One of the unheralded aspects of Mt. Bachelor is the ski area is full of activities for everyone – not just thrill seekers on skis and snowboards.

To add a little education to your exercise, the Deschutes National Forest and Discover Your Forest is offering FREE guided snowshoe tours at Mt. Bachelor through March.

It’s a great way to learn about the geology, ecology and wildlife of the Cascades from the folks who know the area best – official park rangers. You’ll also get some good snowshoe skill lessons – and snowshoes are provided at no charge. (Donations are accepted, to help fund Discover Your Forest, a volunteer-based program.) Hear from one of the snowshoe guides in this story from The Bulletin.

During holiday (school) breaks, the tours happen daily at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Otherwise, the tours are on weekends. There are no tours on Easter Sunday.

Tours will start at the U.S. Forest Service snowshoe hut in Mt. Bachelor’s West Village. For more info, check out Mt. Bachelor’s snowshoeing page or visit Discover Your Forest at www.discoveryourforest.org.