Mt. Bachelor, Bend, OR

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Martha skiing to the Eurovan!

After a filling homemade pancakes and eggs feast we headed to Mt. Bachelor. It would be one of those storm days where it’s hard to know where you are. Lifts were affected by high winds. We found one upper mountain lift that served some long runs with some treed options. We spend the day here, lapping this lift over and over, sampling varied runs left right of it. The snow deepened each run. Finally, our legs sore, we made our way down to front face and down to the parking lot. We were able to ski right to the van! This was the only photo op of the day given the low visibility above. We then headed down to grab some appetizers and a drink at the Pine Tavern, an old inn by the DeChutes. My friend Dave Rathbun, now COO of Mt. Bachelor met us in town at the local brewery and we caught up along with Doug LaPlaca, formerly of Steamboat, CO who now runs the local tourism association ‘Visit Bend’.  Martha and I then headed to dinner at Zydeco, a trendy place on Bond street. After an exhausting day, it was nice to retreat back to the B&B to get some sleep and ready for the next morning’s trip to Sun Valley. 

Bend, OR

Monday, March 14, 2011

On the way into Bend, we arrived from the side of town that brought us through the strip malls and big box stores. We began to wonder why others told us this place was so special. When we headed into town for dinner at 5 Fusion, a new sushi restaurant. We then found the downtown area by the DeChutes River. Now we were seeing the charm. Although it was getting dark, we could see why our family members who had previously visited raved. We imagined what this area would be like in the summer. 

We had reserved a lovely B&B called Cabin Creek on the outskirts of town. This three-room home was well laid out with fireplaces and jetted-tubs in each. Owners Melody and Dave greeted us warmly and quickly explained house rules as well as the breakfast schedule. We retired to our suite for a nice relaxing evening in front of the fire and a movie on the computer. 

Klamath Falls to Bend, OR

"Honey... I'm home!"

Monday, March 14, 2011

Hopes for a hike around Crater Lake dashed by the snow!

The next morning we pointed the van toward Crater Lake, thinking of some trail hiking around the crater’s rim before our intended destination of Bend. After a coffee stop in a small college town, we climbed up into the park. The travel took us through a lot of open space, scrub pine, sandy areas and open vistas, when clouds allowed us a view. Soon we began to see signs for Crater Lake, and soon the snow banks developed along the roadside. First a foot, then three, and eventually eight to twelve feet, towering over the van. So ended our hopes for a hike! We wound our way up to the Lake, following a narrow slot in the growing snow banks known as the road. We were fortunate enough to follow a plow for the final ascent. We continued higher up into the park until finally the road ended at an old hotel, reminiscent of the Timberline Lodge of The Shining fame. 

We parked at the turnaround and were told by a park ranger that we could scramble up the snow bank path for a view of the Lake. We were glad we did, it was amazing, and quite the snowy setting. Soon other tourists arrived, some American, others foreign, including a school group out for a Nordic ski into the back country. Onward to Bend!

Road trip: Reno to Klamath Falls, OR

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Martha arrived at Reno airport on the 11:10 AM (one-stop, no plane change from Albany) and we loaded her gear into the Eurovan and headed toward Oregon. Our goal was Klamath Falls in time for dinner and a hotel. We arrived in Klamath in a downpour. It was raining so hard that if you were not underneath the portico, you’d be soaked. We checked into our room and decided on a steakhouse in the old downtown. After one wrong turn proclaimed by the GPS, we got straightened out and on the right street. The downtown area was cute, and being a Sunday night, we were about the only party in the restaurant, a few others finished up their meals as we walked in giving us some assurance that we weren’t about to make a big mistake. Our waiter was chatty and full of suggestions. Our meals were wonderful. Mine was the best steak I’ve had in years. Truly. A quiet dining experience in a somewhat-strange town was a nice way for Martha and I to become reacquainted! 

Squaw Valley routes

Skiing on Thursday, March 10, 2011

After 7 am yoga class in The Village at Squaw, I decided to head to the mountain for some morning runs given the wind of the previous night and the promise of windbuff on Headwall. I boarded the Funitel and met up with El Furtney from Snowsports School, and Todd, a fellow ski pro. We decided that Headwall was the choice, but taking the Tower 16 chute route on the way down. We took off toward the Broken Arrow area with El leading the way. This was a completely new route to the Headwall lift for me, so I followed and tried my best to keep up.