Winter arrives in Central Oregon by late November, followed by a stretch of bitter cold after the holiday season. Typically, by now, we’ve moved through a false spring.
However, Second Winter never rolled over us this late in the year. If forecasts are to be believed, winter is over . . . but not before leaving a few inches of snow, then ambling away ahead of a string of spring-like days.
Our snow storms are not California level, but frequently dampen any excursions we might’ve been planning.
That’s not to say we didn’t get out of the house, just not far from it. It is a house policy not to drive on snowpack or icy roads, unless a bakery is the destination.
Sunriver HOA is always on top of snow removal. Once parked in a recently plowed lot at the Nature Center, we ventured out onto untracked snow.
Fresh snow enhances any photo opportunity. A bonus is checking on the swans and attempting to spot elusive otters.
The cygnets have grown and the pond was full of ducks, but we didn’t see any sign of otters . . . may be next time.
It may be another ruse, but we’re definitely taking advantage of the upcoming thaw. After all, we already have stuff on the calendar.
During the winter, we often venture to the Nature Center. From its location on the northern edge of the resort, a lightly used trail runs past the lake, under the road and out along the edge of an airfield. At the west end of the runway lies open fields, often filled with geese. Last year we watched a convocation of Golden Eagles just chillin’.
The resort has an abundance of walking / biking trails. As you get near the Market area, bikes overrun paved tracks. However, out at the edges this isn’t the case. The nature center’s parking lot functions as a staging area for quick birding or some basic leg stretching.
We make regular excursions to the lake, usually to catch a glimpse of the swans and numerous variety of birds.