“It’s fun for people of all ages,” noted Rice. She and her family have been avid geocachers the past eight years. “For the kids it’s like a treasure hunt because they get to discover new places to see – it’s just a great activity to do while you’re enjoying the Oregon outdoors.”

Geocaching is a rewarding blend of high technology that uses computers and hand held GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers and take you on an old fashioned treasure hunt. Cathy says “fun” is the theme at Geocaching.com At home, she simply enters her zip code and then the distance she would like to travel from her home, and soon a lengthy list of adventures appears on her screen.

She also notes many details about the cache on the website like available parking, whether it’s pet friendly plus the latitude and longitude coordinates that she will plug into her GPS so to guide her family to the cache. Cathy told me that when she began in 2001 there were hundreds of caches in the Portland area – today, there are tens of thousands in the city and surrounding metro region – plus, hundreds of thousands of the hidden treasures across the state.

In fact, “Rice’s Raiders,” as the family nickname implies, are real pros at finding caches. These days, they even create their own caches to hide for others to find. A watertight container like an ammo box or plastic container is preferred for caches because they need to be watertight. Because Cathy’s favorite rock group is “Styx,” she included a variety of related items inside her latest cache: “We’ve added chap sticks…glue sticks, something to sharpen your writing sticks,” she noted with a laugh.

She added: “Now, not everyone will trade within the theme and that’s ok too – but if you can it’s kind of fun.”

So far, the Rice family has hidden over a dozen caches across Oregon and she said that they’ve discovered a lot of locations they’d never have known about were it not for geocaching.

In fact, more and more people are have discovered that Oregon State Parks are popular geocaching sites because they’re convenient, safe and allow for a longer camping stay. But at Stub Stewart State Park, park ranger Heather Currey said that if folks choose to hide caches in a state park, be sure to get permission from the park managers.

“We think it’s fantastic that people want to recreate on state park lands and Geocaching is a wonderful way to explore the parklands, but many of our parks have sensitive plants, habitats, cultural resources that we’re protecting for the future. So, it’s nice for us to know where these caches are intended so we can identify those areas and maybe find an area on the other side of the trail that would be a little better.”

On a recent adventure, the Rice family followed directions to a starting point in a nearby public area and then hunted the brush for more clues. In this case, latitude and longitude coordinates were the clues. They plugged the numbers into their GPS and then the unit guided them to the site of the hidden cache.

The caches vary - and usually consist of small souvenirs that you can choose from - perhaps even a camera and a log book to capture and relate your moment of discovery. But Cathy insists, (and etiquette demands,) that if you take something from the cache, you should leave something in exchange.

Aside from the fun of just looking for something that’s been secreted away in the woods, Ken and Cathy Rice agree that one of the bonuses of Geocaching has been the way the entire event brings the family together.

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network.

Recently, I joined my good friend Steve Fick to learn the tactics and techniques for catching this Oregon seafood delicacy. Steve first explored the Columbia River estuary as a kid and knows his way around the vast waterway where the river meets the sea.

For Fick, the first lesson is simple enough: always wear a PFD (Personal Flotation Device.) He insisted it’s a personal lesson in life and safety: “You always wear it Grant, because if you fall overboard, particularly with heavy rain gear on, it’s very difficult to survive. The water is always cold and can sap your strength in a matter of minutes.”

We left the snug harbor at Hammond, Oregon and slowly motored the short distance downriver to an area just off Clatsop Beach. Fick had prepared five large crab traps with varied baits – a strategy he often used so to “see what the crabs prefer.” Sometimes he’ll use turkey legs, chicken wings, shad or salmon carcasses – even a can of tuna for crab bait.

“Oh yes, a can of tuna fish is perfect bait, exclaimed Fick. “All you do is perforate the can so that the scent comes out – you can also buy canned sardines or mackerel too – both work well. As long as they have a high oil content, it seems to fish well – the scent is what draws the crab into the pot.”

Each Oregon crabber must carry an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish License. Each crabber is allowed to use up to three crab traps.

We timed our trip to fish our traps the last hour of the incoming tide and through the high slack period, (that’s often the best crabbing time.)

Steve said it’s the safest time to crab in the estuary: “There is no reason to be out here on the ebb tide – that’s the out-going tide. It can be the most dangerous part of the tide cycle and this river can change so fast. You just don’t take chances out here.” Fick said that each trap should “soak” for 15-20 minutes – that allows enough time for the crabs to locate the bait and enter the trap.

Each crabber is allowed a dozen male crabs apiece, and in Oregon they must be five and three-quarters (5¾) inches across the back.

Females are protected to preserve the breeding population of crabs. A crab gauge or other measuring device is essential gear since some crabs miss the mark by only a hair’s length.

Within a half hour, we had landed and checked each of our traps and we were fortunate to retain 18 legal Dungeness crabs; plenty to go around our small but hearty crew.

As much fun as it was to catch these crabs, the best part was yet to come when Steve motored back to the dock in Astoria and we carried our crustaceans up to his shop to learn the proper way to cook our crabs.

Fick dropped a pound of salt into ten gallons of boiling water and then placed each crab into the pot. The crabs must cook approximately twenty minutes.

While we waited, I chatted with Oregon Fish and Wildlife Shellfish Manager, Matt Hunter.

He explained that the crabbing in the Columbia River estuary had been exceptional this year. “We’re seeing darn near a limit per person and when we don’t see a limit it’s because of weather or that people just don’t want their dozen crabs.”

The reason for this year’s remarkable catch rate? “Well, the crabs molted in early summer so they’re coming off the molt and they’re hungry and looking for food. At this time of year there’s plenty of food: baitfish die offs, natural salmon spawning events so there is plenty of available to them.”

As we chilled our catch on ice, I asked Fick what he enjoyed most about the adventure that’s just off his front door step:

“Oh, it’s simple and everyone can be involved in it. It’s easy to catch a dozen crabs per person with lots of action for kids. And – you never really know until you pull the pot up what you got…you know and that is fun!”

Editor’s Note: Grant’s Getaways is a production of Travel Oregon brought to you in association with Oregon State Parks, Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon State Marine Board. Episodes air Fridays on KGW Newschannel 8 and Saturdays on Northwest Cable News Network. Before you embark on your own crabbing adventure, be sure to check check shellfish license/regulations and rental facilities.

The first “Willamette Valley Birding Trail” is a new partnership between varied birding groups and Travel Oregon. It offers people a chance to explore 130 legitimate birding sites in a region that is home to 70 percent of the state’s population.

Joel Geier and I recently met at William Finley National Wildlife Refuge where he told me that variety is the spice of his birding life along the new Willamette Valley Birding Trail. Geier knows his birding game well! After all, he’s a longtime member of the Oregon Field Ornithologists. His organization along with several others including Travel Oregon joined to identify 130 birding trails in the Willamette Valley.

It’s easy to locate a trail online. A click of your mouse takes you inside one of the dozen different loops where you’ll find directions to the sites plus photos of the species that you’ll see along the way.

Sallie Gentry and Molly Monroe agree that the new Homer Campbell Memorial Boardwalk at William Finley Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis is one of those special places where you can go birding. It’s an astonishing trail that is wheelchair accessible along 1700 feet of elevated boardwalk that leads to an observation blind that overlooks a small pond that attracts many different birds.

“It is a magnet for wildlife,” noted Monroe. “We’ll have thousands upon thousands of ducks and geese and swans here within the next few months.”

Gentry added, “We’re kind of a little known secret right now, but I think we’re going to become more well known because there are such excellent wildlife viewing opportunities here and you can get relatively close without disturbing the wildlife.”

Not only wintering waterfowl, but also raptor species like bald eagles make the Finley Refuge their winter homes.

“It’s one of the easiest birds for most people to identify so it’s fun for them. Often, you just look out on a tree line of snags and say, ‘Oh, there’s an eagle perched right there.’ Eagles are good because they’re well known by most people and they’re recovery from near extinction is such a success story.”

If you’re eager to learn more about birding, but you’re not sure how to get started, Gentry said that there is good news for the casual first time visitor this Fall season.

Despite downpours and sea squalls, I recently joined a fishing party on Tillamook Bay where we tried our luck for the king of the salmon. If you’re eager to catch a “King,” you arrive at the Garibaldi docks an hour before sunrise.

A longtime Oregon fishing guide, John Krauthoefer, told our huddled group of anglers: “It’s the early bird who gets the worm, men! This has become such a popular fishery that if you wait and go late, you might miss the bite.”

Krauthoefer added that it had been a long salmon fishing season. I knew exactly what he meant because we had joined John on two earlier salmon fishing trips. Our first adventure was in July – on the ocean – where the summer Coho salmon bite was awesome. We joined John again in September when the Coho and Chinook season slipped into high gear at “Buoy 10” on the Columbia River.

Now, in mid-October thousands of salmon are migrating through dozens of estuaries like Tillamook Bay and swimming into their home rivers.

As we motored out of the marina, Krauthoefer noted that it had been a wet and wild weather week and that several big storms had pumped up a huge ocean. As we approached the ocean, we watched huge swells rise and fall – sometimes fishing boats would briefly vanish as the swells passed by. The bar was closed – no one would be heading out onto the ocean today.

Birt Hansen, a longtime fishing partner, had joined John and me on Tillamook Bay where scores of other anglers had also gathered – we were excited, anxious and ready for action. After all, low tide was about to turn to flood and it might serve up the biggest of all the salmon species called “King.”

John’s a big believer that a plug-cut herring makes the best bait when fishing for Chinook. He makes a bevel cut with his razor sharp knife just behind the herring’s head to make the bait spin when it’s trolled in the water.

We dropped our lines over the side and John began a slow troll with the tide. As the tide turned to flood, signs of salmon life began to appear as nearby anglers hooked up. It happened to us too! Suddenly, I had my hands full with a hard charging king that had decided to head back to sea.

Krauthoefer put his motor in gear and followed the salmon. After a twenty-minute tug of war, the gleaming 20-pound salmon came to the net and it was scooped aboard.

It can be a he challenge to fish along the jetty – where the swells and the waves and the tide can combine to change conditions in a heartbeat. We wore our inflatable PFD’s (Personal Flotation Devices) at all times.

Sport-anglers catch more than 12,000 King salmon on the bar, the bay and the five rivers that flow into the bay on their way to the sea. So, special rules are in place to protect the Kings from over harvest. An angler can keep one King per day and five per season from Tillamook Bay or its rivers. In addition, anglers can also keep a hatchery Coho salmon.

Information on purchasing an Oregon Angling License

Sport Fishing Regulations (pdf)

Locate a fishing guide here

Information on Safe Boating Practices

You’ll enjoy hiking trails, crimson-colored fall leaves and spawning salmon in an educational backdrop at an overlooked recreation area not far from Portland. You’ll want to bring your camera to capture the steady stream of color along the Salmon River that flows through the Wildwood Recreation Area near Welches, Oregon. Many parts of the Cascade Mountains demand a slower pace. You simply see more when you leave busy campgrounds behind and let quieter, wilder moments surround you.

Those moments are easy to come by down the many trails inside the Wildwood Recreation Site near Welches, Oregon. A site that may have you wondering, “How is it I’ve never heard of this place or visited it before?” After all, the Salmon River is born from glaciers atop Mt Hood and it is Oregon’s last undimmed river that flows unhindered from the mountains to the sea.

It cuts a beeline through more than five hundred acres of designated public recreation land at Wildwood. The trails that wind through Wildwood are marvelous opportunities to explore the parkland.

The Wildwood Wetlands Trail is a one-mile loop of gravel and paved foot- paths plus more than a thousand feet of elevated boardwalk that gives you access to the heart of a vast wetland area where many different wildlife species live.

Observation decks extend into the wetland at a number of locations and allow closer inspection. Don’t be surprised while hiking the boardwalk to see blue herons, mallards, teals, turtles, or any number of small songbirds.

Pay special attention to the many interpretive signs that describe the wetland habitat and the critters that live there.

There are more than 1,000 feet to the boardwalk on the Wildwood Wetlands Trail that was built four feet off the ground to keep hiker’s feet dry and limit access onto the sensitive wetlands. Beginning in mid-October, the boardwalk area explodes to life with a colorful show of brilliant reds, oranges and yellows from vine maple, big leaf maple trees and alder trees.

The Cascade Streamwatch Trail is a barrier-free and paved, three-quarter-mile trail adjacent to the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. Interpretive displays describe points of interest. The most remarkable highlight of this trail is a stream-profile viewing chamber where you gain an underwater “fish-eye” view of a small stream and salmon habitat.

The chamber–ten years in the making–drops twelve feet below the water surface and allows you to see through two large windows more than twelve feet across and seven feet high where ‘baby’ salmon live. I enjoy just watching the behavior of the three- to four-inch salmon fry and how they use logs, branches, and even rocks to hide. As a bug floats on the current, a fish jets out and picks it off, then retreats back to its shelter.

The park is open from 8:00 A.M. to sunset from mid-May to early November. However, during the off-season, you may park at the gate and access Wildwood and Cascade Streamwatch by foot, walking the entrance road to the trailhead or other facilities.

This week, I discovered that women who have always wanted to try their hands at hunting have a new way to learn about one of Oregon’s premier recreational pursuits.

When you go hunting for pheasant, be ready to put in your time and lots of energy – often you are pushing through thick, waist high grass. On the EE Wilson Wildlife Area near Corvallis, newcomer Kelly Ruboin is on her toes because the pheasant can launch themselves skyward in a heartbeat.

Kelly joined accomplished hunter Mark Steele, and his hunting dog, “Neela,” for an afternoon in the field. Mark is a volunteer guide who gave his hunting services over for a special day designed for women only. In fact, two-dozen women gathered on the wildlife area to learn what upland bird hunting’s all about.

Ruboin, like many of the other women, has never done anything like this before. But that’s okay because she’s taking a class to learn how it’s done. The EE Wilson Wildlife Area Pheasant Hunt is part of a unique Outdoor Skills program sponsored by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and it is called “Becoming An Outdoors Woman.”

The class was too good a deal for Kelly to pass up. For twenty-five dollars each woman learned hands on gun safety, hunting techniques, proper clothing, plus how to shoot and hit what they aim at.

Experienced instructors from ODFW offered lectures on firearms and led the students through a number of exercises in proper gun handling and safety. They helped to build confidence in the newcomers with an atmosphere of trust that paid off with relaxation and fun.

Tthe agency sells approximately 300,000 hunting licenses and tags each year and women make up just 16 percent of the total.

Rick Hargrave, ODFW spokesperson, said they hope to change that percentage with specific classes that encourage women to participate, “What our outdoor skills program does is plant that seed of interest – if it leads to hunting or fishing, that’s great – but if it leads to getting their families outdoors more often that’s even better too.”

EE Wilson offers nearly 1800 acres for hunters, fishers, hikers and cyclists to explore throughout the year. The area offers wetlands for wildlife, a stocked fishing pond to cast lures and a wildlife exhibit area where you can see many of Oregon’s upland birds on display.

Some of the runs at Black Rock are so steep that riders can reach speeds of 40 mile per hour, so each rider covers up from head to toe with plastic and neoprene rubber protection that they call “armor.” The bikes that they ride are specially designed to take punishing workouts across the forest – aluminum framed bikes with heavy-duty front and rear air shocks and disc brakes are common and the bikes can reach $5,000 or more.

What’s unique about Black Rock Mountain is that the trail system was created by a unique partnership between local government and riders and is the first “mountain bike only” area approved by the Oregon Department of Forestry. In addition, the entire trail system is maintained and operated by a volunteer organization, the Black Rock Mountain Bike Association (BRMBA). The seven year old organization has 1500 members and started Black Rock with the dream of “…getting people off the couch and out in the forest.”

From trail design to maintenance, BRMBA members are involved in the entire process of the project. It all begins with designing the features that riders seek at Black Rock; features that include ramps, jumps and berms – that are approved by the Oregon Department of Forestry and then built by the club members. The trail designers can also name the varied projects and include such imaginative names like “Sunday Stroll,” “Grannie’s Kitchen” and “Bonzai Downhill.”

The runs and the stunts have been designed and built with the approval of Oregon Department of Forestry under the “Adopt A Trail” program and volunteers make sure that the impact on the forest is minimal.

Whether catching big air or enjoying the freedom that comes from speeding down a forest trail on two wheels, the riders agree that there’s something for every level of experience at Black Rock Mountain.

I am a big fan of Oregon’s little roads; you know, the ones without numbers. Linn County has a few and sometimes these roadways let you set your clock back too – on a journey into unexpected bliss!

It feels like a Huck Finn sort-of -world at Shimanek Covered Bridge – a gorgeous beauty decked out in “Navajo Red” colored paint and it spans Thomas Creek.

Safety is important these days because traffic roars past at a shattering pace – a far cry from slower days of the past century. Still, there are other covered bridges that are off the beaten path and hint of bygone times. For example, Hannah Covered Bridge is picture-postcard perfect!

This stunning whitewashed covered bridge was built in 1936 and offers a bit of a Norman Rockwell kind of American moment. As you will see, there is plenty of water running under the Covered Bridges of Linn County, so don’t be surprised if you end up at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Roaring River Hatchery. This is a place that raises really whoppers – the kind with fins. Seventy percent of Oregon’s catchable hatchery trout are raised at Roaring River Hatchery.

Last winter, we showed viewers how that energy is put into action when we visited a classroom full of enthusiastic students at Banks Elementary School You see, Roaring River Hatchery donates 100,000 trout eggs to hundreds of Oregon classrooms where the youngsters raise the eggs into baby fish. It’s a successful and unique environmental education program called “Eggs to Fry.”

Not far from the Roaring River Hatchery, you’ll enjoy a chance to relax at Larwood Wayside – only site in the state where a river flows into a creek. It’s called Crabtree Creek and it is where you will find Larwood Covered Bridge and it was built seventy years ago.

Oregon has more (49 authentic) Covered Bridges than anywhere else in the country, so it is something all Oregonians should be proud of so folks should get out to see and enjoy them.

I met a group of climbers along this roadway near Fall Creek Reservoir. As I discovered, they were a small corp of climbers that was a breed apart from typical rock or mountain climbers. Just like rock climbers, these folks used gear that included harnesses, ropes, mechanical ascenders and even helmets. A hearty collection of people had gathered to meet guides with the Eugene-based Pacific Tree Climbing Institute who don’t climb tall mountains; rather they ascend Oregon’s tallest trees.

Jason Seppa, co-owner of PTCI and a lead guide in my adventure, coolly showed each of us the correct way to wear the harness and how to handle the ascenders; the main mode of movement up the giant trees.

The team had gathered to climb three of the tallest giants in the forest. Trees that had been nicknamed “The Three Musketeers” because the trio of 600 year-old Doug fir had grown so closely together.

Robb Miron, Seppa’s partner in PTCI, explained the advantages of climbing these big old trees: “They are really climber-friendly with a lot of limbs and a lot of architecture. When you’re up in them, it’s the kind of a feeling that you get being inside a grove of trees.”

PTCI operates under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service and their climbing techniques and equipment do not damage the trees. Seppa and Miron called it “eco-friendly” climbing as they teach both newcomers and experienced how to reach for the tallest heights of the trees without hurting the trees they climb.

They employ the same equipment and skills that each had learned on their jobs as full time arborists in Eugene, Oregon. The trained arborists turned their attention to recreation climbing six years ago and agreed that the forest has much to offer people.

There was a genuine rush of energy and excitement at the doing of the thing and the unmatched view of the surrounding forest.

In fact, one Eastern Oregon town offers fascinating lessons in “pre-history,” that – with a bit of imagination and some handiwork – can transport you to a quite different Oregon. In Fossil, Oregon all you need are some simple tools, keen eyes and curiosity to learn more about the state – as you dig into Oregon’s past.

Eastern Oregon’s gigantic landscape holds on to memories – old homestead sites – where families once worked the land and carved out their livelihoods across the high desert. Time has passed most of them by and what often remains today are small reminders in a big country that are worth a pause to consider.

Fossil, Oregon is worth more than a pause! Especially if you enjoy history, like to get your hands dirty and really dig buried treasures!

It’s a much different slice of outdoor life for the visitors who stroll through the back gates at Fossil’s Wheeler High School – pass under the goal posts of the school’s football field and then take a step back in Oregon history. It’s the only public fossil dig area in Oregon that offers surprises with each handful of dirt and rock that you turn over.

Today, the fossils that you dig reveal a much different scene in this part of Eastern Oregon. In fact, 30 million years ago the region was more akin to today’s Oregon Coast Range Forest – a temperate rain forest with ancient firs and cedars and ferns and even prehistoric insects. All were covered and trapped by ancient mudflows born of volcanic eruptions that were a common geologic feature in this part of Oregon.

All of it adds up to a stark contrast to the high desert sage and juniper country that surrounds Fossil in the 21st century. Just down the street, the new Paleo Lands Institute will teach you much about the fossils that you collect.

It’s a trip full of tips, tactics and techniques to catch salmon safely on a stretch of river infamously called “the deadliest river bar in the world” for its number of shipwrecks, capsizes and deadly accidents.

On the Astoria dock at a coal black 4-am, it was hard to say “Good Morning” to my fellow anglers who had gathered – with their lunches, thermoses, rods and reels in hand – to enjoy a daylong fishing adventure. After all, shimmering stars and a sliver of a gleaming moon held tightly onto night. But barking sea lions and an inch of daylight squeezing just above the eastern horizon said otherwise.

So did our guide, John Krauthoefer, who told our small group, “Daylight boys – won’t be long – so let’s button things down, snap up the PFDs and get moving.” We boarded his 25-foot fishing boat and began to slowly motor across the broad-shouldered Columbia, with high hopes for a successful salmon fishing trip.

Daylight revealed that a dense fog bank had taken over the lower river. If we wished to pass through it, we had better be prepared.

“My GPS (Global Positioning System) tells me that there’s a green buoy right there – and if you peer into the fog, you can see we’re just coming up on it.”

I wondered aloud about the fishermen who didn’t have GPS on their boats. He quickly and firmly noted, “Stay on the dock until the fog clears. You’re much safer – it’s not worth a fish to risk your life – it really isn’t.” We slowly trolled and kept eye on the boat’s GPS screen, which showed our position in relation to the shipping channel and the surrounding shorelines.

This part of the Columbia River is a busy stretch for inbound and outbound ships. We certainly did not want to get caught in the middle of it on a busy morning of ship traffic. All too quickly, John’s second sense told him something was just not right.

“Ok – reel in – we’re going to move,” he ordered. He wasted little time and moved us a few hundred yards further away from the shipping lane. We heard the ship before we saw it. And what we saw was gigantic – a massive, two hundred foot long shadow of a ship that moved across the area we had just been trolling our baits.

I looked at my fishing partner, Trey Carskadon, who shared the same obvious expression of relief – then he smiled. Carskadon added, “You can just get absolutely turned around in this kind of a fog, so GPS certainly is a must, but even a compass would help. Plus, you better know how to use it. It is essential equipment and I wouldn’t come out here without it.” Carskadon is the chairman of the Oregon State Marine Board and he is a boating safety expert when it comes to the fickle Columbia River.

He told me that even in summer, the river conditions often change in a heartbeat: “Right now the danger is obviously with the fog, but when the wind comes up and you have a lot river traffic out here, it can get downright dangerous. People assume it’s like a lake out here, most days it’s anything but that.” That much was certain and we’d just experienced a good lesson of that fact – but there was another certainty on the river this fine August morning: the river is full of fish.

“Oh, it’s a big Coho,” yells John as Trey’s rod doubled down and the line screamed off the reel.

“A nice one,” noted Carskadon. “Feels all of ten or twelve pounds. A nice hatchery fish too.”

He could tell it was a hatchery Coho salmon because it was missing its adipose fin, a small half moon shaped fin that’s located behind the dorsal fin. The adipose fin is clipped off all hatchery salmon babies at the hatchery where each fish is raised.

More than a million Coho salmon are forecast to pass through the estuary over the next six to eight weeks. In fact, right now the angling daily limit is two salmon, but beginning September 1 the limit rises to three Coho salmon a day. Not all of the Coho that anglers catch from the Columbia are hatchery fish. Many are wild fish that must be released back into the river.

John said there’s a “right way” to do that. “First, don’t ever bring them in the boat and don’t ever lift them out of the water. Don’t just dump them out of your net either. If you can, try to get hold of them by the tail and let them swim out of your hand. If you just dump them out, they often die because they’re so tired from the fight, so let the fish rest in your hand and then open your hand so they swim right off.”

As the fog evaporated with the warmer morning, the flooding tide built and hundreds of anglers converged at the famous river marker called “Buoy 10.” But boat wakes, a strong push of current and a rising wind meant that it was a bit like fishing in washing machine – and you want to definitely avoid the spin cycle.

It was a day to remember – one that began on a dance with danger, and provided lasting memories and valuable lessons of exciting times in the Oregon outdoors.

Information on purchasing an Oregon Angling License

Sport Fishing Regulations (pdf)

Locate a fishing guide here

Information on Safe Boating Practices

This week’s Grant’s Getaway promises a refreshing escape as I go aboard a small boat on a huge river. It’s the sort of adventure that may leave you feeling a million miles away from the city hubbub and noise in a sea kayak on the Columbia River.

Trying something new and risky takes courage, but if you’re convinced that it’s right for you, the risk can often pay off with unique adventures.

Safety is everything when Steve Gibons, owner of Scappoose Bay Kayaking, gathers paddlers together on the dock at Scappoose Bay Marina.

The first step: we slid into the cozy confines of the small cockpits of a smooth sided 14-foot long tandem sea kayak. We listened intently as Steve explained a basic rule of kayak recreation: First, a reassuring fact: more people tip over at the dock than any other place on the water – either getting in or out.”

Many of our fellow paddlers were like us – relative newcomers to the recreation and to this stretch of Multnomah Channel at Scappoose Bay. It’s a place where tide and weather can change in a heartbeat.

But on this gentle summer’s day, the bay and the nearby Columbia River were smooth and calm, so no need for us to worry. Instead, we used our time to practice the basic forward and reverse paddle strokes that Steve taught us – paddle strokes that we would soon put to good use.

Finding a comfort zone on the glassy water came easy on a day that was filled with summer’s glory – clear skies, a gentle breeze and outgoing tide to ease our downriver journey. More importantly, our small group of paddlers seemed to have the river all to ourselves on a stretch of Columbia River backwater that’s largely overlooked by most folks.

It is certainly that – and much more – a time and place where nature’s touch restores your soul.

This week, I travel to Central Oregon to visit a river that has earned protection and is prized for it’s fishing, camping and unique outdoor adventures. Plus, you can watch the Metolius River come to life!

Early morning light, when the air is cool and clear, high cascade peaks like Mt Jefferson are a marvel. That’s especially true near Camp Sherman where the Metolius River bubbles from the ground to curl and wind along an 8600-acre river corridor.

It is so special a place that it’s been protected as one of America’s Wild and Scenic Rivers since 1988.

In nearby Sisters, Oregon, the folks who live and work in Central Oregon like it that way. That includes Jeff Perin, local fishing guide and owner of The Fly Fishers Place. Perin is often found creating hand tied imitations of nature’s creations and said “artistry and utility go hand in hand” for one of the hottest recreation activities around: Jeff often goes to the Metolius River near Wizard Falls, a rough and tumble stretch broken by moments of calm water. Perin has cast into the Metolius for more than 26 seasons and he loves to cast flies to tempt wild trout to bite.

It is so special a place that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has operated the nearby Wizard Falls Hatchery since 1947. More than four million baby trout are raised at Wizard Falls Hatchery for release into scores of lakes and ponds across Oregon.

Visitors come from all over the state too and stroll the 35-acre hatchery grounds that are more akin to a park land than a fish hatchery.

Nearby campgrounds make the living easy too. There are ten U.S. Forest Service Campgrounds along the Metolius River that offer a place to stay and relax. There are no hook ups, phones or TV at these campgrounds, it’s self-contained camping without fancy conveniences.

The Metolius River may runs through the heart of Central Oregon, but it also builds lasting outdoor memories in the hearts of the people who visit each year.

We joined an enthusiastic group of folks who were sporting PFD’s and - with paddles in hand - each was eager and ready to go aboard canoes to see the lake from a different point of view.

At 5400 feet in elevation, Sparks Lake is perfectly suited to a canoe adventure with awesome views of South Sister, Broken Top and Mount Bachelor. Sparks Lake was formed more than ten thousand years ago when lava blocked the Deschutes River. In fact, a narrow channel — defined by volcanic rock shorelines — connects two halves of Sparks Lake. The lake covers approximately 400 acres and it is no more than ten feet deep. We paddled, we smiled and we laughed as we toured the lake as a slight breeze eased our down wind paddle. After an hour or two, we arrived at a sprawling sandy beach.

The site offered plenty of elbowroom for a shore side lunch and a cold brew to go with the expansive view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

There’s simply nothing like what you’ll find “down by the old mill stream” at Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Area.

When Park Manager Doug Crispin tells the unique tale of Oregon history at one of the newest state park properties the 19th century comes to life. It is history that dates back more than 150 years to a time when leather belts wrapped wooden wheels to move augers and elevators that carried grain that gave life to the earliest settlers of the Willamette Valley.

It was a time when the Calapooia River produced hydro power that moved all manner of machinery at Thompson’s Mills near Shedd, Oregon. Crispin said that Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department was so impressed with the treasured landmark that they bought the mill, the cottage and the surrounding property a few years ago.

“Every time I walk through this mill and see the axe marks on these original timbers, it comes alive to me. I just marvel at the craftsmanship, the hard work and the ingenuity of our pioneer ancestors. Plus, the fact that it still stands today.”

Restoration efforts at the site continue and offer hands-on exhibits that show you how tons of grain was moved and then milled with giant limestone millstones. It’s a remarkable site with many hidden nooks and crannies according to Crispin, who added it is: …“the sort of place that demands exploration.”

It’s a wonderful step back into an earlier time and place that’s pretty much like it was – and that makes it all worth a visit.

Licensed anglers – with rods and reels in hand – are trying their luck on the ocean waters as the best fishing of the summer season gets underway. There is an old fishing adage that goes, “You should have been here yesterday!” The assumption being – the fish are always more eager to bite – the day before you decide to go fishing.

So when I stepped aboard John Krauthoefer’s (Firefighter’s Guide Service) boat at Garibaldi Marina for a day’s adventure on the big blue Pacific Ocean and heard: “The fish are here – no doubt about it,” noted the longtime Oregon fishing guide. “Every place we went yesterday we had a bite…there were three guys in the boat and we dumped the fish in and were done 35, 40 minutes later…it was great fishing!” His report sounded fantastic and yet my heart sank a bit!

That’s because it has been my history that whenever I hear such a solid report of angling success that occurred the day before – it is usually followed by nearly the opposite when I step aboard the next day.

While Krauthoefer fishes the ocean each summer, he insisted that he hadn’t seen ocean Coho salmon fishing like the past month in a long time. As we sped across Tillamook Bay toward the ocean he was convinced that our fishing adventure would be every bit as successful as the day before.

As it turned out, our combination of tactics and techniques added up to one of my most amazing ocean Coho salmon trips ever. He added that the summer forecast for Oregon’s Coho population is pegged at more than a million fish.

Anglers are allowed to keep three hatchery Coho per day.

Fish splashed and nets flew from boats all around us as we trolled within sight of Twin Rocks, just north of the entrance to Tillamook Bay.

You can tell the Coho are hatchery fish by the missing adipose fin; that’s a half-moon shaped fin located immediately behind the dorsal fin. (The adipose fin is clipped off at the hatchery when the fish are babies.)

Not only is there a greater abundance of Coho, but the fish are bigger than usual - on average two pounds larger – for this time of year.

There were plenty of keepers to go around and we ended up with Coho limits all around.

For more information on Fishing Licenses and Regulations

Whether a beginner or an established player, discover three distinct courses across the Willamette Valley that are family-owned, affordable, close to the rural side of Oregon and put you in touch with the great game of golf.

But golf isn’t just a game – it’s an adventure for many, a passion for some and can become a life-long friendship for folks who get to know the tress, the sand traps and the water hazards all too well.

Come with us as we visit Frontier Golf Course in Canby, Diamond Woods Golf Course in Lane County and Killarney West Golf Course in Hillsboro.

For great golf deals in Lane County, check out Golf Lane County.

For this is where Roger Anderson gathers folks who travel from all over the world to let their hearts soar on one of his unique adventures. Anderson’s Vista Balloon Adventures has been based in Newberg the past ten years. Anderson and his wife, Catherine Anderson, specialize in giving people a bird’s eye view to a corner of the greater Willamette Valley that stretches across Yamhill County.

The balloons are huge – big as houses. Each balloon requires five or six “crew” (volunteers who lend a hand) to assist with each morning’s launch. First, powerful fans blow cold air (the process is actually called a “cold-air inflate”) into the nearly 200,000 cubic feet of nylon fabric. Once the balloon has been filled to its limit, ignition occurs as powerful propane gas burners light up and heat up the air inside the balloon. It’s what gives the craft its lift. It’s really a rather simple premise based upon the fact that hot air rises, but it gives passengers who ride aboard a different point of view to the landscape.

Our balloon was guided by Roger Anderson, a veteran pilot with more than two decades experience in lighter than air flight. Within moments of our easy lift off, we are two, four, then six hundred feet up in the air and the other “giants” soon appear as tiny, thimble-sized floats on the ground below. As we soared across the valley, sometimes mere feet above the ground, Roger pointed out something that I might never have noticed if my feet were firmly planted on the soil below.

That wasn’t all – it was easy to see how the valley near Newberg was ringed with hills – hills that grow grapes – in fact, wine grapes! But not on this fine July morning for the wind was building and the ground was heating up. If we waited too long, a soft landing could be – well, challenging! And so, after an hour of delightful touring, the time had come for us to come back to the ground. We touched down in a recently cut “seed-grass” field ever so softly, without even a bounce to the remarkable landing.

Hot air ballooning is a lovely and magical way to see a beautiful corner of Oregon and build lasting memories through a unique outdoor adventure.

You’re on the trail to the mountain called Marys Peak; highest point on the Oregon Coast Range and it may just steal your heart along the way. It is something special on a day when soggy skies clear and sun beams light up a scene that’s filled with so much vibrant color: from crimson paintbrush to brilliant blue larkspur or stunning yellow wallflowers.Many wildflower species are at your side as you explore the lush meadows, dense Noble Fir forests and the many hiking trails that link all of it together.

In fact, more than twelve miles of trails criss-cross Marys Peak, nearly all of them connected to the spacious parking area where many folks begin their adventures. The most popular trail is the mile-long Summit Trail that leads you up a moderate grade. Soon, you’re face to face with an amazing scene: a bird’s eye view of the grand Willamette Valley.

You easily spy the small town of Philomath – then the larger Corvallis, Oregon just beyond. Even a hazy day cannot diminish the stunning size of the many Cascade Mountain peaks you can see: Rainer, St Helens, Adams, Hood, Jefferson and the Three Sisters are easily picked out against the eastern skyline.

While to the west, Newport’s beaches are often seen with the breaking surf line just 26 miles away. It is a glorious view, no doubt about that – but all these high Cascade Mountain peaks may leave you wondering, what about the namesake: Marys Peak.

Well, who was Mary?

Some anecdotal stories suggest an Indian legend and linkage - for this place had been called a “house or home of spirits” by ancient peoples.

Other tales suggest a pioneer lineage a century old or longer when pioneers first settled the Oregon country. There is a nearby town site of Marysville and a nearby Mary’s River, but the fact is no one really knows and so the history behind the naming of Marys Peak remains a mystery.

It’s no secret that the wildflower show draws a real crowd – not just of people, but swarms of butterflies seem to hove just above bloom top across the open meadows. The fragile insects come in many sizes and colors, but keep an eye out for the larger Swallowtail Butterfly for it’s a favorite and hard to miss. Nor is the summit of Marys Peak with its distinct array of metallic antennas for radio, cell phone and broadcast television transmissions.

Marys Peak stands tall at more than 4,100 feet and that makes the trees, the insects, flowers and grasses distinct – even rare for the Oregon Coast Range.

That alone makes the site worth a visit.

Perhaps you‘ll consider a longer stay. If you packed a tent, sleeping bag and food, nearby Marys Peak Campground’s secluded sites offer an affordable overnight stay.

At the least, do bring hiking boots and a camera on this getaway – they will provide you a comfortable and enjoyable way to savor Marys Peak: a unique mountain of dizzying heights and colorful delights.