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McKenzie Magazine - Summer 2021
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Contents
Into the headwaters
4
Why we save things
6
Manzer’s Menagerie
8
Teamwork = the Haugens
10
More than metal
12
Dangerous Volcano?
16
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this publication or any part thereof in any form, including digital and artistic duplication of photos, maps, graphics, advertisements, or text, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without written permission of the publishers. © 2021 McKenzie River Reflections, 59059 Old McKenzie Hwy. McKenzie Bridge, OR 97413. mckenzieriverreflectionsnewspaper,com, rivref2@gmail.com, (541) 822-3358. Cover photo of Clear Lake courtesy of Harold Hansen.
Into the headwaters
Candice Landau
“THE BOTTOM BEGAN TO SLOWLY SHALLOW AS WE CONTINUED OUR ODYSSEY NORTH ALONG THE BOAT DOCK.
half long lake with depths up to 200 feet. Helping pinpoint when that event occurred are large submerged tree trunks that have radio-carbon ages of close 2,950 years. “Diving in this lake is like diving in a giant swimming pool, with one caveat: it’s cold—a piercing 38 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.” Candice Landau knows what she’s talking about in reference to the water - which she calls, “A tropical turquoise gem within relatively easy acWe finally reached a softly rolling ridge. Passing the ridge cess of Portland, Eugene, and Bend.” Most people have observed the underwater trees soon dropped us into a vast bowl of crystal clear water, probably 50 feet deep,” remembers Jeff Green when recalling after they board rental rowboats at the Clear Lake Resort. his first scuba dive into the headwaters of the McKenzie Although often referred to as a “petrified forest,” the trees River at Clear Lake. “This was truly an awe inspiring ex- have been preserved thanks to cold, mineral-free water and perience for me. In 20 years of diving the Oregon coastal light currents. The tree trunks are still wood, rather than waters, I have seen ocean visibility like this only a handful petrified stone that would have taken millions of years to form. of times...and maybe never even this good.” When underwater, divers are advised to try and avoid The lake was created when molten lava flowed across a channel blocking the outlet and holding back a mile and a touching the bottom. Volcanic ash from the eruption that Page 4
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
created the lake settled to the bottom in a thick layer...and never left. That soft, fluffy zone is fragile and landing in it - or kicking it up while swimming - will produce a cloud that can take hours to settle back down. During a descent, Green recalls what it was like hovering a few feet off the bottom. “As I slowly fluttered my way along the ground below, I found myself exploring some of the large patches of plants. One of the most fascinating features were these algae puffs that appear to sit on top of this green underwater carpet,” he says Appearing almost cloud like, the algae can produce a mesmerizing iridescence - slipping between light green, medium green, and dark green. “But you can’t tell where the surface is, or if the color is coming from the inside or outside,” according to Green. “The larger the algae puff, the greater the effect. It’s super cool.” Landau advises that while all of Clear Lake is dive able, “It’s worth picking specific areas to explore on each dive as the water is so cold. You really will not be able to stay down there for more than 45 minutes. Don’t risk getting too far out and then getting too cold to make it back. Hypothermia out here is a real possibility,” she cautions. Most people choose to
oregondivesites.com Divers around the region have found Clear Lake is a standout among other high altitude bodies of water in Oregon, primarily due to a preserved forest still upright almost 3,000 years after a lava flow dammed an outlet.
start their dive along the north end of the lake, entering the water around the resort area and then swimming north past the boat ramp. “The most photographed tree in Clear Lake is very likely the one that stands in the middle of the channel between the dock and the East bank,” Landau says. “Keep on heading up and you’ll find some more trees, a few in shallower water on the west bank and then a few more near the top of the lake.” The north pool area includes large craters where the water that fills the lake
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
seeps up through rocks. Landau too, appreciates the ethereal-looking green algae, and, “The grass that makes you feel like you’re swimming in a park; and of course, the ‘witch’s cauldrons,’ masses of mist that hover over craters.” She says photographers may also want to head up to the Great Spring that flows into Clear Lake. “Sometimes you can find some good photo opportunities there,” she says. Other resources include a trail that circles the lake. No powerboats are allowed. Besides the rental rowboats at the lodge, people can
launch their own watercraft - ranging from kayaks to sailboats or stand up paddle boards. “Fishing is apparently pretty good at certain times of the year if you know how to rig for trout,” Green says of his experience. “I can tell you first hand there were plenty of fish around today. We stumbled across 15-20 trout on our second dive while we explored the south end of the lake. If I get a chance to bring my kids fishing...I know right where to go. One of the benefits of being underwater...you find out exactly where the fish like to hang out.” Page 5
Why we save things
By Wisteria Stuart and Randy Dersham
The Treasure at Finn Rock, Roger Fletcher’s double ender drift boat, taken by Dave Zielinski in 2015 We save things because they are beautiful. Because they are awe-inspiring. Because they are vital. Because they are unique. The McKenzie River is all four and much more. The McKenzie River is the result of complex geology, volcanism, and the collection of snow and rainfall in Oregon’s lava-capped Cascades. Underground is an aquifer roughly equivalent to the size of Lake Mead. This aquifer stores the McKenzie’s crystal-clear water where it is released up to 10 years later. The McKenzie River supplies drinking water for over 200,000 people in the greater Eugene area and makes up almost 30% of the unregulated water flowing under Portland’s bridges during the summer months. This vitality is reason enough, but the real reason we save the river is that we love it. We love how it feels to be out on a boat. The magic of an oar in the water. The serenity we feel when casting out our fishing line and waiting for a strike. The relaxing sound of the cold water as it rushes over rocks in the riverbed. The fresh air in our lungs when we’re hiking along its banks.
Page 6
‘The McKenzie River will be a major source of water even when the rest of the West runs dry. The value of this river will only increase in the future.’ -Gordon Grant, Research Hydrologist, US Forest Service/Courtesy Professor Geosciences, Oregon State University. 2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
On September 7, 2020, a massive wildfire, the Holiday Farm Fire, swept through more than 30 miles of the McKenzie River Valley burning over 450 homes and buildings. This year as the community is rebuilding, the river has been spared the high floodwater that typically follows wildfires. Although there are scars, and in some places significant loss of trees and plants along the river’s banks, the McKenzie continues to flow clean, clear, and cold supporting the celebrated native Redside trout and salmon that have made the McKenzie River famous.
MRDC Building Concept July 2021
Many Oregon, Lane County, and local organizations have pulled together to clear hazard trees and open boat ramps to ensure safe river recreation access this summer. Spring has awakened the watershed with the vibrant colors of fresh green grass, ferns, and berries that anchor the soil, brighten the landscape and lighten the hearts of the people who love this river and call this place home. The McKenzie River community is rebounding. The restaurants and accommodations are open and look forward to your visit. Plan a day trip, grab a picnic lunch from one of our cafes and discover the valley’s many covered bridges and side roads. Sit in the hot springs. Ride the rapids in a drift boat. Bag a big fish. Or just sit on the riverbank and read a book.
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
If you’re thinking beyond this summer and wondering about community rebuilding and recovery, we invite you to learn more about the McKenzie River Discovery Center. Located on the site of the Old McKenzie Fish Hatchery, the Discovery Center will be a global destination attraction. The interpretive center will feature immersive exhibits, iconic boats, public trails, and an ADA-accessible community fishing pond. The Center will inspire stewardship and contribute to the economic recovery of the region by creating a world-class tourism draw to the river. Inspired by the McKenzie River Watershed, its unique hydrology, iconic boating culture, and native fish, our mission is to inspire stewardship by educating and entertaining through interactive interpretive exhibits and hands-on experiences. To date the non-profit McKenzie River Discovery Center has raised $2M toward the $18.5M campaign to build the Center including securing a 99-year lease for the site. Exhibits will focus on three main themes: hydrology/geology, native fish and cultural history. It will be rooted in digital technology which can evolve through time, and be shared around the world. With a grand opening planned for Summer 2024, the McKenzie River Discovery Center will be the first of its kind in Oregon and is informed by a comparison with nine other environmental centers in the state, including the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Bend High Desert Museum, and OMSI. To find out more visit our website www.mrdiscoverycenter.org or drop by the public wayside off Hwy. 126 across from Leaburg Lake for a self-guided walking tour.
Page 7
Manzer’s Menagerie
Jackie Juniper Davis
Near Milepost 14 a long dirt road heading north cuts through fields full of farm equipment and machinery. Signs at the start advertise Curran’s Custom Taxidermy and Hanging Baskets. Follow that path to the back and you’ll come to a beautifully built wooden building, and inside find the largest menagerie on the McKenzie River. By Sean Davis Pull off the right driveway on the McKenzie Highway and you can see many things that would surprise you. One of those is a gravel road leading to Curran’s Custom Taxidermy. Inside his rustic building is a full array of just about any animal under the sun - posed and preserved for all time. As soon as you walk in the glass door a stuffed rooster crows a welcome as you pass by. Look down and you’ll see “Mr. Bigglesworth” taking a very long nap on his bed by the door. The room to the left would give Noah’s Ark a run for its money. It’s filled with all types of animals, animal busts, skulls, skins, and much more. A mural that ranges from woodland to African plains covers the walls. On the poster walls are animals that would populate those places - ranging from cougar, skunk, lynx, and black bear to antelope, zebra, and even the image of a fifteen-foot high giraffe’s chest, neck, and head. Curran Manzer runs the place and he’s a very gregarious proprietor. A person can tell that his work really excites him. Curran drove truck for ten years before deciding that he needed to change his job to something he really loves. Always a big game hunter, he thought he’d follow that passion. He also had a friend who dabbled in taxidermy. Thinking that sounded like fun, he enrolled in the Missoula Valley School of Taxidermy in Thompson Falls, Montana back in 2008.
Page 8
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
Jackie Juniper Davis The philosophy of Jeff Welch’s taxidermy school stressed solid techniques but not generalities. Hands-on sessions covered grass root taxidermy: proper game care, tanning, and sculpting, along with form making and alterations. Not left out was advanced habitat building and several different mounting procedures used on fish, birds, and big game. Curran apparently paid attention. He’s become an award-winning taxidermist, and belongs to one of the earliest pioneer families that settled in the McKenzie River Valley. Great-great-great-grandfather George Millican homesteaded their land in 1865. Today the family has 640 acres and have started guided hunts on their property. A person can come hunt different animals, take part in the taxidermy process, and bring home their hunting trophy. Jackie Juniper Davis That trophy might be antlers, a skull, an animal Josh Knoebel and Curran Manzer (right) bust, hide, a rug, or other more creative souvenirs like the back end of an animal that can be used to take the cap off beer bottles or maybe a backscratcher made from a chicken talon. Curran’s Custom Taxidermy works on up to one thousand animals a year and has won over a hundred awards for their work. “There’s definitely an art to it,” he says. Curran and his team don’t just create hunting trophies; they preserve household pets, big game, snakes, crabs, mice, buffalo, yaks, fish, and right now they’re working on a six-foot monitor lizard and a five-foot long iguana. You name it, chances are Curran has worked to preserve it, and he’s happy to do the work. Even if you don’t need to conserve an animal or a hunting trophy, pulling off the McKenzie Highway and checking out Curran’s shop is worth your time and the short drive off the pavement.
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
Page 9
Teamwork = the Haugens Most of the year, you’re likely to find Scott Haugen in the field. He’s not plowing or baling hay. His “field” covers hunting, fishing, scouting, working with his dogs, and photographing wildlife. And although Scott’s wife, Tiffany Haugen, spends a great deal of time in a kitchen her output isn’t routine - as a nationally known wild game and fish cookbook author, a lot of people eagerly anticipate all she is preparing or preserving. Tiff and Scott met when they both were in the second grade at Walterville Elementary School. Their families’ friendships go back before that time as their parents also went to school together and the couple’s grandparents were friends too. It wasn’t that big a surprise to people who knew them when they married 31 years ago. Both their families came from a long line of teachers five generations on Tiffany’s side and two for Scott’s. School continued to play a role in their lives after they married. They held teaching jobs for 7 years in Alaska’s Arctic and another 4 in Indonesia - before settling down where they both grew up - in Walterville. Income from those educational assignments gave them a bit of a nest egg along with a desire to strike out on their own. “This gave us the freedom to take some chances. The first year we made $11,000 in our home business, but didn’t give up,” Scott recalls. “As more opportunities came up, progressing from magazine writing to books, TV and personal appearances/speaking engagements, and Tiff’s cookbook work, we just kept jumping at every chance... weeding out what we didn’t like or want to do.” Page 10
As their dreams became their reality the Haugens found themselves in a crowded world. They soon realized there are more successful NBA players than writers who make a full-time living in the outdoor industry. After 21 years of plugging away, the couple says they’re still transitioning. “We did it for 20 years; the key is don’t be intimidated and to always expand your horizons through personal experiences,” Tiff says. “Sometimes Scott was gone filming TV shows and on assignments for magazines over 200 days a year, going on over sixty big game hunts around the world.” During those times she was home with their boys, often home schooling them, and running their business while whittling out time to write her many cooking columns and a long line of cookbooks. “The biggest challenge is juggling time,” she feels. “Working from your home is hard, especially when there’s always something to do.” Scott agrees. “This is year 21 of working full time in the outdoor industry, doing mostly writing, photography and booking hunting and fishing trips, these days – we also do some marketing work for companies in the outdoor indus2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
try. We’re never caught up, but I guess that’s a good thing for if you’re caught up that means you’re out of work.” If you were to look at Scott’s passport you’d find he’s been to over 40 countries. He says he loves Africa, especially Zimbabwe and South Africa, along with Australia, New Zealand, parts of South America and areas throughout Asia. “Alaska is a favorite place for both of us,” the couple say, “often feeling more remote than many foreign countries we’ve been in.” And of course, the citizens they’ve interacted with around the globe have made impressions too. “The indigenous peoples we’ve met in many of our world travels stand out, like the Inupiaq Eskimos where we lived in Alaska’s Arctic, Aborigines in Australia, Maori in New Zealand, as well as folks throughout Indonesia, Thailand, China and parts of Europe,” Scott says. “We met a lot of wonderful folks in our travels throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada, too. We’re still in touch with many folks around the world.” Today, the neighboring city of Springfield has changed and the woods have changed. “There were many times over the years I remember coming out of the hills at dark when I was a kid, only to be in awe of all the lights that made up my hometown,” Scott says. “Today, there are more lights than I remember.” Yet, it’s Walterville where the Haugens decided to make their home base. Restablishing roots, Tiffany this year will be the librarian at Walterville Elementary - where her grandmother taught in the 1970s, and later, her dad taught as well.
Both Haugens get the chance to test a range of equipment from manufacturers hoping to gain favorable reviews on kitchen aides like pressure cookers to wildlife-capturing camera lenses.
The Haugens have created a wide body of information posted to their personal websites at scotthaugen.com and tiffanyhaugen.com. Go take a look and you’ll find a wealth of links to books, articles, and videos from around the world.
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
Page 11
More than metal
A good showing at Kley’s Repair in Leaburg, where the ORS cyclists meet monthly on 2nd Sundays.
The ORS float in the Springfield Christmas Parade helps the group increase its public awareness.
Christmas gift-giving continues to be a mainstay activity.
Page 12
Sweeping through curves and carousel corners are among the joys of traveling along many of America’s roads. That’s especially true for people who find the open air is best enjoyed astride two wheels. Yet, too often the people you ride with can spell the difference between a fun trip and a tedious outing. Swing by the Fins Drive-In on Main Street in Springfield some Wednesday night and be ready to meet a group of people who’ve joined together to share similar philosophies and riding styles - along with a focus on family and community spirit. “Most of us have or have had kids,” says Jake Lawson when he talks about the common feelings he shares with other members of the Oregon Riders Society. “A lot of us had it tough growing up and didn’t have a lot of stuff. So when we saw families struggling we decided to reach out - contributing food or clothes or a bed - anything we could that would help financially.” At first people reached into the own pockets to come up with funds when they heard someone needed groceries, clothes for their children, or maybe some help paying their rent. That changed in 2017 when one member helped the group incorporate as a non-profit corporation that now holds 501(c)(3) status, allowing them to comply with guidelines for corporate donations. Some of the sponsors who’ve chipped in to help fund their activities include International Paper, Walmart, Roberts Supply, Lithia Toyota, McKenzie Willamette, SUB, Jerry’s and Main Street Market in Springfield and Copy-Rite Printing as well as locals like East Lane Veterinary Hospital. That support, and others, will be welcome on September 11th, when the Oregon Riders Society hopes to raise $15,000 for their “Andy Ride” fundraiser, according to club president Brenda Hughey. Those funds, she said, are needed for a stem cell procedure to help the young man’s recovery from paralyzing injuries he suffered from a fall from a tree when he was younger. “An earlier procedure restored some movement in one of his arms and a leg,” Hughey said. “The doctors believe if he could get more it
2021 McKenzie Magazine - Summer
would give him a little more freedom but he won’t get out of his wheelchair yet.” The ORS riders will again be supporting drives to support the Women’s Shelter, aiming to match the four truck loads of clothes and toys they amassed last year. Other events include the weekly gatherings at Fins at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays (weather permitting). “We do local rides and get other riders involved,” says Rachel Lawson, who with her husband Jake, have been hosting planning sessions at their Kley Repair Service in Leaburg. Besides their other activities like sponsoring the annual Springfield Christmas Parade, the ORS members decided to single out two key places in Lane County to give back to this year - both Blue River and Oakridge. “When people contribute, that money goes right back into the community,” Jake adds. More information about the group is available online at: oregonriderssociety.org or facebook.com/ORS501. Anyone interested in joining some friendly folks for a ride is always to stop by Fins on Wednesdays. Jake says his welcome mat is also out at 1 p.m. every 2nd Sunday of the month at Kley’s for, “Anyone who wants to come see what we’re all about.”
Lloyd Knox Park at Leaburg Lake is along one of the cyclists popular ride routes.
“We are motorcycle riders and supporters that come together as a family to ride and share our love and values. Our family is made out of Respect: in which it is earned. Happiness: in which we carry others with us through the tough times to come out in the end with a smile. Loyalty: to ourselves, friends, family, and the community around us. We pride ourselves on being trustworthy and dedicated on helping our community. Our main aim is to help families and children in need and expand what we can do for the people around us.” Oregon Riders Society
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America’s 6th Most Dangerous Volcano Is? ....... ....... The South Sister At 10,363 feet, the South Sisters is the tallest and youngest of a threesome of Cascade peaks between McKenzie Bridge and Sisters, OR. Along its slopes are eight glaciers and Moraine Lake, where volcanic rocks as big as basketballs can float in water. The most recent eruption of these stratovolcanoes happened 2,000 years ago, though a potential reoccurrence remains very high within the area’s 115-square mile volcanic zone. In 1998, researchers detected a nine-mile section of ground was deforming just west of Middle and South Sister. Called the Bulge, volcanologists said satellite imagery indicated magma had been accumulating and moving underground. Since that time, monitors have been recording any changes. The deformation has continued to grow but those changes have slowed in recent years. Still, in 2021, the National Geographic magazine placed the South Sister on its list of America’s ten most dangerous volcanoes - at number six. For more info go to: usgs.gov/volcanoes/three-sisters
Volcanic activity continues to occur underground in the area. From the end of the 90’s to the start of the 2000’s, volcanologists focused on an area of ground that was rising, just west of the Middle and South Sister peaks. Weekly volcano update, usually in the green or normal zone, can be viewed at: alturl.com/kpfxq