Sisters Oregon Guide 2023-2024

TheNugget NEWSPAPER

442 E. Main Ave. Sisters, OR 97759 nuggetnews.com 541.549.9941

Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius

Graphic Design: Leith Easterling

Jess Draper

Advertising:

Vicki Curlett

Contributing Writers: Bill Bartlett

T. Lee Brown

Ceili Gatley

Charlie Kanzig

Sue Stafford

Katy Yoder

Contributing

Photographers: Jerry Baldock

Bill Bartlett

Ceili Gatley

Jarod Gatley

Cody Rheault

Loma Smith

Large cover photo: Cody Rheault

Busker: Bill Bartlett

Hikers: Ketan Morris courtesy of Black Butte Ranch

Kayaker: Courtesy of Black Butte Ranch

©2023 Sisters Oregon Guide. All rights reserved. The Nugget Newspaper, LLC sistersoregonguide.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.

You know that, because you found it. Maybe this is your first visit; maybe your family has been vacationing here for years; maybe you’re working on finding a way to live here.

You know that you’re experiencing an environment of unsurpassed natural beauty, with a welcoming and inclusive sense of community. You know about Sisters’ unique mom-and-pop shops and the arts and culture that give this place such vibrancy.

The past two years have seen an influx of folks who have discovered that they can live here and work there.

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.

of growth by developing a new Destination Management model of managing impacts of growth — both in tourism and new residents impacts so that being a destination for thousands remains a win-win for everyone (see related story, page 12).

Change is nothing new in Sisters. 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 world-class 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

CODY RHEAULT

FAQs

What is the population of Sisters? 3,286 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? 3,182 ft.

Schools: Sisters School District: elementary, middle and high school. Total enrollment: 1,170.

How much do homes cost? Median home listing price: $765,000; median sold price $799,000.

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. There are approximately 162 days of sun each year, and 73 days see some precipitation.

Who are some of Sisters’ largest employers? Black Butte Ranch, 400; Sisters School District, 189; Sisters Coffee Co., 104; U.S. Forest Service, 80; Energyneering Solutions, Inc., 78. Does Sisters have a cannabis dispensary? No. Sisters voters voted overwhelmingly in a referendum against having a cannabis dispensary in town, leaving that market to Bend and Redmond.

Does Sisters have an airport? Yes, Sisters Eagle Airport is

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 Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Palm Springs. From these hubs, you can get anywhere. Currently 28 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)

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

Middle Sister Elevation: 10,047 ft.

South Sister Elevation: 10,358 ft.

WHERE TO FIND WHAT

BANKS:

First Interstate Bank

272 E. Main Ave.

541-549-2061. ATM.

Mid Oregon Credit Union 650 N. Arrowleaf Trail

541-382-1795. ATM.

US Bank

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

Washington Federal Bank

610 N. Arrowleaf Trail

541-549-8110. ATM.

Wells Fargo ATM

665 N. Arrowleaf Trail

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

257 S. Pine St.

541-549-0251

DENTAL:

Pine Desert Dental

304 W. Adams Ave.

541-313-3365

Sisters Dental 491 E. Main Ave.

541-549-9486

EMERGENCY/POLICE:

Black Butte Ranch Police

13885 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

GROCERIES:

Black Butte General Store

13890 Bishops Cap

Black Butte Ranch | 541-595-1222

Camp Sherman General Store 25451 F.S. Road 1419

Camp Sherman | 541-595-6711

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

Ray’s Food Place

635 N. Arrowleaf Trail 541-549-2222

Sisters Meat & Smokehouse 110 S. Spruce St. 541-719-1186

LAUNDRY:

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

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

NEWSPAPER:

The Nugget Newspaper 442 E. Main Ave. 541-549-9941

PET/VETERINARY/BOARDING: Black Butte Veterinary Clinic

703 N. Larch St.

541-549-1837

Broken Top Veterinary Clinic 67293 Hwy. 20 541-389-0391

Central Bark & Groomingdales 367 W. Sisters Park Dr. 541-549-2275

Sisters Veterinary Clinic 371 E. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6961

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.

Village Green Park Fir St. & Washington Ave.

SISTERS CITY HALL: 520 E. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6022

SISTERS RANGER STATION: Hwy. 20 & Pine St. 541-549-7700

SISTERS RECYCLING CENTER: 328 Sisters Park Drive 541-548-4984

Mt. Jefferson Elevation: 10,497 ft.

CODY RHEAULT

Mt. Washington Elevation: 7,794 ft.

Three Fingered Jack Elevation: 7,841 ft.

North Sister Elevation: 10,085 ft.

SISTERS GROWS ON YOU

By Bill Bartlett

Rural chic. Best of the West. Sisters goes by many descriptions. The town has grown from Pop. 679 in 1990 to 959 in 2000 to 2,038 just 10 years later. Now sitting officially at 3,286 as of 2023, Sisters has not lost its small-town charm — but it has endured some growing pains.

There are still no electric traffic lights, and you can get from one corner of town to the other in under five minutes, three on a good day. Sisters acts bigger with its outsize festivals, upscale shops and services, eclectic cuisine from Himalayan to Nashville-style fried chicken, and a vibrant arts community not often found in cities four or five times its size.

Culturally it runs the gamut. There’s the Sisters Rodeo now in its 83rd year that is the official start to summer. About as Wild West as it gets, with an accompanying parade. Summer

ends with the Sisters Folk Festival hosting a dozen-plus acts from the top tier of bluegrass, Americana, Nashville, Tejano, blues and Cajun.

The infrastructure of Sisters is rock solid, with abundant artesian water, plenty of electric, and a grid of bike trails and unobstructed walking paths. The lights are low, intentionally. This is a Dark Sky community. And a Tree City USA town. Sisters regularly shows up on Best Places to Live or Visit lists.

At only 1.88 square miles, not much big bigger than New York’s Central Park, Sisters will probably top out at 4,000 as few buildable lots remain. There is no appetite among inhabitants to expand the urban growth boundary.

Sisters is a model for live-work situations, which have attracted a range of entrepreneurs who live upstairs over their restaurant, studio, gallery, or shop. As the housing frenzy has cooled a

bit, Sisters is in the midst of a commercial renaissance, with over 125,000 square feet of rentable space completing or breaking ground in 2023.

Our schools are one of the biggest drivers of younger, techsavvy workers looking to get out of hectic city living. Sisters High School is ranked No. 1 in Deschutes County by US News & World Report. The school district boasts CTE programs in flight science, guitar building, CAD, software coding, and construction.

There are roughly 1,600 housing units, with another 350 under construction or planned. Eighty-four percent are single unit; 77 percent are owner occupied. Sisters is home to approximately 520 seasonal residents.

The city is served by a sevenmember Planning Commission and a full-time Community Development Department.

Live like a local in Sisters

Most folks who live in Sisters started out as visitors — vacationers and tourists who decided this is the place where they want to live. They enjoy tapping into the small things of the Sisters lifestyle, creating moments of enjoyment that any visitor can share.

Jarod Gatley’s perfect day starts with breakfast and coffee at Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, followed by a “walk around town as it starts to wake up.” He enjoys visiting with shopkeepers as they open their stores.

Then it’s “jump in the car and drive up Three Creeks Road and hike Tam McArthur Rim, come down and jump in the lake and cool off.”

“As an oldster, I like to go to a movie. I love our movie theater, and they have really good movies. I never get tired of looking at the mountains. Ever.

“It’s not one particular thing that I like to do, it’s being here, in the presence of such natural beauty in a nice, quiet place.”

Jim Cunningham, United States Air Force, Ret.

“I would get up and take a walk with my dog, then I would come to town and stroll around, get a cup of coffee at Fika Sisters Coffeehouse. Maybe go to the bookstore and then to the park and read for a while. Then go hiking somewhere beautiful like the Metolius (River).”

Jane Paxon’s perfect day starts with the neighbors stopping by with their dogs and all of the dogs playing together in the yard. She follows that with coffee with a friend and/or lunch at one of the eateries in town, then an afternoon drive out to Suttle Lake or to the Whychus Creek Overlook to contemplate the beauty of the place she calls home.

“I try to get out and visit the local merchants. I think that’s one of the advantages of a small town… it helps you keep the pulse on the local climate, how things are going in your city. It helps keep the human connection. I like to go into shops that you wouldn’t necessarily pay attention to in a larger city. Small-town Sisters is pretty laid back. I’ll never go back to living in a big city.”

Janice’s perfect days happen when her granddaughter comes to visit. They always stop by Paulina Springs Books to “pick out something fun, because she loves a little book.

“Then we’d go get pizza, followed by ice cream, as we stroll the street looking in the windows.” They love to sit on a bench and people-watch while they finish up that ice cream.

“Then it’s off to Sisters Park & Recreation District for some activities — or to Fir Street Park’s splash park if the day is a hot one.”

Jarod Gatley, photo journalist

Janice Hoffman, Office Manager, The Nugget Newspaper

Jane Paxon, Board Member, Citizens4Community

Beth Wood, poet and songwriter Sue Stafford, writer

‘EXPLORE SISTERS’ BUILDS CONNECTIONS

— SUE STAFFORD —

As far back as the mid-1800s, Sisters has served as the gateway to Central Oregon. The Hindman Ranch at Camp Polk, northeast of present-day Sisters, was a stop for travelers on the Santiam Wagon Road between the Willamette Valley and Prineville.

Later, Alfred Cobb operated a waystation right outside the town of Sisters on the site of the current Lazy Z Ranch. For decades, Sisters has been the first or last stop for travelers from and to the west side of the Cascade Mountains.

However, Sisters is no longer a place to just stop for gas and food on the way to someplace else. Sisters has become the destination for many visitors who come for outdoor recreation,

special events, shopping and dining, and family vacations.

Sisters is also home, and a very special one, for the residents who live and work here. Tourism is a big economic driver in Sisters, requiring coordination, planning, and collective action that could determine the course of the community’s future for decades to come. Too much or too little could have dire consequences for the town. Over-marketing and over-consumption of local natural resources could trample them. A lack of tourists would hurt local businesses.

In recent years, a new concept for promoting tourism has evolved worldwide known as destination management, which goes far beyond just attracting tourists

to visit Sisters. Of importance is how Sisters attracts/welcomes visitors in a viable and sustainable way while also respecting the needs and wishes of full-time residents.

Tourism used to focus on the number of “heads in the beds.” Destination management is a growing trend that emphasizes connections, whether that be with the local people, businesses, culture, recreation opportunities, or food, and to leave places in a condition that maintains the locals’ quality of life and that future visitors can explore as well.

Tourism can’t be separated from larger systems at play in the community such as affordable

LOMA SMITH

housing, transportation and traffic, public facilities, local economy, and livability and sustainability. Citizens don’t want the town “loved to death.”

Over a year ago, City Council voted to approve the establishment of Explore Sisters, a new destination management organization (DMO) that strives to balance community needs while fostering the evolution of the local tourism economy. According to their articles of incorporation, the DMO’s primary purpose “is to increase livability and economic vitality through the development of intelligent management and stewardship of local (Sisters area) community natural and cultural resources, tourism, and outdoor recreation. The corporation will work to positively impact the city of Sisters community and surrounding areas through the advancement of tourism, and

outdoor recreation, sustainability, and focusing on balanced fourseason visitation and overnight stays.” Simply stated, the primary goal for the new DMO is to sustain Sisters’ quality of livability by managing tourism.

Rather than simply promoting general tourism through broad marketing, the DMO’s messaging will work to attract certain kinds of visitors who value the small-town atmosphere and surrounding nature the local citizens prize. It’s not the quantity of tourists but rather the quality of visitors that will have a higher economic impact on the economy while maintaining the livability and sustainability for permanent residents.

The Explore Sisters Board of Directors is made up of Sisters residents and business owners, many of whom are second- and third-generation Sisters citizens.

Board Chair Greg Willitts said, “The Board doesn’t want tourists over-running our town. We are not a tourist trap, rather a tourist destination with purpose and authentic experiences.” He hopes to convey the message to Sisters visitors, “This is our living room. Please treat it that way.”

Willits indicated that with more balanced tourism, businesses will be able to stay open year-round and provide gainful employment on a more consistent basis.

Explore Sisters Executive Director Scott Humpert and the Board are currently working behind the scenes creating a strategic plan for the DMO, establishing a brand that will adorn all DMO materials, and setting up the necessary information technology. When everything is in place, Explore Sisters will launch their targeted marketing campaign to the appropriate visitors.

Instagrammable Sights

EAGLE ROCK

Eagle Rock is a frequented Sisters locals’ spot. A relatively accessible trail system takes you up to glorious mountain vistas on all sides with unique boulders surrounding you. Just up Forest Road 16 on your way up to Three Creek Lake or Whychus Creek.

PHALAROPE LAKE

Phalarope Lake is a scenic lake located in Black Butte Ranch with a unique perspective of the Three Sisters Mountains on the horizon. Frequented by flyfishermen, this location offers perfect Central Oregon scenes year-round. You can also learn how to flyfish with lessons and, in the summer, free fly-fishing clinics are offered through The Fly Fisher’s Place. There are several trails and areas to walk along the lake and snap some photos of the mountain vista.

SAHALIE FALLS

Located about 40 minutes west of Sisters, about halfway between Sisters and Eugene on Highway 126, Sahalie Falls offers picturesque views of the constantly flowing falls. The falls are a part of the McKenzie River with a trail system along the river leading to Koosah Falls (see story, page 47). Take Highway 20/126 west to Santiam Junction, follow Highway 126 to the turnout for the falls.

JEFFERSON VIEW SHELTER

The Jefferson View Shelter offers a place to warm up on popular snowshoeing and cross-country trails. The trails start at the Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park and extend for miles throughout the Deschutes National Forest with the Cascades on the horizon. The route is a 4.9-mile moderately challenging out-and-back trail near Sisters.

SUTTLE LODGE

The Suttle Lodge is a long-standing gem in Sisters Country. Located up at Suttle Lake, 13.7 miles west of Sisters off Highway 20. Guests can stay at the Lodge year-round with the lake outside their back door. The Lodge offers picturesque views of Suttle Lake, and the Lodge itself is a beautiful timber building with a full bar, food menu, and events all year long.

CHUSH FALLS

Chush Falls, also known as Lower Whychus Falls, is a waterfall formed along Whychus Creek on the north skirt of the North Sister in the Three Sisters Wilderness located off Highway 242 and Forest Road 16. The falls are unique, springing from a creek with the water falling off a rock cliff and flowing downstream. The falls are accessible on a 2.5-mile trail offering picturesque views of the wide waterfall that you can take photos of right up next to and cool off by in the summer months.

SISTERS SCHOOLS OFFER HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

By Ceili Gatley

Sisters students have the opportunity in Sisters schools to receive high-quality education.

Sisters Elementary School (SES) emphasizes reading curriculum with the use of phonics in kindergarten classrooms. Long-term, the teachers at SES want to see students have a love for reading and encourage students to read at home with their families. Early childhood reading can really boost a student’s love and desire to read.

They work with the SMART reading program getting books into the hands of the kids and creating an environment to build a love of reading and desire to connect with books. “We’ve been trying hard to get more books here at kids’ levels so they can really practice and see themselves as readers,” said Erica Velikonia, first-grade teacher and former instructional coach.

Teachers emphasize gaining the skills, and also having enjoyment of the written word.

With larger numbers of young families moving to Sisters, the need for quality education for young students is increasing.

Sisters Middle School offers outdoor experiential education and visual arts for all grades 5-8, and a strong music program. Arts programming is coupled with STEM workshops, which lead to real-world learning. Small class sizes, dynamic teaching staff, and multiple volunteers support

students throughout their time as a student.

Sisters High School is renowned for unique and innovative programs that leave students well prepared for their next steps in the world. Interdisciplinary Environmental Education (IEE) provides outdoor learning, combined with work in other disciplines, and develops confidence and leadership as well as offering a fun and educational experience. Arts and music are center stage in Sisters schools, and the high school offers an aviation program that has prepared a number of students for a career in the field.

Wellhouse Academy, located at Wellhouse Church, serves students from kindergarten to fifth grade, and Wellspring School offers preschool services for ages 3 through pre-kindergarten. The school is located inside Wellhouse Church five days a week, with students often returning for classes during Sunday service. They have seven classrooms in total, with plans to expand. They keep most of the classes, especially preschool, under 10 students. The school has nine teachers and staff.

“We are a preschool and academy for young students, and we follow all the same school standards,” said Angela Hodge, director of administration. “We also put Christ at the center of all our lessons, and that’s what sets us apart. There aren’t a lot of

other options for young students besides public school and Sisters Park & Recreation District, so we have that draw for parents by having the Christ-centered education.”

ENJOY SOME CRAFTY LIBATIONS

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. continues to rack up prestigious awards.

The local company took the 2022 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal in the Golden or Blonde Ale category for their Knotty Blonde Ale — described as “A light-bodied sassy Blonde Ale brewed with a kiss of Sterling hops and the finest Canadian tow-row barley.”

And that’s just one of seven honors. They also received the 2022 SIP Magazine Best of the Northwest Seltzer Silver Medal

for their Sisters Hard Seltzer Mango.

Stonefly Session Ale took the coveted 2021 GABF Session Beer Gold Medal, and the FivePine Chocolate Porter is a perennial favorite, taking the 2021 Can Can Awards Gold Medal after taking Grand Champion honors in the 2020 U.S. Beer Tasting Championship and silver in the Brown Porter Category in the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.

The FivePine Chocolate 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.

“The crew is crushing it,” he said.

Sisters’ newest brew pub is Funky Fauna, which describes itself as “a hyper-small brewery ... focused on producing terroirdriven beers through the use of local, sustainable and terroirdriven ingredients.” Terrior-driven refers to the elements of a local soil and climate that go into the personality of a libation.

Wine is also well represented in Sisters Country, with The Open Door offering a convivial spot for a glass, along with lunch or

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 estate grown whites: La Crescent

and Frontenac Gris, and reds: Marechal Foch, Marquette, Hail Mary, Pinot Noir, Dolcetto and Cabernet Sauvignon. These varietals are garnering welldeserved 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. The food cart hot spots at Eurosports and The Barn also feature a lively and interesting selection of libations, and be sure to hit the night spots at Hardtails Bar & Grill, Sisters Saloon, or The Gallery Restaurant.

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard dinner.

Sisters’ natural beauty stimulates creativity — how could you not be inspired by the majesty of the Three Sisters or the harmonies of the rushing waters of Whychus Creek and the Metolius River?

Yet, it’s more than that.

Sisters has cre ated 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.

Several local artists have created books, which can be found at Paulina Springs Books on Hood Avenue, and some artists host open studio tours when able during the summer.

Arts in Sisters

That’s just the tip of the paintbrush in Sisters Country. Sisters Library also plays host to art with rotating exhibits. The library will reopen in August 2023 after a remodel that will make it an even more attractive place for art displays. Many local restaurants and cafés also feature Sisters artists’ work.

June 23, leading into a weekend of music. Participants will explore self-expression through the visual arts, and events include a Fourth Friday Art Stroll with live music at galleries all over town. This experience is offered with the intention of bringing local artists together to work and play in creativity.

The Sisters Folk Festival has provided grant funding and other support to develop an integrated arts program in all three Sisters schools, giving students the benefit of self-expression through art — and the creative, thinkoutside-the-box spirit that is so critical to thriving in any field of endeavor.

On the fourth Friday of each month from March through December, art lovers enjoy a stroll among Sisters’ many galleries. The Art Walk is 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 more — as far as the creative mind can take you.

Sisters Folk Festival celebrates the visual arts with The Ponderoo Arts Experience, on

That spirit is reflective of a town where art is so much more than “decoration,” it is sustenance for the mind, body and soul.

For more information visit www.sistersartsassociation.org.

STARRY STARRY SKIES

BY JIM CORNELIUS

Sisters Country lies on the edge of the largest area of dark sky in the Lower 48, which lies over Southeast Oregon. The Sisters backcountry and the high desert to our east offer some extraordinary opportunities to take in aweinspiring views of the vault of the heavens.

The chance to experience soul-stirring encounters with the cosmos is part of the draw to Central Oregon.

“Most people want to see the Milky Way,” said Grant Tandy, an astronomer who grew up in Sisters and operates the observatory at Worthy Brewing Co.

Backpackers who venture into the Sisters backcountry can enjoy that experience when it’s at its best, viewing the core of the galaxy during the summer months. You can also touch it with a drive up the McKenzie Highway (Highway 242) to the summit, or venturing up Three Creek Road to the lakes or to the snow parks.

The Perseids meteor shower will peak August 12-13.

Tandy notes that snow parks are a good place to view the sky, as is the high desert.

“You want to get to a place that has the lowest horizon around you, so you can see more of the sky,” he said.

For those enthralled by the night sky, a visit to the University of Oregon’s Pine Mountain Observatory is a worthy excursion during the summer season. Visit https://pmo.uoregon.edu for dates and more information. The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory is another option. Visit https://snco.org for more information.

Tandy operates what is believed to be the only observatory attached to a brewery anywhere — at Worthy Brewing Co. in Bend.

Visitors can “get a one-on-one experience with a big telescope,” Tandy says. The observatory was created as part of the brewery’s outreach effort to enhance appreciation of our planet and nature.

A bountiful decade: THE GROWING OF SEED TO TABLE

By T. Lee Brown

A love of gardening and a deep feeling of kinship for her community brought Audrey Tehan back to her hometown of Sisters after college. Invited to teach local students about farming, she founded Seed to Table ten years ago.

Folks know the farm’s salad greens and radishes, garlic scapes and broccolini. Many don’t realize the extent of its reach.

A nonprofit with the official name Seed to Table Oregon, the organization provides farmbased education and gets fresh,

local produce to hundreds of eaters. Students in school, residents facing food insecurity, and shoppers at the Farmers Market all partake in the bounty.

Seed to Table has reached a milestone: a full decade of growth, to be celebrated with community events this summer. Tehan was 23 years old when she founded the farm, now a bustling nonprofit with a staff of eight, supported by eight board members.

Ten years later, carrying the title of executive director, she sometimes feels like a different person.

“I am grounded in all of the same values and loves, but it’s been such a big heart journey,” she reflected.

Tehan described being inspired by IEE, the Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition program at Sisters High School, and by friends who leased land from Tehan’s parents for their farm, Mahonia Gardens. She credits them, her team, supporters, and partnerships over the years with Seed to Table’s success. Tehan explained, “It really is a community effort.”

Continued on page 28

Every bit matters to Tehan and her team. Working on a cold day this spring, they were greeted by a supporter bearing gifts: eggs from their chickens, and a giant box of donuts.

“There’s been so much encouragement and belief that we can do it,” she said.

Hands-on education anchors the farm. Each year, it hosts some 1,500 student visits, teaching kids to plant, tend, and harvest farmfresh food. “However many times a kid grabs a beet and bites into it like an apple, it’s always hilarious,” said Tehan.

Local resident Mandee Seeley was delighted when her son took part, walking to the farm from Sisters Elementary. Sweet, crisp carrots stand out in her memory.

“They were fresh and dirty and straight out of the ground,” Seeley recalled. “My son ate most of them before he got home.”

In a typical year, Seed to Table grows over 50,000 pounds of produce sustainably. The bounty

reaches over 700 individuals through produce shares and over a dozen community partnerships.

Seeley and her family first came to know Seed to Table “through local food banks,” she said. “We try to eat healthy. Having access to local, fresh produce makes that easier. I’m grateful.”

The farm also sells its wares every Sunday in season at Sisters Farmers Market. Beginning in 2020, the Market became a program of Seed to Table, which provides leadership and management.

Residents appreciate having so many access points. The Seeleys especially like the community-supported agriculture (CSA) produce share. Food assistance partnerships, sliding-scale fees, and SNAP/EBT cover their costs.

“It’s always an event when you pick up your CSA at the farm,” Seeley enthused. “You get to see your neighbors and meet the

farmers. I just love the community-building and community wellness aspects of it.”

Seed to Table will hold two 10th Anniversary events: a celebration at Sisters Farmers Market on August 6, and a special Fall Harvest Dinner on September 9. Visit seedtotableoregon.org.

If you’re a foodie and expect a bit more from food truck fare, Sisters is yumsville.

All street food is not created equally. Sisters is proof positive. Sure you can find pizza on many food trucks, but wood-fired pizza? With the oven right in the truck? And don’t expect to find squeeze bottles of yellow mustard at the Sisters food truck scene. However, you will find agave Dijon or maple mustard or roasted salsa with a sour cream drizzle.

Chicken? Sure. And not just wings. There’s genuine Nashvillestyle chicken — chicken with a kick. In Sisters it’s usually accompanied by mac ’n’ cheese, the New Mexico variety with Hatch green chiles.

Of course Sisters has Latin food, just not your everyday taco stand. Tacos here include Pavones and coco loco style from Rosarito in Baja. Plus guacamole from scratch, not store-bought in bulk. Or, how about a topping

of cilantro queso cortija and chile rojo garnish?

For the meat eater in you there’s brisket, ribs, pork and loaded chili. Vegans get an entire food truck that can handle any size appetite from soups and salads to hearty bowls or harvest sandwiches.

Food Trucks in Sisters

No street food vibe would be complete without Asian food, especially Thai cuisine. Sisters has you covered there too. And what’s street food without beer? No fewer than 100 different brews, from local and regional craft beers to kombucha, to wine, to mixed drinks, will pair with your favorite truck food.

Where you find food trucks in Sisters you will also find a steady

stream of live entertainment much of the year. Kiddos are especially welcome at Sisters food trucks, most of whom have kid-friendly menu offerings.

Weather for the most part is not a deterrence to street food dining in Sisters. Some operators are naturally more seasonal, like the artisan gelato truck. Thanks to portable heating technology, street food courts are a central gathering place in Sisters pretty much year round, particularly for those coming off the trails, slopes or rivers.

If street food is your thing, then Sisters is your thing.

Food truck courts are found at Eurosports, 223 E. Hood Ave. and The Barn, 171 E. Main Ave., and trucks may often be found in other locations around town throughout the summer.

Al fresco Sisters Style

By Bill Bartlett

If fresh air is your thing, Sisters has you covered. The air quality is typically pure, laced with mountain breezes and mildly fragrant, bearing a fresh scent of pine, juniper and manzanita. True, wildfires can periodically disturb our bucolic ambience, but in general terms, the air in these parts is about as nice as it gets.

The cool nights and steady breezes drive off insects. Most folks don’t have screens or don’t use the ones they have. Mother Nature is our air conditioner, except in the summer apex. No wonder, then, that outdoor dining is so popular.

The Italians, who supposedly created al fresco dining, had the right idea. Meaning “in the fresh air,” the benefits of outdoor dining are well documented, including leading to a better night’s sleep.

Of the 20-plus eateries in

town, not counting food trucks, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one where outdoor seating isn’t on the menu. For three or four, there is as much or more outdoor seating as inside.

Most all settings for patio or deck dining have portable heaters or roll-down, transparent walls — or both. Sisters folk are hardy folk and are not inclined to let a chill separate them from their favorite dish or brew.

There are streetside or back porch choices. Music is often part of the outdoor dining scene during the warmer months. And no matter when you want to eat — breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or inbetween — there’s a table somewhere with your name on it.

Don’t worry about an abbreviated or limited menu either. Whatever is available at an indoor table is yours for the asking outside.

Of course there are plenty of picnic choices in and around Sisters, the most popular being Creekside, Village Green, Fir Street or Cliff Clemens parks.

When you eat outside in Sisters, the views are an added bonus. Even if the mountains aren’t in focus from your table, the people-watching is bound to delight you. There’s something soothing about dining al fresco in Sisters.

Being a Dark Sky Community, dining al fresco in Sisters enhances the whole experience. You’re more apt to be able to bring your well-behaved canine with you when dining under the stars in Sisters.

Compact Sisters is perfect for food hopping — starters at one spot, strolling to another for mains, and strolling again for dessert. Then once again for nightcaps. Bon appetit!

BILL BARTLETT

GETTING HITCHED IN SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

Sisters Country is popping up more often on destination wedding maps. And why not? Talk about the perfect backdrop for the big day. Memories are forever when you tie the knot in our picture-perfect setting.

Choose from a variety of themes to accent the special day: golf, luxury resort with worldclass amenities, ranch, historic river lodge, bucolic winery, or right in town. Heck, you can even honeymoon in a forest fire lookout tower.

As for bachelor or bachelorette parties, whitewater rafting or kayaking offers something way outside the run-of-the-mill.

Want to get married on horseback? You can do that in Sisters. At the base of a waterfall? You bet. In a garden? On a mountaintop? Yep. How about in a National Forest? Sure thing. If you’re looking for an alternative to ball -

room weddings, or if fancy isn’t your vibe (or your budget), then exchanging vows in Sisters just might be for you.

Book early — at least a year in advance. A handful of nearby wedding planners can help make the perfect wedding.

All the support teams are here for embellishing the cherished moments — caterers, florists, photographers, music. And all the little hidden things.

Just because Sisters is synonymous with a laid-back, easygoing lifestyle doesn’t mean you can’t get all duded up. Formal wear or boots and jeans, either works. Formal doesn’t mean fussy here.

When the sun goes down over a wedding in Sisters, the good times don’t end. The friendly, good-natured folk here will show you unusual hospitality with a big welcome.

VENUES THAT MATCH THE SISTERS STYLE AND BRAND:

Aspen Lakes: www.aspenlakes.com/restaurant/weddings

Black Butte Ranch: www.blackbutteranch.com/weddings

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/weddings

FivePine Lodge: www.fivepine.com/weddings

House on Metolius: www.metolius.com/weddings

Long Hollow Ranch: thelonghollowranch.com/weddings-events

Pole Creek Ranch: www.polecreek.com/wedding-events

Shepherdsfield: www.shepherdsfield.com

The Suttle Lodge: thesuttlelodge.com/groups/weddings

MAKING SISTERS

By Sue Stafford

Yes, it is possible to garden in Sisters Country. There are just a few things you need to learn to be successful and two local organizations help with that.

Sisters Garden Club

For 35 years, the Sisters Garden Club has been helping introduce residents to the joys of gardening without a reliable frost-free date and being surrounded by critters who love to nibble what has been carefully planted by hopeful gardeners.

The Garden Club was started in 1988 by 13 residents who wanted to help beautify the city and share the knowledge and love of gardening. Membership has reached as high as 100 in the best of times and settled around 50 during COVID. They usually meet monthly to enhance and share their knowledge of gardening with each other and the public by inviting speakers, providing demonstrations, and discussing other interests for the home gardener.

For 25 years, they have sponsored the Quilts in the Garden Home and Garden Tour on the Thursday of Quilt Show week. The tour began when Jean Wells Keenan, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, suggested having a garden tour to provide another activity for the quilters to enjoy. It had served as their sole fundraiser until COVID, when the tour had to be cancelled, so they sold beautiful garden-themed

jigsaw puzzles.

From next year forward, the Quilts in the Garden tour will be held every other year. This summer on the Thursday of Quilt Show week, July 6, there will be a Garden Party featuring a raffle quilt, sale of gardening journals, lemonade and cookies, and local artisans’ handcrafted wares in the garden of one of the members.

Through the years, the club has donated over $60,000 to local nonprofits and organizations such as: Seed to Table, Kiwanis Food Bank, Sisters Community Garden, Family Access Network, Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, the greenhouses at all three Sisters schools, Sisters Rotary, Camp Caldera, and others. A new project they have undertaken this year is to plant and maintain the raised-bed vegetable gardens at Harmony Farms Animal Sanctuary that will provide food for the animals.

The Club meets once a month on a Saturday morning and the public is welcome to attend. A calendar of events and monthly meeting topics is available on the website at www.sistersgardenclub. com, where you can also find an application for membership and the latest copy of the newsletter.

Sisters Community Garden

This summer will see the 17th year of the Sisters Community Garden and its 11th year located at the Sisters Eagle Airport.

Prior to 2013, it was located on South Adams Street on a city lot belonging to Habitat for Humanity and leased for $1 a year.

The Garden represents much more than a collection of raised beds, wood chip paths, and a greenhouse. The original Garden was begun as a volunteer project in response to a segment of the 2005 Sisters Country Vision statement, creating a place to promote community connections.

From its humble beginnings, the Garden has become a horticultural showplace with 49 cedar raised beds, fully irrigated with spigots at each garden plot, and a substantial greenhouse engineered and built to withstand any type of Central Oregon weather. The Sisters Garden Club and other organizations helped with the purchase of materials and an irrigation system. The land was donated by the Benson family, who own the airport.

Each summer, the Garden donates hundreds of pounds of fresh produce to the Kiwanis Food Bank. The Garden is also a lovely venue for a variety of social activities including dinners and musical events. It is still supporting its initial mission of promoting community connections.

A PERMIT TO ROAM

Singular among the jewels in the crown of Sisters Country are our trails, which lead a hiker into the wonders and glories of the Cascades backcountry.

Those wonders are on the map internationally and in danger of being “loved to death.” So the U.S. Forest Service has implemented a permit system.

Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required for all overnight use within the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas June 15 through October 15.

Overnight permits are available through a rolling sevenday window on Recreation.gov.

Overnight trips can be up to 13 nights (14 days maximum) with groups no larger than 12 individuals. The processing fee for an overnight permit remains at $6. Permit availability is based on the starting trailhead and start date.

All reservations for Central Cascades Wilderness Permits need to be made through Recreation.gov either online, via the Recreation.gov app on Google Android & Apple iOS devices, or by calling their call center at 1-877-444-6777 or TDD 877-833-6777. Search for “Central Cascades Wilderness.” Overnight permits are NOT available at local Forest Service offices or outside of the reservation system.

Day-use permits are required on 19 of 79 trails within those same three wilderness areas during the permit season. However, day-use permits do not have advanced reservations ahead of the season. Day-use permits will be opened for reservation in a 10-day and twoday rolling window beginning on June 5. Permits for the 10-day rolling window will be 40% of the permit quota while the 2-day rolling window will be 60% of the

permit quota. This is a change from previous years, made to reduce the number of “no-shows” and increase the overall opportunity for people to get day-use permits.

The system was implemented in 2021 after being delayed by the onset of COVID-19. It was prompted by increasingly heavy use of certain forest trails — which only increased as people turned to the outdoors to escape pandemic-related confinement.

Certain trails have seen 15-20% 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 experience.

The permit system is designed not only to reduce wear-and-tear, but to improve the backcountry experience for users.

STAYING SAFE ON YOUR ADVENTURES

By Bill Bartlett

From 10,000-foot mountains to thundering white water, to some of the best hiking, biking and equestrian trails in all of Oregon, there are a hundred ways to have fun in Sisters —and just as many to forget where you are and get injured, or sunburned, or bitten. Be sure to stay safe on your adventures.

1. HAVE A PLAN: Start by leaving your itinerary with a relative or friend. And keep that contact information on paper, not on your locked phone, in case you are rescued and somebody needs to be called.

2. CARRY A MAP: The oldfashioned paper kind isn’t a bad idea. Don’t assume your phone will have access. Even if there is reception on top of the hill,

there may not be at the bottom of the ravine. A compass could save your life, but not if you don’t know how to use it.

3. TAKE A FIRST AID KIT: Carry one that has antiseptic pads for wounds, antibiotic cream, antihistamines (bee stings), an ACE bandage, scissors, tweezers, hand sanitizer, gauze, medical tape and a SAM splint.

4. BEAR SPRAY: Yes, we have them — though they are few and far between. Cougars are more prevalent, but attacks on humans are extremely rare. Just be aware.

5. LAYERS: The day/night temperature difference in Sisters Country can be as much as 50 degrees from April to November. You can get hypothermia in tem -

peratures as high as 50 degrees. Wind, rain, and elevation change can all cause temperatures to drop dramatically. Always pack an insulating layer and a rain shell—as well as a wind shell, hat, and gloves if you’re venturing into the mountains.

6. STAY ON THE TRAIL: Seems simple, right? Most rescues by far take place when folks get off the trail.

7. SUNSCREEN: And a hat. Repeat after us: Sunscreen. And a hat.

8. HYDRATION:

Staying hydrated is critical to your well-being. Carry a little more water than you think you’ll need. And it’s a good idea to pack a few energy bars in case you’re out longer than expected.

Now — go have fun!

PHOTO BY LOMA SMITH

Tamolitch Blue Pool

About an hour’s drive west along 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, then travel a half mile to parking.

Whychus Creek Overlook

Sisters’ must-see location offers spectacular views of the Whychus Creek watershed and the Cascade Range

The O verlook 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.

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 about 300 yards down a paved path to an overlook that treats you to a calendar shot of the headwaters and Mt. Jefferson.

Dee Wright Observatory

At the summit of McKenzie Pass, at 5,187 feet, stands one of the most singular features of the Central Oregon landscape — Dee Wright Observatory. The lavarock structure was completed in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). On a clear day, you will have spectacular views of Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, the South, North, and Middle Sister, and even catch a glimpse of Mt. Hood. Take Highway 242 west out of Sisters on a forest drive 22 miles to the McKenzie Summit.

CROOKED RIVER

If wild and scenic is your thing, then a one-and-a-quarter-hour drive to the Crooked River Back Country Byway will more than deliver. We are talking about some of the most spectacular scenery in Oregon. Steep basalt cliffs, a meandering river full of fish, and wildlife galore. Camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and bird watching are all on the menu.

State Scenic Highway 27, a designated National Back Country Byway, lavishes you with views of Western juniper dotting steep hillsides, spectacular basalt formations and eroded lava flows throughout the corridor.

Boating

Bring your kayak or canoe. There are several boat launches with plenty of parking. Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is possible in some sections after the

HIT THE ROAD!

Oh, the things you can do from base camp in Sisters!

— BILL BARTLETT —

BILL BARTLETT

spring runoff. Expect to see some fly-fisher folk in pontoons. In the warm summer months, ditch the boat, jump in, splash about, cool off. Repeat.

Camping

Nine, count them – nine campgrounds! All riverside. All with toilets. 97 developed sites in all. Picnic tables are abundant.

Fishing

Fly & Field Outfitters says: “The Crooked still has a staggering number of fish per mile, and approximately eight miles of easily accessed river to choose from. Yep, that’s a whole lot of fish! While the reputation that the fish aren’t especially large has been rightfully earned, those of us who have been guiding and fishing the river have seen the average size certainly go up over the years."

There’s even a handicapaccessible fishing pier!

Hiking

While there are a couple to choose from, the big daddy is Chimney Rock, a 2.6-mile,

dog-friendly round-tripper, 623 feet to the top where the panoramic views are breathtaking. It’s used year-round and is a favorite of snowshoers and birders. Bikers and horses share the area but are not allowed on the trail itself. Dogs must be leashed.

Birding

Come for the raptors, stay for the wigeons, grosbeaks, ruddy ducks, herons, warblers and tanagers. Eagles? Yes. Bald and golden, but those are ubiquitous to Oregon. On this route you might also encounter a northern harrier (not to be confused with an owl) and peregrine falcons.

Getting there

Take OR 126 east through Redmond to Prineville. Turn right on OR 27 heading south. At Milepost 12 you begin the eight-mile byway at the site of the very informative kiosk, worth checking out. Bring a camera and binoculars.

Visit www.blm.gov/programs/ national-conservation-lands/ oregon-washington/crooked-wsr.

THE WATERFALL TRAIL

Make a day outing to the waterfalls trail. Head west on Highway 20, and at the junction with Highway 126 (National Scenic Byway), follow it and the well-marked signs to the pristine McKenzie River’s Sahalie Falls with a spacious parking lot. Sahalie Falls is a mass of foaming white water plunging 100 feet over a natural lava dam. This famous falls can be spotted in Disney’s movie “Homeward Bound.”

The Sahalie Falls viewing platform is less then 100 feet from the parking lot and is wheelchair accessible. An easy and wildly scenic 2.6-mile roundtrip trail brings you downriver to Koosah Falls, a 70-foot drop into a deep pool.

These falls mark the terminus of two thick flows of basaltic andesite lava that dammed Clear Lake and moved into the McKenzie River 3,000 years ago.

Sahalie, meaning “heaven,”

and Koosah, meaning “sky,” are Chinook jargon words — part of a rudimentary trade language that allowed people to exchange news and goods in the area. The Kalapuya, Molalla, Sahaptin and Chinook peoples traveled and traded here, perhaps on their way to obtain obsidian in the high Cascades or to gather huckleberries.

Both sites feature parking, interpretive panels that tell the story of area geology, restrooms, and observation points.

Next stop is Proxy Falls by continuing down Highway 126 to the junction of Highway 242 (McKenzie Highway). Make the only turn and drive nine miles to the trailhead for the splendid 1.6mile loop trail.

Proxy Falls is a cascade and plunge waterfall from a collection of springs that plunges into a gaping canyon near McKenzie Pass. The waterfall sports an impressive main drop of 226 feet, which makes it one of the highest

plunge waterfalls in Oregon. Continue the loop by driving Highway 242 all the way back to Sisters with a stop at Dee Wright Observatory settled atop vast, black lava flows. At 5,187 feet, this mountain observatory offers panoramic views of the Mt. Washington and Three Sisters Wilderness areas.

At the observatory you will find interpretive panels with accounts of early travelers and area geology. Inside the observatory, strategically placed windows frame the surrounding mountain peaks. On a clear day, you may even see Mt. Hood located 78 miles to the north.

SAHALIE FALLS

PROXY FALLS

THE CALL OF THE TRAIL

Sisters Country boasts some of the Deschutes National Forest’s most remote, unpopulated hiking trails. Local hikers all have their favorites.

Scott Penzarella, Executive Director, Sisters Trails Alliance

“It’s the Whychus Creek Trail, just a short drive or hike from town, that sets Sisters’ backcountry-inspired experience apart. Part of the nationally designated Wild & Scenic River system, the Whychus Creek Trail meanders its way along the creek with melodic sounds of water, birds and trees whispering in the wind for mile after mile,” Penzarella says.

And if you are feeling energetic and want additional mileage, add the short hike up from the creek trail to the Whychus Creek Overlook, where you will enjoy some of the best vistas of the Three Creeks Wilderness anywhere in Sisters Country.

The Whychus Creek Trail, from the lower starting point, is approximately 6.4 miles roundtrip and is a moderate hike.

Take Elm Street/Forest Road 16 south from Sisters 4.3 miles. Trailhead parking is on the west (right) side of the road.

Ian Reid, Sisters District Ranger

Nobody knows the trails of Sisters Country better than its U.S. Forest Service district ranger, so when Ian Reid says that the Canyon Creek Meadows hike is something special, it’s … something special.

This loop hike of 7.5 miles is especially gorgeous in July, when wildflowers are peaking — and this is expected to be a stellar year for wildflowers. You might see mountain goats and will certainly enjoy what Reid calls “amazing rock formations,” plus a glacial lake.

The road can be washboarded and rough — suitably robust vehicle recommended. From Sisters, drive northwest on Highway 20 about 12 miles; turn right on Forest Road 12, marked “Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Trailheads.” Head north about four miles, then turn left on Forest Road 1230. Follow 1230 for about 1.5 miles, then turn left on Forest Road 1234 (Jack Lake Road). Follow this road six miles to the parking area at Jack Lake.

Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required between June 15 and October 15 for both

day and overnight use at Jack Lake Trailhead. Visit Recreation. gov for more information or call 1-877-444-6777.

Jim

Cornelius, Editor, The Nugget Newspaper

For some readily accessible hiking in classic Central Oregon high desert terrain, head east to the Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area.

“Despite its designation as wilderness, this treasured spot is not remote, and it’s very hikerfriendly,” Cornelius says. “You can easily fit a couple hours of hiking into a day’s excursion to Bend.”

There are multiple trailheads accessing a 50-mile network of trails in the Badlands. They wind through ancient junipers and past Columbia River Basalt formations. The trails are wide, mostly flat, and smooth, making for hiking that is accessible to just about anyone.

“You can go long if you want to, or you can make it a nice afternoon stroll,” says Cornelius. “Either way, you get to enjoy some really remarkable country.”

The Flatiron Rock Trail is just one option among many. It can be an in-and-out hike of five or six

OREGON BADLANDS WILDERNESS AREA

miles, depending on your route, and there’s a nice loop option that’s just over three miles.

Access is located at the Flatiron Rock Trailhead, 16 miles east of Bend, on State Highway 20. The trailhead is on the north side of the highway (left side if heading east from Bend).

If you can only do one hike on your visit to Sisters, locals agree that the most iconic hike of them all is the climb up Black Butte.

It’s close to town, offers a fun challenge for a reasonably fit hiker, and the views are fantastic.

The hike is just shy of four miles up and down. Most consider it a moderately challenging climb. Take Highway 20 west to Forest Road 11 (Indian Ford Road). Turn right and go to Road 1110 (signed) to the trailhead. The road can be a bit of a washboard.

If you’re looking for a strenuous climb, photographer and journalist Jarod Gatley will point you up South Sister.

“It’s not technically demanding,” he says. “You can walk up the mountain with just your two feet and a day pack.”

It’s an 11-mile out-and back — and it’s a physically demanding climb, with almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain in 5.5 miles. Plan a long day and bring plenty of food and water, and dress for changeable weather. The rewards of the arduous hike are great, with diverse views that seem to change with the season as snow melts away from neighboring peaks.

To get there, take Highway 20 east to Bend. From Bend, travel 28.7 miles west on Cascade Lakes Highway to the Devils Lake/South Sister Trailhead. A Central Cascades Wilderness Permit is required.

TOP 5 SISTERS HIKES

1

2 Tam McArthur Rim

Wes t on Highway 20 to FS 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 two-mile climb yields 360° views.

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

3 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.

4 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-and-back hike can vary distance to suit. Easy-moderate.

5 Black Crater

Drive 11.5 miles west from Sisters, past Windy Point, on Highway 242 (McKenzie Highway). The trailhead with parking is on south (left) side of highway. This is a strenuous 7.5-mile roundtrip climb to the summit and return.

A DAY TRIP THROUGH TIME

— BILL BARTLETT —

Kids always get a kick out of cemeteries for some ghoulish reason. And history buffs know that pioneer cemeteries are a great source of local knowledge and colorful characters. Nearby to Sisters are several such cemeteries well worth a morning or afternoon excursion back in time. Three in particular make for a satisfying outing, mostly a linear route.

The first is Camp Polk Cemetery. It’s a difficult word choice in describing the historic cemetery, called by many as simply Pioneer Cemetery. It’s also known by old-time families as Hindman Cemetery, labeled after the family of the same name who settled there once the Army camp closed in 1866.

At first glance in walking the two-acre site, the word “disheveled” comes to mind, but “rumpled” seems more fitting for a place of such history and importance in Sisters Country’s legacy.

Family plots go back 140

years. While this guide only found marker number 323 as the highest number of burials, records list 325. It is widely assumed that a few dozen more are buried there as well, in unmarked graves. Thomas Summers may be the oldest who was laid to rest, way back in July of 1880, as was Nellie Claypool that November.

Next up is Terrebonne Pioneer Cemetery under the shadow of splendid Smith Rock. The earliest graves are 1918. Some 754 souls are interred there. Henry Brewster Foster (1841-1926) is the person of the oldest birthdate. In all, 140 were born before 1900 and 203 are war veterans.

Next is Grandview, also known as Geneva Cemetery, all that’s left of the ghost town Grandview. According to Henry Chenowith, farmers and homesteaders who settled Grandview were promised water and plenty of it. And so they came to turn the land into farms and build their homes and schools for their children. This

they did with great optimism and quickly learned that the rocky soil dulled farm machinery and the claims of sufficient water for the farms in an arid location did not prove out.

At last count, 68 memorials, the oldest birthdate being of Samuel Ervin (1835-1925) and the youngest belonging to George Chenowith, who died as a 7-month-old infant in 1916, dot the cemetery kept by volunteers.

The route: From downtown Sisters head north on Locust Street that turns into Camp Polk Road. It makes a big 90-degree right turn about three miles out. Go .4 miles and turn left onto Cemetery Road.

Dial in Terrebonne Pioneer Cemetery on your map app and in 35 minutes you’ll find yourself there. Repeat for Grandview Cemetery, 23 miles north. Consider returning to Sisters via the wild and scenic backroad, which includes about 11 miles of dirt and rock (NF 6380/NF 63).

CAMP POLK CEMETERY BILL BARTLETT

The Cascades are dotted with lakes, most of them carved out by glaciers thousands of years ago. Fed by snowmelt and/or springs, the high lakes are cold and refreshing after a day’s hike. Some are readily accessible and make for popular swimming and water play spots; some are remote and require a hike to get there. Many have fish populations, some of them augmented by stocking.

SCOUT LAKE:

Scout Lake is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike to get some time in the water. Children love splashing in its waters. No dogs are allowed at the day-use area, due to sanitation concerns.

From Sisters, travel 13.2 miles northwest on Highway 20, then 1.3 miles west on Forest Road 2070, and then 0.8 miles south

on Forest Road 2066.

SUTTLE LAKE:

Suttle Lake is a favorite spot on the Deschutes National Forest. Surrounded by forest, the lake is deep and clear, and everything from a rowboat to a water skiing boat is allowed in separate parts of the lake. Link Creek, which empties into Suttle Lake, is shallow and clear enough to view spawning fish. You can hike an easy trail all around the lake, and Cinder Beach provides access for swimmers and water play. Yellow, orange, or red hues from vine maple proclaim the arrival of autumn in September or October. Travel west on Highway 20 for 13 miles to Forest Road 2070 and turn in.

THREE CREEK LAKE:

Nestled under the majestic

Tam McArthur Rim, Three Creek Lake is a popular spot for fishing — or just enjoying a day by (or in) the water. Motors are not allowed on Three Creek Lake, contributing to the serenity of the setting. There is a primitive boat ramp on the east shore as well as a small store that rents boats. It can be buggy, so don’t forget your insect repellant.

Note: Access delayed until July 21 due to road repair work.

Take Elm Street/FS Road 16 south out of Sisters for 16 miles.

CLEAR LAKE:

It’s a bit of a jaunt, but Clear Lake is one of the gems of the Cascades, and worth the trip. The lake is about 142 acres in size and lies at an elevation of 3,012 feet, with a maximum depth of 175 feet. It is one of the clearest and coldest lakes in the Cascades. A

SUMMIT LAKE

day on Clear Lake in a canoe or rowboat is good for the soul. Fishing is good at Clear Lake — brook trout and cutthroat trout reproduce naturally in the lake, and rainbow trout are stocked annually. You won’t want to jump in this one though — it’s COLD!

Clear Lake is a 40-minute drive from Sisters. Take Highway 20/126 west over Santiam Pass. At the junction, take Highway 126 west and watch for signs on the left side of the highway.

If you want a road trip, the CASCADE LAKES HIGHWAY offers a 66-mile scenic drive with stops for exploration. The road opens seasonally in June (depending on snow conditions) and closes in October beyond Mt. Bachelor. Take Highway 20 to Bend and link up with Century Drive, which becomes the highway outside the city limits. (For more information vist www.visitbend.com/points-interest/ cascade-lakes-national-scenic-byway/).

If you’re up for a stout hike of nine miles, SUMMIT LAKE offers a reward for your hard work. To find it, visit www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/ santiam-highway-to-summit-lake.

MATTHIEU LAKES are a lovely spot, popular with backpackers. You can catch both lakes on a six-mile loop trail, considered somewhat strenuous. It can be buggy, so bring your insect repellant. This area now requires a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit for both day and overnight use. Visit Recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777.

Drive out the McKenzie Highway (242) for a total of about 14 miles. Turn left onto a gravel road toward Lava Camp Lake after milepost 78; it’s also clearly marked for the Pacific Crest Trail.

SUTTLE LAKE

Barclay Park

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

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).

Cliff Clemens Park

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.

Creekside Campground

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

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 footbridge from the Creekside Campground. The grassy park has tables and small barbecues for daytime use. There are no events here.

JERRY BALDOCK

JERRY BALDOCK

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.

Summer fun for the kids in Sisters

SUMMER CAMP

Summer camp used to be a rite of passage for many American youths. That experience is still at hand in Sisters Country — and it’s a great way to get your kids off their screens and out into the great outdoors. They’ll build skills and have experiences that will stay with them all their lives. There are a number of camps in Sisters Country, including the renowned Big Lake Youth Camp.

Building relationships, learning new skills, and having fun in a positive environment has been Big Lake Youth Camp’s goal since 1962. Each summer the carefully selected staff lead hundreds of young people on a seven-day journey of adventure. A week at Big Lake provides campers with the environment and the opportunity to gain better self-awareness, set and achieve goals, and have a blast.

DAY CAMPS

Sisters Park & Recreation

District offers Camp Ponderosa for kids entering K-5th. Camp Ponderosa mixes adventure and play and runs June 26-August 25.

Intro to Wilderness Survival Camp for ages 6-9 gives youngsters the opportunity to learn the basics of thriving in the wild. Campers learn confidence, initiative, communication, and common sense through fun survival scenarios in teams and on their own. Skills taught include shelters, fire building, cordage, navigation, knots, traps, primitive skills, and more. An advanced camp is available for youth ages 9 to 14.

There are Lego camps, art camps, and more to keep young people’s days full of learning and adventure.

SKATE & BIKE PARKS

The skate park at Sisters Park & Recreation District’s Coffield Center has become a magnet that draws local skaters and visitors alike. The park was

designed by skaters through the Skate Park Committee comprised of local citizens including high school students and teachers. The park features three mail bowls and a number of street features.

Nearby is Bike Park 242, created in cooperation with Blazin Saddles, Central Oregon Trail Alliance, Noble 911, and a local Boy Scout troop. The pump track is meant to be ridden for as many laps as possible without peddling. A Sisters Boy Scout troop helped add a larger riding circuit next to the pump track.

With everything on offer in Sisters, young people are sure to find some healthy excitement.

JERRY BALDOCK

Catch the Pickleball Bug

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America. There’s a very simple reason for that: It’s a LOT of fun.

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Players — doubles or singles — use a paddle and a plastic ball with holes.

It’s easier on the body than tennis, and can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels.

Visitors to Sisters who are staying at Black Butte Ranch or in a vacation rental at Tollgate can avail themselves of the courts reserved for residents and guests. Public courts are limited to a cou -

ple of temporary courts at Sisters Elementary School — but that’s enough to have an hour’s fun. The Locust Street Pickleball Courts are located at 611 E. Cascade Drive. The courts are available by reservation through www.playtimescheduler.com or on a first-come, first-served basis. Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman also has pickleball courts available for guests.

Alternatively, avid pickleball players can head to Redmond’s Sam Johnson Park where there are several courts, or check out the courts at the Pine Nursery Park Pickleball Complex in Bend,

where Courts 1-4 are open to the public at all times, except during specified tournament dates. Quail Park has a pickleball court (marked, with net) available for public use.

The Sisters Country Pickleball Club, under the auspices of Sisters Park & Recreation District, is hard at work on finding a suitable site for eight pickleball courts — the number needed to stage tournaments. “The challenge for Sisters is location,” says Club President Bruce Carpenter.

For more information on Sisters Pickleball Club, visit sisters pickleballclub.com.

The sport of bouldering is in the rock-climbing family, and is often used as training for cliff rock climbing. Yet, it has its own culture.

Bouldering is “free climbing,” performed on small rock formations or artificial routes, without the use of ropes or harnesses. It involves vertical pitches utilizing body weight to propel up a rock. Bouldering sites in Central Oregon are becoming increasingly popular. Boulders and rock formations create natural handholds and vertical pitches.

Climbers use crash pads underneath their route in case of falling, as they aren’t using a rope or harness to catch them. Most climbers use climbing shoes and chalk to stick into handholds as they work their way up a vertical pitch.

Bouldering started as a practice for mountaineering and rock climbing that a climber could do

STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF

Bouldering

on their own.

“It’s the most physical and gymnastic aspect of climbing,” says Andy Coleman, owner of The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Bend.

The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Bend is dedicated to free climbing and bouldering. For climbers that typically rock-climb, bouldering can be an interesting challenge. Bouldering allows climbers at any skill level to dive into the sport. Because it doesn’t require much equipment, someone interested can go to a gym and try it for themselves, completely on their own. Coleman wanted to create an environment that is focused on the community of climbing and a safe place where anyone can try the sport.

Coleman founded four locations, with one in Bend. The circuit gyms are unique because Coleman and his team built everything themselves — all

with the thought of climbers in mind.

“We offer training for all ages as well as summer camps, birthday party hosting, and more events for younger kids, as well as an intro to bouldering class. But we encourage people to go out with friends and give the sport a try,” he said.

To learn more about The Circuit Bouldering Gym visit: www.thecircuitgym.com/bend.

With a crash pad, shoes, and chalk, you can boulder anywhere.

Some locations include an area off Wilt Road near Squaw Creek Canyon estates, as well as on the west side of Bend near Shevlin Park. There is a popular spot just off the Whychus Creek Trail. There are several places next to the Deschutes River that feature nice vistas. Visit: www.mountainproject.com/ area/114430286/sisters-area.

— CEILI GATLEY —

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 pleni tude of campgrounds, lodging and vacation rentals 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 oldfashioned 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.

Keep an eye out for the possible comeback of barbecues on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day at the Camp Sherman Store.

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.

PHOTOS BY JAROD GATLEY

Get Lost…

Camp Sherman Store/Fly Shop

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

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

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

Lake Creek Lodge

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

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

…In a place we ca e Metolius Basin.

Disc golf was created as a version of golf, with similar rules, except you play with plastic discs, versus golf clubs. The rules of disc golf are like that of golf.

Disc golf courses are typically set up in wooded areas that can help the natural glide of the disc. Different types of discs exist for different types of throws. There are distance drivers, fairway drivers, midway drivers, and putters. All these discs have different roles in playing a course. A putter, for example, is used like in golf, to put the disc into the basket once close enough. Most holes are considered par 3 or par 4, which means to land a “par” you must make it into the basket in three or four throws. A birdie is when you get the disc in the basket in two throws.

Throw some Circles

— BY CEILI GATLEY —

west end of town. Hyzer Pines was built and put into use officially in 2007. It opened through the endeavor of Kathy KemperZanck, who created a community campaign for disc golfers in the area to build a premier disc golf course. Kemper-Zanck decided to create a course after playing with her family in Madras.

the holes and maintaining the trails.

Hyzer Pines is a challenging course that is heavily treed, with only small gaps for distance throws. Players must navigate this using backhand and forehand throws, making it one of the premier courses listed in Central Oregon.

It is easy to get started in disc golf. Find a couple friends to go out and play with, and visit a local store that sells discs. It is best to get putters to start out with as they are the heaviest and easiest to throw.

The disc golf community in Central Oregon has also grown over the years thanks to the addition of the Hyzer Pines disc golf course located right next to Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) and Sisters High School, off Highway 242 at the

“It is a free and easy sport and anyone can do it. I wanted another thing for the kids to do in our community, and it’s outdoors, it’s exercise and it’s challenging. I thought every community should have a disc golf course,” said Kemper-Zanck.

The course is 18 holes and most holes are par 3, based on distance and challenge. SPRD now manages and maintains the course, changing the location of

Another popular course in the Central Oregon area is Pine Nursery Park, a sports complex and disc golf course located off Empire Avenue in Bend. That course is challenging because of the unique terrain of lava rock and high desert environment.

Guests at Black Butte Ranch can enjoy disc golf on a course on the property.

To learn more about disc golf visit: www.innovadiscs.com/.

Go out and throw some circles!

CAST YOUR LINE IN WONDROUS WATERS

By Ceili Gatley

Central Oregon has several jewels of places to experience fly-fishing. It is arguably one of the most popular fly-fishing destinations in the American West. One of Central Oregon’s finest jewels is just 20 minutes west of Sisters in Camp Sherman.

The Metolius River is a unique, spring-fed river, home to a wild fish hatchery. The river’s topography cuts through ponderosa pine forest; the temperature and flow rate are constant, making it a unique environment. The temperature doesn’t fluctuate throughout the seasons, making it a consistent environment for fish.

The water of the Metolius River is clear, clean, and cold most of the year fed by underground springs, some of which aren’t even documented. The scenery changes as you move downriver, which you can see from of a myriad of trails through the Metolius River corridor.

The wild fish swimming the Metolius include bull trout, brown trout and redband. Fishing here is a challenge due to the abundance of stone flies flowing beneath the water. Different flies have different stages throughout the season making it important to understand the food sources fish prefer at different times of year, to get a catch.

The Metolius is a catch-and-

release and a no-guide river. Eric Gunson, manager of the fly shop at the Camp Sherman Store, works to educate flyfishers on the best areas to hit for catches. Some of those places include the Bridge 99/Lower Bridge Campground all the way downriver to Pine Rest Campground, where the river hugs the highway taking you through the entire Metolius River basin.

There are areas where fish hang out on the river, including in some of the 20-foot deep pools all the way up into the shallows, hiding under downed trees and log jams. Going into spring and summer, the big green mayfly will be the primary fly hatch that the fish will key in on.

Gunson provides a “hatch menu” every day, based on what flies are hatching and in the area.

“I listen to other fishermen, and learn what’s happening on the river in different areas. I love seeing the families that come in and explore the area and all it has to offer,” said Gunson.

You can fish the Metolius year-round but the peak season is Memorial Day in May through Labor Day in September. Camp Sherman and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife have recently built a man-made pond for kids to practice fishing, stocked with hatchery fish, making for a fun experience where

kids can learn.

Just west of the Metolius, Suttle Lake, Scout Lake and Big Lake offer opportunities for fishing of all kinds, and a place to cool off in the summer months.

Whychus Creek, downstream of Sisters, offers fishing for small rainbow trout, but access is not as easy.

Three Creek Lake, Lava Lake and other lakes in the Central Oregon area offer potential for catching a fish on a fly line.

Outfitters offer float trips down the Deschutes River for classic Central Oregon fishing.

Located in a scenic location at Black Butte Ranch, Phalarope Lake is a nice place to learn to cast a fly. This is the only lake on the Ranch reserved for flyfishing. During the summer, free fly-fishing clinics are offered through The Fly Fisher’s Place, at the Ranch at 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings.

The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters offers expert tips on flyfishing in the area and gear to get you fully outfitted for a day on the water. They offer guided trips, a wide range of flies, rods, and more. Owner Jeff Perin has a blog housed on the website for the shop about all the best places to fish and his own experiences in different Central Oregon rivers. You can find that blog here: flyfishersplace.com/ category/jeffs-blog/.

TOP HATCHES ON WATERS CENTRAL OREGON

green drake

The hatch goes from about Memorial Day weekend to the end of June. The trout in the Metolius come crashing at the surface to feast on the dark-green flies.

blue wing olive

A tiny little olive mayfly with gray wings. The only mayfly found in Central Oregon hatching all 12 months of the year, so it provides some of the only dry flyfishing in the winter.

callibaetis

Callibaetis mayflies are a lake angler’s dream. It took us many years to invent the fly we call the Black Butte Callibaetis, but wherever the black mayflies are found this fly is a match.

stonefly

Stonefly hatches bring the most tourists to fish a single hatch. The famed salmonfly and golden stone hatches happen on the Deschutes from mid-May until early June.

BILL BARTLETT

FATTEN UP IN SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

Think fat-tire bikes are only for our awesome summer mountain trails? Think again. If Central Oregon is the mecca for cycling in the state, then Sisters is nirvana. Surrounded on three sides by National Forest with hundreds of miles of single track trails, your fats will be right at home.

Just as much around town too. Lots of bike lanes and bikefriendly shops, pubs, eateries, and parks where you can dine, picnic, or cool down. And if you need a quick tune-up, parts or repairs, Sisters has two topnotch bike shops with tons of know-how.

In Sisters, fats are ridden all year round. Take some air out and ride the snow. Or get gnarly on miles and miles of gravel roads. Sisters pretty much has it all. With trail names like Twist and Shout, Old Stump, and Boneyard,

you get the picture quickly.

WHERE TO RIDE?

The choices are too many to list but chief among equals is the famed Peterson Ridge Trail system that starts in town and goes south for a dozen miles, with loops, connectors, and branches. You can keep it mostly flat or as steep as you want.

Want an even bigger ride? How about a 25-mile descent with some of the most amazing scenery in Oregon? The McKenzie River Trail is less than an hour from town.

The Green Ridge Trail starts at the magical, mystical Metolius River. It’s a 10-mile loop for intermediate to advanced riders. The Suttle Tie Trail is perfect for new and younger riders. Families love the 5-mile loop around Suttle Lake and into Black Butte Ranch, less than 15 minutes from town.

In town, park at the high school and find the smooth, wide asphalt paths that form from several directions and lead back into town. Create your own routes with loops and side-street detours. It’s easy to avoid traffic in Sisters. With the majestic, snow-capped Three Sisters as your waypoint, you can’t get lost. And in the off chance you do, just ask. Sisters folks are friendly and helpful. Estimates are that there are 5,000 bikes in a town of 3,300. That should tell you something right there.

NEED A FIX? OR A RENTAL?

Eurosports at Hood Avenue and Fir Street in the center of town can outfit you and get you on your way. It’s also a food court, with 70 different types of craft beer available and occasional music. At Hood Avenue and Pine Street, Blazin Saddles has a large selection of fats for purchase or rent for any age rider.

BILL BARTLETT

SISTERS IS ALPACA COUNTRY

By Bill Bartlett

Sisters Country is home to thousands of alpacas.

Alpacas are highly sociable, gentle and curious. They are the smallest members of the camel family, on average three feet high at the shoulder and 4-7 feet long.

Alpacas never spit at or bite humans unless they’ve been abused, which makes them instant favorites of parents. Children are instantly drawn to their whimsical, crimped faces and their adorably docile and friendly personalities.

In Sisters you can make a partial or whole day visiting alpaca ranches where you can get up close and personal, petting, feeding and “chatting” with them. Alpacas make a gentle humming noise when happy.

WHERE TO FIND THEM?

No less than 1,000 alpacas are about a 15-minute ride east from Sisters. Alpaca Country Estates started with just six huacaya alpacas in 2006. The 134-acre pastured ranch is set with breathtaking views of the Cascades. Alpaca fiber produces amazingly soft garments and warm throws, rugs and yarn. The property includes a ranch house bed-and-breakfast ensuite room, and all things alpaca boutique store. Luxurious alpaca fiber is one of the rarest and most treasured natural fibers in the world.

Private tours and group event space are available; reserve ahead.

PICNIC WITH ALPACAS

At Paca Picnics you’ll eat, drink, and be merry while surrounded by a pack of friendly alpacas. Some will be just as curious about you as you are about them. Some won’t even acknowledge your existence. But the one thing guaranteed is that all of them will put smiles on your face.

Picnics happen at Flying Dutchman Alpacas north of Tumalo.

The fun is all managed by the same folks who run Alpaca by Design, a premium apparel shop in downtown Sisters.

COURTESY WASIM MUKLASHY

COURTESY WASIM MUKLASHY

COURTESY ALPACA COUNTRY ESTATES

BLACK BUTTE RANCH LODGE… THE PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN & DATE NIGHTS

— BY KATY YODER —

The new Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Lodge is a floor-toceiling work of art. Walking into the space, the rock fireplace extending forty-two feet into the first and second floors is a perfect example. The stonework flows in seemingly effortless layers, but it took six men over a month to place all the stones.

There’s a welcoming feeling as guests enter the spacious entrance, comfortable nooks and dining areas. Families can choose several places to grab a meal or snack while watching waterbirds and raptors soar over Phalarope Lake. Mirrored in the lake are the ever-changing Cascade mountains Faith, Hope, and Charity. To the east, Black Butte looms large with its perfectly symmetrical shape.

The Lodge capitalizes on its location with abundant views through huge windows. Out on the deck, when the weather is nice, there will be tables and chairs and a fire pit where guests are served.

Staff will light propane heaters and raise umbrellas to provide a cozy experience.

More art pieces will be hung as the BBR Art Guild and interior designers continue work on the spaces. Ranch CEO Shawn McCance said that homeowner Mark Pilkington, who’s the chair of The Lodge Task Force, had a suggestion to live with the space open for a while before decorating everything.

“We’re going to find out how the flow works with people enjoying it. We want the building to tell us what works best. So, we’re moving forward with a gradual process,” said McCance. “I see this as a place where people come for special occasions. A wedding anniversary, a birthday, a promotion, this is the place you’re going to want to be.”

A sense of nature is built into the dining area design, including Pendleton fabrics and wood harvested from a 265-year-old

ponderosa pine tree removed from the site. (A necessity and decision that was painfully made after an arborist was consulted.)

“The theme was chosen very thoughtfully. We see this as a fifty-year-plus building. We’re combining traditional elements with forward-thinking design for current and future generations to enjoy. This is all about the present and future homeowner experience,” said Kim Kohn, director of BBR Marketing and Sales.

Kohn describes The Lodge as the heart of the Ranch. BBR offers experiences for families, couples and anyone looking for an incredible location for dining, and a plethora of amenities, including a luxury spa. Homes and condos can be rented for large or small groups. “We’re in the business of making memories,” said Kohn. “It’s a place for everyone to enjoy, whether they’re local or visiting.”

BIRDERS PERCH IN SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

Over 190 species of birds can be found in the woods and marshes surrounding Sisters, from the smallest to majestic raptors. Just five minutes from town at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve there have been sightings of 86 – that’s not a misprint. The preserve, owned and managed by the Deschutes Land Trust, has an improving meadow habitat with pools and surrounding riparian habitats.

Calliope Crossing

Surely one of the more popular destinations, the haven is also a short four miles from town. It is one of the best known and beloved birding locations in all of Deschutes County. Dense riparian habitat surrounded by ponderosa pine forest supports all three Sapsuckers, “Western” and Gray Flycatchers, Cassin’s Vireo, Western Wood-pewee, House Wren, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, Cassin’s Finch and Calliope Hummingbird.

According to the Audubon Society, among the uncommon birds in the area are Wild Turkey, Northern Pygmy Owl, Long-eared Owl, Northern Goshawk and an occasional American Redstart. Rare birds found here have included Costa’s Hummingbird, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Plumbeous Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Gray Catbird, Northern Waterthrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Canada Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Glaze Meadow & Gobbler’s Knob

The surrounding forest is good for White-headed Woodpecker close to the western access point. The small hill (Gobbler’s Knob) at the eastern access point has breeding Fox Sparrow and Green-tailed Towhee. The Black Butte Swamp has a variety of birds similar to Calliope Crossing including Swainson’s Thrush and Ruffed Grouse. Northern Goshawk is sometimes found here as well. It is currently the only place in Deschutes County where you are very likely to find Veery and Swainson’s Thrush, which nest here in small numbers.

Rooster Rock Burn

The 1,634-acre Rooster Rock Fire of 2010 is a surreal backdrop and was a prolific woodpecker location for about 10 years. Now that it is older it is less attractive to woodpeckers, but they can still be found here. Occasionally Black-backed are joined by Downy, Hairy, and Williamson’s Sapsucker. In late summer and fall, the burn teems with juvenile Chipping Sparrows, bluebirds, nuthatches, and Pine Siskins. Why drive?

Simply stay right in town.

Best birds to be discovered by just walking or biking around include Clark’s Nutcracker, Pinyon Jay, White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird and Red Crossbill. You might say Sisters is for the birds.

RESORTING TO RELAXATION

Across America, families cherish memories that were created right here in Sisters Country — memories of weddings, memories of golden summer 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 new Lodge Restaurant and Aspen Lounge just reopened in a new incarnation. 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 and indulge your body 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 & Shibui Spa 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 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. Sisters’ resorts serve up respite, restoration, romance — and lifelong memories.

Black Butte Ranch

FivePine

SNOW-MORE-BILING SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

Besides your machine and a way to haul it, you need two key things for a great day in the backcountry. Snow and terrain. Sisters has both in abundance. And no matter your experience level, you’ll get a high-octane charge on our nearby trails and parks. And after a fun-packed day on your sled, Sisters is just the place to celebrate your adventure.

WHERE TO GO

Upper and Lower Three Creek Sno-Park in the Deschutes National Forest is first choice for visitors from the east. Miles and miles of trails through ponderosa forests that will take you all the way to Three Creek Lake and the Tam McArthur Rim. In fact, if you’re so inclined, you can ride on marked trails all the way to Dutchman, Wanoga and Edison Sno-Parks in Bend.

You won’t need to. There are so many loops and connector trails with all the elevation you like, about 2,500 feet from bottom to top. Zip around buttes or go ridge riding. Head up to Moon Mountain or the spectacular viewpoint at Triangle Hill. Catch no less than seven iconic peaks.

Just head out South Elm Street from downtown about 15 minutes and pick one of two staging areas with toilets. Lower Three Creek (4,800 feet), is primarily overflow for Upper (5,200 feet) and on some weekends both are thrilling riders.

Ray Benson Sno-Park is just as popular, especially with riders from the Valley or traveling from the west. It has two restrooms and three warming huts. It’s also popular with dog sledders so expect an occasional howl.

Benson, primarily in the

Willamette National Forest, extends into the Deschutes, letting you get within a few miles of Sisters. While the principal staging area is due west of town by only 15 minutes on Highway 20 at Santiam Pass, where the Pacific Crest Trail passes, you can get on only five miles west of Sisters on Highway 242, the historic McKenzie Highway. This is kind of like the secret fishing hole.

There are myriad well-marked trails with to-die-for views of Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, Hoodoo Butte, and Faith, Hope and Charity — the majestic Three Sisters.

Both parks show up on various high-definition maps. Both require a Sno-Park permit, available in Sisters at the Ranger Station or Bi-Mart. Benson borders two wilderness areas, so be careful to stay within boundaries.

BILL BARTLETT

snow playing in the

By Ceili Gatley

Sisters is a go-to destination for winter activities and sports. With snow starting to fly in November, and lasting through the springtime, Sisters sees a long winter, making it the ideal mountain town to enjoy some powder.

Hoodoo Ski Resort: Hoodoo offers many different activities, from cross-country ski trails, to the Autobahn tubing park, to “steeper and deeper” alpine ski runs. Hoodoo has a total of 34 ski runs with five lifts taking skiers and snowboarders up to the summit and midway up the mountain.

Hoodoo has worked to create a small-town, community vibe at the mountain, serving local Central Oregon and Sisters business products. Hoodoo also puts on events throughout the winter season, such as a New Year’s Eve bash, the Winter Carnival in February, Viking Games, and other fun events at the mountain. Hoodoo is open from the end of

November to April.

Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort: Located up Cascade Lakes Highway, this mountain offers world-class ski runs, with 3,365 feet of vertical drop over various terrain suitable to skiers and snowboarders at all levels.

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing: Up toward the Three Sisters is the Upper Three Creek Sno-Park, which provides several backcountry trails for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The trails lead to the picturesque Jefferson View Shelter, a warming hut with a perfect view of Mt. Jefferson. This sno-park provides access to 14 miles of Nordic ski trails and several loop opportunities.

Virginia Meissner Sno-Park offers the largest system of Nordic trails and snowshoeing trails in the region, through the woods leading up to the Mt. Bachelor area. The sno-park trails are located entirely within the Deschutes

National Forest. Partnering together for over 25 years, Meissner Nordic Ski Club and the USFS provide winter recreation December 1 through March 3. The groomed ski trails and snowshoe trails start at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park, located west of Bend on Cascade Lakes Highway near mile marker 14. The high point in the trail system is at 5,860 feet, and the low point is at 5,020 feet.

Hoodoo

RUN OUR WILD, BEAUTIFUL RIVERS River Classes:

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

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 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 multiday 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

TEE IT UP IN SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

There are 30 courses within 45 minutes of Sisters, three of which are Top 100s. Imagine a different course every day of the month! Golfers flock to Central Oregon for some of the most beautiful, nature-drawn courses imaginable designed by top architects and kept by highly talented greenskeepers.

Two are located within minutes of Sisters.

Aspen Lakes Golf Course is a member of the Central Oregon Golf Trail and is one of the topranked golf courses in Oregon. Aspen Lakes Golf Course boasts bent grass fairways and greens, breathtaking mountain views, and their signature red sand traps.

A traditional-style course and one of the best all-around golf experiences in Central Oregon, with panoramic views spanning almost a half dozen mountain peaks, down to the sound course design and features, Aspen Lakes is everything you might hope for when golfing the High Desert.

A uniquely memorable aspect at Aspen Lakes are the sand traps composed of crushed volcanic rock. Plotted through -

BY THE NUMBERS:

out the course, these red-sand bunkers are a creative point of distinction that is fitting to the region’s geology. Despite long distances and plenty of challenges to meet the demand of the more skilled, generous hole widths make this course manageable for all.

www.aspenlakes.com

Black Butte Ranch has two 18-hole top-tier, public-access courses in the 1,800-acre resort.

The first, Glaze Meadow, is perhaps the most iconic in Central Oregon.

The other is Big Meadow, whose 14th hole is one of golf’s most memorable photographic scenes.

Little Meadow Putting Course: Recent to Black Butte Ranch is a 12-hole putting course with lengths between 45 and 105 feet. The course can play as eighteen slightly shorter holes or nine longer holes. Each hole features interesting contours that will test even the best putters. All holes have their own ‘fairway’ for ample variety. Little Meadow appeals to all kinds of golfers, both expert and novice, both young and old. Tee times and fees. www.blackbutteranch.com

ASPEN LAKES GOLF COURSE

Holes: 18

Par: 72

Length: 7,302

Slope: 139

Rating: 74.4

Architect: Bill Overdorf

Recent accolades: Golf Advisor #9 top Oregon (2020)

At Black Butte Ranch GLAZE MEADOW

Holes: 18

Par: 72

Length: 7,007

Slope: 133

Rating: 72.7

Architect: John Fought and others

Recent accolades: Golf Advisor #18 top Oregon (2018)

BIG MEADOW

Holes: 18

Par: 72

Length: 7,002

Slope: 130

Rating: 73.3

Architect: Robert Muir Graves; upgraded by Damian Pascuzzo (2007)

HORSIN’ AROUND

— BY BILL BARTLETT —

Sisters Country is horse country. You can easily saddle up if you don’t have your own pony. Black Butte Ranch is a few miles west of town. Black Butte Stables has riding tours for all levels and ages of equestrians.

If performance horses are your thing – Sisters has you covered, from boarding to training and competing. You can even buy yourself a first-rate steed.

DRESSAGE

Natalie Perry is a USDF Gold Medalist with more than 15 years of experience and can train you from beginner to Grand Prix, all within a 15-minute drive from Sisters.

It’s Sisters, so of course there is Cowboy Dressage 10 minutes from town at Emboldened Equine, run by Alison Weston, who also offers weekly classes on horsemanship for newbies.

Nearby in Redmond, Stone Pony Dressage has lessons on

school horses and clinics with FEI-level instructors. The outfit is under the watchful eye of Nancy Stearns, who has taught dressage for over 30 years. The 22-acre farm features a lighted, covered arena.

HUNTER/JUMPER

About 18 minutes east of Sisters is Fruition Farm led by Karen Laidley, DVM, who loves teaching as much as being a large animal vet. She’s also a top-shelf farrier. They cover dressage too along with horseshow coaching in a covered 100’ x 300’ building.

Some Day Farm in close-by Tumalo is headed by owner and trainer Catherine Cruger. Kendall Entler and Germaine Dougherty are part of the team specializing in Hunter, Jumper, Equitation and Ponies. Facilities include indoor and outdoor rings and 38 stalls.

Got some cowboy or cowgirl in you? Then you’ll want to

visit Deep Canyon Performance Horses a few miles east in Cloverdale. The 140-acre ranch has a 110' x 210' covered arena, multiple pastures and breeding barn. This is just the place if your interest is reining and reined cow horses.

Barrels of thrills await you in Sisters Country. Barrel racing, that is. Choose from over 30 competitive events that take place year-round within 25 miles of Sisters. These action-packed races are just plain fun to watch even if you’ve never been on a horse, and are typically free to the public.

In it for the long run? Sisters, being surrounded by natural beauty, from high desert to high, snowcapped mountains, has hundreds of miles of maintained riding trails and several dedicated horse camps. Endurance riders will find Sisters a welcome home.

RUNNING THE BACKROADS

— By Charlie Kanzig —

Sisters offers a multitude of opportunities for runners of all levels.

Two recent developments will help both visitors and locals to expand their running experiences. The Sisters Country Running Club began meeting in March 2022 as a way to build the running community in Sisters. All experience levels are welcome. Information on the meeting times can be found on the group’s Facebook and Instagram pages under Sisters Country Running Club.

Local resident Kelly Bither has created RunSistersRun to promote running events in the area. Bither directs the “Ugly

Sweater Run” in December, “The Lucky Leprechaun” to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March, and the “Giddy Up” run in September. All three include 5K and 10K options. Details of these races can be found at www. runsistersrun.com.

For a real challenge, check out the Hoodoo Run to the Top race on July 22. The race is a fundraiser for the Sisters Kiwanis Club. Registration can be found on Ultrasignup.

The established Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) routes (www. sisterstrails.org), including the 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 Creeks 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.

New events are constantly being added to the area around Sisters Country. Check out the events page for FootZone running store in Bend, for updated opportunities in the area at www.footzonebend.com

Lesser-used trails and roads in the area may provide the peace and quiet for which visitors long during the busy summer months.

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 and/or near Cold Springs Campground. The Indian Ford 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, with trailheads to be found by traveling out Three Creeks Road just a few minutes from town.

CHARLIE KANZIG

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.

In contrast, east of Sisters the ecosystem changes to a dryer, juniper-dominant 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 more 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 Creeks 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.

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.

ROARING INTO SISTERS ON TWO WHEELS

By Bill Bartlett

Weekends in Sisters are special for the many motorcycle riders who roar into town, where they are met with good cheer, respect, and a hearty welcome. Sisters is the perfect stopping point for area club riders and long-distance bikers.

What’s not to like?

EASY RIDERS

Scenic byways like “the 242” (McKenzie Highway) that rises and falls into some of the most spectacular scenery in Central Oregon is a must ride with no risk to the paint or chrome. The 37-mile seasonal ride between Sisters and the Highway 126/20 Junction peaks at the panoramic Dee Wright Observatory, about halfway.

THE CLOVERDALE LOOP

A little bit of everything on this ride: bucolic hay fields, alpaca ranches, a winery, longhorn cattle, multi-million-dollar

horse farms, a wildlife preserve, abandoned mine, Western art gallery, meandering streams… Head east on Highway 126 to Holmes Road, turn left, and follow it to Lower Bridge Road. Make a right and ride it to Buckhorn Road at the corner of Alpaca Country Estates. Turn right onto Buckhorn Road where dirt is well-packed and smooth. In a couple of miles you are joined up again with Highway 126. Make a right and head back to Sisters, taking in great views on either side including golf links.

Get a little dirty.

Being surrounded on three sides by national forest you will delight in hundreds of miles of unpaved roads varying from two-lane “avenues” leading to pristine creeks and lakes, or to rugged single-track grinders often leading to peak, volcanic experiences. Sisters has some of nature’s most stunning land -

scapes, many snow-capped year-round.

BEST OPTIONS

Santiam Pass Summer

Motorized Recreation Area, less than 20 minutes west of Sisters, would be a good place to start. With excellent staging, restroom, and camping areas, the place is packed with unbeatable views. You can ride all day and not cover the marked trails.

Visit Sisters Moto in Three Winds Shopping Center near the roundabout. There, you can get lots of good advice and ride ideas. Or, pop into the Deschutes National Forest Sisters Ranger Station at Pine Street and West Cascade Avenue, and pick up the most current and free Forest Service MVUM – Motor Vehicle Use Map. Having the free Avenza digital map version on your smartphone is a great tool. Otherwise, just come to Sisters and ride with the wind.

BILL BARTLETT

Recreational target shooting is an increasingly popular activity on the Deschutes National Forest.

Shooting is allowed across the Sisters Ranger District, except within 150 yards of residences or developed campgrounds and across roads. The Forest Service does not maintain shooting ranges or even recommend specific shooting areas — but it has identified numerous areas as suitable for safe, responsible shooting.

A good backstop is the top criteria for a safe shooting environment, according to District Ranger Ian Reid.

“The height of the berm… is the major factor,” Reid says.

The identified areas are all cinder pits. The Sisters Ranger District office has a list of suitable areas and a map identifying their locations.

The areas have clear sight lines, tall backstops, and are

GETTING ON TARGET

— BY JIM CORNELIUS —

away from or shielded from other activities — “all of the things that responsible shooters should want,” as Reid describes it.

Some of them are active rock pits that the Forest Service contracts out to ODOT for mining for road cinders, and, as such, are subject to periodic temporary closure.

The most popular spot is at Zimmerman Butte, about 4.5 miles west of Sisters. It is a deep cinder pit with a significant backstop, and is easily accessible from Highway 20 by any type of vehicle. That also means it gets heavy use.

Reid emphasizes that the Forest Service does not manage or regulate the shooting sites.

Other sites in the District see less use than Zimmerman Butte — in part because they are less accessible. That can actually make them more attractive to shooters looking to evade a crowd.

Safe, responsible shooting includes observing basic safety protocols, including treating all firearms as loaded and being aware of and accounting for any other recreational activity in the area, practicing good stewardship by picking up empty cartridge casings, and packing out whatever targets and target stands are brought into a shooting area.

Tannerite exploding targets are not allowed anywhere on the National Forest. Shooters should not fire at trees, which damages them to the point of killing them, and can pose a fire hazard if using steel-jacketed bullets.

As all types of recreation increase in the National Forest and as more people move into the urban-wildland interface, citizens and the Forest Service that serves them will continue to have to find ways to balance sometimes competing values and activities.

JAROD GATLEY

SISTERS IS PAWSOME!

Is Sisters pet-friendly? Does the sun come up in the east? Dogs (and other furry friends) are a vibrant part of Sisters Country. Not just pets: Working dogs herd on our ranches, and peacocks are common alarm systems for rural folk. Many of us wake up to the nearby sound of chickens. Most every house in town has one or more bird feeders.

At the end of the day it’s canine owners who most want to know if Sisters is welcoming for their four-legged buddies. Just look around.

LODGING:

A quick check at bringfido. com lists at least 100 places where your critter can bunk for the night, including several right in town. Both Airbnb and VRBO, the vacation home rental giants, are full of pet-friendly options in Sisters Country.

DOG PARK:

Sisters might just have the biggest in Oregon. We don’t need a fenced-off area near traffic when the 300,000+-acre Deschutes National Forest, Sisters District, is at your doorstep, the vast majority of which allows pooch to roam free-of-leash.

DINING:

Well-behaved dogs are welcome on patios and decks of some of Sisters’ best-known eateries. If it weren’t for the County Health Department, they’d be inside, too, in many eateries. And never worry about your buddy going thirsty. Store after store in town has watering bowls at their doors. And there are about a dozen places selling dog food.

SHOPPING:

Like most places, some shops have merchandise too fragile for wagging tails. But signs will let

you know and the sidewalks are full of benches where shoppers can alternate browsing while companions chill out with Fido.

GROOMING AND BOARDING:

Sisters has grooming shops to keep your pal looking great. If you want to leave Fido for daycare or overnight, Central Bark and Groomingdales has you covered —but reserve early.

PET SUPPLIES:

Sisters Feed & Supply on Main Avenue has you covered with most anything your pet needs. And if your dog wants to make a fashion statement, Ruff Hippie on South Elm Street can outfit your furry friend with unique handmade bandanas, collars and bow ties.

HEALTHY PETS:

Three highly respected veterinary clinics have cared for Sisters Country pets for decades.

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.

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)!

Bitterroot: May

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. A 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 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. 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.

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!

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.’

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.

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.

Yarrow: April-September

Arrowleaf Balsamroot: May-June

Red Columbine: May-July

Mariposa Lily: June-July

Scarlet Gilia: June-August

Spotted Mountain Bells: June

PHOTOS AND INFORMATION COURTESY DESCHUTES LAND TRUST

Washington Lily: June-July

VISIT BEND & REDMOND

Many folks who come to visit Sisters enjoy rolling just a little farther down the highway to Bend or Redmond.

Bend has a lot to offer to visitors, including the region’s showpiece High Desert Museum. The museum is truly a must-see for anyone visiting — or living in — the region. Many folks visit regularly. The museum sits on 135 acres with more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space that features native wildlife, such as river otters, porcupines and raptors. Historic characters share tales of early Oregon homesteaders. You can visit an authentic ranch and sawmill from 1904.

The High Desert Museum is located just five minutes south of Bend, on Highway 97.

Bend has become a cultural hub, with arts and live music driving a vibrant scene. It is home to BendFilm, which celebrates independent cinema’s unique power to enrich lives, amplify diverse voices, and inspire change while educating future storytellers and bringing vibrant festival experiences to communities across Central Oregon year-round.

Venture down to Riverbend Park and stroll on the River Trail. Or go paddleboarding on the Deschutes. Or give your furry friend a fun session at the dog park. From July 28-30, Balloons Over Bend creates a spectacle that you will never forget. Visit

balloonsoverbend.com.

Cascade Village Mall offers shopping opportunities for some items that you might not be able to find in Sisters, and you can stock up without breaking the vacation budget at Food4Less.

Those who are contemplating a move here should check out Dovetails, a family-owned business that offers a full line of handcrafted, solid wood furniture, and create their interior plantscape at Somewhere That’s Green and Greenhouse Cabaret , a magical community and space for all people to come together to celebrate, learn about, and immerse themselves in plants. Visit the Bend Whitewater Park’s main page at www.bendparksan -

drec.org/facility/bend-whitewaterpark/.

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. There is a dizzying array of breweries in Central Oregon, and this is a fun way to familiarize yourself with them. Pick up a passport at a participating brewery or print it out online at www.visitbend.com/ bend-ale-trail.

Redmond, 20 miles east down Highway 126 from Sisters, is the

Continued on page 100

DOWNTOWN BEND | JAROD GATLEY

location of the region’s airport at Roberts Field. It’s also the site of the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo, currently scheduled for August 2-6. The annual event — the largest in Central Oregon — features championship NPRA Rodeo, top-name concerts, 4-H animal exhibitions, carnival rides, cotton candy and corn dogs, along with shopping and exhibits. Visit expo.deschutes.org/fair.

One of the most prestigious art shows in the nation will be hosted in an outdoor venue at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. Art in the High Desert has a national reputation as one of the premier fine art expositions in the country — the 10th-ranked show in the nation for art sales in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The event is set for August

25-27 in Redmond.

This site at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center offers ample space for artists and patrons, easy free parking, indoor bathrooms, and beautiful views. A rigorously juried show, Art in the High Desert will host approximately 150 artists from across the nation.

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. Visit Redmond’s revitalizing downtown for dining and a stroll among its shops.

General Duffy’s Waterhole & Annex has become a hotspot for live music from local, regional and nationally touring artists, among

a food cart court and vendor market.

One of Sisters’ favorite eateries and food vendors, Sisters Meat & Smokehouse, has opened a brand new location in Redmond, next door to Blacksmith Public House, a taproom, full bar, food truck lot, coffee bar and live music venue.

It's all worth a short trip down the road from Sisters.

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

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: Catch-and-release fishing, trails. Rates: $24$26. Reservations: Some at recreation.gov or for additional info, call 541-323-1746.

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: $24 per night. Reservations: None. www.recreation.gov.

CANDLE CREEK

Season: May-September (weather permitting).

Location: Last campground on the Metolius River in Camp Sherman. Not recommended for RVs.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: $17 per 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, hand-pump drinking water. Sites: 22. Activities: Birdwatching, hiking, biking. Rates: $18 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 28 full-hookup plus non-hookup, tent, and hiker/biker sites. Activities: On Whychus Creek downtown, walking, bike-riding. Rates: $25-$55 per night based on site. Reservations: 541-3235218 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. No dogs allowed at Scout Lake Day Use Area adjacent to campground. Rates: $23-$69 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: $26 per night.

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

THREE CREEK LAKE

Season: June-September (weather permitting). Closed until July 2023 for road reconstruction. 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, non-power boating, hiking. Rates: $22 per night.

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

SISTERS COUNTRY

june

Sisters Farmers Market

Located at Fir Street Park. Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., June through early September. Local and fresh veggies, meats, fruits, honey, pickles, eggs, ice cream, artisan crafts, grains, and more! www.sistersfarmersmarket.com

4th Friday Art Walks

March through December. Stroll through downtown Sisters, enjoy beautiful art and meet artists. www.sistersartsassociation.org

Xtreme Bulls

June 7 | 6:30 p.m.

Come see the best in bull riding at the Sisters Rodeo grounds. Ticket hotline: 800-8277522. Contact: Sisters Rodeo Association, 541-549-0121 or sistersrodeo.com

Sisters Arts & Antiques in the Park

June 10 & 11 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual event features a variety of arts, crafts, antiques, some commercial items, food, entertainment with a special fundraiser benefiting artists and crafters. Located at the Sisters School Administration Building. www. centraloregonshows.com

Big Ponderoo

June 23 - 25

A celebration of Americana music and the arts, located at Three Creeks Brewing Co. and Sisters Art Works. Sponsor and contact: Sisters Folk Festival, 541-549-4979

www.bigponderoo.com

july

Rumble on the Runway

July 4 | 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sisters Eagle Airport presents the annual aircraft and automobile showcase with pancake breakfast, fundraising 5K run/walk, Great Rubber Chicken Drop and more! Contact: www.sistersairport.com

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Quilt Walk

Quilts are on display inside Sisters businesses during regular hours the month of July. Contact: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, 541549-0989 or www.www.soqs.org

Quilter’s Affair

Monday-Friday, July 3-7

Five days of virtual quilting classes, lectures,and programs. Contact: Stitchin’ Post, 541-5496061 or stitchpost.com/pages/ quilters-affair-2023

Sisters Rodeo & Parade

June 7-June 11

Come to “The Biggest Little Show in the World”! Now in its 83rd year. Four performances sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association with a purse of over $100,000.

Sisters Rodeo Parade, Saturday morning, 9:30 a.m. Tickets at sistersrodeo.com: 800-8277522. Contact: Sisters Rodeo Association, 541-549-0121

Crest the Cascades

Saturday, June 17 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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 sistersrecreation.com

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show™

July 8

The 48th year of the largest outdoor quilt show in the country will be held Saturday, July 8! Contact: 541-549-0989 or www.soqs.org

2023 EVENTS

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Sunday | July 9

More quilting exhibits and special events that you can save for Sunday, at FivePine Conference Center. Contact: 541-549-0989 or www.soqs.org

august

Country Fair & Art Show

August 18 & 19

Friday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This 26th annual event includes an art show and sale, silent auctions, music, homemade marionberry cobbler & ice cream, children’s games and much more. Free admission! All proceeds are donated to local community support agencies. The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration at the corner of Hwy 242 and Brooks Camp Road. (1/8 mile from the intersection of Hwy 20 and Hwy. 242) For information call 541-549-7087.

september

Sisters Fall Street Festival

September 2 & 3

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to to 4 p.m. This successful annual event features a variety of arts, crafts, some antiques, some commercial items, food, beerwine garden, entertainment with a special fundraiser benefiting artists and crafters. Downtown Sisters. www. centraloregonshows.com

“Glory Daze” Car Show

September 23

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 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 or www. sistersrecreation.com

Sisters Fresh Hop Festival

September 23 | Noon to 6 p.m. The 12th annual event at Three Creeks Brewery & Landing Zone, 265 Barclay. Ticketed 21+ beer tent with free admission to child-friendly outdoor space. Over 20 breweries will feature fresh hop beer. Live music and food all day. Contact: Three Creeks Brewing Co., 541-549-1963, or threecreeksbrewing.com

october

Sisters Folk Festival

September 29-October 1

The 27th annual celebration of Americana 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

October 7 & 8 | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now in its 41st year, this fair brings together over 150 juried vendors of handcrafted quality arts and crafts, plus food and entertainment. Located downtown on Main Avenue.

Sponsor: Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, 541-549-0251 or www.sisterscountry.com

Happy Girls Run

October 28

5K, 10K or half marathon. Best all-women running experience in the Pacific Northwest. Connect, inspire, laugh and RUN! Departs from and ends at FivePine Lodge, 1021 E Desperado Trail. www.happygirlsrun.com

november

Sisters Holiday Celebration & Parade | November 24 & 25

Annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Fir Street Park, Friday, November 24 and Christmas parade on on Hood Avenue on Saturday, November 25. Sponsor: Sisters Park and Recreation District, www. sistersrecreation.com

Calendar information is subject to change.

Sisters’ rich music scene got richer this year with the addition of a new festival called Big Ponderoo, set for June 23-25.

While it’s presented by the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF), Big Ponderoo is its own unique thing — a brand-new festival celebrating the thriving music and arts community of Sisters. The festival will bring Americana and Bluegrass music to two stages: Sisters Art Works and Three Creeks Brewing Co.

To kick off the festivities, Camp Ponderoo, an immersive Bluegrass jam camp will be held at Sisters Art Works June 18- 21.

Throughout the week the Ponderoo Arts Experience will explore self-expression through the visual arts and include an Art Stroll with live music at galleries all over town.

All are welcome to join in a free community event on Friday, June 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Sisters Art Works. Attendees can enjoy live music from festival bands Never Come Down and Twisted Pine, food vendors, beer, wine and cider for purchase, art displays and interactive arts events.

“Big Ponderoo is a new offering from SFF, an outdoor, two stage/ two day festival with festival seating (bring your own low- back chair or blanket) and a fresh vibe with dynamic music,” says SFF Creative Director Brad Tisdel. “The lineup includes

some of the most dynamic artists we have booked, The War & Treaty, The Lone Bellow, The Travelin’ McCourys, Corb Lund, Twisted Pine all of which are top-tier. Musically it is more band-oriented and leans toward progressive Bluegrass and new Americana. We have struck a good balance of outstanding musicianship that pushes genres in progressive ways, from soulrock with a country edge, to progressive newgrass, to Western alt-country. We think it will be fantastic music to enjoy hanging with your friends, having fun in outdoor, intimate venues, (800 and 1,000 capacity) and celebrating the creative community that Sisters has become in a beautiful setting.”

For information visit www.bigponderoo.com.

Sisters Folk Festival has more than a quarter century under its belt, serving up an ecletic and satisfying three days of music in Sisters.

The event is set this year for September 29-October 1.

Sisters Folk Festival is curated as an exceptional music experience, produced throughout the town of Sisters in seven different and unique venues. Artists from diverse musical genres perform in intimate venues, often for listening audiences who appreciate and respect the craft and musicmaking that folk music embodies.

“Our goal is to also present music that might surprise our patrons, with diverse offerings, while using a broad definition of ‘folk music’,” says Creative Director Brad Tisdel. “The experience of Sisters Folk Festival is

SEPT 29 THROUGH OCT 1

what makes it cool — a community that inspires and connects people through creativity and excellent music to celebrate our shared humanity.”

From exceptional singersongwriters to gospel, soul, rock, bluegrass, hip-hop, alt country, and more, the music and setting creates a creative, inclusive, and memorable experience for those who love live music.

“It’s hard to describe it until you experience it, then you attend the Festival every year,” Tisdel says. “There are immensely talented artists touring and performing all over North America and the world, many of which you may have not heard of because perhaps they have not broken through to commercial success. We work to find artists that are uniquely talented and represent something different

that is exceptional in the genre. We keep our ears to the ground finding up-and-coming artists that will undoubtedly become well-known for their musical talent and creative drive, while also working with career artists who command great respect through their craft. Many folks leave the festival with their favorite new artists they have ‘discovered’ in Sisters.”

For more information visit sistersfolkfestival.org.

RESIDENTIAL WINDOWS

Frosted • Colored • Privacy

Stained Glass • Anti-Glare, Heat & UV Ray Reduction

COMMERCIAL WINDOWS

Refflfllective • Security

INTERIOR DECORATIVE WINDOW FILMS

Frosted • Pattern

Gradient • Opaque Films

Decorative Glass for Doors & Windows SECURITY & SAFETY WINDOW TINTING

JUNE 7 THROUGH JUNE 11 SISTERS RODEO

Sisters Rodeo is saddled up and ready to spur out of the chutes in the 83rd running of “The Biggest Little Show in the World.”

Events get started with the rip-snortin’ excitement of Xtreme Bulls on Wednesday, June 7. Thursday is slack, then the main event bursts onto the scene Friday through Sunday, June 9-11.

The all-volunteer Sisters Rodeo Association continues to enhance the audience and contestant experience at the Rodeo. They have installed new low-energy, high-output LED lamps that dramatically improve illumination for the June 7-11 event. The lights

make for a better experience for attendees of evening performances — and illuminate the arena for high-definition TV coverage. Once again, the Sisters Rodeo will be live telecast on the Cowboy Channel and RFD TV.

The Sisters Rodeo is on the pro tour — an acknowledgement that the event is among the top PRCA rodeos in the country.

Each rodeo performance starts with the Wild Horse Race, and this year the purse is a record $14,000. That wild and wooly event is the featured image on this year’s event poster created by Sisters artist Dyrk Godby.

This year marks the return of

specialty act Tomas Garcilazo, representing the tradition of “La Charreria” which is a skill performed through the generations only by the Mexican charro. Charros take extreme pride in their highly developed horsemanship and roping abilities.

The Saturday Rodeo Parade on June 10, starting at 9:30 a.m. in downtown Sisters, will be led by Queen Sadie Bateman.

“She’s quite a cowgirl,” said Hank Moss of the Rodeo board. “She’s not just a queen — she can rope and ride, too.”

JERRY BALDOCK

There is a day each summer when Sisters blossoms in color, as the whole town is wrapped in quilts. That day is Saturday, July 8, the 48th celebration of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS).

The show has put Sisters on the international map for the quilting community — but it has become much more than a single-day festival of fabrics. SOQS has become a week-long celebration of the arts and the creative spirit.

That’s reflected in this year’s Wednesday, July 5 fundraising event — An Evening of Hidden Stories. SOQS invites Quilters Affair instructors, local artists, poets and audience members to share the hidden stories behind

their works of art. It promises to be a fun, interactive evening that nurtures the creative spark.

On show day, visitors to the free, unticketed show stroll through Sisters’ quilt-festooned streets and partake of the hospitality offered by Sisters’ shops and restaurants. Hood Avenue will be closed, making it a pedestrian park where quilt enthusiasts can explore special exhibits that enhance the experience. Some of the special exhibits are returning favorites, and there are new ones that keep the show fresh and exciting. The mother/daughter Duo At Play will showcase the landscape photography taken on their travels, which is then interpreted into quilts.

SOQS is working on bringing together a display of Native American quilts from the Warm Springs Reservation.

This year’s featured quilter, Jan Tetzlaff, creates quilts that reflect her love of fiber and the maker’s hand. Beginning as a traditional quilter, Tetzlaff now most often creates art quilts. Her work reflects abstracted moments of time and place in which movement, line and memory are pieced by machine and stitched by hand on fabrics that are often hand-dyed and highly textured.

At SOQS Sunday at FivePine Lodge & Conference Center, acclaimed Australian quilt designer Sarah Fielke will offer two intimate walking tours of her work, displayed among the pines, and offer a lecture in the conference center.

The week running up to the big day is filled with the events of Quilters Affair, hosted by Stitchin’ Post. For information and to register, visit stitchinpost.com/pages/ quilters-affair-2023.

Sisters Eagle Airport makes 4th of July spectacular.

It started as a celebration of an upgraded runway a decade ago and has turned into one of Sisters’ beloved events. Sisters Eagle Airport celebrates the birth of the United States of America with a 4th of July extravaganza that thrills thousands — and gives back to the community.

Airport owners Julie and Benny Benson host the event, which kicks off at 7 a.m. on July 4 with a pancake breakfast. The Rumble on the Runway 5K run also launches that morning, taking runners down the runway and through neighboring streets. Different Sisters High School sports programs, from the Outlaws swim team to the cross- country team, have organized and managed the event — and they keep all the proceeds

from registration fees to fund their programs.

Other events include a classic car show, the epic — and often hilarious — Great Rubber Chicken Fling (where rubber chickens are dropped from passing aircraft), and events culminate in drag races that thrill both the drivers and spectators.

TUES JULY 4

Skydive Awesome makes sure that the flag is frontand-center, flying the star- spangled banner in a parachute drop over the airport.

The event’s proceeds fund the Flight Science Program at Sisters High School — a unique program that provides students with the opportunity to study for their private pilot’s license in school.

CODY RHEAULT

PIONEERING SISTERS’ Arts Community

— BY BILL BARTLETT —

Mitch and Michelle Deaderick have been using natural carvings, stones and crystals to create unique artistic and functional ceramics for over 30 years, bringing the beauty of nature into their work.

Mitch began throwing pottery in Santa Barbara, California, in the mid-1960s. He was fascinated with shapes and glazes, beginning at a young age. Mitch favors working with traditional Chinese glazes such as celadon, Chun blue and copper reds and is well-known for his red glazes. His resumé includes teaching at Santa Barbara Craft Center and here in Central Oregon.

Mitch’s great love of teaching young potters continues by volunteering at Sisters High School as well as mentoring students and hiring them to help at their studio. He works with other schools in the area, and with a local afterschool program.

Upon moving to Sisters in 1977, he met his wife, Michelle, an art student at Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Her passion is found in carving and changing the shapes of her pieces, giving them more depth and style. Combining Michelle’s

artistic flair and Mitch’s experience, they create many unusual, one-of-a-kind pieces. Their specialty is functional pottery for use throughout living spaces. Their work can be found in upscale homes across the country.

Mitch’s first commission was for Black Butte Ranch over 40 years ago, and the resort remains one of his biggest clients to this day.

The Deadericks’ works have been exhibited in galleries, resorts and shows from Washington state to Florida. They were among featured artists for the Pendleton Woolen Mill catalog and The Best of the Northwest catalog. Locally, their works can be found, in addition to Black Butte Ranch, at FivePine Lodge, Lake Creek Lodge, Pronghorn Golf Course and Hood Avenue Art Gallery.

Michelle is also a sculptress, notably of “raven women” — totems embellished with charms, leather, wood and feathers. Both are inspired by family and nature, with many items dedicated to the mountains and trees of Central Oregon. Michelle, along with Diane Dellarosa, started the Sisters Saturday Market for the reason that they didn’t want to travel over the pass to the Valley to sell their wares.

Deaderick and Dellarosa were able to save Village Green Park, which was slated to be condominiums. They watered it all summer, paying for the water themselves. Then in August of 1983, there was enough grass to put on the first Saturday market.

Both artists responded to the horrific Holiday Farm Fire in 2020

Continued on page 122

BILL BARTLETT

that tore through the McKenzie River corridor burning 173,000 acres, virtually destroying the town of Blue River. Michelle donated several pieces, and immediately all of her raven women were purchased as a community fundraiser to restore the community.

“There was something very symbolic about the ravens to the fire’s survivors,” she said.

“Pottery By Mitch has come together with years of love and creativity. Inspiration from nature, family, and community has provided years of artistic success and great joy,” Mitch notes.

Mitch built their gas-fired, sprung-arch brick kiln, and still works from his first wheel moved from his mother’s garage. Their studio is an outbuilding of their home located across the street from the historic stage stop on Jordan and Cloverdale Roads.

Tara King of Portland is an enthusiastic client.

“Best pottery I have ever seen or used!” she said. “The glazes are gorgeous and they hold up well with regular use and cleaning. The plates are very wellthrown and even.”

Judging by his acquisitions, David Moffitt of Waldport, Oregon is a big fan.

“We have over 30 pieces. One of our favorite potters,” Moffitt said.

They host a home show the first weekend every December at their studio located east of Sisters, which otherwise is open by appointment: 541-5481704. A visit to Hood Avenue Art Gallery of which they are co-owners is the best place to see their range.

EMIL SMITH: A SISTERS PIONEER

By Bill Bartlett

The well of talent and experience in Sisters runs deep, a prime example being Emil Smith. The 90-year-old is a walking history book about Sisters where he has lived since 1962.

His early years centered around a love of the outdoors, music, and literature. He recalled reading an issue of Life magazine in which Oregon was featured.

“I just drooled when I saw the photos of Mt. Hood and Timberline Lodge. I was really into cross-country skiing and the biggest ‘mountain’ in Wisconsin was 400 feet high,” Smith said.

His family relocated to Portland in 1951. The very day they landed, Smith boarded a bus for Eugene to attend the University of Oregon. He couldn’t

decide on a major after his sophomore year. He didn’t want to stay in school simply to avoid the Korean War-era draft. Smith joined the “Volunteering for the Draft” program, which limited military service to two years.

Smith applied and was accepted into the Army’s language school in Monterey, California, in 1954. Well-versed in German (his father and grandmother spoke it regularly), Smith studied both German and Russian, becoming fluent in both.

“I went into the Army because I couldn’t figure out what to major in. I came back to the States fluent in two foreign languages. I loved the cultural dimension of languages and I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” he said.

He asked his high school

sweetheart, Nancy, to marry him.

“She didn’t accept right away but she eventually came around and accepted,” Smith said with a wink.

The couple returned to Eugene in 1958.

Smith applied for and received a grant to study German at the University of Colorado. Upon obtaining his master’s degree, he was hired as a teacher by the university to supervise teaching of first-year German students.

Comfortably situated in Colorado with his new wife and growing family of three children, Smith felt he was doing what he loved career-wise in a place that he loved. Oregon, however, had never left his mind, and the Continued on page 126

BILL BARTLETT

Continued from page 124

couple invested in Sisters land in 1962.

“I had a sense back then that Californians were ‘discovering’ Oregon, and as a result the prices of land were already going up faster than my salary. So we found seven acres of land on Whychus Creek for $4,000,” he recounted.

Returning each summer during the summer school break, the Smiths built a cabin on the property.

In 1970, fate intervened again and altered Smith’s path. The University of Colorado didn’t renew his teaching contract, and he was faced with a decision: remain in Colorado and seek a new position, or move back to Oregon and his cabin on Whychus Creek.

The family chose Oregon.

“I figured that I could at least substitute teach in Central Oregon if nothing else surfaced,” he said.

As the family was packing up

for the move, Smith received a phone call from Bend Senior High School. Would he be interested in teaching foreign languages at Bend High?

“I told them I was packing right now and jumped at the opportunity!”

Downtown Sisters was much different then. Community-wise he sees it much the same, however.

“Back then people would comment on how ‘amazingly friendly’ Sisters was. Early on I wasn’t that aware that it was — but over time it became clear to me. Neighbor helping neighbor; strangers helping strangers. And to this day I believe this is one of our hallmarks, our strength, a real motivator for people moving here,” Smith said.

Although Smith’s teaching career was based in Bend, his skills and energy benefited the Sisters community. He served on the School Board from 1976 to 1980. Having lived in and experienced a number of diverse communities and cultures, in 1999

Smith became active in the growth and development of Sisters by joining the Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS).

“I got involved with CATS because I didn’t want to see Sisters follow Bend’s example — no foresight in planning and growth. It was pretty clear to me — did we want growth by default or design?”

Over the years CATS continued its work under a grant resulting in the Sisters Country Vision Statement and the Sisters branding project in 2007. The Vision Statement, posted throughout town in public buildings, is now widely used in community goalsetting and decision-making.

Retired in 1991, Smith still attends City Council and planning meetings, and is again active in a reconstituted CATS committed to seeing Sisters retain its identity.

“There’s a strong bond among those living in Sisters that will carry us beyond any differences,” he says.

“I had a sense back then that Californians were ‘discovering’ Oregon, and as a result the prices of land were already going up faster than my salary. So we found seven acres of land on Whychus Creek for $4,000.”

BILL BARTLETT

VOLUNTEERS MAKE SISTERS SISTERS

By Bill Bartlett

Reading through the Sisters Oregon Guide, you’re probably getting a sense that things are pretty good here. Lots to do. Good schools. Plenty of opportunity. Well maintained. Friendly. Welcoming. All that doesn’t happen magically or by super-clever design. Volunteers are the secret sauce that makes Sisters one of the most desirable small towns in America.

They number in the hundreds, actually more than a thousand for just the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) alone. Take Terry Buchholz for example. She and her husband, Bob, came here in 2014 and both jumped headfirst into the volunteer pool and have given

thousands of hours of their time to various organizations and civic projects.

Terry is past president of Sisters Folk Festival. She’s treasurer of Circle of Friends, where she is also a mentor. She and Bob have both served in board positions at Habitat for Humanity. Age Friendly Sisters, Citizens4Community (C4C) and the Cold Weather Shelter are other recipients of her generosity.

Speaking of Habitat for Humanity where Bob is currently President, Sisters has the distinction of having built more Habitat homes per capita than any other Habitat affiliate. Building affordable housing for low-income citizens is hard work, demanding

physical labor and intense commitment.

At Circle of Friends, mentors make as much as a 10-year commitment to a youth in need of guidance.

Volunteering in Sisters is not just the occasional drop-in or drive-by. Some say volunteering in Sisters is not optional. You will get recruited. You are expected to pitch in. It’s an attitude of gratitude for the privilege of giving back in some way.

Most cities the size of Sisters have an all-volunteer city council and mayor. The same for various city functions like a planning commission, or service on an advisory

Continued on page 130

BILL BARTLETT

Continued from page 129

board. That so many in Sisters, not just a tired handful, regularly step up for these roles is indicative of its character and what keeps it running.

The venerable Sisters Rodeo, now in its 83rd year is the biggest all-volunteer rodeo in the Western states. From 5K to marathons, from pony clubs to 100mile endurance runs, week after week, month after month, Sisters volunteers put on all manner of fun, life-affirming events.

Pick a holiday, any holiday, and some Sisters volunteers somewhere are putting on a fun happening, often for a good cause. At some, the only price of participation is a can of food for the Kiwanis Food Bank.

Volunteering is just a way of life in Sisters. And sometimes

it’s the only thing that keeps life going on an even keel for some of the beneficiaries.

When tourists pour into town for nationally recognized events like the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show or Sisters Folk Festival, all they see is fun and good times. They may marvel at the well-oiled machine the event appears to be, never realizing that it takes hundreds of volunteers putting in thousands of hours to pull it off. That’s the beauty of it. Taking Sisters for granted is okay with its legions of volunteers. Recognition is not the goal.

Sisters volunteers reach beyond its borders, in some cases by thousands of miles. World’s Children seeks to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to people and communities living in poverty around the world, and

especially to those living in the most underdeveloped areas.

Recognizing that children are often helpless victims of poverty and disaster, and yet it is they who will shape the future, this organization provides support, shelter, maintenance, and education to children either directly or through institutions established to provide for the basic needs of orphaned, disabled, impoverished, disease-afflicted or otherwise disadvantaged children.

Veterans often take the lead in volunteer service in Sisters. Groups like Band of Brothers, American Legion, and VFW provide a range of services.

The major service clubs –Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions – all have active groups in Sisters.

There’s bound to be a outlet for your passion in Sisters.

By Bill Bartlett

Sisters began its love affair with flying in the late 1920s, when a plane landed in the fairgrounds behind the school. Many of the children had not seen a plane before, so the teachers took them for a look. When the barnstormer took off for a scenic flight with two local citizens, the children were in for another first. The plane failed to get enough altitude and crashed in the trees at the end of the field. Luckily no one was hurt.

In 1933, Ted Barber, a veteran of World War I, took passengers on $1, 10-minute rides from the fairgrounds. In 1935, George Wakefield purchased the land just north of the fairgrounds and built a narrow runway with the help of Forest Service employees

who were interested in flying. Then the men joined the Bend Flying Club in 1939 and learned to fly the club’s two aircraft, a 50-horsepower Piper Cub and a 75-horsepower Piper Cruiser.

World War II brought a halt to civilian flying. In the early 1940s Maurice Hitchcock bought the ranch across the road from the airfield and he also bought the airfield and built a larger runway. In ’46 the first aircraft to be based out of Sisters arrived in the form of Harold Barclay’s and George Wakefield’s Fairfield.

In a twist to the story that is all too familiar to private plane owners, Barclay sold his interest in the plane to Wakefield early the next year. In 1951, Barclay bought the ranch and the airport from Hitchcock and then donated it to

the state of Oregon in 1967, who used it to support the firefighting flights of old Navy dive bombers.

In 2011, Benny and Julie Benson purchased the airport as a home for their engineering firm, Energyneering Solutions. Sisters Eagle Airport is just two minutes from City Hall.

Sisters is now home to several businesses with some 50+ employees on the airport campus. Plans are to grow the airport to a transportation and business center, including up to 50 hangars and an office/manufacturing complex with room for over 100 employees, and residential pilot accommodations.

Sisters Eagle Airport’s asphaltsurfaced runway is 3,550 feet in

Continued on page 134

Continued from page 133

length. Avgas is available. Parking is only $10/night. Park for a month for a mere $50. Bikes are available to rent for getting to town, only a mile away.

One of the services the airport garners the most positive comments about is its charming campgrounds near the tie-down ramp. With beautiful views of the Cascades, close proximity to stores and restaurants in Sisters, and pristine facilities, this campground has the makings of a great fly-in vacation.

Every July 4th Sisters Eagle Airport is the scene of a regional fly-in with many historic and experimental planes (see story, page 116).

Live where you fly

Adjacent to the airport is Eagle Air Estates, an assortment of luxury homes, each with a hangar and a community of aviation buffs. All homes are sold and infrequently come on the market.

Base camp

Sisters Eagle Airport is base camp for numerous governmental agencies when conducting seasonal activities like the annual census of mountain goats in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area. The airport is also indispensable during wildland firefighting season, where it is often used for spotting and fire forecasting.

Helicopter crews deployed in area firefighting bivouac at the airport. Sisters Eagle Airport contributes much to the Sisters

Sisters Eagle Airport helps the community

economy and vitality.

Kids soar in Sisters

The Sisters High School

Outlaw Aviation Academy is a rare educational opportunity. The academy is a unique experience for high school students to earn credits and gain real-world experience through the lens of aviation. Students participating in the Academy can begin building skills and gaining knowledge necessary for a career in aviation while in high school.

The Academy explores scholarship opportunities for students that are interested in learning how to fly, and focuses on enriching experiences that endeavor to aid students in working toward their ultimate goal of earning a private pilot license.

CHUCK NEWPORT: A LIFE OF SERVICE

By Jim Cornelius

Chuck Newport is the kind of man who steps up.

For almost half a century he quietly stepped up and took on roles that made Sisters a better and safer place for residents and visitors alike. He was a leader in the merger of Camp Sherman into the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District, and he recently retired after many years of service on the Fire District Board of Directors. He also played a key role in the outdoor expeditions of Sisters High School’s singular Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) class.

And he did all this while

operating a construction company that built a reputation as one of the premier outfits in Central Oregon.

“It’s just so rewarding to help people in the community,” is how Newport explains his decadeslong commitment to service.

Newport was born in Colorado, and his family moved to Portland, Oregon, when he was in grade school. An excellent swimmer, he got a full-ride scholarship to college — but he decided he’d had enough of the pool.

“I went in and looked around and smelled the chlorine and said, ‘I’m going to get a job.’ And I paid my way through school.”

With a degree in anthropology

from Portland State University under his belt, he naturally went into… construction. And that’s what ultimately landed him in Sisters Country.

His family had long vacationed and camped in the area, and his parents wanted to move here.

“Central Oregon was very dear to all of our hearts,” he said. “I moved here to build a house for my parents (at Black Butte Ranch). I think that was 1972. That was before the Lodge was finished. A lot of the roads were still dirt at the Ranch, and there weren’t a lot of houses around.”

He lived in Camp Sherman,

Continued on page 138

“It’s just so rewarding to help people in the community…”

JERRY BALDOCK

then a tiny community — and one in need of fire services. Larry Loar, the owner of Camp Sherman Store, recruited volunteer firefighters, and Newport stepped up. In fact, in his words, he “jumped right in.”

There was a surplus fire truck on hand, but no place to keep it, so Newport and other volunteers spent summers, nights, and weekends building a fire hall — which is still in use.

Newport became an EMT/ firefighter.

“We got a surplus ambulance,” he recalled. “It was kind of a first-responder rig. We didn’t transport.”

That was still a big step for the community. Debbie Dyer — who would become Debbie Newport in 1988 — grew up in Camp Sherman when it was truly isolated.

“When we were growing up, the ambulance came from Bend,” she recalled. “Or it didn’t come.”

Camp Sherman eventually merged with Sisters, and Chuck served for many years on the Board — retiring from service as its president. Last March, Fire Chief Roger Johnson recognized Newport’s service.

“Chuck’s steady leadership and calm, steady presence helped the district navigate through many difficult times. His leadership on the Board of Directors kept meetings flowing smoothly and respectfully, and his admiration of the men and women who serve our community were always at the top of his mind. I know the District is strong because of his vision and leadership.”

Throughout those years, Newport also pursued a passion for the equestrian life. He played polo, participated in hunterjumper competitions, and was twice a competitor in Sisters Rodeo’s Wild Horse Race.

He is most well-known as a packer. That goes back a long ways, back to when his father worked in forestry.

“Somewhere I have a picture of me in diapers, sitting on a pack mule with my dad leading it,” he said with a smile.

Once he built a pack string, Newport naturally used it to help others. Starting in 2002, he annually packed camp gear into the backcountry for the IEE program, ghosting in and out, setting up camps so that students didn’t know he was ever there.

He recalled one winter where an early snow chased the class out of the mountains, leaving all their gear behind. He had to pack in and retrieve it in a storm — and then get back out.

“I just kind of pulled my duster up over me, and my hat down, closed my eyes, and rocked away,” he recalled. “When they stopped, I looked around and we were back at the pickup truck.”

Outdoor adventure, lasting work built by hand, and a long record of quiet service to the community are testimony to a life well-lived in Sisters Country.

Rethink about it!

It happens to all of us. Notice your leftovers always ending up in the garbage because you forgot about them? Try splitting your meals while out eating or leave yourself a Remember the Leftovers! note on your fridge as a reminder. Visit our website for more tips.

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 new 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 72.

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 31.

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 21.

Hardtails Bar and Grill: 175 N. Larch St. 541-549-6114 | hardtailsoregon.com. | Open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to midnight weekdays, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekends. Now serving breakfast! Full bar; 16 brews on tap. Live music, large dance floor, indoor/outdoor seating on the patio. Outdoor concert venue. Pool tables, video poker, darts, karaoke and video lottery. Watch your favorite sports on our 7x7 JumboTron. Delicious custom 1/3 lb. burgers including elk. Always open late! See ad on page 91.

High Camp Himalayan Restaurant and Taphouse: 523 East Highway 20. I 541-904-4694 | Highcamptaphouse. com | New taphouse serving fresh Himalayan food and 20 Northwest craft beers and ciders. Enjoy our fabulous Himalayan hospitality, tasty Nepali dishes,

kid-friendly indoor and outdoor spaces, or come play music on Tuesdays. Follow us on social media to catch new events and discover why High Camp has become a favorite gathering place. We host private events, offer occasional dumpling making classes, arrange trekking adventures, and support a school in Nepal. Let the lassis, chai, and momos transport you to Kathmandu and the magical mountains beyond. See ad on page 15.

Rainshadow Organics: 71290 Holmes Road, Sisters 541-977-6746 | www.rainshadoworganics.com

The farm-to-table kitchen at Rainshadow Organics serves up inspired brunches, intimate dinners, and private events with an intentional, full-story approach to ingredients, menus, and the dining experience. The unique partnership between our farmers and in-house culinary team creates a true farm-to-table meal in which the ethics of our farm are honored on the plate –organic, regenerative, humane, honest, local, seasonal, and good for the environment. Dinners and brunches held monthly; advance tickets are required. See ad on page 26.

Sisters Bakery: 251 E Cascade Ave. |

541-549-0361

sistersbakery.com | Since 1981, Sisters Bakery has been an essential part of any Central Oregon adventure. Get hooked on our famous scones, sourdough bread, donuts, and pastries. Espresso drinks and single-origin house coffee. Shop our pantry for local salts, teas, homemade jams, granola, and merchandise. See ad on page 121.

Sisters Coffee Co.: 273 W. Hood Ave. | 541-549-0527

sisterscoffee.com | Sisters Coffee Co. 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 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving fresh baked pastries and locally sourced food items on our breakfast and lunch menus. See ad on page 38.

Sisters Depot Kitchen & Cocktail Bar: 250 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-904-4660 | SistersDepot.com | Your favorite local, woman-owned, nosh and watering hole where you can find great homemade food, craft cocktails, wine and beer. Gluten-free and vegetarian options available. Enjoy our fabulous outdoor dog-friendly courtyard listening to live music on our stage, or follow us to see what new events we’re bringing to you. Perfect for hosting your event in our private dining room, courtyard or regular dining room. See ad on page 34.

Sisters Farmers Market: Located at Fir Street Park www.sistersfarmersmarket.com | Sundays, June through September, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shop from a variety of local, fresh veggies, meats, honey, fish, pickles, and more from Central Oregon farmers, ranchers, and food producers. Find the perfect gift from local artists and enjoy live music and weekly kids activities in a welcoming, community environment. The market accepts SNAP and offers a SNAP match up to $20. See ad on page 118.

Sisters Meat and Smokehouse: 110 S. Spruce St. 541-719-1186 | 308 SW Evergreen Avenue, Redmond, 458-899-5249 | sistersmeat.com | Top-quality, Oregonfirst 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!

Sisters Movie House & Café: 720 Desperado Ct. 541-549-8833 | SistersMovieHouse.com | We’re more than just movies! Check out our expanded menu from our beloved Movie House Burger to pizzas, wraps, paninis and our “Healthical” choices, like gluten-free and veggie options, grain bowls and more. Plus four rotating beers and ciders on draft, and dozens of other beverage options, including fine wine by the glass. So come join us in the cinema, our 24-seat café or on our delightful, tree-shaded patio this summer. Sisters Movie House & Café is on the campus of FivePine Lodge, just off hwy 20 at the east end of town. See our ad on page 117.

Ski Inn Taphouse and Hotel: 310 E. Cascade Ave. skiinn.com | Come enjoy scratch food, fresh cocktails and craft beer, all served by friendly and attentive staff! Nine TVs make Ski Inn The PLACE to watch your favorite team, and a wrap-around patio lets you enjoy Sisters’ beautiful weather while you eat and drink! Don’t forget to book a room at the boutique hotel upstairs for your next staycation or when you’re attending one of Sisters’ many events. See ad on page 87.

Sno Cap Drive In: 380 W. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6151 | Since 1954, a slice of Americana and a Sisters classic! Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Hours subject to change.) Featuring 100% high-quality ground chuck burgers cooked the old-fashioned way, yummy fries, onion rings, chicken strip baskets, chili dogs and more, with incredible homemade ice cream and milkshakes, including soft-serve. Families have been returning for decades! See ad on page 118.

Spoons Restaurant: 473 W Hood Ave. | 541-719-0572

Open 7 days a week, Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Serving up spoonfuls of delicious breakfast and lunch. Start your day with Carrie's famous hashbrowns, a fabulous breakfast burrito, pancakes, waffles or any of our other breakfast entrees. Come by for lunch and enjoy the most delectable sandwiches, soups and salads. Enjoy the best Reuben in Sisters or a burger and fries. Large groups are welcome. Order online for pickup or delivery at https://spoons-of-sisters.square.site. See ad on page 11.

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 live fire pit, or challenge friends to horseshoes or cornhole! Video lottery machines & big-screen TVs in our lounge. Open daily. See ad on page 25.

Three Creeks Brewing Co.: 721 S Desperado Ct. 541-549-1963 | threecreeksbrewing.com Instagram @ threecreeksbrewing | Join us for award-winning food and beers. Since 2008, we’ve relentlessly pursued the mission of crafting beer and cuisine of uncompromising quality and consistency; proudly receiving numerous prestigious awards, including the Great American Beer Festival’s Brewery Group of the Year honors in 2020. Offering daily specials, friendly service and a large “dogs welcome” outdoor patio surrounded by towering pines. See ad on page 20.

The Barn in Sisters: 171 East Main St. | 541-9044343 | thebarninsisters.com | Taphouse, food trucks, community hub. Voted best live music venue and best food carts: Boone Dog Wood Fired Pizza, Pop’s Southern BBQ, Rootbound, and Chulitas. We are a unique and inspired taphouse and food cart lot, surrounded by art in many forms: farm to table culinary arts, visual arts, musical arts, structural arts, even our landscaping, botanical flow and seasonal flowers inside and out have an artful thought process that connect us all together. 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 on 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 non-smoking. 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 104.

Continued on page 144

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, fly-fishing 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. See ad on page 72.

FivePine Lodge & Conference Center: 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 55-65" 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). Complimentary cruiser bikes. FivePine Campus features a restaurant, movie theater, luxury spa and easy access to downtown Sisters. Rates start at $179. Meeting/event & wedding site available. See ad on page 77.

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 29.

House on Metolius: NF 980, Camp Sherman 541.595.6620 | metolius.com | house@metolius.com | A private resort on the Metolius River featuring eight wellappointed guest cabins with stunning views. The main house features eight guest rooms and ample gathering space for a private event. Activities include fly-fishing, hikes along the river and relaxation on this two-hundred acre nature reserve. See ad on page 135.

Lake Creek Lodge: 13375 SW Forest Service Rd #1419, Camp Sherman | 541.588.2150 lakecreeklodge.com

Nestled into 42 acres of the Deschutes National Forest are our 22 historic and luxury cabins, all with the South Fork of Lake Creek meandering between them. Beyond our property lies the picturesque community of Camp Sherman and world-class fly-fishing on the Metolius River. In addition to our two and three bedroom cabins, we offer grab ’n go items, beer and wine available, a cozy lodge, outdoor fire pits, hot tub, a seasonal swimming pool, indoor and outdoor event venues, a stocked trout pond, easy access to hiking trails and basketball, pickleball and tennis courts. Call us today and let our charming staff point you in a great direction to explore the Metolius Basin. See ad on page 43.

Left Coast Lodge | 511 W. Cascade Ave | 541-549-2551 leftcoastlodge.com | 11-room historic lodge in downtown Sisters with best views of The Three Sisters Mountains. Your base camp for adventure, the LCL boasts a dog area, a yoga deck, outdoor jacuzzi, cruiser bikes and much more. Pet-friendly, premium beds, Wi-Fi, premium

coffee in each room. Great for family reunions, retreats and small-scale events. Walking distance to the best restaurants, cafes, and downtown retail stores. See ad on page 33.

Metolius River Lodges: 12390 SW 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 with WiFi. Most have kitchens and fireplaces. Firewood available. Walk to Hola Restaurant and the Camp Sherman Store. No pets. See ad on page 89.

Metolius River Resort: 25551 SW Forest Service Road #1419, Camp Sherman | 977-632-7007 metoliusriverresort.com | The Metolius River Resort offers all the luxury of a four-star hotel with the privacy and tranquility you would expect from a river cabin vacation. Nestled among the ponderosa pines and aspens are eleven architecturally award-winning cabins that are well appointed with modern amenities and décor. See ad page 117.

Sisters Inn & Suites: 605 N. Arrowleaf Trail, Sisters 541-549-7829 | sistersinnandsuites.com | At the Ray's Food Place shopping center, close to Takoda's Restaurant, gas, bank, Subway, McDonald's and Dairy Queen. Comfortable beds, cable TV, free WiFi, refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers, and a balcony or patio in every room. Kitchenettes are available. All rooms are non-smoking. Pets welcome with a small fee. See ad on page 65.

Sisters Mountain View Vacation Rentals: Relax and unwind in one of our unique homes with unobstructed mountain views overlooking the historic Patterson Ranch in Pine Meadows. Close to downtown Sisters. Access to the clubhouse, including the pool and hot tub. Stunning Mountain View Home airbnb.com/rooms 47732473, VRBO 2169160; Cozy Mountain Escape Rental airbnb. com/rooms/52800776, VRBO 2558824; Serene Hot Tub Rentalairbnb.com/h/serenepinemeadowhome, VRBO 2684752. See our ad on page 55.

Sisters Vacation Rentals: 877-632-7007

sistersvacation.com | Enjoy the comfort, value, and flexibility of a vacation home in Sisters, Black Butte Ranch, Eagle Crest 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 38.

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 and group gatherings or weddings. See ad on page 125.