Travel – Page 4

October 1, 2023September 30, 2023

Covered Bridges

On a recent trip we passed an intriguing landmark.

We frequently use OR 58 and Willamette Pass to get over the mountains. A route that takes us right by an educational covered bridge.

The Lowell Covered Bridge, over Dexter Reservoir, doesn’t carry traffic, but houses an interpretive center.

Timber structure that is the bridge under the ‘covered’ part.

The building or cover over a bridge was to prolong the life of its rough sawn timber structure. As bridge building moved to weather resistant materials, the covers were left off.

A shell over rough sawn timber is evident from inside the bridge

Oregon has fifty-four covered bridges, the most of any state west of the Mississippi. But this is less a testimony to a cover’s protection, and more a matter of sentiment.

Most of these historical landmarks are located on the west side of the Cascades. Lane County having the most.

It would be easy to visit nearly all in a single trip. Maybe next year.

Lowell bridge was orginally built in 1907, replaced in 1945, added to the national register in 1979, closed to traffic in 1981, and refurbished in 2006.

The cover portion of the bridge is where you’ll find the interpretive center with backlit panels explaining covered bridge history, a model of the Lowell Bridge and information on the early settlement in the Willamette River Valley.

Pedestrian traffic is all that is allowed on the bridge these days.

This day was a bit rainy, but there is a great picnic spot which we’ll take advantage of on a better day.

September 10, 2023October 11, 2023

Stone Fruit & Steelhead

Rest stop outside Warm Springs, under an ancient pear tree

Finally . . . a break from wildfire smoke. With that, we headed outside.

The Fruit Loop is a semi-regular daytrip for us and this seemed like a good time to check it out. With a not too early start, we head to orchard country above Hood River, the city.

The intent . . . pick up tree ripened stone fruit.

Apple harvest is getting close. As we drive through the orchards we pass rows of trees ladened with fruit. It is worth the trip just for this image.

The bonus, however, is fruit stand shelves with half a dozen peach varieties and easily twice that in plums.

Choices were made.

Heading out from Parkdale the road cuts at right angles back through the orchards to Highway 35. We merge onto I-84 and a short jaunt up the Columbia Gorge.

At the far edge of The Dalles we catch US197 and climb hills though cherry orchards and freshly combined wheat fields. Well past Dufer, we drop into the Tygh Valley, turn onto OR 216 and end in the Upper Deschutes Canyon at Sherars Falls.

We’re here to check on the the steelhead run. This fisherman saw no Steelhead, hooked no fish, but did enjoy the walk along the river.

Temperatures were pleasantly below August heat. Rafters had all but vanished from the river, along with most campers.

We set out chairs on river’s edge in the shade of our favorite Ash tree. Tip got some final swims and a cold beverage, or two, was consumed.

Blackbilled Magpie soars over the Deschutes

In all . . . a very pleasant way to spend a day

April 30, 2023April 29, 2023

Birding

White-fronted geese trail behind two Sandhill Cranes

This week Central Oregon skipped spring and went straight to summer. Not complaining, but it was an abrupt shift in weather and attitude.

We’re long overdue for a Summer Lake trip, so we loaded up the bird books and headed east.

It might be a bit cliche . . . turn seventy and post a piece on birding. Is that too much, old guy? In between trips to the river, which by the way are great places to bird, we do regular bird-centric excursions.

Over the years we’ve sat, eyes pinned to lenses, along a lot of different marshes. Living on the northern edge of the Great Basin puts us close to a few stopovers on the Pacific Flyway. One of the best, in our opinion, is Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge.

Unlike wildlife areas with better ‘press,’ Summer Lake never disappoints. Here we squint across a hundreds of yards of field. The loop road, often just a couple of tire ruts along the top of a dike, allows for great birding opportunities.

It was an unseasonably warm spring day, perfect time to catch the first round of migratory birds moving across the country. Some will spend weeks, others will move on in a few days.

The great thing is they never cease to amuse; like an acrobatic yellow-headed black bird bouncing from stalk to stalk, or Clark’s Grebes hunting a secluded section of the pond.

There is another visit scheduled for later this spring, well before the summer heat.

April 9, 2023April 8, 2023

Cabin Camping

I don’t think it would qualify for an Instagram post as ‘glamping‘, but this week we spent a couple of nights in a cabin on the John Day River.

Winter snowstorms still pester the Bend area, but at the park we enjoyed sunny days and mild spring-like temperatures.

Oregon State Parks offers overnight stays in cabins, teepees and yurts at parks all over the state. Most of these exist at coastal parks, however a dozen parks east of the Cascades have structured camping options.

Most importantly for us, there is always at least one cabin that allows pets.

Cottonwood Canyon SP has four “rustic” cabins available by reservation year-round. These two room units can sleep 8 people, have electricity to provide lighting, wall mounted heaters and an AC unit.

Cooking isn’t allowed inside, but there’s a gas grill, picnic table and fire pit next to each cabin.

A covered porch offers un-obstructed views east across a grassy flat, willow-lined river and the canyon walls.

Big Horned sheep in the canyon’s rocky hills

Our first morning was spent watching Big Horn Sheep graze on the rocky north face just above the campground.

Later in the day, we hiked up to the foot of that slope and the Pinnacles Trail Head. This trail and one on the opposite side of the river (Lost Corral Trail) follow the John Day for 4.3 miles around a couple of bends in the river.

Winter runoff made fishing impossible, but we managed to fill our time catching up on reading, watching wildlife, and relaxing.

Reservations are snapped up quickly, but we’ve managed to find a couple of open slots in the fall and hope to become regular visitors.

March 26, 2023March 25, 2023

Maupin, Oregon

Spring officially started this week.

While we have no illusions this marks an end to snowfall, it does mean days are getting longer and warmer. When there is one of those warmer days we head to the river. We’ve made several trips to the Lower Deschutes this winter and have gotten more familar with Maupin.

Hwy 197 crosses the Deschutes River in Maupin

It’s a small town precariously occupying a hillside over looking the Deschutes River. It’s really returning to an old haunt and with a bit of exploring we discovered a stretch of river with easy access for all.

Highway 197 (Deschutes Ave.) winds it’s way in and back out of the canyon passing through the center of Maupin.

Where the highway crosses fifth street is the Deschutes Angler. . . . a flyfishing shop.

Among the hundreds of shops in river towns only a handful are must stop locations.

The adage “if they don’t have it you don’t need it” hallmarks these places. Deschutes Angler is on that list.

A fishing shop visit could replenish a tying bench or fishing pack, however mostly it’s a means to acquire current intel on local waters. Not all establishments are equal in these aspects, so when you find a good one it gets marked on the map.

The sun helps cut the chill but hasn’t been around enough to coax spring color back into the canyon walls.

A narrow road follows a section of the Lower Deschutes River

We need wadeable access so take advantage of pullouts along the Deschutes River Access Road.

Fishing alongside traffic comes with some limits. Tip is on constant duty, so if the road offers the shortest route between JQ and Jack he’ll be on it.

Fortunately he is a good listener.

The spot we settled into this winter offers lots of dog friendly access to the river. There’s a wide swath of river silt and grass cut with jagged outcropping of lava rock.

Hunting Red Band Trout on the Deschutes River

The scattering of trees and willow bushes at river’s edge seem bare from the road. Ducking under a branch to gain access to a new pool I notice bud sites and the beginnings of summer foliage.

Won’t be long before the banks are lined with fisherman and the water is full of rafters. By then other waters will become our regular haunt.