What a great season!

Skyline Bald Eagles 2009 (not pictured, Sam)

I learned a huge amount as a coach and I think the boys had a ball, and learned a lot about the game, working hard, and good sportsmanship.

Player pro shot!

Here is a link to our professional photographer’s site -

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp?userid=ccameras&gallery_id=1813051

Tough loss in the two game series via a 3-3 tie in this game.

I had a great time with Loni, Rod & Michelle.

Timbers Army

The beautiful game

I’m still a bit laid up from the Skyline “World Cup” Soccer tourney on Sunday.  Something is not quite 100% in my right quad yet, but I’m on the mend.

Here’s the link to one of the albums from the tourney -

http://picasaweb.google.com/skylineschoolk8/SkylineWorldCup2009#

It was a great time and an exceptional fundraiser for the Skyline School Foundation.

Some of Cole's Condors

I also played for Fisher’s class – Ritter’s Redtails (in red)

A throw-in down the line

Early season pheasant from Sauvie Island

In the fall

Successful adventure with Ian and Gary on the Deschutes

Hatchery buck nabbed mid-river from a seam

Action viewed at the Sherar's Falls fish ladder 1 (jumping steelhead)

Action at Sherar's Falls fish ladder 2 (leap)

Drew, Hank and Bill tailgating

My friend Hank kindly got me down to the Ducks home opener.  It was great see the spectacle that is the Ducks at home at Autzen Stadium.  I’ve done my best here to capture it.   I didn’t make it home to Portland until 315 AM.  Snap!

Autzen Stadium in the glow of a setting Oregon sun

End of the National Anthem at Autzen

The Ducks take the field (including their motorcycle)

Filmed play – Oregon vs. Purdue

GO DUCKS chant!!!

Making the big noise at Autzen vs. Purdue

Purdue QB rolls out and scores in the air, quieting the crowd

The kids take the field at Autzen (1130 PM)

Posted via email from Posterous for the Isenberg Uncertainty Principle

Posted via email from Posterous for the Isenberg Uncertainty Principle

Posted via email from Posterous for the Isenberg Uncertainty Principle

Posted via email from Mohr Rothery

Posted via email from Mohr Rothery

June included two trips to the Deschutes for the salmonfly hatch – one with Jon Bowers and one with Gary Hager.  The month started with a volunteer Kids Fishing day at Bonneville Dam.  We helped a bunch of kids catch their first (or near first) fish.  My kids and nieces had a ball out there as well.

Bring your kids out to Bonneville next year in early June.  Also, here is the link for the Oregon trout stocking schedule (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/trout_stocking_schedules/).  I have mixed feelings about hatchery fish, but it is a good way to get young anglers “hooked”.

This is my niece Anna. We had about 150 kids come through my station, but their folks did the photography

Sadly, I was too tired to head up to Timothy Lake this final weekend of the month for a float tube outing with the Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited (see tvtroutunlimited.blogspot.com) chapter.

Massive storm on the plain above Warm Springs, OR

Unusual shot of an adult salmonfly (3" long) drying its wings

Happy camper Jon with a nice 'bow

Gary and I utilized our tribal permits to good effect

Hank Hosfield also managed to get me into a shad at Bonneville.

Hank with a decent shad

Quick post from adventures in FL before and after my conference.1) Boca Grande and Cayo Costa2) Tampa Bay via boat near Treasure Island3) Tampa Bay via car near Passe-de-Grille BeachAwesome. I’m addicted to the salt now.

I received this via e-mail from a credible personal source with one degree of separation from this, but also found it posted elsewhere (Enoch’s Blog on SodaHead – see below) and appears to come out of the Norfolk Naval Surface Warface Center.

Real story of the MV Alabama – Somali Pirate incident

Your “Real” story is not exactly the way I heard it, and probably has a few political twists thrown in to stir the pot. Rather than me trying to correct it, I’ll just tell you what I found out from my contacts at NSWC Norfolk and at SOCOM Tampa.

First though, let me orient you to familiarize you with the “terrain.”

In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa (also known as “The Horn of Africa”) is about a 600 nm transit before you stand out into the Indian Ocean. That transit is comparable in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to the tip of Florida at Key West– except that 600 nm over there is infested with Somalia pirates.

Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing southerly currents there. It’s about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is just south of the equator in Kenya. Comparably, that’s about the transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to Miami Florida. In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern seaboard to Maine.

Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the position of MV ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine time-zones ahead of EST.

Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better than 400 kts (SOG) takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip. In the evening darkness late Thursday night, a team of Navy SEALs from NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17 into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean– close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD 4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR (Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden). They not only parachuted in with all of their “equipment,” they had their own inflatable boats, RHIB’s (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water transport. They went into BOXER’s landing dock, debarked, and staged for the rescue– Thursday night.

And, let me comment on time-late: In that the SEAL’s quick response– departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk– supposedly surprised POTUS’s staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get his “cops” there before the Navy. He reportedly questioned his staff, “Will ‘my’ FBI people get there before the Navy does?” It took the FBI almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up– for an “at sea” rescue. The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not practiced to do this– Navy SEALs are. But, BHO wanted the FBI there “to help,” that is, carry out the Attorney General’s (his) orders to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully– because apparently he doesn’t trust GW’s military to carry out his “political guidance.”

The flight of the FBI’s passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti. BOXER’S helos picked them up and transported them out to the ship. The Navy SEALs were already there, staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS’s FBI arrived on board latter that evening. Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain Phillips was denied, to wit: “No, wait until ‘my’ FBI people get there.”

Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching, yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform– and, target– such as a ship and a lifeboat on the high seas. Navies have been doing since Admiral Nelson who had trained “Marines” to shoot muskets from the ship’s rigging– ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside.

Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit, based at our Little Creek amphib base. Now, Navy SEAL’s, in particular SEAL Team SIX (The “DevGru”) based at NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) at Little Creek do that training now, and hone their skills professionally– daily. Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished “Art Form” than it is a practiced skill. When you are “in the bubble” and “in tune” with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are “able to put three .308 slugs inside the head of a quarter at 100 meters, in day or night– or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead. Yes, we have the monocular scopes that can “see” heat– and, draw a bead on it. SEALs are absolutely expert at it– with the movie clips to prove it.

Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Three points for you to consider here: (1) Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make good 600 nm– BAINBRIDGE did. (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and (3) The best place to hide as a “fisherman” pirate is among other fishermen

Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO about 300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya. Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with weapons. MV ALABAMA’s captain sent out the distress call by radio, and ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the ship-service electrical generators– in our lingo, “Go dark and cold.” He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it– from the inside. He would stay in the pilot house to “negotiate” with the pirates.

The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the engines. He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no answer. The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find him and get the engines started.

Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark. The advantage goes to the people who work and live there. They jumped the two pirates in a dark passageway. Both pirates lost their weapons, but one managed to scramble and get away. The other they tied up, put tape over his mouth and a knife at his throat.

Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and cast it adrift. It foundered and sunk. The scrambling pirate made it back to the pilot house and told of his demise. The pirates took the Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats (not a life boat, per se). As he was lowering the boat for them, the crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade. The crew let their hostage go to soon, and the pirates kept the captain. But, he purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam.

With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and released it as the captain jumped in the water. They fired at him, made him stop, and grabbed him out of the water. Now, as night falls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic “Mexican” standoff, to wit: A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison) Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to leave their captain behind. The pirates are enclosed under its shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage. The crew is hunkered down in their ship waiting for the “posse” to arrive.

After receiving MV ALABAMA’S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA’s distress call. At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after– that is, in the dark of that early Thursday morning. As BAINBRIDGE quietly and slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE’s arrival. He said it was something else “… to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!” He then said as she slipped in closer he could see the “Stars and Stripes” flying from her masthead. He got choked up saying it was the “…proudest moment of my life.”

Phew! Let that sink in.
Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene. They dropped a buoy with a radio to the pirates so that the Navy’s interpreter could talk with the pirates. When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard. They wanted a satellite telephone so that they could call home for help. Remember now, they are fishermen, not “Rocket Scientists,” in that, they don’t know that we can intercept the phone transmission also.

MV ALABAMA provided them with a satellite phone. They called home back to “somebody” in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to come out and get them. The “somebody” in Eyl said they would be out right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries, and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships. Right– and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her. Yea, in paradise. The “somebody” in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables as overhead for “the cost of operation.” Next page.

Anyway, ESG will continue to “watch” Eyl for any ships standing out.

The Navy SEAL team, SEAL TEAM SIX, from NSWC briefed the OSC (Commander Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the life boat with swimmers– “Combat Swimmers,” per se. That plan was denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger– and, involved killing the pirates.

The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning. Later that afternoon, the SEAL’s sent over their RHIB with food and water to recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it. They could have taken them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told that the captain was not in “imminent danger.” The FBI negotiators calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow the life boat. The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow in their wake at 30 meters– exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills.

With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE’s wake-wave (“rooster tail”), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion, and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on. The light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL’s .308 caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K; suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged their target very clearly. Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be compared to fish in a barrel. All that was necessary was to take out the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the high velocity .308 round. So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before the kill-shot– no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out, clean.

Now, here’s the part BHO’s “whiz kids” knew as well as the Navy hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM SIX. It’s the law in Article 19 of Appendix L in the “Convention of the High Seas” that the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT DANGER. So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano call as to “Imminent Danger,” and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to act accordingly.

Got the picture?

After medically attending to the wounded pirated, and feeding him, come first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat. There would BE NO more negotiations– and, the four Navy SEAL snipers “in the bubble” went “Unlock.” The pirate holding Captain Philips raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS RELEASED! I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, “On my count (from 8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !” POP, BANG! Out went the window, followed by three simultaneous shots. The scoreboard flashed: “GAME OVER, GAME OVER– NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!”

I hope you found the above informative as best I know it– and, please excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me. I submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely it’ll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our military. So, let’s
Look Up, Get Up– and, Never Give Up!

God Bless Our Troops, and
GOD SAVE AMERICA!
Bxxxxx

Here’s The Daily Show bit -

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=223907

OSP trooper nabs six exotic cars racing across the State of Oregon, at once.

The only difference between a man's toy and a boy's toy is how much it costs...

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/04/osp_trooper_nets_six_exotic_ca.html

Sheesh! Kids and their speed racers these days.

Actually, Oregon State Police say the drivers of six exotic sports cars stopped for racing along Oregon 18 near Grand Ronde this morning were all grown men, some in their late 40’s, from Washington and Canada on an annual road trip.

And apparently one ticket wasn’t enough for one of the drivers. Two hours after getting dinged near Grand Ronde, one of the same cars – a yellow Lamborghini — was stopped again for racing into the Columbia River Gorge near Multnomah Falls.

“These were all $100,000-or-more cars,” said State Police Sgt. Brad Hessel. “One guy told us his Ferrari cost more than $400,000. It was pretty much a street-legal racing car.”

The first incident was like something out of a Vin Diesel flick.

About 11:15 a.m., a driver on Oregon 18 called the State Police Northern Command Center to report about ten expensive, high-octane sports cars zooming past each other in no-pass zones that cut through the farmlands near Grand Ronde.

East of town, Senior Trooper David Peterson spotted five of the cars. As he chased after them, a sixth exotic racer sped past his patrol car. Peterson was eventually able to stop all six vehicles and cite their drivers for speed racing (a $679 ticket!).

Last year, a pack of drivers in exotic racers were caught racing near Bend, which holds an annual exotic car show in September, but Hessel said he didn’t know if it was the same group.

Thursday morning, the drivers were cooperative and told Peterson that they were part of a pack of 20 similar race cars traveling together on an annual road trip.

“They said they had been down in California and they were on their homeward part of the trip,” Hessel said. “They knew they were pushing the envelope. I guess they’re pretty high-paid fellas. They just accepted their citations and went on about their trip.”

But apparently one of them had no problem blowing about $1,000 on traffic tickets in a single day.

Two hours after getting pulled over outside Grand Ronde, the driver of a 2004 Lamborghini was caught going 90 in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 84 near Multnomah Falls, some 100 miles away.

Police say they have no doubt it was the same driver. Same name. Same shiny hood ornament with the Lamborghini raging-bull logo. Same Alberta license plate: “BADBUL.”

- Joseph Rose; josephrose@news.oregonian.com

http://tomatofamilyjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/a-trip-to-a-special-coast-river-with-rod-march-2009/

April 5 – 19.75 mi hill climbing route from Ash St. west on Skyline

April 9 – Viscious spin class in the poor weather (Bethany Athletic Club)

April 18 – 22.0 mi flat speed run on Sauvie Island

April 20 – 24.1 mi SW PDX to SE PDX return – mix of hills and flats including a 22 to 24 mph run on the Springwater Corridor

April 23 – Quick bone density run.

Missing May logs (to be logged later)

May 28 -29.3 mi., (Capitol Highway to Downtown via Terwilliger to Johnson Creek to Westmoreland to  Downtown to Capitol Highway) with H and R.

June 1 – 712 kcal. 19.56 mi.  Hills/Valleys/Flats, 1 hr. 20 mins.  172 max HR (Ash to Bethany to West Union to Rock Creek to Ash)

Missing June logs (to be recorded later)

June 28 – 1008 kcal., 26.9 mi – Climber’s journey tonight, 2 hrs 5 mins, Ash to NW Rock Creek to Elliot to Skyline to Dixie Mt. Road (at gravel) – return to Ash via Skyline.

A 31" buck caught on Sunday, March 1

Picasa Web Album of the Wallowa R. Trip (link)

Picasa Slideshow of same (link)

On the weekend of February 28 and March 1, I had the good fortune to experience “The Steelhead Train” in Minam, OR.

My friend Jeff Gottfried and I had a great time and stayed in Elgin at the Stampede Inn.  Jeff had made the arrangements for the train and motel and invited me along.  I was glad to get the time with him and the great adventure in this wild and remote canyon on the edge of the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains.

Snow drifts (photo by Duncan Holland)

I was very fortunate to get four fish to come to the fly (the deadly translucent orange 8mm bead.

The sometimes used locomotive with cargo flatbed for rafts and pontoon boats on the return trip upriver (photo by Duncan Holland)

Duncan's pontoon boat awaits pick-up (photo by D. Holland)

Here is a great video that a past trip participant posted to YouTube

Heavy snowpack along in the Wallowa River canyon

My friend, Jeff Gottfried, nymphing through a run

28" Wallowa R hatchery hen

Articles on The Steelhead Train:

The Drake article by Justin Yax (with some great pictures, but not noting Fleser’s death)

*Chuck Fleser started the Steelhead Train as a business venture as part of his Minam Motel business and unfortunately passed away in June 2008.  He was honored by the Oregon Tourism Commission and is missed by his community.

drake_steelhead_train-article

New West Travel and Outdoors (May 2007) by Bill Schneider

All Aboard The Steelhead Train

By Bill Schneider, 3-04-07

	ABOVE: Mike Marcus with one of his beauties. Photo by Kevin Wright, Travel Oregon. BELOW: Author and steelheader Chris Santella boarding the Steelhead Train. Photo by Bill Schneider.

Among anglers, steelheaders are among the most avid. Twice each year, their necks swell and the little-known pisces gland releases powerful hormones and they become uncontrollable. They go great lengths to hook into these sea-run rainbows on steroids, traveling hundreds of miles, buying the latest gear, rolling our before daybreak on a fishing day so they can fishing from first to last light.

And now, in Eastern Oregon, thanks to an unusual private-private partnership, steelhead aficionados have their own train, The Steelhead Train.

Starting this year, in February and March, The Steelhead Train leaves every Saturday and Sunday morning from the Minam Motel & Market (about halfway between La Grande and Enterprise, Oregon on Oregon Route 82) and makes three back and forth trips, up the Wild and Scenic Wallowa River Canyon, stopping at every fishing hole to drop off or pick up anglers. Non-steelheaders (i.e. normal people) ride along just for the “excursion,” as it’s called by local tourism folks, to enjoy the scenery and train ride. It costs $50 for the full day, $30 for a half day, including lunch.

Why February and March?  Steelheaders already know the answer, but for the majority of the population, that timeframe coincides with the winter steelhead run. The silvery torpedoes also have a summer run in July and August.

The Steelhead Train is a partnership between the Wallowa Union Railroad and the Minam Motel & Market. Agencies are involved and supportive, but it’s primarily private operation that’s already, in its first year, starting to generate some tourism dollars for a poor cousin to western Oregon. Eastern Oregon is scenic, mountainous, full of friendly folks, great for fishing, hiking and many other outdoor activities, dry and sunny, but doesn’t have an ocean. The Steelhead Train isn’t going to change that, but it does fill up a few motels on weekends and helps out the local restaurants and gas stations.

I stopped in eastern Oregon to take the Steelhead Train on my way back to Montana from my winter escape to the OC. I stayed at the Stampede Inn in Elgin. That night I had a nice meal at Sig’s, although definitely a change of pace on the menu for me after spending a month in Florence, Oregon. No more crab encrusted halibut or feathery breaded calamari steak for Wild Bill. Instead, chicken fried steak and corndogs. This is rural America after all.

After a short predawn drive to Minam, I geared up and boarded The Steelhead Train at 7 am. When I arrived, the place seemed almost deserted except for Chuck Fleser who appeared out of nowhere and looked in my truck window, causing my heart to skip a beat. Then, suddenly, about five minutes before the trail left, fifty people showed up carrying fishing rods and daypacks, and the trail was full.

Okay, it isn’t a big train. Only two cars, but still a real train.

That was my first time fly fishing for steelhead, and I learned that I have a lot to learn. I caught to a massive 25-inch bull trout and a nice 17-inch native rainbow, plus a few whitefish, fish I’m used to catching, but no steelhead. That hurts because back on the train, all the other guys are passing around their digital cameras full of photos of the beautiful steelhead they hooked, but I’ll console myself by saying they had all done it before and I was a rookie.

It was a great day on a great river, though, and I vowed to return, next time a little more savvy and with the right gear. Listening to seasoned steelheaders talk about bucks vs. hens and why the fish weren’t so “hot” that day made it worse. I have to come back and catch a steelhead on a fly.

The lack of motorized access makes this a special trip. The train offers anglers a chance to fish away from crowds and roads, and a 25-rod limit keeps it a quality experience. Most other quality steelhead streams, most lined with roads, are getting crowded.

Fleser says he has had great support from government agencies. Travel Oregon has helped him promote the train. Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department has been supportive, as has Oregon State Parks who administers the state wild and scenic rivers. “We have bathrooms on the train, and we look after this beautiful canyon,” he says.

A few years back, the railbed up the Wallowa Canyon was almost abandoned and reverted to private ownership, which would have been a giant loss for public recreation. The Steelhead Train, along with excursion trains run in the summer by Eagle Cap Excursions, keeps the railbed active. That threat has now passed, assures Fleser. “Now, if it were abandoned, it would go to the Oregon State Parks and become a rail trail.”

Which would not be a bad thing for the local tourism efforts. Similar rail trails like the Hiawatha Trail on the Idaho-Montana border attract thousands of cyclists every year and benefit local businesses in many ways.

But there is no talk of abandonment nowadays, partly because of the Steelhead Train.

Currently, the Steelhead Train chugs along at about 10 mph eight miles up the canyon and returns. It could go two more miles, but an ATV trail has given motorized access to the last two miles. Falser doesn’t want to take the train to the end of the line to mix his customers with people coming in on ATVs, but says if efforts to close that trail to motorized use succeed, he’d extend the fishing train another two miles.

Fleser keeps careful track of his customers so leaves nobody behind, and he keeps a strict schedule. When the whistle blows three times, you better be on the train–unless you have a fish on, of course. “We brake for fish,” Fleser admits.

That’s reassuring because I’m coming back, and maybe even get a steelhead on my last cast and won’t be left behind.

After a day of fishing, I made a stop at another must-see tourism attraction in remote northeastern Oregon, the Terminal Gravity Brewery for some really good beer and tasty pub food. Check it out if you ever get to Enterprise, Oregon, but go directly to a gas station to ask directions because you’ll have trouble finding the brewpub by yourself.

You can find out more about The Steelhead Train here, or call the Minam Motel & Market at 887-888-8130. Check out the Terminal Gravity Brewery here.

Fisher decided it was too cold to go duck hunting in mid-January, but Beryl was game.  She sat patiently in the blind for two hours.  We had a flock of about a dozen swans fly over the blind, perhaps 70 feet over us.  That seemed to impress her.  I got a shot at two mallards, but they had flared just a little bit out of range. As you’ll see, it was a beautiful morning (too sunny for ducks) on Sauvie Island just below our house on the Willamette R.

Picasa Web Album

Slideshow

Beryl with the trainer cap gun that she and Fisher share

Ian and I decided to head into the Coast Range to search for grouse on the last day of the season.  Lucy, his springer spaniel, was pretty excited (as always).

Grouse production was low this year in the Coast Range, but it was too snowy to head up onto the shoulder of Mt. Hood.  We had nary a flush, but enjoyed a good day in the woods and explored the edges of some extensive beaver ponds.  It was a great day in the woods though not a shot was fired.

Slideshow

Embedded Slideshow (experiemental)

Picasa Web Album

Self-potrait: Duck hunting scouting trip on Sauvie Island near Portland, OR

Photo album from a good month of duck hunting, elk hunting and steelhead fishing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/200811HuntingFishingNovember2008?authkey=VHgsmEkuh7A#

Direct slide show link -

http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/200811HuntingFishingNovember2008?authkey=VHgsmEkuh7A#slideshow

Waterfowl in flight (my YouTube video) -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG2wt6N_gyY

Elk hunting through the sword ferns in the creek bottom

Rod wading the Deschutes with the Spey rod in search of a steelhead

This last album is from Seth’s motorcycle adventure up to the southwest coast of Washington.  Gorgeous.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/July2008SethSWeekendMcTourToCathlametWestportAndBeyondInCoastalWA?authkey=4r7M3IiQYM8

Slideshow version – http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/July2008SethSWeekendMcTourToCathlametWestportAndBeyondInCoastalWA/photo?authkey=4r7M3IiQYM8#s5232769169117950194

I had the good fortune to have two friends show me around Alta for a 1/2 day in early April.

Very cool with lots of in-ski area hike-up access.  We got into some great powder.  My legs were rubbery at the end of the session.

Picasa Web Album link – http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/AltaUTTripApril2008?authkey=BhLWVqL1cgM

 YouTube video link – www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTnftNHVe1s

Alex and I had a good time, but we were virtually blown off Davis Lake on Saturday afternoon.  We had access to another lake which was a little more protected.  I always feel a little guilty at these pay to play operations, but they are fun in the early spring to get rid of the jones…..

Picasa Web Album link – http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/GrassValleyLakes?authkey=6Z5AcyG8fco

With the recent scouring of the Salmonberry River canyon, the river is not much of a secret these days in Oregon.  Though it was low and clear on Sunday the 9th, I went down to see if I could find any of the river’s famed steelhead (I’ll land one on this amazing river eventually) and check out the damage.

Picasa Web Album - http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/200803SalmonberryRMarch2008?authkey=QQsecpZi13M

Amber, Patti, Lonnie and I had a big powder day on Mt. Bachelor on Saturday the 1st.  The kids did really well in their lesson and Beryl got off the racer chaser this time.

Picasa Album - http://picasaweb.google.com/sbisenberg/200803MtBachelorAndSmithRocksMarch2008?authkey=TkBJSPp-ib0

On Sunday, the kids played at The Mariposa with M&J and Amber and I got a nice hike in the sun at Smith Rocks.

- S.

Hi gang.  My blogging has diminished over the last month as my bandwidth has been absorbed by a few other work-related mission-critical items.  I have a few things that I’ve seen recently that I wanted to post about.  One of these is related to Amber’s cousin, Hailey Niswanger.   I’ve known Hailey and her sister Kaitlin (also in the performing arts and studying theater at Syracuse University) since she was 6 years old.  She started out as a little whiz on the piano and quickly graduated to expert status on a number of instruments including accordian, flute (I believe), clarinet and her main squeeze now, the alto saxophone.

By the way, here is a link to some interesting research findings on professional saxophone players versus us mere mortals:

Anyone can play the sax; a pro hits the high notes

http://www.oregonlive.com/science/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/science/1202862312123480.xml&coll=7  

To hear Hailey’s playing, click here (for a player link at The Oregonian):

 She’s been receiving a lot of press coverage lately and she just turned 18.  I thought I’d include some of the links here. 

 From The Oregonian newspaper – “The Kid Can Play”

http://www.oregonlive.com/swweeklylww/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/metro_southwest_news/12013917057440.xml&coll=7

From the West Linn Tidings newspaper – “Young West Linn musician hits national scene” about the Grammy Band that Hailey played in in 2007 and also again in 2008

http://www.westlinntidings.com/features/story.php?story_id=117389992721326600

Her folks, Lonnie (with the calmness of a Zen monk) and Patti (frenetic, supportive Momager – that’s Mom/manager for those of you not in the know) are pretty proud of their kids and it can’t hurt that Hailey, as a high school senior, has now received word that the Berklee College of Music in Boston has offered her a full-tuition merit scholarship for all four years of her undergraduate education.  Berklee’s alumni include Quincy Jones and Branford Marsalis and they also offer a music management degree and co-enrollment in several other widely-respected Boston universities.  While Hailey hasn’t let the cat out of the bag that Berklee is where she wants to go, it is a pretty safe bet.  She likes it there, seems to love the faculty and the other students, and she spent the last two summers there in their advanced collegiate summer program for gifted high school students.

Hailey’s not with us this weekend to go skiing at Mt. Bachelor (something she loves) as she’s in Indianapolis with yet another band she is playing with nationally.  But like the article in The Oregonian, she doesn’t let it go to her head and she’s a real sweet kid (well I guess I have to say young woman now that she is 18, eh?).

-  The Editor (S.)