Bend’s snowy backcountry is legendary—mighty, powder-choked volcanoes with limitless runs rise out of forested hills that cup frozen lakes. Here, skiers and snowboarders earn their turns by hiking for untracked lines. Snowshoers wander among whispering hemlocks and firs. In these Central Cascades you’ll find more than 500 miles of roads and trails that call to snowmobilers and fatbikers to ride on what is routinely some of the deepest snowpack in the country. But make no mistake: this is untamed country with a wild, unpredictable beauty. To travel here safely, so far from immediate rescue, you need to know the risks and how to mitigate them before you head out. The Central Oregon Avalanche Center is here to help.

Throughout the season COAC’s highly trained forecasters publish daily avalanche reports that arm backcountry travelers with the information they need to make safe choices in the wild. Forecasters like Gabe Coler and Alli Miles look for signs of avalanches, study the snowpack, and probe for dangerous layers that could collapse and slide. Combined with real-time weather data and forecasts, they boil the data down into a digestible report that highlights where future avalanches might occur, how big they could be, and what you can do to avoid them. “If we ran into a friend in the parking lot who knew nothing about the backcountry, what would we tell them?” Miles says. They do this seven days a week.

Unlike most avalanche forecast centers, COAC receives no money from the federal government. It’s a nonprofit that needs grants and donations. Any amount helps—you can donate as little as $1. Last year, fees and sponsorships from a five-day snow-science conference Bend hosted generated $90,000 that COAC used to expand its work to include Paulina Peak forecasts on weekends, and to support snow-safety programs and education. So check them out. Give what you can. Then go create your own legendary days in the snowy Cascades.

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Credits and Acknowledgments

Production Team:
Director: Elena Pressprich [Visit Bend]
Videographer: John Reynolds [John Reynolds Films]
Editors: Elena Pressprich [Visit Bend], John Reynolds [John Reynolds Films], Laurel Hunter [Visit Bend]

Photography: Elena Pressprich [Visit Bend] and Max Rhulen
Words by: Tim Neville [Visit Bend]

Central Oregon Avalanche Center, Avalanche Forecasters: Gabe Coler, Alli Miles