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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 2019)
B Friday, November 22, 2019 The Observer & Baker City Herald RECREATION REPORT FREE FISHING IN OREGON ON NOV. 29 AND 30 The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29 and 30, are Free Fishing Days in Oregon — days you don’t need a license or tag to fi sh, crab or clam anywhere in the state open to fi shing/ crabbing/clamming. All other rules and regulations, such as bag and size limits, still apply. PARKING FEES WAIVED AT STATE PARKS ON ‘GREEN FRIDAY’ NOVEMBER 29 The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) invites Oregonians to celebrate “Green Friday” Nov. 29. OPRD will waive day- use parking fees that day in 25 state parks across Oregon. Parking is free year-round at almost all state parks; the waiver applies to the 25 parks that charge $5 daily for parking. The waiver applies from open to close on Nov. 29, except at Shore Acres State Park, where it expires at 3 p.m. for the Holiday Lights event that runs Thanksgiv- ing through New Year’s Eve. A list of parks that charge the $5 parking fee is available online. BOAT LAUNCH AT WOODHEAD PARK CLOSED HELLS CANYON — The boat launch at Idaho Power Com- pany’s Woodhead Park near Brownlee Dam will be closed from Nov. 25 through Dec. 14 while work- ers prepare to install boat barriers above and below the dam later this winter. The barriers will prevent boats from getting within 600 feet of the dam on the upstream side, and within 1,000 feet downstream from the dam. Federal law re- quires the company to control access near the dam. Idaho Power offi cials chose fl oating barriers as the best option. Access to the old ramp at Woodhead, which is just north of the main ramp, will be open Nov. 28-Dec. 1 and Dec 8, although parking will be limited. The work will not affect stream- bank river access. FISHING FORECAST GRANDE RONDE RIVER Steelhead fi shing on the Grande Ronde is slow by most standards, but there are fi sh being caught and conditions are notably better than last year. The daily steelhead bag limit is one hatchery steel- head through at least Dec. 31. Final Stage Of A Herculean Bicycle Tour Photo by Mavis Hartz Pedaling through High Valley near Union. Turkeys, towns & teasels The Herculean Camping Loop is a seven-day road cycling adventure through a wide range of ecosys- tems 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 comfort carrying a water fi lter is imperative. This article focuses on the seventh and closing day of cycling fun. The fi nal push consists of almost 40 miles of rolling pastoral pleasure that loses more elevation than is gained. The last day of the Herculean Camping Loop begins at Catherine Creek State Park, outside of Union, and ends in La Grande. Commence at the attrac- tively timbered Catherine Creek State Park on the Med- ical Springs Highway 203. Swing to the west, enjoying the elevation gained the prior day as the route retraces to- ward Union. The basalt cliffs, horses, cows and wild turkeys are picturesque but keep an eye out for Kofford Road. Turn north on Kofford Road leaving Catherine Creek to follow Little Catherine Creek northwest on High Valley Road, a brief quarter of a mile from the Highway 203 junc- tion. Upon nearing the north side of Union, rotate farther north on the Union/Cove Highway 237 toward Cove. While spinning toward Cove, enjoy the stark dry ridge to the east and the miles of slough across the Grande Ronde Valley where fowl, fox, coyotes, deer, ante- lope and elk roam and pester the farmers intent on fi elds of THE NEXT RIDE MAVIS HARTZ grass seed, hay, mint, hemp, garbanzo beans and more. In the vicinity of mile 14, round Phys Point. Phys Point is named after one of the fi rst European settlers of the area, and marks the start of the only signifi cant climb of the day. The next 2 miles are fi lled with a gradual 200 feet of elevation gain and a de- lightful view of Mount Fanny. Enter the small town of Cove and curve through continuing on Highway 237. This picturesque pocket from the wind has a long history of commerce, state representa- tives, warm water and fi re. Most of the historic town burned to the ground in its heyday, but the Gothic-style church at the Ascension School is always charming, the Cove Tavern is known for its prime rib and the Cove Drive-In has wonderful soft serve ice cream. Exit Cove and Highway 237 to persist north onto Lower Cove Road. Enjoy the gradual rollers along the edge of the Grande Ronde Valley and the exquisite vistas of the foothills of the Wallowa Mountains on one side and the valley and the Blue Mountains rising up on the other. Throughout this ride, pockets of teasel can be found in areas of poor drainage where the soil has been dis- turbed, such as in old corrals and barnyards. Teasel, an invasive member of the honeysuckle family, is a statuesque plant that can grow to be 9 feet tall with woody, spiny stalks and a result. The teasel plant was introduced to the United States in the 1800s and predominantly produced as a cash crop in New York and Oregon. Teasel heads are still used in some boutique mills but the use of the fruiting bodies mostly ended around 1956 when a steel card was introduced and refi ned enough to replace them. It is still argued in some forums that the steel cards produce an inferior product. Now instead of being seen as a thing of value, teasel has naturalized and is viewed as a weed that grows in a mat smothering out desired plants. Birds still dine on the seeds; bugs die in the deep wells produced between the stem and the leaves and a rare individual may use it in a health remedy, but it is not valued and eradication by biological controls have been researched. Linger on Lower Cove Road as it morphs into Market Lane, just prior to crossing the Grande Ronde River and heading out of the shelter of the foothills. Just past the river is a little pocket park where the Lower Cove Photo by Mavis Hartz Schoolhouse historically sat. Teasels are a common sight along the route of a 40-mile Currently there is a picnic bicycle tour between Catherine Creek State Park and table, a tree and a water La Grande. pump. The pump works but the water has a mineral-lad- unique seed head and history. felted texture like that found en fl avor best savored after a In the Middle Ages, teasel on cashmere and also the top few hours of airing. was discovered to be the of billiard tables. Turn south when Market perfect tool to make a woven With the industrial revolu- Lane intersects the Wallowa cloth of wool softer, warmer tion came the Teasel Rais- Lake Highway 82 traveling and more beautiful. The ing Gig, which would hold toward La Grande. This is the biannual seed heads would around 3,000 seed heads and busiest section of road for the be harvested, dried and then eliminated much of the time day and very much a main inserted into a wooden Teasel needed to produce the desired artery for workers traveling Cross using their own stiff cloth. Skilled teasel setters to and from work. Roll along stalks to hold them in place. would travel to install and ro- for about 2 miles then spool The cross would then be run tate the precious seed heads onto the paved Booth Lane over the cloth to create a to produce an evenly teaseled around mile 33. Booth butts into Mount Glen Road and rolls back into La Grande, the origin of this spectacular loop. Be sure to visit Mountain Works Bicycles and tell them about your grand adventure and the things you noticed on this 292-mile Herculean bicycle camping loop. Photo by Mavis Hartz A picturesque barn in the Grande Ronde Valley, with Mount Emily in the back- ground.
