Mount Hood

Splashing swim spots to beat the heat

Dive into these eight swimming holes all around Oregon

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor  

With the warming weather of spring and summer on the horizon, a day trip to cool off somewhere is enticing. Check out these swimming holes all around Oregon and take a dip. 

Deschutes River State Recreation Area (Wasco): Located in the Columbia River Gorge where the Deschutes meets the Columbia, visitors to the Deschutes River State Recreation Area can not only swim in the river but also camp. Plan an overnight trip and enjoy all the Deschutes River has to offer. 

Fall Creek (Fall Creek): 30 miles east of Eugene is an abundance of swimming holes along Fall Creek. A 13.7-mile trail passes seven notable pools, each offering stunning and refreshing swim spots, but don’t worry — some pools are just a quick walk from the parking lot. 

High Rocks (Gladstone): Just a quick trip from Portland is this popular swimming hole and cliff jumping spot along the Clackamas River. While this spot is tempting for escaping the city, take extra caution at this spot, as strong currents and unpredictable ledges have been known to spell trouble for cliff divers and swimmers alike.

Illinois River (Selma): About 30 miles southwest of Grants Pass is the very clear, very beautiful Illinois River. The most notable swimming hole is at the Six Mile day use area which offers plenty of rock jumping opportunities in the not too frigid waters. 

Opal Creek Pools (Lyons): Looking for a day full of recreation? These beautiful aquamarine pools are accompanied by a seven mile hike, and less crowded pools follow after Opal Pool. Each provides plenty of places to jump right in. 

Quartzville Creek (Linn County): East of Sweet Home is a chilly creek that hosts four turnouts perfect for cooling off. The Yellowbottom Recreation Site, also along the Quartzville Creek, has another swimming hole option plus a campground if looking for a multi-day trip. 

Tumalo State Park (Tumalo): A short drive north of Bend offers another swimming spot along the Deschutes River. Wade in the water, enjoy a picnic or stay a night or two at the year round campsite. 

Wilson River (Tillamook State Forest): This serene location offers an array of swim spots right off of Highway 6. Enjoy the babbling of the slow moving Wilson River amid the towering Douglas-firs. 

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

‌A springtime playlist with tons of genres

These thirty songs are rising in the music charts

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

The sun is setting later, the days are getting warmer and spring is officially in the air. There’s nothing better than throwing on some music while relaxing outside or listening to new tunes while multitasking. Music streaming platforms ⏤ like Spotify or Apple Music ⏤ make it easy to find new artists and songs that are perfect for studying or lounging around. Whatever the case may be, it’s better to have a solid playlist ready to help pass the time, and this one is jam packed with thirty songs to look into. Follow the Howl on Spotify at @thewesternhowl to find this and other playlists. 

  1. “Good Days” by SZA
  2. “Peaches” by Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar
  3. “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
  4. “Levitating” by Dua Lipa ft. DaBaby 
  5. “Telepatía” by Kali Uchis 
  6. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals 
  7. “For The Night” by PopSmoke, LilBaby, DaBaby
  8. “Dancing with the Devil” by Demi Lavato 
  9. “COUNT ON ME” by BROCKHAMPTON
  10. “So I Lie” by Miguel
  11. “Astronaut In The Ocean” by Masked Wolf
  12. “Zuccenberg” by Tommy Cash, $uicideboy$, Diplo
  13. “LazyBaby” by Dove Cameron
  14. “Violent” by carolesdaughter
  15. “Positions” by Ariana Grande
  16. “Link” by Tierra Whack 
  17. “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd
  18. “Show U Off” by Brent Faiyez
  19. “Thrilla” by Wesley Joseph 
  20. “Tick Tock” by Joji
  21. “Whipski” by $NOT ft. Lil Skies and Internet Money
  22. “Calling My Phone” by Lil Tjay, 6LACK
  23. “Shut Up My Mom’s Calling” by Hotel Ugly
  24. “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat ft. SZA
  25. “Blueberry Faygo” by Lil Mosey
  26. “Goosebumps (Remix)” by Travis Scott, HVME
  27. “Leave the Door Open” by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic
  28. “YKWIM?” by Yot Club
  29. “Track Star” by Mooski
  30. “Beautiful Mistakes” by Maroon 5 ft. Megan Thee Stallion

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Independence launches another month of scratch its

Spring into supporting Independence’s local businesses with April scratch its

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Spring has sprung in Oregon and the city of Independence is celebrating the start of the season with scratch its, ending on April 25. Locals who spend $5 to $100 can earn money off their next purchase by buying from these 22 participating businesses:

  • Ovenbird Bakery
  • Parallel 45 Brewing
  • Jubilee Champagne & Dessert Bar
  • Independent Ice Cream Shop
  • The Tap Station
  • Starduster Cafe
  • Mendi’s Pizza
  • Mangiare Italian Restaurant
  • Pink House Cafe
  • Melting Pot Candy
  • Fro-Zone Yogurt Co.
  • San Antonio Mexican Restaurant
  • Chase Bar & Grill
  • Gilgamesh Brewing: The River
  • Arena Bar & Grill
  • The Naughty Noodle
  • Musical Independence
  • The Picken Chicken
  • Green Gables Home Store
  • Same As It Never Was Vintage
  • Miss 9A’s 

Additionally, throughout scratch it season, every Saturday at the Riverview Park Plaza from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., residents can listen in on live local music courtesy of Musical Independence.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Spring cleaning with The Howl

How The Howl staff gets motivated to clean

The Western Howl Collective

We get it — with classes, work and numerous other obligations, the thought of fitting in time to clean can be simply exhausting. Find some motivation from The Western Howl as we share what drives us to get up and clean up. 

Sydney Carpenter

I take care of myself mentally. Oftentimes my living space is reflective of how I feel about myself and during the term my mental health nosedives off a cliff. So, during a break in the term I take time to take care of mental health and show myself I’m worth the time it takes to clean my space.

Rylie Horrall

Honestly, I just get random urges to clean and then do it. Sometimes leading up to it, I get unmotivated but once I start cleaning I can’t be bothered until I’m done. To kind of keep me in ‘the zone,’ I always put on upbeat, hip hop music because that’s what my mom always does when she cleans.

Kyle Morden

The thought of living in a messy room bothers me. Part of my daily routine is to clean my bedroom and make sure everything is neat and tidy — that’s just my lifestyle. I don’t even think I’d be able to sleep if I saw a mess in my bedroom. 

Allison Vanderzanden

I try to keep in mind that the longer I put off cleaning, the more I will have to do later all at once. Doing a little something every day makes it easier in the long run. I like to put a sticky note to-do list on my bathroom mirror as well so that I can’t avoid being reminded.

Kiara Wehrenberg

I have a hard time cleaning during the day. I tend to get random spurts of motivation to clean at night with music in my ears. It’s helpful for me to remember how good it feels to exist in a clean space.

Natalie Dean 

I’ll pick and choose which messes to clean up first, it helps me not get so overwhelmed. Lists are useful for me, and I’ll create an incentive for myself for when I’m done cleaning. Throwing on music or a movie helps kill the time, and it’s nice to take a break and chill in between cleaning sessions.

‌Give a big green thumbs up for gardening

These five YouTube channels make gardening easy-peasy 

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

The saying that “April showers bring May flowers” is especially true in Oregon, with the sunny spring weather being pretty touch and go. In between the rainy days, gardening at home can be an explorative and rewarding hobby; anyone can cultivate their own garden, even if they have no green thumb or outdoor space. There are YouTube channels dedicated to all things indoor horticulture, and ones that teach the very basics of planting, harvesting and tending to a garden. Poking around on YouTube can help anyone feel prepared for the upcoming planting season, and these channels are some great go-to’s: 

  • AnOregonCottage

Brian and Jami share their experience running a country cottage in Oregon, with their videos focusing on enjoying a homemade life. They started the channel over ten years ago, and their videos include recipes, garden tours, plant maintenance and the transformation of their 100-year-old farmhouse. 

  • EpicGardening

Kevin Espiritu has a goal of teaching over 10 million people how to grow their green thumb and reconnect with nature, no matter where they live. He has specific plant guides for urban and organic gardening, tips for prepping plants, DIY projects on a budget and countless other tutorials on his channel. 

  • GardenAnswer

Laura has everything that an urban gardener could need, with her videos covering proper care for succulents, which fertilizer to use for specific plants, lighting options and how to get the most out of one’s garden. Along with tutorials, she shows the process of growing from seed, and how she made a fairy house out of homegrown materials. 

  • LearnToGrow

Misilla demonstrates the perfect tricks for indoor and outdoor gardening, sowing seeds, propagating and pruning ⏤ all while being beginner friendly. Many folks can gain inspiration from her outdoor space and setup, and since she’s located in the Pacific Northwest, her videos are great for learning about which plants work best for the area. 

  • TheRustedGarden

Gary Pilarchik provides an in-depth look at all the nuanced parts of growing a garden, such as which bugs can harm the plants, planning an outdoor space, preventing damage, repurposing supplies and advice for saving money on supplies.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Sweet recipes that will put a spring in your spoon

Try these two recipes featuring in season spring produce

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Spring brings new, fresh produce, including tangy rhubarb and refreshing citrus fruits. Head to a local farmers market or grocery store and pick up some in season produce for these scrumptious spring recipes. 

RHUBARB CUSTARD BARS

Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yields: 3 dozen bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

FILLING

2 cups sugar

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 large eggs, room temperature, beaten

5 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained

TOPPING

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar, and cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 ºF for 10 minutes.

For filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs, then stir in rhubarb. Pour over the crust, and bake at 350 ºF until custard is set — about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool.

For the topping, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spread over top, then cover and chill. 

Cut into bars, and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe from tasteofhome.com

CITRUS SALAD

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Yields: 4 servings

2 cara cara oranges

2 navel oranges

2 blood oranges

2 ounces baby arugula

2 tablespoons fresh mint

CITRUS DRESSING

¼ cup citrus juices, set aside

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt

Remove the skin from the citrus fruits, then slice them into supremes by cutting along each membrane. Combine citrus supremes, arugula and mint in a large salad bowl. 

Squeeze the juice from the citrus membranes into a large measuring cup or jar. Add the extra virgin olive oil, honey, vanilla extract and salt, then whisk to combine. Drizzle half the dressing over the citrus salad, then toss to combine. Enjoy immediately. 

Recipe from oursaltykitchen.com

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Winter storm damages Oregon’s storybook theme park

Enchanted Forest owners plan to reschedule spring reopening 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Oregon’s family owned fairytale theme park, Enchanted Forest, was hit hard by the mid February ice storm, causing an estimated $500,000 worth of damage.

Already enduring the financial strain brought on by COVID-19, the Tofte family ⏤ the park owners ⏤ intended to reopen on Mar. 19 after holding various fundraisers to get them through the winter season last year. However, the planned grand reopening has been postponed as a result of the ice storm.

According to Susan Vaslev, an owner of the park and daughter of owner Rodger Tofte, this is not the first time the park has endured a weather related disaster.

“The park was through something similar but not as extensive about 12 years ago, also from a big ice storm,” said Vaslev. “This is much worse. It looked like a war zone initially with trees uprooted and limbs and debris so thick you could not walk through the park.”

After being notified by the park caretaker a day after the storm on Feb. 13, Vaslev reported immediately texting contractors the park had worked with in the past, such as Pfeifer Roofing, Dalke Construction and Carter’s Fire and Sprinkler. Over the course of the cleanup initiative, Vaslev said a lot of progress had been made on general cleanup efforts. 

“Our own employees have worked for two weeks now on (cleaning up) and cutting trees,” said Vaslev. “Pfeifer Roofing has had crews out there solidly for two weeks repairing extensive damage to roofs. Dalke Construction has been out there daily working on reconstruction and tree/debris removal. (F&W) Fence is working on fences. Bethel Excavating is working on underground pipes. Carter Fire and Sprinkler recharged and inspected our sprinkler system.”

Park staples like Humpty Dumpty and the Witch’s Head were unharmed, however the park’s Kiddie Train was completely crushed by fallen tree limbs and the castle roof covered seating area at the theatre has been damaged. Vaslev reported that the big rides appear to have had only minor damage once all trees were removed.

“Thanks to fundraising like GoFundMe, insurance was paid in full,” said Vaslev. “There is a high deductible and it will not cover everything.”

At this time, the park is not taking volunteers to help with the clean up because, according to Vaslev, Enchanted Forest is not a nonprofit organization and any volunteers would have to be paid.

“Reopening date is unknown at this time,” said Valslev. “Hopefully before summer.”

For more information on Enchanted Forest, visit their website enchantedforest.com or follow them on Instagram @enchantedforest.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

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