Sandy River Hatchery Manager Ken Bourne hasn’t seen anything like it in 34 years with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“It definitely has the makings of being a huge run. We’ve handled almost 7,000 fish to date and we’re nowhere near the peak of the return. We’re going to be swamped with salmon.”

Biologists say abundant food in the ocean is the secret behind this year’s record-setting return of a million-plus Coho salmon to many Oregon rivers and streams. State hatcheries offer visitors some of the best viewing opportunities of the salmon in the creeks that flow through the hatchery grounds. ODFW’s Sandy River Hatchery, Trask Hatchery, Big Creek Hatchery, North Fork Nehalem Hatchery and Bonneville Hatchery are just a few of the state-run salmon facilities that enjoy having visitors stop in to watch the salmon show. Each hatchery is open daily.

Cathy Rice lets her fingers “do the finding” of her family’s next outdoor adventure! Cathy Rice and her family live in Wilsonville, but have explored much of Oregon as a part of a growing group of savvy internet users who’ve discovered that the great outdoors is but a finger tap and electronic link away through a new sport – (or is it recreation?) – called “geocaching.”

“It’s fun for people of all ages,” noted Rice. She and her family have been avid geocachers the past eight years. “For the kids it’s like a treasure hunt because they get to discover new places to see – it’s just a great activity to do while you’re enjoying the Oregon outdoors.”

Geocaching is a rewarding blend of high technology that uses computers and hand held GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers and take you on an old fashioned treasure hunt. Cathy says “fun” is the theme at Geocaching.com At home, she simply enters her zip code and then the distance she would like to travel from her home, and soon a lengthy list of adventures appears on her screen.

She also notes many details about the cache on the website like available parking, whether it’s pet friendly plus the latitude and longitude coordinates that she will plug into her GPS so to guide her family to the cache. Cathy told me that when she began in 2001 there were hundreds of caches in the Portland area – today, there are tens of thousands in the city and surrounding metro region – plus, hundreds of thousands of the hidden treasures across the state.

In fact, “Rice’s Raiders,” as the family nickname implies, are real pros at finding caches. These days, they even create their own caches to hide for others to find. A watertight container like an ammo box or plastic container is preferred for caches because they need to be watertight. Because Cathy’s favorite rock group is “Styx,” she included a variety of related items inside her latest cache: “We’ve added chap sticks…glue sticks, something to sharpen your writing sticks,” she noted with a laugh.

She added: “Now, not everyone will trade within the theme and that’s ok too – but if you can it’s kind of fun.”

So far, the Rice family has hidden over a dozen caches across Oregon and she said that they’ve discovered a lot of locations they’d never have known about were it not for geocaching.

In fact, more and more people are have discovered that Oregon State Parks are popular geocaching sites because they’re convenient, safe and allow for a longer camping stay. But at Stub Stewart State Park, park ranger Heather Currey said that if folks choose to hide caches in a state park, be sure to get permission from the park managers.

“We think it’s fantastic that people want to recreate on state park lands and Geocaching is a wonderful way to explore the parklands, but many of our parks have sensitive plants, habitats, cultural resources that we’re protecting for the future. So, it’s nice for us to know where these caches are intended so we can identify those areas and maybe find an area on the other side of the trail that would be a little better.”

On a recent adventure, the Rice family followed directions to a starting point in a nearby public area and then hunted the brush for more clues. In this case, latitude and longitude coordinates were the clues. They plugged the numbers into their GPS and then the unit guided them to the site of the hidden cache.

The caches vary – and usually consist of small souvenirs that you can choose from – perhaps even a camera and a log book to capture and relate your moment of discovery. But Cathy insists, (and etiquette demands,) that if you take something from the cache, you should leave something in exchange.

Aside from the fun of just looking for something that’s been secreted away in the woods, Ken and Cathy Rice agree that one of the bonuses of Geocaching has been the way the entire event brings the family together.

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network.

Ride the endless winter!

The 2009-2010 snow season is off to an amazing start! And since the weather looks promising for even more snow, I am issuing my first POWDER ALERT of the season for this SATURDAY MORNING!

The weather pattern looks ideal Friday and Friday night. A weather system dropping out of the Gulf of Alaska will initially bring snow early Friday. But as colder air arrives Friday afternoon, and as another snow-producing weather feature arrives from the northwest, significant snow is likely in the Cascades Friday evening. And with the snow level falling to as low as 1,500 feet, it means that the powder at the higher ski areas will range from moderate density to drier, higher-quality fluff. Not bad for November!

So… how much snow will fall? Below are my forecast probabilities for the period from Friday morning to Saturday morning:

More than 6″… 95% likelihood
More than 12″… 50% possibility
More than 18″… 20% chance

Saturday will be mainly dry… so get up there early to enjoy the fresh tracks. And while my POWDER ALERT is specifically for SATURDAY MORNING, there will be significant accumulating snow during the day Friday as well.

Enjoy!

Drew Jackson
KPTV FOX 12 meteorologist

Check out www.SkiOregon.org for current conditions at all Oregon Ski Areas!

How do we determine the ultimate athlete? Is the ultimate athlete a man or a woman? The answer to these questions will be answered next June in Portland, Ore. with the inaugural “Search for the Ultimate Athlete,” competition. Only in Oregon can an athlete ski, windsurf, white water kayak, surf, climb, and mountain bike all in one day. The competition will feature the world’s best athletes, competing in a number of sports disciplines. Men and women will compete head to head. In the end, one athlete will remain.

Registration will open in the coming weeks. In June, 2010, the athletes will gather in Portland for six days of competition.

Yves Garceau is the man who is bringing the competition to life. Yves grew up Montreal. He pioneered helicopter skiing in Banff, Canada. From there, he turned his attention to tennis. In less than three years after taking up the sport, Yves joined the tennis circuit as a professional. He is a film maker and adventurer.

Yves has traveled the world. Nowhere is there a place in his journeys that is better suited for an ultimate athlete competition than Oregon, the place he calls home.

Search for The Ultimate Athlete: Are you the one?

It is a lot of fun to catch Dungeness Crabs and all of Oregon’s estuaries offer wonderful opportunities for a day’s adventure.

If you wish to visit Astoria and try your luck in the Columbia River estuary, consider the adventure just a part of a longer overnight coastal stay.

If you do, consider Ft Steven’s State Park your base camp for the weekend adventure. The trails and campgrounds at Ft Steven’s are quiet at this time of year. The summer crowds have disappeared and the beaches, Coffenbury Lake and the wetland areas are all yours to explore.

Ft Steven’s Park Manager, Mike Stein, explained:

“People are looking to get away from the larger crowds and we specialize in that at this time of year. We’ve got over 4,000 acres to spread across, plus miles of beachfront and 9 miles of paved trail, plus another 7 miles of nature trail.”

If you lack a trailer or an RV, no need to worry, Ft Steven’s boasts 15 yurts that make the camping easy.

“Yurts are wonderful camping opportunities, explained Stein. They offer a domed platform with canvas sides and top. They have furniture in them: a futon sofa and a bunk bed. They’ve proven to be very popular because they reach out to the visiting public that’s unable or lacks the time to invest in a tent or RV.”

It is time well spent at Ft Steven’s State Park. Stein noted that during the Fall season, it’s a parkland all yours to explore:

“That real sense of solitude is what draws people here and keeps them coming back regularly.”

In the Pacific Northwest, El Nino winters are typically a little warmer than usual. But the amount of rain and snow is a lot more variable. For example, at Mount Hood Meadows, their second-snowiest winter on record occurred during an El Nino winter. But one of the most disastrous snow seasons on record, the winter of 2004-2005, was also an El Nino winter. Those are two extreme examples. Most El Nino winters bring snowfall that is not too far from average, with the extreme winters being rare (and impossible to predict in advance).

One positive aspect of El Nino winters is that more often than not, the snow tends to arrive early in the Cascades. I believe we’re seeing that this year. That big late October snowstorm dropped nearly two feet of snow at the higher ski areas, but warmer rain immediately following the storm melted the snow away. That’s the way it works in October, as the snow comes… and goes. But November snow typically grows… and stays! And while this most recent storm brought enough snow to open some runs at Timberline and possibly Mt. Hood Meadows later this week, all Oregon’s ski areas, are starting to build a healthy base. And with more storms on the horizon, the start of the 2009-2010 skiing/boarding season appears imminent!

So… wax your boards and get your gear organized. And keep checking your e-mail, as my first “Powder Alert” could hit your inbox anytime now!

Think snow,

Drew Jackson
KPTV FOX 12 meteorologist

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Powder Alerts by visiting Ski Oregon

Oregon’s high east-central plateau is dominated by numerous forested mountain ranges rising above fertile rangeland, with enough vistas wide enough that you can’t quite wrap your arms around them.

It’s a peaceful place, and in August, Brad and I set off for the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Our hiking compass was set to climb and summit 9,038-foot Strawberry Mountain itself, a once-active volcano. It got its name from Nathan Wills Fisk, a homesteader in the area, because of the many wild strawberry plants that can be found in the area.

We drove about 4 hours from Portland to our secret camping spot nearby, and set up in a campground that we had absolutely to ourselves. The quiet of the woods was occasionally broken by the rattling of a woodpecker on a nearby tree or a raspy chirrup from a hawk high up in the thermal winds. The next morning, we packed up our gear, loaded extra water, and headed to the trailhead.

Starting near the 7,000 foot level definitely helped make this hike not as arduous as it may seem. The trailhead starts on an old road that is fairly level and flat. Not very far down the path, the dogs, Brad and I were quickly startled by a big buck deer bounding through the undergrowth as it bolted away from its breakfast foraging. A little later down the trail, we ran into some other hikers. A man and his son from the Portland area were scouting the area for the hunting season, and had their binoculars trained on a ridgeline not too far away. We stopped and asked what they were looking at, and they pointed out a tiny white dot. It was a mountain goat! Somehow, on an impossible angle, the animal nimbly tip-toed across cliff faces that left me dizzy, but it was pretty cool to watch. The duo weren’t actually looking to hunt the goats (illegal) but rather looking for deer. My thoughts turned to the buck that we had just seen; had he met any of bow hunters currently out, he might not have been so lucky.

Right at this point, the trail turned south and quickly narrowed down to about 1-2 feet wide, with a couple of steep drop-offs right off the trail in a number of places. About 15-20 years ago, a wildfire had swept through the area, and while the area is recovering, the vegetation is still a little thin, punctuated with dead, blackened snags, lending a surreal feeling to the hike. Interestingly, as we followed just below the shoulder line of the ridge, the views far below were pretty amazing. Small, lush meadows beckoned, and I could imagine deer and other animals thriving in such a rich environment.

I heard twittering overhead, and stopped to watch a large group of mountain bluebirds flitting from tree to tree. Their calls are very muted and cheery; sweet, almost. After a few minutes of observation, we continued on, and started a number of switchbacks up to the base of Strawberry Mountain itself. It loomed far above us, and my palms began to sweat. This, I thought, is gonna be a tough hike!

We came around a corner and found ourselves traversing a shale trail. Shale is a type of loose rock, usually in large piles as it breaks off a larger source- such as a cliff face. And that was exactly what we were crossing. High above, cliffs with big rocks towered over us, and I silently issued a request to the forces that be that nothing decided to come tumbling down.

The path was so rocky that the trailblazers before us had actually built some rock cairns to mark the way, although enough boots had passed this way, a distinguishable line could be seen. At this point, despite the cool August morning, the sun’s rays began to warm things up a bit, helped by the reflection from the rocks.

Up we went, and found ourselves in a brief flat spot where some other trails joined ours, and we stopped to enjoy a view from a forest of tortured junipers and bristlecone pine trees edged by brilliant blue lupine flowers. I glanced up. The trail went up from that point another 45-50 degrees. Not quite climbing on your hands and knees, but it was steep…

The final summit assault had begun. We climbed up and zig-zagged across the rocky face. We were high above the tree line yet somehow, flowers managed to entrench themselves into the seemingly impenetrable stone.

Winds up here have gotten up to legendary speeds. Apparently, there was, at one point, a lookout up here, but it was eventually abandoned. At one point, a storm blew the entire structure off the top of the mountain. All that remains are some cables littered around and some errant nails.

Brad made the summit first, and whooped when he did. I slowly trudged the final stretch, stopped, took a breath, and then looked at the amazing view.

For 360 degrees, we could see mountain range after mountain range. Far to the south, we could see 9,700-foot Steens Mountain, 150 miles away. It was a stunning view!

Sitting down, we ate some lunch, enjoying the expansive vistas. I did notice a pile of rocks nearby and something stuck in them, so I went to investigate. A number of glass jars held small notes and pens. People who had made it to the top had written little notes about their adventures. I added one myself – this was Brad’s and my second wedding anniversary- and it was hard to top this at 7,038 feet high!

While we were up at the top, a few more people showed up. A father-son hiking team had actually done a much tougher round-trip hike that started farther below our trail head. They shared some tips on additional spots that they had seen along the way. As we headed down, a friendly couple on their way up to the summit and we chatted. It turned out that he was a cattle rancher in Prairie City, and it was really great to be able to talk to a local. From our vantage point, he pointed out his ranch far below with a great deal of pride. We wished them well and continued our way back down the mountain.

By the time we got to the car, my creaky knees were screaming. I was beat, but this was an awesome hike and was the perfect way to enjoy yet another Oregon favorite vacation spot.

Oregon’s “blue hole” days when the sun plays a peak-a-boo game with visitors, provides an excellent backdrop for the task of hauling crab pots full of fresh Dungeness crab from the Oregon Coast.

Recently, I joined my good friend Steve Fick to learn the tactics and techniques for catching this Oregon seafood delicacy.  Steve first explored the Columbia River estuary as a kid and knows his way around the vast waterway where the river meets the sea.

For Fick, the first lesson is simple enough: always wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device.) He insisted it’s a personal lesson in life and safety:  “You always wear it Grant, because if you fall overboard, particularly with heavy rain gear on, it’s very difficult to survive. The water is always cold and can sap your strength in a matter of minutes.”

We left the snug harbor at Hammond, Oregon and slowly motored the short distance downriver to an area just off Clatsop Beach.  Fick had prepared five large crab traps with varied baits – a strategy he often used so to “see what the crabs prefer.”   Sometimes he’ll use turkey legs, chicken wings, shad or salmon carcasses – even a can of tuna for crab bait.

“Oh yes, a can of tuna fish is perfect bait, exclaimed Fick. “All you do is perforate the can so that the scent comes out – you can also buy canned sardines or mackerel too – both work well. As long as they have a high oil content, it seems to fish well  – the scent is what draws the crab into the pot.”

Each Oregon crabber must carry an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish License. Each crabber is allowed to use up to three crab traps.

We timed our trip to fish our traps the last hour of the incoming tide and through the high slack period, (that’s often the best crabbing time.)

Steve said it’s the safest time to crab in the estuary: “There is no reason to be out here on the ebb tide – that’s the out-going tide. It can be the most dangerous part of the tide cycle and this river can change so fast. You just don’t take chances out here.”
Fick said that each trap should “soak” for 15-20 minutes – that allows enough time for the crabs to locate the bait and enter the trap.

Each crabber is allowed a dozen male crabs apiece, and in Oregon they must be five and three-quarters (5¾) inches across the back.

Females are protected to preserve the breeding population of crabs. A crab gauge or other measuring device is essential gear since some crabs miss the mark by only a hair’s length.

Within a half hour, we had landed and checked each of our traps and we were fortunate to retain 18 legal Dungeness crabs; plenty to go around our small but hearty crew.

As much fun as it was to catch these crabs, the best part was yet to come when Steve motored back to the dock in Astoria and we carried our crustaceans up to his shop to learn the proper way to cook our crabs.

Fick dropped a pound of salt into ten gallons of boiling water and then placed each crab into the pot. The crabs must cook approximately twenty minutes.

While we waited, I chatted with Oregon Fish and Wildlife Shellfish Manager, Matt Hunter.

He explained that the crabbing in the Columbia River estuary had been exceptional this year. “We’re seeing darn near a limit per person and when we don’t see a limit it’s because of weather or that people just don’t want their dozen crabs.”

The reason for this year’s remarkable catch rate? “Well, the crabs molted in early summer so they’re coming off the molt and they’re hungry and looking for food. At this time of year there’s plenty of food: baitfish die offs, natural salmon spawning events so there is plenty of available to them.”

As we chilled our catch on ice, I asked Fick what he enjoyed most about the adventure that’s just off his front door step:

“Oh, it’s simple and everyone can be involved in it. It’s easy to catch a dozen crabs per person with lots of action for kids. And – you never really know until you pull the pot up what you got…you know and that is fun!”

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network.  Before you embark on your own crabbing adventure, be sure to check check shellfish license/regulations and rental facilities.

Grant’s Getaways – South Slough Estuary from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

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.”

Grant’s Getaways – Oregon Birding Trail from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

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.