December 16, 2015 – The annual Oregon Fall Camp for masters wrapped up on Sunday, December 13 after 10 successful days of on-snow clinics at Mt Bachelor Nordic Center plus afternoon information sessions in Bend, Oregon. But this year the continuing success of the West Coast’s largest masters XC ski event meant taking one of the most powerful Pacific El Nino weather patterns in recorded history.

“We went from having barely enough snow for the Mt Bachelor Nordic Center grooming machinery to safely operate to having to adjust around several feet of new snow over the last five days of the camp,” said Fall Camp Director J.D. Downing. “Along the way we had a brief ice storm and an entire Camp day with pouring rain. So we pretty much had every winter weather condition you can imagine over an 11 day period.”

Despite the often tough weather and snow conditions, Downing says that 2015 Fall Campers enjoyed every day of the clinics.

“Our campers had fantastic attitudes every day,” says Downing. “By the time we wrapped things up overall Camp attendance was only a handful below our average for the past half decade which is just over 100 participants each year. We also weren’t just out there surviving the elements, folks got what they paid for every day. One camper from Minnesota told us he learned more in 3 days than he had learned in an entire year prior to the Camp. Given all the weather, it’s a great feeling to deliver that kind of result.”

Downing is also quick to add that the Fall Camp wouldn’t have happened in 2015 without the strong support from Mt Bachelor Nordic Center.

“Nordic Center Director Sue Foster and her staff at the Nordic Center are always incredible, but this year they really went the extra mile to make sure not only the Fall Camp, but all the other events and programs going on up there had everything we needed to succeed. When the big snowfall hit right after several inches of pounding rain, grooming operations went out of their way to pack a section of closed alpine trails so we could take have one of our Camp mornings while the XC trails drained off the floods. They didn’t have to do that. They could have easily just told me to cancel that morning. But there are some amazing people working at Mt Bachelor!”

The Oregon Fall Camp started in 2001 and has grown into one of North America’s premier fall masters ski education events drawing skiers from throughout the United States and Canada. Taking advantage of the reliable early December snow conditions at the Mt Bachelor Nordic Center, one hundred or more masters each year enjoy full mornings of on-snow XC ski clinics from an acclaimed group of coaches including past and present XC Oregon athletes plus other notable Central Oregon coaches.

The entire Fall Camp program is built around the specific needs of adult skiers from advanced beginners to experts. The focus not surprising given Camp Director Downing’s many roles in cross-country skiing including National Director of the American XC Skiers masters association and President of the World Masters Association.

Dates for next year’s Fall Camp are tentatively December 1-11, 2016 with registration opening by mid-July. Typically dates begin to sell out by early November.

The Fall Camp and it’s sister event the Oregon Spring Camp (tentatively May 26-30, 2016 also held at Mt Bachelor Nordic Center) are public cross-country ski projects of the XC Oregon cross-country ski program. Since 1998, the 501(c)(3) non-profit XC Oregon has fielded many of the best race teams in Pacific Northwest ski history along with an increasing focus on statewide cross-country ski education and promotion. Upcoming XC Oregon projects include the annual Meissner Learn-to-ski event (January 10); the 2nd annual XC Oregon High School Invitational (January 23); and the 5th annual Tour for the Heart presented by Bend Memorial Clinic.

Complete information on all XC Oregon programs and events is available via xcoregon.org.