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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2019)
B Friday, August 30, 2019 The Observer & Baker City Herald RECREATION REPORT Grouse hunting starts Sept. 1 Forest grouse and mourning dove seasons all open this Sunday, Sept 1. Remember to buy your Upland Game Bird Validation, which is valid from July 1 to June 30, and to check for fi re restrictions before you go. Free youth pheasant hunt Sept. 14-15 at Ladd Marsh Hunters 17 and younger can hunt pheasants for free on Sept. 14 and 15 at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. Check-in both days is at 7 a.m. at 59116 Pierce Road, with hunting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each hunter must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older; adults are not al- lowed to hunt. Each youth hunter must have a hunter education certifi cate or hunting license. Hunters 12 or older need an upland game bird validation. All participants, adults and youth, must wear a blaze orange hat and vest, as well as eye protection. Registration deadline is Sept. 9. To register go to odfw. huntfi shoregon. com. More informa- tion is available by calling organizer Kyle Martin at 541-963- 4954 or by email at kyle.w.martin@state. or.us FISHING FORECAST ANTHONY LAKE Has been stocked with trophy-size rain- bow trout. Fishing has been good with fi shing from fl oating devices most produc- tive. MALHEUR RESERVOIR Anglers are report- ing poor fi shing. A fi sh die-off occurred in 2018; however, anglers still reported good success that year. Ice fi shing suc- cess this past winter was good as well, but anglers began report- ing poor fi shing when the ice came off the reservoir this spring. Biologists now suspect that the fi sh die-off was larger than originally thought. Biologists plan to stock larger fi sh (12-inch) this fall when water tem- peratures cool and fi sh survival can be assured. There were 65,400 fi ngerings (3 to 4 inches) stocked this spring that have grown to 8 to 11 inches. WALLOWA LAKE Kokanee fi shing is picking up for anglers. While most are fi nding moder- ate catch rates, the quality of fi sh is very good with kokanee to 4 pounds. Trout fi sh- ing has been good for holdover and recently stocked fi sh. Photo by Mavis Hartz Volcanic ash is exposed in a roadcut along the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway near Ukiah. Pedaling through the pines ■ A 43-mile ride through the Blue Mountains from Camas Creek to the North Fork John Day River features firs, too The Herculean Camping Loop is a seven-day, 292-mile road cycling adven- ture through a wide range of ecosystems and summits. Each day covers between 16 and 58 miles of isolated pavement and concludes at a seasonal campground suitable for tent camping. There are streams and water sources along the route but to truly tour in com- fort carrying a water fi lter is imperative. This article encompasses day four, traveling 43 miles through some of the most iso- lated and picturesque sections of the circlet starting at the Camas Creek Campground on the Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor and ter- minating at North Fork John Day River Campground. Exit the delightful Camas Creek Campground and roll north on Highway 395. Enjoy the rough grass and wildlife of Camas Prairie and Camas Creek as you turn to travel east on Highway 244 to Ukiah. Ukiah has been the host of hunting and gathering popu- lations since before European immigrants began settling the area in the late 1860s. Popular harvests over time have included camas root, huckleberries, mushrooms, chokecherries, fi sh, elk and deer. Currently the harvest- ing of wild animals is one of the main economic drivers of the region. This results in highways that are very infre- quently traveled, except dur- ing the fall when elk, deer and bear hunters visit in droves. Upon entering Ukiah, make a quick stop at the THE NEXT RIDE MAVIS HARTZ Forest Service compound to pick up the Ukiah-to-Granite Geology Field Trip Guide. The guide, compiled for motorists, outlines the different rocks and local geological wonders found on this ride. Appreciate the small town of Ukiah with its history of settlers’ woes, ranching and rodeos, real- izing that it is the last place to purchase anything for the next couple of days. Follow the signs south toward Granite on Camas Street. Camas Street pulls away from the marshy valley and becomes Soap Hill Road with a grade reaching 8% as it winds through majestic pine stands, then opens up on top of the world with basalt fl ats and rangeland. Soap Hill Road turns into National Forest Service Road 52 and is embraced by the Umatilla National Forest and is the only paved path for miles. The road, part of the Blue Moun- tains Scenic Byway, levels off just after mile 15 at 5,530 feet of elevation with an amazing view into the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife’s Bridge Creek Wildlife Area. Bridge Creek Wildlife Area originated in 1961 and con- tains approximately 15,206 acres dedicated to re-estab- lishing and supporting a vari- ety of fl ora and fauna. Recent history refl ects large herds of sheep and cattle grazing as well as timber sales, farming and wildfi res. The current management plan calls for a wide range of owners, both public and private, to focus on wildlife management, most specifi cally that of the Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer in the winter. Despite the focus group, the largest recorded faction of inhabitants are the birds, with 115 documented avian species. The majority of the climb- A stream and meadow near Ukiah. ing for the day, 3,241 feet of elevation, was accomplished in the fi rst 15 miles and the following 28 miles only gained 134 feet. Neverthe- less, the undulating miles pass without ever reaching a point that can be described as fl at. Grassy meadows and stunning vistas greet the cyclist at every turn. The majestic landscape has been shaped mostly through fi re. On a huge timeline scale, the presence of igneous rocks such as basalt, tuff and obsidian capture the imagination. Around mile 19 you can look north and see the remnants of the Tower Mountain Caldera, the cen- ter circular formation or neck from a burned-out volcano. This landmark was formed prior to, and fi lled in a little by, the great Colombia River fl ood basalt fl ows. The bright white cut banks around mile 22 are white ash fl ow tuff residual from huge erup- tions of the like that created Crater Lake about 7,700 years ago. Large deposits of mineral left from volcanic ac- tivity, water and time often congregate precious metals. The closer the journey gets to Granite the more mining activity is in evidence. Photo by Mavis Hartz Photo by Mavis Hartz See Pedal/Page 2B An overlook of the Bridge Creek Wildlife Area in the Blue Mountains southeast of Ukiah.
