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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2016)
FRIDAY, APRIL 8 2016 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 Outdoor Rec / Local Locked and Loaded has Spring Cusick Creek project Snow Run in Sumpter completed Submitted Photo. Submitted Photo. The local Locked and Loaded Offroad group headed to Sumpter last weekend to enjoy the remaining winter snow. The group with hold its annual Go Topless Day in May. BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com With the arrival of spring, the snow around Sumpter may not be so suitable for snowmobiling, but plenty of enthusiasts enjoyed what’s left of the white stuff when members of the Locked and Loaded Off Road group came to town the weekend of April 1st. Christina Witham explained the group name comes from the lockers they use on their off-road vehicles to allow them to access more places and from the vehicles being “loaded” with family and friends. Witham said the genesis of the idea came from the rallies attended at Tollgate. The Umatilla Forest allows off-road vehicles to drive on groomed snowmobile trails on April 1st. Want- ing to do something local and support the town of Sumpter, the Withams asked if the same proce- dure applies on the Wal- lowa-Whitman. They were told there isn’t anything like that set, but to contact the local snowmobile club. Witham said they met with John Young, Sumpter Valley Community Vol- unteers vice president, and Jim Sheller, groom- ing chairman of the Blue Mountain Sumpter Valley Snowmobile Club. They were given the go-ahead to come out and enjoy the snow and trails. Witham said motorized access in the Wallowa- Whitman is very important to the group. They have been constantly watching the Blue Mountain Forest Plan and Plan revision, with members working with Forest Access For All to keep the roads open. “Whether running on dirt or snow,” keeping for- est roads accessible is a priority. Witham said after obtain- ing permission from the Snowmobile Club, they invited friends to “come run with us.” Participants came from Milton-Freewa- ter, Hermiston, The Dalles, and Baker City, with lots of families and kids par- ticipating. Witham obtained a list of all lodging options in town and left it up to everyone to make their own ar- rangements. The Scoop N’ Steamer was booked up and the Depot Inn enjoyed a good number of guests also. Witham said they would like to make this an annual event and hopefully fi ll all the lodging in town. The event, dubbed the Spring Snow Run, was informal, with groups armed with snowmo- bile trail maps obtained through Basecamp Baker going out at different times to explore different areas. Friday, Witham said they traveled from Anthony Lake to Granite, stopping for lunch at the Peavey Cabin. She estimated they were running over about seven feet of snow at the top of the mountain. Saturday, the participants checked out various of the trails around Sumpter. Vehicles included an old Bronco, a Jeepster, a few Toyotas, and different types of Jeeps. Witham explained that out on the snow they air down their tires to provide as much surface area as possible. When they hit the pave- ment, they air back up. Witham said the exception are some of the ultralight specially-built rigs that don’t need to air down their tires and can go just about anywhere. Witham mentioned repeatedly the warm wel- come the group received in Sumpter. Local businesses contributed to the suc- cess of the weekend. For example, the Stage Stop gas station stayed open late Friday evening to accomo- date some of adventurers from the Anthony Lakes/ Why advertise with us? David Conn david@thebakercountypress.com or call 541.523.5524 Baker City, Haines • Low rates per column inch & promotional deals • Color at no additional charge as space permits • Friendly, professional sales staff Wendee Morrissey wendee@thebakercountypress. com or call 541.805.1688. Sumpter, Bates, Richland, Halfway, Medical Springs, Keating Family owned and operated. Packed with local news! • All display ads are also posted to our Facebook page, which means thousands of individuals see your ad from that source alone. We’re the only local paper that offers this service! Granite excursion who were in dire need of a fi ll- up. Don Christy from Su- perior Towing brought up a cone for the fi re pit and a whole load of wood. The Reedys at the Depot Inn allowed the Locked and Loaded Off Road group to have a bonfi re each night. Witham said everyone was welcoming and it was nice to have all necessary ame- nities available. She said the group was so apprecia- tive of the great weekend and wants to say thanks to all who made it possible. The only organized part of the weekend was Satur- day morning’s breakfast. Witham said the Sumpter Valley Community Vol- unteers provided a great breakfast and also opened the event to the commu- nity. Lila Young began cook- ing up her “famous dough- nuts” at 7 a.m. with the full meal service beginning at 7:30. For just a $10 sug- gested donation, French toast, pancakes, bacon and sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee and juice were served. Locked and Loaded Off Road will participate in the annual Topless Day on May 14th. This nationwide event is a way to celebrate the return of spring and is marked by taking the top off your Jeep. In past years, Locked and Loaded Off Road has used this day to collect and remove garbage from the Wash- ington Gulch area, hauling out 2,000 pounds of trash the fi rst year. They hope this year to be able to clean up garbage around the Sumpter area trail system. To fi nd out more or get involved, check out the Locked and Loaded Off Road Facebook page or call Christina at 523-9322. Do you buy this newspaper off the racks every week? Turn a habit into a subscription! See page 11 for how. The Keating SWCD recently completed a conservation project on Cusick Creek, which fl ows into Thief Valley Reservoir. SUBMITTED BY THE BAKER COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT In the 1940s, Cusick Creek, which fl ows directly into Thief Valley Reservoir, was diverted from its main valley bottom channel into an unnatural location along the east- ern side of the valley bottom. This unnatural channel had become greatly incised and was constantly eroding, with no resemblance of a prop- erly functioning stream. This Keating Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) conservation project addressed the lower, dam- aged reach of the creek with the main objective being to restore the previously straightened and incised Cusick Creek to its original natural channel. This project aimed to improve water quality, fi sh and wildlife habitat, and allow adequate fi sh passage to Thief Valley Reservoir. Conservation activities included: • A total of 1600 feet of channel shaping to improve the connectivity of the creek. • 20 riffl es at a total of 2,570 cubic yards were put in to create fi sh habitat and stabilize the historic channel. • 20 pools at a total of 7,850 cubic yards were installed for fi sh habitat improvement. • 27 root wads placed in the bank for stabilization and wildlife habitat/cover. • 3,500 feet of channel excavated to create pools; re- moved material was used to create ponds. • 3 ponds installed to create additional wildlife habitat in the project area. • 2,500 willow cuttings planted along 10,200 feet of Cusick Creek’s new channel. • 1 bridge installed to allow creek crossing. • 1,900 feet of new road created for landowner access to property; to spray weeds and better manage livestock rotation. • 1 culvert installed under Thief Valley Road to pass water from reservoir. • 50 acres of the meadow/construction area seeded and treated for weeds. • 7,000 feet of riparian fence to keep livestock out of newly constructed area to allow plants to establish. The dedication and willingness of the landowners, contractor, and engineer involved helped this complex project to run smoothly. All parties were willing to put in the time and effort to get this project done effi ciently and correctly– meeting the needs of both the producers and the wildlife in the area. If you have the potential for a conservation project on your property, please contact the Baker County SWCDs today at 541-523-7121. Spring bear forecast In Pine Creek-Keating-Catherine Creek (Hunt 762A), boars are normally the fi rst bears to leave their dens. The district experienced an average winter with good snowfall at the mid to upper elevations. Hunters should expect more snow than last year. Look for bears in areas of early green up. Usually south-facing slopes are the fi rst to be- come snow-free and can be good places to glass for bears. In the Keating Unit, hunters will fi nd snow-free areas in some of the mid to low portions of the national forest. Higher elevations near Pine Creek and McGraw Over- look still have deep snow and many of the high-elevation roads in all units are still impassible. Hunters planning on traveling the 39 Road to access the McGraw area should be aware that the road is still snow covered. The 66 road may provide an alternate route if hunters have snowmo- biles or ATVs. The Hess road may provide access from the Snake River side but should not be traveled when it is muddy. The road is steep and can become very slippery. The Catherine Creek Unit will produce good bear num- bers this year although early season access will be limited by snow. Much of the unit’s lower elevations are on privately-owned land. The higher elevations of the Cath- erine Creek Unit are mostly within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and contain excellent bear habitat. Snow may limit access to higher elevations in April.
