For too long lovers of Bend’s delicious libations were forced to only enjoy them on bar stools and couches across Central Oregon. When one ventured with rucksack into the high country or spent lazy evening by a riverside campfire, they were left with little choice but to settle on drinking the blandness that is mainstream canned beer. The good news is, recent and upcoming developments in the town with more microbreweries per capita than any other in the nation have made our favorite local adult beverages more portable than ever.
Most of our local breweries have been filling growers and various size “to-go” containers for years, but now that Hydro Flask has exploded on the scene options are nearly unlimited as to where you can easily enjoy your favorite cold pint. A double wall stainless steel design is what’s behind Hydro Flask ability to keep your beverages cold for 24 hours – long enough to pack 64 ounces of deliciousness from one of nearly a dozen breweries anywhere. If a growler is too much of a weight, there are also rumors from some of the breweries in town going to cans over bottles adding to durability and lessening the risk of broken glass in our rivers and forest. Boneyard Beer is looking to be in cans within the year!
If you are that rare Bendite who doesn’t like beer, Scott at Volcano Vineyards has begun putting some of his ridiculously great wines in light and packable plastic bladders. While they pour perfect at home in the locally made reusable pine serving boxes, they also travel well in backpacks and rafts alike.
Of course if you’re looking for an easy way to have an adult beverage in an exotic Central Oregon location, you can always head out on Wanderlust Tours’ Shoes, Brews and Views or Brews and Views trips.!
A late night at the office is something most people try at all cost to avoid. This is not the case for the Naturalist Guides of Wanderlust tours that are fortunate enough to call the vast expanses of the High Cascade Mountains their office. Whether it be winter or summer, we are hard at work sharing our love and knowledge of the heavens and natural world when most folks are snugly tucked away in their beds. The seclusion and serenity that can be found in the high country at night is amplified by some of the best stargazing one can find. The altitude, lack of artificial lights and crisp-pristine mountain air make for ideal conditions to see more of the heavens in one night than most people see in months. 2012 is shaping up to be quite the year for star gazing. In addition to the every day beauty, we have planetary conjunctions (planets appearing close to one another) between Venus and Jupiter and another between Venus and Saturn. We also have two lunar eclipses and a solar one to look forward to along with over half a dozen meteor showers of consequence. I for one am quite excited to put in some late nights in the office this year. Join me on one of our Moonlight or Starlight Tours this winter join in on these truly stellar sights!
In the fall, the mornings began with cooler temperatures as the sleepy sun slowly rose in the east. This type of morning always makes it difficult to get out of bed with tired shoulders complaining of the physical work of the summer past. Then I remembered what mornings are like this time of year on Sparks Lake, and so I rolled out of bed into the shower. I arrived at Sparks with a comfortable number of Wanderlust Tour guests in my van, just as the fog slowly began to slink off of the lake. The water was smooth as glass mirroring the hills full of trees, causing them to walk upside down over the undisturbed lake surface. I unloaded the kayaks quickly- not making any attempts to hide my excitement!
Once all were comfortably situated in kayaks we made our way out to the deeper part of the lake toward the ancient submerged stream channel. Paddling the cool morning water we heard something from above our heads; looking up, I gasped out a quick direction for the others to quickly shift their gaze toward the source of the sound. Large, silky wings followed their elongated necks, the three Sandhill Cranes flap there way far over our heads. They are magnificent birds to behold. Sandhill Cranes, Grus Canadensis, are very large birds averaging 8-10 lbs with an average 6 foot wing span! They are tall gray birds with red crowns, which live in open grasslands, meadows, and wetland areas. Spark’s meadow is a perfect match for these birds. They have been coming to Sparks’s meadow for many years for their summer migratory life. They are rarely seen however, while paddling the Lake. This summer was a treat to see them a number of times in the mornings and late evenings.
The guests I was with were just as excited as I to see these magnificent birds. We watched them fly from the southern basalt crags of Sparks Lake all the way north to the lush meadow where they landed leaving us with smiles and wide eyes. Continuing our paddle on the serene lake, we saw a brace of Common Mergansers run across the water, an Osprey circling above- waiting for the right moment to dive for a fish and an Eagle perched on the branch of a Subalpine Fir tree. Yet, the quiet moment with the Sandhill Cranes was the crown atop that peaceful fall morning on Sparks Lake.
The Trees In My Forest by Bernd Heinrich
xtremes by Dr. Kenneth Kamler
Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
Walden by John Porcellino, from the writings of Henry David Thoreau, illustrated by the Center for Cartoon Studies
