News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 363
You may notice that the title to my column this week refers to trails - plural. Sadly, this is a reflection of the fact that, close to town, there is no established trail to explore Whychus Creek upstream of Sisters. In some places there is no trail at all; and, in others, there are a multitude of footpaths that spread out and then fade away. None of this, however, should discourage you from exploring an interesting creek system that is uniquely a part of Sisters. You probably... Full story
It's been almost six years since the Booth and Bear Butte fires merged to become the B & B Complex and burned nearly 100,000 acres of forest that many of us considered our personal playground. This hike begins at the well-known Jack Lake Trailhead, which is also the jumping off point for the popular Canyon Creek Meadows hike. Instead of going right to the lush meadows, however, we turned left toward Booth and Square Lakes on our way to Round Lake. It's an eight-mile jaunt, so... Full story
A live outdoor concert with three bands on the rim of Whychus Creek Canyon: That's what the science education organization, Wolftree, has planned for this Saturday evening in the hopes of raising money to pay for habitat restoration and other expenses on their new Whychus Creek Discovery Outpost. Funds raised will also support their education work in local schools. Last fall, after months of negotiation, Wolftree closed the deal on a 58-acre parcel of land that straddles... Full story
My hiking column feature on Misery Ridge at Smith Rock State Park (see The Nugget, May 13, page 21; "Misery Ridge: what's in a name") drew an interesting phone call from someone I hadn't spoken to in many years. Gil Staender is a former Sisters schoolteacher who is now a resident of Camp Sherman. Back in the 1970s and '80s, however, Gil and his wife Vivian resided on a 160-acre homestead off Stevens Canyon Road, north of Indian Ford Ranch. They named their place Wildhaven and... Full story
Like the late comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, the East Metolius River Trail "gets no respect." Guidebooks and Forest Service handouts rightly trumpet the glory of the Metolius River hike from Wizard Falls to Canyon Creek, as well as the loop trail on both sides of the river between the hatchery and Bridge 99. Ask about the East Metolius Trail between Wizard Falls and Camp Sherman, though, and you're likely to get a blank stare. Occasionally, I'm asked about safe hikes for a... Full story
Not everyone who works for the electric company strings wires or works the power grid. Michael Burke and Micah Bennett work for Portland General Electric, but they spend their work day as fish wranglers. As members of PGE's Native Fish Team, they are headquartered at Round Butte Dam on the Deschutes River near Madras. This time of year, Burke and Bennett spend a typical day checking fish traps in the Deschutes River Basin. Their area of responsibility includes traps at Lake... Full story
Sisters Forest Products is one of the subcontractors hired for a major forest-thinning project around Camp Sherman. The job started out small in mid-March but received a huge boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus money. "We are doing lots of extreme high density thinning by hand at a great price," said Dave Elpi, owner of Sisters Forest Products. "A very good if not perfect example of the intended use of stimulus funds. Needful work done by... Full story
After four months as Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Sisters District Ranger, Bill Anthony, is back in the saddle in Sisters. Temporary assignments, such as the one Anthony just returned from, are one of the ways the Forest Service provides career-enhancing opportunities for its employees. "I really enjoyed my experience in Central Washington," said Anthony, "but there are a lot of other career, family and personal factors to consider... Full story
Sometimes a fisherman drives miles to find a remote fishing hole, but ignores the creek in his own backyard. The Sisters Tie Trail is kind of like that to the hiker. It's not an unusual ecosystem; it's not especially wild; and it's certainly not backcountry adventure. What it is, though, is right here! As we wait for the snow-covered high country to open up, this is a trail that is open pretty much all year. It's suitable for hiking, jogging, trail biking and horseback... Full story
Last weekend at Allingham Guard Station on the Metolius River, Deschutes National Forest officials held a three-day training camp for forest trail volunteers. "We started this because when we have this many volunteers, we're concerned about safety," said volunteer coordinator Jean Nelson-Dean. According to Nelson-Dean, the Deschutes National Forest alone has over 1,300 volunteers who help out with various forest programs. Last year, this corps of unpaid workers put in... Full story
Skyline Forest is suddenly back in the news, but a lot of work still needs to take place before a "community forest" can actually take shape in the area. At stake is the ownership of more than 45,000 acres of Central Oregon forest land, and most of it is right in Sisters' back yard. Skyline Forest is an island of private property wholly within the boundaries of Deschutes National Forest, and it extends more than 15 miles from the outskirts of Sisters to the outskirts of Bend. It also comprises as much as nine miles of... Full story
For more than a decade, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and the Deschutes Land Trust have been talking about restoring natural steam health and hydrology to Whychus Creek and Camp Polk Meadow. It's no longer talk; it's happening. Last week, work began on the project; and Sarah Mowry, Outreach Manager for the Land Trust, helped organize what amounted to a groundbreaking ceremony attended by local officials, supporters, and contributors from all over the state. Mowry... Full story
For the hiker anxious to take advantage of good spring weather, trail options remain limited. Still, some excellent sites are open, primarily those below 5,000 feet in elevation. All the trails around the Metolius River and Camp Sherman are accessible, and this is a good time of year to enjoy them before the crowds and high temperatures begin to take their toll. The Forest Service reports that fish habitat improvement and log placement has taken place in that area, but work... Full story
Much of my Coast Guard service was spent in Alaska, and I always was amused at the various tales of what was required to become a "true" Alaskan. Still, I have to admit to seeing a certain parallel right here in Sisters. It seems to me that "true" Sisters area citizenship can only be earned after a climb of Black Butte. Not only does it loom like our own giant signpost marking the Sisters country, it offers one of the most easily accessed panoramic views anywhere in the area.... Full story
Rimrock Ranch, near Sisters, has a special relationship with the Deschutes Land Trust. The Trust was formed to conserve and protect land in Central Oregon, but outright ownership is only one way the Trust accomplishes that goal. In the case of Rimrock Ranch, the property remains in private ownership; but conservation goals are achieved through the use of a conservation easement. In order to prevent future subdivision of the ranch, the current owners, Bob and Gayle Baker, enter... Full story
For the past four months, the Sisters Ranger District has been under the temporary leadership of fire specialist Craig Letz. At the end of this week, however, Letz will be returning to his permanent post as Deputy Interagency Fire Management Officer for the Central Oregon Fire Management Service (COFMS) in Prineville. "It's been fun," Letz said, summarizing his tour in Sisters. "There have been a lot of interesting things going on. Some of the things I was really glad to be a... Full story
The Deschutes Land Trust is making an enormous investment in the health and future of Whychus Creek, so it's only natural that the organization would want to learn as much as possible about this important local stream. Toward that end, Brad Nye, Conservation Director for the trust, led a small party on an exploratory hike into a remote section of the creek that rarely sees human traffic. The outing began at Rimrock Ranch, a privately owned 1,120-acre working ranch outside of... Full story
With the catchy program title of "Bach to Broadway," the High Desert Chorale will perform two free concerts this weekend. Led by Director Irene Liden, the Chorale is a group of about twenty Sisters area singers devoted to bringing quality musical entertainment to the people of Sisters. In addition to Bach and Broadway tunes, the program will include spirituals and what Liden refers to as "oldies but goodies." Selections include "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "Smoke Gets in your Eyes," "Camelot," "Pajama Game," "Sister Act," a... Full story
Last weekend, the Deschutes Land Trust hosted a nature program at the organization's Metolius Preserve. Billed as an "ectotherm walk," naturalist and writer Jim Anderson and herpetologist Al St. John quickly turned the program into a multi-discipline nature walk. Together, the pair spent two very educational hours sharing the preserve's natural history with a group of Land Trust guests. Ectotherms are what we refer to as cold-blooded animals: in short, any animal that is... Full story
Maybe it's the name; but, the last time I hiked Misery Ridge, I couldn't get anyone to go with me! It wasn't all that miserable, but people who like flat trails may be less than enthralled with some of the very steep pitches that cross over the backbone of Smith Rock. Many people mistakenly refer to the state park north of Redmond as "Smith Rocks," but sometime in the past it was arbitrarily decided that Smith would get credit for only one rock - the really big one. John... Full story
Last week, The Deschutes Land Trust took yet another step in the Whychus Creek restoration project at The Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. In less than two weeks, excavation is scheduled to begin on the Land Trust's realignment of Whychus Creek. One of the final impediments was a rail fence standing in the way of the project. "We need to remove the fence because it's sitting right where part of the new channel will go," said Amanda Egertson, Stewardship Director for the Land Trust.... Full story
Although the high country is still buried in snow, that doesn't mean hiking season has to wait. The loop trail around Suttle Lake is an excellent early season tune-up. At about three and a half miles in length, this easily accessible trail is flat, scenic, and well maintained. In fact, crews have already cleared the trail for the season. It can be accessed from either end of the lake and almost anywhere along the south side. The closest public access is at Cinder Beach, a... Full story
George Larson will make his directorial farewell at a spring concert presented by the Community Choir of Sisters. The concerts will be held at Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, and 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 3. For the past eight years, Larson has made the weekly commute to Sisters from Bend in order to lead the Sisters choir, but has finally decided that it's time to hand off the baton. "I hate to retire," he said, "but I asked myself how long I wanted to keep doing this. I've had a... Full story
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden stopped off near Sisters Monday to visit an active forest-thinning project. The work is a direct result of the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) designed to provide jobs and stimulate the economy. Passed only weeks ago, the act already has workers on the job in Sisters. Wyden took the time to personally greet each of the 40 workers engaged in the project. Most crew members, like Justin Wolf and Jason Krieger, said they had... Full story
The Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Choir has returned from its European tour of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The Sisters choir performed in some of the great cathedrals of Europe, as well as being the only U.S. representative at the International Handel Choral Festival in Halle, Germany. Much of the choir's time was spent in areas behind the former Iron Curtain. Their first overnight stop was in Berlin, where they visited the site of the Berlin... Full story
