Sunriver

November 9, 2025November 8, 2025

It’s Already November

Looking back over journal entries I realize this rainy weather coupled with a few ‘poorly’ scheduled appointments severely restricted our travel.

Chores got done, JQ was occupied with baking projects, and lots of pages have been turned on sci-fi and mystery books.

But really , , , we didn’t get very far from the house.

An apparent break in the rain got turned into a trip to the Sunriver Nature Center to check in on the swans.

They are doing well, however that foul weather pause did not include a lull in the wind, nor rise in temperature. It wasn’t wet, but it was a cold walk. Tip did enjoy himself.

Tasks finished and weather forecasts looking clearer this coming week, we should get more exploring in. For now, it’s a warm fire, hot mug of tea, and a good story on the e-reader. Not a terrible way to spend time.

March 19, 2023March 18, 2023

The Snows of March

Snow blown off tree boughs creates a winter scene

Winter arrives in Central Oregon by late November, followed by a stretch of bitter cold after the holiday season. Typically, by now, we’ve moved through a false spring.

However, Second Winter never rolled over us this late in the year. If forecasts are to be believed, winter is over . . . but not before leaving a few inches of snow, then ambling away ahead of a string of spring-like days.

Our snow storms are not California level, but frequently dampen any excursions we might’ve been planning.

That’s not to say we didn’t get out of the house, just not far from it. It is a house policy not to drive on snowpack or icy roads, unless a bakery is the destination.

Sunriver HOA is always on top of snow removal. Once parked in a recently plowed lot at the Nature Center, we ventured out onto untracked snow.

Fresh snow enhances any photo opportunity. A bonus is checking on the swans and attempting to spot elusive otters.

The cygnets have grown and the pond was full of ducks, but we didn’t see any sign of otters . . . may be next time.

It may be another ruse, but we’re definitely taking advantage of the upcoming thaw. After all, we already have stuff on the calendar.

November 27, 2022November 26, 2022

A Quick Hike

Walking along the shore of Lake Aspen at Sunriver

Sunriver Resort is a great walking site, especially in the winter. There are literally miles of walking paths, normally filled at the height of the season . . . not so much in the winter.

For the most part, roads and parking areas are quickly cleared of snow. This means we can get in ‘our steps,’ without the need for snowshoes. With a dog, that is an important detail.

During the winter, we often venture to the Nature Center. From its location on the northern edge of the resort, a lightly used trail runs past the lake, under the road and out along the edge of an airfield. At the west end of the runway lies open fields, often filled with geese. Last year we watched a convocation of Golden Eagles just chillin’.

With no natural barriers, the wind is a constant. There are times the cold cuts through gore-tex and wool. The upside, the open trails allow you to see far enough ahead to spot bicyclists and walkers in time to get the lead back on Tip.

We’ve posted many times about the nature center and the lake it sits next to. The signets are full sized now and make for an impressive family group. The other inhabitant of this body of water, an otter, is much harder to catch a glimpse of . . . though we are always looking.

A beaver, or two, have started a logging operation on the south bank. There is evidence to suggest it takes time to chew down a five inch Lodge Pole. Made a note to explore for their construction site on another visit.

July 3, 2022July 2, 2022

Cygnet sighting

Picked up the local paper this week to find that the Sunriver swans will hatch young soon. It has been months since we last prowled the nature center, so this week we changed that.

Tiny free library

Sunriver’s Nature Center is tucked up against one end of a landing strip on the west side of the resort. It functions as an educational center with a variety of program offerings throughout the year. There is an excellent stellar observatory, an injured raptor sanctuary, and for us it’s a trail head.

The resort has an abundance of walking / biking trails. As you get near the Market area, bikes overrun paved tracks. However, out at the edges this isn’t the case. The nature center’s parking lot functions as a staging area for quick birding or some basic leg stretching.

Lake Aspen at the Sunriver Nature Center

Along with the usual migratory birds, there are resident ducks, nesting Redwinged Blackbirds, and a pair of Swans. In the fall of 2017, the male was shot and killed leaving just Gracie. Two years later, the center introduced Gus to the pond. It took a couple more years, but in June of 2022 the pair have produced at least three eggs. They expect the cygnets to hatch the first part of July.

They hadn’t hatched this week, but Gus and Gracie were staying close to their nesting site. The other interesting observation was the obvious work of some beaver. These nocturnal creatures have been busy gnawing down small pine trees along the pond’s edge. We’ll definitely return and spend some time seeking out a possible dam/den site, as well as checking up on the cygnets.

October 24, 2021October 23, 2021

A Blustery Fall Day

Lake Aspen is nestled among eight-acres of pine forest, wetland, and meadow habitat

It took less than a week to wash a summer’s worth of smoke and dust out of the Central Oregon air. It’s been cloudy and wet, which means road trips were shorter and closer to home.

It got cold enough to breakout beanies and gloves, layer up and dig out the rain coats. With stormfronts there are always gusty winds that add to the bite of Fall temps.

We went to a favorite spot, Sunriver Nature Center, to check on our favorite river otters, swans, and water fowl.

The beauty of this place is there are literally miles of walking paths, most of them paved. We did venture a bit away from the pond and out along the airfield and horse pasture.

Paved areas for biking and walking lead to forested trails

We were working out kinks in a new iPhone camera rig and trying to give Tip a chance to stretch his legs as well. The migration season is in full swing, but there were just a few flights of geese and ducks. I suspect most of them are year round inhabitants of the pond.

This week the house got a seasonal cleaning, the idea is next week’s road trips will be a bit farther afield. We’ve made the shift to cold weather gear and restocked cocoa and a flask of whiskey in the picnic bag. Now is the time to get in those last fall excursions before the winter snows set in.