Preparing for your tour

We often get questions about what to wear, what the weather will be like where we’re adventuring, etc. We decided to throw together this lovely little page that breaks down how our guides dress for certain tours, what resources we use to monitor the weather and more. If you still have questions, give us a call at 541-389-8359 and we’d be happy to help!

BEST RESOURCES FOR CHECKING THE WEATHER

The weather in Central Oregon can vary greatly. To the west of Bend, we have the Cascade mountains that receive roughly 350-400 inches of snow each winter and in Bend, we get 300+ days of sunshine and clear skies per year. There are many days during the winter months where it can be snowing in the mountains but sunny and beautiful in Bend and there will be summer days where its creeps into the 90s but drops into the 60s once the sun goes down. Below are the best links for checking the weather based on our different tours!

Snowshoeing & Bonfire Tours
Cascade Lakes Canoeing & Kayaking Tours
Spring & Fall Paddling Tours
Cave Tours
Volcano & Hiking Tours

How to Dress for our different tours

Below are the ideal recommendations we have for how to dress on our various tours. With that said, we understand everyone has different preferences and those traveling to Bend may have limited options when it comes to clothing. This is meant to simply serve as a guideline to help you prepare for your tour!

Snowshoe & Bonfire Tours: The key with winter weather in Central Oregon is layers. When it comes to winter exploration, staying warm and dry is essential. Our guides typically will wear a base layer, essentially a long sleeve shirt that is wool or a similar synthetic material because it is lightweight, moisture wicking and dries quickly (cotton is not ideal because if it gets wet, it stays wet). Next, depending on the weather, our guide will have a mid layer like a fleece sweater or a puffy jacket. On top of that, they will wear a waterproof and windproof shell jacket to protect from snow and wind and keep them dry. When our guides are moving, they will often shed a layer or two so they don’t overheat and start sweating and then once they stop moving they will layer back up so they don’t get cold. Lastly, our guides will wear snow pants, winter socks, and snow boots that are waterproof, insulated, and go a few inches above the ankle to prevent snow from getting into their boots. We have snow boots and snow pants available to rent for those that need them!

Cascade Lakes Canoeing & Kayaking Tours: The summers in Bend are amazing, filled with warm sun, and clear skies! For our daytime Cascade Lakes Canoeing and Kayaking Tours, our guides will typically be in shorts and a t-shirt or a long sleeve sun shirt. They will also have a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen! The lakes we go to are at a higher elevation than Bend and often are about 10 degrees cooler than the temperature in Bend. In the early mornings, the temps can start off a bit cooler before the sun does its magic and at night, when the sun goes down, the temps can be quite a bit cooler. dropping about 20-30 degrees. That is why we always recommend bringing and extra layer!

Spring & Fall Paddling Tours: Both spring and fall are short, sweet, and splendid in Bend. However, the weather does tend to be a bit more variable during these months of change. In the spring and fall, we paddle on the Deschutes river at an elevation similar to Bend’s and we are east of the Cascades which means the likelihood for snow and moisture to reach us is lessened. Because of the variable weather, we recommend having an extra layer or two that you can throw on if need be and to check the weather so you’re prepared!

Cave Tours: The Cave tours are the only tours where we don’t really have to worry about the weather because we’re in a cave! The caves we explore are dry and stay at 45 degrees year round. In the summer, they are nature’s AC and in the winter, they can actually be warmer than the outside air. Our guides will wear a pair of hiking boots or sturdy running shoes. The caves are wild meaning there are no paths and the terrain is uneven so good footwear is a must! For clothing, they will wear jeans or khakis and a fleece jacket. The choice in clothing is because when exploring in a rocky environment, clothes can get snagged by rocks. Denim, khaki and fleece are tougher materials and also do a good job of keeping you warm. We will provide you with a helmet and headlamp!

Volcano & Hiking Tours: Our Volcano and Hiking tours run from summer through the fall. In the summer, we recommend sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, a good pair of boots or shoes, and that you bring along a jacket for variable weather. In the fall, layers like a fleece jacket, puffy, or rain jacket become more important as the temps can vary throughout the adventure. Its always a great idea to check the forecast ahead of time!