Snow stake on Bitterbrush Loop 4/3/2023 | Photo by Meissner Nordic
Trail Descriptions
| Groomed Trails | |
| Bitterbrush Loop | Distance: 3.66 km, 2.27 miles | Bitterbrush Loop is accessed off the Paintbrush trail just past “Five Corners”. It combines the old Swede spur roads (100 and 120) into a new loop with the addition of a new connector trail in fall 2018. Bitterbrush Loop is one of the higher trails in the Meissner system and tends to get twice as much snow as the lower trails. |
| Currant Way | Distance: 1.93 km, 1.12 miles | Heading west from the trailhead, the trail moves over undulating terrain through grand fir and small stands of lodgepole and ponderosa. Makes a great loop of 1.9 miles by returning on Tangent. Also a fun way to connect with Swampy Sno-Park (in combination with Tangent) if you park in that lot instead of Meissner. |
| Gentian | Distance: 1.62 km, 1.01 miles | Gentian is accessed off the north Tangent trail at what is known as “Five Corners” (the intersection of Tangent, Gentian, Paintbrush and Snowbush) and has wonderful views of South Sister and Broken Top. This trail moves side to side and has some swooping downhill corners. It’s a nice extension of the Tangent Loop, either for the climb or for the descent. |
| Gilia | Distance: 0.76 km, 0.47 miles | Connector trail between Gentian and Bitterbrush Loop |
| Larkspur | Distance: 0.46 km, 0.29 miles | Tie trail between Manzanita and Snowbush |
| Lodgepole Loops | Distance: 2.15 km, 1.34 miles | Beginning east of the trailhead off Pondersosa Trail, Lodgepole Loops is a great trail for beginners. It is characterized by flat to rolling terrain with gentle uphill and downhill slopes. During the fall of 2021, the Lodgepole Loops Access Enhancement project removed stumps to restore safe access to the Lodgepole Loops trail. This project was supported by the Bend Sustainability Fund. |
| Lupine Tie | Distance: 0.08 km, 0.05 miles | Tie trail between Ponderosa and Pine Drops |
| Manzanita | Distance: 1.45 km, 0.90 miles | Manzanita provides access to the Meissner Shelter from Tangent (easiest approach) and is one of the most popular trails with families and beginners. The trail winds through open country and makes for a pleasant ski on a sunny day or on a good full moon evening, with wonderful views of Broken Top, South Sister to the north and Bend to the east. The trail connects with Snowbush on the east side of the shelter, dropping down the Meissner plateau for a more challenging climb/ descent to/from the shelter. |
| Mistletoe | Distance: 0.79 km, 0.49 miles | For those who are more comfortable with steeper climbs or descents with some fun twists and turns, this short trail drops down the Meissner plateau from the shelter, intersecting at the bottom with the Mushroom Trails and Tangent. |
| Mushroom Trails | Distance: 1.19 km, 0.74 miles | Paralleling Tangent road from the bottom of the hill to the top, the trail twists and turns providing a fun alternative to climbing or descending the hill on Tangent. Mushroom Trails crosses Tangent three times from the bottom to the top. |
| Paintbrush | Distance: 5.12 km, 3.18 miles | Paintbrush runs from 5 Corners to the Wednesdays intersection, then continues on to the Cinder Pit. The first part is considered “More Difficult” and the second part considered “Most Difficult” because it includes a few steeper hills. |
| Penstemon | Distance: 0.38 km, 0.24 miles | Tie trail between north and south parts of Ponderosa |
| Pine Drops | Distance: 2.75 km, 1.71 miles | Pine Drops begins by the grooming shed just west of the trail head and heads northeast through rolling terrain, paralleling Tangent. It then intersects with Tangent, Mistletoe and the Mushroom trails at the bottom of the climb toward the Meissner shelter. If you cross Tangent road, and continue east, the trail descends through open pine forest and intersects with Snowbush. This is a fun trail with rolling terrain providing a bit of variety when skiing. The climb up from Snowbush to Tangent is a steady, moderate grade all the way. |
| Ponderosa | Distance: 5.71 km, 3.55 miles | Whether classic skiing or skating, you will love the undulating terrain of this trail as it moves through stands of the majestic, old-growth ponderosa and grand fir. This trail is one of our favorites for sure. Be aware that in low snow conditions, this trail can often have exposed dirt patches. |
| Shooting Star | Distance: 2.18 km, 1.35 miles | Shooting Star climbs from Paintbrush up to the Shooting Star shelter and then descends back down to Paintbrush with some steep up and down. |
| Snowbush | Distance: 3.46 km, 2.15 miles | Snowbush is an enjoyable trail – often quiet – a great loop is to connect Tangent Road, Pine Drops and Snowbush. Fun downhill run when skied from west to east and a steady climb with a few shelves for resting on the way up from east to west. Lower Snowbush extends from the bottom of Pine Drops to the bottom of Wednesdays. |
| Tangent Loop | Distance: 8.90 km, 5.53 miles | The “easy” part of Tangent loop serves as a “north-south corridor” for most of the Meissner area. The south “moderate” trail connects to the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park, which creates an alternative parking area to Meissner Sno-Park when the Meissner lot is full. A variety of trails connect into the north-south corridor, including the trail to Meissner Shelter, opening up some creative loop options. Five Corners (the intersection between Tangent, Gentian, Snowbush and Paintbrush at the north end of the trail) is a common meeting point for skiers. Enjoy great mountain views on the northern sections of the trail. |
| Wednesdays | Distance: 2.01 km, 1.25 miles | Wednesdays descends from Paintbrush to the lowest point in the trail system, then climbs back up to lower Snowbush. |
| Wild Strawberry | Distance: 2.60 km, 1.62 miles | This is the most challenging trail in the Meissner system. If you love a variety of steep climbs and drops combined with fun twists and turns through the trees, this is the trail for you. Access this trail from Ponderosa or Pine Drops. |
| Ungroomed Trails | |
| Lupine | Ungroomed tie trail between Pine Drops and Manzanita |
| Nordeen Loop | Ungroomed loop trail between Swampy Sno-Park and the Nordeen Shelter |
| Nordeen Tie | Ungroomed tie trail between Tangent and the Nordeen Loop trail |
| Wednesdays | Ungroomed trail from lower Snowbush up to the Meissner Sno-Park |