Fly Fishing!

 I recently dug up some very old fly fishing gear that belonged to my mother's 1/2 brother.   He was sort of a father figure to my mother, and she kind of worshipped him.    She loved this gear, but, though she fished, she never fly fished.     When I dug it out a few months back I shared a photo on facebook, asking if I should take up fly fishing.    

Old fly fishing rod and reel

The feedback was a resounding YES, and one response was from a local friend I knew many many years ago, who offered to teach me.    His guiding credentials are impressive.    I had to take him up on this offer.    

After a few months of getting reacquainted, and some good casting and gear lessons, he offered to take me fishing on the McKenzie River in his drift boat.    This was special because, 47 years ago he took me on the McKenzie River.

1974, on the McKenzie River

So this past week, we did just that.   I took Waddles, he took his boat, and we met up for camping and fishing.    

Ready for adventure

The McKenzie River is spectacular.  The water is clear.  There are lazy sections, and adrenaline sections.    And the fishing is good.  Day 1 we put in at Silver Creek and took out at Goodpasture.

Ready to launch

A lazy section

A house being rebuilt after the 2020 fires

A not so lazy section

My first ever rainbow trout caught on my uncle's gear!!

Fresh trout for dinner!  YUM

Day 2 we put in at Quartz Creek, and took out at Silver Creek.  We only had 1/2 a day because it was, sadly, time to head home.   

Captain Mike

Beauty in the River

Fish On!

This area was devastated by forest fires last year.    A lot of the forest, and many many houses were burned.  Now there is a lot of salvage logging going on and houses are being rebuilt.    I can't imagine what the residents are going through.  The entire town of Blue River was burned, except for the school and the post office.     What I know, from working for the Forest Service for many years, it this will grow back, but it takes a very very long time.

There used to be a house there

Goodpasture Bridge

Eagle Rock

This wonderful trip had to end, but there was one more trout dinner with my brother when I got home.    

Yum!

I think I'm hooked on Fly Fishing!    If you need to hire a guide, I know where there is a good one!   Wy'East Expeditions

Anthony Lakes

 Just got home from a wonderful trip back to my old haunts in Eastern Oregon.    I lived in Baker City and La Grande for about 24 years and spent a lot of time playing (and working) on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.    A couple of friends and I made reservations to camp here a while back and this was the week!   We drove over on Monday, and encountered some pretty smokey conditions.   Normally you can see the Wallowa Mountains across this valley, but not today!

Looking across the Powder River Valley

We found our campsite, and got settled in.   Me with Waddles, and my friends with their tents.    The mosquitoes were on us immediately so we happily set up my screen tent over the picnic table and went for a walk.    The campground is very near the Anthony Lakes Ski Area, and right on Anthony Lake.    This is pine forest and granite country.

Tuesday we set out on a 8+ mile hike which took us up to the ridge (Elkhorn Crest Trail) and around in a loop back down through the ski area to the campground.    I've done this hike many times, and it is one of my favorites.   The wildflowers were wonderful and made up for some of the missing views due to smoke.

Lilly Pad Lake and Gunsite Peak

Wednesday we had planned a hike we had to drive to, which was short but steep.   It was pretty smokey in the morning so we chose to do a different hike that didn't require as much climbing (thus deep breathing).    We hiked to Hoffer Lake which is in a cirque below the mountains we hiked around the day before.   Again it was spectacular, and the mosquitoes were unrelenting.

Hoffer Lake

Camped a third night and after breakfast we packed up camp and headed toward home.    My friends spent the night at my house and we did another hike on the Mt Hood National Forest in the morning before they headed home.   This is another of my favorite hikes, to Lookout Mt, which provides a 10-Mountain view and didn't disappoint today.   

 There were a couple of scary moments on this Waddles Wander.  The first occurred when we stopped for gas on the first day and I realized I had left the key ring with ALL of Waddles' keys, at home.  This meant not only could we not get into Waddles, we could not unhook her from the car and drive home to retrieve them, because one of the keys goes to the hitch lock.   After a few moments of sheer panic, I remembered I had stashed an extra set of keys where I could get to them, and we were back in business.    We had to stop and take a lunch break at the next rest stop so I could calm down (and I'm not one who easily panics!).

The second incident occurred on the way home.   There was an obvious caravan of trucks with utility trailers and cars (about 7-8 vehicles total) that passed us on the freeway.   Then we saw them all stopped on the side of the freeway.    We stopped at a rest area for lunch and they pulled in to the rest area.   We left and shortly they all passed us again on the freeway.   Did I mention that I really don't like cars that travel close together in caravans like this.    There was a semi-truck in front of me on the freeway with lots of space between us.   The semi all of a sudden did a big swerve..... and my immediate thought was either the driver fell asleep, or there was something in the road in front of him he was trying to avoid.    Sure enough, one of the caravan truck/trailers had lost a full size mattress in the middle of my lane.    I was able to slow down and drive off on the shoulder to avoid it, but it was a pretty scary moment.    I don't know what happened behind me on the freeway but I am guessing there was a bit of a traffic tie-up for a while.   And of course, all 7-8 vehicles were stopped along the freeway where this was all happening.

Happily it all ended well, and we had a wonderful time.    It felt so good to get out in the granite and pines, and log a lot of hiking miles with good friends.    Thanks Diane and Lanita!

Out of Hibernation!

Well, after what seems like a very very long winter, Waddles came out of hibernation this past weekend.

I try to attend the annual Ladd Marsh Bird Festival each year.  It gives me an excuse to go back to La Grande, Oregon, where I used to live, to visit friends and the amazing marsh with its bird life. 

As usual, when I looked back at Waddles, parked in the RV park, she looks a bit overwhelmed.   

Small but Brave

We settled right in, and it was a lovely spot first thing in the morning.

I had dinner with friends the first night and got up VERY VERY early on Saturday morning to get on to the Marsh.   Took a long walk into an area that is only open to the public during the festival to experience the 'dawn chorus' of birds coming to life.   I could hear lots of Marsh Wrens and Common Yellowthroats but saw only a few of them.   Lots of ducks, geese, red-winged blackbirds, swallows, hawks  and sandhill cranes.    

I didn't take a lot of photos that morning, so I could just immerse myself in the chorus.

I spent the rest of the morning at one of the festival stations, staffed by friends.    It was fun to visit with the parade of people I know and haven't seen for a long time, and to watch the water birds on the pond at this station.   Avocets, Stilts, phalaropes, and lots more.

That afternoon, and Sunday morning I wandered around the marsh some more and found more birds and took pictures.   No matter how many Owls I see, they always make me smile.

Baby Great-Horned Owl staring at me

Mama Great-Horned Owl staring at me

Lots of Canada Goose babies and if you look close in the back right, you will see napping Elk

Tree Swallow, trespassing

Western Kingbird

Male Northern Harrier "Grey Ghost"

This marsh is one of my favorite places in the world.  I can spend hours and hours wandering around on the trails.   The festival was a scaled down version this year, but was still lovely.

We are back home now, unpacking and cleaning up.    I am all vaccinated up so hope to do more traveling soon.

 

When I opened the blog to write this post I got a notice that said the email notification systems was going away.   I interpret that to mean that those of you who clicked the button to get an email notification when the blog is updated, won't get that any more.    I will try to figure out if there is a new alternative to that, and let you know.

How is your summer starting out?  Got any fun trips planned?