Sisters Country enjoys winter carnival

Where can you go to enjoy a flyathalon, an axe-throwing contest, pro disc golf, have a painted face, wear silly costumes, and it's okay to fall down once in a while? Well, who do you see to ski? Harold the Hodag up at Hoodoo Mountain Resort, north of Sisters.

Nolan Ferwalt, a student at Sisters Middle School, was at Hoodoo Saturday for their annual Winter Carnival, trying out the games.

"I'm trying to get revenge on that styrofoam target," he said after some near-winning throws in the axe-throwing contest that afternoon. "It's my second time here. I hit it once."

Head ski instructor John Judy, who is also a flyfishing guide, headed up the flyathalon. Judy helped the kids cast a fly rod before running a race. For every fly cast into the distant "pond," the kids got time knocked off their run. They got to run, make three casts, then run some more.

Sisters Kendall and Skylar Killian, of Portland, were at their first winter carnival and said they had never raced like this before. They both had excellent times in the race and exhibited some very energetic casts. It was a long way to the casting pond, but they both hit the target.

Kids decorated their hair and faces with pie in the pie-eating contest, wearing it proudly the rest of the afternoon.

General manager Matthew McFarland, who was there with his wife and children, said, "It's just fun. Something out of the ordinary. The fun part of this job is that people always have a smile on their face."

Everyone was smiling during the Dummy Downhill where awards are given for making the jump, landing after the jump, and even the best crash. Contestants are also judged on the dummy itself.

Shrek was the first dummy down the hill. A giant of an ogre, he needed a little help over the jump, but made it to the landing, still standing. Fred and Barney's last ride made it over the jump, but alas, Fred and Barney themselves did not.

A poorly crafted outhouse made the jump, but didn't survive the landing.

But the grand prize winner was the Hoodoo Fishy Poo dummy who made the highest flying leap off the lift, surviving - sort of - the crash landing.

The evening ended with a bingo tournament, live music from Blackstrap Bluegrass, the torchlight descent and the ever-popular fireworks.