B2
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, December 4, 2021
The search is on for the perfect tree
Christmas tree
cutting permits
for sale at several
locations or online,
for just $5
By JAYSON JACOBY
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — The
hunting season is on, but the
hunters in this case needn’t
worry about their quarry
detecting their scent or hear-
ing the snap of a twig.
Nor will the objects of
this hunt sprint away long
before you have them in
your sights.
At most they might shiver
a bit if the wind is high.
And yet Christmas trees,
despite lacking the keen
instincts and awe-inspiring
agility of a deer or elk, do
not always make themselves
readily available.
They sometimes hide,
as the saying goes, in plain
sight.
Trees, of course, tend to
grow in groves. And this is a
typical trait for the grand and
white fi rs that are a favorite
Christmas tree in Northeast-
ern Oregon forests.
When you come across a
cluster of fi rs — especially
if they’re slathered in snow
— it can be diffi cult to distin-
guish between a specimen
with gaping gaps in its limbs
or a crooked trunk, and one
that would be the crowning
holiday adornment for your
living room.
For many families,
though, this seasonal search
is as integral to the holidays
as carols, Charlie Brown and
cookies decorated with frost-
ing.
And it’s considerably
less expensive than most
hunts.
A permit to cut a tree on
national forest land costs just
$5.
“If you are on the hunt
for the perfect tree, you are
welcome to harvest one
from the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest,” said Shaun
McKinney, supervisor for the
Wallowa-Whitman, which is
based in Baker City.
The same goes for the
Umatilla and Malheur
national forests.
“You’ll have a memora-
ble adventure and a story
to share with family and
friends,” McKinney said.
Permits are available at
many local stores or online
by setting up an account at
Recreation.gov.
Lest anyone worry about
contributing to deforestation
by cutting a Christmas tree,
quite the opposite is true,
Forest Service offi cials say.
Removing a small-diam-
eter tree — the limits are
15 feet tall and a trunk six
inches in diameter — can
improve forest health by
reducing the competition for
sunlight, water and nutrients,
allowing remaining trees to
grow faster.
“In most parts of the
forest, removing small trees
reduces the risk of wildfi re,
helps other trees to grow
larger and more fi re-resis-
tant, and creates open areas
that provide forage for wild-
life,” according to a press
release from the Forest
Service. “So don’t feel bad
when you cut that little tree.
You are supporting a healthy
forest.”
Other guidelines for
cutting a Christmas tree on
national forest land:
• Cut your tree at least 50
feet away from the road.
• Clean up any trimmings
or limbs.
Round-up:
• Leave stumps no higher
than 10 inches. It is not legal
to “top” a tree taller than 15
feet.
• Remove any green limbs
left that remain on the stump.
• Do not cut in active
timber sales or areas that
have been planted with new
trees.
• Do not cut on private
land, wilderness areas, desig-
nated campgrounds, or exist-
ing tree plantations.
• Do not cut trees in the
following areas: Baker City
Watershed, Anthony Lakes
Campground or Ski Area,
Starkey Experimental Forest,
La Grande Watershed, Hurri-
cane Creek, and Lostine
drainages.
• Do not cut trees in posted
Old Growth areas or within
1/4 mile of wild and scenic
corridors.
• Christmas tree cutting
within sight of a state high-
way is prohibited.
National forests in the
Blue Mountains are amply
endowed with multiple
species of conifers that are
suitable for Christmas trees.
You’re not likely to fi nd
the symmetrical specimens
of tree farms or sales lots in
towns, to be sure.
But browsing the orderly
rows can’t fairly be called an
adventure.
Acquiring a tree in the
forest, by contrast, often
involves trudging through
snow, over the hills and
through the woods, with
the likelihood of getting
sticky sap on your hands and
clothes.
If you do venture into the
forest, prepare for slippery
roads and chilly tempera-
tures. Bring food, warm
drinks and extra clothing,
and make sure somebody
knows where you’re going
and when you expect to
return.
Here’s a list of some of the
common tree species in our
region:
Grand fi r/white fi r
These true fi rs are abun-
dant at the lower elevations
that are more likely to be
accessible in late fall.
They also have a classic
Christmas tree form, with
nicely spaced branches that
offer plenty of places for
ornaments, lights and tinsel.
Although grand fir and
white fi r are separate species,
hybrids bearing traits of
both are common in the Blue
Mountains, the late Charles
Grier Johnson Jr., longtime
forest ecologist in the Blues
for the Forest Service, wrote
in his defi nitive “Alpine and
Subalpine Vegetation of the
Wallowa, Seven Devils and
Blue Mountains.”
“Hybridization between
these two true fi rs ... make
identifi cation diffi cult,” John-
son wrote.
But names, of course, are
less important than shape.
Subalpine fi r
Full-grown subalpine
firs are easy to recognize
from their slender, dart-like
shape. But in juvenile form
they sometimes resemble
grand fi rs.
A distinguishing charac-
teristic of the subalpine fi r is
its needles. They grow at all
angles from the limb, rather
than in fl at, orderly rows as a
grand or white fi r’s do.
Although subalpine fi rs
usually grow at higher eleva-
tions than grand fi rs, the two
species occasionally mingle
between about 5,500 and
6,000 feet.
Douglas-fi r
Not a true fir — hence
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald, File
Dragging a grand fi r through the snow near Sumpter during
a previous year’s Christmas tree excursion.
the hyphen — these conifers
have more in common with
hemlocks.
Although Douglas-fi r is
a favorite Christmas tree
species in the Cascades and
Coast Range, the Rocky
Mountain variety that grow
in our forests typically aren’t
as graceful in appearance as
grand or white fi rs.
bundle, white and whitebark
pines fi ve).
Lodgepole pine
Engelmann spruce
Lodgepole pines are easy
to fi nd, but lodgepole pines
that make good Christmas
trees are not.
Lodgepoles of the right
height tend to be a bit sparse
of limb and a bit unkempt in
appearance, as though they
had slept in an alley.
Lodgepoles are the only
pines native to Oregon whose
needle bundles contain two
needles (ponderosa pines
have three needles per
Ponderosa pine
Like lodgepoles, ponder-
osa pines are plentiful in
many places, especially at
lower elevations. But their
long needles aren’t well-suited
for ornament placement, and
they lack the layered limbs
that distinguish fi rs.
A person might mistake
a spruce for a fi r, but there’s
an easy way to tell which is
which: grab a limb.
If you think you just
poked a porcupine, you just
touched a spruce.
Spruce needles are stiff
and have prickly edges,
unlike the softer, more fi nger-
friendly fi rs.
Spruce trees usually grow
in wet areas, and often are
found in groves near streams.
Saddle bronc rider Ben T. Andersen, of Alberta, Can-
ada, takes an ride on Strawberry Rocket who veers
toward a group of cowboys sitting on the arena
grass on Sept. 17, 2021, at the Pendleton Round-Up.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association on
Wednesday, Dec. 1, named the Round-Up the Large
Outdoor Rodeo of the Year for the eighth time.
Continued from Page A1
The Pendleton Round-Up
also was a finalist for the
Hesston Sowing Good Deeds
award, which went to the
Burke Stampede Rodeo in
South Dakota.
Three of Pendleton’s
contractors also earned year-
end awards.
Justin Rumford, who is a
delight year after year at the
Pendleton Round-Up, was
named the Clown/Barrel-
man of the Year for the 10th
time, while Matt Twitchell
was voted the PRCA Pick-Up
Man of the Year for the
second time. Molly Twitch-
ell was named one of the two
PRCA Timers of the Year.
The Pendleton Round-Up
can accommodate 17,000
fans per day. The 2022 event
is scheduled for Sept. 14-17.
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
GOL:
Continued from Page A1
Earning second team honors
were senior Leonardo Rodriguez,
sophomore Jose Gomez, and fresh-
man goalkeeper Danny Gonzalez,
who had nine shutouts.
The Pioneers won the GOL
regular-season title with a 5-0-1
record, and were 11-3-1 overall.
They beat Cottage Grove 2-0 in
the fi rst round of the 4A state play-
off s, then lost in the quarterfi nals
1-0 to eventual state champion
Philomath.
GIRLS SOCCER
Junior defender Leslie Sanchez
and senior defender Cynthia Munoz
were named to the Greater Oregon
League fi rst team.
“Even though we placed third
in the GOL, my girls were seen
by other coaches,” Pioneers coach
Martin Martinez said. “Leslie made
the fi rst team and was out for half
of the league games because of
surgery. Ruby (Jaimes), I thought
she should have been on the fi rst
team. She was one of the reasons we
stayed alive in league games. Most
of these girls will be back.”
Jaimes, a junior goalkeeper,
along with juniors Gisselle Ruiz
and Diana Gomez, were named to
the second team.
The Pioneers fi nished 0-4-2 in
league play and 6-6-2 overall. They
lost a state play-in game to Mazama
2-0.
VOLLEYBALL
Seniors Darby Rhoads and
Emma Leber were fi rst-team selec-
tions for the Pioneers.
Rhoads led the Pioneers with 85
kills, 101 digs and 48 service aces,
while Leber had 96 digs, 62 kills,
48 blocks and served at 91 percent
with 41 aces.
Senior Kadey Brown earned
honorable mention honors.
Mac-Hi fi nished the season 2-4
in GOL play and 7-7 overall. The
Pioneers lost their state play-in game
to Sweet Home in three sets.
GREATER OREGON LEAGUE
BOYS SOCCER
Player of the Year: Angel Castillo, so.,
McLoughlin
Coach of the Year: Jose Garcia, McLoughlin
FIRST TEAM
Angel Castillo, so., McLoughlin, Daniel Flores,
sr., McLoughlin; Almikar Garcia, so., McLoughlin;
Sean Molina, so., McLoughlin; Romario Garcia,
so., McLoughlin; Jamis Gonzalez, jr., Ontario;
Jaime Gonzalez, sr., Ontario; Hugo Mendoza,
jr., Ontario; Jaaziel Chavez, jr., Ontario; Jerom
Huntsman, sr., La Grande; Lamar Langidrik, sr., La
Grande; Owen Rinker, jr., La Grande; Silas Carter,
sr., Baker.
SECOND TEAM
Leonardo Rodriguez, sr., McLoughlin; Jose
Gomez, so., McLoughlin; Danny Gonzalez, fr.,
McLoughlin; Carter Perry, sr., La Grande; Brady
Hutchins, sr., La Grande; Brayden Sudbrock, jr.,
La Grande; Gage Mathson, jr., La Grande; Jesus
Hernandez, sr., Ontario; Pedro Aviles, jr., Ontario;
Diego Quintela, jr., Baker; Aldo Duran, fr., Baker;
Wyatt Hawkins, sr., Baker; Zack Morrison, sr.,
Baker.
GIRLS SOCCER
Player of the Year: Rosie Aguilera, jr., La
Grande
Coach of the Year: Sam Brown, La Grande
FIRST TEAM
Zoraya Santana, so., Ontario; Rosie Aguilera,
jr., La Grande; Susanna Durvik, sr., La Grande;
Bethany Brock, sr., La Grande; Haylee McCall, jr.,
La Grande; Sophia Petty, jr., La Grande; Giselle
Sanchez, jr., La Grande; Rylie Huddleston, jr., La
Grande; Leslie Sanchez, jr., McLoughlin; Cynthia
Munoz, sr., McLoughlin; Itzel Hernandez, so.,
Ontario; Jayden Mireles, so., Ontario; Anna Beld-
ing, jr., Baker.
SECOND TEAM
Ruby Jaimes, jr., McLoughlin; Gisselle Ruiz,
jr., McLoughlin; Diana Gomez, jr., McLoughlin;
Nora Crews, jr., La Grande; Maezie Wilcox, so., La
Grande; Lyndie Isaacson, fr., La Grande; Carlee
Strand, fr., La Grande; Jenny Juarez, so., Ontario;
Alondra Tinoco, sr., Ontario; Alina Gonzalez, fr.,
Ontario; Patricia Bauer, sr., Ontario; Brooklyn
Jaca, jr., Baker; Skye Smith, so., Baker.
VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Year: Jozie Ramos, jr., Baker
Coach of the Year: Ali Abrego, Baker
FIRST TEAM
Jozie Ramos, setter, jr., Baker; Lacy Churchfi eld,
OH, sr., Baker; Rylee Elms, MH, jr., Baker; Darby
Rhoads, OH, sr., McLoughlin; Emma Leber, MH,
sr., McLoughlin; Izzy Kump, setter, sr., La Grande;
Felicia Murphy, libero, sr., La Grande; Makenna
Shorts, setter, jr., La Grande.
SECOND TEAM
Macey Moore, setter, jr., Baker; Makenzie
Flanagan, RS, jr., Baker; Taylor Dalton, DS, jr.,
Baker; Hailee Pearson, setter, sr., Ontario; Kadey
Brown, RS, sr., McLoughlin; Ari Myer, OH, jr., La
Grande; Belle Neer, MH, so., La Grande; Shelby
Burgess, OH, sr., La Grande.
VIRTUAL CARE VISITS
AVAILABLE NOW!
See a provider
from the St. Anthony Clinic in
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AN APPOINTMENT ! 541-966-0535