Organ donation • The brightcutter Poet laureate • 3D archery, and more....
Out of the shadow of the Paris Summer Olympics, locally trained Winter Olympics hopefuls are breaking out as rays of hope vying for a chance to represent Central Oregon on the world stage.
At 19 years old, Bend native Elijah Pyle has made significant strides in the competitive snowboarding world. Specializing in halfpipe, Pyle’s journey from local slopes to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team exemplifies our rich regional winter sports talent and culture.
“I first started off skiing when I was 3 years old, then I saw both my parents snowboarding, so I wanted to copy them,” he explains. “We were going to Hoodoo quite a bit. That’s where I first learned, and eventually started taking trips to Bachelor pretty much every weekend.”
Winter hopefulsOlympics
SHINE BRIGHT
By Matt Van Slyke
The family’s snow lust led them to relocate from Eugene to Bend when Pyle was in third grade. Pyle’s progression through the ranks of competitive snowboarding is a testament to a strong snow-sports support system. He credits the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) as a crucial part of his development.
“I joined MBSEF pretty much as soon as I moved to Bend,” Pyle says. Coggin Hill, an MBSEF coach with 22 years of experience, worked with Pyle for 10 years.
“Elijah is just super determined,” Hill explains. “He’s that kid that has been talented, but has really worked hard to
get to where he is. The kid goes bell to bell, never quits, sometimes almost to a fault, where I’d have to stop him: ‘You’re just beating your head against the wall with this trick — you’re done.’”
This determination manifested in Pyle’s willingness to push through adverse conditions.
“It would be raining sideways, with only one chairlift running, and all the other kids inside the lodge, but Elijah’s still out there, hiking trails and putting in the time to be successful,” Hill said. Now on the U.S. Rookie Halfpipe
Elijah Pyle.
Photos by Pete Alport.
Team, Pyle has set his sights on Milano Cortina 2026.
“Get on the pro team and then try to do well enough in contests to potentially get an Olympic spot for Italy,” Pyle states.
The snowboarder is balancing his athletic pursuits with education as a freshman at the University of Oregon, which is allowing him to take off the winter quarter to ride halfpipes across the West.
Our region has produced numerous top-tier winter sports athletes. To name a few from Bend: Ravi Drugan was a Paralympian in 2022; Tommy Ford skied in three Olympics; and skier Laurenne Ross competed twice, including 2018 in South Korea, where this year Caldera High Schooler and skeleton racer Biancha Emery finished 16th at the Winter Youth Olympics.
Coach Hill has worked with Kent Callister (two-time Olympian for Australia), Ben Ferguson, Gabe Ferguson, and Sean Fitzsimons (2022 Olympian).
MBSEF grad and X Games Ski Superpipe multi-medalist Hunter Hess spent part of September training in New Zealand with the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team. He has reached the World Cup podium four times, three of them during the 2023-24 season, showing momentum toward an Olympic podium.
Central Oregon is also producing top-tier talent in Nordic skiing. Neve Gerard, a recent Bend High graduate, shows great promise in the demanding endurance sport. Now a freshman at the University of Utah and a member of their ski team, Gerard also began her journey with MBSEF.
“I joined my eighth-grade year and started racing my freshman year. It was a great five years,” Gerard recalls. “When I started, I was just having fun. Then my summer going into freshman year, I started training with the team six days a week, so that was a very big jump for me.”
Gerard shed some light on the physical demands.
“Nordic skiers train in hours. I think this week will be around 21 hours,” she said a few days after Labor Day, describing a volume-based approach to training that is crucial in a sport where
Neve Gerard.
Photos courtesy Neve Gerard.
top physical condition is built over two decades.
“Nordic skiing is such a lifelong sport. You peak when you’re 30,” Gerard explains. “Your aerobic system develops over time. The best Nordic skiers in the world train a thousand hours a year.”
In his first year on the U.S. team, Pyle trained at their headquarters in Park City, Utah, and globally in SaasFee and at the LAAX Open, both in Switzerland.
Gerard’s talent recently took her to an international junior camp in Sjusjøen, Norway, with “the best juniors in the world,” 80 athletes from 15 countries.
“A highlight for me was the marathon day. We ran through the Norwegian bogs, small towns, and around lakes,” she blogged. “Five and a half hours later, our watches hit 26.2 miles and we celebrated by jumping into the lake.”
Her long-term vision aligns with
the 2034 Winter Olympics to be held at her new home, Salt Lake City.
Sponsored by locals from Mt. Bachelor to Hydro Flask, Tactics, and Blackstrap, and riding Burton, Pyle maintains a holistic view of his sport.
“I’m very much into the other aspects of snowboarding that have nothing to do with Olympic competition—the culture of where it’s come from, filming videos, riding powder, and all that kind of thing,” he says. “It’s
equally as important to me.”
Both Pyle and Gerard credit their hometown for nurturing their passion for winter sports.
“I think it’s the best place to grow up if you want to get into an outdoor sport. MBSEF is an amazing program. There’s a lot of accessibility to trails and whatnot. I think that really contributed to me getting into Nordic skiing. I don’t think I would have if I didn’t live in a place like Bend.”
TheBrightcutter
Story and Photos by Craig Rullman
Madras-based silversmith Jill Latno-Yamate has some advice for people interested in pursuing the fine, and difficult, art of engraving: “Start now, where you are and with what you have. I’ve had students who went on to have careers. But if you have the desire, you have to do it every day. I engrave something every single day.”
Originally from Napa, California, Latno-Yamate grew up horseback, with a strong interest in the sciences, which led to an early career as a Vet Tech. After a brief hitch in Ione, California, working with large animals at a veterinary center, Latno-Yamate moved back to Napa, got married, had her first child, and started making jewelry.
“It just took off,” she says.
Like most silversmiths, LatnoYamate had first to master the demands of fabrication — cold stamping and soldering — but soon found herself falling in love with the material.
“I love silver. It is very forgiving, unlike the soft metals — copper, for instance — which is gummy, and harder to work with.”
In 2019 Latno-Yamate started teaching classes in basic silversmithing at Art of the Cowgirl — an annual woman’s event geared toward providing scholarships for artists, makers, and horsewomen. Soon, she became associated with Pendleton Cattle Barons, a non-profit that provides scholarships to agriculturally based youth so that they might study at a trade school, or attend a community college or university, while working toward a degree in agricultural studies.
Jill Latno-Yamate specializes in the art of brightcutting, a highly sought-after technique for Western jewelers and saddlemakers.
“It’s about preserving the ranching heritage,” she says, “one scholarship at a time.”
In 2021 Jill began silversmithing full time, balancing her life as a mother of two children involved in youth rodeo, managing her own cattle herd, and raising horses.
It isn’t easy, and the hours are long, but Latno-Yamate has a passion for engraving and considers herself “a brightcutter, which feeds my science brain.”
Brightcut engraving involves a series of three cuts, creating a structure within the material that reflects light, and is highly sought after by Western jewelers and saddlemakers.
“Brightcutting has rules,” Jill says, “and it is highly traditional.”
Her interest in the traditional western arts eventually led Latno-Yamate to the Traditional Cowboy Artist Association (TCAA), where in 2022 she was awarded one of the TCAA’s highly competitive and extremely selective scholarships to study with renowned masters in the craft. Jill has taken advantage of her selection to study sculpting with Beau Compton, of Tombstone, Arizona, and all things engraving and silverwork with Scott Hardy, widely considered one of the finest silversmiths in the world, from Longview, Alberta.
“I’m a woman, and the industry isn’t very geared toward women makers, so sometimes you wonder ‘is it business, or is it personal?’ but the TCAA guys have been great, and anyway they are stuck with me,” Jill says with a smile.
Being selected as an associate to the TCAA means that she is invited to submit an original work to the TCAA’s annual exhibition and sale at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City — a prestigious, week-long event where collectors spend big money to acquire pieces built by the TCAA’s members and associates.
For her submission, Latno-Yamate built a complete browband headstall with matching curb. She did the intricate silverwork, and the leatherwork was done by Cary Schwarz, a Salmon, Idaho, based saddlemaker and founding member of the TCAA.
“I love to create things,” Jill says, “to work with my hands and create a sentimental piece, or saddle silver, or an heirloom that’s going to be used for generations. And I like to be my own boss, which allows us to be more involved in the community.”
You can find Jill Latno-Yamate’s work on her website: https://the-classy-trailer.myshopify.com, or by following her on Instagram at theclassytrailer.
Jill LatnoYamate earned a Traditional Cowboy Arts Association scholarship.
RC planes over Central Oregon soar
By Bill Bartlett | Photos by Cody Rheault
RC piloting in Central Oregon is reaching new heights. RC airplanes in simplest terms are model planes that a pilot controls by radio signals.
The RC stands for RADIO CONTROL. Alternatively, you might see the term REMOTE CONTROL.
Technically speaking, radio control is the correct term, but remote control is widely used, and it is not incorrect.
Model planes have been around for nearly 100 years, and all forms of model planes and other aircraft fall under the hobby name of aeromodeling. The earliest recorded flight of a radio-controlled model airplane took place in the 1930s, although the technology was very simple then, nothing like the RC technology we know today.
Following World War II, radio transmission technology improved significantly. Also, interest in aircraft since the war had risen greatly due to the rapid advancements of fighter planes, and aeromodelers were eager to replicate their favorite warbirds — Spitfires, Mustangs, Messerschmitts, etc. To this day, the old warbirds are some of the most popular modeled planes.
According to Dataintelo, a research firm, increasing interest in remote-controlled gadgets are the major factors driving the market. Remote-controlled devices are used in a wide range of
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applications, such as recreational use, professional training, or field of scientific research.
Growing sophistication of remote-control airplane technology is propelling the market. Innovations in battery life, range, and control precision are making these devices appealing to a broad audience. Additionally, the integration of advanced features, such as GPS, cameras, and autopilot systems, are creating opportunities in the market.
Pilots are nearly always part of a club of like-minded enthusiasts. In Central Oregon, there are four such clubs: one each in La Pine, Bend, and Redmond, and Cascade Flyers Club midway between Sisters and Tumalo.
The southernmost club — La Pine RC Flyers — launched in 2006 and has about 50 members flying four miles from town and boasting a 45-foot by 500-foot mat runway.
Redmond is home to Field of
Dreams RC Club with its 60 members. Founded in 1992, its pilots fly over 300 planes of differing vintages and sophistication. One of the planes in the fleet has a wingspan of 10 feet.
VP of Membership Richard Butler has the joyful job of recruiting and integrating new members. His enthusiasm is infectious as he talks about the thrill of RC piloting.
“It’s smooth and graceful like a soaring eagle,” he says. “Fast and aggressive like a diving hawk. Total control and precision like a hummingbird. Anywhere in between and all in the same flight.”
Bend Aero Modelers takes off from Popp’s Field, 18 miles east of Bend just off Highway 20 near Horse Ridge and Oregon Badlands. The club includes diverse members with different backgrounds, ages, and interests. They support all compliant types and sizes of RC airplanes, including helicopters and jets.
Among their many programs is pylon racing. RC Pylon Racing is high-speed excitement. These small aircraft obtain speeds of nearly 200 mph. The models fly 10 laps around a course marked by three pylons. The pilots stand in the middle of the course, turning as the aircraft circle the pylons. pylon racing requires good depth perception and quick reflexes. A tenth of a second flown beyond a pylon can lose the race.
Turns are judged, and any “cuts” (turning short of a pylon) eliminate the lap. The aircraft typically fly in four heats. Points are awarded based on the finish place. The pilot with the most total points after all heat racing is finished is the event winner. Two classes of pylon racing are flown: the Quarter 40 and the Quickie 500.
Cascade Flyers Club is led by Wes Treihaft, president. There are 45–50 active members including youth. One member’s aircraft has a 13-foot wingspan and, in all, about 250 planes are
in the squadron.
Treihaft tells Spirit, “RC flying is both rewarding and enjoyable. The thrill of piloting an RC aircraft and performing various maneuvers can be both exhilarating and relaxing, allowing freedom and creativity. This hobby is also a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy the day with great friends with the same interests. We have a very passionate community of enthusiasts and are always looking to share the hobby we love with others.”
All the clubs are members of AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) who maintain strict pilot guidelines for safety. In turn, pilots must be AMA registered.
The clubs offer training and exhibit a welcoming and collaborative spirit with a strong emphasis on youth engagement in the hobby. The public is warmly invited to visit any of the clubs for an up-close look at the planes and to meet and chat with the pilots.
www.cascadeflyersrc.org
www.cascadeflyersrc.org
www.fieldofdreamsrc.com
www.gonerc.com/lapinercflyers-or-us/
Organ Donation:
Changing Lives
in Central Oregon
By Matt Van Slyke
In Central Oregon, a quiet but life-changing movement is taking place through organ donation, particularly living kidney donation. For many, these selfless acts offer hope and the chance for extra years of life. Through the experiences of local women, we can see the profound impact of becoming a donor.
A GIFT FROM MOTHER –AND ANOTHER FROM BROTHER
Elise Michaels, a long-time resident of Bend, knows the value of organ donation deeply. Diagnosed with renal failure at 25, her future looked uncertain.
“Before the transplant, my life revolved around dialysis,” Michaels recalls. “Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I had to go in and get dialyzed, which is about a four-hour process.”
For Michaels, the prospect of a transplant was about more than survival; it was about fulfilling her dream of having children.
“My whole reasoning for wanting a transplant and getting healthy was so I could have children,” she shares. “Every time I went into dialysis, that was my goal: stay healthy so that I could have a transplant and start my family.”
Despite her initial reluctance, Michaels’ mother became her first living donor. When other potential donors didn’t work out, her mother insisted on getting tested, and to everyone’s surprise, she was a perfect match.
“That was my mother’s whole goal,” Michaels laughs, “because she wanted to make sure I got healthy enough to start a family. She knew how important
that was to me.”
The transplant in 1986 was a success, allowing Michaels to start her family, fulfilling both her and her mother’s dreams. Her mother is now a grandmother, with four grandchildren.
However, Michaels emphasizes that transplantation isn’t a permanent fix. After 12 years, her body began rejecting her mother’s kidney, and her older brother stepped up to be her second donor. That kidney has been functioning well for 24 years.
“You take a lot of medication just to keep your body from rejecting the organ,” Michaels explains. “Your immuno-suppression is so low that you get sick really easily.”
Despite these challenges, she feels incredibly grateful for the life she’s been able to lead, raising a family and
Jenny Sweeney hiking near Three Fingered Jack in August 2024. Right: Elise Michaels and her mom, Mary Lou. Photos provided.
pursuing her passions.
“Just the fact that you can donate a part of yourself and help somebody else live a full life has got to be the biggest gift ever,” Michaels reflects.
THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
Jenny Sweeney of Terrebonne faced her own kidney failure in her 40s. Initially detected through routine blood work, her condition quickly deteriorated, and by 2020 she needed dialysis.
“So we’re just a few months into the pandemic, and the doctors don’t know why my kidneys failed,” Sweeney explains. “I don’t have any of the normal risk factors. It was just baffling.”
Once an active runner who had completed half-marathons and a full marathon, Sweeney found herself struggling to even walk short distances.
“When I got really sick, I would walk to the end of my street, and that would be it,” she shares. Dialysis became a central part of her life, taking up five days a week.
“It pretty much ruined my life,” she reflects. “I was hooked up to the machine, and had to sit in this big La-ZBoy for about four hours a day.”
In a bid to find a donor, Sweeney turned to social media, posting about her need for a kidney. A work
acquaintance who saw the post decided to get tested, and although she wasn’t a direct match, she chose to donate in Sweeney’s name. This act of kindness placed Sweeney in a special donor category, increasing her chances of finding a match.
“Her kidney went to somebody in Colorado,” Sweeney explains. “That put me in a pool where I got my kidney from someone else who didn’t match their friend.”
On March 18, 2021, Sweeney received her transplant from a donor in New York, thanks to this donor network. The procedure transformed her life, allowing her to return to activities she loves, like gardening, biking, hiking, and cruising. In September, she was able to enjoy her first cruise in five years.
“We both got our lives back,” Sweeney says, referring to her and her husband, who had been by her side during her dialysis treatments.
DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
Both Michaels and Sweeney are passionate about clearing up common misconceptions about organ donation.
“One myth is that if you’re really ill and you’re in the hospital and you’re almost going to die, the doctors will let you die so they can transplant your organs into somebody else. That goes against every doctor’s ethics code. That’s not how it works,” Michaels says.
one kidney, says nonprofit organ procurement organization Cascade Life Alliance.
“I think people are afraid that their quality of life will be impacted if they have one kidney. My experience and understanding is that’s not true,” Sweeney says.
She also highlights an important fact about the financial aspect of living donation: generally speaking, there is no or minimal cost to the donor; any costs are picked up by the recipient’s insurance or by Medicare. There is zero cost to donor families for donations involving deceased donations.
THE NEED LOCALLY
The need for organ donors in Central Oregon reflects a broader national crisis. According to the Oregon Health & Science University Transplant Program, over 800 people in Oregon are waiting for a kidney transplant. In Central Oregon alone, dozens are on the waiting list, with more patients added each month.
Living donations can significantly help, not only benefiting recipients but also reducing the waiting time for those in need of a deceased donor.
While donors do face notable adjustments, including regular appointments with a nephrologist and diet changes such as cutting alcohol, studies suggest that people can live normal, healthy lives with
For those considering becoming a living donor, the process involves contacting a transplant center, undergoing health screenings, meeting with a transplant team, and if approved, scheduling the surgery. Potential donors can withdraw at any time, and their privacy is respected.
By registering as an organ donor, considering living donation, or simply spreading awareness, people in Central Oregon can make a profound difference in the lives of others.
To learn more about living organ donation, contact Donate Life Northwest at livingdonation@ donatelifenw.org. And you don’t have to wait at the DMV anymore to register as a donor. Visit and sign up online at https://www.donatelifenw.org/ content/register-now.
Jenny Sweeney during dialysis. Photo provided.
A phoenix is rising in the Central Oregon forest
By Sue Stafford | Photos by Cody Rheault
Most people traveling over Santiam Pass on Highway 20 are probably unaware of the historic architectural gem hidden in the trees. It sat abandoned and neglected for almost 40 years.
Just to the west of Hoodoo Ski Area and across the highway, a group of dedicated volunteers and donors — Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge — are meticulously bringing back to life the rustic lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in just seven months, from July 1939 to February 2, 1940, with a dining hall added the next year.
The lodge is one of six unique CCCbuilt structures of its type in the Pacific Northwest. Between 1933 and 1941, the ski lodges were constructed to put young men to work during the Great Depression and to provide low-cost
outdoor recreation for Americans so they could appreciate the social aspects of the forest.
Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood is the largest and most famous. Santiam Lodge is the second-largest at 6,000 square feet. Skyliners Lodge in Bend and White Branch at McKenzie Bridge are the other two Oregon locations. Lodges in Washington are in Leavenworth and American Ridge. At 2,500 feet elevation, White Branch didn’t receive enough snow, so it became a camp.
All the lodges were built using the National Forest rustic design incorporating local wood and stone and rustic metal work. Santiam’s seven-foot-high stone foundation and a 35-foot-high chimney were constructed from rocks quarried locally from Hogg Rock. The wood to build the lodge was milled
from surrounding trees.
There are 75 paned windows (12, six, and four panes) giving the structure its distinction. Many of the original windows had been broken by vandals and all 75 have been removed and the wood repaired or replaced. The original glazing contained asbestos, so the glazing had to be removed and the glass reglazed. They are awaiting re-installation. The sashes and jams throughout the lodge have all been either restored or replaced.
Both inside and out, much of the original material is being saved and reused, requiring careful removal, cleaning, numbering, and storing until re-installation. If it can’t be put back where it came from, it may be repurposed somewhere else in the lodge.
The story of the outside siding and large timbers is one of destruction
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and resurrection. In fall of 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire in the McKenzie River Valley burned 173,393 acres. A U.S. Forest Service employee arranged for the acquisition of cedar trees from the burn area to create the lumber used to re-side the entire lodge. The new front stairway up to the entrance on the second floor is also built using salvaged wood from the fire.
This entire restoration venture started in 2016 when Dwight and Susan Sheets, then of Salem, visited the lodge that fall with a USFS employee to have a look. Since then, they have received a Special Use Permit from the USFS to restore and operate the lodge, which remains owned by the USFS.
Both of the Sheets grew up in Salem and enjoyed the outdoors, especially the Santiam Pass area, where they came to ski.
“We both love the mountains and are so happy to be a part of this exciting endeavor,” said Susan. “We also have fond memories of the lodge from visits to it in our teens.”
The lodge was a favorite all-season destination for many Oregonians for 46 years. It hosted thousands of guests annually for winter activities, summer camps, hiking, backpacking, and travel rest. It served as a Presbyterian
church camp from 19601986. Ed and Alice Patterson and their four sons lived at and managed the camp for 26 years. Alice, now 96, has been to see the work being done on the lodge.
Black Butte Ranch homeowner Dann Boeschen, who now lives in St. Helena, California, remembers living with his parents at the lodge when they were the managers from 1945-48 and has many fond memories of his early years there as well as photographs. The Sheets continue to hear from Boeschen and other people who have happy memories of time spent at the lodge.
With their children grown, Dwight and Susan moved to Sisters in 2019 where they built their home. They originally planned that the restoration project would take three to five years. Then in 2020, COVID hit, the price of materials tripled, and labor was difficult to secure. Dwight figures that unprecedented event immediately put them two years behind.
Because of winter weather, work
on the lodge usually has stopped in November and resumed in late May. Phase I is now finished, which means the work on the exterior of the lodge is complete and some of the interior has begun. The estimate for Phase I was $1 million, and it will come in under budget at $950,000. All of the first phase was remediation work — windows, siding, roof, porches, drain fields, septic system, a new 750-foot well, trenching, new underground power lines, reattaching the front wall to the roof, and re-mortaring the stone foundation.
Dwight and Susan saved some money by digging the trenches themselves. They also do all the cleanup and prep work before the contractors arrive. Local stonemason Morgan Griffin of Griffin Stonework did restoration work on the original stone foundation, meticulously chipping out and replacing aged mortar.
Restoration of the Santiam Pass Ski Lodge is a labor of love for Dwight and Susan Sheets. Photo provided.
According to Dwight, “Historic restoration is harder, takes longer, and costs more than if you just tear something down and start over.”
Since Phase II will involve work on the interior, they may be able to work through the winter. To do that, however, they need to acquire snow removal equipment — a Bobcat with a blower and a blade so the road into the lodge can be kept open.
They have already done some interior work, with a new electrical panel installed and power to the lodge, removal of cast iron plumbing, and replacing the trusses and roof in the dining hall so it can support 550 pounds per square foot. They also rebuilt the fire box in the massive stone fireplace on the second floor. Removal of interior walls on the ground floor provides a large open community space where visitors can gather to enjoy the warmth of a wood stove, grab some light refreshment, and peruse the collection of historic memorabilia from the lodge’s past.
Much
of the original material is being re-purposed both inside and outside the lodge. Photo by Cody Rheault.
Phase II is estimated to cost $900,000. Dwight stressed that before any project is started, they make sure it is totally funded. Dwight, formerly a contractor and then college professor, is the main grant writer and has been successful acquiring large and small grants, which he said can be difficult to secure for historic preservation.
“We love our grantors and our donors,” Susan said.
She explained that many grant providers are more interested in the
number of donors an organization has rather than the amount of money raised. She encouraged donations of any amount, which can be made on their website by choosing the “Donate” link at www.santiampassskilodge.org or by U.S. mail to Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, PO Box 1135, Sisters 97759. Become a friend of the lodge or share stories, photos, and memories about the lodge on the website. Follow the restoration progress on Facebook at Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge. Phase III will involve improving the grounds around the lodge, which can be done after the lodge opens to the public.
When restoration is complete, the lodge will be available to serve as a rental venue for community activities and social gatherings, a rest area and
information center for travelers over Santiam Pass and Pacific Crest Trail hikers, and a setting for educational activities.
Oregon Field Guide is making periodic trips to the lodge to record the restoration process to make into a segment to be shown on OPB.
The Sheets have always looked at the restoration of the lodge as a large community effort involving skilled crafts people and contractors, Central Oregon and Valley residents, and those who have a personal history with the lodge, as well as funders and donors. Contractors have gone the extra mile by donating in-kind gifts of materials. Groups have participated in several projects. Volunteers have cleaned up and carried and lifted. Foundations have provided grants for projects, and individual donors have given generously to make this dream a reality. And more is needed to reach the finish line.
Due to the hard work and research on the part of Cathy Lindberg, former archaeologist and heritage program manager for the Willamette National Forest, the National Park Service added the lodge to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The next time you find yourself at Santiam Pass, watch closely for the lodge peeking through the trees and stop to look around. It truly is a project reflecting the spirit of Central Oregon with everyone coming together to work toward a common goal. The lodge is located at 64404 Santiam Highway (Highway 20).
A Central Oregon resident is Oregon’s 11th Poet Laureate.
Governor Tina Kotek made the final decision after a 20-person committee narrowed the field to three finalists. When previous Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani’s term ended last May, hopeful poets waited for several months, and wondered who would be next. Ellen Waterston was one of them.
When Kotek made the announcement in August, Waterston was her choice. She’s the second poet from Central Oregon to receive the twoyear honor. (Elizabeth Woody of Warm Springs was the eighth Oregon Poet Laureate.) When the long-time high desert writer heard the news, she was surprised, thrilled, and eager to get to work.
“I am deeply grateful to Governor Tina Kotek for this honor, inspired by the Oregon Poets Laureate who
Poet Laureate Oregon’s from the High Desert
By Katy Yoder | Photo by Marina Koslow Davis
preceded me, and very proud to be a resident of a state that so values poetry and the written word,” said Waterston.
Ellen Waterston is a poet, a consummate storyteller, an educator, the founder of two literary arts nonprofits, and the for-profit Writing Ranch. Like layers of Eastern Oregon mesas, the strata of her life marks many eras, each contributing to the foundation of who she is today.
Waterston’s origin story reveals a woman undeterred by daunting or unfamiliar territory. As it has been for so many generations of America, the West called her. Following undergraduate studies at Harvard, graduate studies abroad, and work as a journalist in New York, she married a fellow New Englander who shared her passion for Montana’s Big Sky country where they first ranched before settling on the South Fork of the Crooked
River north of Brothers, Oregon. There, the couple started a family while, as Waterston says in her playful poem, “Wife of a Buckaroo,” — “ranchin’, ropin’, bookeepin’ and puttin’ up hay.”
She comes by her daring proclivity naturally. During childhood winters, she’d follow her father, a professor, on seal skins into the White Mountains of New Hampshire to ski; in summers she’d watch her mother set out alone for a sail in her dinghy. A committed painter, her mother signed her paintings with her maiden name, a bold move at the time. Waterston has them both to thank for her desire to pursue adventure, and to break with tradition.
“I felt in, but not of, the New England culture. I wanted something else,” said Waterston.
Not afraid of grueling physical challenges, in athletics or lifestyle, Waterston embraced the rigors of
the High Desert’s vast horizons and intricate beauty. She fell in love with Eastern Oregon’s tenacious, turbid desert flowers, looming monuments of magma from volcanic eruptions, and basalt cliffs cutting the horizon like worn teeth. The stark openness of the Oregon Outback expanded her understanding of herself, and the role landscape could play in the evolution of her writing.
She drew up stories of grit and fortitude like water from a well. Working as a buckaroo’s wife often found her drenched in sweat under a summer sun, or shivering as she trudged through crunchy, crystalline snow that could fall in any season. As modern-day homesteaders, her growing family lived miles from town at the end of undulating, dusty roads where the necessity to be self-sufficient and resourceful was a matter of course.
After nearly three decades, the couple went their separate ways. Waterston settled in Bend, but the High Desert, where she still spends all the time she can, remains her muse. Her words have been written into an opera, interpreted through the keys of a grand piano on the playa of Summer Lake, and published on the page. In all her endeavors there’s an invitation to join her around the proverbial campfire, share stories, and learn from each other.
She believes within every person lives a story seeking air to breathe and room to flourish. She is inspired by the imaginations and wisdom revealed during her workshops and classes. When a student begins to read their poem and all the faces in the room are held in rapt attention, she is grateful for the unveiling of another story brought into the world.
Of her teaching, Waterston loves to say she is merely blowing on each student’s pilot light. At the end of one of her epic High Desert writing workshops, students remarked that their flame was so faint when they arrived, they didn’t realize it was there. She helps students access the creative flame inside them. Waterston encourages introspection and exploration using High Desert landscapes with vast horizons and sometimes grueling climate and terrain, just like the interiors of the students she teaches.
Ellen Waterston is described as a poet, author, teacher, columnist, speaker, and visionary. She is all those things and more — as long as she draws breath, she will continue to discover and share new-found and hard-won wisdom through poetry, prose, and guiding those willing to write down what bubbles up from within. She knows the power of words and the power found in hearing and telling unique stories.
From Harvard to the High Desert she wove the clacking of her father’s typewriter and her mother’s insatiable appetite for creating art into a pliable foundation for a literary life. She is funny, brave, and unrelenting in her desire to help others find their words. From Oregon’s rural heartland to its cities and suburbs, she has taught writing classes to cancer survivors, to school and college students, in social welfare programs, and prisons.
Her poetry and prose stare directly at truth as searing as the sun. She tells stories about living in harsh places all while reveling in the beauty found there.
For her High Desert classrooms, she chooses locations that are expansive and challenging. She’s taught all over Oregon, from the Malheur Field Station near the site of the infamous stand-off in 2016, to the Klamath Basin, Summer Lake, and at Fishtrap in the Wallowas.
Waterston founded the renowned Waterston Desert Writing Prize, named for her brother, actor Sam Waterston, who helped establish the endowment for the prize. In 2024, the annual nonfiction writing competition, now a program of the High Desert Museum, celebrated its 10th anniversary in September.
The year 2024 has been a culmination of what she’s created and who she’s taught. It seems that Waterston’s life trajectory has always been moving towards her latest achievement as Oregon’s Poet Laureate. She also received the 2024 Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award in April and the Soapstone Bread and Roses Award honoring a woman whose work has sustained the writing community.
While traversing the state, from the rimrocks of Harney County to ocean towns by the Pacific, she will seek to encourage and inspire those she meets to add their words to an Oregon word tapestry. In her role as Oregon’s Poet Laureate, she looks forward to, as she says, “campaigning for poetry.”
To learn more about Waterston’s upcoming appearances and the Oregon Poet Laureate visit the Oregon Cultural Trust website: www.culturaltrust.org/ oregon-poet-laureate/.
Photo by Marian Wood Kolisch.
At the small but mighty Greenhouse Cabaret in Bend, John Kish and Christie Capucci make a splash in the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Photo provided.
Theatre sceneevolves in Central Oregon
By T. Lee Brown
Actor and singer Christie Capucci has lived in Terrebonne for many years, but her story began in Los Angeles where her dad, Joe Ramirez, recently passed, worked as a professional musician. He toured the world and played the house band in Caesars Palace in the 1970s.
“I don’t remember ever not wanting to be on the stage,” Capucci says. Yet she left the West Coast’s hotspot of acting in 1992 and moved to a small city called Bend, Oregon, which was then unknown to most people outside the state.
Here she captured plum roles such as Spider Woman in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Recently she relished co-starring as Yitzhak with John
Kish in the genderqueer rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”
Capucci thinks back to her early days in Bend. Back then, Central Oregon Community College produced works for the public, beyond children’s theatre. There she played Abigail Williams, a demanding lead role in Arthur Miller’s unnerving classic “The Crucible.”
Community Theatre of the Cascades — now Cascades Theatrical Company — provided another strong local presence.
These days, a new era of theatre is blossoming in Central Oregon.
“The most noticeable change is the type of shows that are being produced — more dark, saucy, and racy shows
with adult themes,” she elaborates. “More shows that deal with real issues, whether it be suicide, mental illness, or LGBTQ themes.”
The Greenhouse Cabaret exploded onto the scene with 2022’s “Hedwig & The Angry Inch.” Cabaret founder Kish had the vision of creating a performance space under the same roof as his dream plant shop.
The result is a delightful, unexpected experience for the audience: an intimate black-box theatre with good sight lines and a sense of connection to the actors, in a deeply aesthetic space where every corner feels creative: plant shop, lobby, and wildly painted bathrooms included. It doesn’t hurt that the acting, directing,
and scenography are spot-on.
Kish grew up in Philomath, Oregon, then studied theatre in New York, where he gained a coveted spot in Broadway Rising Stars. Despite his successes, the city didn’t feel like home to Kish. At age 26, having a hard time in his personal life, he moved to Bend to stay with his sister for a while.
Tourism increased, along with intense marketing of Bend to potential visitors.
“I fell in love pretty quickly with the community, with the nature,” he said. “I had a couple years of healing. During that time, I was able to do a lot of good theatre in town — a lot of people who retired here were phenomenal.”
Kish remembers the Bend theatre scene of 2015 as booming, when talented artists and singers began to migrate in.
“It was a really cool time.”
The beloved scene dissolved, according to Kish, around 2017–2018.
“There was a lot of political stuff,” he says. “The divisiveness of our country affected our theatre community.”
A lack of venues contributed to the decline, says Kish: The Tower Theatre downtown become too expensive for most local companies to rent, and an unsavory scandal took down the Second Street Theater.
“Bend was changing, too,” says Kish.
“Art was not used as the draw. It was beer and sports,” says Kish. “A lot of money was being funneled away from the arts.”
Rising costs of housing and potential venue spaces didn’t help.
“Many people who were really talented left town,” he recalls.
That dynamic affects the current theatre and arts scene, which lacks financial support compared to other cities, in Kish’s estimation.
“A lot of retirees or business moguls don’t donate in this town,” he laments.
Kish decamped to Portland for a while, where “the community felt cold... not a good fit.” He missed the community here, but also Central Oregon’s immersion in the outdoors.
“Nature is my creative muse,” he says.
The professionalism and high quality of plays staged at The Greenhouse Cabaret are inspiring to Capucci; she appreciates that the company
Regional theatre companies perform in a variety of venues around Central Oregon. The Belfry in Sisters, pictured, provided a stage for one-act plays produced by Silent Echo Theater Company.
Photo by Jerry Baldock/Outlaws Photography.
compensates its actors appropriately, unlike volunteer roles at community theatre groups.
“Community theatre has a place, always,” says Kish. “But I also think there needs to be theatre business. We are showing through example what can be achieved even in a small, 1000-square-foot space. We’re constantly striving to create new art — to elevate it, polish it, do something new, and have the audiences take chances on it.”
As a result, Greenhouse productions attract a new — and often younger — crowd, along with more mature audiences and established theatre-goers.
Capucci believes the overall quality of theatre produced in Central Oregon has “absolutely improved” in the last few years.
“There’s so many talented people here,” she says. As a performing arts center takes shape in Bend, with Kish serving on the board, there’s a lot to look forward to.
“You always wonder, what if I’d stayed in LA or gone to New York? But I don’t regret it,” Capucci says. “I love it here. It’s beautiful, I have good friends, and there’s plenty of theatre to do now. Central Oregon is getting better and better for the arts.”
Central Oregon Theatre Selections
ELLIPSE THEATRE COMMUNITY etcbend.org
With a community focus, ETC produces shows such as “Last Train to Nibroc” and “Tiny Beautiful Things” (upcoming). Its Roadshow Program travels to bring theatre all around the region: La Pine’s Senior Activity Center and the Bowman Historical Museum in Prineville, among others. Currently, ETC is collaborating with Silent Echo Theater Company and Sing Bend to present a special workshop performance of an original new musical, “Voiceless.”
THE GREENHOUSE CABARET
thegreenhousecabaret.com
This professional upstart has invigorated the local theatre community, kicking off with “Hedwig & the Angry Inch” and producing a profound “Proof” in recent months. See story, page 26; ad, page 29.
CASCADES THEATRICAL COMPANY
cascadestheatrical.org
Formerly known as Community Theatre of the Cascades, CTC is Central Oregon’s oldest community theatre company. It produces mainstream popular theater including musical, mystery, and holiday shows like “The Importance Of Being Earnest,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and Agatha Christie mysteries.
HIGH DESERT COMMUNITY THEATER
highdesertcommunitytheater.blogspot.com
Serving Culver, Metolius, and Madras, this group casts and collaborates with locals from their area. They perform farces and comedies with humorous names like “Larceny and Old Lace,” and “Let’s Hang Him and Read the Will.”
THEATER
IN THE PARK theaterbend.com
For 10 years, Theater in the Park has presented outdoor shows in Bend’s Drake Park every summer. Productions range from classic Shakespeare to their COVID-busting, goofy go at Monty Python’s “Spamalot,” and on to a familiar stable of musicals including “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Into The Woods.”
SILENT ECHO THEATRE COMPANY
silentechotheatercompany.org
The town of Sisters plays host to community nonprofit Silent Echo, producing shows in venues from a refurbished barn to Sisters Saloon.
The distinctive “Now You’re Talking” one-act play series received 200 script submissions from around the country for its most recent performance. Founder Marla Manning takes care to include Central Oregon playwrights in the mix.
THOROUGHLY MODERN PRODUCTIONS
facebook.com/ thoroughlymodernproductions
Thoroughly Modern Productions describes itself as “a community of theatrical storytellers,” producing musicals on the historic Tower Theatre stage in Bend. Shows have included “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Annie.”
SUNRIVER STARS COMMUNITY THEATER sunriverstars.org
South of Bend, Sunriver boasts its own local theater company. Productions include a “Huckleberry Finn” musical, the Arthur Miller classic “Death of a Salesman,” and a “Golden Girls” parody.
PRINEVILLE FOLLIES
facebook.com/MusicTheaterBoosters
For 46 years, Crook County has mined the talent of its local residents for this variety show. The performances, with themes like “Rockin’ Around the Rimrock,” raise funds to support the performing arts in Crook County Schools.
MEADOW SKY PRODUCTIONS
meadowskyproductions.com
This new theatre company opened with the Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at High Desert Music Hall in Redmond. Meadow Sky hopes to become a professional theatre that serves the region and pays its actors.
Editor’s Note: Children’s & youth theatre will be featured in a future issue.
archery targets outdoor family fun 3D
From prehistoric times when the earliest archers hunted for meat, to Greek and medieval times when archers fought wars, to today when archery is a worldwide passion, the lure of archery is almost irresistible.
Central Oregon is prime ground for 3D archery, a fast-growing sport. 3D archery targets are in the shape of animals, birds, or even dinosaurs. The targets are often quite whimsical. Like field archery, 3D archery is set out on a course of 24 targets in similar settings. Instead of shooting at paper targets, each archer shoots at foam — generally life size — 3D animal-shaped targets. Archers with sighted bows will shoot up to 250 feet and unsighted bows up to 100 feet with ease and precision.
Roberta Eckhart, 57, of Bend, has felt that irresistible pull.
“The first time I casually stumbled on a tournament, I was immediately drawn to the serenity. And at the same time the intensity,” she said. “It’s a quiet pursuit, almost noiseless. And I’ve never been more challenged.”
It was May of 2023 in Camp
By Bill Bartlett
Sherman, where she was out for a climb of Black Butte, when she encountered one of six annual shoots put on by High Desert Archers, a club in Redmond, one of two recognized in Central Oregon by Oregon Bow Hunters.
3D archery began as a way for bow hunters to practice shooting in a realistic setting. The ability to practice in situ improved bowhunters’ success in the field. Hunting, being competitive, led first to competitions in open fields and greens, akin to practice greens for golfers.
3D archery means shooting at targets of different sizes set at varying distances, heights, and angles around a course, usually in a forest or rugged terrain, demanding fitness and endurance, as well as technical skill.
In 3D tournaments, you can either enter a “Known” or “Unknown” division, which refers to distance. In the Known Division, the distance for each target is marked. In the Unknown Division, rangefinders are not allowed, and archers must judge the distance for themselves. This adds an extra
level of difficulty to the event. Targets often range from 10 to 80 yards.
It was obvious that an animal would not just pose itself in an open field with a clear, straight shot, so archers lugged targets to the woods in search of new challenges. They hid them behind trees and other natural obstacles.
That led to three-dimensional foam. All kinds of different targets were made, including the 29 big game species of North America, African animals, and even mystical creatures such as Bigfoot.
3D archery targets are usually made of some sort of self-healing material like affordable polyurethane or polyethylene foam and most often have a replaceable target area.
Steve Eakins, club president of High Desert Archers, told Spirit that there is “…a big emphasis in the sport on women and youth shooters.” He explained that many archers in fact do not hunt live animals.
That goes for Sheila Hazlett of Madras.
“I have zero interest in schlepping around in cold, wet, or awful hot
Photo by Owen Fitzpatrick, courtesy Florida Department of Wildlife.
terrain for a week, sleeping on the ground and eating canned food hoping to bag something,” she said with a chuckle. “That’s great for somebody else. Not me. Give me a leisurely drive, maybe an overnight, with just me and my gear and a shoot full of happy people, and I’m good for a month. Until the next one.“
Audrey Vickers from Madras nodded in agreement as they both practiced at Redmond Rod & Gun Club.
“It’s all about the fieldcraft — judging distance, shooting uphill and downhill, changing light, shadows, and a really great hike,” she said.
Archery took a deep dive during COVID, a bit surprising considering its outdoor merits. But it is seeing a resurgence led by women and youth enthusiasts, industry analysts report.
One can get into the sport for a few hundred dollars. It’s also easy to spend several thousand dollars, as the sport features high-tech composite bows,
Archers can get into the sport for a few hundred dollars — and then fine-tune their gear as they get more deeply involved. Photo courtesy On Edition.
sights, and related gear options. Will Rollins has three girls — 13, 11, and 8 — and he outfitted them all for under $1,200.
“We’ve gotten five thousand back in fun,” he said.
They’ve made seven shoots in 12 months from their home in La Pine. They’ve traveled to Idaho and Washington to take part in tournaments.
Bend Bowman Archery Club offers
a heated indoor range, weekly indoor league/shooting opportunities, and kids programs. They host indoor and outdoor local shoots, as well as a welcoming community for both new and experienced archers.
Archers in Central Oregon are typically equipped by Top Pin Pro Shop in Redmond and Central Cascades Archery in Bend. Both have an indoor range with 3D targets, and each has qualified shoots to get you going.
3D targets simulate game animals. Photo by Mike Hawkeye, courtesy Florida Department of Wildlife.
Home on the range
Steve and Bev Oberg’s Powell Butte neighbors like to gather for a little libation at the Bison Bar, where they share camaraderie while looking out over the pastures which are home to the bar’s namesakes. And the bison often cooperate by coming up to feed on the other side of the fence.
The Obergs have been breeding and raising bison for 18 years on their Powell Butte Bison Ranch. At one point they had close to 100 head, but that proved too large for their acreage to sustain in a natural state. They currently have about 40 in the herd plus this year’s 12 calves, called Redd Doggs, because of their cinnamon color at birth. They turn dark as they age.
“The bison are a keystone species. They bring birds to an area, as well as insects and other animals. When they were plentiful on the Great Plains, they were responsible for distributing tall grass seed across the plains.”
— Steve Oberg
Despite their small numbers today, like all keystone species, they have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem, playing a critical role in maintaining the structure, biodiversity, and health of their environment. They are now frequently called regenerative animals.
WHY “BISON” AND NOT “BUFFALO”?
Buffalo is a misnomer applied to the North American bison. There are no native buffaloes in North America. They live in Asia and Africa, specifically the Water Buffalo and Cape Buffalo.
Bison are easily identifiable with their large shoulder humps and larger heads, which they use to plow through the snow. They also have beards and thick shaggy coats they shed in spring and early summer. Both species have distinctly different horns. Buffalo horns grow from a hardened central plate and curl out to the side, like a handlebar mustache. Bison horns are hollow caps made from keratin that appear solid, short, and sharp, growing upward and curving in.
French fur trappers in early North America are possibly responsible for bison incorrectly being called buffaloes. The French word for oxen and beef is “les boeufs” which could easily become “buffalo.”
Steve and Bev, who will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this year on December 26, haven’t always been bison ranchers. Steve’s fascination with bison started when he was growing up on a ranch in Montana. Bev, a native Oregonian, grew up in Roseburg. She and Steve met at the University of Oregon and his work as a health physicist has taken them across
the country where he worked at a number of university radiation facilities. Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, Steve was part of a group of U.S. scientists sent by the United Nations to assess the environmental impact at Chernobyl, where 8,400,000 people in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine were exposed to the radiation. He also went to Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, after one of the nuclear reactors partially melted down in 1979. Bev trained at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene in radiology, later working at OHSU and Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland. In 1985 she made a career change to work in real estate. The Obergs have two grown children and three grandchildren.
RUNNING THE RANCH
They “retired” to Powell Butte in 2006, buying 115 acres of land, building a house, and putting up hefty fencing. Running the bison ranch is definitely a two-person job. They joke that between them, they have one good knee after three separate knee surgeries. Now, 18 years later, they are slowly shrinking the herd each year because it keeps them tied to the ranch and is getting to be an awfully big job. Steve added, “We’ll always have a few.”
Every year, the first calves come before summer pasture is ready for grazing, which means that in April and May the herd is in a series of three
Story and Photos by Sue Stafford
small pastures where they can be fed bales of grass hay harvested from their own fields. The Obergs used to do all the haying too, but now they lease the field out to someone who does the growing and harvesting and sells part of the crop to them. Steve explained that the bison eat pasture grass in the summer and hay during the winter. Being grass-fed causes them to grow slowly. Grass-fed animals have leaner meat that has a richer taste and a more desirable nutritional profile than other meats. It’s often called the healthy red meat.
Fencing is an important topic if one is raising bison since they can walk through or jump over nearly any fence if they have reason to do so. So, the best defense is to keep them happy. The fencing on the ranch is a variety of heights and materials, up to seven feet high made of fourinch pipe, and a “New Zealand” fence which is seven wires high made of 12.5-gauge high-tensile wire held taut with a system of springs and ratchets which allows for a little stretching.
Every November is round-up time at the ranch, when vaccinations are given, ID tags are placed in ears of that year’s calves, and their genealogy is entered in a large chart. A different color tag is used each year to make it easy to tell the age of a bison. The cows (girls) get odd numbered tags in their left ears and the bulls (boys) get even numbers in their right ears, making a quick chore of determining who’s who.
THE HERD
The herd began with 35 bison they purchased from a couple in Bonanza who were retiring. To keep the genetics fresh, some cows and bulls have been purchased at auction from the National Bison Range on the Flathead Indian Reservation near Charlo, Montana, the purest gene pool.
The first herd bull was Osage Two Eagle who came to the ranch when
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The Obergs have been breeding and raising bison for 18 years on their Powell Butte Bison Ranch.
he was 8 years old and lived until 2015. He sired the current “big boy” on the ranch, Chief Rocky Boy, who is now 18 years old. Chief Charlo and Chief Victor, bulls from Montana, are now both gone. All bulls are named for Indian chiefs. Charlo sired Stone Child, or Stoney, who is the other younger herd bull. Bison herds are matriarchal, with the cows running the herd while the bulls guard the cows and calves. The bulls are with the herd year-round and the family units stay together. It is only during the rut that the bulls get a little grumpy with each other.
The Obergs use a certain number of their bison every year for meat production, selling to private customers, on Craigslist, as well as several restaurants in the area. The eBarGrill in Redmond has bison on the menu and Rod’s Quality Meats, also in Redmond, carries the USDA inspected meat as well. It is getting more difficult to get the animals processed, another reason for reducing the size of the herd. Following major decimation of large
numbers of American bison in the mid-tolate 1800s, due to mass killing made possible by hunts on horseback and the introduction of the repeater rifle, plus the money made from selling bison hides, it is hopeful that today there are people like the Obergs who see the bigger picture and dedicate their time, treasure, and efforts toward resurrecting
a threatened species that once roamed the great American West, free of danger from human exploitation and greed. Powell Butte Bison Ranch is located at 12154 SW Cornett Loop, Powell Butte. See a video of feeding time on their Facebook page and get more information on their website.
Neighbors like to gather for a little libation at the Bison Bar, where they share camaraderie while looking out over the pastures which are home to the bar’s namesakes. And the bison often cooperate by coming up to feed on the other side of the fence.
Traditional skills live on in Central Oregon
By Jim Cornelius | Photos Provided
The world of the 21st century is driven by high technology. It pervades almost every aspect of our lives, from shopping and banking, to communication, to operating our cars and appliances. From cell phones and social media apps to work computers, we spend an increasingly large part of each day interacting with a screen. Sometimes it feels like technology runs us, instead of us running technology. And that leaves many people craving simpler, more grounded life-ways.
Those seeking hands-on experiences that are more attuned to nature and traditional ways of life can immerse themselves in a different path through the White Rock Traditional Skills & Crafts Gathering in Summer Lake each spring. This year’s Gathering is set for May 4-11, 2025.
Richard Waters, founder of the White Rock Gathering, describes it this way:
“The White Rock Primitive Skills and Crafts Gathering is a seven-day event where you can learn ‘hands on’ some of the old and nearly forgotten skills and crafts that our ancestors used on a daily basis to
live and survive. Our aim is to preserve and spread the use of these crafts and skills and introduce people to a unique community of like-minded people.”
Waters, a native of England, made the jump from high-tech to hands-on many years ago. Thirty years ago, a technical writer by trade, he was wellversed in the emerging world that was swiftly being re-created by the connectivity of the Internet. Yet, he was drawn to more basic and organic technologies. He attended events that were called Green Woodworking or Traditional Woodland Crafts, which celebrated and demonstrated skills and crafts from the Middle Ages up to the industrial revolution. He took a chair-making course, and found it deeply satisfying.
He also encountered something that would one day become a family business for him.
“I saw a yurt, fell in love, and knew one day I would make one,” he recalled.
Waters left technical writing in Europe to work as a hand on a ranch in Summer Lake, met his wife, Alicia, and now his family ranches in the region and makes camping yurts
that are used by outdoor enthusiasts across North America (https://www. campingyurts.com). They have continued to take in “primitive skills” and “traditional skills” camps and decided to stage one of their own.
“I just thought it would be great to do one at Summer Lake,” he said. “I get so much out of these gatherings, I want to share it.”
Summer Lake is located in the high desert of south-central Oregon. The name “White Rock Gathering” comes from a peak of white rock in the midst of Winter Rim, an escarpment that runs down the length of the valley and overlooks Summer Lake.
The range of crafts and skills taught at the Gathering is broad.
Waters notes that a typical Gathering might include: arrow and bow making, basketry and weaving, blacksmithing, hide tanning, butchering, campcraft, fiber and cordage, fire making, felting, flint knapping, leather work, hunting, tracking and trapping, pottery, shelters, tinsmithing, wild
I get so much out of these gatherings, I want to share it.
— Richard Waters
edibles, botany and medicinals, and plant dyeing.
There is a large contingent of instructors.
“A lot of these people I know from other gatherings,” Richard said. “It’s word-of-mouth, often.”
Alicia noted that, “You know who’s passionate, and whose passion is contagious.”
The instructors are well-versed in meeting attendees where they are, and all skill levels are welcome at the Gathering. The event attracts people from all walks of life.
“Some people who are there live it… they’re at the far end,” Richard said. “Then you have experimental archaeologists, people who love the outdoors.”
Some of the skills might be classified as “primitive” — dating back to the advent of fire. Mastering such skills is a profound experience. Richard recalls making fire with a hand-drill.
“Two minutes, we had fire,” he said. “It’s all technique. When you
make fire from rubbing two sticks together — what an ego boost!”
Other skills are of more recent vintage, such as blacksmithing.
Alicia likes the term “ancestral arts,” which reflects the fact that all people everywhere at one time or another used such crafts skills to make it through their daily life.
“It’s everyone’s history,” she said. “We all did this, wherever it was.”
The Waters and the instructors go out of their way to cultivate a welcoming, family-oriented atmosphere for the Gathering.
“We get a lot of comments, ‘Oh, it’s like being in a little village,’” Alicia said.
The event is drug-and-alcoholfree, and music is welcome — but only if it’s made by hand. No electronic recordings or sound-reinforcement are allowed.
“If you want music, you have to make it,” Richard said.
Of course, that only adds to the ambiance and village “vibe.”
Children are welcomed and
Making something with their hands — I think kids are missing that. — Alicia Waters
encouraged to participate in the Gathering. Alicia believes that young people deeply desire this kind of experience that is outside the tech-driven world they have been born into.
“Making something with their hands — I think kids are missing that,” she said.
Kids love learning to make a bow and arrow, or to felt or make pottery, and they love to use an atlatl — an ages-old spear-throwing device.
Camping on-site is comfortable, with a full range of options, from setting up a teepee, to renting a luxury yurt or bell tent, to camping in an RV.
Registration opens in February at www.whiterockgathering.com/ registration/. You can sign up for notifications at www.whiterockgathering. com/contact-us/.
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• Clearing & removal of trees, stumps, brush
• Sewer, water, electrical, and drainage lines
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• Curbs, driveways, patios, and RV pads
• Gravel and asphalt driveways; concrete sidewalks
