BEND, OR -- After being forced to cancel last year's event, Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) says the 2019 Great Nordeen ski race and Fat Tire bike race will go on as planned, later this month. The races start at Mount Bachelor and descend to Wanoga Snow Park, which was bare, last January. But, Event Director Molly Cogswell-Kelley says this year is different, "It’s a pretty promising snowpack. Wanoga - the trails are great, there. And also, the fat biking has been amazing at Wanoga. I’ve been looking at the weather and it looks like, in the next couple of days, we’re going to start getting some colder temperatures and even a little more snow. So, I think we’re in great shape." She admits the snowpack isn’t very deep and the outlook for the event could change, if things warm up and rain moves through before the race.

The annual event brings participants from across the state to Mount Bachelor, says Cogswell-Kelley, "We have an 18k skate ski; we also have a 30k skate ski and then the 15k fat tire bike race. And, I think that we will have a lot of participants this year because it was canceled last year and people love this event." She tells KBND News, "It’s a challenging race; the conditions usually are great because we get it groomed. It’s through forest that normally aren’t groomed and we get permission from the Forest Service to groom these trails just for this race, and that’s why it’s unique."

The Quantum Health Great Nordeen is scheduled for January 27. Sign up online to participate; or call 541-388-0002.