Attending the 2016 NOWA conference

This is the second of a two-part series about attending the 2016 Northwest Outdoor Writers’ Conference.

The idea of breaking up the seven- or eight-hour drive from Moses Lake to Diamond Lake, Oregon turned out to be appropriate. My wife, Garnet, along with little Brenda Starr, our 4-pound Chihuahua, were not so tired when we arrived at our motel in Madras, Oregon after around four and a half hours on the road.

The remaining drive time was expected to take around two and a half hours. There was no need to get up early for this final leg of the journey, so Garnet and Brenda Starr continued to sleep. I was up by 6 a.m. working on the computer and eating breakfast in the motel lobby.

We were packed and on the road by 10 and pulling into the resort by 1:30 p.m. The unexpected time on the road was due to highway construction. Again the drive was pleasant and leisurely.

We encountered more and more snow as the miles rolled by and we drove higher and higher into the Cascade Mountain Range of southern Oregon. When Diamond Lake was announced as the destination of the 2016 NOWA conference during last year’s conference, many of us wondered if we would be walking in snow during the entire conference.

Diamond Lake has a reputation of holding snow until late spring during some years. This year was different, as the unusually warm weather in April helped melt a great amount of the snow. Still there were piles of the white stuff located throughout the resort, but the resort roads were bare and dry.

We asked for an upgrade and ended up with a full kitchen, with stove and refrigerator, along with a dining room table. The room was old, perhaps from the 1940s or 1950s timeframe, but comfortable.

The first night of the conference is strictly social, as we hold a wine tasting and T-shirt exchange. Everyone is encouraged to bring a bottle of wine from their area of the Pacific Northwest, along with a T-shirt to exchange with another member, a fun time for all.

The next morning we gather for the official opening of the conference, with a welcome by the NOWA president and by the main sponsor of the conference, the Discover Klamath Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Members had their choice of three activities in the afternoon: Attend a World War Era rifle shoot, including rifles used in World War I and World War II; participate in a fishing derby on Diamond Lake or take a tour of Crater Lake.

The snow began to fall in the late morning, still some people attended the first two activities, but most drove to Crater Lake. The north entrance to Crater Lake National Park was just eight miles away, but this was closed. The caravan of about five vehicles drove 60 miles to the southern entrance.

The snow became deeper and deeper as we neared the buildings of the park. The lodge was closed, but there was a gift shop. The road around the lake was also closed, but we were allowed to drive to the rim of the crater.

At the next gift shop, near the rim, the lake is visible on the third floor, if the weather cooperates. Finally the clouds cleared and the deep-blue lake was visible for a few minutes.

The rest of the conference is devoted to workshops and demonstrations. The most interesting parts of this conference involved demonstrations by Ram Trucks, information about BoatUS and Navionics.

There were three Ram Trucks for members to experience and take on a drive. Of course I wanted to bring one home, but my 2002 Ram was sufficient for the trip. Garnet wouldn’t let me buy a new one.

BoatUS is a company providing boat insurance and towing for disabled vessels, but this organization is involved in much more; Google the name for the full information.

Tshombe Moore and his wife, Deborah, became instant friends. He represents Navionics as the Western Regional Sales Manager. He punched in Potholes Reservoir as demonstration and an entire under water map of the reservoir floor was visible with contour lines defining the depth. Navionics also has Moses Lake and Banks Lake available in their system. This would be a valuable to the bass and walleye tournament anglers or for any fisherman who wants to catch more fish.

After three days of visiting and socializing we reversed our trip, Sunday night in Madras and then home on Monday morning.

There are conditions for NOWA membership, as this is a professional organization, but contact me by phone, 762-5158, or by e-mail, dclay@atnet.net if you are interested.