It's not summer yet, despite what the weather tells you, but it's never too early to start planning for the warmer months.

Why it matters: Many of Oregon's most sought-after campsites and trail permits book out months in advance.

State of play: We Oregonians love our wild and scenic places — we have some of the best in the country.

• The most popular places can quickly become overrun, so state and federal land management agencies have created a reservation system to protect those places from crowds ruining their vibes.
• Here are some strategies to make sure your summer is full of the hikes, camping trips and natural beauty Oregon is known for.

⛺ Camping

Oregon State Parks reservations open six months in advance at ReserveAmerica with prime spots like Cape Lookout, Fort Stevens and Trillium Lake often booking out within minutes.

• Camping on some federal lands — National Forests and areas under the Bureau of Land Management — also require a permit.
• The feds use Recreation.gov for reservation spots, which also open six months in advance.
• You'll need to be fast if you want to snag the most coveted spots — like one of the dozens of old wildfire lookouts around the state.

🥾 Hiking

If you're planning a day hike after June 15, you'll need a permit for many of the most popular hikes in the Oregon Cascades as well, especially areas near Mount Jefferson, the Three Sisters and Mount Washington.

• Recreation.gov has you covered there, with permits dropping in a rolling window 10 and two days ahead of the hike date.
• You'll need a separate permit if you're looking to backpack in those areas, with some overnight permits becoming available April 1, and others opening up seven days out from your start date.

The bottom line: If you want to give yourself the best shot at the best campsite on the best day, create an account ahead of time, save your payment info and set an alarm.

Tell an outdoorsy friend

Nearly 2,800 Oregon families faced eviction in court in January — the highest monthly total in at least five years and almost double the state's pre-pandemic average, according to a new analysis of state data by the Oregon Law Center.

Why it matters: Record-high evictions reflect a crisis that has plagued the state for years, driven by high housing costs and limited available financial protections for tenants.

Catch up quick: Last year, Oregon lawmakers passed a budget bill that allocated $2.6 billion toward funding the Housing and Community Services Department, which funds housing stability and homelessness prevention, but cut the agency's budget by roughly $1 billion over the next two years.

• Many services have been scaled back, including rental assistance and tenant legal services.
• Homeless services providers and tenant advocacy groups laid off staff and cut programs due to a drop in funding from the state.

By the numbers: Last month, 2,788 Oregonians faced eviction in court, compared with an average of 1,566 monthly eviction filings in 2019.

• Tenants have legal representation in just 9% of Oregon eviction cases, compared with landlords' 47%, according to Evicted in Oregon.
• Advocates say access to an attorney can be the deciding factor in whether a case is dismissed or resolved in a way that allows tenants to remain housed.

What they're saying: "Eviction defense and tenant services can stop homelessness before people suffer on the streets," Becky Straus, an attorney at the Oregon Law Center, said in a statement.

Keep reading

🐒 The board of Oregon Health & Science University voted unanimously to institute a six-month pause on breeding for most of the primates at its research center as it explores transitioning the facility to an animal sanctuary. (OPB)

🗳️ A petition to enshrine rights to abortion, transgender health care and same-sex marriage in the state constitution were shelved, advocates announced. The measure failed to gain the needed signatures to get it on the ballot. (The Oregonian)

🎋 In a surprise to no one who's been there, the Portland Japanese Garden was named one of the most beautiful gardens in the world by Home & Garden magazine. (KATU)

🍁 State lawmakers are considering a bill that would cap cannabis edibles at 10 milligrams of THC after increasing reports of children consuming high-dose weed food and needing emergency medical attention. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Like shuffleboard or bowling, curling involves throwing an object toward a target for points. But there's one big difference: Players can influence shots after they're thrown. That's where sweeping comes in.

Why it matters: The sweeping in curling might look simple, but it's a real-time mix of strategy, physics and athleticism in a game that can be decided by a matter of inches.

Catch up quick: Curling is the Winter Olympics sport in which teams throw 42-pound granite "rocks" toward the "house" (target) on ice that's been sprayed with water — this gives it a pebbly surface.

Between the lines: The direction a rock is turned as it's thrown determines its curl direction, and sweeping ahead of it extends its distance on the ice.

Zoom in: The Evergreen Curling Club in Beaverton offers lessons and will host a watch party on Sunday at 10am as Team USA takes on Norway.

• 💭 Kale's thought bubble: I've been to Evergreen for a lesson and it was more challenging, and also more fun, than expected.

Go deeper

Spring is already here for those with eyes to see it.

• Camellias, flowering plum, winter daphne and Japanese kerria have already started to bloom across the city, even though we're still technically in the dead of winter (emphasis on dead).

These early bloomers thrive in Portland's mild, wet winters, and take advantage of brief warm spells and the lengthening of daylight after the winter solstice — weeks before most other plants wake up.

• Take a walk. You'll spot 'em.