Mt. Bachelor closing Sunday; PPP Nordic leg iffy

The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation is expected to announce Tuesday whether it will replace the Nordic leg of the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle race with a short trail run due to this year’s skimpy snowpack.

But news sent Monday night to Mt. Bachelor season pass-holders by President and GM Dave Rathbun — that the season’s last day will be Sunday, barring an unexpected burst of snow this week — may tell the tale.

MBSEF officials announced last month the Nordic run could be cancelled due to lack of snow on the course. The area as a whole experienced a warm winter, with less-than-average snowfall.

Rathburn said in an e-mail letter that an evaluation of the snowpack Monday, as well as the weather outlook, make Sunday the final day of the winter decision, calling it “a difficult decision and one that I wish we didn’t have to make.”

“I was hoping we could make it to our planned closing date of May 24, but at the rate we’re losing snow, the goal of staying open until memorial Day weekend is no longer realistic.”

To date, Mt. Bachelor has received 212 inches of snow since October 1, far below the resort’s 462-inch average, the resort said in a news release. Only the winters of 1976-77, 1977-78 and 2000-01 delivered less snow.

This winter’s maximum base area snow depth of 53 inches, recorded on February 28, was the lowest in the resort’s history, officials said.

“Even with one of our worst snow years ever, it’s awesome that Mt. Bachelor can still offer skiing and snowboarding into May,” Rathbun added. “Conditions were remarkably good all season, despite the low snowfall. I am grateful to our staff for providing a great experience all year long and we thank the thousands of local, regional and national guests who visited Mt. Bachelor this winter.”

Rathbun told pass-holders there is “a very slight chance” the season could be extended, “should the incoming weather front outperform the forecast and deliver significant new snow this week, but that has not been our luck this season.”

Also, he said, another “tough decision” — they are canceling the Pond Skimming Championships, a popular event scheduled for Saturday. That’s because “the limited base area snow will not allow for a sufficiently deep pool to safely carry out the event,” Rathbun wrote.

Mt. Bachelor will operate daily this week and will conclude the winter season with its annual BrewSki Beer Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Lift hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the weekend beer festival open from noon until 3 p.m.

Following Sunday’s winter season closure, the resort will launch its summer season on Friday, July 3 with downhill mountain biking, sunset dinners, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf and sled dog rides.

But first, on May 16, thousands are expected to turn out for the 39th annual Pole Pedal Paddle — a multi-sport, multi-stage event that takes competitors from the slopes of Mt. Bachelor all the way down to the Deschutes River in Bend.

Race Director Molly Cogswell-Kelley said Monday organizers have held off on making a final decision in hopes of making the trail work.

“I have absolutely no idea what we’re going to do,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “”It’s been difficult, because everyone wants to formulate their team — and Mother Nature has not made of her mind about what’s going to happen for May.”

Race coordinators are expected to make the decision Tuesday afternoon after examining the trail and consulting with Mt. Bachelor staff.

If they decide to drop the cross country skiing, a short trail run — less than two miles — will replace it.

The Alpine leg, bike ride, classic trail run, kayak stretch and sprint will stay the same.

Cogswell-Kelley said it’s too soon to know whether the uncertainty will hurt the event’s turnout, because she believes many are waiting for the course confirmation before they sign up.

“It (registration) might be down a little bit, but it’s the Pole Pedal Paddle, and it’s going to be an amazing experience,” Cogswell-Kelley said.

Bend resident Matt Briggs placed third last year in the men’s elite bracket. He told NewsChannel 21 that the Nordic leg is his best event.

“It makes it a lot tougher, for sure,” Briggs said of the skiing possibly being cut. “Those guys are really good cyclists and really good runners. For me, it’s just making that adaptation to the training program.”

Briggs said he put his cross-country skis away early this season and focused more on running and cycling.

MBSEF “has been all over it,” Briggs said. “They were dealt a tough situation obviously, but they’ve done a really great job letting everyone know what’s going on.”

Bend Ski shop WebCyclery Webskis employee Zach Casper told NewsChannel 21 that normally, most of the shop’s cross-country and skate skis are already reserved and rented for the race. However, this year, they’ve had a lot fewer of those reservations.

“We’re in a holding pattern right now, waiting for MBSEF to tell us if this event will happen,” Casper said.

MBSEF will bump registration fees up by $20 starting Thursday. Race registration closes on May 11th. Info: http://www.pppbend.com/