, not so. So when you read opinions proposing dogs on our ski trails, remember the source.
– Dennis Krakow, Bend
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.
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hmmmm….as an avid skate, classic and backcountry telemark skier who is out skiing either at Tumalo, Wanoga, Meissner or Edison about 4X/week, I’d like to disagree with you on a few points. First of all, if you like cross country skiing on non-groomed trails so much, then why don’t YOU seek out all of the “hundreds of miles of forest roads” if you don’t want to encounter ‘unruly’ dogs and their ‘rude’ owners? As a dog owner and avid skier, I encounter MANY people with dogs (on and off ski trails) on a very regular basis and I would have to say that 99% of my encounters are VERY positive and fun. MOST dogs are well-behaved and are under voice control. I’m not sure where you’re going (only Swampy?) where you’re encountering such unruly dogs and I’m sure that only ONE such encounter will cause you to exaggerate the experience nonetheless. There is only a 4k loop at Wanoga that is groomed for skate skiing, so that’s not very big. I personally ski the snowmobile trails (chopped up most of the time) at Wanoga with my dog, then go over to Meissner to ski if I have extra time. Edison is very out of the way for most folks coming up Century Drive and really there is only ONE small loop that is dog-friendly there and it’s a snowshoe trail. Again, I’ll take my dog skate skiing on the snowmobile trails when I do go there and do big loops toward Kwohl, etc. and have NEVER EVER seen another dog out there (perhaps consider skiing out there if you want a remote experience). Fortunately the snowmobilers are courteous and few as you ski further out. So, then, skiers who want to take their dogs on a long ski over somewhat manageable terrain are forced to share the trails with snowmobilers which is not always the safest thing to be doing. Like I said, most of them are very respectful, fortunately.
Still, there needs to be other options for skiers who want to SKATE with their dogs. Most dogs and owners are courteous and I’m sorry that you’ve had such rude encounters with them b/c obviously it’s made a lasting impression on you. Stop being such a grouch and learn to compromise a bit. I’ve been doing it for years, so maybe it’s your turn to ease up a bit and share the space.
The most recent data indicate that the Deschutes National Forest has 103,392 cross country ski/snowshoe visits per year. The Mt. Hood National Forest has 178,661, so almost twice as many. Yet all the ungroomed trails on the Mt. Hood allow dog skiers. High use makes management more challenging, but it is not a rationale to deny the public access to quality recreation opportunities.
In fact, high levels of use should lead the forest (and community) to provide MORE opportunities, as the Deschutes NF has done for mountain bikers, non-dog skiers at Meissner, and other user groups. It's time to do the same for dog owners.
Dog owners use restricted areas precisely because the alternatives are so poor. The best way to ensure separation on the ground is to provide quality opportunities for all groups, together with education and enforcement. The Deschutes National Forest recognizes this relationship in its management plan (see TR-18, page 4-33). We're simply asking that the principle be implemented in the dog owner context.
A lot more can be said on this issue, and we can “play it out” in letters to the editor. But I (and DogPAC) prefer actually solving the problem. We have tried to do that since December 2006, in conversations with the Deschutes National Forest and the Central Oregon Nordic Club. If either decides they are willing to solve the problem in a collaborative manner that addresses the concerns of all involved, we are ready to proceed.
I am a new resident to Bend and am surprised by the amount of strong anti-dog sentiment in this area by some residents. I am an avid skate and classic skier and really enjoy having my two well-behaved friendly dogs along. I have been to the dog ski trail at Wanoga many times and found the skiers and their dogs to be very friendly and responsible. DogPAC has done a great job of grooming the trails and keeping the area in great shape. Thanks to all the DogPAC volunteers!
From my understanding, the National Forests are for multi-use activities which includes skiing with dogs. It sounds like some Nordic skiers in this area consider Swampy their own private ski area, not part of the National Forest. I am not for allowing dogs at all groomed areas such as Meissner, but considering that at this time, only 2 miles out of 100 are open to dogs, we need to work together to reach a compromise. Again, these trails are part of our National Forest, not privately owned by a few Nordic skiers in Bend. Let's work together to reach a compromise.
Thanks!
Wow,
What a bunch of crybabies you anti dog people are! It’s ridiculous, stop your whining!! I saw a sign posted at swampy the other day protesting dogs being allowed there. If I am not mistaken, isn’t it all of our tax dollars that go to these national forests? Dennis, are you serious when you say” the dog owners have plenty of places to go”!! Is that a joke? Unfortunately my dog passed away last summer, but last winter we were out playing in the snow quite a bit, and he couldn’t have been happier to be out enjoying it with me.And I couldn’t have been happier to have him along to share the experience. I snowshoe and back country ski/snowboard.It also happened to be my first winter living in Bend, and I had heard how dog friendly the town was. True, for the most part, it is a great dog community and that is one of my favorite things about Bend. Until I tried finding a sno park that allowed dogs, that is. Kind of a joke really. Who wants to drive all the way out to Edison all the time to get a decent trail you can take your dog on?? It’s a great park, but very inconvenient. The places you can’t take your dog far outweigh the places you can. The “anti dog” situation has gone on long enough as far as I am concerned, and it’s time to start sharing a little. The key word being “sharing”. No one wants to take over swampy with dogs, we just want to share the space.Is that so bad? Again, isn’t the forest for everyone to use? Im pretty sure we all have to buy the same snow park pass. I get that you don’t want dogs trashing the place, and I agree that it’s up to the dog owners to control their pets and clean up after them. If that is not happening then there is a problem, but all the dogs and their owners I have encountered in Bend have been great and I can’t see it being an issue. Unless of course the crying and complaining continues by those that are opposed to sharing. Next time you see a dog out on the trail take notice of how much they are enjoying being outdoors and just plain enjoying life,and take notice of how much the owner is enjoying having their best friend along for the ride. And no, I am not a Dog Pac member, but I will definitely be looking into joining.
I am a dog guardian who doesn’t cross country ski but feels very strongly that our National Forests need to be shared by all who wish to use them responsibly. There should be ample opportunities for “dog skiers” to access quality XC ski terrain and trails as well as for those who wish to ski in areas and on trails without dogs. Since it is estimated that dogs are part of almost 50% of Bend families and data from areas that allow dogs on XC trails in other National Forests suggests that over 30% of trail users prefer to ski with their dog(s), it is an “injustice” that there are not more quality opportunities for “dog skiers” and that many “dog adverse” XC skiers wish to exclude them from all of the better ski terrain and sno-pack parking areas. Also I was very interested to learn that according to you, religion is something you are born with and don’t get to choose.
It is my understanding that DogPAC is more interested in establishing their own trail network that they will groom (available to all XC skiers) rather than just “taking over” existing trails. Sure there may be some trail crossings and “common areas” but the majority of the area north of Century Drive would still provide you ample ability to ski “dog free”. As Amy suggested, you need to learn how to share a bit better and work to find an equitable compromise.
I love dogs and skiing, but let’s face it, excessive dog traffic on classic skiing tracks damages the tracks. If you’re classic skiing why not make your own track when you bring your dog ? This is mostly common sense.
But from my observations at Wanoga, it doesn’t seem that dogs hurt a groomed skate track much at all. So I can totally see the need for more skate skiing tracks with dogs allowed.
It is difficult to draw the line between dog-areas and no-dog-areas at a single parking area however, so I think they should be segregated, which is why the ‘dogs South of Century only’ rule makes sense.
Sounds like what we need then is more skate grooming at Wanoga ?
I’m a dog owner and have been for most of my life. I live close to 1st street rapids park in downtown Bend and have for many years. On any given day on this trail (I am on the trail several times a week) one will see many dogs off leash and many piles of poop. There are some accountable dog owners, but many that aren’t. The friendly dogs are sweet but still a little clumsy (my spouse did a header after a giant FRIENDLY unleashed dog attacked him while he was running.) I prefer not having dogs at the Meissner area, especially on the trails that are groomed for skating. One can move along quickly on skate skis, (descending Tangent) and a dog encounter would be disastrous. Some dogs (friendly) respond with a run and a leap. And I just can’t believe, based on past results, that there won’t be lots of do-do too.