Oregon’s high east-central plateau is dominated by numerous forested mountain ranges rising above fertile rangeland, with enough vistas wide enough that you can’t quite wrap your arms around them.

It’s a peaceful place, and in August, Brad and I set off for the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Our hiking compass was set to climb and summit 9,038-foot Strawberry Mountain itself, a once-active volcano. It got its name from Nathan Wills Fisk, a homesteader in the area, because of the many wild strawberry plants that can be found in the area.

We drove about 4 hours from Portland to our secret camping spot nearby, and set up in a campground that we had absolutely to ourselves. The quiet of the woods was occasionally broken by the rattling of a woodpecker on a nearby tree or a raspy chirrup from a hawk high up in the thermal winds. The next morning, we packed up our gear, loaded extra water, and headed to the trailhead.

Starting near the 7,000 foot level definitely helped make this hike not as arduous as it may seem. The trailhead starts on an old road that is fairly level and flat. Not very far down the path, the dogs, Brad and I were quickly startled by a big buck deer bounding through the undergrowth as it bolted away from its breakfast foraging. A little later down the trail, we ran into some other hikers. A man and his son from the Portland area were scouting the area for the hunting season, and had their binoculars trained on a ridgeline not too far away. We stopped and asked what they were looking at, and they pointed out a tiny white dot. It was a mountain goat! Somehow, on an impossible angle, the animal nimbly tip-toed across cliff faces that left me dizzy, but it was pretty cool to watch. The duo weren’t actually looking to hunt the goats (illegal) but rather looking for deer. My thoughts turned to the buck that we had just seen; had he met any of bow hunters currently out, he might not have been so lucky.

Right at this point, the trail turned south and quickly narrowed down to about 1-2 feet wide, with a couple of steep drop-offs right off the trail in a number of places. About 15-20 years ago, a wildfire had swept through the area, and while the area is recovering, the vegetation is still a little thin, punctuated with dead, blackened snags, lending a surreal feeling to the hike. Interestingly, as we followed just below the shoulder line of the ridge, the views far below were pretty amazing. Small, lush meadows beckoned, and I could imagine deer and other animals thriving in such a rich environment.

I heard twittering overhead, and stopped to watch a large group of mountain bluebirds flitting from tree to tree. Their calls are very muted and cheery; sweet, almost. After a few minutes of observation, we continued on, and started a number of switchbacks up to the base of Strawberry Mountain itself. It loomed far above us, and my palms began to sweat. This, I thought, is gonna be a tough hike!

We came around a corner and found ourselves traversing a shale trail. Shale is a type of loose rock, usually in large piles as it breaks off a larger source- such as a cliff face. And that was exactly what we were crossing. High above, cliffs with big rocks towered over us, and I silently issued a request to the forces that be that nothing decided to come tumbling down.

The path was so rocky that the trailblazers before us had actually built some rock cairns to mark the way, although enough boots had passed this way, a distinguishable line could be seen. At this point, despite the cool August morning, the sun’s rays began to warm things up a bit, helped by the reflection from the rocks.

Up we went, and found ourselves in a brief flat spot where some other trails joined ours, and we stopped to enjoy a view from a forest of tortured junipers and bristlecone pine trees edged by brilliant blue lupine flowers. I glanced up. The trail went up from that point another 45-50 degrees. Not quite climbing on your hands and knees, but it was steep…

The final summit assault had begun. We climbed up and zig-zagged across the rocky face. We were high above the tree line yet somehow, flowers managed to entrench themselves into the seemingly impenetrable stone.

Winds up here have gotten up to legendary speeds. Apparently, there was, at one point, a lookout up here, but it was eventually abandoned. At one point, a storm blew the entire structure off the top of the mountain. All that remains are some cables littered around and some errant nails.

Brad made the summit first, and whooped when he did. I slowly trudged the final stretch, stopped, took a breath, and then looked at the amazing view.

For 360 degrees, we could see mountain range after mountain range. Far to the south, we could see 9,700-foot Steens Mountain, 150 miles away. It was a stunning view!

Sitting down, we ate some lunch, enjoying the expansive vistas. I did notice a pile of rocks nearby and something stuck in them, so I went to investigate. A number of glass jars held small notes and pens. People who had made it to the top had written little notes about their adventures. I added one myself – this was Brad’s and my second wedding anniversary- and it was hard to top this at 7,038 feet high!

While we were up at the top, a few more people showed up. A father-son hiking team had actually done a much tougher round-trip hike that started farther below our trail head. They shared some tips on additional spots that they had seen along the way. As we headed down, a friendly couple on their way up to the summit and we chatted. It turned out that he was a cattle rancher in Prairie City, and it was really great to be able to talk to a local. From our vantage point, he pointed out his ranch far below with a great deal of pride. We wished them well and continued our way back down the mountain.

By the time we got to the car, my creaky knees were screaming. I was beat, but this was an awesome hike and was the perfect way to enjoy yet another Oregon favorite vacation spot.

Oregon’s “blue hole” days when the sun plays a peak-a-boo game with visitors, provides an excellent backdrop for the task of hauling crab pots full of fresh Dungeness crab from the Oregon Coast.

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 Oregon 150 Challenge is all over, but we wanted to thank the 517 freethinking adventurers and roamers of roads that completed the Oregon 150 Challenge and became Official Oregonians! We hope your Official Oregonian Certificate is hanging proudly somewhere!

We’re also very excited to announce the winners of our 7 Grand Oregon Tours! Congratulations to each of you, and we hope to see you exploring Oregon soon!

Grand Oregon Tour Winners

Central Oregon – Courtney R., Springfield, OR

Oregon Coast – Jean P., Forest Grove, OR

Willamette Valley – Judy F., Portland, OR

Eastern Oregon – Connie O., Neskowin, OR

Mt. Hood/Gorge – Sally N., Salem, OR

Southern Oregon – Janet M., Eugene, OR

Greater Portland – Sherrie K., Cedar Rapids, IA

This November, we’re also celebrating the very first Native American Heritage Month with several opportunities to experience our nine federally recognized tribes’ lifestyles and traditions.

We’ve also got a fabulous appetizer recipe that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving celebration as well as one last chance to enter to win an Oregon Bounty Getaway.

See you in Oregon, where we’re planning our Thanksgiving Weekend Winery Tour.

Grant’s Getaways – South Slough Estuary from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

Once you travel the Cape Arago Highway that skirts a lonesome and lovely section of the Southern Oregon coast, it may become a road once taken that you’ll never want to leave! It leads you past so many intriguing sights that you may well wonder, “Why have I never come this way before.”

Fourteen miles southwest of Coos Bay, drop in at Sunset Bay State Park and meet Oregon State Park’s Manager, Preson Phillips, who told me: “It’s one of those trails that just keeps beckoning you on – it’s just a matter of how much you want to hike or do at the time.” Make time to wander Sunset Bay State Park, a jewel of a campground that offers 139 sites for tent, trailer or R.V. – plus eight yurts. People who come to camp enjoy a spectacular beachfront that seems framed for the movies – it has been a special destination park since 1942.

If you own a spirit of adventure, you’ll no doubt relish the hiking trail that leads little more than a mile to nearby Cape Arago State Park. Many visitors are surprised to find a front row seat of sorts – a wooden balcony that overlooks Shell Island. Marty Giles, who owns an eco-tourism business called, Wavecrest Discoveries is often on hand to explain the behavior of hundreds of seals and seal lions that just plain loaf across the rocky island and Simpson Reef.

You will want to make time to travel five miles further up the Seven Devils Road to visit a piece of Oregon coastal paradise that’s been preserved since 1974. The South Slough Estuarine Research Preserve offers a visitor center that introduces you to the area with varied multi-media and hands on exhibits. There’s more than 5,000 acres in South Slough Preserve – approximately 1,000 of that is the slough itself, then the rest is protected upland forest or marshland. There is plenty of elbowroom to explore at South Slough Preserve and there are lots of trails that take you out and about.

One of my favorites is called the Hidden Creek Trail – a little over a mile in length that offers a wonderful wooden boardwalk that takes you out over a wetland area where the freshwater creek meets the sea. In addition, there are many stunning views along the trail, including those from atop a two level deck that looks across a marsh area to the Winchester Arm of the slough.

The preserve is open throughout the calendar year, but South Slough Preserve Education Director, Tom Gaskill, says some seasons offer unique surprises for the hearty traveler.

“I’m a birder, so for me this time of year in fall is the beginning of the most exciting part of the season. We have flocks of waterfowl that pass through here and a lot of the over wintering forest birds too – there are many species that we never see here during the summer, so it’s exciting in the winter months to see some of these migratory species that spend summers in Alaska and Canada but they’re here for the winter.”

Outdoor Tip of the Week
I am always on the lookout for fish and wildlife viewing opportunities that are worth a stop along my travels from this place to that. Right now, there’s a spectacular show whose prime time is passing as Oregon’s fall salmon runs hit their peak from now thru November. Hatchery personnel across western Oregon are up to their elbows with thousands of Coho salmon that have returned to dozens of Oregon hatcheries.

Sandy River Hatchery Manager Ken Bourne hasn’t seen anything like it in 34 years with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“It definitely has the makings of being a huge run. We’ve handled almost 7,000 fish to date and we’re nowhere near the peak of the return. We’re going to be swamped with salmon.”

Biologists say abundant food in the ocean is the secret behind this year’s record-setting return of a million-plus Coho salmon to many Oregon rivers and streams. State hatcheries offer visitors some of the best viewing opportunities of the salmon in the creeks that flow through the hatchery grounds. ODFW’s Sandy River Hatchery, Trask Hatchery, Big Creek Hatchery, North Fork Nehalem Hatchery and Bonneville Hatchery are just a few of the state-run salmon facilities that enjoy having visitors stop in to watch the salmon show. Each hatchery is open daily.

Tell us…what’s your favorite winter culinary find in Oregon?

More information about Ingredients

Grant’s Getaways – Oregon Birding Trail from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

There’s a new way to explore Oregon and this one is really for the birds! But it’s designed for people – especially folks who like to explore new destinations where half the fun is in the getting there.

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.

Grant’s Getaways – Fishing for Kings from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

Despite the wild and wet weather of the past few weeks October is prime time for “King Fishing.” King Chinook Salmon, that is! There is a simple reason that they are called “Kings.” – after all, the big fish can tip the scales at fifty pounds or more.

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

In 1986 Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen which became their flagship beer. Over the last 23 years the brewery has grown and expanded their line up of beers to include Drop Top Amber Ale, Broken Halo IPA and Drifter Pale Ale. In the craft beer world, larger brewers like Widmer are often overlooked by die hard craft beer fans as they are perceived as producing beers that are more quantity than quality. This perception could not be farther from the truth when it comes to Widmer. Widmer’s Gasthuas Pub offers an array of rotating, innovative beers that are only offered at that location. They also work with the Oregon Brew Crew home brewers to create collaborator beers. Some of the collaboration beers get added to their line up of beers like the winter seasonal Snow Plow. If this is not proof that Widmer is still creating innovative beers, hopefully the release of their newest line of beers will be.

On October 5th 2009, the Widmer Brothers released their first beer from a new semi-annual line of beers called the Brothers’ Reserve Series. The first beer from the series is a Cherry Oak Doppelbock. It retails from $7.99 to $9.99 and comes in a 22 ounce bottle which is packaged in a distinctive box. All beers in the Reserve Series will be a one time limited release. They produced 2,200 cases of the Cherry Oak Doppelbock for distribution. To kick off the new series Kurt Widmer autographed 50 of the bottles that were then distributed nationwide. The lucky recipients are asked to connect with Widmer on Facebook or Twitter to let them know where the bottles landed.

The Brothers’ Reserve series positions Widmer with other Oregon breweries including Deschutes Brewery, Bridgeport Brewing and Full Sail Brewing who release limited edition 22 ounce bottles. It seams like the right time for Widmer to create a new series of beer that takes them back to their creative roots.

Kurt Widmer explains, “The Brothers’ Reserve Series gives us the chance to take some risks and have some fun experimenting with various ingredients and beer styles. I think this one turned out pretty good, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”

The beer has a malty taste with a hint of cherry that is balanced with dark chocolate and oak undertones. This beer is 9% ABV, but drinks like a 5 or 6% ABV beer. It is a very smooth and drinkable beer that will get better with age. It is recommended to serve the beer near room temperature to taste the full body of flavors. The Cherry Oak Doppelbock retails at a reasonable price from $7.99 to $9.99.

If you are in Portland be sure to stop by their Widmer Gasthaus Pub at 955 N. Russell Portland, OR 97227. They also offer free brewery tours on Fridays at 3pm and Saturdays at 11am and 12:30pm. Call 503-281-2437 in advance to reserve your spot.

Grant’s Getaways – Wildwood Park from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

This week’s Grant’s Getaway offers a unique adventure for folks searching for a place to enjoy the beauty and wonder of the fall season.

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.