Three Creek Store owner loves the place

Jerry Sandver and Max enjoy the view at Three Creek Store. photo by Jim Mitchell He is living his dream. After 30 years of traveling hundreds of miles a year to his favorite mountain lake, Jerry Sandver has made Three Creek Lake his home away from home.

Sandver had been coming to Three Creek Lake since the mid-1970s. Several years ago while he was buying ice, the previous owner noted that Sandver had been "coming here for a long time." She asked, "Have you ever thought about owning it?" He told her, "Oh, don't tease me. You know I would."

He told The Nugget, "I took a business card, wrote my home number on the back. Then she reached under the counter and pulled out a really thick notebook. And it was all people who had made inquiries or had made offers to buy the store.

"She went clear to the back and pasted my business card to the last page. I figured that's the last I'm going to hear of that.

"Then a few years ago we were camped on the McKenzie (River). Being that close, of course we had to come up. I came in the store again and the owner and I exchanged pleasantries and that was the end of it. Nothing was said and on Monday when I got back to work there was a message on my voicemail, 'If you're still interested in the store it's yours.' So I took Tuesday off and came immediately up here."

Sandver didn't need to ponder the situation. He retired from his position with the Oregon Department of Corrections after 27 years as physical plant manager. "It was a good job. I really enjoyed it but after 27 years, when I got this opportunity, I decided that was enough."

When he isn't waiting on customers he can likely be found sitting on the front porch overlooking the lake with his young dog Max, a Lab/Shepherd mix.

He says, "It's a great place to sit. The views are spectacular. There's a lot of days when it's just me and the dog, but I don't care. He's good company and it's pretty neat."

He loves the solitude, but is ready to talk with visitors and especially likes to swap fishing stories.

"Last year the campgrounds were full every weekend. When the fires hit, everything slowed up. But it was still fun. It was a good year up here. There's no such thing as a bad day up here as far as I'm concerned."

Sandver's other home is on a 10-acre mini-farm in Silverton. Married, with four children, he recently became a grandfather. His wife visits him at the lake as often as she can, bringing store supplies.

Asked about his business, he replied, "Boat rentals is probably the biggest thing."

Ten rowboats are available to rent. The boats were all rebuilt last winter and have new oars. Motor craft are not allowed on the lake.

Inside, the store shelves contain canned goods, chips, candy, first-aid supplies, fishing tackle, souvenir hats and T-shirts and lots of mosquito repellent. Refrigerators contain beer, soda pop, juices, and water. It is a general grocery store, just smaller than most -- "a little bit of everything and not a whole lot of anything," according to Sandver.

Three Creek Store has no electricity, no telephone. Refrigerators are powered by propane, the cash register by battery. Sandver sleeps in his fifth wheel trailer in the trees above the store.