Sisters Oregon Guide 2021-2022 by Nugget Newspaper

Sisters O r e g o n G u i d e 2021-2022

Be prepared for

adventure!

Living Like a Local • Farm to Table Artist Spotlight • Music & Events Recreation • Lodging & More Sisters: A history of pioneer

Resilience

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

Welcome

FAQs

Where to find what

8 So you want to live in Sisters…you and everyone else 10 Living like a local in Sisters 12 Sisters’ ‘hidden’ economy has a big footprint 16 Sisters landscape shaped by fire 18 New development underway in Sisters 20 Craft libations are a Sisters specialty 22

Day trippin’

Don’t miss

27 From farm to table in Sisters 30 Food truck scene in Sisters 32 A classic equestrian trail 35

Camp Sherman

36 Resonating with sound and history

40 The glory of Sisters Country’s fly fishing waters 43 Sisters schools strive for excellence 44 Quilt show planning to move ahead this year 47 Sisters Rodeo awaits a comeback 48 Dipping a brush into the soul of Sisters 50 Artist spotlight: Dennis McGregor 52 Discovering Dee Wright Observatory 54 Parks

Sisters is for the birds

Heavenly golf in Sisters

78 Sisters resorts share the good life 80 Running the backroads of Sisters 82 A passion for road cycling 84

Music in the mountains

2021 events

90 Sisters offers health & wellness 93 Saying yes to adventure

56 Sisters: A history of pioneer resilience

96 Hardship, blessing & service in a Sisters life

60 Wilderness permit system in place in Sisters Country

100 Roll down the road to Bend & Redmond 102 Camping

62 The mountains are calling

108

66 Run our wild, beautiful rivers

111 Lodging

Sisters area map

109 Dining

68 Take a ride on Sisters’ trails 71 Playing in the snow in Sisters

50 27 2

72 Wildflowers

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Bill Bartlett

442 E. Main Ave. Sisters, OR 97759

541.549.9941

Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Graphic Design: Leith Easterling Jess Draper Advertising: Vicki Curlett Contributing Writers: Bill Bartlett Ceili Cornelius Charlie Kanzig Andrew Loscutoff Katy Yoder Contributing Photographers: Pete Alport Jerry Baldock Bill Bartlett Gary Miller Cody Rheault

Cover Photo by Boone Rodriguez www.boonerodriguez.com Paddleboarding at Black Butte Ranch ©2021 Sisters Oregon Guide. All rights reserved. The Nugget Newspaper, LLC sistersoregonguide.com nuggetnews.com

Reproduction in whole or in part (including advertising) without written permission is prohibited. Sisters Oregon Guide and The Nugget Newspaper, LLC assume no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements and all content within this publication. The Sisters Oregon Guide (The Nugget Newspaper, LLC) reserves the right to decline any advertising. All advertising which appears in the Sisters Oregon Guide is the property of the Sisters Oregon Guide and may not be used without explicit written permission.

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PETE ALPORT

Sisters Country — and Central Oregon, more broadly — have been discovered in a big way. Those of you who have made vacationing here a family tradition for decades already know that Sisters is set in an environment of unsurpassed natural beauty, with a welcoming and inclusive sense of community. You know about Sisters’ unique mom-andpop shops and the arts and culture that give this place such vibrancy. Those of you who are discovering it for the first time are finding a community that is connected to, yet set apart from, the hurly-burly of the wider world. The connection allows us to live here and work there to an unprecedented degree.

The freedom of an increasingly wired world means that many more people are realizing a dream to live in Sisters. All of that means change. Sisters is growing, which adds to its vibrancy and economic vitality —but also poses challenges in retaining the character that visitors, part-timers and residents all love. Heightened use has led to a permitting system in some of Sisters Country’s most beloved wilderness areas. New schools need to be built, and housing comes at a premium. Change is nothing new in Sisters. We’re celebrating our 75th year as an incorporated city — though our history goes back much farther than that. Over many decades, Sisters has seen its share of ups and

downs — reinventing itself from a timber and ranching town, to a tourist town, to a “Zoomtown”. We’ve seen fire and flood, and come back stronger from every setback. We’ve created worldclass cultural, sporting, and arts events that have put a small town on the map, and created innovative programs that make our schools a magnet to parents and kids from everywhere. No matter what changes and challenges come, the Three Sisters loom eternal on our horizon, reminding us each day to take a moment, to pause and take a deep breath, appreciate the grandeur and the beauty — and remember that life is good.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief The Nugget Newspaper WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

THE MOU

South Sister Elevation: 10,358 ft.

Middle Sister Elevation: 10,047 ft.

Photograph taken from Broken Top (not pictured) Elevation: 9,175 ft.

FAQs

What is the population of Sisters? 2,895 inside city limits; 10,000± in the school district. What are the Three Sisters Mountains called? Informally — Faith, Hope & Charity. What’s the elevation in town? 3,200 ft.

Schools: Sisters School District: elementary, middle and high school. Total enrollment: 1,150. What’s the climate like? Sisters is considered High Desert.Hottest month is July (avg. temp. 78.8/49.6); coldest month is December (40.8/20.1). Driest month is July; wettest month is January. Average annual precipitation is 11.4 inches. Average snowfall is 32 inches.

How much do homes cost? Median home price was $642,500 in April 2021 — and it’s climbing rapidly. Who are Sisters’ largest employers? Black Butte Ranch, 375 (peak season); Sisters School District, 147; Laird Superfood, 132; Sisters Athletic Club, 51; Three Creeks Brewing Co., 50; Ray’s Food Place, 51; Sisters Coffee Co., 46; FivePine Lodge & Conference Center, 38; McDonald’s, 38; Metabolic Maintenance, 39. (Numbers may have been altered by COVID-19 layoffs). Does Sisters have an airport? Yes, Sisters Eagle Airport is located less than a mile from

downtown Sisters on Camp Polk Road. 3,550 ft. of expanded and improved runway; airplane tie-downs; fuel available on-site. Year-round access. Redmond Municipal Airport — Roberts Field The wider world is just a plane ride away out of Redmond Municipal Airport-Roberts Field. Located just 20 miles down Highway 126, east of Sisters, seven airlines offer direct flights to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Las Vegas. From these hubs, you can get anywhere. Currently 30 daily flights regularly operate in and out of Redmond Municipal Airport. visit www.flyrdm.com.

(Sources: Oregon Climate Service/Oregon Economic & Community Development; Central Oregon Assoc. of Realtors & Economic Development for Central Oregon)

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UNTAINS North Sister Elevation: 10,085 ft.

Mt. Washington Elevation: 7,794 ft.

Three Fingered Jack Elevation: 7,841 ft.

Mt. Jefferson Elevation: 10,497 ft.

Black Butte Elevation: 6,436 ft.

BANKS: First Interstate Bank 272 E. Main Ave. 541-549-2061. ATM.

GROCERIES: Ray’s Food Place 635 N. Arrowleaf Trail 541-549-2222

Mid Oregon Credit Union 650 N. Arrowhead Trail 541-382-1795. ATM.

Oliver Lemon’s 160 S. Fir St. 541-549-0711

US Bank 123 W. Hood Ave. 541-549-2141. ATM.

Sisters Meat & Smokehouse 110 S. Spruce St. 541-232-1009

Washington Federal Bank 610 N. Arrowleaf Trail 541-549-8110. ATM.

LAUNDRY: Sisters Lock ’n’ Load 247 N. Fir St. 541-549-6165

Wells Fargo ATM 665 N. Arrowleaf Trail CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 291 E. Main Ave. 541-549-0251 SISTERS CITY HALL: 520 E. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6022 EMERGENCY/POLICE: Black Butte Ranch Police 1368 Bishops Cap 541-595-2191 Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sisters Station 703 N. Larch St. 541-549-2302 Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771

LIBRARY: Corner of Cedar St. & Main Ave. 541-312-1070 MEDICAL: High Lakes Health Care 354 W. Adams Ave. 541-549-9609 St. Charles Medical Center 630 N. Arrowleaf Trail 541-549-1318 Summit Health Care 231 E. Cascade Ave. 541-706-5440 Your Care - Urgent Care 3818 SW 21st Place, Ste. 100, Redmond, Oregon, 541-548-2899 NEWSPAPER: The Nugget Newspaper 442 E. Main Ave. 541-549-9941

CODY RHEAULT

WHERE TO FIND WHAT POST OFFICE: 694 N. Larch St. 541-549-0412 PUBLIC RESTROOMS: Barclay Park Ash St. between Cascade & Hood Avenues Cliff Clemens Park N. Larch St. at E. Black Butte Ave. Creekside Park Hwy. 20 & Jefferson Ave. Fir Street Park Corner of Fir St. & Main Ave. Forest Service Kiosk At the junction of Hwys. 20 & 242 at the west end of town Village Green Park Fir St. & Washington Ave. SISTERS RANGER STATION: Hwy. 20 & Pine St. 541-549-7700 PET/VETERINARY/BOARDING Black Butte Veterinary Clinic 703 N. Larch St. 541-549-1837 Broken Top Veterinary Clinic 67293 Hwy. 20 541-389-0391 Sisters Veterinary Clinic 371 E. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6961 Central Bark 367 W. Sisters Park Dr. 541-549-2275 WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

So you want to live in

…You and everybody else Things have changed a lot in a year. Many people have discovered that technology finally really does allow them to choose where they can live and work. And an unsettling year of pandemic and civil unrest has led a lot of folks to reevaluate where they are and where they want to be. A great many people have decided that place is Sisters. The result is, like other desirable communities across the United States, Sisters has seen a sharp rise in prices and a sharp decline in the inventory of homes available for purchase. This has created an intense seller’s market — which local analysts expect to persist for a while. “Sisters is definitely seeing the increase in prices and decrease in inventory that we’ve seen (regionally and nationally),” said

Kim Gammond, Communications Director for the Central Oregon Association of Realtors (COAR). “The trends we see in Sisters are aligned with the trends we see across the region.”

lumber prices come down a little. Mortgage rates are good, and it looks like they’ll be good at least through the year. Some people may be able to afford a little more than they think they can.”

Gammond noted that the median home price in Sisters shot up 40 percent year-toyear in April, to hit $642,500. Again, that trend is expected to continue its upward trajectory.

Gammond said that a number of factors are driving high demand. COVID-19 lockdowns seem to have spurred people to take a more profound interest in “home”. People from big cities are looking for a sense of “community”. And far more people and businesses have discovered that employees can work effectively from anywhere they have a good internet connection.

More extraordinary is the sharp decline in inventory. “Sisters is one of our more consistent markets,” Gammond noted, with 60 to 100 homes on the market on a consistent basis. “Starting in November 2020, that started to dive,” she said. Asked to forecast conditions, Gammond said, “I think we’re going to see tight inventory, a lot of interest — and maybe some relief next winter when

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Gammond noted that most of the interest in Central Oregon is still coming from the Willamette Valley. Fifty percent of online views of property are coming from people in Portland.

PETE ALPORT

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Living like a Sisters Oregon Guide asked folks who live and work here to describe an ideal Sisters day. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Chief Roger Johnson: His perfect day laid out in detail: “I would begin by remaining absolutely motionless in bed in hopes that the dogs don’t hear sound or see movement, allowing me to sleep in for an additional 15 minutes or so. “After that I would head down to Sisters Coffee Co. for a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a morning snack. From there I would head out for a hike with the troublesome dogs to Tam McArthur Rim. I would hike towards the end of the trail where I could relax and take in the incredible views of the Three Sisters, while I enjoy lunch. After my hike I would stop by Three Creek Lake and

local in Sisters

take a quick dip, and try my luck at catching a fish.

backyard with my parents in town.”

“I would return to Sisters and spend the evening at The Belfry, enjoying some live music, dancing, and a local IPA. To conclude the perfect day in Sisters, I would try to attach a sleeping mask on my dogs in hopes I can sleep 30 minutes longer.”

Graphic designer Jess Draper, The Nugget describes her perfect day: “Taking in the colors and smells of the early morning while working in my garden. An artist endeavor outside – painting, sketching, practicing guitar; foraging for mushrooms in the forest — including an easy grab-and-go picnic lunch from Oliver Lemon’s or Camp Sherman Store, enjoyed within earshot of water (maybe Jack Creek, Trout Creek, or the Metolius). A sunny and calm evening enjoying good food while listening to live music.”

Erin Borla, Executive Director of The Roundhouse Foundation says: Her best day would consist of “going to the Metolius and hiking up the river trail, then going to the Camp Sherman Store for lunch.” Freelance content provider (and Sisters High School and University of Oregon graduate) Ceili Cornelius says: “I would start by getting a coffee at Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, and then I’d go out to the Whychus Creek Trail on Road 16. If I had time, I’d hike all the way to the canyon. Then I’d come back to town for lunch at Angeline’s (Bakery and Café). If there was music anywhere, I’d probably go to it. Otherwise I’d just hang out in the

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Sisters City Manager Cory Misley says: “It’s gonna start with my espresso-making machine at home, with freshlyroasted Sisters Coffee Co. espresso beans. I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to work, so that’s going to be a walk around town. Get out to Aspen Lakes (Golf Course) for a little bit in the afternoon or the evening. A glass of wine at The Open Door — then call it a night.”

Bonnie Knox, a long-time equestrienne, described her perfect day as one on the trail with her friend Shawn Biggers, enjoying one of Sisters’ local horse trails, pausing for lunch with a scenic view and enjoying a beer afterwards to cool off. Bonnie is also a fixture at Chops Bistro when she has the opportunity to enjoy the Hawaiian sound of Bill Keale. Sisters Schools Superintendent Curt Scholl describes his ideal day as a family hike on one of Sisters’ scenic trails, with the dogs in tow, followed by a family dinner at home with a view of the Three Sisters. “I think we’d grill some steaks on the barbecue,” he says. Jim Cornelius, Editor-in-chief of The Nugget shoots for that ideal day as often as possible: “Hike away from the crowds in the woods (see related story, page 62) and/or get some trigger time in at the range, along with a kettlebell workout. French Dip sandwich for lunch at Sisters Meat & Smokehouse. Play music with friends. Repeat.”

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Sisters’ ‘hidden’ economy has a big footprint

But for many years, a “hidden” economy has been perking away, just off the beaten path in Sisters’ light industrial parks on the north end of town. And in the past couple of years, Sisters’ cadre of “makers” has expanded its footprint and made an impression in the traded sector well beyond this small town. Nestled right in town, next to The Belfry, which is a regionally well-known music venue, is the shop of Preston Thompson Guitars. The late Preston Thompson founded the company in Sisters in 2013, returning to a lifelong passion for recreating the legendary sound of “golden age” (19291939) Martin guitars. The company is thriving, despite the tragic passing of its founder in 2019. The company employs 10 builders, plus general manager Christine Funk. They produced 140 custom guitars in 2020. Many of those instruments are in the hands of top-tier musicians. Others appeal to

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collectors and to hobbyist musicians who take their playing seriously. According to Funk, the coronavirus pandemic “slowed us down — and gave us a lot more orders.” Complying with distancing requirements in a small shop was responsible for the slowdown. People reassessing what they want in life had a hand in increasing orders. People who always wanted a fine, custom instrument decided to no longer defer the desire.

people in a custom tile business that has its roots in the artistic designs of Susanne Kibak-Redfield. The company is owned and operated by Redfield’s daughter Carli and son-in-law Will Strachan, so it’s a second-generation family business — third generation if you account for the artistic bent, work ethic and Continued on page 14

“We also had the Billy Strings Signature Model, which was a limited edition,” Funk said. “We made 33 of them.” Launched in March 2020, they sold almost all of them in that year. Funk said the company would like to hire one more person and expand their custom inlay offerings. But they have no ambitions to get “big”. “We’re really a custom shop,” Funk said. “We don’t want to get really big.” And they intend to stay that way. The goal is to have the capacity of producing 200 custom guitars in a year, for the most discerning of players. For more information, visit www.pktguitars.com. Kibak Tile employs seven

Preston Thompson Custom Guitar

Most visitors to Sisters enjoy walking Cascade, Hood, and Main Avenues, exploring shops and galleries and sampling the wares of restaurants, delis and food carts. They might be forgiven for thinking that Sisters’ economy is that of your typical tourist town.

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Kibak Tile Continued from page 12

fearlessness Susanne’s mother, Gudrun, imparted to her daughter.

Justin Durham.

“We work on residential and commercial projects with madeto-order pieces,” Carli said.

“We’ll be in the millions of pounds,” Durham said. “It’s hard to say exactly.”

The tiles are designed, glazed and fired on-site at Kibak’s facility in the Sun Ranch Business Park. Strachan said that the past year has been exceptionally busy. Peoples’ time in their homes and a desire to create a desirable space has made for high demand for backsplashes, bathroom floors and indooroutdoor applications. For more information, visit www.kibaktile.com. Sisters Coffee Co.’s lodgestyle coffeehouse on Hood Avenue is a destination stop for visitors to Sisters — but the magic happens where the beans are roasted. Next fall, Sisters Coffee Co. will break ground on a new 11,000-square-foot roasting facility on Lot No. 3 at Sun Ranch Business Park. “We’ve grown enough to where we need to expand our roasting capacity,” said CEO

Expanded significantly — as in quadrupled.

That need for capacity is driven by two thriving coffeehouses — one here and one in the Pearl District in Portland — and a significant wholesale business. And it all grew from a tiny coffee bar founded by Winfield and Joy Durham on Hood Avenue. The roaster that will handle those millions of pounds — a 45 kilo Probat G45 — is now under construction in Germany. “It’s our dream roaster,” Durham said. “Can’t wait to get it here. They’re like the MercedesBenz of roasters.” Holy Kakow, a Portland-based craft food maker of chocolate syrup, coffee syrups and cacao powder has relocated to Sisters. They are taking up 5,000 square feet in the nearly completed structure at 260 E. Sun Ranch Dr. The mostly steelsided building, developed by

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Art Blumenkron, features 17,000 square feet of light industrial on the ground floor and three apartments on a second level. Holy Kakow will start with seven employees: Wyatt Woods, the founder and owner, and six others, two from Portland and the rest new hires. Most products are made by hand in 25-gallon batches. However, it’s a lot of batches. Woods’ firm sells in all 50 states. Locally, Holy Kakow’s syrups are used at Sisters Coffee Co., Suttle Tea, Sisters Bakery, and Oliver Lemon’s. They are certified organic both at the source — Peru — and at the point of blending. For more information, visit www.holykakow.com. Development of “craft” industries that fit the culture of Sisters has been a vision and mission for the Sisters community for many years. A primary driver of that effort is Economic Development for Central Oregon, and Sisters representative Caprielle FooteLewis. For information, visit www.edcoinfo.com/.

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Sisters landscape shaped by fire By Ceili Cornelius

Central Oregon wilderness.

Fire is supposed to happen in these forests because it is not a rain forest, but a fire forest, where fires have been happening for thousands of years.

The 2003 B&B fire was one of the first of many massive wildfires to come through the Sisters wilderness in the 21st Century. The Santiam Pass zone has been forever changed and scarred by that 90,769-acre fire. More than 10 years later in 2017, the Milli Fire burned through the wilderness surrounding Black Crater, burning 24,000 acres. This fire burned into a lot of the 2006 Black Crater scar, feeding the flames with standing snags, causing a massive growth in fire behavior.

After 1910, with the introduction of fire suppression from the Forest Service, the main focus was to try to stop fire from happening. But in doing that, the influence of humans on wilderness has led to the unintended consequence of extreme wildfire seasons in the

These fires started with lightning strikes, and then were driven by dense fuels and wind. Dense fuels on the ground are often the result of a lack of prescribed burning and lack of forest thinning and other fire suppression practices over the past 100 years.

The landscape of Central Oregon is one that is wild, unique and a place that people feel a deep-rooted connection to, whether they live here or not. The forests where we recreate and spend many of our days, are shaped by fire — and they will continue to be shaped by fire.

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Low-intensity fire is often a way of sifting out what the forest doesn’t need anymore, a natural process that can be essential for preventing dry and dense fuel loads when wildfire does come through. After the Milli Fire in 2017, The Nugget went out on the fire line with Jinny Reed, former Sisters Ranger District Fire Information Officer, and she described how that wildfire changed the landscape. “I see a lot of mortality and a lot of scorching all the way to the tops of trees,” Reed said, surveying the west side of the roadway. In an area on the Milli Fire that had been treated with prescribed fire, a lot of it scorched down at the surface, consuming pine needles and underbrush, but

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leaving most trees only lightly scorched. Such fire is actually beneficial to the forest. What creates high-intensity fire with high levels of mortality “just depends on a lot of environmental factors,” Reed explained. These environmental factors often include wind, which Central Oregon has been seeing a lot of lately, and fire seasons are now encroaching into the windy season across the Western U.S. These wildfires that Central Oregon has seen over the past decades have shifted what the landscape looks like across the entire Cascade crest. These wildfires are nothing new in our forests, and they are only going to continue. It is our duty as citizens and stewards of these forests to learn how to best live with fire through forest management practices, and home hardening, which includes building homes in lowland areas where fire isn’t as much of a threat, and building sustainably with materials that are more fire-resistant. With good communication among networks of the public, the City of Sisters, fire management and utility companies, Sisters Country is striving to better live with the presence of fire in our forests.

GARY MILLER

These wildfires that Central Oregon has seen over the past decades have shifted what the landscape looks like across the entire Cascade crest.

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New development underway in Sisters The face of Sisters is changing and nowhere more than on the west end of town. The sale of the Sisters Ranger District’s headquarters property has opened up that piece of Sisters to a variety of developments. The proposed Three Peaks Industrial Park developed by Empire Construction and Development will feature 12 “shovel ready” light industrial lots ranging from 0.69 acre to 5.5 acres. To the north is USFS land and across Barclay Drive to the south is the site of the proposed development of Sisters Woodlands on the center portion of the former USFS property. The current Forest Service office complex was built in the

1950s and has a number of safety and accessibility issues. According to Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid, “The new station is necessary to keep us here (in Sisters).” Sisters Woodlands is a 35-acre development on another portion of that former Forest Service property, east of Highway 20 and south of Barclay Drive. Kevin Eckert, of Build LLC, is designing the project for Paul Hodge and Paul and Carla Schneider of Sisters, who purchased the property that was formerly part of the U.S. Forest Service administrative site because, as Eckert says, “they just saw an opportunity for positive growth.”

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Hodge, who is CEO of Laird Superfood headquartered in Sisters, has long been an advocate for workforce housing that will allow people who work for a paycheck in Sisters to live in Sisters. Eckert said that the Sisters Woodlands development, bounded by Pine Street, West Barclay Drive and Highway 20 will feature “cottage development” of approximately 1,500-square feet each utilizing shared open space; townhomes and home-over-garage units; and apartment or condominiumstyle units along Highway 20, with a significant setback from the road. The development was designed to preserve as many trees as possible.

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Craft libations are a Sisters specialty

From wine to distilled spirits to craft beer, Sisters is at the forefront of an industry that has put the Pacific Northwest on the international map. Sisters’ own Three Creeks Brewing Co. racked up a slate of prestigious awards at the 39th Great American Beer Festival in October 2020 — the country’s preeminent beer festival, and world’s largest professional beer competition. Three Creeks Brewing Co. shone among 900 small and independent craft breweries from all 50 states, winning the

Brewery Group and Brewery Group Brewer of the Year award. “It’s a surprise and a big win for a small brewery in a small town,” said Ross Druckrey of Three Creeks Brewing Co. The brewery took gold for their Conelick’r Fresh Hop IPA in the Fresh Hop Beer Category, and the perennial award-winner FivePine Chocolate Porter took silver in the Brown Porter Category. This robust porter features pounds per barrel of the finest Belgian chocolate, creating a roasty pint with underlying chocolate sweetness.

Founder Wade Underwood attributes the brewery’s success to consistency of quality, which is not so easy to achieve, barrel after barrel, pint after pint. It’s down to the creativity and dedication of the brewery staff. “My guys are great recipe makers,” he said. “The brewers like to play. They just want to keep creating.” That sense of adventure is what created the exceptional porter, which wins awards year after year. Underwood attributes it to “a little bit of science; a little bit of

“My guys are great recipe makers…The brewers like to play. They just want to keep creating.”

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Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard

magic.” Three Creeks Brewing Co. brew pub is also a winner — awarded seventh place in the USA Today 10 Best Brewpubs 2021 rankings; the only Oregon brew pub to make the top 10. Wine is also well represented in Sisters Country, with wine bars like The Open Door and Cork Cellars Wine Bistro offering a convivial spot for a glass. And

Sisters Country boasts its own vineyard. Located on 312 acres in the rural lands northeast of Sisters, Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard offers wine tasting and live music. The estate vineyard currently has 15 acres of FrenchAmerican, hybrid, cold-hardy varietals. The vineyard features three whites: La Crosse, La Crescent and Frontenac Gris, and four reds: Frontenac, Marechal Foch, Marquette and

Leon Millot. These varietals are garnering well-deserved attention throughout the United States. For distilled spirits, Cascade Street Distillery has built a stellar reputation for its 5x distilled potato vodka. Many of Sisters’ eateries feature exceptional selections of beers, wines and spirits to make a stay in Sisters convivial.

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By Bill Bartlett With so much to do and see right in Sisters and within 10 miles, you may skip some of the amazing daylong outings that can take you to roaring rivers, caves, thunderous waterfalls and High Desert wonder. Two of the Guide’s favorites, one a loop, and the other an out-andback, take 6 to 10 hours in all, with plenty of time built in for getting out and exploring. The first is centered around the John Day National Fossil Beds Monument. We are talking about a 14,000-acre designated national treasure. Within its boundaries, you can touch rocks 15-30 million-yearsold, find plant and animal fossils 6-54 million-years-old, and volcano mudflows about 45 million years in age. The terrain is dramatic, not just from what’s under your feet but the 2,000- 4,500-foot mountains comprising three ranges - the Blue, Cascades and Ochoco. Sheer cliffs and

rock columns are ever present and provide stunning vistas. 130 species are annual or seasonal inhabitants - 50+ birds, some 40 mammals, at least 14 reptiles, 10 fish and 6 amphibians. Classified as semi-arid does not preclude 240 plants and flowers from taking up residence. Make the trip on well-marked, paved roads: Sisters eastbound on Highway 126 to Highway 97 north to the abandoned town of Shaniko. Get out and walk the town’s ghostly remains. Then follow signs for OR218 and into the little town of Antelope (pop. 47) that was once home to nearly 7,000 followers of the Rajneesh in the early 1980s. Continue on OR218 east toward the town of Fossil. Just past the John Day River on your left will be the towering palisades of the Monument’s Clarno Unit. Drop into the Visitor Center to get maps and trail guides for all three units. The half-mile hike across the face of the spectacular rocks is

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BILL BARTLETT

Day trippin’ a must and do not leave your camera in the car! Now it’s off to the Sheep Rock Unit that houses the truly impressive Paleontology Center with a collection of 40,000 fossils from a 50-million-year span. From Fossil head south on OR19 that doglegs and then follows the river until you arrive at the unit. This is a good stopping point for lunch. Next destination is the OMG part — The Painted Hills. Stay on OR19 to its end at Highway 26, turn right (west) and just past the historic western town of Mitchell, follow the signs. Until you go it is hard to appreciate the unique beauty of the Painted Hills, the most dramatic of the three units. Possibly you have seen photos or videos that at first glance look like they could be NASA Mars images. If you are a painter or photographer of any skill level, the picture of the Painted Hills is at once aweinspiring and compelling. This

is truly one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders.

A second day trip favorite would be generally considered Lava Lands. Start at Lava Butte, a 500-foot cinder cone above Lava Lands Visitor Center, a few miles south of Bend on Highway 97. Pick up maps here for the rest of the day. In the warmer months you can drive to the top, or do as most, and hike the trail that encircles the rim. Follow that with the mile-long exploration of Lava River Cave, a lava tube to be more precise. 55 stair steps take you to the floor and then a mix of boardwalk, stairs and uneven foot bed allow you to explore the year-round 42-degree cave that will be 100 percent totally dark. Bring not one, but two, light sources with fresh batteries. A day

BILL BARTLETT

Now it’s an easy ride back to Sisters using Highway 26 west to OR126 though Prineville, with its vast reservoir and panoramic Ochoco viewpoint. In all 326 miles in 6.8 hours, but worth every minute.

use or Northwest Forest pass is required for this trip, easily picked up along the outing’s way. After so much dark and being underground for an hour or so, head on over to picturesque Paulina Falls, a short hike from the lake of the same name. It’s an 80-foot double falls where you can gaze from a viewpoint or hike down and literally be close enough to get sprayed. This is a good spot for picnicking. Make the most of the adventure by stopping at the

Newberry Volcanic National Monument Visitor Center where excellent signage or a ranger will explain the seismically active area that is somewhat shallow by most standards. Within the caldera are two lakes divided by lava flows still evident. Next, it’s an easy drive to the top of 7,989-foot Paulina Peak, the highest point in the Monument. The views are splendid taking in the lake, the caldera, the surrounding Cascade peaks all the way to Sisters and the Fort Rock Basin.

BILL BARTLETT

Another short drive and you find the Big Obsidian Flow, a history-rich interpretive trail. Kids will really like this trek. It is not advisable for dogs as the rocks can be quite sharp – obsidian is black glass after all. True that the flow is 1,300 years old, but that is but a day in geologic time. In all it’s about 115 miles roundtrip from Sisters with a total of 2.5 hours behind the wheel. This trip is also well-suited for bringing along bikes. Routing: Highway 20 east, to Highway 97 south, to paved NF-2120, better known as Paulina-East Lake Road. WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

Don’t miss

Tamolitch Blue Pool

Whychus Creek Overlook

Sisters’ must-see location offers spectacular views of the Whychus Creek watershed and the Cascade Range. The overlook and its short loop trail are barrier-free and handicap-accessible, and there are restrooms at the trailhead. Head south on Three Creek Lake Road (Elm Street in town) for a little over five miles. The turnout is near the summit of Peterson Ridge, on the righthand (west) side of the road, just a short distance beyond the five-mile marker.

Sahalie Falls

Located about a 40-minute drive west of Sisters, right off Highway 126 (toward Eugene) lies the spectacular cascade of Sahalie Falls. It’s very easy to view the falls as the McKenzie River plunges roaring over a mossy precipice —the falls are just beyond a developed parking lot off the highway. Sahalie Falls is one of the most spectacular photo opportunities in all of Oregon. If you wish, you can hike an easy trail downriver to Koosah Falls.

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About an hour’s drive west on the McKenzie River lies the magnificent Tamolitch Blue Pool, also known as the Blue Pool. The pool is accessible by an approximately four-mile, out-and-back hike. On a hot summer day, you may be tempted to take a dip in the pool — but think twice: it’s glacier-cold. Take Highway 126 west just over 40 miles to Trail Bridge Reservoir. Turn right on FS Road 730 (at the sign to Trail Bridge Reservoir). Cross the river and turn right on FS Road 2672-655, travel a half-mile to parking.

Head of the Metolius

It’s hard to believe that the mighty Metolius River starts from tiny springs in the shadow of Black Butte. Over the next five miles, more springs and tributary creeks build the river into a rushing torrent. The head of the Metolius is very easy to get to. Just drive 10 miles west of Sisters to the entrance to Camp Sherman and follow the signs along FS Road 14. Park and walk down a paved path about 300 yards to an overlook that treats you to a calendar shot of the headwaters and Mt. Jefferson.

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From

Farm to Table in Sisters

Access to locally-grown food has become a major part of life in Sisters Country, which is home to extraordinary farms and innovative programs. One of those is Seed to Table (S2T).

Seed to Table believes access to fresh food shouldn’t be a luxury but a right. To achieve that end, S2T staff and board are striving to fill the gap in fresh food availability by increasing on-farm cultivation and distribution programming. By ramping up efforts, S2T will be able to further support long-standing community organizations, including area food banks, schools, the Family Access Network, Deschutes Public Library-Biblioteca en Camino program and more for years to come. “Last year we grew nearly 5,000 pounds of fresh produce which was distributed to the two area food banks… that’s A LOT of salad,” said S2T Executive Director Audrey Tehan. An additional 5,000 pounds of Sisters-grown veggies were allocated to COVID-19 relief programs and an additional 30,000 pounds nourished community members through schools, outreach, partnership programs, the Sisters Farmers Market and produce shares. “Even with all this, there’s still a vast and increasing unmet demand in our community. The waitlist for our produce shares in 2020 was 50 families and we had to cap distribution through partnerships, despite requests, simply due to a lack of growing capacity,” said Tehan. Generous community and grant-maker support has allowed a major expansion. Through doubling the size of the farm plot, adding new greenhouses, and beginning to utilize mechanical Continued on page 28

“Last year we grew nearly 5,000 pounds of fresh produce which was distributed to the two area food banks… that’s A LOT of salad.” WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

Continued from page 27

cultivation techniques, the S2T team is projecting that in four years the farm’s annual output will double to nearly 100,000 pounds of fresh veggies.

After a challenging yet constructive 2020 season, Sisters Farmers Market is gearing up for an even more robust summer season this year.

Sisters is home to a thriving Farmers Market each Sunday afternoon, from June through the first Sunday in October, where locally-grown and produced goods can be found in a convivial atmosphere.

Although COVID-19 regulations like social distancing, wearing facial coverings, and limited gathering may remain in effect, live music will bring back a lively element to the market that was missed by vendors and shoppers alike last year, according to market manager Caroline Hager.

Mahonia Gardens is in its second season of offering fresh produce and eggs through its farmstand that they keep stocked with their goods daily. Check out the real food at 254 W. Adams Ave. Their farm is right in the city limits of Sisters and the farmstand intends to provide great ingredients for your culinary adventures. They also carry other locally-raised products.

The market will return to Fir Street Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday, June 6 through October 3. The mission of the Sisters Farmers Market is to support a healthier community through partnerships, educational programming, and essential infra-

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structure for organic farmers, artisans, and local food producers. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Sisters Farmers Market has been able to fulfill its mission in large part due to support from fiscal sponsor Seed to Table, as well as increased support from local vendors and attendees.

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“There’s no place like home!”

“We found working with Khiva Beckwith extremely rewarding and extraordinarily successful. Several skills made Khiva shine from our perspective: She always made herself available for home showings, as well as every pre-sale preparation and transaction appointment; her strong communication abilities kept us well-informed on showing feedback and escrow status; she was able to answer or research any question we presented; PLUS, Khiva’s pricing strategy was extremely accurate, resulting in securing a qualified buyer quickly and achieving full asking price with a less than 30-day escrow. Khiva was always very pleasant, cheerful, and available and was even complimented by the buyer’s realtor. There’s no place like home with Khiva on your team!” — Beverly R. & Mary F.

Food truck scene in Sisters By Bill Bartlett It is not advisable to visit Sisters without stopping at the outdoor food court located on the corner of Hood and Fir. For starters, it’s housed at Eurosports, a bike sales, rental and repair shop that also dispenses some highly popular Oregon craft beers brewed in Astoria, Eugene, Salem, Sunriver and Bend. It’s only an unlikely combination if you’re not from Sisters. The beer pairs superbly with the food offering. Boone Dog Pizza is the anchor food truck. Well, actually all are trailers, but you get the concept. Apart from highly regarded pizza loved by locals, how many food trucks do wood fired pizza right in the truck? We’ll wait.

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Boone Dog’s pizza is fresh, like really fresh. All ingredients are locally sourced from the artisan cheese, to the veggies, to humanely raised meats. The menu rotates with the seasons. Next door is the Coco Loco Taco Bar. Their signature plate is “locally world-famous” fish tacos. Sure,

BILL BARTLETT

— MAINS —

everybody says their fish tacos are the best for miles around. The Guide is pretty sure you will agree with the locals’ take on it. Everything is organic, not because it’s trendy but you get more taste, more freshness. It’s just that simple. Don’t let the name fool you. Of course, you can get burritos or a bowl or quesadillas. And a choice of red or green salsa. The newest addition to the court is Wonderland Chicken Co. If you thought a wood fired oven on wheels was interesting, how about mobile fried chicken? Nashville-style to boot, fresh cooked for every order. The only debate you’re likely to have is what was better: the chicken or the sides. The mac ’n cheese is a crowd favorite with the homemade potato salad and pickle slaw in the running.

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Three crunchy fried chicken tenders, served with one side and your choice of dipping sauce. $9 — SIDES —

French Fries $4/$7 Sweet Potato Fries $5/$8 Mac ’n Cheese $4/$7 Potato Salad $4/$7 Pickle Slaw $3/$5 Fried Pickles $4/$7

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Picnic tables in the pet-friendly courtyard can seat about 75 to 100. Lines form especially during the peak times of noon to three and again from 5 until closing. On Friday nights, the food court adds popular local bands from 5 to 7 p.m. The whole scene is multi-generational with families, friends and neighbors just doing what Sisters does best – having or making fun.

Come see us at Eurosports Food Cart Garden Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 223 NE Hood Avenue, Sisters WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

A classic

equestrian

By Bill Bartlett

trail

Sisters Country is horse country. From backyard ponies to sixfigure dressage, eventing and hunter-jumpers, more than 1,000 equines are registered between Camp Sherman and Tumalo. Ubiquitous paints, Appaloosas and palominos dot the landscape providing a perfect backdrop for Sisters’ Western culture. Part of the allure is the outstanding equestrian trail system right on the edges of town, primarily in the Deschutes National Forest and managed by the Sisters Trails Alliance. Western pleasure riding is evident year-round on well-marked, easily accessible trails with several horse camps. One trail in particular, the Metolius-Windigo (Met-Win for short) is a national treasure. It runs 152 miles through Central Oregon along the east slope of the Cascades. The Met-Win extends from the Metolius Basin near the southern edge of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness to Windigo Pass on the south side of the Diamond Peak Wilderness. It connects with the Pacific Crest Trail on both ends. More than 100 access points make it possible to enjoy the trail for hours or days. The trail passes through a wide variety of scenic terrain and forest types, often with dramatic views. Sisters area riders tend to concentrate in a 40-mile range south from Three Creek Meadow along Whychus Creek where the pristine stream is crossed, then north around Black Butte, passing near Camp Sherman and the Metolius, ending at Sheep Spring Camp. Or vice versa. This section is entirely within the Deschutes National Forest.

Water en route is not scarce, but grazing is. The trail is shared with hikers and bikers with horses having the right of way. However, as there are so many alternatives for cyclists and pedestrians, it is seldom for all to be on Met-Win at the same time, leaving riders mostly to themselves. Motorized vehicles are never allowed. For more information, visit bit.ly/MetoliusWindigoTrail.

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BILL BARTLETT

The trail is a combination of single track and dirt forest roads. Its entire length is well-marked with yellow diamonds and the blazed horse shoe symbol on a weathered wood plaque. You are almost guaranteed to see deer and sightings of elk are common. Coyotes abound and bird life is abundant. Despite being in their habitat, cougars are rarely sighted.

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Get Lost… …In a place we call the Metolius Basin. Camp Sherman Store/Fly Shop

Lake Creek Lodge

A one-of-a-kind general store. Fly shop. Deli. Groceries. Beverages. Clothing and a lot of other goodies you didn’t even know you needed! 541-595-6711 www.campshermanstore.com

Historic resort featuring 20 unique cabins, the Lake Creek Lodge Restaurant, swimming pool, trout pond, game room and outdoor game area. Family-friendly. Pet-friendly. Catering offered year-round. Group events welcome. 800-797-6331 www.lakecreeklodge.com

Cold Springs Resort Fifteen tastefully decorated cabins on and around the banks of the spring-fed Metolius River. Old-fashioned hospitality with a scenic and relaxing environment. We also have 15 RV sites under towering ponderosa pines. Hiking, biking and world-class fly fishing make for the perfect vacation or family retreat. A family tradition since 1938. Pet-friendly. 541-595-6271 www.coldspringsresort.com

Hoodoo’s Camp Sherman RV Park & Motel Resort features restrooms, showers, fire pits and laundromat. Six units, reminiscent of an old-fashioned bunkhouse, offer solitude and comfort in the shadow of Black Butte. 541-595-6514. www.campshermanrv.com

Hoodoo Mountain Resort The majesty of Hoodoo’s location and fun of Hoodoo’s night skiing will bring you back again and again. Even if you don’t ski, we have plenty to do for everyone, including the very popular Autobahn Tube Hill. 541-822-3799 www.skihoodoo.com

House on Metolius This privately owned, beautiful two-hundred-acre estate sits astride the river, with magnificent views of Mt. Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack and the Metolius as it flows through the natural meadow. Accommodations include five cabins and eight rooms in the Main House. For reservations call 541-595-6620 www.metolius.com

Metolius River Lodges Thirteen cozy cabins on the pristine, emerald-green banks of the Metolius River. Comfort and quiet under centuries-old ponderosa pines, just steps away from world-class fly fishing and hiking. 541-595-6290 www.metoliusriverlodges.com

Metolius River Resort Eleven cabins nestled among ponderosa pines along the banks of the Metolius River. The cabins are fully furnished, with kitchens, riverrock fireplaces, and decks with river views. Cast your line or enjoy a book by the fire. 541-595-6281 www.metoliusriverresort.com

The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse The first Suttle Lodge & Boathouse was built in 1928 on the shores of Suttle Lake. Four fires later, we are continuing their bootlegging tradition: Good food, beer, wine and games on the lawn, cocktails, boats for rent, lodge rooms, full-service and rustic cabins. www.thesuttlelodge.com

Hola! Serving innovative Nouveau Mexican and Peruvian cuisine for lunch and dinner. This award-winning restaurant has transformed the cabin-style building that was previously the Kokanee Café, alongside the Metolius River. 541-595-6420 www.holabend.com

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metoliusriver.com

Camp Sherman Camp Sherman

Camp Sherman has been a jewel in the crown of the Pacific Northwest since Native peoples first pitched camp along the banks of the Metolius River Early 20th-century wheat farmers from Sherman County to the north came to Camp Sherman in the heat of summertime for rest and relaxation, lending the name by which this unique place has been known ever since. A visit to Camp Sherman is a step back in time, to a slower pace of life without the din and distraction of an overly plugged-in world. There are miles and miles of hiking trails in and around Camp Sherman — the most popular being right along the Metolius River. It’s a great place to ride a bike, too, from a gentle pedal along the local

byways to a mountain bike run on nearby trails. There’s a plenitude of campgrounds to serve as a base for your adventures — or a place to relax by a rushing river and simply reconnect with nature. For a mix of comfort and rustic charm, there’s a range of lodging establishments ready to help you create memories that will last through the years. While it’s a great place to get away from it all, Camp Sherman is also a lovely place to reconnect with an old-fashioned sense of community. The hub is the Camp Sherman Store, where you can pick up your groceries or a delicious deli

sandwich, outfit yourself for a day on the river and get the word on the latest hatch. The Camp Sherman Store hosts barbecues and live music on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends (COVID-19 restrictions permitting). You can also pick up everything you need — from a custom sandwich to a craft beer — for a riverside picnic. Rediscover this gem in our midst, whether camping overnight or making a day of it. Vacationing in Camp Sherman has been a tradition for families for a century and more. Visit here and you’ll understand why.

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Resonating with

Sound & History By Jim Cornelius

Photo by Jerry Baldock

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Tucked away in a corner of the Sisters Industrial Park, next door to Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, is Sisters Fine Woodworking and Hardwood — a place where legendary wood and craftsmanship come together in unique instruments that resonate with both sound and history. Proprietor Art Blumenkron builds exquisite furniture there — and Greg Davidge has a work space where he builds custom guitars. Greg has delved into that delicate and demanding craft since 1972. “I just love building these things,” he said. “Far more than playing them.” He builds with a variety of fine woods — curly koa sides and backs, traditional spruce tops, for example. I had the opportunity to play five of Davidge’s beautiful custom guitars, hand-crafted here in Sisters, in one day. One of the guitars featured a top made of Tunnel 13 Redwood. And therein lies a tale. Instrument makers are known for extolling the virtues of woods with strange and sometimes adventurous stories. I have a friend who played a banjo whose body was made of wood salvaged from the bottom of Lake Erie. Barges transporting timber often lost logs into the lake. The wood was preserved in the cold, cold water and allegedly offers special properties of tone and projection. Such is the case with reclaimed redwood from Tunnels 13 and 14 on the Southern Pacific route through southern Oregon. Guitar makers say that the wood offers a warm, seasoned,

worn-in tone and huge projection. All I can tell you is that my favorite guitar among the five I played had the Tunnel 13 redwood top. And I decided that before I heard the story. Tunnel 13 was the site of the last train robbery in the United States — on October 11, 1923. It was a bloody mess. Tunnel 13 sits at the top of Siskiyou Pass. Engineers piloting the SP “Gold Special” were required to stop in the tunnel and test their brakes before descending the pass. That made Tunnel 13 the perfect place to stage a robbery — or so thought 23-year-old twin brothers Ray and Roy DeAutremont. The twins aspired to badassery, and had reportedly been in Chicago for a while trying to break into the rackets before returning to Oregon. They had intel — or thought they had — that the “Gold Special” was going to be hauling $500,000 in gold, so they decided to hit it. They recruited their teenaged brother Hugh into the scheme and stole dynamite from a construction site to facilitate the caper. They jumped the train at the tunnel and held engineer Sidney Bates at gunpoint. Mail clerk Elvyn E. Dougherty refused to open the mail car, which the brothers had anticipated. They dynamited it. The explosion ripped the mail car open and blew Dougherty to bits. The explosion did so much damage that the train could not be moved. Brakeman Coyle Johnson appeared out of the smoking

tunnel and two of the brothers shot him. Then they killed fireman Marvin Seng and engineer Bates before fleeing without a penny of loot. They eluded a massive manhunt and were on the lam for four years. Hugh got busted in the Philippines, where he was serving in the Army. Ray and Roy eventually were nabbed in Ohio.

“I just love building these things … Far more than playing them.” According to the Medford Mail-Tribune: “Ray DeAutremont served more than 30 years in prison. After his release in 1960, he befriended Portland Police Det. Johnnie Howard, and the men together penned a book about the robbery called ‘All For Nothing.’ Ray’s sentence was commuted by then-Gov. Tom McCall in 1972. He died in 1984.” Roy had a mental breakdown and died in the state hospital in Salem. Hugh died from cancer. The old redwood timbers were salvaged after a fire in the tunnel in 2003, and equally good — if less haunted — wood comes from Tunnel 14. It’s not clear what makes the wood so special — maybe it was years of steam and smoke from trains. Maybe it’s just because the wood is very old. But one thing is certain — there is, indeed, a special resonance to the redwood soundboard — and in his workspace in Sisters, Greg Davidge makes it come alive.

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The glory of Sisters Country's fly fishing waters It may be that fishing guide Steve Erickson is, in Norman Maclean’s beautiful phrase, “haunted by waters.” His early memories go back to a fascination with the flora and fauna of the riverbanks his father left him sitting on in Ohio and Pennsylvania during trips to visit his grandfather. “His idea of babysitting was to park me on a riverbank and saying, ‘Stay here till I get back,” Erickson recalled. “It wasn’t too long after that we started fishing together.” Finding success but little satisfaction in a series of middle management positions, Erickson decided to “take a pause” in his career and headed West, where he reconnected with the peace and power of waters. “I started fishing the Metolius River a lot and walked into the shop a lot,” he said. “The shop” was The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters. Owner Jeff Perin asked the avid flyfisherman if he’d be interested in guiding. Apparently, he was, because that was 19 years ago — and he’s still at it. And he’s every bit as much in love with the waters of Central Oregon as he was two decades ago. While the Metolius and the

Deschutes rivers are the best known fly fishing destinations in Sisters Country, Erickson notes that lake fishing at East Lake, Paulina Lake, Hosmer Lake and many, many others in the region can be equally satisfying. “They’re all unique, so you can get exposure to all kinds of aquatic ecosystems in Central Oregon,” he said. And that exposure is a significant part of the joy of fly fishing — which is certainly not solely about hooking fish. “You’re called to it,” Erickson mused. “And probably best not to overly examine it.” Erickson loves an undertaking where “there’s a constant opportunity to learn.” Even after decades on Central Oregon waters, he learns new things every trip out. And fly fishing can never be perfected. You’re constantly gaining a better understanding of aquatic science. You can always learn to cast more efficiently, or tie a better fly. Yet, you don’t have to be like Erickson “and have more rods in your garage than your house is worth.” Fly fishing can be casual, too. “I just think it’s a great way to get out and a fairly benign

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footprint on the environment,” Erickson said. That light footprint matters a great deal to the veteran guide. His time on the water has given him “a much more heightened sense of the importance of treating these resources more carefully.” Erickson has developed a sterling reputation as a guide who lets clients maximize the experience of fly fishing amid the beauties of the Sisters Country — be they tyros or seasoned veterans. “They always seem to leave with smiles,” he said. “Which is pretty fun, too.”

“You’re called to it,” Erickson mused. “And probably best not to overly examine it.”

Whychus Creek downstream of Sisters toward Alder Springs and the confluence with the Deschutes, or up in the mountains south of Sisters — challenging access but good places to fish.

upper n. santiam

Lower Deschutes from Warm Springs to Trout Creek is one of Oregon’s best fly fishing areas, with a world famous salmonfly hatch in May and early June. Anglers best opportunity for solid trout.

whychus creek

The Metolius — Oregon’s most famous and interesting spring creek. Small water, easy to read and nice to wade. Fish a Clarks Stone along the banks, log jams and deep pools.

lower deschutes

the metolius river

HOT SPOTS

TRAL N E C ON OREGON WATERS The Upper North Santiam River near Marion Creek — good small stream with good access and plenty of trout. Fishing usually good all day with evening caddis hatches bringing out the best fish.

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Sisters schools strive for excellence Ask people what attracts them to Sisters as a place to live, and you’ll get three consistent answers — our natural beauty, a small-town atmosphere, and the quality of the schools.

unique offering that is often a life-shaping experience for students. Sisters schools are also renowned for highly successful athletic programs, from football to soccer to volleyball to track, baseball and lacrosse.

From a strong emphasis on the fundamentals in elementary school to innovative programs in high school, children in Sisters receive an education that prepares them to go out into the world and succeed. The past couple of years have highlighted the high level of commitment among staff to provide the best possible education for students, even under the trying distancelearning conditions that have prevailed during the coronavirus pandemic. Sisters schools were among the first in Oregon to get kids back into classrooms safely. Sisters High School has one of the very few flight sciences programs in the nation, preparing youth for careers in the field of aviation. The Seed to Table education program features a state-of-theart greenhouse that serves the schools as a “living laboratory” for its sustainable agriculture program. The Trout Creek

Conservation Area adjacent to the high school provides an outdoor living laboratory for science classes. The Sisters Folk Festival’s Americana Project educational outreach program partners with the schools to provide unprecedented immersion in the arts, from performance and songwriting to guitar-building. The IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Expeditions) program turns the Sisters backcountry into a classroom, where students both learn and teach about their local geography, geology and weather, team building and leadership. The program brings together science, language arts and physical education in a

The community is highly supportive. In May, voters approved a bond that will provide 33 million for the construction of a new Sisters Elementary School, which will be located near the current middle school and high school. The nonprofit Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (GRO) has organized dozens of scholarships in the community in their mission to provide scholarship support to every deserving graduating senior. Another key component of Sisters’ education landscape is Sisters Park & Recreation District. SPRD offers a wide range of programming for youth and adults alike — from sports camps to hiking programs, music classes and more. For more information on Sisters schools, visit www.sisters.k12.or.us. For information on the program offerings of SPRD, visit www. sistersrecreation.com. WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

Quilt show planning to move ahead this year The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) is planning to move ahead with a modified show on Saturday, July 10. SOQS submitted a health and safety plan for the outdoor event, which was well received by local government and health officials. “We’ve had very, very positive feedback on the process,” said SOQS Executive Director Dawn Boyd. “We’re excited,” said Sisters City Manager Cory Misely. “We want it to happen.” He also noted that everyone anticipates that the state will be “in a much better place” regarding COVID-19 by July, which contributes to the sense of optimism. Plans call for about 50 percent of the usual amount of

quilts to be on display, more widely separated than they ordinarily would be to promote physical distancing. That means there will be some 500 to 600 quilts on display. There won’t be any on Main Avenue, and a limited number on Cascade Avenue, with most of the show being displayed on Hood Avenue. “Probably just over half of the quilts will be part of special exhibits,” Boyd said. The annual educational component of the program, Quilter’s Affair, will be held virtually this year, as will the international Tentmakers of Cairo special fundraising event on the Wednesday before the show. Boyd noted that virtual events pioneered with last year’s cancellation have proved to

have some positive benefits — allowing people who would not likely be able to attend the show to participate in classes or events online. SOQS is inclined to preserve those positive benefits going forward, even with the eventual full return of the physical show. “I kind of think that from now on, virtual will be a component of the Quilt Show,” Boyd said. Boyd said that SOQS expects a smaller turnout than in a normal year, when many thousands come to town to view the largest outdoor quilt show in the country. But, given the circumstances, everyone seems confident that, despite a long and difficult journey through a pandemic that has yet to end, the show will go on. For more information, visit www.soqs.org.

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CODY RHEAULT

“I kind of think that from now on, virtual will be a component of the Quilt Show,” Boyd said.

2021 SISTERS OUTDOOR QUILT SHOW™ — Always the Second Saturday in July — Celebrating the art, skill, and heritage of traditional and contemporary quilts for 46 years

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Sisters Rodeo awaits a comeback

For the second year in a row, the Sisters Rodeo has been forced to cancel due to restrictions on events prompted by the fight against COVID-19. But getting bucked off and climbing back into the saddle are all part of the game in cowboy culture, and no one doubts that we’ll see rodeo action in Sisters again. After all, the Sisters Rodeo has a long, venerable history of resilience. Eighty years ago, a posse of cowboys — amateurs and pros — competed in the first Sisters Rodeo. Because the smalltown rodeo offered purses of $500, equal to Pendleton and Cheyenne, the cowboys tagged Sisters Rodeo “The Biggest Little Show in the World”. The year was 1940.

Except for the announcer and the stock suppliers, the rodeo was an all-volunteer production, a tradition that continues to this day. From 1956 through 1960, Sisters Rodeo was an amateur event sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars. Interest started to dwindle and the Rodeo was in danger of fading away. Mert Hunking — a cowboy “born with rodeo in his blood” — stepped in and revived the enterprise. In 1963, the rodeo reorganized with Hunking, Clifford Ray, Fred

Sisters joined the International Professional Rodeo Association in the early 1980s. World champions in that organization competed every year. By that time, the association had about 60 members and seasoned volunteers. In 1988, the association was accepted as a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Sisters Rodeo Association has maintained its quality of rodeo stock and high purses, guaranteeing that the best in the sport make Sisters part of their annual schedule. World champions return yearly. The association has also remained a valuable member of the Sisters community, granting annual student scholarships and supporting local charities.

CODY RHEAULT

Local couples had pooled $10,000 to produce the rodeo

Ferrian and Homer Shaw as the officers of the new association.

east of town on land next to the site that became Sisters Eagle Airport. Two years later, they purchased land on the west end of town and held rodeos there for the next 34 years. The events included bull and bronc riding, calf roping, bulldogging, wild cow milking and wild horse races.

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Dipping a brush into

the soul of Sisters

Sisters’ natural beauty stimulates creativity — how could you not be inspired by the majesty of the Three Sisters, the harmonies of the rushing waters of Whychus Creek, and the Metolius River? Yet it’s more than that. Sisters has created a true community of artists – people who support and inspire each other to dig deeper, reach higher. Inspiration and aspiration combine to create a fertile environment for art and artists that is gaining international notice. On the fourth Friday of each month, art-lovers enjoy a stroll among Sisters’ many galleries. The art walk has been

modified for COVID-safety, but it’s still a great way to get out and experience the range of creativity to be found in this small town.

For the past several years, dedicated artists, gallery owners and arts patrons have been working to create an arts district on Hood Avenue, where many of Sisters’ galleries can be found. Any day is a good day to stroll those galleries, where you will find extraordinary work in every medium imaginable, from sculpture to watercolors, pottery to jewelry, and on as far as the creative mind can take you. Several local artists have created books, which can be found

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at Paulina Springs Books on Hood Avenue, and some artists host open studio tours when able during the summer. That’s just the tip of the paintbrush in Sisters Country. The Sisters Library also plays host to art with rotating exhibits. Many local restaurants and cafés also feature Sisters artists’ work.

Art events have been postponed, scaled back or curtailed due to pandemic-related restrictions on gatherings. Visit www. sistersartsassociation.org, www. sistersoregonguide.com or check The Nugget Newspaper for updated information on events and activities.

Donate. Shop. Volunteer.

Thrift Store

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211 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Closed Sun.

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ReStore

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254 W. Adams Ave., Sisters Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Closed Sun.

Used Furniture • Lighting Appliances • Building Materials Gardening • Sporting Goods

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artist spotlight

DennisMcGregor McGregor Dennis Dennis McGregor had no idea he had a hit on his hands. The artist, author and musician had completed a whimsical painting of a turtle with a dove. He didn’t realize until he was finished that the dove was a turtle dove. Turtle/turtle dove. Fun. “It was an accident, basically,” the artist recalled. “I was just fooling around with that painting.” Turned out, it was more than fun, more than just fooling around. Something about that juxtaposition of namesake animals struck a chord in everybody who saw the painting. So, McGregor decided to do a series. Bullfrog. Chicken hawk… “That started it,” he said. “It wasn’t going to be a book yet — I was just doing a series of paintings.” Those paintings hung in The Cottonwood Café, and became a delight to diners who enjoyed engaging with the creatures on the walls, making associations. “People just started doing that, everywhere I’d go,” he said.

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With that level of interest, well… McGregor figured a book was in order. Thus was born “You Stole My Name”. The coffee table book has proved to be a local bestseller, consistently selling out case after case over the past three-plus years. Naturally, since McGregor is a noted and award-winning songwriter, it led to related music and singalong appearances in bookstores and classrooms, where children absolutely fall in love with the associations and the call-and-response singing. A lifelong performer, McGregor finds himself fulfilling an image of himself he’d once imagined. “I thought it would be kind of cool to be a children’s book author and come into a bookstore with a box of books under one arm and my guitar in my other,” he said. “And, somehow, that’s what

I’m doing.” And now he’s completed the sequel to “You Stole My Name”. The new book, titled (of course) “You Stole My Name Too” features plants with animal names. Some of these combos, like Gooseberry, Crab Apple and Tiger Lily, are well-known. Others are more remote and may cause a bit of head scratching. Not everyone is familiar with the Hedgehog Cactus or an Ostrich Fern. It’s McGregor’s hope that children and adults may google a thing or two and discover which verses are based on fact and which are figments of his imagination. This new book — which will be released this summer — features the same look and feel as the first book, which was sometimes referred to as a “kid’s coffee table book” for its large size and lush printing.

“I thought it would be kind of cool to be a children’s book author and come into a bookstore with a box of books under one arm and my guitar in my other… And, somehow, that’s what I’m doing.” Murals of McGregor’s “You Stole My Name” paintings are a feature at The Old Mill District in Bend, and are popular backdrops for photographs. “It’s fun,” McGregor said of the stir the work has created. “I just sort of fell into it.” McGregor is a highlyregarded commercial artist who has done work for businesses across the Pacific Northwest, for local events and organizations, and for the U.S. Forest Service in

interpretive and educational installations. For the past two decades, he has been the poster artist for the Sisters Folk Festival (see his poster image of Beulah the Badger on page 85).

“Zebra Finch”

He said that “You Stole My Name” is the first project that has been completely done for his own pleasure — and he’s gratified that it’s been such a hit. He plans some other children’s book projects — and he plans to keep right on painting and singing.

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Discovering

t h g i r Dee W

Observatory

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It looms like some robber baron’s castle over a strange and alien — yet strikingly beautiful — landscape. The Dee Wright Observatory lies on the border of the Deschutes and Willamette national forests, along Highway 242. Built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and named for crew leader and Forest Service packer Dee Wright who had died the year previous, the tower is built entirely of jagged black lava.

PETE ALPORT

It sits at 5,325 feet above sea level and offers spectacular vistas of surrounding peaks, including Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington and North and Middle Sister. As the Willamette National Forest notes, “As you journey to the observatory, take a moment to consider the history and beauty of the route. The McKenzie Highway has grown from a trail, to a wagon road, to an early automobile route, and finally to the present highway. The route became a state highway in 1917, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. The highway’s designers sought to harmonize built structures with the natural setting, and with this idea in mind, the Dee Wright Observatory was created.

The observatory was designed by William N. Parke, and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Camp F-23 of Company 927, during the Great Depression. The circular tower was named as a memorial to Dee Wright, an employee of the Forest Service, a long-time packer, and Conservation Corps foreman. Since its completion in 1935, the observatory has been a favorite attraction for thousands of visitors each summer.” The observatory offers panoramic views across 65 square miles of black lava rock. If you think it looks like a moonscape — NASA agrees with you. In 1964, the agency trained astronauts in the lava as they

prepared for missions to the moon. There are trails through the lava beds. You can make the observatory a destination or one-stop on a scenic loop from Sisters, across Highway 242 and the McKenzie Pass, down to Highway 126 and back to Sisters. The road is narrow and full of switchbacks — NOT suitable for trailers or long recreational vehicles. It’s a popular route for bicyclists and motorcyclists, so take it slow and be watchful.

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JERRY BALDOCK

Parks

JERRY BALDOCK

Barclay Park

Cliff Clemens Park

Located on Cascade Avenue (Highway 20) in the center of downtown Sisters. Includes a public restroom.

On the north side of Sisters, approximately three blocks from downtown on Larch Street. Motorhomes may park in this area during the daytime only. Large grassy area and play equipment. Creekside Park, Village Green Park and Cliff Clemens Park are available for events for a fee. Electricity is available. Includes a public restroom. Call 541-549-6022 for additional information.

Bike & Skate Skaters and cyclists have their own skate park and their own bike park thanks to volunteer efforts by local youth and adult mentors. Bike 242 offers jumps and skill features. Located next to the Sisters Park & Recreation District Coffield Center, at the west end of the Sisters High School parking lot. Head west from downtown Sisters on Hwy. 242 (McKenzie Hwy).

Creekside Campground The Creekside Campground is a municipal park with 60 sites (of

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which 23 are full hook-up sites) and a large grass area. The park is situated along Whychus Creek and within walking distance of downtown. The park is open April to November and is closed for the winter months. Includes a public restroom. Call 541-3235218 for reservations and more information.

Creekside Park Creekside Park is located adjacent to Whychus Creek across the covered foot bridge from the Creekside Campground. The grassy park has tables and small barbecues for daytime use. Starting in 2021, there will be no events here.

Fir Street Park Sisters’ downtown park is centrally located at the corner of Fir Street and Main Avenue. This “pocket park” features a splash play area for kids, lined with boulders, a performance stage with timber-frame pavilion and seating area, a picnic facility, restrooms, bike corrals, benches, a fire pit with seating, a drinking fountain and on-site parking. Many features were created by local artists. The park hosts Sisters Farmers Market on Sundays and outdoor concerts sponsored by Sisters Folk Festival.

Hyzer Pines The Hyzer Pines 18-hole disc golf course is located near the Sisters Park & Recreation District Coffield Center on McKinney Butte Road.

Village Green Park Village Green Park is located two blocks south of downtown between Elm & Fir streets. There is a covered gazebo, barbecue area, playground equipment, and restrooms.

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Sisters: A history of pioneer

Resilience By Jim Cornelius

PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT

Sisters is marking a significant anniversary in 2021 — the 75th anniversary of the 1946 incorporation of the City of Sisters. Of course, Sisters’ founding long predates incorporation. It was “discovered” long before Euro-American settlers found it — as a place where Paiute, Warm Springs, and Wasco peoples stopped during movement across the broad Central Oregon landscape. The name of Whychus Creek, which runs right through town, comes from a Sahaptin phrase, “The Place We Cross The Water.” You could date the founding to 1888, when the area post office moved from Camp Polk to Sisters, or perhaps more solidly to July 10, 1900, when Alex and Robert Smith platted the town, with many of the street names still in use today.

Any way you define it, Sisters was a pioneer town, the hub of a small homesteading community and for a while the only town between the Cascades and Prineville. As a pioneer town, operating in relative isolation and conditions we would consider primitive, Sisters had to be selfreliant and resilient. Those qualities have continued to be a hallmark of the community. The resilience of Sisters was severely tested in 1923 and 1924, when two separate fires nearly destroyed the town. Ray Hatton recounted the terrible events in his history, “Oregon’s Sisters Country”: “On May 11, 1923, fire broke

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out in an untenanted garage, spread rapidly and leveled one entire block of town … The fire destroyed 10 buildings — some businesses, some residences — within 15 minutes after the first alarm.” All that was available to fight the fire was a bucket brigade of eight or 10 men, because most folks in town were away at a track meet in Redmond. The men had to carry water 200 feet from an irrigation ditch, and all they could do was douse properties that had not yet caught fire. The Hotel Sisters, standing in the center of town, was scorched, but survived. “The next year, late in the afternoon on September 11, fire once again broke out and raced through parts of Sisters,” Hatton recounts.

The Bend Bulletin headline read: “Half of Pioneer Town is Leveled by Flames.” Once again, the iconic Hotel Sisters was scorched but survived. Hatton notes that, “within a 16-month period, fire had destroyed 16 buildings valued at $50,000 in Sisters.” A raw inflation calculation makes that $769,000 in today’s dollars — but, given the real estate market of 2021, the loss of 16 buildings in downtown would surely calculate out far higher than that. The town rebuilt. The town would reinvent itself in the 1970s and 1980s. In the ’70s, there wasn’t a whole lot to the place — for those other than the 500 or so residents, most of whom worked for Barclay Logging, the Forest Service, or businesses that serviced those entities, Sisters was pretty much a highway pit stop for travelers. That changed when Brooks Resources, the developers of Black Butte Ranch,

The iconic Hotel Sisters was a survivor, twice escaping being burned down, and is now a landmark of downtown Sisters, housing Sisters Saloon.

decided they needed a place for prospective residents of the nascent resort to shop. In a 2015 Nugget story headlined, “How Sisters Became Sisters” correspondent Bonnie Malone recounted: “The colorful Harold Barclay, a friend whose company supplied logs to Brooks Scanlon Mill, said simply, ‘Let’s buy Sisters.’ This was not an absurd idea at the time, Smith said, as a highway frontage lot could be purchased

for $10,000. Barclay’s idea was to purchase all existing businesses and revamp them into an inviting adjunct to Black Butte Ranch outdoor amenities. “Brooks Resources President (Bob) Harrison envisioned an alternative plan. Brooks would offer a $5,000 grant to build false storefronts of Western theme to any existing business in Sisters, or to new construction that honored the theme. This would Continued on page 58

Sisters, Oregon is celebrating 75 years! Sisters incorporated 75 years ago on April 9, 1946! Learn about the history of Sisters. Explore the town and local businesses.

Events will be held throughout the year, sponsored by the City of Sisters. Information on upcoming events and dates are on the City website, www.ci.sisters.or.us.

Continued from page 57

give Sisters a unique image and enhance its attraction. If a business owner kept the Western theme frontage for 10 years, the loan would be forgiven.” The idea caught on, and Sisters developed a strong identity that began to attract tourism. Brooks Resources also undertook the restoration of the venerable survivor of two conflagrations, Hotel Sisters.

As Malone recounts, “Again, Brooks Resources stepped in and gave financial assistance to the varied group of the building’s owners to assure that the integrity of the historic pearl of Sisters was not compromised. The restored building was later purchased by Bill and Jan Reed, to reopen as a restaurant in 1985.” That pioneering spirit was also in evidence in the mid-1990s, when the Sisters School District could not fund a sorely-needed expansion of Sisters Elementary School. Local contractor Curt Kallberg asked a simple but

PHOTO BY JERRY

BALDOCK

profound question: What if the community simply built a new wing? In a community-wide effort that resembled an old-fashioned pioneer barn raising, the community pitched in to gather materials and expertise and got the job done. The effort was so singular that then-Governor John Kitzhaber came to Sisters to celebrate the dedication of the new school classrooms. Sisters has shown resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges from Mother Nature.

Sisters Historic Landmarks Walking Tour By Three Sisters Historical Society Pick up a map at

Sisters Museum 410 E. Cascade Ave. or scan the QR code for a digital copy.

Sisters is celebrating 75 years! 58

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A massive flood in 1964 remains legendary in Sisters Country. As Upper Deschutes Watershed Council recounts in its publication, “The Place We Cross The Water: Whychus Creek”: “On December 18, 1964, warm rain began to pour over the upper Whychus Creek watershed. Temperatures soared from zero into the 50s in one week and over 20 inches of rain fell on a deep snowpack in the mountains, creating a flash flood on Whychus Creek. Magnificent in size and speed, floodwaters completed the filling of Lake Billy Chinook months ahead of schedule. “According to Jesse Edgington, ‘After we moved from the ranch, the bridge we crossed on was 12 feet above the creek and four to five feet above the bank. That year the ice jammed someplace and it came down the creek, picking it up as it came. It piled up against that bridge till it was clear up over the top of a car on top of that bridge.’” The 1964 flood led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to channelize long reaches of the creek. In the 21st century, as needs and values shifted, nonprofits and agencies “re-meandered” the creek to mimic its historic, natural course. Sisters has withstood two decades of significant wildfires. Again, the community has adapted. We cannot avoid fires, but Sisters has assiduously pursued efforts to create a buffer around the community’s interface with the forest, and to encourage individual responsibility in creating defensible space and disaster preparedness.

PHOTO BY CEILI

CORNELIUS

In 2020, the community took the same kind of hits felt around the globe as the coronavirus pandemic restricted economic activity and threatened the well-being of the population. And, as always, the community rallied, supporting local businesses and reaching out a hand to those in need. Like so many Western towns, Sisters has seen boom and bust. The recession of the early 1980s hit hard, along with the closure of lumber mills and the decline of logging on Sisters’ forests. The Great Recession of 2008 struck a heavy blow to many in town. Sisters has leveraged its natural attractiveness and a community spirit that is hard to find elsewhere to continually reinvent itself, rolling with the punches with the resilience of a true pioneer town.

PHOTO BY GARY MILLER

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As thousands more people come to Sisters Country each year looking for untrammeled wilderness experiences, the Forest Service has initiated a long-delayed permit system for some local trails.

Service Spokesperson Jean Nelson-Dean.

Reservations for the permits are available at www.Recreation. gov. Enter “Central Cascades Wilderness.”

The permit system was slated to go into effect last spring, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic actually seems to have accelerated the trend that caused the Forest Service to inaugurate the program in the first place: more and more people hitting trails in the Cascades.

The limited-entry permit system for day and overnight use applies at 19 of the 79 trailheads across the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters Wilderness areas from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last Friday in September. Permits are available on a rolling seven-day basis. “For those folks who want to be spontaneous, there will be permits (on an ongoing basis),” said Forest

All campfires will be banned above 5,700 feet in Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters Wildernesses, as well as in some lower areas.

Certain trails have seen 15-20 percent increases in use each year, and the impacts — from simple wear and tear to garbage and waste left behind — have begun to materially affect the health of the forest and the quality of the wilderness

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experience. Nelson-Dean said that the Tam McArthur Rim Trail has seen a 300-percent increase in use over the past five years, with 20,000 trekking into the Three Sisters Wilderness from that trailhead annually. “Tam McArthur had been a sleeper sort of trail that actually didn’t get a whole lot of use,” Nelson-Dean said. “Then it just went off the charts. Last year was just like an overwhelming increase. It was extremely difficult to manage.” She noted that there are 35 trailheads that lead into the Three Sisters Wilderness. Five of those trails took 55 percent of the use. “Part of the permit plan is to spread use across space and time,” she said. She said that users are encouraged to “maybe

COURTESY USFS

Wilderness permit system in place in Sisters Country

choose a different trail than the most popular trailheads.” Nelson-Dean says that she understands that a permit system for the wilderness in our backyard is distasteful to some. But, she notes, it is hoped that the enhancement of the experience will be worth it — from simply being able to find a place to park at a trailhead to avoiding the crowds on the trails. “We certainly hope that most people will comply,” she said. “It will give people a better experience. They’ll have places to park; you’ll have more solitude.” Reservations can also be made by calling 1-877-444-6777. Permits will be at Deschutes and Willamette National Forest offices, but offices may be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Forest Service strongly

“Tam McArthur had been a sleeper sort of trail that actually didn’t get a whole lot of use…Then it just went off the charts.” encourages online reservation. Processing fees will be charged at $1 per permit per person. Overnight use permits will be charged at $6 per trip. Overnight permits can include up to 12 people for a trip of up to 14 days. There are no permit fees other than the processing fee. The Forest Service decided to not have a special recreation permit fee at this time. If that decision changes, there will be a public-engagement process on any potential future fees. “Those funds don’t come back to the forest,” said Forest Service spokesperson Jean Nelson-Dean.

“Those are just the administrative costs of having a permit system.” People should only reserve permits they know they will use. Once the ending date of a permit has passed, an individual can make another overnight reservation. Hikers who enter one of the wildernesses from a wilderness trailhead will still need to have a permit that is associated with the trailhead closest to their point of entry into wilderness. For day use this could be a permit from either a limited-entry permit trailhead or a self-issued permit trailhead.

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mountains

The

are calling… page 60).

Whether you want a nice streamside stroll or are looking for a peak to bag, Sisters Country offers a wide range of hiking opportunities. The Metolius River Trail or the Whychus Creek Trail are ever-popular destinations, as are classic cinder-cone ascents like Black Butte or Black Crater. Note that excursions into the Three Sisters Wilderness, the Mt. Washington Wilderness and the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness May 28-September 24 will now require permits (see story,

There is no better resource for hiking information than William Sullivan’s comprehensive “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades”, available locally at Paulina Springs Books. You may need to drive on gravel or dirt to get to many hikes, so take a suitable vehicle, and some areas may become inaccessible due to snow. Most local folks are avid hikers, and they have favorite activities — some of which

they’re even willing to share with others…

Crista Munro — Executive Director of the Sisters Folk Festival: “After I moved to Sisters and got to know fellow hikers, it seemed like there was one question they all asked: ‘Have you climbed Black Butte yet?’ says Crista Munro, who came to Sisters a couple of years ago to lead the iconic Sisters Folk Festival. The volcanic cone of Black Butte can be seen from all around Sisters Country, and is the namesake of a few area businesses, a street, a school, and even an entire community. “I didn’t truly feel like I was a local until that particular hike had been checked off my list, and it has been now, twice over,” Munro says. “While not what I’d consider technical, there’s a decent altitude gain (1,600 feet) so those attempting this nearly four-mile roundtrip hike should be in reasonably good shape, especially if coming from a lower altitude. Trekking poles aren’t a bad idea either. “Hikers will be treated to an ever-changing landscape, from heavy timber to sub-alpine scrubland. The temperature and weather conditions can change fairly dramatically too along the way, so be prepared for blusContinued on page 64

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“One of my favorite things to do is to simply head out on the network of forest roads outside of Sisters and make up my own hike.”

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief, The Nugget Newspaper

Continued from page 62

tery wind and cooler temps, no matter what the time of year. The reward at the summit is a breathtaking 360-degree view that goes on forever. On a clear day you can see from Smith Rock to Mt. Hood. Check out the fire lookout tower (from the ground only, climbing it is prohibited) and a seasonal caretaker’s cabin before heading back to lower ground.” www.alltrails.com/trail/ us/oregon/black-butte-trail

Wes Johnston — owner of The Pony Express Wes Johnston loves to hit the trails in Sisters Country — whether it’s for a quick jaunt or a multi-day segment of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). “For me, it really depends on

the time of year,” he says. “My objective is usually to find lesscrowded trails.” For example, he says, “Tam McArthur (Rim) is a great hike — but I like to do it after the first snow.” If he’s only got a bit of time away from running his business, Wes will take a quick jaunt down the trail from Sisters High School to Crossroads, which is surprisingly under-utilized. He often enjoys hiking with his wife Teagan and his young daughter Bristol, who has practically been raised on the trail. His favorite thing to do is take on a roughly 100-mile segment of the PCT over a period of about three days. “I think this year I’ll go from Odell Lake to Crater Lake,” he says.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief of The Nugget Newspaper: The opportunity to get out into field is one of the main

things that drew Jim Cornelius, Editor-in-Chief of The Nugget Newspaper, to Sisters 28 years ago. “One of the great pleasures of Sisters Country is that we’re surrounded by forest and high desert almost literally out our back doors,” he says. “You don’t necessarily have to drive to a specific trailhead and follow a formal route to get a great hike in.” “One of my favorite things to do is to simply head out on the network of forest roads outside of Sisters and make up my own hike. West of the Crossroads subdivision, you can hike for miles on those roads, with magnificent mountain views all around. You can make your hike a short stroll or a long trek, as you desire. Sometimes I just walk an easy two-mile loop; sometimes I’ll hike from Crossroads to Black Crater and back, which is a good eight or 10 miles.” A bonus is that such ad hoc hikes are less crowded than really popular outings.

TOP 4 SISTERS HIKES

Black Butte Lookout

West on Highway 20 to Forest Road 11 (Green Ridge Road). Turn right and pass Indian Ford Campground. Turn left at graveled Road 1110 and follow it to the trailhead. Strenuous twomile climb yields 360-degree views.

Tam McArthur Rim

This hike is so popular that it now requires a wilderness permit. From the trailhead near Three Creeks Lake, the trail leads up toward the foot of Broken Top, yielding spectacular mountain views. It's a roundtrip 5.3-mile strenuous hike, with potential extensions.

Metolius River

Take Highway 20 west to the Camp Sherman turnoff. Follow FS road 14 to a fork in the road and bear right. Continue on approximately 7.5 miles and turn left at the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery signs and cross the bridge to the fish hatchery parking area.

Whychus Creek

Take Elm Street south out of Sisters 4.2 miles. There’s a turnout on the west (right) side of the road. Park and walk past the green gate down to the trail and start hiking upstream. Out-andback hike can vary distance to suit. Easy-moderate.

1 2 3 4

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If you have an itch to get your feet wet while enjoying a thrilling ride through some spectacular country, head out to raft one of Central Oregon’s wild rivers The beautiful McKenzie River is widely regarded as the finest river-running experience in the region. With a steady plunge down the mountains, the river creates continual excitement for rafters. This designated Wild & Scenic River is exquisitely beautiful, rolling between stands of tall Douglas fir, Western red cedar, Western and mountain hemlock and white alder that line the banks. The Deschutes River has long been a popular destination for rafters. The short Upper Deschutes is suitable for a family outing with children as young as seven, according to the guidebook “Whitewater Rafting in North America”. The relatively brief run features

the Class IV thrills of Big Eddy, which rolls and swirls in a lava canyon formed by the region’s volcanic activity. The rest of the trip offers more mellow rapids in a scenic environment. The Lower Deschutes offers a series of exciting rapids, and multi-day rafters have the chance to explore the canyons. Numerous outfitters offer outfitting and guide services. Not only do they supply the equipment, but their experience and expertise make running the rivers safer. Check with local resorts for information. The Metolius River near Sisters is beautiful — but navigating it is best left to highly experienced expert boatmen.

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RIVER CLASSES: Class I: Gentle, moving water. Very small waves requiring little or no maneuvering. A nice float down the river. Class II: Regular waves, easy to see, reaching three to four feet in height. May require simple maneuvering to avoid rocks and other obstacles. Class III: Large, continuous series or sets of waves, some in excess of six feet. You can run holes or hydraulics or maneuver around them. There may be some small drops, ledges or waterfalls. Plenty of thrills for most folks. Class IV: Difficult, wild water; for experienced rafters. Class V: Very challenging water; for the most experienced river runners only. Class VI: Virtually non-navigable.

BILL BARTLETT

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Sisters is without question one of Oregon’s premier mountain-biking regions

By Andrew Loscutoff The Peterson Ridge Trail System (PRT) is Sisters’ premier mountain-biking trail. The trail is friendly to all ages and abilities, with flowing ribbons of singletrack navigation through ponderosa pines and volcanic rock outcroppings. Substantial views can be had particularly on the western route along the ridge. Stop at the overlooks between stretches of pedaling for mountain views and more. PRT offers an engaging and fun experience, with technical lava rock features, fast flowy pedally tracks, and near-town beginner trails. The trail system is the site of the Sisters Stampede Mountain Bike Race held the Sunday of each Memorial Day Weekend, drawing riders from across the region. The Suttle Tie Trail is an option to explore the changing

ecosystem as one heads west toward the Cascade mountains. Explore the old ponderosa pines while riding the leisurely grades, and enjoy the seclusion of a trail with much less traffic. Once at the lake, take a spin around the three-mile Suttle Lake Trail. This is a non-technical fast loop that winds around the lake offering a thrill of speed and stunning views of the alpine lake. All abilities will have a great time! The Metolius-Windigo Trail is accessible from Sisters as a backcountry adventurer-type of experience. Keep in mind that this trail is popular for trail riding equestrians and can be quite hoof-beaten after the dry days of summer come about. If one is ambitious, a ride from Three Creek Sno-Park down the Peterson Ridge connection will reward the adventurous, exploring types with a story to tell others of the time they descended the rocky ridges and pedaled

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BILL BARTLETT

Take a ride on Sisters’ trails through the ghostly burnt forests of the Pole Creek Fire. Ten miles out-and-back with a great view from a short hike at the top, the Green Ridge Trail is another segment of the MetoliusWindigo. This trail is accessed from Green Ridge Road that turns north off Highway 20 just east of Black Butte. Check with the Forest Service for directions. In a variation on the theme of getting out into the woods on two wheels, bicyclists are taking to the gravel in big numbers. Gravel riding — or “gravel grinding” or “adventure riding” — combines elements of road- and mountain-biking in distance rides over unpaved roads. With miles and miles of unpaved forest roads at our doorstep, Sisters is a natural fit for this family-friendly cycling phenomenon. Check with local bike shops for more information on equipment and routes.

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ALPINE SKIING

Hoodoo Ski Area Hoodoo’s top elevation is 5,703 feet and almost twothirds of its 806 skiable acres face due north. This makes for excellent snow conditions that complement 1,035 feet of vertical drop. For more information, visit skihoodoo.com or call 541-822-3799 or 541-822(DEEP) 3337. Mt. Bachelor A little farther afield is Mt. Bachelor, offering world-class destination skiing, featuring 3,365 feet of vertical drop over varied terrain suitable for all levels of skill. For more information, visit mtbachelor. com or call 800-829-2442. Call 541-382-7888 for Mt. Bachelor’s snow report. Santiam Sno-Park This sno-park is located across the highway from the Hoodoo entrance road (off Highway 20/126). It’s a popular sledding area with nearby trails for cross-country skiers and snowshoers.

BILL BARTLETT

TUBING Both Hoodoo and Mt. Bachelor offer tubing facilities that make for a safe, fun, family outing. Hoodoo’s Autobahn

tube area is located at the base of Hayrick Mountain and offers spectacular views that you can enjoy while being towed to the top of your run. Ray Benson Sno-Park About one mile from Hoodoo, this site offers a variety of trails for winter sports. Dog teams, skiers, snowmobilers, snowshoers and skijorers all enjoy this popular winter sno-park. A large shelter in the parking area has a wood-burning stove. Parks require sno-park permits (daily or seasonal), available at Hoodoo, Black Butte Ranch, and in Sisters at Blazin Saddles and Eurosports. The North Loop Trail covers four miles through scenic forest. The South Loop Trail out of Benson Sno-Park leads to Brandenburg shelter and a six-mile scenic snowshoe or cross-country trek. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING Hoodoo offers 15.8 kilometers of groomed trails. The Nordic center has rental gear. Mt. Bachelor has 56 kilometers of Nordic skiing. Gear can be rented at Eurosports or Hoodoo's Hillside Ski & Sport in Sisters.

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wildflowers From Three Creek Lake south of town to the lands of the Deschutes Land Trust along Whychus Creek, to Iron Mountain a short drive to the west in the Cascades, Sisters Country is painted each summer with the vibrant color of wildflowers. July tends to be the height of the season, so make sure your summer visit includes some time in the field. PHOTOS AND INFORMATION COURTESY DESCHUTES LAND TRUST

Bitterroot: May

Bitterroot, Lewisia rediviva. A desert beauty growing in rocky, open soils. White to pink flowers burst from rosettes on the ground. Named for Meriwether Lewis whose samples grew 2 years after collecting (rediviva = restored to life)!

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. A

Yarrow: April-September

widespread native at home in sagebrush meadows and pine forests. Leaves are feathery and flowers grow on tall stems in an umbrella-like cluster. Each white flower has 3-5 rays and a yellow center.

Arrowleaf balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata. One of our

Arrowleaf Balsamroot: May-June

showiest wildflowers lighting up hillsides with sunny, disk-like faces. Grows in clumps with large wide triangular leaves that have heart-shaped bases. Yellow flowers are 2½-4 in. wide on 1-3 ft. stems.

Red columbine, Aquilegia formsa.

Red Columbine: May-July

A stunningly delicate native that grows in moist, partly shaded areas. Drooping bright red and yellow flowers grow on stalks up to 4 ft. tall. Hummingbirds and butterflies love columbine nectar.

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Spotted mountain bells, Fritillaria atropurpurea. A beautifully delicate native lily, found in forests near openings. Brownish bell- shaped flowers have yellow-red spots and grow 5-25 in. tall. This uncommon lily takes a keen eye to find!

Spotted Mountain Bells: June

Mariposa lily, Calochortus macrocarpus. A sagebrush jewel that blooms intensely lavender on tall 8-23 in. stems. Mariposa is ‘butterfly’ in Spanish, and kalo and chortos are Greek for ‘beautiful,’ and ‘grass.’

Mariposa Lily: June-July

Scarlet gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata. Trumpet-shaped, bright red flowers on stems up to 3 ft. tall. Flower color may vary from scarlet, speckled with white, to pale pink speckled with red. Grows in dry soils in woodland openings and meadows.

Scarlet Gilia: June-August

Washington lily, Lilium washingtonianum. This native lily seems like it came straight from the flower shop with its classic shape, smell, and size! Large white to pink flowers on tall, 2-8 ft. stems. Grows in dry forests and is named for Martha Washington.

Washington Lily: June-July

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Sisters is for the birds By Jim Cornelius If you are fascinated with birds, Sisters is one of the best places in the world to be. Douglas Beall, who writes the “Sisters Country Birds” column for The Nugget Newspaper,” calls Sisters unique. “There’s more woodpecker species here than any place on the planet,” he said. It’s not just woodpeckers, either. All kinds of birds call Sisters Country home, from magnificent raptors like golden eagles to songbirds. The Cascade Mountains transition from high alpine to high desert climate and terrain makes for a wide variation in habitat within a relatively small area. “It’s very populated with many species,” Beall noted.

profoundly enhancing the experience of being out in the forest, rimrock and sage. That’s certainly the case for Beall.

challenge to me,” he said. “I love watching behaviors. That’s the main reason I take the quality of photos that I do.”

He grew up in Illinois as a self-described “swamp creature” always out in nature. His mother introduced him to the wonders of the avian community, but it wasn’t until his own children were grown that he got serious about birding. A trip to Hawaii was a watershed moment. He discovered how many bird species are being extirpated by disruption of ecosystems.

Understanding behaviors allows him to anticipate a good shot — and it gives shape and purpose to time on the trail.

“Somehow, that plays a chord in my heart,” he said. Passionate in all his endeavors, Beall became an avid birder and wildlife photographer.

Beall’s own favorites are warblers.

“It’s meditative for me,” he said.

“The warbler family is my favorite because they’re so hard to photograph,” he said. “They’re small and quick and often singular, high up in the trees.”

“Identifying birds by their note has always been a

cker dpe oo W

There is no better place to deepen your experience of nature than here in Sisters Country, seeking to spot, identify and photograph birds. The East Cascades Audubon Society website offers a variety of resources, including lists of good locations for birding: www.ecaudubon.org/birding locations.

Beall is in love with birdsong and considers himself a “bird behaviorist.”

tern Tan ag Wes

We nB er st

luebird

W h it e H e a d ed

Birding becomes a passion for many,

“(Birding) takes you to places you would never go,” he said. “Birding extends your experience. You find out so many things about yourself when you’re out there.”

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Heavenly golf in Sisters Is there golf in heaven? That’s above the Sisters Oregon Guide paygrade, but we’re pretty sure there is heavenly golf in Sisters. Within eight miles are three highly-rated courses, open to the public. At Black Butte Ranch there are two championship courses, each surrounded by amazing scenic views. The Glaze Meadow course is considered the most iconic in Central Oregon. It is 7,007 yards from the back tees. Award-winning Big Meadow, a Robert Muir Graves design, right at 7,000 yards, was honored by Golf Week Magazine as one of the “Best Courses You Can Play” in Oregon. It has monster views of the Cascades and in the autumn the quaking Aspens provide a stunning backdrop. This is a course where your golf bag should include your camera, especially on #14 where the dramatic, jagged volcanic peak, Three Fingered Jack, is certain to

break your concentration. Hoping for that hole in one? No. 8 on Big or No. 5 or No. 8 on Glaze are your best chances. No. 3 on Glaze is a ball eater, locals say. No. 12 on Big is thought to be the toughest. Gorgeous distractions abound such as #1 in spring and early summer when the lupine and fireweed greet you with blinding beauty. A putting course with fairways? 2021 is the first full year of the new Little Meadow Putting Course, a creation of award-winning architect John Faught. Twelve reversible holes spaced between 45 and 105 feet can be played as a 9 or 18 with a little mapping. Natural rock formations integrated with native landscaping make the course play lifelike, appealing to all levels and ages of golfers. It’s a must for intergenerational golfing. No golfing at Black Butte would be complete without a stop at Robert’s Pub.

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A 10-minute drive brings you to Aspen Lakes also full of jaw dropping backdrops. It comes in at a challenging 7,302 yards rated at 74.4 over its par 72 card with a 139 slope. Golf Advisor rated it No. 9 in 2020 for Top Courses in Oregon, up from No. 17 the prior year. Its signature hole, No. 11, is a 450-yard par 4. Easiest to par is No. 15 at 222 yards. No. 14 is a bogey caution. The best par 5-hole, aficionados say, is No. 10 — 554 yards. Any time of the day is good for play given the course layout. Expect to see an abundance of wildlife: soaring eagles overhead, deer scoring your shots, colorful red-winged black birds, the occasional coyote and the iconic trumpeter swans slowing traffic at No. 11. Unique to Aspen Lakes is the red, volcanic “sand” in the bunkers crushed from cinders on the original property. Its deep red color offers an eye-pleasing contrast to the panoramic mountain landscape.

BLACK BUTTE RANCH

By Bill Bartlett

Sisters

Resorts

Black Butte Ranch

share the good life Across America, families cherish memories that were created right here in Sisters Country — memories of golden days spent at Sisters resorts. Black Butte Ranch has been a beloved destination for families for half a century. Last year the Ranch celebrated its 50th anniversary. Black Butte Ranch opened in 1970 and was completed in 1987 with over 1,800 acres and 1,250 homesites. It’s a small city with its own fire and police department and is one of the top 20 employers in Deschutes County. With bike and walking paths, tennis courts, and worldrenowned golf courses, there’s plenty to do right on the Ranch — but it also makes a perfect headquarters for your adventures across Central Oregon. The Lodge Restaurant, Robert’s Pub and the Lakeside Bistro offer a range of dining options, and you can enjoy live music on the lawn near the Bistro on Wednesday evenings in the summertime. Groceries can be found on the property at The General Store. The Spa at Black Butte Ranch is the perfect spot to unwind after a full day of play.

The Suttle Lodge offers a retreat on the shores of Suttle Lake west of Sisters. The magnificent log lodge has 11 rooms and there are cabins scattered across the 15-acre property ranging from the deluxe to the rustic. In the summer season, enjoy dining at The Boathouse after a hike on the lakeside trail, or a kayak on the waters of Suttle Lake. FivePine Lodge lies right in town, within walking distance of Sisters’ activities. The resort, which features an array of lodge rooms and nicely-appointed cabins, is designed to be a restorative and romantic getaway (popular with locals as well as

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Suttle Lodge

visitors) with the personal touch of a bed and breakfast. The adjacent Shibui Spa, Sisters Athletic Club and Three Creeks Brewing Co. pub give FivePine all the amenities of a major resort with a comfortable and cozy scale. While it doesn’t have overnight accommodations, Aspen Lakes Golf Course just to the east of Sisters feels like a resort, with its highly regarded and scenic golf course and its magnificent lodge-style restaurant in a beautiful High Desert setting. Sisters’ resorts serve up respite, restoration, romance — and lifelong memories.

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Running the backroads of Sisters By Charlie Kanzig Naturalist John Muir said, “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” He also said, “Of all of the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” Such is the experience of running in Sisters Country. Many years ago a friend of mine here in Sisters began running in order to prepare for a triathlon. His routine kept him running around the threemile paved loop in the Tollgate subdivision. I invited him one morning to venture outside the fire exit gate and into the adjacent national forest that features dirt roads and trails in every direction. He would later reflect on that morning as the day I “set him free”. Visitors to Sisters may feel like my friend originally did, and

stick to the streets, which is perfectly fine. For those wanting to enhance their running experience, diverse choices, all within minutes of the Sisters city limits, abound. The established Sisters Trail Alliance (STA) routes (www. sisterstrails.org), including the most well-known Peterson Ridge System, offer runners of all levels of fitness options to be “set free” and are well-marked and mapped. The Peterson Ridge trailhead features a brand new parking lot and restroom just on the edge of town out Elm Street/Three Creek Road. The annual Peterson Ridge Rumble held in April, which includes distances of 20 and 40 miles, uses the Peterson Ridge Trail for much of its course. The STA website includes maps of the trails established and maintained by the group.

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Lesser-used trails and roads

in the area may provide the peace and quiet for which visitors long. One longtime resident said, “I can leave my house and head into the forest and within five minutes the buzz of the world is behind me. I seldom see another person.” Picture running along a forest trail with morning sunlight glowing on the old-growth yellow-belly ponderosas and hearing the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves of the quaking aspens along Indian Ford Creek or near Cold Springs Campground. The Indian Ford trail — officially called the Sisters Tie Trail — can be accessed off of north Pine Street just before the pavement ends or, on the other end, from the Indian Ford Campground. Cold Springs is three miles west of town off of Highway 242. Trails established in recent

years along Whychus Creek south of Sisters are attractive in their own right with trailheads to be found by traveling out Three Creeks Road just a few minutes from town. The Metolius-Windigo trail, which is over 100 miles long, passes right through Sisters Country and can be accessed at many points, including near Cold Spring Campground, west of Black Butte Ranch, and at Cow Camp out Road 15 (Pole Creek Road). In the summer, be aware that the Windigo is commonly used by horse riders and can be quite dusty. (See related story, page 32). Running the trails along the Metolius River near Camp Sherman has been described as getting a small sip from the fountain of youth. An early morning or late afternoon run

along this wild and scenic river is tranquil and refreshing. Whether you choose a short out-and-back or go a few miles on a loop, it will be a run to remember. East of Sisters the ecosystem changes to a dryer, juniperdominant forest that affords open trails even through much of the winter. A relatively new trail system on BLM land off of Fryrear Road treats runners to a rocky, rugged landscape that is within a 15-minute drive from downtown Sisters. What many visitors may not consider for running routes are the miles and miles of dirt and gravel roads that are available in all directions from downtown Sisters, many of which are intersected by the STA system. Mountain views are always inspiring, so venturing up an old dirt forest road off of Road 15,

Indian Ford Road, or Three Creek Road can lead to views unseen by those less adventurous. A good Forest Service map can come in handy for planning a run in Sisters Country. Maps can be purchased at the Sisters Ranger Station. I have a tattered copy of my own with highlighted courses from over the years. Of course, staying safe is always something to keep in mind when running in unfamiliar places. Be sure to let someone know where you are going with some detail, consider not running alone, and be mindful of weather conditions. Proper hydration, especially in summer, is essential in the High Desert. “Living here, I could literally run a different route every day,” said Sean Meissner, director of the Peterson Ridge Rumble.

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A passion for road cycling Any time the pavement is dry in Sisters Country, you’ll see dozens of cyclists out on the roads. There are more every year, as cycling becomes a passion for more and more people who find it a great way to live a fit lifestyle while exploring our beautiful countryside. Sisters Country offers something for every cyclist, locals and visitors, weekend warriors and elite riders. Take a tour of rural backroads. Dig in for a heart-pounding mountain climb. With flat farmland roads and winding mountain climbs all within a few miles radius of Sisters, this area has become a

magnet for cyclists from all over Oregon and beyond. Cycling is so attractive here that the State of Oregon has designated three routes in Sisters Country as scenic bikeways. One goes over McKenzie Pass on Highway 242; one takes riders east across rolling countryside and farmland to Smith Rock; the third is a series of loops along the Metolius River in Camp Sherman. ODOT notes that, despite common practice, the McKenzie Pass, which opens the third weekend in June — is NOT open solely to cyclists before it

opens to regular vehicle traffic. The area offers a wide variety of cycling experiences from easy tours to challenging climbs and everything in between. Traffic is generally not a problem and the weather is consistently good from March through October. Local bike shops — Blazin Saddles and Eurosports — are fountains of expertise. For extensive information about local rides, visit blazinsaddleshub.com (click on “Local Rides”) or eurosports. us/local_rides. These shops also offer group rides several times a week during the peak season.

JERRY BALDOCK

Riders of all levels can take a tour of relaxing rural backroads or dig in for a challenging heart-pounding mountain climb

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Music

Sisters’ vibrant music scene continues to take a hit from restrictions on festivals and large indoor gatherings due to COVID-19.

Sisters Rhythm and Brews Festival has been forced to cancel again this summer — but they plan to return when conditions allow. The legendary Sisters Folk Festival plans to move forward with several outdoor, COVID-safe events this summer, and the festival itself will go forward in a modified format in October this year.

The Belfry on Main Avenue has become a destination venue for touring artists in a variety of genres. It awaits easing of restrictions to allow the return of live music indoors. Hardtails Bar & Grill, at the corner of Larch Street and Main Avenue, regularly hosts music in its expansive outdoor courtyard, including a summer series of classic rock tribute bands that pay rockin’ homage to artists from Bruce Springsteen to Fleetwood Mac to Prince. Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill serves up music from national touring acts and locals alike on its stage out in the courtyard. Cork Cellars Wine Bar &

Bistro is a favorite destination for local music throughout the year, and The Open Door hosts music both indoors and on their lovely outdoor courtyard stage. The lounge at Chops Bistro also features the best of local music on Saturday nights. Sisters Depot Kitchen & Cocktail Bar features musicians on weekends in its outdoor courtyard. During the summer, Black Butte Ranch offers music on Wednesday evenings. Enjoy a picnic on the grass near the recreation center and Lakeside Bistro. Eurosports hosts music in its food cart garden on summer Friday evenings.

JERRY BALDOCK

Sisters’ local venues may be able to go forward with modified music programs (check with individual venues for status).

in the mountains

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Sisters Country 2021 Events

Due to COVID-19, some of the Sisters Country events have been or may be canceled for 2021. Please refer to individual event websites or www.sistersoregonguide.com for general 2021 information, specific dates or for potential 2022 information.

june

july

Sisters Farmers Market Located at Fir Street Park. Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through early October. Local and fresh veggies, meats, fruits, honey, pickles, eggs, ice cream, artisan crafts, grains, and more! www.sistersfarmersmarket.com.

SOQS Quilt Walk Quilts are on display inside Sisters businesses during regular hours the month of July. Contact: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, 541-549-0989 or www.quiltersaffair.com.

Xtreme Bulls Come see the best in bull riding See you in 2022! at the Sisters Rodeo grounds. Ticket hotline: 800-827-7522. Contact: Sisters Rodeo Association, 541-549-0121 or sistersrodeo.com.

Quilter’s Affair Five days of virtual quilting classes, lectures, and programs. Contact: Stitchin’ Post, 541-549-6061 or www.quiltersaffair.com.

Sisters Rodeo & Parade See you in 2022! Come to “The Biggest Little Show in the World!” Now in its 80th year. Four performances sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association with a purse of over $100,000. Ticket hotline: 800-827-7522. Contact: Sisters Rodeo Association, 541-549-0121 or sistersrodeo.com. Crest the Cascades This annual bike ride over the McKenzie Pass offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Central Oregon. It starts and ends at the Sisters Park & Recreation District’s Coffield Center. Contact: Sisters Park & Recreation District, 541-549-2091 or crestthecascades.org.

Sisters Quilts In The Garden Tour See you in 2022! The 23rd year of the annual tour, presented by the Sisters Garden Club. Contact: www.sistersgardenclub.com. Wish Upon a Card Reception Fabric postcards available for purchase on the day of the quilt show located behing the Stitchin’ Post. Contact: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, 541-549-0989 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org. See you Black Butte Ranch Quilt Show in 2022! The annual show is held at the Black Butte Ranch Lodge deck and lakeside lawn. Contact: www.blackbutteranch.com.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show™ The 46th year of the largest outdoor quilt show in the country will be held Saturday, July 10! Contact: 541-549-0989 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org.

www.sistersoregonguide.com for up-to-date event information

Continued on page 88

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Continued from page 87

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Sunday! See you in 2022! More quilting exhibits and special events that you can save for Sunday, at FivePine Conference Center. Contact: 541-549-0989 or www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org. Rumble on the Runway Sisters Eagle Airport presents the annual aircraft & automobile showcase with pancake breakfast, fundraising 5K run/walk, Great Rubber Chicken Drop and more! Contact: www.sistersairport.com. See you “Glory Daze” Car Show in 2022! Cruise through Sisters! All categories, makes and models, with vendors, awards and music with DJ Boogie. Downtown on Main Avenue. Sponsor and contact: Sisters Park & Recreation District, 541-549-2091.

Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival See you in 2022! This event takes place at Village Green Park featuring award-winning blues musicians and beer garden. Contact: www.sistersrhythmandbrews.com.

august Country Fair & Art Show The 26th annual event features juried art show, silent auction, book sale, children’s activities, music, delicious food, famous marionberry cobbler, country store, cake walk and more! Free admission. Located at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 1/8 mile west of Sisters on Hwy. 242. Contact: 541-549-7087. See you Sisters Homebrew Festival in 2022! Taste the best homebrew from around the region at Creekside Park, Hwy. 20 & Jefferson Avenue. Unlimited samples of beer (must be consumed responsibly) and smoked meats. Kids are allowed outside at the food and information booths, but not inside the main tent. With live music. Sponsor and contact: Sisters Park & Recreation District, 541-549-2091.

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september Sisters Fresh Hop Festival The 10th annual event at Three Creeks Brewery & Landing Zone, 265 Barclay. Admission is free and open to all; children are welcome. Over 15 breweries will feature fresh hop beer. With live music and food all day. Contact: Three Creeks Brewing Co., 541-549-1963 or threecreeksbrewing.com

october Sisters Folk Festival The 26th annual celebration of American music from blues to bluegrass includes performances by top folk artists and musicians. Sponsor and contact: Sisters Folk Festival, 541-549-4979 or www.sistersfolkfestival.org. Sisters Harvest Faire Now in its 40th year, this fair brings together over 150 juried vendors of handcrafted quality arts and crafts, plus food and entertainment. Located downtown on Main Avenue. Free admission. Sponsor: Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, 541-549-0251 or www.sisterscountry.com.

november Sisters Holiday Celebration & Parade Annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Fir Street Park and Christmas parade on on Hood Avenue. Following the parade, visit with Santa Claus at the Chamber office on Main Avenue. Sponsor: Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, 541-549-0251 or www.sisterscountry.com.

All event calendar information is subject to change.

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Sisters offers health & wellness Just being in Sisters can be good for you. Crisp, clean mountain air, sunshine and the healing powers of nature come to bear as soon as you cross the mountains into the High Desert. Slowing down and reconnecting with the natural rhythms of the world, contemplating a wide open sky, sleeping in the quiet of a High Desert night — all that has to be good for you, inside and out. It’s not just the clean mountain air, the pure water, and the opportunity for plenty of outdoor recreation — although those are certainly beneficial and attractive. Sisters adds to its natural advantages by being most intentional about the practice of health and wellness.

Self-care — whether it’s massage, skin care or exercise — remains critical to maintaining your well-being, emotional and psychological, as well as physical. And Sisters’ innovative practitioners are finding ways to deliver their vital services safely. Taking care of yourself is no indulgence. We have found through this pandemic that it’s actually a form of preventative care. From Shibui Spa to the Spa at Black Butte Ranch and everywhere in between, there are massage practitioners and therapists whose work is restorative. Physical therapists and chiropractors keep Sisters folks on the trail and on the slopes. Gyms and health clubs provide top-quality facilities and personal attention to help

patrons get fit, stay fit and enjoy the active lifestyle Sisters invites. New practices are emerging all the time, like Legendary Strategies, which specializes in meridian therapy and acupressure and energy work in pursuit of holistic healing. There are companies here who are making pure, innovative products that enhance the health of people around the world. A variety of practitioners, providers and programs are available in Sisters to make sure those who are spending the autumn of their lives here enjoy that life to the fullest. Whether you are visiting in Sisters or dream of making this place your home, you can be assured that this is a community that actively pursues a healthful way of life that brings out the best in all of us, inside and out.

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Saying

yes to

adventure

Steven Peterzen has provided his expertise to the Sisters High School science program to conduct experiments with high altitude balloons out of Sisters Eagle Airport. Sisters is a natural home for people who love the active, outdoor life. Steven Peterzen is more than a hobbyist — he made a career out of adventure. Steven Peterzen has spent a lifetime saying “yes” to adventure. And it’s led him to extraordinary experiences across the globe. Peterzen, who has lived in Sisters for the past decade, is the founder and owner of ISTAR Stratospheric Ballooning. ISTAR launches and recovers payloads for scientific and technological experiments for agencies, companies and academic institutions. The recovery field operations are often adventurous, since flights are usually terminated in remote areas. Peterzen often works with locals, including native peoples

in Arctic regions, to ski in and remove 10 percent of the flight equipment from the landing area. It’s all just part of the job — a very enjoyable part of the job — for a man who has spent his entire life engaged in outdoor activities from skiing to sea kayaking, to climbing and sailing, to cycling and more. Peterzen grew up along a creek at the Ohio-Illinois border along the Mississippi River. His parents were avid paddlers. “I started paddling, really, before my memory,” he told The Nugget Newspaper. “We canoed and tent-camped all over. That just stayed with me.” Peterzen’s love of outdoor adventure early on paired with a passion for science.

Along that creek where he grew up, he was constantly “turning over rocks to look at the insects and crawdads.” He was inspired further in high school in Clinton, Iowa. “I had a fantastic science teacher,” he said. “I did the summer camps, everything I could to stay involved with it.” Peterzen took up climbing at age 16, and hitchhiked across the country at age 20 to pursue that passion. He found himself owning and operating a guide business in Lander, Wyoming. That’s when destiny came calling. A man called looking for someone with Peterzen’s skillset to be a support contractor Continued on page 95

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Continued from page 93

setting up a field camp for a National Science Foundation/ University of Wisconsin glaciology project in Antarctica. “When he dropped the word Antarctica — yeah, how soon can I get there,” Peterzen recalled. His wife, Francie, and their new baby stayed in the log home they’d built themselves in Wyoming — an adventure in its own right — while Steven worked from October to March in Antarctica. “I was able to talk to my wife once (by satellite phone),” Peterzen said. The Antarctica project opened a lot of doors and a broad vista to Peterzen. Despite his love for science, he had shied away from a career that might confine him to a lab working on some obscure element of inquiry. This work offered him a different and more congenial path. “Here was all this science before me,” he said. And he didn’t have to specialize — any subject area was open to him. “I wanted to play with ALL of them,” he said. The Antarctica project led to work on an ice shelf in Greenland, drilling and setting off explosive charges to gauge seismic activity, and eventually into sending scientific payloads into the stratosphere with balloons. The ISTAR website notes that: “In 1991, ISTAR began supporting stratospheric ‘Near Space’ research programs

Steven Peterzen built a career around science and adventure, from Antarctica to Greenland — to Sisters, Oregon. utilizing high altitude balloons. This first balloon campaign was directly in support of a NASAfunded ozone investigation over Greenland with a team from Harvard University. In 1992, ISTAR took the field management role of the NASA-funded stratospheric balloon program in Antarctica. “From 1992 through 2001, ISTAR successfully managed over 20 separate 800,000 m3 balloons from Antarctica and launched a series of smaller balloons. During that period, ISTAR also managed and led the recovery team of the payloads and flight hardware.” His work would lead him from Arctic regions to Morocco and a stint working in Italy with the Italian Space Agency. Peterzen knows how to do a lot of things. His skill set is very broad, ranging from a long list of wilderness skill certifications to heavy equipment operation and project management. And he’s a natural problem-solver. “You have this bag of tricks in your pocket that you can use to make a project successful

without always digging into your pocket,” he said. Adventure isn’t just Peterzen’s job — it’s a way of life for him and his whole family. For nearly four years they lived aboard and cruised on their sailboat “Totem”. Peterzen noted that sailing “also honed our skills in weather observations, rigging applications, mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, and the overall maintenance. These skills parallel the efforts needed when managing field operations in ballooning.” Peterzen came to Sisters more than 10 years ago because “it’s an ideal location” for the life he chooses to lead. He loves cycling, and enjoys riding Sisters’ many trails. Steven and Francie live on a couple acres near Sisters, bordering Forest Service land. Peterzen acknowledges that he has crafted a pretty remarkable life for himself, a life of adventures great and small. “I have been incredibly fortunate,” he said. “I really have.”

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Naomi Rowe has served hundreds of people with unflagging kindness and good cheer at Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank.

Hardship,in blessings & service a Sisters life By Katy Yoder Sisters is an exceptionally giving community. Nobody represents that giving spirit better than Naomi Row, longtime manager of the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank. Over the decades, Naomi Rowe has known hardship and many blessings. Growing up in Central Oregon, her family sometimes struggled. In 1952, when Rowe was 14, her family moved to Sisters. “There were times I couldn’t participate in school activities because the money wasn’t there,” she recalled. “When we had basketball games at Sisters High School, we had a

trampoline and a bunch of us performed during halftime. But I couldn’t join the Glee Club because we didn’t have the money.” With 10 children in her family, her father — who Rowe says could do anything he put his hands to — worked hard to provide for his family. Just like people today, sometimes even having two hardworking, dedicated parents wasn’t enough to put food on the table. Rowe’s father had to grow up fast. When he was 12, he ran away from home and hopped a freight. “He went his own way from there on out,” she explained. “He met my mom in 1937. They

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dated for three months and got married. He changed jobs a lot.” Traveling through Bend on their way to another job, their truck got a flat tire. “While he was fixing the flat, he took a liking to the people and the pine trees,” said Rowe with a chuckle. Her father worked on a farm, then got on a crew with the mill in Bend. “Dad’s crew came out to Sisters on the old railroad and worked cutting trees. When that job gave out, he came to Sisters and applied for a job with the Forest Service. That lasted 10 months. Years later, he went back to work at the mill in Continued on page 99

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Continued from page 96

Sisters as the night watchman. One winter, he froze his ears. When he got into his truck after his shift, it was too cold to start. He had to walk to my house when it was 40-below … that was around 1961.” Rowe’s childhood experiences inspired her to help folks struggling with food insecurity. When her sister-in-law, Shirley Miller, asked her to be a Kiwanis Club member, she decided to give it a try. She joined in 2000 and has been working at the Kiwanis Food Bank ever since. Over the years, she’s become a valuable member of the Kiwanis team and a trusted advocate for the people she helps. She currently serves as Food Bank Manager. In 1958, when Rowe was 17, she married Don Rowe. The young couple bought a house in Sisters on the corner of Spruce and Jefferson. They raised five children and are celebrating 63 years of marriage. “When our youngest son was about 3, I got a job at The Gallery Restaurant as a baker. I worked there for 23 years. I retired from that and went to work at the bakery at Sentry Market in the old Ray’s store that’s now Bi-Mart.” After her husband became acting fire chief, his salary allowed Rowe the option to quit working — at least for money. Her work with Kiwanis keeps her busy as the needs of the community grow. For the first three years, Rowe said the food bank had to move from place to place. Eventually, they bought an old house on Oak Street and Main

Avenue. “We didn’t have very much,” she said. “Just three or four cases of food each week. We were open two hours on Tuesday and Thursday. Then we started advertising and people started donating so we had something to give people. At one point, it was just me working and some of the people were kind of scary. So I asked to have someone else there with me. More people started volunteering and eventually we remodeled the garage to store more food. In 2013, we built a small warehouse and it’s full to the rafters with groceries.” Rowe’s motto in life is simple: “Always be kind.” She tells all the food bank volunteers to be nice to everyone. “Don’t judge people, just be nice 100 percent of the time,” she said. Since COVID, Rowe says, volunteers bring the food out to clients. People from all walks of life need the food bank for all kinds of reasons. “We have people trying to live on Social Security, and families that can’t quite pay the bills and buy groceries,” Rowe said. “One person asked me if I’d be her grandma until she can see her own grandmother. I told her that I’d try and give her some advice whenever there’s an area I can help with.” Pushing 80, Rowe says she probably won’t work at the food bank for much more than

another year. She wants more time with her husband Don and their 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. She’s also hoping they’ll be able to have a family reunion this summer. Finding a replacement for Rowe won’t be easy. “We’ll need to teach two people to do what I do,” she said with a laugh. WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

PETE ALPORT

Roll down the road to Bend & Redmond

Smith Rock State Park Many folks take a day or two on their trip to Central Oregon to visit Bend or Redmond — both just about 20 miles down the road to the east and southbound. One great way to venture out to Central Oregon’s largest city is to jump on the Bend Ale Trail — the biggest ale trail in the West. And you can jump on the trail right here in Sisters, starting at Three Creeks Brewing Co. Then head on down Highway 20. Pick up a passport at a participating brewery or print it out online at www.visitbend.com/ bend-ale-trail. You can work up a thirst plying the Deschutes River at the Bend Whitewater Park, located in the Deschutes River near The Old Mill District in Bend. This in-water amenity offers a variety of river recreation opportunities including tubing, kayaking and surfing. Visit the Bend Whitewater Park’s main page at www.bendparksandrec.org/facil-

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ity/bend-whitewater-park/. The High Desert Museum is a destination for visitors from across the region. Visitors encounter wildlife, explore the history and culture of the West and experience exceptional art collections and art exhibits on the 135-acre grounds. The Museum was recently awarded a $6 million grant from Sisters' own Roundhouse Foundation to add more capacity for educational programming, create immersive experiences to bring visitors into the forest canopy, and — in collaboration with Tribal partners — fund an update of the Museum’s permanent exhibition on the past and present of the indigenous people of the Columbia Plateau. Bend hopes to bring back the spectacular Balloons Over Bend event, on July 23-25, filling the skies of Central Oregon with picturesque hot air balloons. Visit balloonsoverbend. com.

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Twenty miles down Highway 126, Redmond is the location of the region’s airport at Roberts Field. It’s also the site of the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo, currently scheduled for July 28-August 1. Visit expo. deschutes.org/fair. The number one attraction in the Redmond area is Smith Rock State Park — one of Oregon’s most scenic features, where crags vault to the sky along the meandering Crooked River. It’s an international destination for rock climbers — and a great place for a day hike or a family picnic. Visit Redmond’s revitalizing downtown for dining and a stroll among its shops.

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camping

ALLEN SPRINGS Season: Year-round (weather permitting). Location: On Metolius River, 5 miles north of Camp Sherman Store. Access: From Sisters, 9.6 miles northwest on Hwy. 20, then 11.1 miles north on Road 14. Elevation: 2,750 feet. Facilities: Vault toilets, no water. Sites: 16, best suited to tents. Activities: Catchand-release fishing, trails. Rates: $19-$21. Reservations: Some at recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-3231746.

ALLINGHAM Season: May-September (weather permitting). Location: On Metolius River, one mile north of Camp Sherman Store. Access: From Sisters, 9.6 miles northwest on Hwy. 20, then 6.1 miles north on Road 14, then one mile north on 1419. Elevation: 2,900 feet. Facilities: Vault toilets, piped drinking water. Sites: 10. Activities: Catch-and-release fishing, trails. Rates: $19 per night. Reservations: None. www.recreation.gov.

CANDLE CREEK Season: May-September (weather permitting). Location: Last campground on the Metolius River in Camp Sherman. Access: From Sisters, 12.4 miles northwest on Hwy. 20, then 12.3 miles north on Road 12 and then 1.6 miles east on Road 1200 980. Elevation: 2,700 feet. Facilities: Vault toilets; no water. Sites: 10. Activities: Catch-and-release fishing, trails. Rates: $12 per

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night. Reservations: Some at recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-323-1746.

COLD SPRINGS Season: May-October (weather permitting) Location: On Hwy. 242 west of Sisters. Access: From Sisters, 4.2 miles west on Hwy. 242. Elevation: 3,500 feet. Facilities: Vault toilets, handpump drinking water. Sites: 22. Activities: Birdwatching, hiking, biking. Rates: $14 per night. Reservations: Some at www.recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-323-1746.

CREEKSIDE CAMPGROUND Season: April-October with Camp Host. Location: City of Sisters, 504 S. Locust St. Access: From S. Locust St. and from Desperado Trail. Elevation: 3,100 feet. Facilities: Restrooms, showers, tables and fire pits. Sites: 60 camp sites include 27 full-hookup plus non-hookup, tent, and hiker/biker sites. Activities: On Whychus Creek downtown, walking, bike-riding. Rates: $25-$50 per night based on site. Reservations: 541323-5218 or 541-549-6022. Details: ci.sisters.or.us.

SCOUT LAKE Season: May-September (weather permitting). Location: Near Suttle Lake, 16 miles west of Sisters. Access: From Sisters, 12 miles northwest on Hwy. 20, left on F.S. Road 2070, then under a mile and left on F.S. Road

2066. Elevation: 3,600 feet. Facilities: Beach, vault toilets, piped water, tables and fire pits. Sites: 10. Activities: Swimming (large beachfront), hiking, popular group/family meeting location. Rates: $18 per night. Reservations: recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-323-1746.

SOUTH SHORE SUTTLE LAKE Season: May-September (weather permitting). Location: On Suttle Lake, 16 miles west of Sisters. Access: From Sisters, 12 miles northwest on Hwy. 20, left on F.S. Road 2070, then under a half-mile to entrance on the right. Elevation: 3,400 feet. Facilities: Vault and wheelchair-friendly toilets, piped water, tables and grills. Sites: 38. Activities: Fishing, boating, water skiing, hiking. Rates: $21 per night. Reservations: Some at www.recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-323-1746.

THREE CREEK LAKE Season: June-September (weather permitting). Location: On Three Creek Lake. Access: From Sisters, take Elm Street (becomes Road 16) south 16 miles (last 2.1 miles rough and rocky, not RV friendly). Elevation: 6,500 feet. Facilities: Vault toilets. Sites: 11. Activities: Fishing, nonpower boating, hiking. Rates: $15 per night. Reservations: None. www.recreation.gov.

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Stephen Mann, DO, Lead Physician & Original Founder of High Lakes Health Care

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Port Townsend, WA

www.EnjoyPT.com

N. Central WA & Southern BC Newport, Washington

www.OmakChronicle.com

www.PendOreilleRiverValley.com

Leelanau, Michigan

www.LeelanauNews.com

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107

Gas Station

126

To Medical To 242

Ranger Station

Medical

N. OAK ST.

S. OAK ST.

N. PINE ST.

S. PINE ST.

To Sisters High School & Sisters Middle School

McKenzie Pass

HWY 242 WEST:

Metolius Recreation Area, Camp Sherman, Black Butte Ranch, Suttle Lake, Hoodoo, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Albany

HWY 20 / 126 WEST:

SISTERS PARK DR.

Fire Station & Community Hall

W. HOOD AVE.

Barclay Park & Restroom

W. CASCADE AVE.

W. MAIN AVE.

W. ADAMS AVE.

Medical

E. ASPENWOOD AVE.

E. BLACK BUTTE AVE.

Clemens Park Playground & Restroom

Sheriff’s Ofﬁce

Chamber

Nugget Newspaper

N. LOCUST ST.

20 Gas Station

126

City Hall

Library

To Sisters Elementary School

Bend, Mt. Bachelor, High Desert Museum, FivePine

HWY 20 EAST:

Aspen Lakes Golf Course, Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond, Terrebonne, Madras

HWY 126 EAST:

Post Ofﬁce

Village Green Park Playground & Restroom

E. WASHINGTON AVE.

E. HOOD AVE.

E. CASCADE AVE.

Gas Station

Fir St. Park & Restroom

E. MAIN AVE.

E. ADAMS AVE.

Elm Street divides downtown Sisters into east and west. N. ELM ST. S. ELM ST.

N. FIR ST. S. FIR ST.

N. SPRUCE ST. S. SPRUCE ST.

Recycle Center

N. LARCH ST. S. LARCH ST.

N. ASH ST. S. ASH ST.

N. CEDAR ST. S. CEDAR ST.

WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

S. LOCUST ST.

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Dining

Black Butte Ranch: 7 miles west of Sisters on Hwy. 20. | 877-431-5738 | 541-595-1252 | blackbutteranch.com | Offering outstanding dining options amidst the most spectacular views in Central Oregon. The Lodge Restaurant features Northwest cuisine and majestic views of the Cascades. The Aspen Lounge offers a scenic vista for inspired cocktails and light fare. Robert’s Pub is the perfect gathering place for families and golfers, featuring salads, burgers and microbrews. Lakeside Bistro is the ideal spot to take in the beauty of the mountains and lake and enjoy espresso, fresh pastries, savory sandwiches and artisan pizza. BlackButteRanch.com/dining. See ad on page 77. Camp Sherman Store: 25451 SW FS Road 1419, Camp Sherman | 541-595-6711 | campshermanstore. com | Serving the best in food, beverages, and groceries, all with a small town charm. Grab a cup of coffee or espresso and a freshly baked pastry in the morning and come back later for our sandwiches and burgers dubbed the “best in Oregon”. Their words, well…ours too! We also have salads, breakfast sandwiches, and burritos. We have a wide range of groceries and specialty items, and don’t miss our cooler full of healthy beverages, soft drinks, beer & wine. Eat on our picnic tables or take your lunch to go. See ad on page 9. Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard: 70450 N.W. Lower Valley Dr., Terrebonne | 541-526-5075 | faithhopeandcharityevents.com | Close to Sisters. Nestled in the heart of Central Oregon, the vineyard is far from the ordinary wine country experience. Using grapes carefully chosen for our mountain climate, we’ve crafted award-winning wines. Combined with the scenic beauty and captivating location, it all adds up to an unforgettable wine country experience. Tasting room open daily, noon to 5 p.m. Live music throughout the year. Vineyard estate home sites available. See ad on page 19.

SISTERS BAKERY

Aspen Lakes Golf Course: 16900 Aspen Lakes Dr. | 541-549-4653 | aspenlakes.com | Come enjoy scenic snow-capped peaks, red sand bunkers and our immaculate 18-hole layout. We are more than a place for locals, families and seniors to enjoy great golf. Nestled in the quiet pines, Aspen Lakes is designed as the perfect place for you to unplug! Soak in the stunning views and enjoy a delicious meal from Brand 33 Restaurant. We aren’t just the locals’ favorite! See ad on page 61.

Martolli's Pizza: 220 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-8356 | www.martollisofsistersmenu.com | A family owned business making authentic hand-tossed pizzas to order. Every pizza and salad is made with fresh dough, sauce and ingredients. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Monday. Place orders to-go and for delivery from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Order online at slicelife.com. Indoor and outdoor dining. See ad on page 42. Oliver Lemon's: 160 South Fir Street. 541-549-0711 | oliverlemons.com | Oliver Lemon’s is the best grocery store in Sisters for local and organic produce; specialty items; sushi made on the spot; homemade soups, sandwiches, and delicious meals; beer and wine. We are an employee-owned and locally-founded grocery store in Sisters that delivers all the amazing service and selection of natural and organic products but with fun, flavor, and flair! See ad on page 19. Sisters Bakery: 251 E Cascade Ave. | 541-549-0361 | sistersbakery.com | Celebrating 40 years! Since 1981, Sisters Bakery has been an essential part of any Central Oregon adventure. Get hooked on our famous scones, sourdough bread, english muffins, almond bearclaws, savory croissants, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, brownies, fruit pies, and much more. Grab a house coffee, espresso drink, cold brew or tea to pair. Shop our pantry for local salts, honeys, teas, homemade jams, granola, coffee beans, and merchandise. Great souvenirs to remember your trip to Sisters Bakery. Open every day, 6am-4pm. See ad on page 25. Continued on page 110

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Continued from page 109

Sisters Coffee Co.: 273 W. Hood Ave. 541-5490527 | sisterscoffee.com | Sisters Coffee Company is a family-owned and operated roastery and retailer, based in Sisters since 1989. We focus on sourcing, roasting and serving high-quality craft coffees in our cafe and throughout our regional wholesale program. Our cafe is open from 6am to 6pm, serving fresh baked pastries and locally sourced food items on our breakfast and lunch menus. See ad on page 97. Sisters Depot Kitchen & Cocktail Bar: 250 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-904-4660 | SistersDepot.com Your favorite locally owned, nosh and watering hole where you can find great homemade food, craft cocktails, wine and beer all sourced from the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy our outdoor courtyard listening to live music, as well as events like trivia, Wine-O Bingo and local tastings. Most menu items are prepared gluten-free or we have a gluten-free substitute as well as a few vegetarian options. We’ve been told our fried chicken and smash burger are the best around and our charcuterie boards are not only delicious but beautiful to look at! Cheers! See ad on page 74. Sisters Farmers Market: Located at Fir Street Park | www.sistersfarmersmarket.com | Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local and fresh veggies, meats, fruits, honey, pickles, eggs, ice cream, artisan crafts, grains, and more! Featuring some of Central Oregon’s best vendors. The market features a lovely outdoor venue creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere with plenty of social distancing to do your shopping! See ad on page 29. Sisters Meat and Smokehouse: 110 S. Spruce St. | 541-719-1186 | sistersmeat.com | Top-quality, Oregon-first products, locally sourced when possible. Smoked on-site, meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free, and prepared by third-generation meat experts. Wild game, pork, poultry, lamb, beef, line-caught Alaskan seafood, and complementary products. Wine, cider and craft beer on tap. Menu features exclusively Sisters Meat and Smokehouse products: meats, cheeses, sauces, sandwiches, entrées & more. Relax on the outdoor patio, or to-go! Sno Cap Drive In: 380 W. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6151 | Since 1952, a slice of Americana and a Sisters classic! Hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Hours subject to change.) Featuring 100% high-quality ground chuck burgers cooked the oldfashioned way, yummy fries, onion rings, chicken strip baskets, chili dogs and more, with incredible

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homemade ice cream and milkshakes, including soft-serve. Families have been returning for decades! See ad on page 70. The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse 13300 US Highway 20 | 541.638.7001 | TheSuttleLodge.com | Instagram @SuttleLodge | The 15.5-acre property consists of a large timber lodge housing the Skip Restaurant and cocktail bar, as well as The Boathouse restaurant on a lakefront dock. The Suttle Lodge hosts food, wine, and beer events year round, featuring localfavorites as well as national headliners. With lodging also available on the property, come eat, sip, and relax. See ad on page 25. Takoda’s: 425 W. Hwy. 20 (next to Bi-Mart). 541-549-8620 | takodassisters.com | Full-service restaurant & lounge offering lunch, dinner and take-out. Family friendly, and accommodates large groups easily. Some menu items include awesome pizzas, PNW Ray’s meat products, fresh locally baked Big Ed’s Focaccia sandwiches, our always-fresh salad bar, house-made soups, homemade desserts, local microbrews, a variety of wines & more. Enjoy our beautiful outdoor patio dining with our live fire pit, or challenge friends to a round of horseshoes or cornhole! Video lottery machines & big screen TVs in our lounge. Open daily. Three Creeks Brewing: 721 S Desperado Ct. 541-549-1963 | threecreeksbrewing.com | Instagram @threecreeksbrewing | Join us for fine food and award-winning beers at the only brewery in town. Since 2008, we’ve relentlessly pursued the mission of crafting beer and cuisine of uncompromising quality and consistency. In 2020, we proudly received three honors at Great American Beer Festival including Brewery Group of the Year. Offering daily specials, friendly service and a large “dogs welcome” outdoor patio surrounded by towering pines. See ad on page 21. Wonderland Chicken Co: Eurosport’s Food Cart Garden, 223 E. Hood Ave. | 541-975-4548 | Facebook.com/wonderlandchickenco | Specializing in the recreation of the renowned Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Served alongside is our twists on classic comfort dishes, such as an herb-filled red potato salad and a stovetop-style mac ’n cheese. Every meal is served hot, fresh, and made to order. We offer spice levels to accommodate even the most adventurous palates! See ad on page 31.

Lodging Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort: On Hwy. 20, 3-1/2 miles east of Sisters | 541-549-3021 or toll-free 888503-3588 | BendSistersGardenRV.com | Featuring RV full-hookup with 30/50-amp service, camping cabins, furnished cottages, DVD rentals, grocery, laundry, bathhouses, wireless internet, miniature golf, heated pool and spa, and off-leash dog park. Big Rig-friendly! See ad inside back cover. Best Western Ponderosa Lodge: 500 Hwy. 20 West 888-549-4321 or 541-549-1234 | bestwestern.com | Enjoy oversized lodgepole guest rooms, or deluxe suites featuring two-person Jacuzzi tub, river-rock gas fireplace, and walk-in rain shower, all nonsmoking. Seasonal outdoor pool and large covered hot tub year-round. Complimentary hot breakfast. This 14-acre tranquil setting is just a short stroll to downtown. See ad on page 112. Black Butte Ranch: 7 miles west of Sisters on Hwy. 20. | 877-431-5738 | BlackButteRanch.com | Our 1,800 pristine acres hold something for everyone in your family, with 36 holes of championship golf, a spa, award-winning restaurants, pools, exercise facilities, biking, tennis, horseback riding, flyfishing and more. In winter, explore by snowshoe or cross-country ski. We’re conveniently located near hiking and mountain biking opportunities and close to Hoodoo Ski Area. We can also direct you to whitewater rafting, cave tours and cultural sites. See ad on page 77. Cascade Vacation Rentals: 541-549-0792 | 541-549-1086 | cascascadevacationrentals.net | Serving Sisters since 1993. We are committed to professionally manage, rent and maintain properties for short- or long-term stays in Sisters Country. Offering furnished and unfurnished homes for permanent stays or vacations, $225-$250 per night. We also offer month-to-month. See ad on page 70. FivePine Lodge: 1021 Desperado Trail. 541-549-5900 or 866-974-5900 | fivepinelodge. com | Romance and adventure await at FivePine’s Craftsman-style suites and luxury cabins. Rooms feature pillow-top king bed, gas fireplace, couples soaking tub, and 49-65" flat screen TV. Guests enjoy a complimentary wine and beer reception, deluxe morning coffee and tea service, Wi-Fi, access

to Sisters Athletic Club and outdoor heated pool (seasonal). FivePine Campus features a restaurant, movie theater, luxury spa and easy access to downtown Sisters. Rates start at $149. Meeting/ Event & Wedding site available. See ad on page 79. GrandStay Hotel & Suites Sisters: 1026 West Rail Way | 541-904-0967 | grandstayhospitality.com | Enjoy our new rooms with kitchens. Start your morning off with a free hot Grand Start® Breakfast. 24/7 gourmet coffee & tea available. Large indoor pool and whirlpool. Complimentary Wi-Fi. Meeting room. Outdoor patio. Grand Returns™ guest loyalty program. AAA, military and senior rates. All non-smoking. See ad on page 15. Metolius River Lodges: 12390 S.W. F.S. Road 1419, Camp Sherman | 541-595-6290 metoliusriverlodges.com | $130 to $345. Open all year. Located in the heart of the Metolius Recreation Area. Our cottages sleep 1-8 and offer the ability to be a picture window away from the clear spring-fed Metolius River. Come experience the river’s magic away from TVs and noise. Fully equipped, WiFi, most have kitchens and fireplaces. Firewood available. Walk to Hola restaurant and the Camp Sherman Store. No pets. See ad on page 70. Sisters Vacation Rentals: 877-632-7007 | sistersvacation.com | Enjoy the comfort, value, and flexibility of a vacation home in Sisters, Black Butte Ranch and Camp Sherman. Share time and make some memories together with family and friends in an inviting gathering room or relax in the privacy of separate bedrooms. See ad on page 81. Sisters Mountain View Vacation Rental: 523 S. Pine Meadow | Relax and unwind in this unique home with unobstructed mountain views overlooking the historic Patterson Ranch. Close to downtown Sisters. Access to the clubhouse, including pool and hot tub. Bikes and barbecue available. Two wonderful decks. Four bedroom, three bath, gas fireplace. VRBO 2169160 — Airbnb. com/rooms/47732473. See ad on page 103. The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse: 13300 US Highway 20 | 541.638.7001 | TheSuttleLodge.com | Instagram @SuttleLodge | Rustic resort on the shore of Suttle Lake in the Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, Oregon. The 15.5-acre property consists of a large timber lodge with eleven guest rooms, eight fully equipped deluxe cabins, eight rustic camping cabins, and two restaurants. Perfect for a couple or family getaway, as well as group gatherings or weddings. See ad on page 25. WWW.SISTERSOREGONGUIDE.COM

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Sisters’ Original Destination Retreat

ENJOY THE WILDLIFE Relax and observe the birds, deer, and resident alpaca. Rest, renew, and rejuvenate in a spacious, themed suite with complimentary hot breakfast. Make a splash in our outdoor pool and spa, cozy up by the river-rock fireplace, and melt tension in a private soaking tub. Any time of the year is a great time to stay at the Ponderosa Lodge, where the great outdoors is at your doorstep. 112

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As always, you’ll receive a warm welcome from our fuzzy residents!

541-549-1234 | 888-549-4321 500 Hwy. 20 West, Sisters, Oregon www.PonderosaLodgeInSisters.com

67667 Hwy. 20, Bend OR 97703 • Information/Reservations: 541-516-3036 • 888-503-3588 bendsistersgardenrv@gmail.com • www.bendsistersgardenrv.com

Ponderosa Properties REAL ESTATE SALES / PROPERTY MANAGEMENT / VACATION RENTALS

The Locals’ Choice for Real Estate Sales Serving the Sisters, Camp Sherman and Black Butte Ranch Areas

541-549-2002 | 1-800-650-6766 www. P onderosa P roperties.com | 221 S. Ash St., Sisters

Sisters Oregon Guide 2021-2022

Articles inside

Sisters’ ‘hidden’ economy has a big footprint