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Salt Creek Falls, 286 feet high, along the Willamette Pass Highway.

(Terry Richard/The Oregonian)

Facing a recent no-snow weekend, it was still easy to find things to see and do along the

.

The first order of business was to keep the skis and snowshoes stored out of sight in the back of the truck, so no one would question my sanity. Winter toys were not needed due to the short supply of snow thus far in the central Oregon Cascades, though a wetter pattern has arrived.

Skiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers should yet get a chance to play on the vast trail network at Willamette Pass this winter, and even make some runs at the downhill ski area. The pass that straddles the Cascades crest 65 miles southeast of Eugene merges the delights of Oregon's west and east side forests perhaps better than any other highway in the state.

One moment you're driving past a natural riverside hot springs pool and thundering waterfall in the verdant green of the Willamette National Forest. Then, a half-hour later, you're admiring the beauty of a five-square mile lake and wondering how sugar pines of grow such big cones in the Deschutes National Forest.

So if you find yourself driving between Lane and Klamath counties or, even better, using lodges at Willamette Pass for a quick winter getaway, these are some of the things not to miss while driving west to east on Oregon 58, the Willamette Pass Highway.

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Office Covered Bridge at Westfir.

Two miles north of the highway at the community of Westfir, this well-cared-for covered bridge is the longest in Oregon (180 feet), the most stout (triple trusses, to handle the biggest log trucks) and, quite likely, the best in the state.

The bridge is painted red (instead of the more common white), crosses arguably the signature river of the state and has separate car and pedestrian lanes. Local residents

for the holidays with reindeer and penguins.

The 25-mile North Fork Trail begins across the bridge, which spans the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. This fork comes out of Waldo Lake and is a State Scenic Waterway over its entire length. The Willamette is the defining river of Oregon and this fork is its most pristine.

Find the turnoff to the bridge on the north side of the highway, directly across from the Middle Fork Ranger District office, just west of Oakridge, near milepost 31 (mileposts are measured from where Oregon 58 begins at Interstate 5, just south of Eugene). Follow signs two miles to the bridge.

Animal taxidermy mounts at Willamette Fish Hatchery.

This is a close second to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, 40 miles east of Portland, as the most visitor friendly hatchery in Oregon. Located at the east end of Oakridge, the hatchery has sturgeon and trout viewing ponds, beautifully landscaped grounds and a mini-museum filled with mounts of animals, birds and fish that live around it. Salmon and trout inside the display cases are very much alive, too.

The hatchery raises thousands of catchable-size trout, getting them ready for release this spring, plus 3.4 million spring chinook salmon smolts.

Watch for signs to the hatchery on the north side of the highway, near milepost 37, as you leave the east end of Oakridge. Follow signs one mile north.

McCredie Hot Springs near Oakridge.

: This riverside pool just east of Oakridge has a way of getting drivers of long-haul trucks, family sedans and hippie vans to slow down, stop and take a soak. You're lucky when you get solo time in the pools.

The Willamette National Forest has a paved parking area with restrooms and a short trail to the pools, which had a wild reputation in days gone by. The crowd is better behaved these days, though not everyone chooses to wear clothes, and the pools are closed at night.

Located near milepost 45 and Blue Pool Campground (closed in winter), McCredie Hot Springs is a series of rock-lined pools scooped out by bathers along the side of Salt Creek. The 130-degree water comes out of a concrete cap block and runs through several pools of lessening water temperature. Find the one that's right for you.

The main pools and parking area are on the north side of the creek, alongside the highway; more pools are on the south side of the creek, but we found the water too chilly and the pools not deep enough to enjoy. But you get more privacy over there. Go east a half-mile on Oregon 58 from the main parking area, turn south on Shady Gap Road, cross the creek on a bridge, go right and park at the first wide spot. A 1/3-mile path through the forest leads to the south shore pools.

Salt Creek Falls.

At 286 feet, this is second only to Multnomah Falls among waterfalls in Oregon. Of course, Multnomah is more than twice as high, but Salt Creek Falls nevertheless is a beauty. Especially in winter, when its location at elevation 4,000 feet means there's likely to be some ice.

Salt Creek Falls is just off the south side of the Oregon 58, east of the tunnel near milepost 57. During winter, turn off the highway at the large Salt Creek Sno-park sign, then drive past the turn to the summer viewpoint. The summer road is blocked by a locked gate in winter. Continue driving a short way and park at the winter sno-park (state parking pass required; buy it before you get there). Walk back toward the highway, then head west downhill past the locked gate, following the ski sign pointer to Diamond Creek Falls.

It's about a half-mile over snow (in winter) to the Salt Creek Falls viewpoint. A trail continues down toward the falls to a better viewpoint about 100 feet lower, but this can be icy and treacherous in winter.

Sunset over Crescent Lake.

In winter, three resorts on these lakes are home base for ski and snowmobile getaways. During summer, the resorts cater to fishermen, campers and anyone who likes water sports.

When snow is in short supply, use the lakes to bird watch; the immature bald eagle at Shelter Cove Resort on

doesn't mind shaking a few tail feathers at those looking up from directly below. Also, walk along the east shore of

from the resort to get an angle to watch the early setting sun.

These two lakes, both more than 3,500 acres, would be the gems of the Oregon Cascades, if they didn't have even more beautiful Crater and Waldo lakes nearby.

Three turnoffs lead to the lakes, south of Oregon 58, between mileposts 62 and 69.

Odell Butte cones.

This is the secret outing along the highway. No one goes to Odell Butte, except locals _ and those who have accidentally discovered its charms. The heavily forested butte is on the north side of the highway, near milepost 74.

The butte tops out at 7,032 feet, with a

on the summit in season, when you can drive most of the way to a locked gate, then walk the last half mile for the view.

In winter, you need to stay down near the highway because of snow. Turn off Oregon 58 on the Odell Butte Road (F.S. 5815), drive until snow makes you park. At 0.6 of a mile off the highway, overgrown logging roads take off east and west from Odell Butte Road. We walked these as far as we wanted, crunching over old snow instead of sliding on ice as we did at the same elevation west of the pass.

Animal tracks in the snow, pine cones stripped for seeds by squirrels and a beautiful diverse forest compete for attention. At one location we found three types of cones: 14-inch long sugar pine, three-inch long ponderosa pine and one-inch lodgepole pine. Don't let the sugar pine cone clunk you in the head.

-- Terry Richard