By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications
In the summer, Clear Lake Resort can be a very busy place.
The restaurant is in full gear, families are hiking the trail around the beautiful, crystal clear water and anglers of all ages are tempting colorful trout with fat worms.
But in the winter, Clear Lake takes on an entirely different persona, blanketed in snow, and solitude.
Just ask Sweet Home resident Josh Sayles and his family. They spent a few days at the resort in early February. And now they can’t wait to go back.
The family includes his wife, Samantha, and their sons, Chance, almost 10 and Kevin, 8. Their dog, Diesel, also had a fun time playing in the snow.
The Sayles family moved to Sweet Home about three years ago, after living in Brownsville for a few years. Josh, 42, is originally from Cottage Grove and Samantha is originally from Springfield. He works for a road striping company and Samantha is a caregiver.
“We usually like camping where there is sand for our side-by-side and four-wheelers,” Josh said. “But we decided we wanted to try some new things. We are definitely outdoor people. We love camping.”
They learned about Clear Lake Resort from friends in 2017, but hadn’t been there for a while.
“We loved it, but we got busy and didn’t get back up there until now,” Josh said. “We wanted to get back into the snow, so we called the Parks Department and talked with Karrie (King, who handles reservations for the department).
“She is amazing. She fixed us right up with a cabin, even though it was pretty last minute.”
Josh said his family “loved” their experience.
“We disconnected from our phones. The solitude was amazing. There were other people, but it we had so much family time. At night we played games,” Josh said. “The boys loved playing in the snow and sledding.”
Josh said he enjoyed the feeling of seclusion and its “tucked away” atmosphere.
Fishing didn’t work out very well, Josh admitted, but it was still fun to get on the water — although it was pretty cold.
“I tried everything I could think of and we still didn’t catch anything,” Josh said with a laugh.
The family enjoyed the adventure so much that Chance asked to go back for his birthday. The family is headed back on March 7.
Chance said he enjoyed sledding, but hoped to catch a fish or two.
A summer trip to Clear Lake Resort may also be in the offing in a few months, Josh said.