The BulleTin • Friday, March 12, 2021 B9
When using the outdoors,
remember to give back, too
I
BY CRISTINA PETERSON
For The Bulletin
take trips. I take hikes. I take photos. I take
chances. I make memories. I get so much
from public lands, I sometimes forget that
I also have to give. Many people think about
giving back as making a donation or volun-
teering to do trail work. Giving doesn’t have
to be a grand gesture or time-consuming ac-
tivity. There are many simple acts that make a
difference.
Give respect, even reverence
Some of my favorite childhood memories
are from cross-country skiing on miles of
trails deep in the woods. I’d stop and with-
out the swooshing of my skis, be astonished
by the stillness and the quiet that surrounded
me. I followed my dad up endless hills to feel
a hint of adrenaline as we descended down.
I wound through the winter woods with my
sisters and friends. The trails were well-signed
and many of them groomed. But I didn’t give
much thought to those things. Partly because
I was a kid. But also because I just showed up
and it was all there, ready for me to enjoy.
It wasn’t until I worked for the National
Park Service that I realized how much effort
goes into maintaining trails or campgrounds
and managing public lands in general. Some
trails through the Rocky Mountains of Mon-
tana required intricate rock work or board-
walks to protect sensitive alpine meadows.
Even a seemingly simple path through the
woods is carefully sited to reduce impacts to
plants or wildlife or to reduce erosion. Sum-
mer and winter trails need maintenance.
Trees fall and must be cut out, steps and ero-
sion control features deteriorate. All this and
more takes time and funding. Respecting the
work that goes into the places we enjoy can
lead us to take better care of them.
It deepens my respect for places when I
remember that Central Oregon is home to
sensitive and endangered species; that there
are many culturally significant sites here; that
the places we enjoy today have long histories
and delicate resources that can quickly be de-
stroyed by an instance of carelessness. These
places aren’t here just for us. They have im-
Columnist
Cristina Peterson
appreciates
the outdoor
opportunities
Central Oregon
has to offer,
including cross-
country skiing.
Submitted photo
Spring
Continued from B1
Learn the patterns of the
season. The freeze-thaw cy-
cle can persist well past the
last rain or snow and past
when everything seems to
be melted out. Popular ar-
eas like Horse Ridge, Horse
Butte and especially Phil’s
Trailhead, take longer to dry
out than you would think.
The first singletrack trail
networks to dry out — in
roughly descending order —
are usually the Madras East
Hills, Cline Butte, the Rad-
lands in Redmond, Maston,
and the Lower and Upper
66 in Prineville. And watch
out for the killer mud and
bumps made by cattle at
Gray Butte.
Check the conditions.
Check out BendTrails.org.
Someone has probably ridden
there recently and reported
on the conditions.
Consider a new or different
activity. Downhill skiing or
Fire restrictions
Fire danger is currently
listed as moderate in the
Deschutes National Forest.
Fire danger is listed as Low
in the Ochoco and Willa-
mette National Forests.
Industrial Fire Precau-
tion Level is currently at
Level 1 for the Deschutes
and Ochoco national for-
ests and the Prineville
District — Bureau of Land
Management.
snowboarding, cross-country
skiing, snowshoeing, snow-
mobiling, kayaking, canoeing,
rock climbing and road bik-
ing are all great alternatives
when the trails are muddy.
And that’s not even a com-
plete list! Am I dreaming? Do
I live here?
Consider paved paths.
Running, walking or biking
on the area’s paved multiuse
paths is another great option.
Three options are the Rim
Rock trailhead to the Cas-
cade Lakes Welcome Station,
in Shevlin Park and at Pilot
Butte State Park.
Consider gravel rides.
DirtyFreehub.com has a huge
selection of amazing rides
that are predominantly gravel
roads, with some paved and
trail sections. Many of these
rides are long — 30 to 50
miles or more — so you’ll
definitely get a workout. Most
take you to stunning, lit-
tle-traveled places with beau-
tiful views, guaranteed to fill
your day with adventure. We
Riding (bikes or horses), walking or running on muddy
trails also does long-term damage. As people try to navigate
around the water and mud, the trail widens from fun
singletrack to nearly road width. The smooth trail tread that’s
so fun to ride becomes rutted and bumpy. Soil is displaced,
causing erosion that dislodges rocks and other features that
make mountain biking exciting and challenging.
suggest the 42-mile Priest
Hole ride near the Painted
Hills for epic views and soli-
tude. And bonus: Many Dirty
Freehub rides are e-bike
friendly (check the ride de-
scription).
Have a backup plan. If
you do venture out on frag-
ile trails, be prepared to turn
around or switch to one of
the many dirt roads if the trail
is muddy. Although the dirt
roads will likely be muddy
too, you’ll avoid damaging the
trail and have an adventure.
An app like Trailforks will
help you navigate dirt roads.
Or if you prefer a paper map,
Adventure Maps has Bend
covered.
e e
Emmy Andrews is the executive
director of the Central Oregon Trail
Alliance.
portance spanning from the past and long
into the future. This requires everyone to act
with reverence for the intricacies we may not
see or understand but are present around us.
Give silence, give space
If you’re out with friends or family, keep
your voices down. This increases your odds of
having a unique wildlife sighting and lessens
the amount of disturbance you have on ani-
mals in the area and on other visitors. Hear-
ing a bird call or even just total silence can
be such a magical experience. Many trails in
central Oregon are near private homes, re-
spect those residents by giving them peace
and quiet.
Give thought to where you park. The
ground adjacent to a trailhead or gravel road
can look bare and dusty in the fall and winter.
But in the spring and summer, that patch of
dirt could be carpeted with colorful wildflow-
ers. Many trailheads are designed to match
the carrying capacity of an area. The size of
the parking lot equates to an appropriate
number of people the area can sustain. If a
parking area is full, move onto a different lo-
cation, give others a chance to enjoy that area
without overcrowding it.
Give the illusion of a wild place
Most people know the basics, like not litter-
ing. Consider other impacts, like keeping your
dog under control and picking up after them
every time. Central Oregon loves dogs which
means there are lots of pups cruising around.
Over time, dog poop adds up and so do other
impacts such as disturbance to wildlife or
trampling vegetation, especially in riparian
areas. Do everything you can to not leave any
evidence of you or your dog’s presence.
It’s extraordinary and increasingly rare to
find solitude, to feel like I am in a truly wild
place where no other people have been in a
long time. Impacts, over time, decrease that
sense of true wildness.
Maybe you get a workout or exercise for
your dog, maybe you get fresh air or a sense of
adventure. Maybe you get rejuvenated. We all
get so much from our open spaces. Next visit,
consider how you might give.
Indulge
in Self Care
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