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October 30, 2022October 29, 2022

Haunted Byways

Living in Central Oregon there are plenty of remote spaces to offer solitude and we prefer these roads less traveled.

The numerous state routes that take you across the high desert are broken up with small towns, often just a grain elevator and an abandoned storefront. These are ghost towns of sorts, places with more history than residents.

Oregon has the distinction of containing the most ghost towns of any state in the union, more than 200 at last tally. Maybe not so surprising is that many of them are only semi-abandoned … with greatly depleted populations.

This week as we continue to explore the John Day River, we pulled over into some wide spots in the road.

Shaniko, Oregon

Shaniko is a historic city located in north-central Oregon on a high plateau. In 1900 it was known as the “Wool Capital of the World” and features the largest wool warehouse in the state.

What is left?

Shaniko has a historic district featuring a hotel, jailhouse, schoolhouse and collection of over 40 properties. It boasts a population of 30 (2020).

Antelope, Oregon

Antelope was first settled in 1872 as a connection between Columbia River gold mines and Canyon City. Its namesake was a herd of pronghorn antelope that lived in the area.

In the 1980s members of the Rajneesh cult moved to the area planning to turn the town into their own settlement. Cult members took over the city by outnumbering the original residents. Due to criminal behavior, the cult leader fled the country and the commune collapsed.

What is left?

Antelope has a population of 37 (2020) and has a historic preservation society that details these events.

Kent, Oregon

Kent is a small community located amid rolling grainfields. This town was primarily a railroad town. Residents literally picked names out of a hat to come up with the name Kent. The name was suggested because it was short and simple to write.

What is left?

Today there are numerous buildings from Kent’s past, including a cafe, gas station and cemetery. The town has kept its post office, but has lost most of its population, which in 2018 sat at 67.

October 23, 2022October 22, 2022

Desert Oasis

Between the Cascade range and the Wallowas, basically the northwest corner of the great basin, we wound through swaths of grainfields criss-crossed with two lane roads and dotted with wind turbines.

This flat expanse of Oregon is sliced by a canyon cut by the John Day River.

This portion of Central Oregon was once ranchland, a “… continuous expanse of native shrub-steppe habitat.” While the wind and wheat farms have transformed the land, the river continues, free flowing.

A Wild and Scenic Waterway status helped conservation groups give protection to stretches of the river and aided their attempt to re-invigorate a wild Steelhead run.

You can see the lush canyons of the John Day from many vantage points along it’s two hundred mile plus length, but access to the river is difficult without a boat.

Forty miles upriver from the Columbia OR 206 crosses the John Day where the Murtha Ranch used to sit.

In 2013, sixteen miles of that ranch along the north bank became Cottonwood Canyon State Park. A handful of this 16 thousand acre parcel holds camping, cabins and day use sites.

It’s nearly a three hour drive from Bend, almost to the Columbia River.

But the park offers excellent river access and small mouth bass fishing. In the fall there are few visitors, so we took advantage of an empty picnic site.

Then spent the afternoon catching bass and enjoying this beautiful and quiet stretch of the John Day River.

October 16, 2022October 14, 2022

Apple Season

Apples destined for sorbet, chutney, turnovers, fritters, tarts, and pies

To most, this time of year is Fall … to us it is Apple Season.

For a few weeks, on the northern foothills of Mt. Hood, between the end of September and early November, you can find roadside stands offering tree-ripened fruit.

Kiyokawa Family Orchards is in Parkdale, which is twenty minutes from Hood River, or two hours from Bend, depending where you start your journey. For us, the reason to travel to the highest reaches of the Hood River fruit orchards … is Kiyokawa.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better variety of tree fruit in one spot. There is literally a maze of apples and pears. JQ does her research and builds a list. In years past these excursions ended with bags of un-identified fruit, so now, armed with a list, we are more focused.

Dolgo crabapples for jelly and McIntosh for apple butter

From left to right, Hanner’s Jumbo, one of the largest apples, Dolgo Crabapple, Pink Pearl

Apples and pears for picnic boxes are only part of the haul.

There will be a batch of apple butter and slices for gallettes and pies added to the freezer.

Crabapple jelly is on the list of new projects this fall.

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022

Bass Fishing the John Day River

Priest Hole is a primitive site along the John Day Wild and Scenic River. The nearest town is 45 minutes away … so you are on your own here.

If you exclude the Deschutes River bridge at Shears Falls, the John Day River is likely the river we have crossed the most. It is also least fished. This week we fixed that.

The John Day River travels, undammed 280+ miles from it’s headwaters. It’s summer steelhead run has dwindled because like most Central Oregon rivers, dry years and irrigation pressure has taken a toll.

The flip side of increased average water temperatures is an abundance of Smallmouth Bass. When the climate gives you lemons … go bass fishin’.

Perfect conditions for reeling in smallmouth bass.

I always thought of bass fishing as a subsurface pursuit. Streamers on heavy lines and lots of weed beds to deal with.

Come to find out that is more about Largemouth Bass. On the John Day, Smallmouth repeatedly hit Chubby Chernobyl and Foam Hopper patterns tossed near the river’s grassy edge.

The road to Priest Hole is steep and narrow … it is especially challenging if you meet another vehicle. Beyond the risks, this is an incredible area with amazing river access and stunning views.

Previous encounters with the John Day involved bridge crossings or looking at the bottom of a canyon. JQ made note of a potential access point during a previous crossing. Seemed like a good destination for some warm water fishing. If you’re interested, downstream from Kimberly to Service Creek, about 25 miles, has lots of wadeable access.

Surrounded by the sweet scent of cottonwood trees, it was an idyllic day. The temps were in the low 80’s and both Jack and Tip spent most of their time wading and swimming.

Small Mouth in the John Day can be five pounds though more often they are under a foot in length. Bass aggressively surface feed and put up more fight than their size suggests.

The John Day carves its way though old volcanic flows, creating canyons and exposing geologic layers.

This was the first time I’d actively cast for bass. It won’t be the last, in fact we are are planning a couple more fall excursions in the Clarno and Kimber stretch of the river.

October 2, 2022October 1, 2022

Oregon Geology

This week brought the Fall Equinox, officially ushering in the season. Before the first snow and at the end of tourist season, we plan trips over roads that will soon become impassable. Rockhounding trips get back on the schedule, as the days cool down. This week we headed to Painted Hills.

US 26 West out of Prineville over Ochoco pass takes you through a beautiful pine forest. On the Mitchell side of that pass, high desert sage and juniper plateaus are cut into canyons by the John Day River.

Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument sits just west of Mitchell. The national monument is actually represented by three units each with a visitor center. These points of interest are situated 60 land miles apart. This rather large triangular section in the middle of Oregon is bristling with geological marvels and fossils are only part of that.

Daylight plays across these undulating hills

There are places we revisit seasonally and its been well over a year since we traveled to the Painted Hills. JQ is getting good at capturing High Desert landscapes with her camera, but there are places you need to visit in person to really appreciate them. This region of Oregon is one of them.

Rounded hills made of red, green and yellow layers sparked our interest in this unique landscape. Depending on the time of year or even the time of day, there are different tones to each layer. All of the monument units offer prospective on the ancient inhabitants of this once tropical forest land.