Spring in Bend brings spectacular conditions for backcountry skiers and snowboarders with longer days, a healthy snowpack, and the legendary Central Cascade “corn cycle” that yields soft, silky turns. But reaping those remote, untracked rewards also carries significant risks. To help backcountry enthusiasts make informed decisions on the slopes they choose to explore, Visit Bend has donated $90,000 to the Central Oregon Avalanche Center — money that has helped the nonprofit expand services and programs that benefit visitors and locals alike.
“We are committed to enhancing safety, accessibility, and stewardship in Central Oregon’s outdoor recreation areas,” said Jeff Knapp, CEO of Visit Bend. “This donation reflects that.”
The Central Oregon Avalanche Center (COAC) employs snow specialists who head into the mountains between Three Fingered Jack and Sunriver to study avalanche conditions seven days a week from December 1 to April 30. Those experts produce free, easy-to-read forecasts that explain where avalanches might occur, how big they could be, and what backcountry users can do to lower their risks of being caught in one. Unlike most other avalanche forecast centers, Central Oregon’s receives no state or federal funding.
Visit Bend’s donation has helped COAC to expand its work to include Paulina Peak on weekends, to train the next generation of forecasters, and to publish the reports on the popular, free app, Avy. Visit Bend raised the money by helping to bring a five-day snow-science conference, the International Snow Science Workshop, to town last fall. World-class researchers from around the globe attended it.
The donation comes at a time when the popularity of backcountry snow sports remains strong. About 4.7 million people toured on skis or snowboards nationwide last year, with adventurers from the Northwest accounting for about 17 percent of them, Snowsports Industries America reported. Most of those participants considered their skills intermediate at best.
“With the help of visitors and locals,” said Bryce Kellogg, COAC’s board president, “we can keep our community on top of the snow.”
About the Central Oregon Avalanche Center: The Central Oregon Avalanche Center (COAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers daily avalanche forecasting for the Central Cascades zone and weekend avalanche forecasting for the Newberry zone from Dec. 1 – April 30. In addition to avalanche forecasting, COAC hosts community education events, maintains weather stations, and hosts a platform for public observations. COAC is a community-funded nonprofit, meaning it receives no state, USFS, or federal funding and relies on donations from our community to do the critical work that it does.
About Visit Bend: Visit Bend is a non-membership, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the visitor experience while stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon. We’re a leading information provider on Bend, Oregon, hotels, restaurants, activities, and Oregon vacation planning.
visitbend.com • coavalanche.org
