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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2016)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon STA volunteers rehabilitate trails It was a chilly morn- ing on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, but that did not deter 27 enthusiastic Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) volunteers who gathered at the Whychus Creek Overlook trailhead. Donning hard hats and work gloves, they teamed up to help restore native veg- etation in disturbed areas around the barrier-free over- look loop, repair trail tread issues on the southern leg of the Whychus Creek Trail and Whychus Draw Connector trail, and repair erosion and obliterate several “user trails” that had developed at key points along Whychus Creek. Volunteers spread and raked-in approximately $1,000 worth of native grass and flower seeds (funded from a grant to STA from the National Forest Foundation), as part of an effort to reha- bilitate the overlook area fol- lowing years of abuse, fire and neglect. The group also repaired some one-and-one- half miles of trail. STA’s fully equipped tool trailer was parked on site to facilitate the distribution of PHOTO PROVIDED Sisters Trails Alliance volunteers worked along Whychus Creek. hard hats, rakes, hoes, shov- els, Pulaskis, McLeods — all the tools necessary to main- tain trails. Seeding crews were led by Maret Pajutee, retired U.S. Forest Service ecologist, mas- termind behind the overlook project, now an STA member and a new Trail Steward for the Whychus Creek trail sys- tem (a job she shares with six other STA volunteers). The erosion and user trails oblit- eration team was led by noted “trails guru” John Schubert, also retired USFS. John was responsible for the design and layout of both the Whychus Creek Trail and the Whychus Overlook Loop. STA trails coordinator and board mem- ber, Gary Guttormsen, led the tread repair crews. At the end, Pajutee pro- vided everyone with delicious cookies and hot cider at the overlook wall, under bright sun with stunning views over the Whychus watershed. “STA would like to thank each and every volunteer who made this work party a suc- cess,” said STA President Chuck Humphreys. “We celebrate your spirit and devotion to our community trails.” 7 Live music on tap in Sisters this week Sisters’ lively music scene continues to serve up picking and singing through the win- ter months. The Moon Mountain Ramblers play The Belfry on Saturday, December 3, from 8 to 11 p.m. in support of their latest CD, “A Little After Midnight.” Journalist Sara Freedman wrote, “Ever since the begin- ning, locals have responded to the hot club swing, the hard-driving bluegrass, the old country-western twang, and the classic rock of the Ramblers ... One thing hasn’t changed over the years — music is not a side-gig to a Moon Mountain Rambler. It’s a way of life.” The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave. Also on December 3, at 7 p.m., Mike Biggers and Jim Cornelius will play at Cork Cellars, bringing to bear their Americana mix of original songs and influences such as Guy Clark, Steve Earle, and Tom Russell. Cork Cellars is located at 391 W. Cascade Ave. Americana artists Caitlin Anne Webster and Blind J Wakins will play The Open Door in Sisters on Monday, December 5, as part of their Pacific Northwest tour. There’s a casual honesty to Caitlin Anne Webster that wavers somewhere between romantic and brutal, deliver- ing truths of longing, love, sex and the hardships of modern living. The soulful Los Angeles singer-songwriter brings an easy swagger to her per- sonal blend of blues and Americana — as documented on her debut EP, 2015’s “Black Moon.” Wakins describes him- self as “a songwriter, avid smoker, and professional loi- terer.” He has appropriated folk-country and ragtime traditions to “create some- thing resembling a unique sound.” The show runs from 6 to 8 p.m. There is no cover charge. The Open Door is located at 303 W. Hood Ave.