SPORTS
East Oregonian
B2
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Thankful for our public lands
BRAD
TRUMBO
UPLAND PURSUITS
N
ovember is a special
month. Not only
because it’s like an
extension of October in the
Walla Walla Valley, or that
the late season big game
hunts are open.
Rather, November off ers
a time of refl ection as winter
approaches and we gather
with friends and family
to give thanks. Given my
love for fall, I spend many
cool evenings refl ecting on
the outdoor opportunities
I have been aff orded over
the years, and the magnifi -
cence of our nation’s natural
resources.
One extraordinary
September evening a decade
ago, 12 hours to the south-
east of Waitsburg, I stood
amid the roar of the Madi-
son River in Yellowstone
National Park. The sun had
settled peacefully behind
the western peaks while
the cool humidity of fall
sank into the river bottom.
A soft, white haze began to
form about 10 feet off the
water as the cool air from
above fought to smother
the moderately warmer
temperature and moisture
rising from the river.
To my left was a house-
sized granite boulder with
a massive log jam against
the upstream side. Twilight
cast a dense glare across the
river surface, but climbing
up and standing atop the
boulder, I could peer down
and see a few very large
mountain whitefi sh in the
eddy on the downstream
side. They darted swiftly in
and out of the fl ow, nabbing
a bedtime snack.
There was a glorious
seam near a gravel bar
across the current that was
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photo
Marvin Shutters and his mule, Peanut Butter, take a break after unloading camp supplies in the Wenaha Wilderness.
too tempting not to fi sh. A
tiny Adams fl y was destined
to be picked up by a feisty
rainbow or brown trout.
Preparing to cast, I stripped
out a fair piece of line and
began loading the rod with
short “false casts.” Glanc-
ing left, the sight of my little
blonde bride, Ali, waist deep
in the current, laying out a
dry fl y brought a smile.
I stood momentarily
entranced in the scene, but
my revelry began to fade
with the faint sound of a
cow elk mewing, and then
another, and yet another.
Spotting movement behind
Ali, I gawked awestruck for
minutes as the dark ever-
greens under the fading
light began to writhe with
elk. Big, tawny bulls with
rich, molasses manes,
raghorns, cows and calves
maneuvered among the trees
on the opposite river bank.
They slowly fed and drank
directly opposite us as we
remained stone still. I felt
a fl eeting sense belonging,
as if welcomed into their
world. We were just part of
the woodwork.
Daylight vanished with
my rod held at my side. I
drank in every precious
moment of that scene as
the fi nal shred of visibility
faded around a couple fl y
fi shermen, engulfed by the
ambient tumbling river and
the screams of rutting bulls.
We climbed from the chill of
the river, stripped out of our
waders and fi red up the heat
in our rig as we returned to
our West Yellowstone hotel.
That trip was noteworthy
for a number of reasons,
all of which are owed their
own story, but fi shing that
evening hatch with my wife
on the Madison will remain
one of my fondest memories
of Yellowstone.
Recalling that moment
on the Madison conjures
another elk story, only
this one occurred closer to
home.
It was modern fi re-
arm deer season and I had
Racism:
Continued from Page B1
is used to support adminis-
trative action and healing
as well as prevent reoccur-
rence,” the statement read.
According to the release,
La Grande High School will
administer implicit bias
professional development
for athletes and coaches at
the school. The two school
districts are making plans to
hold a meeting between team
captains, athletics directors
and coaches.
La Grande Athletic Direc-
tor Darren Goodman said the
athletic department still is
gathering facts. He declined
to comment to preserve the
integrity of the ongoing
investigation.
The statement noted
OSAA has been in commu-
nication with the game’s offi -
ciating crew. Offi cials and
chain crew members have
sent their offi cial statements
to OSAA recounting their
description of the on-field
interactions.
“They’re trying to get as
many facts as they can,” said
Pete Caldwell, commissioner
of the Northeast Oregon
Football Offi cials Associa-
Shell:
Continued from Page B1
to be one too. It stuck like glue.
I was that little kid who didn’t
have the ball, I would go get a
fl ower.”
In addition to playing
school ball with the Tiger-
Scots, Shell also plays for
the USA Explosion out of
Connell, Washington. She is
entering her third year with
the team.
Shell also works with
catching coach Jordan Schil-
ling, who works at ai Sports
in Walla Walla.
“I am the catcher I am
today because of her,” Shell
said. “She is more than my
Andrew Cutler/The Observer, File
La Grande’s Jarrett Armstrong pressures Gladstone quarter-
back Brayde Owen during the fi rst half of a fi rst-round state
matchup Nov. 2, 2021, at Community Stadium, La Grande.
tion. “My offi cials have given
statements and participated
in that investigation process.”
The statement reinforces
the use of OSAA S.T.A.R
sportsmanship expectations,
which promote sportsman-
ship and combats racism
and discrimination during
athletic events.
As the investigation
continues, both schools are
taking the extra steps to
resolve any issues between
teams and ensure a respect-
ful environment during
athletic competitions.
While the two schools,
along with the OSAA, have
come to an agreement on
programs moving forward,
OSAA Executive Director
Peter Weber said the issue is
far from being resolved.
“We will be working with
an independent investigator
to see exactly what took place
and act from there,” Weber
said. “To see the school
districts looking into this
seriously, and going forward,
making sure this relationship
catching coach. She is my
mentor for all things. She is
truly amazing.”
While summer ball can
be cut throat at times, Shell
enjoys playing with Tiger-
Scots to balance things out.
“At Weston-McEwen, we
still fi nd really good competi-
tion in 2A,” Shell said. “I still
feel like I get good competi-
tion. I can just keep training
and have fun with the game.”
In an abbreviated spring
season her junior year, Shell
hit .440 with 22 hits, includ-
ing fi ve doubles and two home
runs. She struck out just four
times in 50 at-bats. She also
had 15 RBIs, scored 24 runs
and had six errors in 15 games.
“I met Madi as a seventh
grader and we counted the
years until she got here and
could catch for us,” Griggs
said. “We realized she had a
lot more abilities than to sit
behind the plate. At a school
this size, you have to play
more than one position. She
has been a real benefi t to us
and we are certainly going to
miss her when she goes. She
leaves a good group behind
her.”
She also will leave her
parents Rob and Trisha
behind, but Shell knows she
will see them in the stands as
often as their schedules allow.
“My parents just want to
make sure I’m happy and
having fun with softball,”
Shell said. “They have been so
supportive through all of this,
which is fun to have.”
packed into the Wenaha,
spiked a camp and hunted
the high ridges with my
buddy, Marvin, in hopes of
spotting a good mule deer
buck and making a move. It
was frigid for October and
spitting snow. The Eagle
Caps appeared as two small,
snow-covered hummocks to
the southeast. The atmo-
sphere lit up around the
peaks, pink as cotton candy
from the few straggling rays
of sun clutching the hori-
zon. I could feel darkness
approaching — an impene-
trable cloak meant to shield
the world from its own
inhabitants.
In years past, I had seen
mule deer in the familiar
meadows, and packed a
buddy’s elk on a pack string
after clawing our way up
from the jagged bowls of
the canyon bottom. My
only encounter this day was
cutting the tracks of a lone
cougar and wolf, both on
the same trail, and both the
diameter of a softball. Worn
is repaired, is positive.”
Weber said the steps La
Grande is taking are encour-
aging, and has the support of
Gladstone.
“They were supportive in
signing the joint release,” he
said. “We have been working
with both school districts and
what steps can be done.”
Weber said issues of
racism, complaints and other
incidents come across his
desk during the school year.
Each is thoroughly investi-
gated.
“There are instances that
schools deal with personally,
or instances where they come
to us,” he said. “We work
through it with everyone’s
best interest. We all want
this experience (high school
athletics) to be supportive
for everyone — students,
coaches and spectators.
When that doesn’t happen,
that is something we take
seriously.”
— East Oregonian sports
reporter Annie Fowler
contributed to this article.
out and cold, I headed for
camp only to suff er the fi tful
sleep of fall wilderness tent
camping.
Awaking the next morn-
ing, the sky was incredibly
clear with a billion shim-
mering stars. Within an
hour, the warmth of golden
sun would breach the east-
ern tree line, ending my
frozen torment for 11 glori-
ous, yet laborious, hours of
searching for backcountry
bucks. Standing peacefully
over the hiss of my pack
stove as the soothing aroma
of hot coff ee curled up, tick-
ling my mustache, I stared
wide-eyed at the fi rst twinge
of pink kissing the low hori-
zon.
The black silhouettes
of surrounding ever-
greens stood tall and fi rm
like the sentinels of dawn.
And unexpectedly, a bull
elk let out a single bugle,
not 100 yards from camp.
His guttural squeal echo-
ing around the edge of the
meadow sent a chill down
my spine. I prickled with
goosebumps.
Emotion spurred by a
single, well-timed elk bugle
brought a deep apprecia-
tion for our nation’s wild,
public lands. My love of the
wilderness, fi sh and wild-
life, and my thirst for these
experiences are owed to my
grandparents and the heri-
tage they passed on. In that
serene moment, I refl ected
on the teachings of my
grandparents while waiting
for coff ee water to boil and
Marvin’s awakening. Some-
how, his sleep came easy,
and apparently sound, based
on the rumbling snores
that no doubt fended off the
wildlife overnight.
Marvin and I packed
out with nothing more than
our camps on our backs,
but there are many rewards
to come from a wilderness
experience, no tag-punching
required.
These are merely two
remarkable moments in
a sportsman’s life, where
virtually limitless opportu-
nities are available to all of
us — the American public.
As we share in our Thanks-
giving feasts and late fall
hunts, making new memo-
ries with friends and family,
take a moment to give
thanks to those responsible
for setting aside our public
lands and parks. Thank our
military brethren who serve
to ensure our freedom and
opportunity to enjoy our
nations resources. Thank
your friends and family
who accompany you in
the outdoors, perpetuating
America’s rich public lands
heritage and opportunity.
———
Brad Trumbo is a fi sh and
wildlife biologist and outdoor
writer in Waitsburg, Wash-
ington, where he also actively
serves the Walla Walla-based
Blue Mountain Pheasants
Forever chapter. For tips
and tales of outdoor pursuits
and conservation, visit www.
bradtrumbo.com.
ON THE SLATE
SATURDAY, NOV. 20
Prep football
2A state semifi nals: Heppner vs. Coquille at McMinnville
High School, noon
College women’s basketball
Eastern Oregon vs. Montana Western, Caldwell, Idaho,
2 p.m.
Lower Columbia at Blue Mountain, 5 p.m.
College men’s basketball
Blue Mountain vs. Mountain Home AFB, 2 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 21
College men’s wrestling
Eastern Oregon at Spokane Open, Spokane, Washington,
TBA
College women’s wrestling
Eastern Oregon at Spokane Open, Spokane, Washington,
TBA
College women’s basketball
Clark at Blue Mountain, 2 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 23
Prep girls bowling
Hermiston at Kennewick, 2:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 30
Prep girls basketball
Hermiston at Davis, 5:45 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Hermiston at Davis, 7:30 p.m.
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