Take Care Out There

LEARN ABOUT exploring responsibly & SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE BELOW FOR THE CHANCE TO SCORE a copy of Ineffable!

For over a quarter century, Wanderlust Tours has been caring for the beautiful Central Oregon landscape and bringing our community together through volunteer events.

Every year Central Oregon’s outdoor spaces see an increase in cherished use. To preserve these special places, there are many easy actions we can all take. We have shared a few to build awareness. We ask you to please share below your stewardship practices and consider signing up for one of our Volunteer Events which bolsters ecosystems! 

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VOLUNTOURISM

Central Oregon is a special place. We do our best to keep it that way.
We organize regular clean-ups with small groups and company outings. Join Us!

CASCADE LAKES CLEAN UP

CENTRAL OREGON CAVE CLEAN UP

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Explore Responsibly

LEARN ABOUT exploring responsibly & SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE BELOW FOR THE CHANCE TO SCORE a copy of Ineffable!

For over a quarter century, Wanderlust Tours has been caring for the beautiful Central Oregon landscape and bringing our community together through volunteer events.

Every year Central Oregon’s outdoor spaces see an increase in cherished use. To preserve these special places, there are many easy actions we can all take. We have shared a few to build awareness. We ask you to please share below your stewardship practices and consider signing up for one of our Volunteer Events which bolsters ecosystems! 

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Snow Melting

Spring has sprung and the snow is melting. Whether you are mourning the lack of fresh powder under your snowshoes, or reveling in the soft spring corn snow-the fact is that it is disappearing quickly! 

This means new wildlife previously unable to move, live and survive in the deep snow are coming back, soon to be snacking on the buds of the trees and shrubs. While we find joy in the melting snow and newly emerging wildlife, we also find other hidden treasures, one less appealing.  

Post snow-melt trash is a huge component of living in a snowy world.  While our community is great about picking up micro-trash on the trails or accidentally left dog poop bags, once a new layer of snow falls, the trash is buried. As spring unfurls, each layer of melting winter snowfall reveals a layer of unintentional debris.  

Now is the time to scour the snowmelt, to sniff out the candy wrappers, to find the used hand warmers before the wildlife does!  And if you find a cell phone on Tumalo Mountain, please give me a call!

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Paddling Central Oregon Lakes & Rivers

Paddling canoes and kayaks on our tours mimics the original form of North American travel beyond one’s own two feet! Native Americans modeled this mode of transport and we so love the Americana associated with paddling! 

Because we use our boats on different lakes, rather than sinking them after use to preserve them for future use, we clean them after every trip to ensure our waters stay clean and free of invasive species. 

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Subterranean Adventures

Photo by Chaney Swiney

Our local caves have seen varied use over the years by Native Americans and Euro-Americans. From shelter to ice collection to exploration, human use has always affected the caves. Current culture, for some crazy reason, includes marring our caves with sprayed graffiti. 

Wanderlust partners with the High Desert Grotto to sustainably sandblast graffiti away as well as our yearly cave clean ups, picking up trash for everyone’s enhanced cave experience. We so enjoy when volunteers from the public join us on our clean-up efforts!

WHITE NOSE SYNDROME IN NORTH AMERICA

 We operate year-round cave tours in caves where our bats do not hibernate. WNS does not affect humans in any way. Learn about WNS in the United State here.

Photo by Drew Pick

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WANDERLUST TRIVIA

Test your knowledge below for the chance to score a copy of Ineffable!
"Ineffable," is a stunning photo book supporting Pledge For The Wild.
Winner will be announced in our May Newsletter

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VOLUNTOURISM

Central Oregon is a special place. We do our best to keep it that way.
We organize regular clean-ups with small groups and company outings. Join Us!

CENTRAL OREGON CAVE CLEAN UP

WHYCHUS CANYON PRESERVE CLEANUP

CASCADE LAKES CLEAN UP

Explore the Subnivean Zone

LEARN ABOUT the Subnivean Zone & SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE BELOW FOR THE CHANCE TO SCORE A HALF-DAY TOUR!

Once winter arrives, the temperature drops and snow begins to fall, we start to notice a stillness within the forest. We only see the pristine, fluffy, white, pillows of snow that cover both the trees and ground. Just below the untouched earth exists an entire world that most humans never see, where animals are free to live without being bothered by the harsh winter conditions above ground. This area is called the subnivean zone. 

Sub being the Latin translation for below and niveus meaning snow, the subnivean zone quite literally means below snow. When snow falls before the ground is completely frozen solid, the ground warms up the snow directly on top of the ground and ultimately creates water vapor. That water vapor rises and begins to form ice crystals on the lowest layer of snowpack. This layer of ice acts as a ceiling as more snow piles on top. The snow on top of the subnivean zone creates insulation and keeps the internal temperature around 32 degrees. This also helps to prevent wind and other winter conditions from affecting the zone. Logs or vegetation that can hold up the snow off the ground can also create the subnivean zone. 

Photo by Chaney Swiney

The subnivean zone is home to many small mammals such as rabbits, mice, voles, shrews, and lemmings. These mammals use the labyrinth of tunnels for traveling, sleeping, and storing food. Some animals will store a cache of food in this zone to avoid losing where food was placed. This zone can even have direct routes to food sources such as seeds and grasses. The only visible part of the subnivean zone above ground is the hole they use to enter and exit this elusive world. These holes are not only essential for entrance and exit but also double as exhaust vents for carbon dioxide from animal respiration to escape. 

Photo by Chaney Swiney

Photo by Chaney Swiney

While some animals call the subnivean zone home, predators use it as a hunting ground. Owls, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and weasels can hear the movements of the small animals under the snow and can plunge into the snow collapsing the tunnels, catching themselves a meal. (Think of the fox jumping into the snow head first, this is their intention). 

Weasels can take over some of the tunnels and chambers created by other animals to keep themselves warm and protected. Weasels have to hunt anywhere between 5-10 times daily since they use a lot of energy heating their long bodies, a small stomach, and a resting metabolic rate twice that of similar sized animals. Owls and overhead predators listen while perched on nearby branches, then swoop in when the time is right. 

Not only is the subnivean zone important for animal life, it is also essential for plant life as well. This zone and the layers of snow that fall on top protect potentially fragile ecosystems from being stepped on while many of us explore the outdoors in the winter time. 

Snowshoeing around in the wintertime is a great way to access areas that are normally filled with small trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. While we can go off trail and explore new sites there is still a functioning world just below our feet. While diving into the forest during this time of year, you are almost guaranteed to find some amazing animal tracks, especially after a fresh snowfall. 

Our Naturalist Guided Snowshoe Tours take place in the mighty Cascade Mountain Range. This area is home to  beautiful old growth forests and wildlife. Exploring at lower elevations we can find rabbit tracks. My favorite part is that you can see exactly which way these rabbits are headed and near the treewell we can see the precise area where they enter into the subnivean zone. 

Photo by Chaney Swiney

Moving uphill just about a hundred feet, we start to see more pine marten and fox tracks. Being able to follow those tracks with snowshoes is such an incredible experience, as if you are seeing the world through the eyes of the animals that call it home.

Winter has become a favorite season of mine. It allows me to connect with wildlife, learning where they go, seeing what they chase, and even just following the trails they make. Winter and more specifically, snow, has allowed me to make trails with snowshoes and take paths through forests that no one else has ever taken. Snowshoeing truly gives a whole new perspective to an area and is my favorite way to explore in the winter while still protecting the natural environment. 

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Wanderlust Trivia

Test your knowledge below for the chance to score a half-day tour!
Winner will be announced in our April Newsletter

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Katie
Naturalist Guide