Top Ten North American Cross-Country Skiing Centers

Bend, Oregon: Biking, Climbing, and Beer

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You can ski the Nordic trails here in June. Let me repeat: you can ski in June.

Mt. Bachelor is probably the only cross-country ski area in the world that doesn't need a glacier for early summer skiing. Ski here late in the season, and you will be keeping company with some of the best (or most desperate) Nordic skiers in the country, not to mention the most sunburned. This is where the U.S. Cross-Country Ski and Winter Biathlon Teams come to train during May and June.

During the winter months, the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center is an excellent full-service facility that happens to get an immense, season-extending accumulation of snow. Bachelor's wide rolling trails drape over the midsection of the mountain—perfectly flat trails are scarce.

Many elite athletes train here year-round for the easy access to stunning federal lands as well as the infamous burritos available in nearby Bend, Oregon. This access allows for unlimited backcountry touring from the Nordic Center, with the important caveat of knowing your avalanche P's and Q's.

If You Go: Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort

Trails: 56 kilometers of skating and classic, unlimited backcountry

Trail fee: $11 Adult full day / $9.50 half; Child (7-12) $5.25 /$4.25 half; Senior $7/$5.25.

Rentals: Yes

Lessons: Yes

Where: Mt. Bachelor is located just 22 miles southwest of Bend, Oregon, on the Cascades Lakes Highway.

For more information: http://www.mtbachelor.com; (800) 829-2442