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Stand-up Paddleboarding Opportunities Beyond the Flatwater

It’s been suggested that Central Oregon has more stand-up paddleboarders per capita than anywhere else in the country. While it may be more urban myth than statistically supported, the sport is certainly hard to miss—from the non-stop flow of paddleboarders on the Deschutes River to its presence on Cascade lakes. Rob McDonald, owner of Bend-based Stand on Liquid, a local retailer designing and selling paddleboards and paddling accessories since 2010, attributes the popularity to the number of athletic-minded people who live here and the proximity to dozens of bodies of water found in less than an hour’s drive from Bend. Where there’s water, there’s SUP. Photo above by Jared Mantzouranis.

Next-Level Action

Stand-up paddleboarding—SUP for short—is relatively new to the outdoor scene, and was popularized in the late ’90s. Gaining traction as production boards became available in the 2000s, the International Surfing Association, founded in 1964, calls it,”America’s fastest-growing water sport.” While flatwater paddling is the most familiar and accessible way to paddleboard, it might come as a surprise that this approach is a far cry from the sport’s origins in the breaking waves of Hawaii. Hawaiian paddleboarding pioneers such as big-wave surf legends Gerry Lopez and Laird Hamilton have tested Central Oregon waters, but paddling flat water on the Deschutes River or one of the Cascade Lakes is an entryway for most folks. If you’ve had visions of paddling through a wave train or setting off on a grand adventure, there’s good news—the sport has many more dimensions, including paddling for fitness, whitewater, competition or for multiday touring. Then of course, it’s always an adventure when you add a furry companion to the mix.

Core, and More, SUP Fitness

A major draw for SUP enthusiasts is outdoor fitness, and not just to work out arms, but the core, shoulders and legs. “Stand-up paddleboarding engages muscles throughout the entire body,” said physical therapist Jenny McAteer of Resolve Physical Therapy. “It raises your heart rate, improves your aerobic capacity, overall heart function, and blood pressure, and decreases your fat stores.” The effort of keeping the board stable while compensating for a current, wind, or waves requires, what Rob McDonald described as, “subconscious micro-adjustments, engaging otherwise neglected small muscle fibers.” At the shop, he often hears paddlers describe how they feel soreness in muscles they haven’t before. “It’s a good sore,” he said, jokingly. Paddleboarding is also low-impact on the joints, which is a big plus in contrast to most outdoor sports popular in Central Oregon. Correct paddling technique should build core strength and not stress your back. To paddle for fitness, learn correct form and get plenty of time on the water.

Jordan Bohnlein tackles whitewater, below Big Eddy | Photo by Arian Stevens

White-Knuckle Whitewater

Whitewater paddling is exactly what you might expect—paddling in rapids. Most whitewater paddlers enjoy class I-II rapids, with more advanced pros advancing to higher-grade water and even dropping into waterfalls. A paddler’s success in whitewater leans heavily on experience paddling the flats, exceptional balance and skills using the paddle, as well as an ability to read rivers to be alert to dangers, find good lines through the rapids, catch an eddy and, of course, safely fall in the midst of rapids.

While this might sound like a young person’s sport, Andy Worcester came to whitewater paddling a little later in life. At age 49, he’d skied and mountain-biked his whole life and first started playing in the waves and running the rapids on an SUP when the Bend Whitewater Park first opened—it was fun, and he was hooked. “If you run a class-two rapid on a paddleboard, there’s this insane rush,” he said. Worcester has been able to run bigger rapids incrementally, and there too is a feeling of accomplishment. Sue Fox is also a passionate whitewater paddleboarder. As manager at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe, Fox supports others through the online community she created called Frisky Ripples. “I fell in love with ocean SUP surfing for the reasons so many surfers fall in love with it—you’re at one with the ocean, you’re present, and it’s just so damn fun,” adding, when she moved back to the mainland, whitewater SUPing was the closest thing to surfing she found to replicate those feelings. Outside of the physical rush, she points to the connection she feels to the river and forests, the camaraderie with fellow paddlers and the post-paddle feeling of accomplishment as highlights of the sport.

Competition Racing

Another way to add variety to an SUP repertoire is in competition. There are two basic styles of racing: Downwind racing involves racing with the wind at your back from point A to point B, with swells propelling you while surfing wave after wave. The other is SUP-obstacle paddle racing that involves paddling around buoys or other fixed points back to the starting point.

Bend’s Randall Barna was an early adopter of paddleboarding and a competitive paddler who has stood on the podium of almost every major paddleboard competition in the Northwest. While local paddleboard racing experienced a downswing following the pandemic, Barna is confident there will always be an opportunity to compete. “You get two paddlers together on any body of water and they start seeing who’s best, who’s fastest. It’s just kind of inherent in the sport,” he said. The International Surfing Association is hoping SUP will be included in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032.

To race closer to home, the Odell Lake Pioneer Cup, a downwind race held each July, is a great first race for those new to the sport, Barna said. To see (or compete with) elite paddleboarders, go to the Gorge Challenge race, held in July at the Columbia River Gorge.

Adventure Touring

Likened to backpacking or backcountry touring, paddleboard touring involves exploration and getting away from it all. With more than 30 years working in the outdoor industry, adventurer Paul Clark has paddleboarded on more than 160 different rivers around the world, including rivers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Slovenia, New Zealand and Japan. “Oregon has the best rivers for multi-day SUP trips because of the variety, from deserts to forests. And they are numerous, including the Lower Deschutes, Rogue, Grand Ronde, John Day and the Owyhee,” he said. Paddleboard travel on rivers and lakes is very low-impact, with no need for a board ramp or a group campsite, he added. He equates this approach to light and fast backpacking. “Traveling with a small amount of gear is a wonderful way to get downriver—it’s just a small dry bag, a PFD and a backpack on a paddleboard, and off you go.”

Paul has explored Central Oregon by SUP, from 150 miles on the John Day River to all 100 miles of the Deschutes River—a trip that took 16 hours. But for a more entry-level adventure-travel experience, it doesn’t take much more than a board, paddle and a short drive up the Cascade Lakes Highway. Paddleboarding on Sparks Lake is an iconic, postcard-worthy Central Oregon moment accessible to all.

Pups on SUPS

It’s an endearing image: a lazy day of summer and a happy dog posted up at the bow of a paddleboard. J.D. Platt decided to help make this image a safe reality for SUP enthusiasts and their furry friends. Platt is a lifelong Central Oregonian and innovator of all things fun, from snowboards to SUP boards to canine entertainment. As the founder and host of J.D.’s K9 Kings Flying Dog Show. He saw an opportunity to merge his interests in pups and SUPs with an innovative paddleboard that includes improved traction and a perch for a pet. Platt created a stable, inflatable board featuring a grippy deck that covers nearly the entire surface of the board, allowing dogs to travel up and down the board. Up front, he engineered a paw perch platform, providing improved balance for a furry first mate. Having a pet companion on deck proves standup paddling isn’t limited to humans. The popularity of SUP in Bend shows there’s no coastline required either. Just add water.

Sup Safely

Whether on flatwater, ripples or rapids—paddle safely:

• Wear a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD).

• Dress appropriately for the weather and water temperature. Wear sunscreen.

• Bring a phone in a waterproof bag, and enable location services in case of an emergency.

Jump into whitewater paddling with tales of SUP told on The Circling Podcast. Listen at BendMagazine.com/podcast.

Women of Deschutes County Search and Rescue

Local Heroes

It can come at any time—a call for help from someone stranded, injured, scared and in desperate need of wilderness rescue. These incoming 911 calls are transferred to Deschutes County Search & Rescue (SAR), which then issues an alert out to the network of 135 highly trained volunteers who drop what they’re doing and selflessly respond.

“Deschutes County is fortunate to have one of the most robust Search and Rescue teams,” said Sergeant Nathan Garibay, the emergency manager with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re really blessed by the dedication and quality of our volunteers.”

Of those 135 volunteers, 35 are women, all with a range of backgrounds and skill sets that make their contributions invaluable. These women don’t fit into any one type—they’re in different stages of life and their careers, with young families or retired; whether new to town or longtime residents.

Volunteering with SAR is a commitment not to be taken lightly, volunteers must complete a month-long academy with frequent training sessions; the average member logs more than 200 hours per year, with the requirement of participating in a minimum of six missions per year. The reality is that most volunteers contribute well beyond that expectation. In addition to wilderness medical training, many volunteers are trained EMTs and paramedics, and many have amplified training for specialty teams which include swift water rescue, mountain rescue, winter search, water operations and canine search, to name a few. The women of SAR are not just stepping up as volunteers, more and more often they’re the ones leading these complicated missions.

Christa Nash-Webber

Christa Nash-Webber joined SAR as a mom with two young children. Nash-Webber brings technical outdoor skills gleaned through a 20-year career in outdoor education. She volunteers on the medical team and the formerly male-dominated Mountain Rescue Team, where she serves as an assistant team coordinator. She joined in 2019 upon moving to Bend. “Joining SAR felt like a really nice next step, knowing I have a skill set that can be put to good use with people who are injured and lost, and I can make a real difference and help save lives,” she said. Nash-Webber shared that the most rewarding missions for her are the “epics,” the rescues that involve lengthy approach times and complicated transport. She recalled one such mission, a successful “epic” mission as part of a “hasty team,” which is a highly skilled group tasked with immediately deploying to jump start the search process. The mission took place in the Three Sisters Wilderness and began at midnight and didn’t end until 6:30 p.m. the following day. Nash-Webber has been part of intense backcountry missions and tragic, yet meaningful recovery missions. She explained, “Being outside fuels my soul. The ability to truly make a difference in the worst day of someone’s life, whether it’s bringing someone who’s sadly passed back to their family, or rescuing someone who’s been lost for a long time, the impact is very direct and very immediate.”

Nash-Webber is the event coordinator with SheJumps, an organization focused on increasing the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. Until recently, she also headed up SAR recruiting, a role that had her sharing the opportunity to volunteer in presentations all around town. A thread that runs through the experiences of these dedicated volunteers is the benefit of being a member of the SAR community and the opportunity to keep learning. “There are so many different ways to grow within the organization,” she said. “You can join a different team or become a field team leader, you can grow and stretch and challenge yourself in different ways throughout the years.” She gave a thoughtful look and said, “I think I’m going to be able to do SAR into my 70s.”

Roseanne Alwen

One of the women stepping into a leadership role at SAR is Roseanne Alwen. Alwen joined SAR after retirement, volunteering on five different teams, most notably the Canine Team with her six-year-old labrador retriever, Sherman. Alwen and Sherman are called in for searches on land and in water; impressively, “Sherman is capable of searching an area of up to 500 acres in a day, logging 20 to 25 miles,” Alwen said. She is in the process of training her next search and rescue protege, an eight-month-old black lab, Porter. She trains with her dogs two to three days a week to maintain certification, dedicating an incredible amount of time and money. Explaining why she enjoys working with SAR, she said, “I’m out in the wilderness, I have my dog, I get to train him, and I get to help people.” Roseanne shared that her role with the dogs is often that of recovery, but even those are fulfilling, “It may be that we are only able to bring closure one time in the whole lifetime of each dog, but that’s one time that a family gets closure.” For Alwen, that’s enough to make it all worthwhile.

Taylor Bacci

Taylor Bacci joined SAR in 2020. As a volunteer with the medical and snowmobile teams, Bacci said she values the experience of navigating in the outdoors and the constant problem-solving skills required while responding to missions ranging from injured climbers, lost hikers, heat-exhausted runners, bike crashes, stuck snowmobiles and recoveries. She shared, “Bend has been my home for over 15 years, and this town is packed with outdoorsy, active, risk-taking individuals. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. It fulfills me to provide first-responder efforts to help those who are in need.”

Patti Lynch

Patti Lynch has been a volunteer since 2015, joining SAR after retiring from a career in law enforcement. Her retirement plan was to spend her days riding her bike on Phil’s Trail, but immediately upon moving to Bend, Lynch was faced with evacuating from the 2014 Two Bulls Fire. She said, “As a police officer, I was used to knowing everything that was going on; the feeling of not knowing was anxiety producing for me.” That experience ignited her interest in becoming involved with SAR. Lynch is known as one of the more active volunteers, with a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the organization, including a near encyclopedic knowledge of the SAR inventory of rescue tools and vehicles, and a career officer’s attention to protocols.

A volunteer with the snowmobile, ATV and Incident Management Team, Lynch is not a stranger to challenging rescues, including a day participating in and overseeing incident response to three separate calls at South Sister, as well as the emotional rescue of a pair of lost snowmobilers. These experiences are the “why” of why she volunteers. “We’re all here for the same reason,” she said, “We all want to be able to bring somebody home.” But as a woman who spent her career in a male-dominated field, Lynch shared that she is also passionate about encouraging women to take on leadership roles at SAR. “We’ve got women with a lot of gifts and talents and a different approach. It’s an incredibly strong female contingency right now who are all stepping up in some really cool ways.”

Whitewater Kayaking on the Deschutes River

A short walk from the forested parking lot to the put-in above Benham Falls on the upper Deschutes River. The kayakers, including Axel Hovorka, Orion Junkins, Ciaran Brown and Noah Metzler, hoist their kayaks on their shoulders, paddles in hand and walk cautiously along the icy path. They’re geared up in helmets, dry suits and minimalist PFDs that allow for the full range of motion required to paddle. They check their throw bags—a small bag filled with a nylon cord to be tossed to a boater in case of emergency—and clip on their whistles. The whistles are to be used to communicate on the river where the thundering sound of rushing water makes verbal communication impossible. The mission is serious, but the atmosphere among this group is anything but—the vibe is downright giddy. There’s a levity you might not expect when undertaking a serious section of Class V rapids, but this crew is confident, experienced and it’s clear that this sport is a lifestyle—one focused on fun and community.

As they make their way towards the put-in the boaters peer down over the cliffside at the quarter of a mile stretch of rapids looking for hazards such as fallen trees and share bits of beta as they go. They’ve all paddled this stretch innumerable times, but the river changes with the season as the amount of water flowing through it fluctuates. The flow of the Deschutes River isn’t a natural release tied to snowmelt and rainfall, instead it’s a manufactured season at the directive of Wickiup Reservoir. This time of year, the river is flowing at just under 500 CFS (cubic feet per second). The flows in this upper section of rapids, which also includes Dillon Falls and Lava Island Falls below, begin to increase as the dam opens in mid-April for irrigation. The flows ramp up gradually through the spring, peaking in the summer when they’re the rowdiest and most consequential, before settling back down in the fall and winter. The flow can range from 500 to 1,500 CFS, a metric that’s tracked and shared on websites bookmarked and monitored by these boaters, not just for the Deschutes, but for all of Oregon’s rivers and creeks.

Waterfall drop on the White River — A waterfall drop on the White River. | Photo by Tyler Roemer

The kayak season is year-round here in Oregon. There are innumerable whitewater rivers within striking distance of Bend including the spring-fed Metolius River in Camp Sherman, the McKenzie, North Santiam and the Umpqua over the pass. Then there’s the Columbia River Gorge near Hood River, which has been referred to as the “Hollywood of whitewater boating,” thanks to the bounty of rapids, boulders and yes, massive waterfall drops most prolific on the Little White Salmon and numerous other creeks and offshoots draining into the Columbia River.

While this group of boaters is casual about running these rapids, this expert section of the Deschutes is definitely not where you want to get acquainted with the basics of whitewater kayaking. Running big water has a steep learning curve, boaters need to master the roll—a key move that allows a flipped boater to upright their boat with a hip jerk and a firm paddle stroke. This move is first achieved in calm water and then relearned in the rapids. A failure to upright the boat usually leads to a dangerous wet exit—basically the equivalent of a yard sale in skiing, except in kayaking the rushing water adds an element of swimming through an avalanche, and you must rely on your fellow boaters to retrieve your equipment downstream. A high-level of fitness is also needed to paddle hard to avoid being dragged back into a churning hole or up against a ledge. Finally, and an almost intimate understanding of river hydraulics gained through years of experience is crucial.

Kayaking is fit for beginners and experts — The world of kayaking consists of access for multiple levels of expertise. | Photo by Regina Nicolardi

The experienced crew arrive at the put-in, a calm and unexpectedly quiet pool. They tuck into their boats, feet firmly pressed against the pegs for stability, with spray skirts sealing them into their creek boats. These boats, built specifically for navigating whitewater, are longer and more voluminous than the squat playboats you might see at the Whitewater Park in downtown Bend. Creek boats are built to be responsive, allowing the paddler to precisely navigate through the whitewater and stay on their line.

A few strong paddle strokes and a gentle hip tilt brings the boaters out of the eddy and into the main current of the river and they’re off. The first boater takes a line river right paddling into the green tongue and easily flowing through the upper section of the falls, he pulls over into a calm eddy, sounding his whistle to signal that it’s a go. The next boater finds a similar line, but he keeps his speed up as he passes by, dropping into a churning constriction and navigating expertly to exit into another quiet pool. Another sharp whistle blow signals for the rest of the crew to join him. The river below from here gets even more consequential, taking a sharp left turn narrowing between a ledge and an exposed boulder. This is clearly the crux of Benham Falls, the water is crashing into the exposed wall, churning over unseen rocks and boiling up from below. The boaters take turns positioning their boats through a rapid succession of paddle strokes, each finding their own paths through this section showcasing a thrilling display of the creativity inherent in the sport.

They regroup in a pool below the rapids and decide to lap it again, and then again. Each lap reveals new routes: Hovorka boofs off a boulder, up-top landing in the aerated water below, Ciaran flips over in the crux and then expertly uprights. They all play on a standing wave in the river, casually surfing back and forth. Back at the cars they strip off the layers of gear and talk about future plans—there’s a waterfall that Hovorka is eyeing on the Umpqua, a possible weekend pilgrimage to White Salmon—the options are endless for these Central Oregon paddlers.

Eli Zatz navigates churning water. | Photo by Orion Junkins

Getting Started

Tumalo Creek

Tumalo Creek offers a two-and-a-half-day Full Immersion Whitewater Kayaking Weekend. The course begins Friday evening on the shop’s back lawn and along a flatwater stretch of the Deschutes River, where you’ll learn essential safety techniques and boat fitting. The course then heads to Deschutes’ milder rapids and ends running a stretch of the McKenzie or other nearby Class II-III river. Participants can then layer on skills through the shop’s weekly Whitewater Skill Builder workshops throughout the summer. See tumalocreek.com.

Find a Crew

OSU Paddle Club

Whitewater kayaking is not a solo endeavor—you’ll need a crew. Central Oregon boaters can connect at the Whitewater Park, in the popular 3,000-member strong Bend Whitewater Facebook group, or through the OSU Paddle Club. See osucascades.edu.

Fat Tire Biking Trails Near Bend to Explore this Winter

Photo by Trevor Lyden

While more established winter pastimes such as Nordic and downhill skiing have surged in popularity in the past few years, fat biking is growing at a much slower pace, and that’s just fine with Central Oregon Trail Alliance winter trail steward Gary Meyer. Meyer is the leading champion of fat biking in Bend, and is responsible for the ongoing development of the Wanoga Snow Bike trails—a dedicated trail network offering nine miles of groomed trails. Meyer, an avid year-round cyclist, first found his passion for winter biking in Alaska, where fat biking originated. Meyer has taken this passion to the limits, competing in the Iditabike in 1988 on a custom bike and contributing to the development of the first fat bikes, which were only made commercially available in the mid-2000s. The sport is still in its teens, but all signs point to a growing following. Bend is the ideal place to give it a try.

Fat Tire Biking Around Bend — Fat Tire Biking | Photo by Trevor Lyden

A fat bike is considered a specialized rigid mountain bike that can accommodate the 3.5-inch (or wider) tires used to maintain traction on the snow. Rentals are readily available, but Meyer cautions that your best bet for a positive inaugural fat biking experience is to go with an experienced rider or a guide. This ensures that you’re riding in the ideal and somewhat specific firmness of snow conditions. Meyer explains that the ideal conditions are basically the opposite of those for downhill skiing—you want hard and firm, not soft and deep—when the skiing is bad, the fat biking is good.

Fat Tire Biking near Bachelor — Photo by Trevor Lyden

Locally, Cog Wild offers one-day guided rides for intermediate to advanced cyclists, during which you can expect to learn all the fundamentals, from how to dress for the sport to how to stay warm—and best practices, like deflating your tires to a low PSI. The location of the guided rides vary depending on snow conditions, from higher-elevation Tumalo Falls trails early in the season to lower-elevation rides, which can even include setting off directly from the Cog Wild offices at LOGE on Century Drive.

After mastering the basics, rent or buy a fat bike and set out to explore the trails. Central Oregon Fatbikes Facebook page is a resource for enthusiasts and boasts more than one thousand followers. Meyer is the lead communicator along with a lively group of participants who share details and photos of day-to-day conditions at trails near and far. Whether it’s a one-off adventure or the beginning of a new winter sport, explore Central Oregon on these trails with a fat bike on the snow.

Wanoga Snow Bike Trails

This pair of looped trails starts off at the Wanoga Sno-Park off Century Drive. Here, you’ll not only find the most consistent and quiet trail conditions (due to the lack of snowmobiles), but you’ll also meet the enthusiastic fat biking community and their dogs, which are welcome on the trails. The two loops are groomed by volunteers three times a week and are very well marked with great views—the inner loop is a short three-mile ride, and the outer loop clocks in at six miles. New this year, the inner Snowshoe Loop has been widened to accommodate adaptive fat cycles.

Parking: Non-motorized end of the Wanoga Sno-Park across from the sledding hill. Purchase a Sno-Park pass at the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station on Century Drive.
When: November 1 through April 1, conditions permitting.

Ticket To Ride

This accessible ride starts at the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station. In the summertime, it’s a popular family mountain bike trail due to the mellow elevation gain and relatively short six-mile loop, which earns it a green-level beginner designation. You can opt to ride the whole Ticket to Ride loop or just head out and back up the scenic canyon following the COTA signage. Be aware that this is a narrow, shared-use trail for snowshoers and Nordic skiers.

Parking: The Cascade Lakes Welcome Station on Century Drive, where you can purchase a Sno-Park pass.
When: Meyer suggests waiting until snowshoers and skiers have packed down the trail’s snow after fresh powder falls.

Fat biking on the groomed trails at Wanoga Sno-Park in Bend, Oregon — Fat biking on the groomed trails at Wanoga Sno-Park. Photo courtesy bendtrails.org

Tumalo Falls

This trail embarks from the Skyliners Sno-Park and ends at the Tumalo Falls Viewpoint—a stunning sight draped in winter white. Do this as a loop or as an out-and-back ride. The Tumalo Creek Trail is a three-mile ride up to the falls, from here you can either ride back down the trail or loop back on the snow-packed road. You may opt to ride up and back on the road, which is closed to cars in the winter. This popular trail is also used by snowshoers and skiers, so be sure to yield right of way.

Parking: Skyliners Sno-Park off Skyliner Drive. Purchase a Sno-Park pass in advance.
When: Meyer suggests heading out to this popular trail on weekdays to avoid the crowds.

Dutchman Flat Sno-Park

Close to Bachelor, Dutchman Flat Sno-Park is a good basecamp for fat biking, as there are lots of trails to choose from. You can ride on the groomed snowmobile trails here (note: snowmobiles have the right of way on these trails). A popular route for fat bikes is the three-mile loop that leads to Todd Lake.

Parking: Dutchman Flat Sno-Park. Sno-Park permit required. The lot fills up fast, so get there early in the day.
When: Beginning November 1, but check snow conditions before you go.

Phil’s Trail Network

If you’re familiar with the area for mountain biking, Phil’s Trail Network is a good place to go for fat biking when there’s snow. Rekward cautions that the trails can get muddy if you don’t get there early after a snowfall. He recommends the middle trails: Storm King, lower loops and Skyliner’s.

Parking: There’s usually plenty of parking available at the Phil’s Trailhead parking lot.
When: Check snow conditions before you go.

Rent a bike and get geared up for winter riding at local businesses including:

Crow’s Feet: A Mountain Collective – 541.728.0066

Cog Wild – 541.385.7002

Hutch’s Bicycles – 541.382.9253

Pine Mountain Sports – 541.385.8080

Sunnyside Sports – 541.382.8018

New to Fat Tire Biking?

Local companies also offer fat biking tours in winter, but you can also rent your own bike to ride on trails around Bend. “You can still ride fat bike, but it’s condition dependent,” said Bend Trails partner Robert Rekward. “The good rides for me have been the day after if snowed. All the trails are really good the morning after a snow.”

A couple tips: Always check snow conditions before you go, especially considering this year’s low snowpack. You want to ride on packed snow, and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) asks that bikers stay off trails when they get muddy because you can damage the trails. Stay seated on the bike, and don’t be afraid of sliding around on the snow. It might take some time to get comfortable riding on the snow. Most trails require that your tires are at least 3.8” wide to ride on the trails. Fat bikes are allowed on groomed snowmobile trails, but are not allowed on Nordic ski trails.

Click here to read more biking stories with us, or head over to read past OUTDOORS adventure stories.

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