Caldera Springs
A Luxurious Retreat in the High Desert

Story and photography by DANIEL PEARSON
Central Oregon holds many unexpected natural surprises: tall native grasses preserved in glades outlined by cattails, mountains covered with ancient pines and juniper, deep canyons and breath-taking cliffs, streams and lakes full of trout and bass, and badlands stretching as far as the eye can see. It’s paradise found for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts; both types flock to the region to enjoy a mellow, relaxing communal experiences with nature or blistering downhill runs on mountain bikes and skis, or white-knuckle, white-water runs in kayaks and canoes.

But there is another facet of Central Oregon that is as unique to the region as Smith Rock, Broken Top or the Lava River Cave: the destination resort, and in particular the 400-acre Caldera Springs, a sort of subdivision on steroids neighboring Sunriver and the Crosswater golf and social club, which offers home owners and vacationers a luxurious retreat right in the middle of the high desert.

What makes Caldera Springs stand out from the handful of other destination resorts sprinkled throughout the region is the abundance of complimentary recreational opportunities residents and visitors alike can experience – from canoeing and swimming to golfing, fishing, hiking and even snow-shoeing during winter months, all just a few minutes walk from their front doorstep – and all of those options are available without ever having to leave your neighborhood. Washington resident Sue Linton and her family purchased the No. 30 cabin in Caldera Springs earlier this year, and the way she enthusiastically talks about her new home away from home you would think she had been hired by the resort’s board of directors to be a spokesperson for the resort.

“It’s not just a home we own now, it’s where my spirit lives,” Sue says. “Caldera really is surrounded by some of the most beautiful places on Earth. We live south of Seattle in a place called Lake Tapps, which itself is beautiful, but the minute I get home from visiting our cabin in Caldera I just want to go back.” To be fair, Sue has a daughter and two grandchildren who moved to Bend three years ago, so there is more drawing her to Central Oregon than some incredible piece of real estate recently purchased by her family. “My husband and I started spending a lot of time down here once they moved to Bend, and finally we decided we wanted our own place where we could stay,” Sue says. “The moment we went to Caldera I knew we would not be looking anywhere else.”

At indeed when set foot inside the congenial Lake House at Caldera Springs it feels as if you’ve been transported into a place where time turns elastic. The Lake House, which acts as a community hub for Caldera Springs residents and guests, is complete with a massive, kid-centric “Family Room” set up with a hardwood shuffleboard, a pool table, video game systems and a flat-panel television, the quieter “Living Room,” designed for adults to sit quietly and read a book, hold long conversations with friends or companions, or watch the sun set behind Mt. Bachelor while savoring a glass of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley, and the not-to-forget Italian-themed Zeppa Bistro.

And that’s just indoors. Outside guests can sit by the water in easy chairs surrounding a fire pit, hop in a canoe for a leisurely paddle across the trout-stocked lake connected to seven acres of waterways and miles of streams, or stroll across the authentic suspension bridge that provides views of the 12-hole, Scottish style golf course, complete with three practice holes, pars three, four and five in length, that were built in lieu of a traditional driving range.

“We figured rather than just creating a huge pasture where people can only hit balls off of tees, we would create an extra three holes to complement our nine-hole Scottish links course where residents can practice any time of day without having to secure a tee time,” says Steven Runner, vice president of development and construction for Caldera Springs. “The nine-hole course is an all-irons course, so you carry three clubs with you. You can tee off from a variety of lengths, too, on the practice holes, so really you can make any of the holes a par three, four or five in length. And of course, golfing is always free to Caldera residents and their guests, but we are not a public course.”

While you are hopefully enjoying a successful round of golf, your kids can spend time at The Quarry Pool, a zero-entry pool (meaning there is no ladder or steps leading into the water; you simply walk in as if you were wading into a lake or stream from the shore) complete with water cannons and a lava tube waterslide that kids find irresistible. The Quarry Pool actually looks like a natural rock outcropping that Runner and his team of developers found when they built this section of Caldera Springs.

The pool is also designed with an infinity edge, providing the appearance that it and the lake are actually one continuous body of water. Also designed for the kids, and located just across the street from The Quarry Pool, is a playground with an interactive stream and waterway system, oversized marimba-like instruments that actually are properly tuned to the Key of C (try to recall the first note to the classic song from the Wizard of Oz, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”), willow tunnels for hiding, which are still growing, climbing rocks, high-flying swings and a half-court basketball net perfect for a game of “Around the World” or “Horse.”

“We really tried to make it so that once you set foot in Caldera everything you could possibly need, for your entire family, is here and taken care of,” Runner says. The only thing lacking is a small retail center and grocery store, but all of the amenities of Sunriver are less than five minutes up the street. Perhaps shopping could be part of the picture once all of the 320 residential lots sprinkled throughout Caldera Springs are sold (currently there are 60 homes and 15 cabins built or under construction, all sold within the last year), but really the resort would be better off leaving the commerce to Sunriver to keep this uniquely-Oregon, recreation-themed resort unspoiled.

“Caldera already offers anything we could possibly want,” Sue says. “Every bit of that place I literally can’t believe it. Even the people who work there are like a group of old friends you haven’t seen in years. I suggest you seek out a woman named Janet who works by the pool and plays with the kids. Or the chef, who waves at everyone that goes into the restaurant, comes out to talk to you and always seems to make something special just for you that night. I work as a customer service lecturer and it’s still amazing to me how these people make you feel like the King and Queen of England. They like their job and each other, and that, coupled with the natural surroundings, makes me feel like the experience is above and beyond excellent.” Information: Caldera Springs, 17750 Caldera Springs Drive; PO Box 3650 Sunriver, OR. 97707 800/781-9462, 541/593-3000. info@calderasprings.com


Adventure Homestyles
House Exemplifies Smith Rock Living

Story by VALERIE CLARK
Landowner Marc Walters posed a challenge to the staff of Norman Building and Design: to create a home that reflects and complements the stunning natural beauty and dramatic vistas of Smith Rock while incorporating the adventure of rock climbing. And by all accounts, his 3-bedroom, 3,700-square-foot, Colorado-lodge style house fits the bill. The story of the house begins with another piece of property that Walters owned near Smith Rock.

A local farmer irrigated the property for Walters in exchange for the hay that grew there, but Walters, an avid rock climber who enjoys traveling all over the world to engage in his favorite hobby, was looking for a more low-maintenance piece of land at Smith Rock. So he decided to buy a 10-acre parcel with sweeping views of the beautiful rock formations.

The only thing on the property was an old green barn thus Walters decided to build his own dream home from scratch. “I thought it would be fun to build my own home and customize it,” he said. Although he was excited about the prospect, he was intimidated as well. “I found it to be scary,” he said. He sought the help of his siblings, especially a brother who has beautiful custom homes in Canada and the Puget Sound. “I didn’t want it to look like just another house with not a lot of thought put into it,” he explained. He also didn’t want a log home or a house with an overwhelming “Western cowboy” feel.

Knowing what he didn’t want, he said, helped him to figure out what he did want. Walters decided to contact Norman Building & Design to bring his dream house to fruition after seeing a local magazine ad for them and getting recommendations from local realtors. He interviewed a few builders, he said, but “Norman was just the best.” The enthusiasm of Greg Garrick, marketing director at NBD, was contagious, Walters added. “Greg just loves homes. He sold me on Norman. He wanted to build a house for me,” he said. “Everybody loved working there,” Garrick said of the Smith Rock setting.

“It’s not a bad place to frame when the weather’s beautiful.” Walters’ brother gave him the idea to read architectural and design magazines and tear out pictures of houses he liked. These visuals, along with the time he spent in Denver, inspired him to create a Rocky Mountain lodge-style home. Along with the lodge theme, he also incorporated modern design elements using some steel construction in the house. “He wanted something rustic but contemporary,” Garrick said. So with the style of his new home in mind, the next challenge was how to best capitalize on the breathtaking views of Smith Rock, especially the towering rock formations that can be seen from Walters’ outdoor living space. Garrick agreed that it was tricky to capture the panoramic views.

“It was all about: how do we get it so that when people walk in, they can see the view,” he said, explaining that designers took great care to make sure the windows weren’t so low that they cut off the line of sight. The master bedroom, living room and one of the guest bedrooms have expansive views of the park, and Walters says his spacious kitchen is his favorite part of the house. “It has nice views and it’s well-designed. You can look out the windows while you cook,” he said. The house is filled with intricate details that work together to create a home that is a work of art, Garrick noted. “The more you are there, the more you begin to appreciate,” he said.

S&S Ironworks provided custom iron work on the upper floor railing, along with rusted iron work on the fireplace, entry door and kitchen island and custom rusted iron tiles in the kitchen backsplash. NBD crafted hickory cabinets with hand-wired wheeled center panels and hickory interior doors. They also designed and crafted master bedroom furniture and casual dining table in claro walnut. The ceiling wood is wide plank cedar, the wood flooring is reclaimed chestnut, and the timbers seen throughout the home are Douglas fir. Along with building the house, Walters also faced the question of what to do with the old barn on his property, which the previous owner used to refurbish cars.

“I didn’t know what I’d do with it,” Walters said. True to his love of rock climbing and the nature of his Smith Rock home, Walters decided to install an indoor climbing wall. “When it’s cold, I work out in there,” he said. Smith Rock is the perfect home for Walters, who first got into climbing as a medical student in Seattle. He was involved in a program called WAMI (Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) that rotated medical students around to different rural areas between the four states. In Fairbanks, Alaska Walters could hike and climb till the wee hours of the morning in the summer when the sun barely ever set, and he became hooked on the sport. “I totally fell in love with it,” he said.

He went on to climb in Washington, Colorado and California honing his skills all over the world. Walters is also an avid skier and biker, but says that rock climbing is his favorite sport. “I like skiing, but I’m not really challenged by it. Climbing is the utmost in challenges,” he said, explaining that paradoxically, a death-defying sport can really put life in perspective. “Worrying about falling and dying is relaxing. It makes you focus on the task at hand.” Smith Rock offers plenty of climbing challenges, as well as rewarding natural beauty. “It’s lots and lots of fun, really challenging. I enjoy interacting with the beauty of the rock as much as the challenge,” he said.

“I find Smith Rock to be a pretty attractive place to climb.” Walters moved into his dream house last August and has enjoyed every minute. When he’s not traveling the world in search of exciting new climbing adventures, he can be found grilling out with friends or hiking Misery Ridge with his chocolate lab, Bambo. Along with his house, he also enjoys the fellowship of his neighborhood. “It’s fun to have diversity of neighbors. I’ve found this to be a very welcoming neighborhood,” Walters said. And his dream home is everything he had hoped for, and more. “It is totally enchanting to me,” Walters said. “It’s got the character that I was after.”
BMX: Fast and Furious