Crystalwood Lodge, your pet friendly and family welcoming vacation rental destination near Crater Lake National Park is proud to be hosting not one but two weddings this summer. The first one was this past weekend.  Congratulations to Briana and Rory and their families!

Rory’s family and groomsmen stayed at Crystalwood for the weekend, and the happy couple spent their wedding night here as well. With the long summer days, many of the family took a quick trip to nearby Crater Lake after the ceremony and reception.

The reception was catered by Yummy’s Cowboy Catering (which was yummy!), and some of the kids visited with my sled dogs after the reception as well.  With plenty of parking available, it was easy to accommodate the ceremony and reception for over 100 guests.

  All in all, a great weekend! We’re getting 2012 reservations already for July, August and September, so make plans early to get your first choice of dates!  Family reunions and extended family trips still top the list of reasons to rent the entire lodge, but we’re also having Sierra Club trips, workshops, healing retreats and of course…weddings.

The dogs and I look forward to hosting YOU soon! You can click here to check Crystalwood Lodge availability. As always, I’m just a phone call away if you have more questions or prefer to talk to a human being to make your reservation:  (866) 381-2322.

Have a wonderful summer 2011!

A point to note:  Fall reservations guarantee you the absolutely best time to hike and explore this area in depth. This year we had unseasonably late snow in the mountains, resulting in most trails being snow-bound and closed until late in July. You are guaranteed easy and complete trail access throughout September and most of October…with the fall colors being an added bonus! I’m betting the colors will be awesome this season given all the snow and rain we had earlier in the spring.  We typically have about 6+ weeks of beautiful “Indian summer” during September and October — warm days, crisp nights, dry conditions, no bugs, beautiful ever-changing fall colors — my favorite time of year, can you tell? 

Twice each summer the tiny, quiet western hamlet of Fort Klamath is suddenly filled with a parade of motorhomes pulling multi-horse trailers, pickup trucks loaded with horse paraphernalia, and more people than anybody seems to be able to count. Business picks up at the local general store, all of the lodging in the area is booked full, and the postmaster handles a Christmas season’s worth of mail. This can only mean one thing: it’s cutting time! Fort Klamath hosts two cutting meets annually, this year running from July 7-12 and August 20-30 at Mebane Ranch.

Historically, the only way to separate single cows from a herd was for horse and rider to isolate the target and hold it away from the others until it was immobilized. Today only a few cattlemen depend on “cutting” the cows for vaccinating, sorting, branding, and castrating, but the challenge of teamwork between horse and rider lives on in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA). The NCHA has over 16,000 members and represents one of the fastest growing equine sports in the world, with contestants competing for more than $3.7 million at the 2006 NCHA Futurity.

Competitors start arriving in Fort Klamath about a week before the festival. RVs are set up in a pasture just outside of town, a patchwork of temporary homes complete with Astroturf and potted plants. Rows of vendors complete the picture, offering food and the latest in tack and horse accessories. Young riders spend hours grooming and exercising their treasured horses. These small yet expensive, powerful and athletic horses are bred especially for their cutting mentality. In the days leading up to the competition, riders must continue to discipline themselves and fine-tune their relationship with the horse for that crucial 2 ½ minutes in the ring. Each member of a cutting team is fueled by their own personal passion for improving the skill of each member and developing the talent of horse.

At the signal, horse and rider enter the ring. They slowly walk toward the herd and seek a “hot cow”, one that will challenge and showcase the horse’s skill, strength, quickness, and training. Once the target is identified, horse and rider must focus in on its position and then slowly move in to isolate it. After the separation is complete, the rider must loosen or drop the reins and allow the horse to work independently. At this point, the horse controls the contest, using its lightning fast starts and turns to prevent the cow from rejoining the herd. The quicker the horse moves the cow, the more points are awarded. The goal is to keep the cow and horse nose to nose and to keep the cow moving. If a cow fails to give the horse a good fight, the rider may return to the herd and select another. When the cow turns away or doesn’t try to return to the herd, the rider may lift the reins, signaling the horse to “quit the cow.”

The upcoming July event is an open show, including all levels of cutting. The August event is limited to horses from 3 to 6 years old and is the first futurity of the year in the cutting circuit. A typical day show cases 80 – 100 works, over 600 horses, and a small city of owners, trainers, riders, and support personnel.

Curious onlookers may be surprised to find limited seating at the arena and that cutting, unlike many rodeo events, is a relatively quiet activity that is not necessarily meant to be a spectator sport. Nonetheless, visitors will enjoy hustle and bustle of Fort Klamath and the intensity of the cutting events at Mebane Ranch and may be lucky to learn a bit about a sport that has not quite made it to the mainstream. Cutting runs from early morning until dusk, making it an easy event to schedule into a busy vacation weekend at Crater Lake. If you would like more information on summer cutting at Mebane Ranch please call 923.3586 or visit www.nhcutting.com

The Crystalwood Lodge is located 18 miles from the southern entrance to Crater Lake, and approximently 15-20 minutes from Mebane Ranch. If you would like more information on Crystalwood Lodge or other area great Crater Lake area activities, please call 541.381.2322 or visit the activities page on our website.

This coming weekend is the first of three summer weekends that visitors can see to National Parks free of charge! The National Parks Service has waived the entrace fees for this coming Saturday and Sunday at many parks including the Crater Lake National Park to encourage tourism.

In light of this opportunity, the Crystalwood Lodge is offering a last-minute hot deal to anyone who wants to take advantage of the deals at the National Parks. If you make a last-minute reservation mention this blog post, you will recieve 50% off of your stay! This offer is valid for Friday the 19th through Monday the 22nd only. A minimum stay of two nights is required.

The first staff member you’ll likely meet is Brick, whose self-appointed official title is Lodge Meeter and Greeter. He’s a very mellow old guy, a retired sled dog just turning 16 years young, and at that age he kinda figures he has outlived the rules. Mostly, he’s right! He welcomes everyone, 2 or 4 footed alike…he’s quite convinced you’re here to see him!

Brick is Crystalwood Lodge's official Meeter-and-Greeter

Next is Jeana, who is our summer staffer joining us all the way from Alberta Canada.  We’re thrilled to have Jeana join us, and in this first week she’s jumped in with both feet to quickly learn the Lodge facilities and amenities.  If you’re lucky enough to get her on the phone when you call, please welcome her and enjoy her delightful accent — after all, its definitely Canadian, eh?

Jeana is here to provide excellent guest service

Last, but certainly not least, is Orval, our maintenance and landscaping expert.  Orval is one of those rare individuals who can fix anything (and does).  With the historical nature of the Crystalwood Lodge and property, keeping everything working smoothly is a full time job!  Orval does a great job whether he is tending the garden, completing a project enhancing the guest experience, or providing advice on the many recreation opportunities in our area.

Orval keeps the place humming and beautiful.

And, of course, there’s myself — Liz, your host.  I manage to keep pretty busy running Crystalwood Lodge, training and caring for my sled dog team, and developing a speaking, writing and coaching career based on the life lessons I’ve learned from my sled dogs.  Since we accomplished our goal of completing the 2008 Iditarod Sled Dog Race (in celebration of my 50th birthday), the dogs and I are sharing our learnings with others, and Crystalwood Lodge makes a wonderful place to host those type of gatherings, events and workshops!

Liz is your host and owner of Crystalwood Lodge

We all look forward to welcoming you to Crystalwood Lodge this year, whether you’re visiting Crater Lake, attending one of the Cuttings, Ropings or other special events in the area, or just enjoying the multitude of things to do…we will make your hard-earned vacation extra special!

Enjoy the sun or the shade on our wraparound deck.

With seven guest rooms, a commercial kitchen, and 130 acres of wilderness to roam, Crystalwood Lodge is a great location for small and medium size events such as family reunions, corporate retreats, workshops, and more.

Take advantage of nearby Southern Oregon outdoor activities all year round, such as hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, bird watching and more. Or just hunker down at the lodge for stargazing, photography, canoeing, or curling up with a good book on our wrap-around deck.

Crystalwood Lodge is also welcoming to four-legged members of your family or your organization. So if you’re looking for a pet-friendly event location, put us on your short list!