New trail opens in the Umatilla National Forest at Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area
Published 5:00 am Tuesday, December 28, 2021
- The Blues Crew, part of the Blue Mountain Land Trust, improved trails in 2021 at the Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area on the Umatilla National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service is waiving standard amenity fees for all visitors to national forest and grassland day-use areas Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
PENDLETON — A new trail is open at the Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area in the Umatilla National Forest.
Blues Crew, part of the Blue Mountain Land Trust, does trail work during the summer and the winter. It started working on the trails at Horseshoe Prairie in 2019.
“The first year, we did a little bit of trail work,” Blues Crew founder Greg Brown said. “We really wanted to get into it, but it was near the end of the season before we really got going. So 2020 was when we really engaged big time at Horseshoe Prairie.”
Brown said 2020 saw the team create a new map defining the trails. It also cleared and performed maintenance on the existing trails and redid all the trail signage.
In 2021, in addition to doing maintenance as normal, the group launched a new trail.
The Tenderfoot Trail is just off the Andies Prairie parking lot. It is a ½-mile double loop groomed trail.
Brown said it is perfect for those new to Nordic skiing and for children of all ages.
Umatilla National Forest public affairs officer Darcy Weseman said the forest provides great recreation year around, but winter brings unique fun that can’t be experienced at other times.
“It’s actually one of my absolute favorite times to enjoy the forest,” Weseman said. “The nice thing about what Blues Crews has done at Horseshoe Prairie is they have groomed and really marked those trails so you can pick a route and really feel like you know where you’re going.”
She said she hopes this brings new people out to the forest.
“It can be kind of intimidating for people to go out and try to find somewhere they can try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing or go somewhere they aren’t familiar with,” she said. “I think (Blues Crew’s work) brings people a lot of peace of mind in knowing they aren’t going to get lost out there.”
The Horseshoe Prairie Nordic Ski Area is about 26 miles east of Weston on Highway 204.
For more information on the area, including current grooming conditions of the trails, visit bmlt.org/horseshoe-prairie.
For more information on the Blues Crew volunteer team, including how to get involved, visit bmlt.org/blues-crew.
