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East Oregonian
Saturday, July 29, 2017
BLOOMIN’ BLUES
Tailcup one of hundreds of lupines
By BRUCE BARNES
For the East Oregonian
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Kids play on rocks in Sunset Bay as the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean July 23 in
Coos Bay.
Wyden revives recreation bill
“A number of key laws really
stem from yesteryear ... this is
really trying to come up with
some policies that modernize
.. outdoor industries”
Legislation to
prioritize recreation
opportunities
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
While the issue of
debating health care is
causing a sharp political
divide in Congress, U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)
took time Wednesday to
highlight what he described
as the right way of advancing
legislation.
During a conference
call with reporters, Wyden
announced he is reaching
across the aisle to revive the
Recreation Not Red-Tape
Act — a bill that supporters
say would make it easier
for people to enjoy the great
outdoors.
Wyden co-sponsored a
version of the bill last year
with fellow Oregon Demo-
crat, Rep. Earl Blumenauer,
after they made the rounds
visiting each of Oregon’s
“Seven Wonders.” This year,
Wyden has reintroduced
the bill alongside Rep. Rob
Bishop (R-Utah), chairman
of the House Natural
Resources Committee.
The focus of the bill is
to get more people outside
enjoying national lands,
Wyden said, by expediting
the permit process for
outfitters and directing
federal agencies to prioritize
recreation when making
land and water management
decisions.
“A number of key laws
really stem from yesteryear,”
Wyden said. “To a great
extent, I think this is really
trying to come up with some
policies that modernize the
challenges of outdoor indus-
tries.”
— Ron Wyden,
U.S. Senator, (D-Oregon)
To illustrate his point,
Wyden mentioned river
guides who need to obtain
multiple
permits
from
multiple different agencies
for trips that cross juris-
dictions. The Recreation
Not Red-Tape Act would
require the Forest Service
and Bureau of Land
Management to review
their permitting processes,
shorten processing times and
work with states so visitors
can buy a state and federal
pass all in one transaction.
The bill also directs agen-
cies like the Army Corps of
Engineers, Bureau of Recla-
mation and Department
of Transportation to make
outdoor recreation a priority
for the first time, and holds
land managers accountable
for achieving recreation
goals.
According to the Outdoor
Industry
Association,
outdoor recreation gener-
ates $887 billion in annual
spending and 7.6 million
jobs across the country. Yet
Wyden said he has heard
concerns from within rural
communities that outdated
laws are holding back these
opportunities.
“Some of the concerns
I’ve heard just sounded like
bureaucratic water torture,”
he said.
Other provisions in the
bill would extend to the
U.S. military, requiring all
branches to include informa-
tion about outdoor recreation
as part of the basic services
they provide to veterans.
As for maintaining public
lands, the bill establishes
a pilot program for inter-
agency trail management
while also creating a system
of National Recreation Areas,
which would be managed to
uniform guidelines.
Wyden said parts of the
bill have been modified in
this latest version, but still
maintains the same intent
while garnering greater
bipartisan support with the
help of Rep. Bishop.
“Cumbersome permitting
processes and other bureau-
cratic roadblocks have
significantly
undermined
access to recreational oppor-
tunities for lands that should
be available for all Ameri-
cans to enjoy,” Bishop said
in a statement. “This bipar-
tisan bill cuts through that
red-tape and ensures federal
land managers are focused
on their role in providing
the public with high-quality
outdoor experiences.”
A number of outdoor
recreation groups have
come out in favor of the bill,
including the Association
of Northwest Steelheaders,
International
Mountain
Biking Association, Trout
Unlimited, the American
Alpine Club and American
Canoe Association.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
Common
Name:
Tailcup Lupine
Scientific
Name:
Lupinus caudatus
The Tailcup Lupine is
found throughout most of
western North America,
from British Columbia to
California, and eastward
to South Dakota to Texas.
There are estimated to be
over 100 species of lupine
worldwide, most of them
in North America, and the
rest are scattered in the
other continents except
for Australia. Lupine is in
Fabaceae, better known as
the pea family or legume
family, and one of some
600 genera in the family
worldwide.
The names Lupine and
Lupinus come from the
Latin lupus for wolf, though
the reason for this reference
is unknown. Caudatus is
Latin for having a tail, which
refers to the lower hairy
sepal, which forms a slender
spur-like cup beneath the
flower. Unfortunately, the
name and the narrow sepal
don’t help much to identify
this lupine species, since all
lupine species have a very
similar lower sepal.
Lupinus caudatus is a
somewhat common species
in our area, but it is often
very difficult to identify
from three or four other
lupines. Most lupines have
gray-green hairy leaves, a
crowded terminal raceme
of flowers, blue to purple
Photo by Bruce Barnes
Tailcup Lupine, Lupinus caudatus
petals, and leaves with a
whorl of 6 or more leaflets
radiating from the end of
the leaf stem. Identification
usually requires examina-
tion of technical aspects
of the plant and the use
of a handlens and a ruler
for a close look at leaf and
flower dimensions. The
plant stands about 1-2 feet
tall, and the leaves have
7-9 leaflets that are 1¼ to 2
inches long.
Many species of Lupine
have been used for a variety
of purposes by Indian tribes,
primarily in the western half
of North America. Lupinus
caudatus was used to cause
vomiting, and to create a
lotion to treat poison ivy
blisters.
Where to find: At this
time of summer, it should
still be blooming in many
locations at upper elevations
in the Blue Mountains.
ODFW offers free youth pheasant hunts
East Oregonian
The Oregon Department
of Fish & Wildlife is hosting
free pheasant hunts for youth
hunters, ages 17 and under,
around the state during the
month of September.
One of the hunts will be
held at the Irrigon Wildlife
Area, located between
Irrigon and Umatilla along
Highway 730, on Saturday,
Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept.
24. Morning and evening
hunts will be available
Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon
and 1-5 p.m. Sunday will
feature a morning hunt only.
ODFW stocks pheasants
for these special hunts to give
youth a head start on regular
pheasant seasons, which
don’t begin until October.
Quail and dove can also be
hunted.
The hunts are free, though
participants do need a valid
hunting license and upland
game bird validation.
They must also have
previously passed hunter
education.
“If your child made it
through hunter education but
is still new to the sport, this
is a great way to get them
started,” said James Reed,
ODFW hunter education
coordinator.
An adult 21 years or older
must accompany the youth to
supervise, but is not allowed
to hunt. Both hunter and
supervisor must wear a hunter
orange hat, eye protection and
a hunter orange vest. Safety
equipment will be provided
by ODFW for anyone who
needs it.
For more information
or to register, visit www.
odfwcalendar.com.
Registration can also be
done at a license sales agent
or ODFW office that sells
licenses.
In addition to the Irrigon
Wildlife Area, hunts will
also be held at the following
locations in Eastern Oregon:
• Baker City, Sept. 24-23
on private land. Participants
will be notified of location
via email.
• John Day Valley, 457
Front St., Prairie City, Sept.
16-17.
• La Grande, Ladd Marsh
Wildlife Area, Sept. 16-17.
Advance registration not
required.
What should you keep in your day pack?
By RICH LANDERS
The Spokesman-Review
One descriptive term in the lead
of an Associated Press story about
a search and rescue effort for
Idaho hikers should make every
adventurer cringe:
“BOISE — A day trip to the top
of Idaho’s tallest peak turned out to
be a lot more than two ill-equipped
southwest Idaho hikers intended.”
Even prepared veteran hikers
can encounter dangerous unex-
pected circumstances in the field,
but to be labeled “ill-equipped” by
the responders to your situation is
embarrassing.
Being unprepared is a risk
factor that’s preventable.
Go-light, go-fast strategies
have merit in some cases, but
heading out without gear needed
to endure an unexpected weather
change or night in the mountains
can be deadly when things go
wrong.
More often, the problems occur
simply because people have no
strategy at all or they’re unin-
formed.
They don’t know that a thun-
derstorm in mountains on a hot
summer day can drop the tempera-
ture by 30 or 40 degrees in a flash,
requiring not only rain gear but
also extra insulation.
They forget that a headlamp is
needed to safely hike out of the
backcountry when an unexpected
delay keeps them out after dark.
Maybe the delay was caused by
not having a map and compass.
When you head out on a trail,
you should have what it takes to
survive an incident or accident —
snacks, water, shelter, first aid kit
and a way of making a fire.
What’s
pack?
in YOUR
day
I asked that question to a
couple of exceptionally experi-
enced hikers to compare lists with
“Even when I’m
not planning trail
work, sometimes it
just happens.”
— Holly Weiler,
Washington Trails Association’s
Eastern Washington coordinator,
on packing for different scenarios
Rich Landers / The Spokesman-Review
Hikers carry essentials in day packs even for short outings from
the road or camp.
the items I’ve chosen to carry in
my day pack after decades of
exploring trails. The experts are:
Holly Weiler, a hiking leader for
the Spokane Mountaineers and the
Washington Trails Association’s
Eastern Washington coordinator;
Jim Rueckel, a veteran hike leader
for the Inland Northwest Hikers
Meet Up group.
A day pack for serious day
hiking should have a capacity of
30 liters or more. For starters, even
for a day trip at Mount Spokane,
all three of us carry the “13 Essen-
tials” as compiled and honed from
a century of trial and error by the
Spokane Mountaineers:
1. Map of the area.
2. Compass: We all use GPS
devices or smartphone apps at
one time or another, but there’s
nothing like the dependability of a
simple compass.
3. Headlamp or flashlight: We
all prefer headlamps for hands free
use, plus extra batteries.
4. Knife: We all beef this
requirement up to a multi-tool. I
have a small cheapie, while Weiler
prefers a Gerber and Rueckel has a
Leatherman Squirt.
5. Fire starter, such as cotton
balls coated with petroleum jelly
in a little zipper bag or plastic
container, or commercial starters.
6. Extra food and water: All of
us have 3-liter hydration systems
and carry an extra bottle if needed.
Rueckel carries a 24-ounce bottle
of electrolyte drink, too. Weiler
brings a few iodine tabs for emer-
gency treatment or a filter if water
is abundant. In addition to planned
food for the day, extra snack foods
range from nuts and jerky to Clif
bars and fig bars.
7. Matches in waterproof
container. Each of us also carries
a butane lighter.
8. First aid kit: See discussion.
9. Extra clothing: At minimum
a dry base layer top, plus light
gloves and stocking hat.
10. Emergency shelter: At
least a reflective blanket; Rueckel
carries a SOL Emergency Bivvy.
11. Toilet paper: wisely pack-
aged.
12. Signaling devices: A
whistle plus something reflective.
Always a fully-charged cell
phone in waterproof case; maybe
an emergency strobe or satellite
messenger.
13. Sun protection: Includes
hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and
SPF-rated lip balm.
Beyond that list of basic gear,
Weiler, Rueckel and I carry other
favorite items in similar or other
categories.
Rain gear: Considered an
essential, we all carry a rain jacket
and rain pants even when good
weather is forecast.
First aid kit: Beyond bandages,
gauze, blister treatment, bandanna
and tape, I carry small doses of
medicines such as allergy tablets,
ibuprofen and Tylenol plus
Benadryl for anyone who might
have an allergic reaction.
Tweezers and safety pins should
be included. I also carry QuikClot
gauze to help stop bleeding. Weiler
adds liquid bandage. Rueckel
includes dental floss and Body
Glide skin lubricant.
Extra clothes: Weiler lets her
rain jacket be her emergency
layer in summer and adds more
layers to her pack depending on
weather. Reuckle routinely carries
a lightweight drybag containing
a lightweight compressible down
jacket, light wool hat, light fleece
gloves and extra socks. Depending
on weather, he may also include a
light fleece pullover.
Potty kit: In addition to TP,
Weiler’s kit includes trowel, femi-
nine products, hand sanitizer and
doggie-do bags for packing out TP
and feminine products.
Insect repellent: Rueckel and
I rely on a small container of
100 percent DEET. Weiler uses
peppermint essential.
Camera: Rueckel relies on his
iPhone. Weiler totes a compact
camera. I bring a compact water-
proof camera available at all times,
rain or shine, and often carry a
DSL in a separate fanny pack.
Conscientious hiker gear:
Weiler leads the pack in this cate-
gory, carrying work gloves, Silky
saw and safety glasses. “Even
when I’m not planning trail work,
sometimes it just happens,” she
said, noting that she also carries
heavy-duty garbage bags for
hauling out litter. A few smaller
bags are worth the wait should she
hit a bonanza of spring morels or
summer huckleberries.
Navigation devices: Outside
of map and compass, most of us
use GPS at one time or another.
Smartphone GPS mapping apps
such as Gaia are very good, but be
sure to bring extra battery power.
Dog gear: When we hike
with dogs, we carry items such
as collapsible bowl, leash, dog
snacks and, in some cases, booties.
Depending on the hike route, extra
water may be essential.
Outside the pack items we all
bring or consider include trekking
poles, binoculars, pack rain cover
(it’s built into the packs we use)
and...
Bear spray: Rueckel and I
consider it essential in a region
graced with bears, wolves,
cougars, moose and stray dogs.
And there it is — a 20- to
25-pound bundle of comfort and
security that three veteran hikers
consider worth the weight.