Great outdoors beckons one and all.
Byline: INSIDE THE OUTDOORS By Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard`Everything For Somebody" - that's how the city of Creswell once marketed itself. The Outdoors Guy can't match that, but this week's offering should have something outdoorsy for almost everybody.
FOR FISHER-FOLK: Effective Saturday, the harvest limit for trout at Diamond Lake will quadruple, meaning anglers may take 20 trout per day - and there are no size restrictions. As usual, anglers are allowed to have two daily limits in possession.
The rule change was implemented to encourage anglers to catch as many fish as possible before an intensive netting operation begins in mid-July. The netting of thousands of pounds of tui chub (as well as of any remaining trout) and the simultaneous lowering of the water level in Diamond Lake are the first steps in the long-awaited Diamond Lake restoration project.
That project will include treating the lake with rotenone in September to kill the remaining tui chub - an invasive minnowlike fish whose exploding population upset the lake's ecology.
`We really want anglers to help with this special fishing mission by catching as many trout as possible,' said Dave Loomis, the restoration project's incident commander. `This will be a bonus angling opportunity with several large trout available to be harvested.'
ODFW is scheduled to release 20,000 legal-sized trout this week and another 4,000 prior to Free Fishing Weekend (June 10-11). Added to the holdover trout from last year, Loomis expects this spring's stocking means about 40,000 catchable fish will be available to anglers this year.
FOR CAMPERS: Reservations Northwest, the Oregon state park campsite reservations center, has extended its hours and is now open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Campsites at 28 state parks can be reserved through the center's toll-free number (800-452-5687) or on the Internet at www.oregonstateparks.org. Reservations are accepted as many as nine months and as few as two days in advance of a camper's scheduled arrival.
Reservations Northwest also accepts reservations for all state park yurts, cabins, horse camps, group tent and group RV camping areas, and most group picnic shelters. These specialty accommodations cannot be booked online.
More information about state park campgrounds, including those open on a first-come, first-served basis, can be obtained by calling the Oregon State Parks Information Center (800-551-6949), or visiting the state parks Web site.
FOR BOATERS: There's another developed boat landing on the lower McKenzie River. The Bureau of Land Management last month dedicated the new Taylor Landing, located on Deer Horn Road, about five miles upstream from its Cedar Flats intersection with Highway 126 and about five miles downstream from McKenzie River Golf Course.
The site includes paved boat launch, restroom, picnic tables, vehicle parking and information sign boards. BLM officials said development of the site was made possible, in part, by a donation from the Wessinger family.
FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS: Middle Fork District ranger Chip Weber says he intends to allow Willamette Pass Ski Area to construct up to 35 mountain bike "jump structures" and associated trails along its existing Kris Kross, Boundary Pass and Good Time Charley ski runs.
The "free ride" features are expected to make the area's summer gondola operation even more attractive to mountain bikers. Construction is proposed to begin in July.
FOR HUNTERS: Monday is the last day to apply for this fall's controlled hunts for pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, Eastern Oregon buck deer, many Eastern Oregon bull elk hunts, and most antlerless deer and elk hunts statewide. Applications can be submitted at local license agents or Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices, or by mail. A random drawing in June will determine which hunters receive tags.
Meanwhile, the number of tags to be available in the controlled hunt lottery and the 2007 big game hunting regulations will be discussed at ODFW meetings to be held next week in Newport, Roseburg and Springfield. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport and at 7 p.m. in the ODFW's Roseburg regional office, 4192 N. Umpqua Highway. The Springfield meeting will be held at 7 p.m. May 18 in the ODFW offices, 3150 E. Main St.
FOR HIKERS: State highway crews reopened the first 11 miles of the McKenzie Pass Highway (OR 242) to motorists last week, providing vehicle access to the Proxy Falls and Linton Lake trailheads. The new closure point is at Alder Springs (milepost 65.9). Above Alder Springs, ODOT officials say, as much as 10 feet of snow remains on the roadway.
FOR SUNDAY DRIVERS: It's too soon to say when the rest of the scenic McKenzie Pass will open. As recently as 1999, the snow barrier remained until July 29 - the latest opening on record.
Another popular road still blocked by snow is the Cascade Lakes Highway between Lava Lake and Mount Bachelor.
FOR WILDFLOWER BUFFS: Figure lingering snows in the Cascades will likely delay the peak of the wildflower season at high elevations by two or three weeks, if past years are any indication. In other words, expect the peak at Iron Mountain to be in mid-July rather than the traditional July 4.
Mike Stahlberg can be reached at mstahlberg@guardnet.com.
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| Title Annotation: | Sports |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) |
| Date: | May 9, 2006 |
| Words: | 874 |
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