If there’s ever a place for a cross-country skier to put on their bucket list, Mt. Bachelor in central Oregon is it. With a ski season that typically lasts into late May and can even extend to June—with natural snow some 6,400 feet above sea level—the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center is spring skiers’ paradise. According to Nordic Manager Sydney Powell, Mt. Bachelor (about 22 miles west of Bend, OR) has been inundated since January with...
Believe it or not, it is mid-May. For those following a traditional cross-country calendar, this means the start of a new training year, building toward the 2022/2023 competition season. And, for many of the top American athletes, this means it’s time to make an annual pilgrimage to Bend, Oregon for the on-snow camp of the season at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center. The weather gods were kind to the camp attendees, with nearly a foot...
In some mountain communities, the transition from winter to spring is known as mud season. That’s not the case in Bend, Oregon where transitions are welcome and mud is relatively scarce. Jesse Thomas, dad, partner, entrepreneur, and world-class triathlete remains a Bend local – the kind whose roots extend to an upbringing in Bend back when the myths of this outdoor mecca barely filtered beyond wetter parts of the Pacific Northwest. In endurance sports circles,...
Walking down the street in Bend, Oregon, or perhaps sipping a curated latte, the mustachioed Graham Zimmerman looks like he’d fit right in as a Brooklyn creative. Svelte sartorial taste? Check. An overactive mind capable of wordsmithing and capturing raw visuals as a film-maker? Check. Admittedly, Zimmerman could discover a fine calling for himself immersed in big-city life. But, for every Yin there’s a Yang. During certain parts of the year, you’re as likely...
At six foot four, Bend Oregon’s Barry Wick remains a person you want to draft behind. The former World Championship mountain biker and cyclocross rider still carries many in town on his wings. There’s the fact of the matter tallness, and yes drafting behind him does feel like you’ve got just a little more lift. He’s also the brains behind bike manufacturer Kona’s endurance cycling team, he’s the endurance team manager, and the owner and...
You should be in Bend. Bend, Oregon. Right now. For all of my “shallow readers” in the audience, those unable to focus on any piece of written work longer than 140 characters (you know who you are), you can stop here. You’ve both learned everything you need to know and also everything your SnapChat-addled brain can handle, so you’re done. For those of you with attention spans longer than those of fruit flies, dig in,...
East Coast, West Coast ... most often it's a toss up. But for Dartmouth skier and Bend, Ore., local, Emily Hyde, she's awaiting a bit of crust-cruising shock therapy when she heads into Broken Top in the Three Sisters Wilderness just outside her hometown. Here's a Wednesday Workout for those about to "up" the training loads and intensities.
Is there room at one ski center to support two junior development programs? In central Oregon, it depends on who you ask. In February 2015, Bend Endurance Academy requested to use the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center during periods of low snow. The resort denied the request, citing it was already at capacity.
The Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center is seeking a full time groomer for the 2015/16 season.