Bend News

SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY

Two days ago on my morning trip down to the coffee shop to get a little wisdom at the ORG (Old Retired Guys) Table, a driver blasted right through a stop sign and almost made it my last day on a bicycle. So what did I do?

Two things. First, since I ended up about five feet from the driver’s window, I did not yell or make obscene gestures, not even any dagger eyes, Instead, I waved and smiled and tried to give him my best “no worries, we all make mistakes” look. Second, I decided to write this commentary--and the “other side” for next week.

I’ve already written several columns about the prickly relationship between cyclists and motorists sharing our public roadways, but today, I’m talking directly to cyclists, not motorists. 

MISSOURI RIVER WALLEYES--AND MORE

Now I know what I’ve been missing every time I sped through Loma, Montana, on my way to somewhere else. This sleepy little ranching and farming community, located 55 miles north of Great Falls on U.S. Highway 87, is a gateway to some fast-action fishing like you probably have never experienced--catching a variety of warm-water species on a free-flowing section of the Mighty Mo.

To call it “diverse” might an understatement. In our first hole, for example, we quickly caught five fish, all different species. At the same time, all around us, we could soak in the incredible diversity of flora and fauna and the unspoiled scenery of this still wild stretch of the Missouri River.

BEST IDEA IN A HUNDRED YEARS?

Remember the last time you heard somebody say a federal agency did a great job? Not recently, eh? I, too, confess to not saying it often, but I’m saying it today.

Three years ago (click here). I wrote about an innovative new shuttle system getting underway in Glacier National Park. In my first line, I asked, “If we built it, will they come?”

The results are in, and the answer is yes. In 2009, in fact, 157,000 of people used shuttle buses instead of driving personal vehicles over the traffic-choked Going-to-the-Sun Highway, and according to Glacier’s public affairs manager Amy Vanderbilt, “We will easily exceed that figure this year.”

GUEST COMMENTARY

Whether or not you care about the recovery of grizzly bears, we face a serious challenge today of how to protect the safety of people who live and recreate in grizzly country, as whitebark pine, the driver of the health of the population for Yellowstone grizzly bear population, continues to suffer from a climate-driven beetle epidemic. At this critical juncture, it has been confusing and unconstructive to see grizzly bear management agencies flip-flop on the fundamental question of whether or not whitebark pine matters to the Yellowstone grizzly bear population, and the effects of its loss on human-bear conflicts.

DON'T GO UNLEASHED

I’m hardly the first person to write about this issue, but I want to be one of the first to hit it head on instead of nervously dance around it, so here we go.

If I had a hundred bucks for every time I’ve observed dog owners acting irresponsibly on wilderness trails, I’d have enough to buy all new hiking gear and clothing--new Lowe-Alpine backpack, new Merrill boots, new Magellan GPS, new G. Loomis backpacking fly outfit, new Patagonia from head to toe, and all the rest--and best.

If I had a hundred bucks for every time I’ve observed dog owners acting responsibly on wilderness trails, I’d have enough to buy one of those new, spiffy, BPA-free, double-walled, vacuum-sealed, stainless-steel water bottles from New Wave Enviro.

Well, not quite, but close. The point is, most people who take their dogs into the wilderness don’t get it.

Literary Events

View 2010 Western Book Festivals & Conferences in a larger map
Each year readers and writers gather to celebrate the written word at book festivals, fairs, and writing conferences throughout the West. The offerings vary from those that concentrate on helping writers improve their craft, such as the Tin House workshop in Portland, to those that introduce writers to readers through panels, readings, and book signings, such as the Helena Festival of the Book.  The workshops charge a fee, but plenty of the festivals are free to attend, including the Montana Festival of the Book in Missoula and the Equality State Book Fair in Casper. 

SASKATCHEWAN FISHING LODGES

When you walk into the main building at Cree Lake Lodge, that’s the sign you see on the wall, Pike Capital of the World. Actually, to be fair, a lot of fishing lodges justifiably call themselves something similar, but after visiting more than my share, I’d have to say Cree Lake Lodge deserves the title.

IS ANYBODY SURPRISED?

If anybody is surprised U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy put the gray wolf back on the endangered species list and stopped wolf hunting in Idaho and Montana, he or she hasn’t been following the debate. I’m sure not surprised, but his decision, released Aug. 5, puts the spotlight back on a lot interesting issues.

Here are my thoughts on the next chapter of the biggest outdoor story of the century.

PLEASE DON'T LET IT BE A TREND

I haven’t seen much of an uproar over the rather startling news of two green groups essentially extorting $20 million (later revised to “at least $22 million") from Big Oil. So, I’m wondering if I’m the only greenie choking on it.

On July 18, El Paso Corporation, one of America’s largest natural gas pipeline builders, and two fairly small green groups, the Western Watersheds Project and the Oregon Natural Desert Foundation, announced a “partnership.” (Click here)

Western Book Events

Summer Fishtrap
Where: The Wallowa Lake Camp just outside of Joseph, Oregon.
When: Annually, in July.
What: Put on every year by Wallowa County’s Fishtrap, an organization working to promote clear thinking and writing in and about the West, Summer Fishtrap is a week of writing workshops, readings, open mics, music, discussions, and film. Every year Summer Fishtrap has a different theme, which influences workshop topics, presenters, and readers. This year’s theme was “Matter and Spirit.”
Cost: $405 for the workshop week, $145 for the Gathering weekend if participant also is attending a workshop, $205 for the Gathering if the participant is not attending a workshop. Fishtrap also offers lodging and meal options throughout the week, at varying costs.

Naomi Gibbs, an intern at Fishtrap, offers her reflections on the events:

An Overview of Summer Fishtrap

For a group of two hundred writers and readers, mid-July means Summer Fishtrap time. They gather at the cusp of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area in Joseph, Oregon, just past the far side of Wallowa Lake.  Summer Fishtrap is one of Fishtrap’s biggest events of the year.  In the spirit of Fishtrap’s mission of promoting clear thinking and writing in and about the West, Summer Fishtrap is home to writers and readers inspired by the vast Western United States.  Summer Fishtrap is split into two parts: the workshop week and the Gathering.  The workshop week runs from Sunday night until Friday afternoon.  Participants meet in their workshop groups for three hours in the morning and then have the option of watching a film, attending presentations, going for a hike, swimming in the lake, writing, socializing, or exploring local towns in the afternoon.  After dinner there are readings and discussions.