News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 363
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
Wasco Lake came to mind recently because of the current Forest Service initiative under consideration to decommission several miles of trails in that area. If the trail closures are enacted as proposed, Wasco Lake would still be accessible from Jack Lake, but it would not be accessible from Bear Valley to the east. Since the B&B Fire 10 years ago, the eastern access has not been maintained and is largely impassable amid a tangle of dead trees. So, today's hike to Wasco Lake... Full story
Many of us who live on the east side of the Cascades tend to forget that there are some great hikes just over the pass. In this case, McKenzie Pass. Benson Lake is a relatively short and easy hike that is a great choice for the entire family, although toddlers may object to a gradual, but long, uphill grade. The trail is well-defined and mostly smooth, with a conifer-needle carpeting. There are a few downed trees, which must be scrambled over or otherwise circumvented along... Full story
The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has incorporated some interesting features into their trail system surrounding the town of Sisters, and Eagle Rock is one of them. The community trail network takes off from the edge of town and wanders through the area's neighboring woodlands. Eagle Rock is not a well-known local landmark, despite the fact that it is only a couple of miles from downtown, is easily accessible, and offers spectacular views of the region's surrounding... Full story
The Round Lake to Square Lake trail is an easy wilderness hike of about two miles each way. I hear from quite a few people who tell me that they read my hiking columns regularly, but protest that they feel too old, too slow, too out-of-shape - or too whatever - to actually do the hikes. Well, if you fall into that category and would like to get back in the game, this is a great "starter hike." Ten years ago, this spot fell victim to our seemingly endless litany of severe... Full story
There is no escaping the fact that burned-over forests will be a part of life in Sisters Country for generations to come. The land burned in last year's Pole Creek Fire was only the most recent of thousands upon thousands of local forest acres that have gone up in flames over the last several years. Fire in the forest has always been a natural part of the greater ecological picture, but recent fires in the second-growth forests of the West are not especially natural. Very few... Full story
The Forest Service has proposed several changes to current wilderness trail maintenance practices in the Sisters Ranger District. Largely due to limited resources and damage from wildfires, trail maintenance in some areas has been curtailed; and some trails have become impassable. The proposed changes encompass a range of options that include resuming historical maintenance levels on some trails, reducing targeted maintenance on others, and decommissioning other trails entirely. In the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, proposals... Full story
The community trail network sponsored by the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) receives plenty of use, but a surprising number of local people are not familiar with it. According to an informal survey conducted by the STA, most STA trail users are from places other than Sisters. It stands to reason that, if people are traveling from far and wide to use the Sisters trail system, local residents ought to take advantage of it, too! Truth be told, the principal trailhead is so close... Full story
The after-effects of the Pole Creek Fire continue to haunt Sisters Country and will continue to do so for some time. The Forest Service has opened many of the previously closed access roads into the burn area, but additional work will be required before all areas are open to the public. In the meantime, safety issues - principally falling tree hazards - and forest rehabilitation are continuing to be addressed. The Forest Service recently granted The Nugget a special permit... Full story
Chush Falls, formerly known as Squaw Creek Falls, is one of the most popular hiking destinations in our area. In the wake of last year's Pole Creek Fire, however, it has become an entirely different hike. The Chush Falls report is one of those good news, bad news scenarios. Bad news: the fire has dramatically altered and scarred much of the surrounding landscape. Good news: most of the area immediately adjacent to the falls did not burn! Bad news: the hike is now longer. Good... Full story
A light mid-elevation snow pack this past winter is resulting in a potentially early hiking season this year. Up until last week's brief cold snap, there had been virtually no mountain snowfall since early April, and hiking trails are becoming snow-free considerably earlier than usual this year. Still, there are a number of constraints that hikers should consider before heading out onto the trail system. Extensive snow may still be found at some elevations above 5,500 feet... Full story
People keep asking me if the Black Butte Trail is free of snow. The short answer is "yes." In fact, when I was up there a couple of weeks ago, only the slightest remnants of snow remained. Just a few years ago, during what would be the equivalent of next week, I was forced to clamber over extensive snowfields to reach the summit. Guide books list the trail as open from July to October, but there is no need to wait. One thing to keep in mind this year, is that there are now... Full story
Ever since the Deschutes Land Trust (DLT) took last year's historic step of returning Whychus Creek to its original meandering path at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, anxious eyes have watched to see how the fish would adapt. Last week, longtime DLT board member Rod Bonacker led a group of local residents on a fish-oriented tour of the new Whychus Creek channel to discuss just that. Bonacker began his tour with a brief history of the historic salmon and steelhead runs of the... Full story
In recent years, declining snowpack and increased wildfires have been prominent features in the ecological story of Sisters Country - but is there a connection between the two? And how does climate change fit into the picture? These questions, and others, were discussed in Sisters at last week's "Science Pub" sponsored by OSU-Cascades. With an official lecture title of "Waning Winters and the Interconnected Effects of Snow and Wildfire," Oregon State University Geoscientist... Full story
Because of my personal plans, I knew I would be unable to take part in the John Craig Memorial ski event, which was scheduled over last weekend. Still, it seemed like an interesting idea; so, I decided to take a run up there anyway. Prior to that time, skiing on a road that I've driven many times before hadn't been real high on my to-do list; but I'm glad that I took the time to do it. When my friend and I decided to make the trek, we were unable to drive within about a mile... Full story
After a recent higher-elevation snowfall, a friend and I decided to see how some of the forest south of town had fared during last summer's Pole Creek Fire. The first question we had to deal with was whether to travel the backcountry on skis or snowshoes. After hearing about a steep hill and reported icy, rutted conditions out of the Upper Three Creek Sno-Park, we opted for snowshoes. Although the trip went just fine on snowshoes, most of the time I regretted that choice. I sa... Full story
When John Templeton Craig set out from "Craig's Bridge" (now McKenzie Bridge) in December of 1877 to cross the Cascades, he had no idea that he was about to die or that, 135 years later, Nordic skiers would be massing at his grave to commemorate his ill-fated journey. Craig was an Oregon pioneer in the truest sense of the word. He came to Oregon in 1852 and was a part of the Scott expedition in 1862 that ushered in a new era of travel between the Willamette Valley and Central... Full story
