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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2020)
B Friday, January 10, 2020 The Observer & Baker City Herald RECREATION REPORT JANUARY 31 DEADLINE TO REPORT ON 2019 HUNT RESULTS Hunters have until Jan. 31 to report their 2019 hunts. If you purchased a tag, re- porting is mandatory even if you didn’t hunt or harvest an animal. WAYS TO REPORT • Go online – it’s the fastest and easi- est way to report. You will need to verify or look up your account on the MyODFW.com licensing page. (Click on the Buy a License button) to report 2019 hunts. Once you have completed steps to verify your account, choose “Submit a Hunting and Fishing Outcome Report” or “Outcome Reporting / Mandatory Report- ing” to complete your report. Be sure to go to the online licensing system, you can’t report through the MyODFW app. • Visit an ODFW of- fi ce with a computer available for report- ing: Adair Village/Cor- vallis, Bend, Clacka- mas, La Grande, Portland-Sauvie Island, Roseburg, Salem Headquarters, Springfi eld, Tilla- mook. • Call ODFW Li- censing at 1-866-947- 6339 for assistance reporting. WILDLIFE VIEWING UNION COUNTY Ladd Marsh Wild- life Area: Hundreds of waterfowl remain in the area, includ- ing Canada goose, mallard, northern pintail and American green-winged teal. Many wetlands and portions of ponds are frozen, limiting areas for waterfowl. BAKER COUNTY Bighorn sheep can be seen in the Burnt River Canyon west of Durkee or along the Snake River Road south of Richland. The best viewing is in the early morn- ing and late in the evening. Take the Snake River Road between Richland and Hun- tington to see bald and golden eagles along the Snake River. There are deer throughout the valley. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon are good times to view wildlife. A drive through the foothills of the Baker Valley and through the Kea- ting Valley can turn up good numbers of deer. Viewers can see hundreds of Rocky Mountain elk at times at the Elkhorn Wildlife Area feed- ing site south of Old Auburn Road, which takes off from Highway 7 about 6 miles south of Baker City. The feed site is about 3.3 miles off the highway. An Accessible Winter View Rock Creek Butte tallest peak in the Elkhorns 9,106 feet Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald The Elkhorn Mountains from a logging road south of the Powder River Recreation Area near Baker City. I love snow except when my rig is mired in the stuff up to the axles, as helpless as a whale stranded above the high-tide line. (Albeit not so potentially aromatic if the miring is permanent.) A stand of snow-fl ocked fi rs, or a mountain peak glistening white in the sun, loses a fair amount of its luster in such circumstances. Being that both of my vehicles move by way of conventional wheels rather than by tracks, the seasonal arrival of deep snow creates a conun- drum of sorts. At the same time I’m yearning to tramp around in the mountains and take in their inimitable icy splendor, the very snow that so transforms oth- erwise drab scenes severely confi nes my ability to get where I want to go. At least with anything approaching alacrity. I could of course just walk — or, rather, snowshoe. But as much as I would like it to be otherwise, I haven’t an unlimited amount of time for recreation (my stamina isn’t what it used to be either, come to that). My forays into the snowy woods by necessity tend to be brief jaunts rather than extended expeditions. Trouble is, most mountain roads aren’t plowed. As a result access is, well, limited ON THE TRAIL JAYSON JACOBY for most of the Eagle Cap Wilderness — and particularly the southern part of that 365,000-acre area, the part closest to my home in Baker City. Even the nearby Elkhorns, with their comparatively lavish comple- ment of roads, are less than accom- modating. Places I can reach during summer within an hour or so on foot require half a day’s travel during win- ter — or more, if the snow is particu- larly plentiful (and powdery, causing snowshoes to plunge in as easily as a spoon into a bowl of whipped cream). These limitations naturally lead me to appreciate the handful of excep- tions — places I can expect to get to, even on a whim, and that afford me a rewarding view for a relatively mod- est effort. One of my favorites is the Forest Service’s Powder River Recreation Area, along Highway 7 about 14 miles west of Baker City (between Mile- posts 36 and 35). More specifi cally the Recreation Area along with a logging road that starts just south of the river and Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald climbs gently to a vista of the Elk- Beavers have constructed a partial horns that on certain days is magnifi - a state highway, it’s usually possible dam across the Powder River at cent. Because the place is adjacent to to fi nd a place to park. The Recreation the U.S. Forest Service’s recreation Area’s parking lot area near Baker City. isn’t plowed dur- ing the winter but there’s typically room in a nearby pullout. If you’d prefer a shorter, and mainly fl at, walk, the riverside trails are enticing, too. Two bridges connect the trails to make a loop of a little more than a mile. The main attractions are the ice-fringed river itself and potential wildlife sightings. The most likely of those are avian — bald eagles occa- sionally perch in ponderosa pines, and great blue herons sometimes soar past, looking more like a pterodactyl than anything relatively modern. Although you probably won’t see a beaver — the animals are mainly nocturnal — you’ll certainly fi nd evidence of their presence. The prodigiously toothed rodents have built a few dams here, most notably at the eastern bridge, the one near the parking area. But to get a look at the Elkhorns you’ll have to hike out of the Powder’s canyon for a mile or so and gain a few hundred feet of elevation. To get to the road, cross the eastern bridge and instead of veering to the right onto the riverside trail, continue straight ahead and uphill. There’s usually boot, snowshoe or cross- country ski tracks — and sometimes all three. The road, which was used over the past couple of years to haul logs as part of a Forest Service timber sale, winds through the pines (and some fi rs), bearing generally west and then south. After about a mile the road reaches the edge of a large meadow and makes a sharp turn to the right (west). Hike just a bit farther and, presuming the sky cooperates, you’ll see the backbone of the Elkhorns near to the north. The road continues for another mile and a half to the Black Mountain Road, which also starts along Highway 7 and crosses Mason Dam. The loop back to the Recreation Area would be about 6 miles, including a quarter of a mile along the highway. Welcoming Woodpeckers Photo and caption by Jim Ward Bird feeder enthusiasts and wildlife photogra- phers are always looking for ways to attract birds to the backyard. Hard-core operators have found that “planting” a small snag near feeders will appeal to birds that look for these — woodpeck- ers, chickadees and nuthatches. Adding a few holes fi lled with suet makes the offering even more inviting — and can provide for more natural-looking photos as well.
