News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 135 - 159 of 363
Here is a great little hike just off Highway 20 on the other side of the pass. It's one of those little-known places that is easy to drive by on your way to somewhere else, without ever knowing it's there. I'm talking about the Echo Basin Trail between Santiam and Tombstone passes, and it's a pleasant contrast to some of our local burned-over forests. The Echo Basin Trail works its way up Echo Mountain to the headwaters of Echo Creek. A narrow, but good, gravel road trims two... Full story
Local resident Patrick Eckford is the recipient of a 2014 Big Chainring Award. The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) selected him for the honor in recognition of his volunteer contributions to pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environments in Deschutes County. Started in 1996, the Big Chainring Awards are awarded annually to honor individuals, businesses, and public agencies that have made significant contributions in support of better bicycling... Full story
With mountain streams and plentiful wildflower meadows, I have long considered the Obsidian Trail to be one of the premiere hikes into the Three Sisters Wilderness; yet, until recently, I hadn't been on the trail in a quarter of a century! In fact, the last time I hiked this route was in 1987, when one of my sons and I hiked from the McKenzie Highway to Century Drive. On that trip, we hiked, on the west side, south as far as the saddle between the Middle and South Sisters. The... Full story
Throughout Central Oregon - visible from many trails and roads - are large swaths of brown and dead-looking native shrubbery. The unsightly die-off, while not entirely unexpected, is much worse this year than at any time in recent memory. Last winter's extremely cold temperatures were unusual for our area, and some of the region's native plants suffered as a result. Most notably, the region's Ceanothus, or snowbrush, really took a beating. Also affected, although to a lesser e... Full story
"Seasonal thawing of lower-elevation snow is ahead of average years by approximately 3-4 weeks," according to a trail status report released by Chris Sabo, trail crew supervisor for the Deschutes National Forest. The unusually low snowpack, resulting from this past winter's paucity of snowfall, means that summer hiking opportunities are opening up much sooner than usual this year. Although trail users will still encounter snow at the highest elevations, low-to mid-elevation... Full story
"Never forget that our whole life is a process of learning," said Wilson Wewa, Jr., to a packed room at Sisters High School last week. The widely respected Native American teacher, leader, and purveyor of native tradition brought his inimitable style and costumery to Sisters under the sponsorship of the Sisters Country Historical Society. The presentation was opened to the public, and the students were joined by a sizable contingent of members from the general community. Altho... Full story
Last week at the FivePine Conference Center, the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) hosted the inaugural event in a new speaker series that they plan to hold on a quarterly basis. The series is designed to address local recreation opportunities, natural history, and related issues. This first presentation in the series was titled "Changing Climate with Impact on Recreational Opportunities in Central Oregon" and featured geologist Bjarne Holm. Holm's talk focused on an historical look at climate change from a geological... Full story
The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) is expanding its role in the community by sponsoring a series of speakers who will address local recreation opportunities and related issues. STA's inaugural program will take place next week on Thursday, April 24, and will feature Bjarne Holm, whose talk is titled "Changing Climate with Impact on Recreational Opportunities in Central Oregon." Holm's talk will focus on an historical look at climate change from a geological perspective, with a... Full story
More than 50 Sisters-area trail enthusiasts showed up last week at the Pines Clubhouse to mark another successful year of trail system enhancement in Sisters Country. The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) was founded more than a decade ago to encourage the improvement, creation, and use of trails in the Sisters area. Last week's annual meeting was an opportunity to review the organization's progress and address plans and goals for the future. The STA's present trail system... Full story
Last week, the Deschutes County Commission recognized Michele Sims for her five years of service on the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). Having completed two-year and three-year terms in an advisory capacity that included service as the vice-chairperson of the committee, Sims has finally stepped down. The advisory committee was formed to "promote and encourage safe bicycling and walking as a significant means of transportation in Deschutes... Full story
Sisters resident Brent McGregor was the guest speaker at the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) annual meeting last week (see related story, page 3). His tale of ice cave exploration on Mount Hood's Sandy Glacier is a story that is receiving increased attention since it was featured in an OPB television special on Oregon Field Guide. McGregor recounted how his snow-free existence as a youth in San Diego led him inexorably to the Northwest's mountains and glaciers. Mount Hood is... Full story
For generations, the Christmas tree has been a familiar symbol of the holiday season, and Sisters Country is no exception. Although the celebration of the Christian tradition of Christmas can be traced to the fourth century, Christmas trees as we know them today did not appear until about the 16th century. The Christmas tree tradition is generally considered to have begun in northern Europe, with Germany most often cited as the point of origin. Two years ago, in 2011, the... Full story
When the ski season at Hoodoo ended in April, work at the ski resort didn't end with the departure of the snow. So, while most skiers file away thoughts of the slopes for a few months, quite a bit goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the next season. In fact, Hoodoo's Mountain Manager Jim Follis has had a busy summer and fall preparing for the snow that everyone hopes will soon put in an appearance. Stuck in that awkward limbo between hiking season and ski season, my hikin... Full story
More often than not, my preferred hiking turf is in the thousands of acres of wilderness that surround our area. I haven't really devoted much time or thought to the Sisters-to-Tollgate trail proposed by the Sisters Trail Alliance (STA), simply because I considered it to be pretty much an urban trail. I will admit to being a bit curious about all the fuss, though, so I recently accepted an invitation from the STA to take a look at the proposed project. As currently planned,... Full story
A couple of weeks ago, people were asking me what I was doing now that the hiking season was over. My stock answer was that I wasn't giving up just yet. Granted, winter conditions exist at the highest elevations, but the warm, sunny fall days have reopened hiking opportunities to, in some cases, well above 6,000 feet. There is still some snow even down to 5,500 feet, but it's very patchy. We walked over some snow accumulations of several inches on the way up to 6,000 feet. At... Full story
When Rick Johnson, vocal music director for Sisters schools, found out that a production of "Les Misérables" was in the works for Central Oregon, he knew right away that he would be auditioning; and he's encouraging others to do so, as well. "'Les Misérables' was the first professional musical production that I ever saw," said Johnson. "I was 14 at the time and sitting in the fifth row of the London Palace Theatre; and, after the second act, I turned to my parents and said, 'This is what I want to do for the rest... Full story
I always have mixed emotions at this time of year. On the one hand, I don't want to see hiking in the high country come to an early end; but, on the other, it's easy to get excited about the possibility of an early ski season when the snow starts to fall. Last week, we saw some accumulations of snow down to about 5,000 feet. This week's currently predicted sunny weather should see the snow line retreating back above 6,000 feet, which is fortuitous since that's the elevation... Full story
It's always a treat to hike new trails, especially one as scenic and close to home as this one. I don't really have an excuse for how I happened to overlook this excellent hike for so many years, but the important thing is that I finally hiked it; and you should, too. This section of the Scott Trail takes off east from the McKenzie Highway, just a few miles west of the pass. It makes an excellent alternative to the more popular Obsidian Trail, which it parallels, just a... Full story
Sunday morning, about a dozen volunteers braved the blustery weather to make improvements to the trail leading from Tollgate to Sisters High School. "Most of these volunteers are from Tollgate," said Ann Marland, director of community outreach for the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA). "In fact, most of them aren't even (STA) members," she said. "But we'd like to sign them up!" This short trail segment is part of STA's 63 miles of local trails, but is one that receives heavy... Full story
The bears around Sisters tend to be pretty well-behaved and, even given the considerable amount of time I spend in the woods, I'm not likely to see one more than once every few years. Having spent seven years with the Coast Guard in Alaska, however, that hasn't always been the case. When we lived in Valdez, Alaska, during the 1980s, we saw bears on a regular basis, whether out in the woods or just around town. Those were often brown bears - or grizzlies; but sometimes we saw... Full story
Two years ago, a smoldering fire spotted from the Black Butte lookout tower failed to attract much fire suppression attention. Initially ignored, the fire quickly grew to over 300 acres in the next two days; and, in less than two weeks, the Shadow Lake Fire swept across the Cascade crest, and 10,000 acres were aflame in the shadow of Mt. Washington. The roads leading to the Big Lake Youth Camp, along the route of the old Santiam Wagon Road, eventually served as a fire break... Full story
As is the case with many of my hiking columns, this one will be sending readers west from Sisters on Highway 20. Unlike most of my previous columns, however, I'll ask readers to keep on going until the highway ends! Over the years, I've discovered that most Sisters residents seem to make periodic forays to Oregon's magnificent coast. Further, I've also observed that more than a few seem to gravitate toward our favorite coastal hangout, Depoe Bay. There are two things we... Full story
On hot summer days east of the Cascades, it's easy to forget that, just over the passes, there are cool green forests and countless lakes and ponds. My hiking buddy has a golden retriever's predilection for jumping into bodies of water; so I tend to look for possible swimming holes on the map when planning hikes. In this case, I really don't know how many lakes and ponds there are in the Scott Lakes Basin west of McKenzie Pass; but, at the very least, there are several dozen.... Full story
The Sisters Tie Trail doesn't harbor an unusual ecosystem; it's not especially wild; and it's certainly not backcountry adventure. What it does offer, however, is quick and easy access. It's right here in our own backyard! The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has done a good job of creating, promoting, and maintaining local trails; and this is one of the most convenient. The trail is suitable for hiking, jogging, trail biking, and horseback riding; and the best part is that you... Full story
The Suttle Lake to Camp Sherman Trail was completed about three years ago, but it still tends to be sometimes overlooked by hikers looking for a quick and convenient outing. The trail was the product of a cooperative project involving the Forest Service, the Deschutes Land Trust, and many volunteers. The entire distance of this hike is probably a bit over 4.5 miles but certainly no more than five, even with a little wandering and exploration. The western terminus of the trail... Full story
