What started out as a low-key cross country ski weekend between friends who wanted to ski into a cabin at a lake and share some good times, ended up as an epic adventure!

Written by: Jan Zarella
Where: Paulina Lake, Oregon
Who: Jan + Human and Furry Friends 
Gear:
  • Skis: Madshus Panorama M68
  • Boots: Rossignol BC X-12 75mm Cross Country ski boots
  • Poles: Adjustable
  • Baselayers: BlackStrap Cloudchaser hoody and pants
  • Beanie: Mountain Shop Custom
  • Gloves: Hestra Ergo Grip Incline
  • Snacks: Trail Butter Lil’ Squeeze (Dark Chocolate Coffee and Salted Brownie), GU Energy Gel Lemon Sublime, Honey Stinger Waffles
Trip Report:

What started out as a low-key cross country ski weekend between friends who wanted to ski into a cabin at a lake and share some good times, ended up as an epic adventure! It snowed somewhere between 3 and 4 feet and we almost didn’t make it out! Some friends had rented a cabin at Paulina Lake Resort and had room for a couple more people to join. Since we had a free weekend and it was the last weekend the Resort was open, we happily agreed to tag along. The cabins are available during the winter and late spring/summer months for rent through the Paulina Lake Lodge website. The Lodge also serves lunch and dinner and beverages while the cabins are open.

I usually ski up to Paulina Lake/Lodge 3 to 5 times a season, and this weekend was trip number 4 for the year, with the most recent trip being only 3 weeks prior. Checking weather reports and snow conditions at all points along Paulina-East Lake Road/Forest Road 21, as well as at the lake, at the Lodge, and even at the top of Paulina Peak, the maximum snow predictions indicated somewhere between 12 and 15 inches of snow fall. I had seen other reports indicating that Mount Hood and Mount Bachelor could each receive several feet of snow that same weekend, but Paulina Lake being on the “dry” side of the mountains, reasonably would have received less, closer to the 12 to 15 inches maximum that was predicted.

We set off from 10 Mile Sno-Park on Friday afternoon and skied the road up to the lake so we wouldn’t have to break trail on the cross country ski trails, which did have a few inches of fresh powder. Conditions were calm with only an occasional snowmobile or two passing by. Saturday we went out for an adventure ski and alternated between spending time in the cabin, enjoying beverages in the cozy lodge and skiing out and about near the lake and down to Paulina Falls.

It snowed a few inches during the day on Saturday, maybe another 6-8, which was on par with what was predicted. Saturday night rolled around and it didn’t really stop. Sunday morning we woke up to over 2 feet of fresh snow, which almost buried our cabin, and it was still dumping! Two of our party had skied out early that morning with the ambitious hope of getting fresh tracks at Mt. Bachelor, but they were thwarted by the amount of snow that had fallen at 10 Mile Sno-Park. Going anywhere was not an option until their cars were dug out and the 3-4 feet of fresh powder that had engulfed all of the cars at the Sno-Park was plowed.

The people at the lodge gave us helpful updates from the snowplow driver as well as were kind enough to allow us to stay another night if needed, even though they were technically closing that day. Fully prepared to spend another night in the cabin, yet hopeful we would make it out, we finally got word around 3 o’clock in the afternoon that the snow plow had finally made it up to 10 Mile Sno-Park, even though it had gotten stuck on the road before being caught behind multiple stuck vehicles.

The 3 humans and 3 dogs who remained in our group started our descent back down to 10 Mile Sno-Park through a couple feet of fresh powder with the snow still dumping down. We thankfully didn’t have to break trail, but skied along a track that was barely cleared by the snow groomer while he transported the 6 under 6 kiddos, who were also almost stranded at the lodge, along with each parent on a separate snowmobile.

After an hour or so of trudging through deep snow downhill, and about 3 1/2 miles, we made it to 10 Mile Sno-Park. We were not shocked, but still surprised, by the amount of snow that had buried most of the cars there. Thankfully, the other two people in our party had used our stashed snow shovels to dig out all three vehicles, and we were all able to leave the Sno-Park without much issue. I ended up getting stuck another night in Bend, as all roads home were blocked by heavy snowfall, flooding, and landslides.

The lessons learned in this trip encompass the phrase, “Always be prepared!” When we learned that we might possibly have to stay another night in the cabin, we pulled together our group food and were able to come up with enough meals to get us through till the next morning. As for the extremely intense snowfall, that definitely took us all by surprise. We had all looked at various weather reports and had all come up with the same conclusion that no matter what we looked at, our maximum most extraordinary case scenario was only about 2 feet. Since we were never doing any uphill travel, and stuck only to the road, and the very edge of the lake entirely out of the avalanche zone, we did not pack any Avvy gear with us. Now if we had been going on a snow camping or AT skiing adventure, the extra snow could have caused a lot of dangerous issues. Although we would’ve certainly had the proper gear, and the knowledge to use it, our situation could’ve quickly changed from carrying the gear for safety, into using the gear out of necessity!