John Craig Memorial Site

Save the Date

The John Craig Memorial Ski Race and Tour is scheduled for Saturday, March 19, 2022. This event, commemorating John Templeton Craig, the pioneer mailman who died during a sudden winter snowstorm on McKenzie Pass in December, 1877, in an attempt to deliver mail to the Willamette Valley.

For 2022, the John Craig Memorial Ski Event will consist of self-timed ski races of about 6 or 12 miles and casual ski tours of the same lengths. Ski racers and tourers can complete either the course of about 12 miles to the Dee Wright Memorial at the top of McKenzie Pass or a shorter of about 6-8 miles to Windy Point.

The event will take place on Saturday, March 19, leaving from the East Snow Gate of Highway 242 (McKenzie Pass Highway), about 9 miles west of Sisters, Oregon. The ski trail will be groomed to make this wilderness ski event possible. We plan to have course monitors, rest stops, rescue, and medical support.

Registration will be open starting on January 1, 2022. The cost of the event will be low, to encourage participation. Tentative prices are $20 for adults and $10 for 18 and under. We are also looking for volunteers to assist with the event, including publicity, registration, event support, communication, sponsorship, and a possible post event banquet/dinner.

For more information, please contact Ted Scheinman, John Craig Event Coordinator, at johncraigmemorial@onc.org or by phone at 503-914-9584, or go to the Oregon Nordic Club Website at www.onc.org.