Fall is in full swing in Oregon and we’re celebrating the last month of our culinary extravaganza, Oregon Bounty.
This November, we’re also celebrating the very first Native American Heritage Month with several opportunities to experience our nine federally recognized tribes’ lifestyles and traditions.
Once you travel the Cape Arago Highway that skirts a lonesome and lovely section of the Southern Oregon coast, it may become a road once taken that you’ll never want to leave! It leads you past so many intriguing sights that you may well wonder, “Why have I never come this way before.”
Fourteen miles southwest of Coos Bay, drop in at Sunset Bay State Park and meet Oregon State Park’s Manager, Preson Phillips, who told me: “It’s one of those trails that just keeps beckoning you on – it’s just a matter of how much you want to hike or do at the time.” Make time to wander Sunset Bay State Park, a jewel of a campground that offers 139 sites for tent, trailer or R.V. – plus eight yurts. People who come to camp enjoy a spectacular beachfront that seems framed for the movies – it has been a special destination park since 1942.
If you own a spirit of adventure, you’ll no doubt relish the hiking trail that leads little more than a mile to nearby Cape Arago State Park. Many visitors are surprised to find a front row seat of sorts – a wooden balcony that overlooks Shell Island. Marty Giles, who owns an eco-tourism business called, Wavecrest Discoveries is often on hand to explain the behavior of hundreds of seals and seal lions that just plain loaf across the rocky island and Simpson Reef.
You will want to make time to travel five miles further up the Seven Devils Road to visit a piece of Oregon coastal paradise that’s been preserved since 1974. The South Slough Estuarine Research Preserve offers a visitor center that introduces you to the area with varied multi-media and hands on exhibits. There’s more than 5,000 acres in South Slough Preserve – approximately 1,000 of that is the slough itself, then the rest is protected upland forest or marshland. There is plenty of elbowroom to explore at South Slough Preserve and there are lots of trails that take you out and about.
One of my favorites is called the Hidden Creek Trail – a little over a mile in length that offers a wonderful wooden boardwalk that takes you out over a wetland area where the freshwater creek meets the sea. In addition, there are many stunning views along the trail, including those from atop a two level deck that looks across a marsh area to the Winchester Arm of the slough.
The preserve is open throughout the calendar year, but South Slough Preserve Education Director, Tom Gaskill, says some seasons offer unique surprises for the hearty traveler.
“I’m a birder, so for me this time of year in fall is the beginning of the most exciting part of the season. We have flocks of waterfowl that pass through here and a lot of the over wintering forest birds too – there are many species that we never see here during the summer, so it’s exciting in the winter months to see some of these migratory species that spend summers in Alaska and Canada but they’re here for the winter.”
Winter may be just around the corner, but it’s still a fabulous time to experience Oregon’s Bounty. Farmers’ markets across the state are still happening and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to visit your favorite winery (and maybe even find a new favorite).
Tell us…what’s your favorite winter culinary find in Oregon?
There’s a new way to explore Oregon and this one is really for the birds! But it’s designed for people – especially folks who like to explore new destinations where half the fun is in the getting there.
The first “Willamette Valley Birding Trail” is a new partnership between varied birding groups and Travel Oregon. It offers people a chance to explore 130 legitimate birding sites in a region that is home to 70 percent of the state’s population.
Joel Geier and I recently met at William Finley National Wildlife Refuge where he told me that variety is the spice of his birding life along the new Willamette Valley Birding Trail. Geier knows his birding game well! After all, he’s a longtime member of the Oregon Field Ornithologists. His organization along with several others including Travel Oregon joined to identify 130 birding trails in the Willamette Valley.
It’s easy to locate a trail online. A click of your mouse takes you inside one of the dozen different loops where you’ll find directions to the sites plus photos of the species that you’ll see along the way.
Sallie Gentry and Molly Monroe agree that the new Homer Campbell Memorial Boardwalk at William Finley Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis is one of those special places where you can go birding. It’s an astonishing trail that is wheelchair accessible along 1700 feet of elevated boardwalk that leads to an observation blind that overlooks a small pond that attracts many different birds.
“It is a magnet for wildlife,” noted Monroe. “We’ll have thousands upon thousands of ducks and geese and swans here within the next few months.”
Gentry added, “We’re kind of a little known secret right now, but I think we’re going to become more well known because there are such excellent wildlife viewing opportunities here and you can get relatively close without disturbing the wildlife.”
Not only wintering waterfowl, but also raptor species like bald eagles make the Finley Refuge their winter homes.
“It’s one of the easiest birds for most people to identify so it’s fun for them.
Often, you just look out on a tree line of snags and say, ‘Oh, there’s an eagle perched right there.’ Eagles are good because they’re well known by most people and they’re recovery from near extinction is such a success story.”
If you’re eager to learn more about birding, but you’re not sure how to get started, Gentry said that there is good news for the casual first time visitor this Fall season.
Despite the wild and wet weather of the past few weeks October is prime time for “King Fishing.” King Chinook Salmon, that is! There is a simple reason that they are called “Kings.” – after all, the big fish can tip the scales at fifty pounds or more.
Despite downpours and sea squalls, I recently joined a fishing party on Tillamook Bay where we tried our luck for the king of the salmon. If you’re eager to catch a “King,” you arrive at the Garibaldi docks an hour before sunrise.
A longtime Oregon fishing guide, John Krauthoefer, told our huddled group of anglers: “It’s the early bird who gets the worm, men! This has become such a popular fishery that if you wait and go late, you might miss the bite.”
Krauthoefer added that it had been a long salmon fishing season. I knew exactly what he meant because we had joined John on two earlier salmon fishing trips. Our first adventure was in July – on the ocean – where the summer Coho salmon bite was awesome. We joined John again in September when the Coho and Chinook season slipped into high gear at “Buoy 10” on the Columbia River.
Now, in mid-October thousands of salmon are migrating through dozens of estuaries like Tillamook Bay and swimming into their home rivers.
As we motored out of the marina, Krauthoefer noted that it had been a wet and wild weather week and that several big storms had pumped up a huge ocean. As we approached the ocean, we watched huge swells rise and fall – sometimes fishing boats would briefly vanish as the swells passed by. The bar was closed – no one would be heading out onto the ocean today.
Birt Hansen, a longtime fishing partner, had joined John and me on Tillamook Bay where scores of other anglers had also gathered – we were excited, anxious and ready for action. After all, low tide was about to turn to flood and it might serve up the biggest of all the salmon species called “King.”
John’s a big believer that a plug-cut herring makes the best bait when fishing for Chinook. He makes a bevel cut with his razor sharp knife just behind the herring’s head to make the bait spin when it’s trolled in the water.
We dropped our lines over the side and John began a slow troll with the tide. As the tide turned to flood, signs of salmon life began to appear as nearby anglers hooked up. It happened to us too! Suddenly, I had my hands full with a hard charging king that had decided to head back to sea.
Krauthoefer put his motor in gear and followed the salmon. After a twenty-minute tug of war, the gleaming 20-pound salmon came to the net and it was scooped aboard.
It can be a he challenge to fish along the jetty – where the swells and the waves and the tide can combine to change conditions in a heartbeat. We wore our inflatable PFD’s (Personal Flotation Devices) at all times.
Sport-anglers catch more than 12,000 King salmon on the bar, the bay and the five rivers that flow into the bay on their way to the sea. So, special rules are in place to protect the Kings from over harvest. An angler can keep one King per day and five per season from Tillamook Bay or its rivers. In addition, anglers can also keep a hatchery Coho salmon.
In 1986 Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen which became their flagship beer. Over the last 23 years the brewery has grown and expanded their line up of beers to include Drop Top Amber Ale, Broken Halo IPA and Drifter Pale Ale. In the craft beer world, larger brewers like Widmer are often overlooked by die hard craft beer fans as they are perceived as producing beers that are more quantity than quality. This perception could not be farther from the truth when it comes to Widmer. Widmer’s Gasthuas Pub offers an array of rotating, innovative beers that are only offered at that location. They also work with the Oregon Brew Crew home brewers to create collaborator beers. Some of the collaboration beers get added to their line up of beers like the winter seasonal Snow Plow. If this is not proof that Widmer is still creating innovative beers, hopefully the release of their newest line of beers will be.
On October 5th 2009, the Widmer Brothers released their first beer from a new semi-annual line of beers called the Brothers’ Reserve Series. The first beer from the series is a Cherry Oak Doppelbock. It retails from $7.99 to $9.99 and comes in a 22 ounce bottle which is packaged in a distinctive box. All beers in the Reserve Series will be a one time limited release. They produced 2,200 cases of the Cherry Oak Doppelbock for distribution. To kick off the new series Kurt Widmer autographed 50 of the bottles that were then distributed nationwide. The lucky recipients are asked to connect with Widmer on Facebook or Twitter to let them know where the bottles landed.
The Brothers’ Reserve series positions Widmer with other Oregon breweries including Deschutes Brewery, Bridgeport Brewing and Full Sail Brewing who release limited edition 22 ounce bottles. It seams like the right time for Widmer to create a new series of beer that takes them back to their creative roots.
Kurt Widmer explains, “The Brothers’ Reserve Series gives us the chance to take some risks and have some fun experimenting with various ingredients and beer styles. I think this one turned out pretty good, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”
The beer has a malty taste with a hint of cherry that is balanced with dark chocolate and oak undertones. This beer is 9% ABV, but drinks like a 5 or 6% ABV beer. It is a very smooth and drinkable beer that will get better with age. It is recommended to serve the beer near room temperature to taste the full body of flavors. The Cherry Oak Doppelbock retails at a reasonable price from $7.99 to $9.99.
If you are in Portland be sure to stop by their Widmer Gasthaus Pub at 955 N. Russell Portland, OR 97227. They also offer free brewery tours on Fridays at 3pm and Saturdays at 11am and 12:30pm. Call 503-281-2437 in advance to reserve your spot.
This week’s Grant’s Getaway offers a unique adventure for folks searching for a place to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the fall season.
You’ll enjoy hiking trails, crimson-colored fall leaves and spawning salmon in an educational backdrop at an overlooked recreation area not far from Portland. You’ll want to bring your camera to capture the steady stream of color along the Salmon River that flows through the Wildwood Recreation Area near Welches, Oregon. Many parts of the Cascade Mountains demand a slower pace. You simply see more when you leave busy campgrounds behind and let quieter, wilder moments surround you.
Those moments are easy to come by down the many trails inside the Wildwood Recreation Site near Welches, Oregon. A site that may have you wondering, “How is it I’ve never heard of this place or visited it before?” After all, the Salmon River is born from glaciers atop Mt Hood and it is Oregon’s last undimmed river that flows unhindered from the mountains to the sea.
It cuts a beeline through more than five hundred acres of designated public recreation land at Wildwood. The trails that wind through Wildwood are marvelous opportunities to explore the parkland.
The Wildwood Wetlands Trail is a one-mile loop of gravel and paved foot- paths plus more than a thousand feet of elevated boardwalk that gives you access to the heart of a vast wetland area where many different wildlife species live.
Observation decks extend into the wetland at a number of locations and allow closer inspection. Don’t be surprised while hiking the boardwalk to see blue herons, mallards, teals, turtles, or any number of small songbirds.
Pay special attention to the many interpretive signs that describe the wetland habitat and the critters that live there.
There are more than 1,000 feet to the boardwalk on the Wildwood Wetlands Trail that was built four feet off the ground to keep hiker’s feet dry and limit access onto the sensitive wetlands. Beginning in mid-October, the boardwalk area explodes to life with a colorful show of brilliant reds, oranges and yellows from vine maple, big leaf maple trees and alder trees.
The Cascade Streamwatch Trail is a barrier-free and paved, three-quarter-mile trail adjacent to the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. Interpretive displays describe points of interest. The most remarkable highlight of this trail is a stream-profile viewing chamber where you gain an underwater “fish-eye” view of a small stream and salmon habitat.
The chamber–ten years in the making–drops twelve feet below the water surface and allows you to see through two large windows more than twelve feet across and seven feet high where ‘baby’ salmon live. I enjoy just watching the behavior of the three- to four-inch salmon fry and how they use logs, branches, and even rocks to hide. As a bug floats on the current, a fish jets out and picks it off, then retreats back to its shelter.
The park is open from 8:00 A.M. to sunset from mid-May to early November. However, during the off-season, you may park at the gate and access Wildwood and Cascade Streamwatch by foot, walking the entrance road to the trailhead or other facilities.
The mist of a foggy morning and football games have us thinking about the changing seasons. There are a few less berries at the market and a few more types of squash, and around every corner the trees turn a little more yellow and orange.
As the color starts to snap around the state, stay tuned to the new Oregon Fall Foliage blog for regular updates from forest rangers, biologists and leaf peepers like you! Share your favorite fall trips in the blog comments or by replying to @ORFallFoliage on Twitter.
Before heading out for an Oregon Bounty escape this season, plan your route with Oregon Fall Foliage to discover the brightest peak colors throughout the state.
The Oregon Fall Foliage Hotline can be reached at 800.547.5445 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
I love how geocaching enhances any outdoor activity. Hiking a trail I might not otherwise have taken – paddling to a cove previously unknown – driving to a scenic vista slightly out of my way. This was reinforced recently during a family camping trip to Mt. Hood National Forest’s Timothy Lake.
One dozen strong, our family group recently spent four days at Timothy Lake near Mt. Hood. High on the agenda was picking huckleberries – a notable tradition of our clan. The first two days we focused on collecting as many of those flavor-packed little treats as possible. The nearby geocaches showing on my GPS receiver screen were not going unnoticed however. I would get to those soon enough.
One geocache in particular was high on my agenda….quite literally. It was a cache called “High Rocks” located about a 20 minute drive from the campground. It was placed on the site of old fire lookout, long since removed. As one would expect, these locations frequently provide the most stunning forest panorama’s. One afternoon, with berry picking concluded for the day, I took off to check out the view and hunt the geocache. I was not disappointed – the high rocky crag yielded a crystal clear view north to Mt. Hood and south to Mt. Jefferson with hints of The Sisters as well. Finding the geocache was anticlimactic to the gorgeous scenery but fun nonetheless.
Next on my geo-agenda was a cache place near and named after Little Crater Lake, a much smaller version of it’s big brother to the south. Nestled in a meadow at the end of a long arm northeast of Timothy Lake, this “lake” is a very small pond with eerie blue water so clear you can easily see to the bottom – 30 feet down with nearly vertical sides – and COLD! The water is 34 degrees and comes from an artesian spring. Found the geocache a short distance off a nearby trail – again, anticlimactic to the view before me!
There were other caches along the 13-mile trail around Timothy Lake but time did not permit hunting more than just a couple more. Also disappointing was not finding time to walk parts of the Pacific Crest Trail which passes right next to the lake. Another time I guess.
One evening as the sun was setting I managed to talk my wife into trying her hand at kayaking. She really enjoyed it – think we’ll have our own soon! Picking early evening with the orange hues of a setting sun on a smooth lake surface along with a view of Mt. Hood might have had something to do with it!
Mike Davidson is a career forester and an outdoor enthusiast who uses the high-tech treasure hunting game of geocaching to lead him to the great variety of outdoor experiences in Oregon. Keep up with his latest hiking and geocaching excursions on his Geocaching Oregon blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.
I love how geocaching enhances any outdoor activity. Hiking a trail I might not otherwise have taken – paddling to a cove previously unknown – driving to a scenic vista slightly out of my way. This was reinforced recently during a family camping trip to Mt. Hood National Forest’s 
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