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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2020)
B Saturday, November 14, 2020 The Observer & Baker City Herald P LEASED B Y T HE P OWDER ■ A series of snowstorms means it’s possible Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort could open for the season during Thanksgiving weekend Peter Johnson/Contributed Photo Skies cleared briefl y on Monday, Nov. 9, after a storm dropped several inches of snow at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort. With another powerful storm forecast for the fi rst part of the weekend, Peter Johnson, general manager at the ski area in the Elkhorn Mountains, said it’s possible that skiing could start Thanksgiving weekend. son’s 10-year tenure as the resort’s general A little more than a week ago, manager. pedaling a mountain bike probably “Things are looking was the fastest way to descend the really good right now,” Johnson slopes at Anthony Lakes Mountain said on Thursday, Nov. 12. “It’s eas- Resort. ily the best start we’ve had since Today, anything with wheels I’ve been here.” would be about as useful there as a The situation is dramatically dif- motorboat. ferent from a year ago. Anthony Lakes’ Broadway Flow In 2019 Anthony Lakes didn’t bike trail is gone. open until Dec. 21. Well, the trail itself is still down “We could be looking at an there, somewhere, probably with earlier opening than we’re used the indentations from knobby tires to,” Johnson said. “A Thanksgiving preserved in the soil. weekend opening is realistic this But you’d need a shovel and a year.” stout back to see the marks. Storms over the past week or so Since record-setting warmth have dropped about 36 inches of made the fi rst week of November snow at Anthony Lakes, Johnson feel more like late summer than said. mid autumn, a series of decidedly Snow settles during lulls, and he wintry storms has plastered the ski said that as of Thursday morn- area. ing the base depth was about 18 The blizzards have been benefi - inches. cent enough that the resort could That’s not enough to start skiing, potentially open the weekend of but Johnson was watching with Thanksgiving. glee the National Weather Service That hasn’t happened often in forecast. the past couple decades, and only The agency on Thursday issued a once, in 2011, during Peter John- winter storm warning for the latest By Jayson Jacoby Baker City Herald “Things are looking really good right now. A Thanksgiving weekend opening is realistic this year.” — Peter Johnson, general manager, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort blizzard, which was scheduled to arrive Friday and continue into the weekend. That storm could bring from 1 to 2 feet of new snow. “I don’t want to jinx it,” Johnson said on Thursday, while clouds were beginning to stream into Northeast Oregon but the fi rst fl akes of the latest tempest had yet to fall. “But it looks promising.” Despite the prospect for what amounts to an early holiday gift for skiers and snowboarders, the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic looms over the upcoming ski sea- son, Johnson said. Although he’s still working on the operating plan — some details will depend on how things go for the fi rst few days of skiing — John- son said Anthony Lakes will have to limit the number of people on the mountain each day. The fi rst priority, he said, is for people who buy a season pass. They won’t have any limits on how many days they can ski or snow- board, nor will they have to make a reservation. Chelsea Judy, the ski area’s mar- keting director, said that in past seasons, on a typical day about 25% to 30% of the visitors have season passes. The second priority constitutes people who have a discount ticket from one of the resort’s 48 lodging partners, which includes motels, vacation rental homes and other establishments. A list of those partners is avail- able online at https://anthonylakes. com/almr-lodging-partners/ Making the outdoors accessible to all ■ Advocates seek to find best places for people with disabilities to fish, hunt, hike and more By Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — There are hundreds of hiking, fi shing and hunting spots in Oregon. But only a portion of them are accessible to people with disabilities. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Travel Oregon, Oregon Adaptive Sports and other organizations are working to identify which spots are the most accessible every day. While there are no identifi ed hunting spots in the Northeast Region compliant with the federal Americans With Disability Act (ADA), ODFW has an interac- tive map and guide to the most accessible hatcheries and areas for fi shing. These spots can include paved paths, ramps and accessible restrooms. The Wal- lowa Hatchery, Jubilee Lake, Morgan Lake, Peach Pond, and the Powder River Recreation Area between Baker City and Sumpter are among some of the accessible spots for fi shing for people who have mobility issues. To make hunting and fi shing accessible and fair for people with disabilities, ODFW offers a free Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit. This permit does not take the place of a hunting and fi shing license. It does allow hunting from a parked motor vehicle, except on parked roads. It also allows for a companion hunter to accompany the permit holder. A permit holder also can fi sh from an anchored craft in Finding The Best Places For a brochure and map showing accessible outdoor sites in Oregon, go to https://www.dfw.state.or.us/ resources/hunting/big_game/ docs/access.pdf “While every trail may not be accessible to every disability, it is important, too, to focus on univer- sal design.” Dick Mason/The Observer, File Photo Jay Moore, a recreation tech- Morgan Lake is one of the accessible fi shing spots identifi ed by nician in the Whitman Ranger the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The area features two District of the Wallowa-Whitman boat ramps, four fi shing piers, picnic tables, a new restroom and National Forest, said there are updated trails for easier access. Morgan Lake closed to fi shing for several elements to consider for the season on Oct. 31. The lake reopens for fi shing in April 2021. accessibility. These include designated park- ing areas, accessible routes, fi shing outdoor experiences for people with platforms, tables that allow for “Access to the outdoors and disabilities. These include sup- access by wheelchair, fi re pits that public land is important for plying adaptive equipment such are at an easy height to be reached everybody. It provides access to as bicycles with pedals operated from a chair, close proximity to accessible restrooms, and water healthy, thriving communities.” by hands rather than feet, and offering support and guidance to facilities that are easy to operate. — Patrick Addabbo, executive all ages and disabilities. Addabbo “All people in the United States director, Oregon Adaptive Sports said it is important to have acces- need to have equal access to public sible places for all individuals to property, and public land manag- waters where ODFW prohibits participate in outdoor recreation, ers are obligated to do their best to angling from a fl oating device. regardless of any physical disabil- accommodate all visitors,” Moore “Access to the outdoors and pub- ity. While not all areas and sites said. “Folks that require ADA lic land is important for everybody,” are accessible to everyone, having accessibility are as welcome to said Patrick Addabbo, executive spots that are more accessible use public land as anyone, and al- director of Oregon Adaptive Sports. gives outdoor enthusiasts options. though land managers may seem “It provides access to healthy, thriv- “It is important to have people slow to respond to that need, they ing communities.” with disabilities be a part of the are doing the best they can given Oregon Adaptive Sports provides design process,” Addabbo said. current budgetary limitations.” The ski area will also have 20 lift tickets for each operating day, at a 50% discount, for guests who have a receipt for a purchase of at least $40, from the past 7 days, from a locally owned restaurant or retail shop in Baker, Union, Grant, or Wallowa counties. Lodging partner and local business support discount tickets will be available only at the ticket window at Anthony Lakes. Visitors can show their voucher or receipt and have a ticket printed. Once the priority groups have been counted, a certain number of general one-day tickets will be available, Judy said. Those tickets are sold online only, at www.anthonylakes.com — there will not be any general day ticket sales at the ski area. These online tickets will be available for any operating day during the season. See Skiing/Page 2B FISHING FORECAST FREE FISHING DAYS COMING The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving — Nov. 27 and 28 — are Free Fishing Days in Oregon. That means you can fish, crab or clam for free – no license, tag or endorsement required. Some restrictions apply, as in all current closures, bag limits and other regulations still apply. GRANDE RONDE RIVER Catch rates for steelhead and coho have been slow but anglers are finding a few fish. Pressure has been relatively light the past two weeks with plenty of water available to fish. The bag limit for steelhead has been reduced to 2 fish per day to ensure enough fish return to the hatchery facilities to meet program goals. As water temperatures continue to cool headed into winter, look for steel- head in slower water where they may move to conserve energy. IMNAHA RIVER Fishing for whitefish in the upper reaches of the Imnaha can be good as fish move upstream to spawn in the fall. Fishing for steelhead on the Imnaha has been slow with the occasional good day. The bag limit has been reduced to 2 hatchery steelhead per day to ensure enough broodstock can be collected at hatchery facilities. WALLOWA COUNTY PONDS These ponds were recently stocked with a small number of fish and fishing should be good. Honeymoon Pond, Kinney Lake, Marr Pond, Mcgraw Pond, Salt Creek Summit Pond, Teepee Pond, Victor Pond, Weaver Pond. Kinney Lake has been fishing well for fish to 18 inches with reports of very high catch rates.
