(Mt. Bachelor offers a variety of summertime activities, including hiking on scenic trails | Photo Courtesy of Mt. Bachelor)
COVID may have rocked our world, but Central Oregon is still a mecca for outdoor recreation, and no virus can take that away! While we may have to follow some new rules when recreating side by side with others, no one can question that there is a plethora of things to do here beckoning us to get outside, and local tour operators can help us get out there and safely enjoy the freedom and peacefulness that nature — and adrenaline — can provide.
As with everyone else, tour companies and other recreation-related businesses have endured a roller-coaster ride over the past three months, but now, most are back up and running and report that business is beginning to boom again. These nature guides are excited to get us back out adventuring, and have put all the required safety measures into place to help us do so. Staff members are back, and customers are cautiously returning to find some much-needed stress relief.
“There’s no better solution to COVID and overcoming our cabin fever than being outdoors in fresh mountain air! The collective sigh of relief I have witnessed in the last few weeks is remarkable,” said David Nissen, founder and president of Wanderlust Tours in Bend, which offers half-day naturalist-guided tours, trips and activities year round in Bend, Sunriver and Sisters. “When recreating outdoors, just maintain distance, respect the ecosystem and clean up after yourself and others while you are out there.”
When the COVID closures first happened, tour companies and other recreation-based businesses had to shut down since they were not deemed “essential.” “Numbers-wise, Q1 2020 started out quite well until March 16, when we determined that the necessary response to COVID was to shut down tour operations,” explained Nissen, adding that he had to lay off his staff for five weeks. “It was most difficult not to fulfill our mission as a company. For eight weeks, we were unable to conduct business, until state protocols were outlined. On May 16, we were able to resume touring, crawling back to life.” He said that with Phase One, Wanderlust welcomed Deschutes County residents only for touring, and with Phase Two, they broadened the geographic scope out.
“We missed the entire month of May,” said Kirin Stryker; co-owner of Cogwild Mountain Bike Tours of Bend and Oakridge, OR. “We missed the busy Memorial Day weekend because employees were not comfortable coming back to start for Memorial Day; it was really hard to miss that huge weekend.” Since then, Stryker said she’s seen a slow and steady return to business. “What we have been seeing is a lot of family groups coming on tour with us. People are still in their COVID pods.” She continued, “We are on a skeleton crew. We got some PPP funding that enabled us to keep five staff on in Bend and two in our satellite office in Oakridge. We are slowly bringing people back on. We did lose some to more full-time work, and some to landscaping. A few of us are on full-time to run the office. Those of us who are working are working constantly with no breaks.”
At Cogwild, shuttle busses are utilized to transport mountain bikers to the various tour destinations. They typically operate a 25-passenger mini-bus as well as 15- and eight-passenger vans, but those numbers have had to be cut almost in half to ensure social distancing. “We are running reduced capacity on the vans. On our big bus, we are running 13, in our 15-passenger van we are running nine; and our eight-passenger van is running four.”
Although the return to healthy operations has been slow, Nissen and Stryker agree that customers are feeling more confident about coming out now, particularly since safety protocols have been established and are well-outlined on the company’s websites. “June jumped back to life,” said Nissen. “It looks as if we are on par with June 2019. We are elated to be serving people and sharing the wonder of the natural world. Protocols are going well; it simply takes more time to make sure our gear is sanitized. People are very compliant with wearing masks; I see our guests wanting to respect others.”
At Cogwild, Stryker said that during the closure, she and her husband, Lev, who is co-owner, poured over the requirements to make sure all the bases were covered. “It was a process of reading through everything, and picturing how it was going to work with our unique situation,” she said. “So far so good! COVID policies have been working and have been well received. None of us have gotten sick, and as far as we know, none of our clients have gotten sick. If someone does get sick, we are keeping detailed records and following tracing practices.” To enhance safety, Stryker said they have tour groups meet outside in the outdoor reception area to ensure social distancing. “We have a porta potty so that no one comes into the office. We have hand-washing stations, disposable masks and fancy masks from Black Strap. We gave every one of our employees a Black Strap mask. They need them in case anyone gets injured out on the trail and needs first aid.” She added, “It’s challenging financially; there are increased operating costs in buying all this stuff.”
Another of the most challenging parts of maintaining the new protocols, Stryker said, is that the 14-day tracing process starts over every day. “It was tricky coming up with procedures at the beginning. We are following Oregon Health Authority requirements for both public transit and outdoor recreation.” Because Cogwild operates a kids’ camp, they also have to follow the guidance set forth for summer camps. She said, “I can’t tell you how many times people call and ask about our operations and our safety measures. In terms of consumer confidence and peace of mind, in hindsight, it was worth every single day we lost before Memorial Day because our policies are being so well received.” She added, “Being a little late to reopen slowed us down and really gave us time to practice the procedures. We were very ready when we resumed on May 29, the Friday after Memorial Day weekend.”
Since that reopening day, Stryker said they have gotten positive feedback from customers. “Someone on a shuttle the first weekend we reopened called back the next week and bought a season pass. He told us he trusted us and felt safe with the COVID procedures we have in place. We’ve gotten a handful of those. When someone calls and I explain it, they realize we are taking it seriously.” Now that they have the system down, Stryker said she appreciates the safety aspects it brings. “I can see that we could operate this way for a long time. These protocols are not a bad idea. They are not that difficult to follow now that we have the tools in place. It was tough at first to find what we needed in town; I still can’t find wipes, so we went with paper towels and disinfectant spray. Our gloves are only in large sizes because I can’t get medium. But we are in pretty good shape now for a while. We will likely keep some of these protocols going indefinitely.”
At Mt. Bachelor, which offers an array of recreational options, summer operations are underway, and protocols are firmly in place. “The safety of our staff, guests and community continues to be our top priority,” said John McLeod, president and general manager of Mt. Bachelor, a year-round POWDR mountain resort. “The staff of Mt. Bachelor and Sun Country Tours are eagerly preparing and can’t wait to welcome passholders and guests back for summer activities. After months of quarantine, getting back to the adventure lifestyle will be a great relief.”
Mt. Bachelor’s summer activities include the debut of a new zip line, downhill mountain biking, sightseeing, hiking, disc golf, food and beverages and whitewater rafting with Sun Country Tours. “I’m most excited about our new ZipTourZip Line that drops nearly 1,400 vertical feet and is the fastest, steepest and highest zipline in the Northwest,” said McLeod. Rafting trips through Sun Country began June 19, and most of Mt. Bachelor’s other offerings begin the first week in July. In developing its safety procedures surrounding COVID, policies were created following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Executive Orders issued by Governor Brown (mtbachelor.com/info/covid-19-updates).
At this time, there are no capacity constraints on Mt. Bachelor, and no required reservations beyond activities that typically require them, but guests are asked to be aware of the new protocols and to take personal responsibility when visiting the mountain. Those who don’t may be asked to leave and could risk future pass suspension. To enhance safety, the new ZipTour zip line is a dual line, with 6 feet 9 inches between them, and there is ample signage to ensure physical distancing. ZipTour guides will wear masks when interacting with guests and gloves when interacting with trolleys. Each Zip line guest helmet, harness and trolley will be cleaned between uses with Terra Nova-approved products.
To further ensure cleanliness, sanitizer will be readily available for guests around the mountain, and payment and ordering practices have changed to enable physical distancing and to minimize contact. Mt. Bachelor’s food and beverage outlets follow CDC and State of Oregon guidelines in regard to physical distancing, and each member of the food and beverage staff has obtained state-regulated food handler’s certifications and been given training in regard to COVID precautions. In the RV parking area, Powered RV spaces are now staggered, and portable hand-washing stations are located near the plaza for anyone using the garbage bins or the shower token machine.
For mountain bikers and others who want to get out on the trails and carefully enjoy all that nature has to offer this summer, Stryker provides the following advice. “Know the trail etiquette, ride earlier or later shuttles to avoid peak times and tone it down a bit. Ride within your means; don’t do big huge jumps unless you are 100 percent confident. Keep safe to avoid needing health care. Go out prepared: have water, food and tools and be self-sufficient so others don’t have to jump into your space and help you.”
Although it remains to be seen how tour companies will fare this year, the owners are cautiously optimistic. “We are trying to build up some funds. If we can make it through this summer and pay all our operating costs — and still keep the lights on and get to next season — we’ll be OK,” said Stryker. Though she and her husband are hoping they can stay open and functional over the summer, she said that as a family-run business, they do worry about getting shut down again should Deschutes County experience a huge outbreak. “We are almost out of PPP funds. We don’t want to take a loan out if we may go bankrupt. But that’s Plan Z. We are hoping that doesn’t come up. I don’t think tourism is going to go away in Bend. But we as a family business are questioning if we can continue to do this, and do it safely. We are dealing with some existential questions right now.” She added, “But today, we are feeling confident. We are grateful to our season passholders and people who, even in the pandemic, have been coming in and spending money in our business. They don’t have to. People have invested in us. They have been very generous. We really appreciate the support of the community.”
Nissen said that if there is a silver lining in the COVID situation, it is about reuniting with staff, colleagues and clients, and the support that the Central Oregon community has offered. “Through this experience, I think many in our community have been positively affected by the tightly knit relationships and friendships that we are lucky to have. It is humbling to lean on others, and it is gratifying to be able to give to others.”
