Redmond Caves

A lot of people don't realize that just north of the entrance to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond is a series of lava tube caves that are open to the public and don't cost anything. I did not go into them as I did not have a light with me. They are on the west side of the highway and are marked with a sign.  It is a short distance like 60 feet to get to the first cave.

Somehow looking at how these rocks are stacked did not make me feel secure that they would stay up there but then I don't like being underground of above ground up in the sky.

you can see the trail that heads into the cave and you can hear people talking and laughing

somewhere in the cave but I never did see anyone.

 The sign telling you not to enter without a light 

 The sign that is on the highway to let you know they are there.

So if you want to go do some caving without having to go very far head out by the Redmond Fairgrounds then head towards the airport watching to your left for this sign. A small parking area allows you to park while you explore the caves. Be sure to take a light with good batteries and a hard hat would be nice too.  Be sure also to let people know where you are going anytime you go somewhere and what time you are expected home.

Lake Simtustus better known as Pelton

Lake Simtustus better known as Pelton is the first man made big lake in Jefferson County. Before that all the kids went to irrigation reservoir Haystack located south of town.

When they put in the dam for power and formed Lake Simtustus the kids were all excited. I think every kid that grew up in the 50's and 60's in Madras learned how to water ski at Pelton.  When they put in The Cove or Lake Billy Chinook later the kids were all mad as they covered one of the nicest and most beautiful places in Oregon but I am not going to get into that now. At the very end of where Pelton was formed now stands the Round Butte Dam that holds The Cove behind it.  On the right side of the photos sits the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and on the left of the photo is Jefferson County.  This is the same for Pelton.  Billy Chinook is a famous Native from our area and so are the Simtustus which both were legendary Chiefs.

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Pelton is located just off Highway 26 between Madras and Warm Springs. It was formed in a deep volcanic canyon that the Deschutes River flows through. The lake is approximately 8 miles long and only 1/4 of a mile across at its widest point.

Pelton has a nice campground that is ran by the forest service and they usually have a lot of kids activities during the summer months.  They also have a nice Marina, store and Roxy's cafe which is noted for its excellent food. People from the Madras area drive out to Roxy's just to have dinner. They have several runs that start in Madras and run down Willow Creek Canyon to Roxy's for lunch or breakfast.  It is very sad to hear that the owners are planning on selling the place and I was told that they are closing the cafe in December.  So stop at Roxy's before they close and have some of the best food you would want in a little rural area.  Roxy's has an outdoor area where you can set by the lake and eat.

Roxy's Cafe

Roxy is actually not the owners name it is the name of the their turtle who they have had for years and actually lives in the cafe in her aquarium.

Many birds make their home at Pelton and if you like to watch birds it is a nice place to go and you can rent several different styles of boats and have restful time on the lake.

Several Cranes can be seen

 The cranes love the rocks near the water

Commodore birds are everywhere

At dusk you will see all the Commodore birds headed for bed

 They are known as the birds on a wire as they love to nest on wires. These wires stretch over a small inlet where Willow Creek comes into Pelton.

You will see a lot of Osprey which is better known as a fish eagle and due to the white a lot of people think they are young eagles.

A King Fisher is another bird that likes to fish.

In the sky and near the craggy rocks you will find a lot of bald eagles and golden eagles

There are several little coves at Pelton where you can pull your boat in and swim or have your lunch.

Just to the right of the photos by linda is a shadow that I thought looked just like
a sea horse but friends say dragon.

The rock formations along the lake make it very interesting to just sit and drift and watch all the shapes. It makes me wonder how all of it was formed as all of it is so different.  Don't just take off on the lake take your time and study all you pass by.

This one looks like a little rock hut.

Look at all those layers. I have been told each one is a different lava flow. I don't know if it is true but they say the palisades in the rocks are formed from water, erosion or cooling fast.


I have always been fascinated by this dome rock with the crack.  What in the world made it so different from all the other rocks?  Anyone that is smart in geology know the answer?

People tell me this is from them dumping rock from the top but it is neat.

If you are out near dusk or sunrise you can almost always see deer and if you are really lucky a wild horse herd coming down to water.

In closing if you want a nice relaxing day in sunny Central Oregon with wildlife, deer and good fishing come down to Pelton and close your evening off with dinner at Roxy's before they close.

For information on the park call 541-325-5292

Cowdeo, 47th Annual kids rodeo in Madras, Oregon

If you have not been to a Cowdeo in Madras, Oregon you should come. Next year is October 15, 2016.  Get your kids signed up early if you want to be able to get in as it is a very popular event from all over Central Oregon.

 Signups for the 2016 Cowdeo will beginning on September 26, 2016. Contact the Jefferson County Fair office:

by mail at: PO Box 237, Madras, Oregon 97741.
by phone: 541-325-5050
by Fax: 541-475-2586
by email: sandy.forman@co.jefferson.or.us
web site: www.jcfairgrounds.org

All around champion wins a saddle and a buckle.

For years DMJ Automotive

of Warm Springs 

owned by Delford and Marita Johnson

donate the saddle

Every event wins a buckle

This gal won the barrel racing

The all around champion this year was a 

young native boy who won I believe 3 classes.

I was so proud of him. His mom is one of my kids off my school bus.

Part of the Johnson family 

and the 2015 and 2016 Fair and Rodeo courts

ready to present the saddle this year.

One proud little boy gets his saddle and all around buckle presented to him.

One of the favorite events and is open to all kids 5 and under. This is the last event of the night before awards and it works great as everyone is doing this the judges and crew add up all the scores for the all around. No one gets bored waiting for them to finish paperwork and they aren't rushed where they make mistakes.

A favorite of course is the cow riding

A kid coming off his cow.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy chasing down a cow and rider. Our Sheriff's office has worked the arena for the kids for the last two years and do an amazing job. This time the Captain was dressed as superman and he flies after a child.

Even our 2015 Jefferson County fair and rodeo queen took a turn on the cow.

Maezy Wills

Jefferson County Rodeo Queen 2015

Even our 2015 Jefferson County Princess took a turn.

Emylia Breckel 

Our Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo court did an amazing job of representing our county this year and always had time for the kids and were good sports about everything. They even rode a long horn steer and a camel at fair time.

Another fun event for the little ones is the horseless roping. They try to rope or even put the rope around a cow and then run for the finish line. A favorite event too.

The Keyhole race the child has to go enter a key hole shaped chalk line, turn around and come back out without stepping on a line. This might not sound hard but it is and many horses hate the white line. It takes skill to keep the horse straight going in, turn around right and come out fast without hitting a line.

The scurry race a lot of kids have never seen before but love trying. They must jump over two jumps, circle a barrel and come back over the two jumps. The event is a timed event and you get seconds added for knocking a jump down or for knocking the barrel down. This little gal had never even heard of a scurry race but she sure had fun as you can tell from the big smile on her face.

Break a way roping is just like regular roping except they don't get off the horse. Their rope is tied with a string to the saddle horn. They catch the calf and stop and the calf breaks the string and the timer stops.

The stick horse race is another event for the little ones and they love it. Everyone gets a prize

Local business donate to the prizes for this event. Each kid receives a small backpack full of goodies.

The Jefferson County 4H, TS&S Ford, City of Madras Police Dept., Columbia State Bank, Crook County Chamber of Commerce, Crook County Fairgrounds, Smokey the bear from the Forest Service, Hometown Drug, Indian Head Casino, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, McDonalds, Relay for Life and the Sisters Rodeo all contribute to the contestants bags.

The goat un-decorating, a goat has a ribbon tied around its tail, the child has to run down and get the ribbon off the tail and put their hands in the air. The goats this year were pretty tame but some years it is a riot.

Barrel racing is one of the gymkhana events that everyone knows and they have it every year. The Keyhole and scurry races are not always every year. A lot of people this is their favorite event they ride in and the public likes to watch.

I found out as a kid that riding a sheep was harder then riding a cow but it is not near as far to fall and doesn't hurt near as bad when they step on you. The little kids and their muttin bustin is always a blast.

A big thank you to the Jefferson County Sheriff's office in Madras, Oregon for always coming down and being our rodeo bullfighters. They do an excellent  job and so good for the kids to see them in a fun way and realize that cops are the good guys and will protect them.

Identity Zone is always a big sponsor or the Cowdeo and many other events in Madras for the kids. They do so much for our community and the owners Kelly Simmelink, pictured here and JR Brooks are amazing and always willing to help the kids throughout the year.

Saying goodbye as this is the last event for our Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo court as far as I know this year is hard. They both had been outstanding but this gal Emylia Breckel is going to the new 2016 Deschutes County Queen.

Our queen Maezy Wills is going to be missed as she is our local gal who has been one of the best rodeo queens our little community has ever had.  She did not try out for court anywhere else this year as she will be starting college to be an elementary teacher. She is so fantastic with the kids that she will do as amazing job as a teacher that she did representing our county all over the state.

Remember to come to Cowdeo next year.

In ending I say "God Bless America"