My hometown of Bend, Oregon is truly a four season outdoor wonderland.  Unfortunately, the winter of 2012 had been especially mild until yesterday.  Bend and the Central Oregon region are heavily dependent on winter snow fall for their supply of exceptional drink water, as well as irrigation water for agricultural purposes.  Winter snow melt from high on the flanks of Broken Top Mountain flows toward Bend via multiple alpine streams and eventually end up in the City of Bend’s water supply.  Without enough winter snow fall, there are grave concerns regarding water supply.  Additionally, the economies of Bend and the city of Sisters,or are heavily dependent upon winter snow fall to fuel winter sports.  The Bend area offers world class Cross Country skiing, downhill skiing at Mt. Bachelor, and snowshoeing, throughout the Deschutes National Forest.  Without adequate winter snow fall in Central Oregon, these winter driven snow sports suffer and tourism dollars plummet. One of my favorite winter locations for winter snow sports in the Bend area is Tumalo Mountain and its stunning view of the Central Oregon Cascades.

Fresh Snow on the Central Oregon Cascades, near Bend, Oregon

Tumalo Mountain is located 20 miles from the city of Bend, near the Mt. Bachelor ski resort.  Tumalo Mountain is not lift served so snow sports enthusiasts have to earn their turns at this iconic backcountry location.  The East facing slope of Tumalo is a steep bowl while the remainder of the mountain offers a more gradual grade for relaxed tree skiing.  The photograph seen above of the Central Oregon Cascades after a heavy winter snowfall was taken from near the summit of Tumalo Mountain.

The next two photos in this winter collection are both of my favorite Oregon River, the Deschutes River.  The image seen below features the distinct and beautiful Red Osier Dogwood which is common in riparian areas throughout Central Oregon.  This particular Bend Oregon photo was captured in Tumalo State Park.  Because Tumalo State Park is lower in elevation than the City of Bend, it is often accessible during the winter season.  Red Osier Dogwoods along the Deschutes River near Bend, Oregon.

Red Osier Dogwood and the Deschutes River

The recreational area along the Deschutes River trail south of the city of Bend is higher in elevation than the city of Bend  and therefore is sporadically accessible during times of heavy snowfall in Central Oregon.  One of my favorite hiking destinations along the Deschutes River trail is Benham Falls, seen below.  While winter can be harsh at Benham Falls, summer is always spectacular at this beautiful waterfall.

Benham Falls in Winter, Deschutes River

The detail in the fine art print of this scene at Benham Falls in the Deschutes River is beautiful.  The snow and ice details make this one of my favorite Bend Oregon winter scenes.  Leaving the Bend area and traveling west to the city of Sisters, you can visit this wonderful grove of Ponderosa pine trees.

Oregon Ponderosa Pine Tree Grove in Winter

This particular Ponderosa Pine Tree Grove has stunning color in both the summer and winter. These trees all lean slightly towards where I was shooting this photo from and their bark is slightly shielded from the elements.  This gives their bark the wonderful cinnamon color that is a favorite of hikers and naturalists in the Sisters, Oregon area.

One last image that I think embodies the snow/winter season in the Bend, Oregon area is the following Photo of Mt. Bachelor after a heavy winter snowfall.

Alpenglow bathes Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor after a heavy winter snow.

This winter snow photo of Mt. Bachelor was hard earned, requiring a 60 minute snowshoe climb in 29 inches of overnight powder snow. Fine art prints of this and all of the images in this collection of winter photographs are available for sale.  Please visit the galleries page of my website by visiting my photo gallery page.  Oregon Photos for sale.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful snowy winter!

Mike Putnam