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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2015)
The Lure of Lake Chelan It has been said more wed- ding rings have been lost in Lake Chelan than any lake in Washington state. Could be. The Wedding Ring, signature lure of Mack’s Lures, was devel- oped 35 miles down the road in Wenatchee. This petite, little spinner has probably accounted for catching more trout and ko- kanee than any other lure. Want to fi sh the same lake for: kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout, burbot (fresh water ling- cod), bass, or even triploid land- locked Chinook salmon? The state record lake trout, 35.63 pounds, was caught in Lake Chelan in 2013. Lake trout av- erage 5 to 7 pounds, with fi sh in the 15 to 20 pound class fairly common. It gets better. How about a lake so big it shouldn’t ever get crowded. Troll along shorelines, lined with manicured orchards and vineyards while being ser- enaded by coveys of quail that overfl ow onto boat ramps and parking lots. You can see them sitting on boat trailers and feed- ing under vehicles. In May you can enjoy all this, as you bask in warm sun, look- ing up at peaks still tipped with snow. Want a change of scen- ery. Something more rugged? Choose one of the state parks and launches further up the lake and be surrounded by towering peaks rising more than 8,000 feet, draped in snow. Snow fed by G.I. Wilson streams come cascading out of Cascade Range glaciers. Still not interested? Lake Chelan is much more than a big lake with hungry fi sh. It is a destination site. A high desert gem. A place you will want to visit again. Hands down, the must do while visiting Lake Chelan is the Lady of the Lake boat trip to Stehekin and the North Cas- cades National Park. It has been in National Geographic, Sunset, New York Times and others. Volumes have been written about Stehekin and the trip. For the sake of brevity-and this column-take the 55-mile trip aboard either the 100-foot Lady of the Lake II, or the 65- foot Lady Express. The trip up takes four hours with two stops for passengers and cargo. There will be a 90-minute stay at Ste- hekin. Suggestion; when both boats are running, if you take the faster Lady Express up and the slower Lady of the Lake back, you will have longer to stay in Stehekin. How about, for starters, as they say; you leave the arid des- ert area of Chelan and cruise into the deepest gorge in North America, peaks over 8,000 feet complete with glaciers, glide over icy blue waters 1,500 feet deep--in places--but less than a mile wide at times. At about 30 miles you enter an area only accessible by foot, boat, or fl oat plane. Arrive at the small village of Stehekin for food, a museum, a great bak- ery, or board a bus for a trip to 325-foot, Rainbow Falls. The area is popular for hiking and backpacking. Forest service maps detail a network of trails. Talked to a middle age guy that had hiked most of them. When asked if he sees any critters on his trips. “See that trail right there? Bears, ticks and rattle- snakes guaranteed,” he adds with a big grin. A bonus on the boat was to visit with workers on their way to an old copper mine deep in the mountains. The mine closed in the 1950s. Years of out-of- control pollution has to be rem- edied. They off-loaded at the bustling Lucerne landing. We were amazed at all the heavy equipment that had previously been brought in by barge. Time to bring in the Lake Chelan closer. Food and wine. Now that fi shing and a ferry ride have aroused your thirst for puzzle answers the area, how about some fi ne wine and food. It’s all there to be discovered, except fast foods. No McDonalds or Taco Bells here. Want to taste fi ne wines at wineries with spectacular views? This is the place. You can even take a fl oat plane to one. Land on the Columbia River and be serenaded by quail while enjoying the spectacular view. Talk about the ultimate desig- nated driver. One dining experience stands out above all—Blueber- ry Hills Farms. This is another must experience. When we told the ladies at both the hotel and visitor’s center we were going, their eyes rolled skyward, “You absolutely can not go there without taking me.” I could easily write a col- umn about Blueberry Hills, the menu, food, and fi fth generation owner history. Since it would be obvious I am not a culinary writer, it would be best to say, try the blueberry blintz and you will be back. When the Seattle Times gives it four stars for its breakfasts, you know it’s good. And, it is more than just a great place for breakfast. How about selling 100 fruit pies a day dur- ing the summer? I’m not encouraging you to take a three-day weekend and make the seven hour drive to catch a bunch of fi sh, I’m urging you to plan a vacation to a place you could fall in love with. And, who knows, while you’re there? Not many lakes around with all those species to be chased. For more information, contact: Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, www.LakeChelan.com; Lady of the Lake, www.ladyofthelake.com; Blue- berry Hills Farms, www.wildabout- berries.com. MAY 29, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9 DUST, continued from Page A8 on base in the game, Gresh- am stranded 11. Strong base running and a couple of doubles and a triple by Kelsi Christensen kept the game moving at a swift pace. “We really focused that inning and had a lot of run- ners with clutch hits,” said Oliver. Even though the offense was making waves, McNary’s defense played tough with a pair of double plays. In the top of the fi rst, Kinsey Mc- Naught made a running catch in center fi eld and an eagle-eyed throw to second to catch a runner trying to advance. “Every catch in the out- fi eld, every throw in the out- fi eld, every single one was spot on,” said Ulrey. Ulrey threw a complete game with three strikeouts after strug- gling to fi nd her zone in the fi rst inning. With bases loaded and one out, Ulrey was part of the second double play in the sixth inning when she scooped up a grounder and threw to catcher Kiana Vil- larreal who got an out at home plate. Villarreal threw to fi rst for the second out to end the Gopher’s inning. As far as the contest with North Medford, the Celtics were hoping their own win streak outlasted North Med- ford’s. Ulrey said she wanted to see the team strike fi rst in the second round. “We need to start sooner and not let them score fi rst. We need to work on that be- cause it’s a big part of how we play,” she said. McNary sports banquet set for Saturday McNary High School’s Athletic Booster Club will hold its fourth annual dinner and auction on Saturday, May 30, at the McNary Restaurant & Golf Course. This year, the club will also be having a golf and foot golf, described as a combina- tion of soccer and golf, tour- nament before the evening’s events. The last three athletic benefi ts raised enough to renovate the athletic training room, which serves to reha- bilitate injured athletes and help prevent future injuries, purchase needed equipment for teams and create a fund to help support athletes with monetary needs and would not otherwise be able to afford to participate. This time around, the boosters are raising money in hope of supplying OSAA- sanctioned and club teams with needed equipment. “The big thing is you don’t have to have a student attend- ing McNary to get involved. My son is a seventh grader at Whiteaker Middle School and this group is about forming the relationships and fi nding ways to get involved,” Danielle Bethell said. Banquet tickets are $35 each. Registration and ticket orders can be completed on- line at mcnaryabc.com. Keizer CERT is seeking items for its garage sale fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday, June 20–21 starting at 8 a.m. 4575 River Rd N, Keizer (next to Faith Lutheran Church) Sale proceeds will be used for supplies and equipment, and to further the training of Keizer CERT members and others in our community. We are looking for donations of items that can be used in our sale. We are a nonprofi t organization so all donations are tax deductible. If you have items you’d like to donate, please contact Bonnie at (503) 931-1450 or Trish at (503) 930 - 7318. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. Advertising space donated by Keizertimes Sam Goesch Ins Agcy Inc Sam Goesch CLU, Agent 3975 River Road North Keizer, OR 97303 Bus: 503-393-6252 State Farm , Bloomington, IL 1211999