To celebrate an adventurous Christmas, imagine standing at the top of a winter wonderland waterfall or on a snowy volcano with your loved ones. In this modern, millennial-ruled holiday corner of the calendar, you’d better have an Instagram-worthy family photo to push around on all your channels or you might just fall off the self-importance […]
K.M. Collins
A native Oregonian, K.M. Collins is a geologist-gone-writer. Covering everything outdoors and a spectrum of journalism, she's a jack of all whitewater sports and her favorite beat is anything river related. Don't blow her cover as a freshwater mermaid amongst humans.
Posted inCulture
Growing with Intention
Turning a tragic community loss into a benefit for the Kefa Project
On October 1, 2021, Bend local, extreme outdoor athlete and kayaker, Alex Vincent Kollar, passed away. Alex is survived by his mother, Ruthanne Adams, his father, James Kollar, his Soul’s Connection Life Partner, Kim Benrath, and was preceded in death by his brother Philip Hunter Kollar. During his 28 years on the planet, Alex developed […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
My Dog is My Child Syndrome
Six ways to know if you’ve been infected
Note: I write this article in jest. I don’t currently have a pet because my landlord won’t allow it… but I surprised myself on a recent river multi-day when I couldn’t help adopting two river dogs and actually was joyful when they were wet and dirty parading around my raft in circles for most of […]
Posted inOutside
If You’re New Here: Get Your Climb on in Central Oregon This Fall
Read on to get five ideas for getting started with Central Oregon’s climbing community
Are you new to town and looking for some vertical rock wall-ups? Jugs, crimps, lay backs, and sit starts, oh my! Central Oregon is chalk-full of indoor and outdoor bouldering, sport and traditional climbing. World class basalt (splitter cracks and shredder lava rock), welded ash tuff and some of the best manufactured indoor walls that […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Skunky Beer for Boarders
Memoirs of an OG snowboard culture and the beer it birthed in Bend
Raw. Hop-forward. And built for pow-days. That’s what compilation wintertime masterpiece Skunk Ape India Red Ale is all about. Locally crafted by hometown hero Boneyard Beer and the Pacific Northwest’s pinnacle of snowboard companies, Lib Tech, out of Washington, the frothy thriller was born in Bend in 2011. To celebrate Skunk Ape’s 10th anniversary, this is […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Customs Check
Locally based Pili Hunters forged its way in the West and continues to invent new flavors
Many good entrepreneurial stories begin with something rebellious. This is true for how the original pili nut company came to fruition, too. Jason Thomas, owner and founder of Pili Hunters, the first sprouted pili nut company in the U.S., divulged, “I literally snuck $100 worth of pili nuts back through customs in my backpack and […]
Posted inNews
Up In Flames
While wildfires devour parched landscapes this summer, frontline Oregon health care workers are feeling another kind of burn
Conjure a memory of Central Oregon deep summer triple-digit heat thick with hazy smoke and humidity. Now imagine you’re working a 12-hour shift in the designated outdoor COVID tent where you aren’t allowed to keep a water bottle with you and full Personal Protective Equipment is required at all times—aka sticky plastic full-body garb. This […]
Posted inOutside
La Niña Benedictions
Pray for snow, well in advance of ski season, because it looks like a wet one could be ahead
As the summer engulfs Oregon like a tableside service flambé in a fine dining restaurant, rumors of our precipitous savior, La Niña, are circulating. While a good portion of modern Central Oregonians are agnostic or atheist in most facets of their life, when it comes to outdoor sports, those same heathens are happy to pray […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Mani/Pedi
Crescent Nails & Spa
Have you been looking for the best spot to pamper yourself? The best spot to clean up those outdoor-sports dirty cuticles and nails? Look no further than Crescent Nails. Conveniently located on Simpson Avenue, stop in after you break a nail (or two) during your downhill mountain bike session at Bachelor or while you’re getting […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Plumber
Severson Plumbing & Mechanical
Severson Plumbing & Mechanical has been serving Central Oregon since 1977. Founders and owners Dave and Elaine Severson believe their values and consistency are among the reasons they’ve been so successful. Their son, Jason, is also part of the business and developed Severson Fire Protection under the same roof. As long-term residents and business owners, the […]