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Winter Hiking in Central Oregon

Learn more about these six favorite winter hiking trails in Central Oregon.

Larry Chitwood Loop

The Badlands desert wilderness can be popular in the winter because it receives relatively little snowfall. For a trail less traveled, try the Larry Chitwood Loop. The trails are less dusty in the winter and stay warm enough with the amount of sun that reaches the area.

Directions: Turn onto Dodds Road from Highway 20. Turn right onto Obernolte Road. Trailhead will be at the end of the trail.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 6- or 10-mile loops.
Dogs: Allowed. No leash law.
Other: Maps are provided at the trailhead.

Winter hiking Badlands Oregon
Photo by Alex Jordan

Flatiron Rock Trail

The trail offers a classic high desert landscape with plenty of sand and sagebrush. It leads to an outcropping of rocks that yields an expansive panoramic view of the Cascade Mountain Range.

Directions: Turn off Highway 20 to the Flatiron Rock Trailhead at milepost 16.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 6.5 miles round-trip
Dogs: No leash law.
Other: You can shorten this hike by following the signs for the Ancient Juniper Trail.

Winter Hiking in Central Oregon at Pilot Butte
Photo by Toni Toreno

Pilot Butte

One of the best parts about living in Bend is that hiking is within walking distance from your doorstep. Pilot Butte is a popular spot in the summer, but it’s just as great in the winter–especially because cars aren’t allowed on the butte.

Driving Directions: Turn off Highway 20 at signs for Pilot Butte State Park.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 1 mile
Dogs: Allowed on a leash.

 

Meadow Camp Trails

The Upper Deschutes has a lot of trails to explore from the Meadow Lake Area. You can pick your trails and make the hikes as long or as short as you want. Most trails will lead you to the waterfalls—Lave Island, Dillon and Benham—along the river.

Driving Directions: Turn off Cascade Lakes Highway at the signs for the Meadow Lake Picnic Area. Drive about 2 miles to the parking area.
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.2 miles to 8.5 miles
Dogs: Allowed on a leash.

 

Smith Rock State Park Winter Central Oregon Snow Hiking

Smith Rock

Smith Rock is a popular hiking and climbing destination for a reason—the trails offer beautiful views along the Crooked River, and the rocks are world-renowned for climbers of all skill levels. It’s worth visiting in the winter for less crowds and cooler weather.

Driving Directions: Turn off Highway 97 at Terrebonne and follow signs to Smith Rock State Park.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 5.3-mile loop or 6.6-mile round-trip
Dogs: Allowed on a leash.
Other: Day use parking is $5.

 

Boyd Cave

The entrance to Boyd Cave is at the end of a short trail. You’ll have to climb down a metal staircase to get inside the lava cave and explore the only cave in the Newberry National Crater Monument that stays open throughout the winter.

Driving Directions: Drive east on China Hat Road (Road 18) and turn left at the junction of 18 and 18-242.
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Half-mile round trip
Dogs: Not allowed
Other: Bring a flashlight to help you explore.

 

Elk Lake is Central Oregon’s Backcountry Outpost

In winter, Elk Lake Resort has become a go-to destination for locals and visitors alike to cozy up in cabins and roam the Cascade backcountry.

At the height of summer, when the pavement nearly sizzles in Bend and air conditioners buzz, one would be hard pressed to find a more popular or iconic destination than Elk Lake Resort. Here tourists and locals descend on the lakeside resort, taking to the water on paddleboards, canoes and kayaks against the dramatic backdrop of surrounding peaks.

Come winter, it’s a different scene entirely. For starters, the road to Elk Lake is closed to vehicles in November before the first snow begins to fly. That means visitors must find another way to the resort from the nearest parking lot, which is thirteen miles away at Dutchman Flat. Some choose to ski in, others load their gear onto snowmobiles and zip to the resort with a twist of the throttle. Others still opt to take Elk Lake Resort’s Sno-cat service, which offers pickup and drop-off service from the Dutchman parking lot. Whatever their means of transportation, visitors, upon arrival, find they have joined a family of sorts here at this remote winter outpost.

Basecamp-Elk-Lake-Central-Oregon

Some are drawn by the promise of solitude and serenity of a landscape blanketed in ice and snow. For others, the landscape invites exploration. Some will venture forth on snowshoes, others on cross-country skis. Some will pile onto snowmobiles that will take them as far as their fuel supply allows. The only sure thing? Each day’s adventure will end back at the resort with stories to share among new friends. Of course, that’s what a good basecamp is all about.

Central-Oregon-backcountry-ski-snowboard-Elk-Lake-Photo by Lane Pearson
Photo by Lane Pearson

Say You Want a Revolution

While backcountry skiing and its back-to-nature, low-impact ethos may seem at odds with fuel-injected sleds, a significant population of backcountry enthusiasts around Central Oregon have embraced the contradiction. In doing so they’ve opened up hundreds of peaks and countless lines in the Cascade backcountry.

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Photo by Adam McKibben

Todd McViney organizes an annual event at Elk Lake Resort that celebrates the marriage of the two cultures. Dubbed Cross ReVolution, McViney invites backcountry riders and skiers to mix with snowmobilers. Think of it as a Camp David for two very different populations of backcountry enthusiasts.

“Elk Lake is such a snowmobilers’ lodge, but I wanted people to know that they can use it as jumping off point not just for snowmobiling, but backcountry skiing,” said McViney.

The idea was to combine backcountry skiers’ snow and avalanche expertise with the snowmobiling community’s mechanical know-how over a weekend of backcountry exploration and basecamp revelry.

Central Oregon-Backcountry-snowmobile-mt bachelor-Photo by Lane Pearson
Photo by Lane Pearson

Last year the event drew several dozen backcountry enthusiasts who swapped knowledge, stories and stoke. This year, McViney expects close to 100 people for the event that features daytime missions into the backcountry and evening shenanigans around the firepits—plus a tow-in quarter pipe that serves as added entertainment.


Ambassador’s Take:
Matthias Giraud

Matthias_Giraud-Super-Frenchie-Central-Oregon “Backcountry skiing is about more than just skiing powder and jumping off cliffs. It’s about connecting, accepting your place in the environment and experiencing the magic of the moment. Standing on top of a mountain means that by paying your dues, you have reached the highest point of a powerful territory. But nobody conquers a mountain; the mountain simply allows you to travel through. You are always at the mercy of its organized chaos.”

Adventure
Matthias Giraud is the Bend Magazine Adventure Ambassador and an avid backcountry explorer. Follow him @matthiasgiraud


While the Midwest may lay claim to the sport’s birth and its soul, it’s the Western landscapes and bountiful mountain snowfall that have taken snowmobiling to the next level.

Sledders’ Paradise

There are places in the far reaches of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin where snowmobiling isn’t a hobby or weekend escape, it’s a way of life. Entire communities within the extensive, frozen rural landscapes are more closely connected by snowmobile trails than roads. While the Midwest may lay claim to the sport’s birth and its soul, it’s the Western landscapes and bountiful mountain snowfall that have taken snowmobiling to the next level. The two polar ends of the sport come together at Elk Lake Resort. Here day-tripping casual riders mix with hardcore sledders who use Elk Lake as their outpost to access technical backcountry riding.

Backcountry-Snowmobile-Ski-Elk-Lake-Resort-Central-Oregon-Photo by Jon Tapper
Photo by Jon Tapper

“For years, it’s been a mecca and a hub for snowmobilers, not just for locals but [for those from] up and down the West Coast,” said owner Wendy Prieve.

Whatever the itinerary or motivation, Elk Lake Resort serves as a backcountry oasis—a place to get a hot meal or a tall drink after a long day of riding. For many, it’s a watering hole where they can stop in for a bite or a beer and move on. For others, it’s basecamp for a weekend of backcountry exploration. Travis Wirth makes the trip four or five times a year, including an annual family reunion that he hosts for his far-flung relatives. An electrical contractor in Bend, Wirth said the resort’s remote location is a big part of the draw, especially for those who aren’t accustomed to such seclusion. “It’s just a gorgeous winter wonderland. You’re out there and it’s peaceful and quiet,” he said.

Backcountry-Snowmobile-Ski-Elk-Lake-Resort-Central-Oregon-Photo by Jon Tapper
Photo by Jon Tapper

Add in dramatic sunrsies and sunsets against the Cascade peaks and you’ve got a postcard-perfect retreat at your backdoor.

It turns out that what could have been the end—a one-and-done mission—was just the beginning. Now the journey into Elk Lake is an annual tradition that draws about two dozen hearty souls.

Take the High Road

It takes either a special kind of dedication or a certain kind of ignorance to blindly set out from the base of Mt. Bachelor with little more than some light provisions, a grab bag of beers, a set of skinny skis and the promise of a warm meal at the end of a long frozen road.

Beau_Killett_Ski_to_Elk_Lake_Pics_18-Central-Oregon
Photo by Beau Killett

In the case of Beau Killett and his band of merry misfits, it’s a little of both. Killett is the chief instigator and mastermind behind an annual sojourn to the resort in February over SuperBowl weekend, dubbed cheekily, “Man Versus Elements.”

The guy’s trip started as a way for Killett and some of his close pals to sneak a few hours away from their busy family lives. Most of the crew had wives and young children; time away from the home front was a commodity in short supply. As a result, the Elk Lake itinerary started as a day trip with a long ski into the resort, a late lunch and a lift back to the parking lot on Cascades Lake Highway in the Sno-cat.

Photo-by-Beau_Killett_Ski_to_Elk_Lake_Pics_Central-Oregon
Photo by Beau Killett

“I found seven other guys. That was our first journey. We were completely lost even though we were on the main highway. We swore we’d never do it again,” said Killett.
It turns out that what could have been the end—a one-and-done mission—was just the beginning. The journey into Elk Lake is an annual tradition that draws about two dozen hearty souls. Killett, whose family owns a group of art galleries in Hawaii and California—and formerly operated Lahaina Gallery in Bend—documented the journey in photos and videos.
“Honestly it was just something crazy to do,” he said.

The core group now gathers several times a year for other Man Versus Elements events, including a golf trip to the coast, a salmon fishing derby and a moped rally. All of which Killett has documented on a group website, manvselements.com

Beau_Killett_Ski_to_Elk_Lake_Pics_21-Central-Oregon
Photo by Beau Killett

 

Snow lovers come for the backcountry solitude, but it’s the food, friends and revelry that keep generations of central Oregonians coming back to Elk Lake year after year.

Unplug and Unwind

While Elk Lake is perhaps best known (during winter) as a launching point for backcountry exploration, it’s also a destination in its own right. Cozy cabins, a communal dining area that features a fine dining quality menu and the penetrating stillness of the remote mountain landscape enveloped in winter white is a reason enough for some to make the long journey.

Photo by Jon Tapper
Photo by Jon Tapper

For the past several years, Peter Barlow and his wife Mellodee have made an annual Valentine’s Day pilgrimage to Elk Lake Resort from their home in Gresham. For the Barlow’s, Elk Lake Resort is a refuge from the background noise that seems largely inescapable in our hyper-connected world.

“No television, no Internet,” quipped Barlow during a recent conversation. “What a darn shame.”

Photo by Buddy Mays

Barlow moved to Oregon more than thirty years ago and just a hint of his native Brooklyn accident is still discernible, even over a poor cell phone connection. During the ensuing years, Barlow and his wife have spent countless days in Central Oregon, beginning in the early 1980s when Bend was still a mill town with a population barely greater than that of Prineville today. As frequent visitors, the Barlows were well aware of Elk Lake Resort as a summer destination, but they never thought of it as a winter resort. Peter stumbled across the Elk Lake Resort web page several years ago while looking for Valentine’s Day weekend ideas. It seemed an appealing winter alternative.

Transportation-Elk-Lake-Resort-Central-Oregon
Photo by Jon Tapper

The pair do a bit of snowshoeing around the resort, but mostly they hunker down and embrace the simple joy of a life without distractions, even if just for a few days.

“We are both (retired) MRI technologists,” said Barlow. “So we aren’t afraid of technology, but it’s nice to get away from all that stuff.”


 

Day Trip to Belknap Hot Springs

Nestled along the McKenzie River seventy miles from Bend, Belknap Hot Springs offers refuge from winter’s bite in a quintessential Pacific Northwest setting. The air is heavy and saturated, so it’s hard to tell whether it’s actually raining, and wisps of fog waft among the surrounding hillsides like ghosts peering out from the trees. The resort embodies a mood that is like ghosts emerging from trees. The quest for contemplation slows time here.

Open year-round, Belknap Hot Springs is an easy getaway from Bend, whether to hit the reset button with a day at the spa or to work a soak into a full-day excursion along the McKenzie River. Originally developed in 1869 by R. S. Belknap, the springs have been open to the public almost continuously since the 1870s.

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Today, the resort includes a lodge, cabins, campsites, RV sites, and two 104-degree mineral pools fed from the natural spring bubbling out of the ground directly across the river. Behind the lodge, a footbridge spans the McKenzie River and links to a network of trails that meander through gardens, lawns, ponds and woods. After soaking, it’s worth venturing across the bridge to explore the wooded paths and gardens.

The upper pool is limited to overnight guests, but the lower pool is available to the public for day use, and is family-friendly and large enough to hold multiple groups without feeling crowded. The lower pool sits alongside the river, which rushes over smooth stones, adding a low hush to the tranquil ambience.


 

Best Mountain Biking Trails in Central Oregon

Central Oregon is often described as being one of the best areas in the country for mountain bikers to explore. Bend, alone, has an estimated 300 miles of mountain biking trails, and another 700 miles of trails in the surrounding areas.


The trails are well-kept by local organizations such as the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, dedicated to preserving the integrity of these recreational areas. In addition to sheer abundance, Central Oregon trails are friendly and come with rewarding views of rivers and the Cascade Range.

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Ochoco Mountains

This rough-and-tumble trail system in Prineville has an untamed wilderness feel. Isolated from urban life, you’ll encounter sheets of wild flowers (when in season) and, with luck, wild horses that inhabit the forest. The two cardinal trails are Round Mountain and Lookout Mountain, which can be ridden together for a full day of thirty-five miles. If you’re looking for a shorter time commitment, Lookout Mountain will be the shorter of the two routes. Whichever trail you choose, you’ll be rewarded with some hard-earned views.

Newberry Crater Rim Trail

La Pine’s seventeen-mile Newberry Crater Rim Trail has photo-ops galore and challenging hills of rugged terrain. A loop trail, it begins at the Paulina Lake Campground with three miles of gravel road riding. The trek will lead you to views of the crater and East Lake. Relax after your ride by soaking in Paulina or East Lake Hot Springs—a regenerative treat for aching muscles. Take the lakeside trail on the right side of the Paulina day-use parking lot to access the hot spots (on the east side of the lake). While you’re in the area, take a drive up to Paulina Peak for a breathtaking look at the Newberry Caldera and Volcano, as well as the Cascades and Fort Rock Basin.

Wanoga Trail Complex

The vast network of trails at Wanoga Snow Park, along the Cascade Lakes Highway, is easily accessed from Bend and has substantial options for beginners and experienced bikers. Many of the trails here are relatively new and continuously being improved. Or favorites include Funner and Tiddly Winks. For even more adventure, take the connecting trail up to Kiwa Butte or hop on the Storm King Trail. The trails are maintained to ride nearly year-round. For competitive riders, be sure to check with the Deschutes National Forest for races within this network.

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Peterson Ridge/Sisters Mountain Bike Trail

The terrain throughout this network is perfect for beginning mountain bikers—fairly smooth and easy with minimal climbs. A popular mountain biking destination, it can also be a great place to bring dogs as there aren’t many hikers on these trails. Further perks include views of the Cascades and free parking. We recommend GPS or a map at this site because the trails aren’t always clearly marked.

Gray Butte and Smith Rock State Park Trails

For a grueling but gorgeous expedition, try your hand at the Gray Butte Trail near Smith Rock State Park. There are many routes in this scenic destination. For a real kick-in-the-pants, attempt the intensely steep Burma Road on the west side of Gray Butte (and prepare to sweat). Fall and spring are the recommended seasons to ride in this arid, desert-like area. High temperatures during summer can make the ride very difficult. A haven for rock climbers and hikers, Smith Rock can get crowded, so shoot for a weekday.


More Central Oregon Mountain Biking Trails to ride! | Click to read more OUTDOOR ADVENTURE stories with us.

Getaways Around Central Oregon

Getaways around Central Oregon are easily found. Deciding which of the many options to pursue is the real Central Oregon dilemma. Nonetheless, you neither have to look nor go very far to embark on a vacation near at hand. The trick is choosing an adventure to suit your mood.

We asked four people to share their cool local getaways in hopes that they would inspire your own. Their favorites range from intimate music venues to adrenaline-doused downhill biking to solitary wilderness retreats. Adventure begins as a stirring, a yearning. Let these ideas be your spark.

Camping Getaways Around Central Oregon

LOCAL GUIDE: Pam Stevenson, entrepreneur coach and outdoor adventurer

Every fall, Pam Stevenson takes a backpacking trip into the postcard beauty of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. “The views of Mt. Jefferson are fantastic, and the foliage is all red,” she said. There are five or six routes to access the wilderness area by foot. Stevenson usually opts for the Whitewater Trailhead, which is about a six-mile hike. Once there, she has many options. Jefferson Park is home to Scout, Bays and Russell lakes, all of which have several designated campsites. “I make a full weekend trip of it,” she said. “It’s a bit chilly come October, but the upside is that there are no mosquitoes.” A Bend resident for sixteen years, Stevenson is a committed outdoor adventurer. That spirit led her to a 1968 vintage Shasta compact trailer that she bought this summer to extend her camping season. Her favorite trailer camping destination in the Cascades is Crescent Lake. “I love the sandy beaches, warm water, and views of Diamond Peak,” she said. “It’s my go-to.” The former director of marketing for Kialoa Paddles appreciates the water recreation at Crescent Lake. There are several campgrounds around Crescent Lake, some of which are open year-round and include yurts for rent.

 

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Photo by Tyler Roemer

 

Fly Fishing Getaways Around Central Oregon

LOCAL GUIDE: Becky Johnson, President, OSU-Cascades

Becky Johnson has been fly-fishing Hosmer Lake since the 1980s. “It was a lot less crowded then, just some hard-core canoeists and fishers.” Bird watchers and others soon discovered this gorgeous alpine lake tucked behind Elk Lake off of Cascade Lakes Highway. Despite its increase in popularity, it’s still Johnson’s favorite place to fish. “You turn one way, there’s Mt. Bachelor, turn the other way, there’s South Sister, you look down, you see the fish, you look up, you see the reeds along the banks,” she said. Johnson, who has led the direction and growth of Central Oregon’s first four-year college campus, has caught both Atlantic salmon and brook trout on the lake. “I usually use a transparent line and a wooly bugger with two droppers,” she shared. From her pontoon boat, Johnson likes to ply the canal that connects the two main portions of the lake. Another favorite is the Upper Deschutes River between Crane Prairie and Lava Lakes, but Hosmer Lake still has her heart. “I always think, if I’m going to go, let’s make it here. Just let the lightning strike me now.”

More Great Fishing Spots

LOWER DESCHUTES RIVER
Legendary fishing for trout and steelhead plays out along this ribbon of cold, clean water running through a rimrock basalt canyon in northern Central Oregon. Expect crowds during the high season.
MCKENZIE AND METOLIUS RIVERS
For the experienced fly-fisher only, these two rivers will test your mettle with clear water and savvy fish. Bring your smallest flies and your biggest dose of patience.
PINE NURSERY PARK POND
Within this 159-acre park in northeast Bend is a fishing pond, open to all ages and well stocked with rainbow trout, bluegills and bass.
CROOKED RIVER
Trout love swimming the Crooked River between Bowman Dam and Prineville, making this a great classroom for the aspiring fly-fisher. The river is particularly accessible—no bushwhacking required.

Bend-Magazine_Fall2015_Brent-McGregor_Great-Escape_4
Photo by Brent McGregor

See Live Music in Sisters

LOCAL GUIDE: Brad Tisdel, Creative Director, Sisters Folk Festival

As a twenty-year resident of Sisters and the creative director of the Sisters Folk Festival, Brad Tisdel has witnessed the small city’s gradual evolution into a regional music mecca. Tisdel points to a number of creative stages around Sisters as his favorite places to see music acts. As the annual folk festival grew over the years, it spawned many small intimate venues, he noted. Many of these stages are active outside of festival season, offering music lovers diversity and opportunity. “Each has a unique community feeling and provides a special experience,” said Tisdel. A few of Tisdel’s favorites include The Belfry, The Open Door, The Depot Café, FivePine Lodge and the backyard of Angeline’s Bakery. “Angeline’s started hosting ‘festive Fridays’ maybe fifteen years ago in a sweet space in their backyard that quickly became a welcoming community gathering place. It’s kid-friendly with exceptional performances and a feel-good vibe.” Others followed suit, often adding a stage to an existing business. The Depot is a café; FivePine is a resort; and Open Door is an alter ego of Clearwater Gallery. “Open Door is an intimate, art-focused space with great food and an Italian café atmosphere,” Tisdel offered. The Belfry is a larger newcomer that Angeline Rhett of Angeline’s Bakery converted from an old church to a hip music venue that hosts acts such as Iris Dement and Brothers Comatose. “It contributes greatly to the mellow, talented, welcoming local music scene,” observed Tisdel.

 Places in Bend for Live Music

HAYDEN HOMES AMPHITHEATER
Bend’s biggest venue, Hayden Homes Amphitheater accommodates 8,000 people for concerts and other events on the banks of the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District. It hosts a growing list of big-name acts beneath pastel sunsets.
MCMENAMINS OLD ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL
The McMenamins brothers have a relentless passion for renovating old buildings into fun, psychedelic, and creative hotels, movie houses and taverns. This former Catholic school is a great place to catch live music in Bend.
CENTURY CENTER
Live music acts and festivals pop up here at Bend’s Volcanic Theater Pub, the spacious garden at GoodLife Brewing, and other indoor and outdoor venues on this mixed-use property.
SILVER MOON BREWING
This oldie-but-goody local brewery features live music on Friday and Saturday nights year-round in its industrial space in downtown Bend.

Bend-Magazine_Fall2015_Tyler-Roemer_Great-Escape_4
Photo by Tyler Roemer

Ride Downhill at Mt. Bachelor

LOCAL GUIDE: Arlie Connolly, Miller Elementary third-grade student

Arlie Connolly started mountain biking before he started school. These days, he takes on trails that would strike fear in most adults. Some of those are at his favorite destination— the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park. At the new bike park, ski lifts hoist mountain bikers and their bikes up the hill, leaving them to plummet down developed trails on their own. The park now has thirteen miles of developed trails with more to come. Connolly counts himself as one of the first to try the park in 2014 and has participated in Mt. Bachelor’s weeklong Gravity Bike Camp for two summers. The elevation change is what sets the bike park apart, said Connolly. “It’s really different than riding down a regular trail.” He admitted that it took him some time to get used to the idea. “It’s kind of scary when you haven’t done real downhill mountain biking.” He started with FTL, or First Timer Line, on the Sunshine lift. “It’s a beginner trail with no rocks and nice flowy turns,” he said. His current favorite, Hanger, off of the Pine Marten lift, is a bit more challenging. “There are a couple of ditches, and when I come down that one hill on Hanger, I’m never confident.” The young rider became such a familiar face in the park that park managers featured him in a promotional video called “The Kids of Gravity Bike Camps.” When he’s not in camp, he screams down the mountain with his dad, Nate, and sometimes with his mom, Trish. The Connolly family often makes a day of it with a tailgate picnic in the parking lot after a day of riding. “It’s fun to have lift access and not have to climb,” said the youngest Connolly. Open seasonally.

More Trails to Ride

MASTON TRAILS
Between Tumalo and Redmond is a network of terrific trails on gently rolling terrain with incredible views of the Cascades. Sheltered by old-growth juniper trees, these trails are popular for winter riding.
PETERSON RIDGE TRAIL
At the south edge of Sisters across Whychus Creek is a twenty-five-mile trail system composed of playful, flowing singletrack through a pine forest. Good for varying abilities.
PRINEVILLE GRAVEL
Crook County is home to hundreds of miles of gravel and dirt roads, perfectly suited to off-road riding and touring. Get off the grid and into the stunning forests of the Ochoco Mountains.
MCKENZIE RIVER TRAIL
An epic twenty-five-mile descent through a green forest and along a spring-fed river, the first eight miles are technical. The rest are more manageable and terminate at Belknap Hot Springs, where you can soak your aches away.


Click here to read more adventure stories with us!

Wastewater Cools Apple in Prineville

Apple has plans to waste not and go green. The technology giant has agreed to pay for a treatment facility to recycle water for evaporative cooling at its Prineville data centers. According to Apple, the new facility will conserve nearly five million gallons of water a year by reusing water from Prineville’s regular sewage treatment system instead of drawing from the tap. “Water’s a premium, especially in Central Oregon, and we want to utilize every ounce we can,” said Prineville’s Mayor Betty Roppe. “With the collaboration between businesses, we can accomplish a lot more than the city could on its own.”

Apple already ranks among Prineville’s top users last year with 27 million gallons going to the company’s facilities. The new recycled water will be treated to a cleaner level than the city’s existing system that treats water used for irrigation at its Meadow Lakes golf course as well as nearby pastureland. Construction of the facility is slated for this summer and the city estimates the project’s completion in 2018. “Apple has stepped up and is paying for the project at their cost,” said Steve Forrester, Prineville’s city manager. “Not only is this the right thing to do for the environment—Apple will use less water through this process—it also gives our community another tool in our toolbox, one more way to get water.”

iPad Guinea Pigs or Better Citizens?

Bend–La Pine Schools roll out the iPad experiment, beginning with third-graders.


Not long ago, Karissa Sams walked up to her fourth-grade teacher at Jewell Elementary School and asked a simple question: “May I please have paper homework?”

She was struggling to use her school-issued iPad to complete her assignments, said Misti Sams, Karissa’s mom. The device had become a point of contention for the family and a cause of stress in Karissa’s life.

“There are five different programs they have to access to do their homework,” Misti Sams explained. “She’s never been behind in homework. She has spent so much time stressing over making the iPad work that she is behind now. It has been more of a stressor than anything.”

Since the culmination of Bend-La Pine School District’s roll-out of its digital conversion program this year, all students in grades 3 to 12 have their own iPad for use at school and at home. The idea behind the program is to give every child access to digital tools that will prepare them to succeed in the workplace.

It is the largest digital conversion of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, said Skip Offenhauser, executive director of curriculum and instructional technology for Bend-La Pine Schools, with more than 16,000 devices distributed to teachers and students to-date.

“What we have done and what we are doing is groundbreaking,” Offenhauser said.

Yet many parents throughout the district are frustrated with the devices and are questioning if use of the iPad is actually improving education—or if it is nothing more than an experiment with their kids cast in the role of lab rats.

Parental Advisory

Sally Maskill and Cortney Runco each have four children in the Bend-La Pine School District.

The friends have spent a lot of time discussing the district’s digital conversion and the iPads their children now bring home each day. Their concerns range from health issues associated with too much screen time to worries that their kids are missing out on the fundamental building blocks of education.

They also wonder if the effort isn’t more about cost-savings for the school district than it is about innovation.

“This is replacing books and paper with iPads. This is not technology,” Maskill said. “I don’t appreciate our kids being the guinea pigs.”

“Our little ones are going to start in third grade and go all the way through,” Runco added. “It feels like an experiment with no plan.”

Depending on the class, their kids can end up without a paper textbook to reference. Texts are available online, but the students need to switch in and out of applications to look at their book and then answer their homework questions—a problem that school officials say is improving with newer devices.

“You can’t look at your textbook and your question at the same time,” Maskill said. Her kids have often used their phones to take a photo of their text so they can refer to it when working out homework assignments as they flip in and out of different interfaces.

In some cases, the homework is just a scanned paper document turned into a pdf. The school-issued iPads do not come with keyboards, which can be challenging when assignments require a lot of typing.

Because the digital conversion is still underway, Offenhauser said that teachers and schools are at different places in the transition. Those using scanned pdfs are at the beginning of the process—the substitution phase, where the technology directly replaces the paper and pencil tool with no real change in function.

It’s an eighteen-month process to go from substitution to augmentation to modification and finally to redefinition in what’s known as the SAMR model, an acronym representing each part of the process.

“Many of our teachers right now are still in that [substitution] area,” Offenhauser said. “When you see kids who are just filling out a pdf, that’s in the [substitution] range. Could they have done it with a pencil? They could have. Where the teacher is and where the kid is, it’s establishing habits and comfort level in the technology.”

The goal of the digital conversion has never been to replace all textbooks and papers with the iPads, but to make the program cost-neutral for the school district, some cost savings have come from moving to digital texts, he said.

Maskill and Runco have both resorted to buying textbooks for their kids for certain classes—at a cost of roughly $60 per book. Maskill has been willing to purchase some of the advanced placement books for her high school kids, but drew the line at one of the more expensive texts for her middle school-aged daughter.

When her son’s geography book arrived in the mail, she said the whole family flipped through the pages in awe of its beauty. “There is so much research out there that says if you want to read deeply and understand the context, you have to have the book in hand,” she said. “The screen time is a huge concern.”

Until recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended no more than two hours a day of screen time for kids older than 2, other than use of a computer for school work. In October, the organization backed away from setting specific time limits, but still advises parents to be mindful of how their children are using screens and the importance of time spent away from devices.

Bend-La Pine School District does not have specific guidelines for teachers on how much time students should spend using the devices each day, said Scott Mc- Donald, an information technology coach for the district. The iPad, he said, is meant as one of many tools.

“I want a teacher to be able to use a device when it helps their curriculum and put a device away when it doesn’t,” McDonald said. “We don’t celebrate teachers that use the iPad all day long. We want them out when they enhance learning.”

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Digital Conversion

In his role, as a technology coach for schools, McDonald hears the frustrations of parents, students and teachers every day.

But he also hears stories that inspire him and make him believe that his job is worthwhile. McDonald works with teachers, training them to use the technology in their classrooms and researching ways to make the programs more innovative.

“If you walk into a building and you want to find a frustrated student or teacher or parent, you will. If you do the same thing and want to find someone who is psyched, you’ll find that, too,” McDonald said. “My job is to make it so that every year we have less frustration and more success. I take it very seriously.”

On a recent Wednesday, McDonald was on his way to REALMS, or Rimrock Expeditionary Alternative Learning Middle School, to gauge how students are integrating technology with more standard pencil-and-paper learning.

While studying Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Raven,” the kids made poster storyboards with stanzas from the poem on each page. They then used an iPad app called Aurasma to create an augmented reality experience for other students in the halls.

“When the kids point their iPad at the poster they have written the stanza on, they hear “The Raven,” read out loud to them in the student’s voice,” McDonald explained. “That’s transformative. They get excited about it. They have a genuine audience of their peers. So many more people will benefit from their work because of the iPad.”

Across town at Bear Creek Elementary, McDonald said that same morning he watched a teacher leading students in two languages—English and Spanish—using an app called Notability. On a screen in front of the room, the teacher guided students as they edited a standard worksheet from one language into another.

“He’s comfortable with it, and the kids are all engaged. One kid in the room is semi-off task,” McDonald said. “If you did that same project with paper, you wouldn’t see the results up on the screen. You would have kids not engaged.”

Risks and Rewards

Maskill is part of a small group of parents at Miller Elementary School who provide feedback on their experience with the digital conversion. The group is made up of parents with different backgrounds; Maskill herself is a former educator and others in the group have medical experience.

Each person brings different concerns to the table.

Maskill’s biggest fear is that her children aren’t developing the strong connections in their brains they’ll need throughout their lives and truly learning the material. Others question the health risks associated with screen time ranging from eye damage to musculoskeletal issues.

“The real consequence (of too much screen time) is missing out on what is essential—time in real life with people learning how to talk and react, and time doing things essential for health: falling asleep, playing and moving outside in the sunlight, and the opportunity to focus for long periods of time on one thing,” said Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Everything in life is a balance, and one that we have to think of as a series of opportunities for delight, learning, mindfulness and exploration— we have to balance distraction.”

Swanson, who writes the blog Seattle Mama Doc about a wide range of children’s health issues, believes in the power of technology, but also focuses on the need for restrictions. With kids having access to more screen time at school, she advises parents to set limits at home.

“With schoolwork and learning transitioning in large part to screens, we can optimize time out of school,” Swanson said. “We can work hard to restrict time in front of screens and time with devices in our hands.”

She encourages families to set “tech-free” zones in their homes that include the dining room table and the bedroom for at least one hour before bedtime until morning. For these reasons and more, every weekday Runco asks her son, who is in the fourth grade at Miller Elementary School, to hand over his iPad when they walk in the door to their house so she can lock it in her closet to charge for the night.

But for her two older kids who attend Summit High School, the situation is different. They need the device to do their homework. She can’t take it away from them.

Maskill said she feels the same way.

“We’ve all been told, ‘No computers in the bedroom,’” Maskill said. “Will starts out his homework at the dining room table, then says, ‘I’m going to my room where it is quiet.’”

Pretty soon he’s watching ESPN.

At the Sams household, Misti Sams has faced similar struggles. She ends up taking the iPad away from her daughter most days, but resents the battle the device has created for her family.

“I’ll ask her if she’s doing her homework and she says, ‘Yep, Mom, I’m doing my homework,’” Sams said. “And you go over there and she has taken forty pictures of the dog.”

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Digital Distraction

Cortney Runco is not surprised that her fourth-grade son gets his iPad taken away at school frequently for playing games when he shouldn’t.

“I try. I tell him he can’t do that,” she said. “What did you think was going to happen? You are giving a fourth-grade boy an iPad. Of course they are going to play games.”

She has also heard parents yell to their children to stop looking at their iPads while walking through the school parking lot at pick-up time.

Her high school kids admit that some students watch movies during class instead of listening to their teachers. While the devices are locked down with security so kids can’t access inappropriate sites, they can still listen to music, watch YouTube videos and generally surf the internet.

“As a teacher, how do you police it? They are in the hands of every kid in the room,” Runco said. “I think it’s rude as a high-schooler to watch a movie when your teacher is up there talking.”

Sams said she feels her high-school age son has had fewer challenges with the iPad in terms of setting limits than her daughter. She questions why the school district decided to start the program in third grade and wonders if the younger kids have the maturity to be responsible for the device and to handle putting it away when the time is right.

Some of the reasons for starting the digital conversion in third grade have to do with the curriculum, McDonald explained. The entire third grade curriculum is now digital. But he agrees that asking whether the devices need to go home each night for elementary school kids is an important question.

“When you talk to families, their frustration with the iPad in the classroom is a frustration that any modern family feels with devices of any kind,” McDonald said, explaining the problems come from gaming, social media use and cyber bullying. “We are all in this place in this world where we are sick to death of hearing about technology’s role in these problems. Now it is in the classroom. My answer to almost every issue is this: If we can have students see this as a productivity tool and something that moves into their learning rather than something we are entertained with, we will all benefit.”

McDonald said he doesn’t really set screen limits for his kids, but parents can restrict internet access on iPads.

Offenhauser, who served as principal of Buckingham Elementary School when the digital conversion began, said that many students already had their own smart phones and other devices at school before the schools started providing them, meaning the distraction was already in place.

“We need to begin teaching our students how to be good digital citizens and begin teaching them future-ready skills,” he said. “I believe that needs to start early.”

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Going Slow

When Karissa Sams asked to receive her homework on paper, her teacher was understanding and she now takes her worksheets home rather than trying to complete the scanned documents on the iPad, her mom said.

But when Maskill emailed her son’s chemistry teacher with a similar request— asking if she could print out the pdfs to send home for him to study—she got a different response.

“She was awesome and receptive and wrote, ‘We no longer have a budget for printing,’” Maskill said.

Some of the underlying frustrations for parents seem to come from the inconsistencies at schools throughout the district. Runco and Maskill said having one standard tool for their kids to use to turn in their homework, for example, would help.

At the district level, Offenhauser and McDonald said they want to give teachers a chance to experiment with different apps before making any standard decisions in order to ensure what is being selected is the best possible option. The three apps used for turning in homework—Google Classroom, iTunes U and CanaryFlow— have different capabilities. Having options, Offenhauser said, is important.

But parents feel that options for their children are important as well. If kids want books instead of iPads, they should have a choice.

“The teachers were told to go slow at Miller. They are doing it slowly, stepby- step,” said Maskill. “In their reading groups they read off the iPad. Paul doesn’t like it. You can’t mark your page or your favorite part.”

It’s this kind of feedback that Offenhauser said is useful to the schools, many of which are creating parent groups to address questions and concerns.

“We are not throwing everything away,” he said. “Our world has changed whether you like it or not. There is no way we are holding back this tidal wave. The ship has sailed. We can either embrace it or let it roll us over. I intend on embracing it and using it for good.”

Raise Your Glass to the Winners

Oregon Spirit Distillers was awarded two “double gold” medals for its Ottis Weber Wheat Whiskey and J. Becher American Rye Whiskey at the San Franciso World Spirits Competition, which drew distilleries from around the world. The Bend-based distillery makes all its spirits on-site at its First Street location and prides itself on using Oregon-grown ingredients. oregonspiritdistillers.com

Finalists from Central Oregon held their own at the World Beer Cup in Philadelphia, where more than 1,000 breweries competed for honors in ninety-six categories. Three local breweries were awarded gold: Bend Brewing Company (bendbrewingco.com) took the top spot in the German-style sour ales category for its Volkssekt Berliner Weisse; Sunriver Brewing Co. (sunriverbrewingcompany.com) was awarded the top spot for its Fuzztail beer; and 10 Barrel (10barrel.com) took gold in the Other Strong Beer Category for its Brilliant brew.

At the other end of the beverage spectrum, Redmond’s Eberhard’s Dairy took first place in the buttermilk and “fluid milk” categories at the 2016 Oregon Dairy Industries Convention, held in Salem. The company was also named as a national-level finalist in the categories for cultured products, ice cream and plant assessment at the dairy industry’s member-owned Quality Checkd Dairies, Inc. QCS Leadership Conference in Indianapolis. It took home honorable mentions for its ice cream and sour cream. 

Tiny Beer? Yes, Please!

I tend to know what I like in a beer. Something not too hoppy that isn’t balanced out with a strong malt profile. In other words (GASP!) not IPA. Other than that, I’m up for just about anything. Porters and stouts are pretty much always a good bet, but I also like ales, sours, and Belgians.

When I go out for a beer, this makes for some tough decisions when I look at the taps. Lucky for me, most taphouses and pubs offer sampler trays or flights. This means that I can try a little of this and a little of that – a variety of 2 ounce pours that differ in style (or not) and might even come from different breweries. If I’ve never been to a brewery before, it’s a great way to try several of their mainstay beers without breaking the bank (or my liver).

The Pour House Grill is one of my favorite places to order a sampler tray. They offer a wide variety of beers from Central Oregon and beyond – and they have GREAT food. If I’m heading to a brewery for a sampler tray, I like the variety of offerings at Deschutes and CRUX. Both of those places always have to seem enough new beers rotating through that I can find six or so new beers to try.

This time of year, the best sampler is a flight. At the Deschutes Brewery tasting room (not the pub), you can sample the three most recent years of their Black Butte Porter anniversary beer (XXV, XXVI, XXVII). The recipe for the beer stays pretty consistent, but the flavors change a little each year. The flight is a great opportunity to try all three at once, side by side… for FREE. You can visit the tasting room as part of their brewery tour, or just head in to sample the beer.

The changing season also means that The Little Woody Festival is just around the corner. The event hosts breweries from Central Oregon and outside the region, featuring beers aged in barrels (think wine, whiskey or rum). It’s a sample fan’s wonderland and if you are there you’ll find me meandering from tent to tent, in search of my new favorite “tiny beer”.

Startup Funding with Dan Hobin

G5’s Co-Founder and CEO discusses his company’s recent success
and the importance  of maintaining local connectedness

Interview by Kelly Kearsley


When it comes to starting and growing technology companies in Bend, you could say Dan Hobin was an early adopter. Hobin moved here in 2002, after working with tech companies in the Bay Area for more than a decade. Betting on the value and lifestyle benefits offered by his new hometown, Hobin founded G5 three years later. The company, which provides a digital marketing platform for the property management sector across multiple industries, has since grown to employ nearly 200 people. We caught up with Hobin to learn about recent changes at the company, the challenges he has faced and what the future holds for our growing technology industry.

Last year, your company announced a $76 million investment led by Pennsylvania-based Peak Equity Partners, which took a majority stake in G5. How has that investment had an impact on the company?

We chose Peak because they have a ton of operating experience. I believe that most people on our team, at least our executive team, would agree that we are all learning how to be a better company. We have been looking at everything from lead generation to sale to developing scientific models for how to scale more efficiently. We are a good company, but we all know we can be a lot better. The capital from that investment is helping us to do so.

What challenges did you encounter as your business grew here, and do you believe those issues are at play now?

Hiring software developers was a challenge early on and it is still an issue, though it’s not a problem unique to Bend. We are lucky in that we tend to attract a different type of engineer, typically one who loves the outdoors and wants to be in Bend for quality of life. We have some amazing talent and it seems like our options keep growing.

What do you consider to be the most important factor in supporting Bend’s technology industry and growth?

I think we can do a better job of networking and promoting the companies that are here. Many people who move here have networks from where they came from that they continue to use. Better networking will help us be more efficient in hiring or recruiting new people.

G5 prioritizes community involvement through charitable giving and volunteer work. Why do you think that is important?

I believe that like many cities, Bend is changing from a local GDP to an imported GDP, meaning more of our companies have customers outside of the region. As this happens, we have to make sure we maintain the community connectedness that has made Bend such a great place to live. Many of the people who contributed to making Bend so great had local businesses and did business with each other. As more traded sector companies move here, we have to continue to drive this local connectedness, even though we may not do business with each other.

What do the next few years hold for G5?

We plan to continue to grow G5 in Bend. We have amazing people who appreciate the opportunity to be in the game and live in this beautiful playground.  A company is only as good as its culture and the level of engagement of its people. We seem to be very lucky on both fronts. We have close to 200 incredible people today. I don’t see why that can’t double in the next five years.

Bend’s Education Foundation Raises $1.5M for Scholarships and Grants in Central Oregon

The Education Foundation encourages innovative curriculum and increases educational and extra-curricular opportunities in Bend, Sunriver and La Pine.

It’s been three decades since Oregon leveled the playing field for school dollars by shifting the burden of funding K-12 education from local communities to Salem. That move helped standardize funding for all Oregon schools, eliminating the haves and have-nots of the past. It also created a whole new set of questions about how to fund non-core activities like sports and extracurriculars and even the arts.

It’s a vacuum that has been filled by bake sales and car wash fundraisers in many places. Here in Deschutes County, a dedicated group has taken a more deliberate approach that has raised more than $1.5 million in private donations to fund athletic scholarships and classroom teaching grants that have enhanced the experience of thousands of students.

Now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, the Bend-based Education Foundation awarded almost $90,000 in classroom grants this school year that will help bolster arts, language and science curriculums.

“It would be great if all the resources were available and there wasn’t a need for the Education Foundation, but there is a need,” said Executive Director Michelle Johnson.

The Education Foundation’s oldest program is the activity fee scholarship, financial aid that goes toward participation fees associated with after-school sports. With Mt. Bachelor’s donations from its annual Ski4Schools event and the support of former recipient and Olympic athlete Ashton Eaton, this program has aided nearly 4,000 middle and high school students.

The Foundation also provides classroom grants to innovative STEM programs, art and music, life skills and wellness programs. Although there is a focus on high-need schools, grants are awarded throughout the entire Bend-La Pine district.

“These are teachers that are going outside the box,” said Johnson. “We might have a teacher in the language arts area who will have MOsley WOtta come and show students how the spoken word of poetry can relate into a career. We just funded a grant for an elective course in zoology.”

For the 2018-2019 school year, the Foundation awarded $89,000 in fifty-three classroom grants, which is $30,000 more than its previous record in honor of its thirtieth anniversary.

Most recently, the Education Foundation has adopted two new programs: perseverance awards and Latino scholarships, both awarded to graduating seniors. Thanks to the continued support from grant partners, individual and corporate donors and the Bend community, the Education Foundation is able to help meet the demands of the growing Central Oregon population.


Read more stories about our vibrant COMMUNITY with us here.

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