Mt Bachelor/Bend, Oregon
December 1-8, 2023

Select any combination of 1-4 days you like within our planned dates!

Recognized since 2001 by skiers around the world as one of the very best ski education events for adult skiers you'll find in the entire XC ski world.

The Oregon Fall Camp is specifically designed for "intermediate” up to expert skiers. If you are a true beginner skier, we recommend that you first take private or group lessons at a groomed Nordic ski area and spend some time developing your fundamentals before joining us for future Oregon Camps. Please also note that we need all Fall Campers to have a baseline fitness level and general health profile capable of skiing multiple kilometers every Camp morning on trails of various difficulty levels — all at an elevation of 6300 feet.  If you are in doubt about your technical abilities or fitness level, please see notes on the Camp webpage and/or send us a note and we’ll help you figure it out. Email: jd at xcoregon dot org with any questions.

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Fall Camp Registration

(Full Camp option available now, Touch-Up option coming soon)

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Info For Registered Campers 

Pre-Camp General Information

Daily Stuff For Campers

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NOAA forecast for Mt. Bachelor trail system.

NOAA forecast for Meissner Sno Park elevation.

Mt. Bachelor Nordic weather/snow conditions (winter AM updates only).

Mt. Bachelor Alpine weather/snow conditions (more webcams).

Mt. Bachelor Nordic Facebook page

Meissner Nordic home page with grooming reports at Meissner elevation

Pictures from the 2005 Oregon Fall Camp provided by camper Neil Hunt.

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LATEST CAMP NEWS
Last Update: Wednesday, August 30 (5:00pm PST)

Dates for the 2023 Oregon Fall Camp are December 1-8.

Registration is open for the 2023 Oregon Fall Camp. "Full Camp" registration is open and available for all eight days. Registration for the new Touch-Up Camp format is also open and available -- but please note that you need to request a special code to be "approved" for the new Touch-Up Camp format (see below for details on that format).

As usual, any Full Camp camper can register for any combination of 1-4 open Camp days.

Touch-Up Camp basic info is below.

New for 2023! -- We are now offering a "Touch-Up Camp" option on December 1-2-3 only. This option is restricted for skiers that have attended several past Camps (so we've worked with you over time) -- OR -- high end skiers new to Oregon Camps. Interested Campers must email the Camp to get "cleared" for this new Camp option. We generally recommend that skiers new to our Camp that do not consider yourself a "high end skier" do at least one year of our Full Camp (any number of 1-4 days) before this Touch-Up format will be good value for you. After you email for "clearance", we'll email back a special registration code <<jd at xcoregon dot org>>. The Touch-Up design is a half session (90mins instead of 3 hours) in terms of session time each morning with very focused feedback rather than our standard in-depth Full Camp approach. We will have early AM and late AM Touch-Up groups on the three days offered. XC Oregon Coach J.D. will lead most Touch-Up Camp groups. Note: We do need to have minimum enrollment for the separate Touch-Up groups to happen. Otherwise we'll need to figure out how to fold folks into the regular Full Camps.

Looking way ahead -- please note that our Oregon Spring Camp will take place over four days in the first half of April 2024. We will pin down the exact long weekend before the end of January 2024.

Stay healthy and have fun outside everyone!

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-- For specific questions or more camp info: Email: [ jd at xcoregon dot org ].

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Camp Schedule

All notes below are under review and subject to change into early fall 2023.
For 2023 our plan is to offer On-Snow Coaching Sessions every morning from Friday, December 1 until Friday, December 8. 

Our typical on-snow session times are usually from 8:45-11:45am (the schedule may vary 30-60 minutes on severe weather days). Remember: With our camp YOU select the days you want to attend as long as space is available! Yes, you can schedule non-consecutive days.

Video Review will again be entirely virtual for 2023. What started as a COVID-safety change proved to be more convenient campers and more efficient for XC Oregon.

Depending on finding the right local partner location, we may bring back having two low-key Camp Socials with short info presentations on common skiing topics of interest. 

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Basics About The Camp

The Oregon Fall Camp offers high intermediate to expert adult XC skiers an opportunity to take part in an affordable world-class ski education experience tailored to the specific needs and realities of master skiers. Our camp is designed to be much smaller and far more personalized than other camp/clinic programs you can find out there.

Over the years, hundreds of adult skiers from "intermediate" to elite master have been sold on the Oregon Fall Camp's proven formula for delivering exactly what you are looking for in a fun and time-efficient design. We take great pride in saying that you will absolutely not find a better masters camp format in the entire XC ski world!

Camp participants since 2001 have raved about the innovative format and specific attention to their individual needs. For high performance types, past Camp attendees have gone on to record personal best results including top placings at major ski marathons and Masters World Cup events around the world. For folks that already know the basics, but want to ski more efficiently, campers have told us for over two decades that they learn more in a few days with the Oregon Fall Camp than several years worth of clinics elsewhere!

Note: For beginner skiers (skate or classic), the Oregon Fall Camp is happy to refer you to the excellent staff at the Mt Bachelor Nordic Center. Both private and group lessons are held daily (often at the same time the Camp is on the same trail system) making beginner lessons at the Center a great option for a spouse, child, or friend of a Fall Camp participant that already knows the basics.

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Camp Staff

The Camp Director and Founder is J.D. Downing, the founding Coach/Director of the XC Oregon non-profit, ski program based in Bend since 1998. J.D. is also the National Director of the American XC Skiers (U.S. masters association); the President of the World Masters XC Ski Association (international master association); founder/editor of xcskiworld.com website; and annually coaches with three high school Nordic/distance running teams.

Various local/regional coaches and athletes with extraordinary ski credentials are enlisted to help with rounding out our coaching roster each morning. Every year our campers tell us how pleased they were with the great coaches, the fun/welcoming atmosphere, and consistent help they received at the Fall Camp.

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What Happens At The Camp?

Full mornings of on-snow sessions at the Mt Bachelor Nordic Center are supplemented by off mountain video review and other programs. Each on-snow ski session uses a mix of group and individual feedback with video footage review included as often as is practical.

Widest time range for our on-snow sessions is typically from 8:45-noon. The time window typically includes a mid-session restroom and refreshment (on your own). Note that the exact on-snow session time each day is subject to change.

Mt Bachelor Nordic sits at a high point of 6,300 feet and offers very reliable early December snow conditions with 30+km of trails historically open the end of Thanksgiving week with the snowpack lasting until June most years!

The Most Flexible Schedule Anywhere!
When you are ready to sign up, you should choose whichever combination and number of dates that suit your schedule (1-4 days, the choice is yours) -- plus your preference on technique for each day. If you sign up by end of October, there will usually be no problem on availability of camp space -- but waiting longer may result in some days not being available.

What About A Choice Of Techniques?
We have found that 2/3rds of our typical campers only or mostly want to skate and thus we offer skate-only groups on nearly every day we are skiing. Specific days will be determined by the early fall for when we will offer full classic groups. If you only classic ski, you are welcome to attend any camp day -- but there is a chance you'll be working with a coach split between classic and skate technique skiers. We have found that we often have a bigger technical gap with different levels of classic skiers so your understanding is appreciated when we have no choice but to mix experience levels and/or techniques.

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Camp Fees
Pricing below only applied to the 2022 Fall Camp. Prices for 2023 will be posted shortly

IMPORTANT NOTES: The prices below do NOT include the cost of daily or seasonal trail fees. Camp price also does not include meals, lodging or transportation. All camp package reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

FOUR DAY CAMP Package (any four days you choose)
$265.00US (basic camp fee, see note above regarding extra cost of trail fees)

THREE DAY CAMP Package (any three days you choose)
$210.00US (basic camp fee, see note above regarding extra cost of trail fees)

ONE OR TWO DAY CAMPS
$75.00US per day (basic camp fee, see note above regarding extra cost of trail fees)

* TERMS & CONDITIONS: See the full terms on the Registration Page.

Current members of the American Cross Country Skiers may deduct $10 from any registration price. A link to the special AXCS member Registration Page is found on the regular reg page.

For more camp information:  

Email: [ jd at xcoregon dot org ] or call (541) 317-0217.

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Even More Info About Various Camp Topics

Our camp structure allows most skiers to operate at their own pace 99% of the time, thus eliminating pressure for skiers to either "keep up with the top guys/gals" or waste time waiting for other folks to catch up (both common complaints at other camps/clinics you can find out there). We promise to keep you moving as much as possible while also maintaining the information flow -- specific to your needs -- in every session. We attempt to use video footage review in most on-snow sessions (weather and logistics permitting).

All on-snow sessions concentrate on application of specific technical elements combined with real world modeling of world-class skiers. Individual technical feedback is a huge part of the process at all times. Past participants will tell you that you'll come away with as much or more good (and applicable) information from the Oregon Fall Camp than any other XC ski camp you can find.

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Is This Camp Right For My Level?
All participants will need to be in at least reasonable fitness and have at least intermediate technical abilities. You don't have to look great doing any of the fundamental skills to be a good fit for our camp, but we do need all campers to have at least gotten past the development of beginner fundamental skillsets to really benefit from where our program excels. At the other end of the spectrum, if you do happen to be a super fit, fast and/or motivated racer type -- you simply aren't going to find a better opportunity in the XC ski world to take your skiing to another level than the Oregon Fall Camp.

A good base line description we have used over the decades is to ask the following of potential campers to make sure our program is a good fit for their fitness and/or current technical skills:

a. Can you climb medium/large size hills on intermediate-rated trails without needing to regularly stop and can you descend downhills on intermediate trails with at least basic levels of safety & control?

b. If you want to do skate sessions, have you developed fundamental edge-and-glide skills vs. feeling like you are constantly "slipping out" to the side on non-icy conditions without much or any forward power?

c. If you want to do classic sessions, do you have a basic grasp of the diagonal stride, double pole, and herringbone techniques? 

d. Do you have a fitness level that will allow you to ski several kilometers at a time at over 6000 feet elevation without stopping and without exhaustion? Remember that our Camp sessions are on snow for nearly 3 hours each morning.

If you answer "yes" to all of the above that apply to you -- Fall Camp is very likely a great fit for your needs!

On the other hand, if you feel like you are still a beginner skier in either technique or your current fitness just isn't going to match the above criteria -- we still have a recommendation for you! We advise these folks take advantage of daily group or private lessons with Mt Bachelor Nordic Center. The Camp reserves the right to decide if you are unable to meet our necessary minimum skill levels and switch you to lessons with Mt Bachelor Nordic Center on your behalf using a portion of your camp fees.

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Additional Stuff To Know

THE SETTING
The outdoor recreation capital of the Pacific Northwest...Bend is located on the east side of the Cascade mountain range in very nearly the center of Oregon. The mountains above Bend, Oregon typically offer one of the earliest, longest, and most consistent ski seasons in North America with Mt. Bachelor's Nordic Center typically opening the week before Thanksgiving weekend. We anticipate up to 30-40 kilometers of trails will be available at Mt. Bachelor, groomed daily by snowcat for both classic and skating at the 5,900-6,300ft. elevation.

Within a few hours of Bend are many other popular visitor destinations including Smith Rocks, Crater Lake National Park, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, the Columbia River Gorge, Steens Mountain, and the Oregon Coast.

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GETTING TO THE CAMP
Please Note: Transportation is not included in the camp package.

What about flying to the camp?:  Redmond/Bend Airport (RDM) is located 25 minutes from downtown Bend and serves Central Oregon with daily direct connections from a variety of cities -- Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Seattle to name a few -- and with multiple airlines...American, Delta, United, Alaska, plus others. You can get to Redmond/Bend in as little as two flights nationwide and in as little as a half day of travel time. RDM is a reliable regional airport with weather rarely impacting local flights. Short periods of winter fog are the only rare problem which, worst case, require a last-second ground shuttle up to Portland. Multiple car rental companies have offices in the Redmond/Bend airport. Given the Fall Camp often sees snowy roads, snow tires, chains and/or all-wheel drive is a serious consideration with any car rental.

What about flying into Portland?
The Portland (PDX) airport has loads of daily connections from throughout North America and is a 3+ hour drive from Bend. Flights can be cheaper into PDX or not much different than Redmond/Bend -- it just depends on when you buy and from whom. Portland is very reliable with winter weather for flying. However, the drive time plus driving conditions is something you need to keep in mind as you will have to cross a choice of 4,000ft+ mountain passes on a 3+ hour drive to get to Bend. Given the Fall Camp often sees snowy roads, snow tires, chains and/or all-wheel drive is a serious consideration with any car rental.

What about driving to Bend?
Mileage Chart - Driving Distances to Bend
175 miles or 282km SE of Portland, Oregon
130 miles or 209km SE Salem, Oregon
121 miles or 195km NE of Eugene, Oregon
500 miles or 805km NE of San Francisco, California
330 miles or 531km W of Boise, Idaho
343 miles or 552km SE of Seattle, Washington
394 miles or 245km N of Reno, Nevada

What about getting to skiing?
Drive time from westside Bend lodging locations to skiing will vary from 15-30 minutes, one way, depending on where you stay and road conditions/traffic. Although Mt Bachelor does offer a low cost daily ski bus service from a westside Bend portal, it may or may not be the most convenient option for most campers given our schedule. The Fall Camp does not provide ground transportation. The schedule for all on-snow sessions are always subject to change due to weather and snow conditions.

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LODGING
Lodging is not included in the camp package

The west side of Bend features several lodging options to suit any budget. NOTE: If researching your own lodging options not shown here, be aware that the shortest access to skiing is via the west side of Bend and all our PM in-town sessions are located in downtown or the westside of Bend. Make sure to ask any lodging option not featured on this list exactly how long it takes to drive to Mt. Bachelor.

A ton of additional lodging options plus loads of other visitor info for the Bend area can be found on the Visit Bend website.

TownePlace Suites Marriott is located at the Century Drive (14th Street) and Colorado roundabout. Kitchenettes are available with two major grocery stores a short walk away. Breakfast is complimentary each morning, along with a 24 hour fitness room and complimentary Wi-Fi. (Note: This property has been quite popular with past campers, but it's also popular with other Bend visitors so we as yet do not have a special Fall Camp rate this year.)

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott This newly renovated hotel is very close to the north side of downtown Bend so an additional 5-10 minutes drive than the Townplace up to the mountain (the trade-off being easy walking distance into downtown). Breakfast is complimentary each morning, along with a 24 hour fitness room and complimentary Wi-Fi. Call 541-318-1747 for Hotel Front Desk Reservations.

Springhill Suites Bend ... Our hotel is located in the heart of the Old Mill District and is adjacent to the Les Schwab Amphitheater. One of Marriott’s premier hotels in Bend we are a quick drive from the many activities on the Cascade Mountains, including Mount Bachelor.

Hampton Inn Mill District located across the river from the Mill District retail/dining/entertainment area. Easy walking to tons of shops, a half dozen eating locations, and a movie complex. About a mile to a grocery store. Quick access to mountain highway. Breakfast is complimentary.

Best Western Premier Peppertree Inn at Bend... 541-389-8800 ... a brand new large hotel located at the last west Bend roundabout (Mt Washington Drive) before you head up to Mt Bachelor. Short drive or walking distance from grocery, restaurants, Mill District entertainment.

Hilton Garden Inn... 541-617-6111 ...very nice hotel overlooking the popular Mill District retail/dining/entertainment area in Bend along the river just south of the downtown core. Easy walking to tons of shops, a half dozen eating locations, and a movie complex. About a mile to a grocery store. Quick access to mountain highway.

The Oxford Hotel ... (877) 440-8436 ...located in the heart of downtown Bend Oregon. Bend's only boutique hotel, offering amenities and luxuries you simply won't find anywhere else in town. Easy walking to loads of shopping, restaurants, brew pubs, art galleries.

DoubleTree by Hilton ... 541-317-9292...located in the heart of downtown Bend Oregon. All-suite hotel offers a complimentary breakfast buffet & complimentary wireless internet access throughout the Hotel. Easy walking to loads of shopping, restaurants, brew pubs, art galleries.

The Seventh Mountain Resort... 541-306-7433...closest location to skiing, located roughly 4 miles from the main edge of westside Bend up the Cascade Lakes Highway; various sizes of suites and condos; on-site resaurant; the trade-off is the location requires a 5-10 minute drive into town for grocery trips, downtown fun, evening sessions, etc..

Loge Entrada ... 541.382.4080...clean, quiet, totally remodeled lodge and hostel located one mile from Bend's western edge on the way up to Mt. Bachelor (cuts a few minutes off your drive up/down); 5 minute drive to grocery store or Mill District, 8 mins to downtown Bend

A Stone's Throw Bungalow Vacation Rentals ... 541-241-6676 ... Features a mix of modern and historic homes of all sizes in downtown and westside Bend. All homes are within 10 blocks of downtown. Great last minute rates. email: [email protected]

Bend Vacation Rentals... 541-385-9492... features great deals on rental homes for several skiers traveling together and all of our rentals are on the West Side of Bend with one house on the SE side.
email: [email protected]
website: bendvacationrentals.com

Lavabelles Vacation Rentals... 541.497.3242 or 888.820.5084...features a unique collection of historic homes located in Downtown Bend, across from McMenamins, and the near Westside.
email: [email protected]
website: lavabelles.com

Vacation Rentals in Bend Oregon… 541-306-7433…Condominiums located at the Seventh Mountain Resort the closest resort to Mount Bachelor. The Seventh Mountain Resort, formally called The Inn of the Seventh Mountain has swimming pools, hot tubs, sauna, skating rink, restaurants, conference center, business center, and many other activities. Participants in this event receive 10% off our advertised price when you mention this "ad".

Mt. Bachelor Village Resort ... condos and suites (all sizes), 800.452.9846... located above Deschutes River on Bend's west side... quick access to Bend Athletic Club, Mill District, grocery stores.

For more camp information:
Email: [ jd at xcoregon dot org ] or call (541) 317-0217.