Meeting people halfway and making green accessible is what Josh Sims says sets his business, The Gear Fix, apart. For many outdoorsy locals, stopping in during lunch break to rummage through the climbing gear (or snow sports selection in the winter) is a weekly ritual. For tourists and others, buying used outdoor gear just wasn’t […]
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 inNews
The Death of Sara: Not a One-Off
Intimate partner violence in Central Oregon is widespread, complex and concerning to women of many demographics
“Women are constantly told what they need to do to keep themselves safe, what not to wear, where not to go, who not to talk to. When will we start expecting men and predators to change their behavior?” —Anonymous Sara Diana Gomez’s local domestic violence story went viral when she was reported missing earlier this year. […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Ski and Board Shop
Skjersaa’s
Sixty years deep in the Bend winter sports scene, Skjersaa’s offers it all. Their passion and dedication to snowboarding and skiing started with Olaf Skjersaa back in the day and is reflected in the present staff through product knowledge and customer service. Packed all your kiddie stuff but forgot your own gloves? Need a beer […]
Posted inNews
Enjoy Protect Respect
Awareness campaign cascades into improved river health
Standing amid 150 volunteers below the Riverbend Park shelter, Kolleen Miller details the evolution of the 22nd annual Deschutes River Clean-Up, hosted by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. As the Education Director for the UDWC, Miller has led this seasonal effort for 16 years. “Originally, the purpose of the cleanup was to address post logging […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Paddling into Our Hearts
In Bend, dogs are totally socially acceptable during business hours. A sizable symbol of puppy workplace mainstreaming: This annual Dog Days of Summer issue, brought to you by the Source Weekly. Whether as staff work companions or as petting opportunities, animal therapy can be good for morale, productivity and sales. Around these parts, Old McDonald would […]
Posted inOutside
Diary Entry: Learning to Whitewater Kayak
As Kanye says, crawl before you ball
Currently, I am 10 days deep. My first time in a whitewater kayak was last year in an early season Brace & Roll class. I was totally out of my league. This year, I’ve taken three “Full Immersions,”—the intro to whitewater kayaking weekend classes offered by Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe—and one day of private […]
Posted inOutside
High Desert Herstory
What narratives are (under) represented in an outdoor mecca like Bend?
En masse, we suit up and slide off the shore just above the Bend Whitewater Park passageway—five women tricked out in combat kayak gear, lining up to run the terraced lava rock drops of the bypass channel. I’ve never ridden rapids surrounded by so many women— and no men, on a kayak, raft, paddle board […]
Posted inOutside
Sunk by a Rattlesnake Bite
The piercing account of a Memorial Day Weekend raft trip
Shortly after a classic rattlesnake warning talk, Kirsten Mohill Heron watched her son, Jake, scramble up a talus embankment on the Lower Deschutes River. The two were on a 20-person raft trip below Shearers Falls at Harris Campground, 12 miles from the Columbia River confluence. Once atop, Kristen saw Jake startle, turn around and rewind […]
Posted inBend Nest
Community Connection
Amiguitos: opening access for all youth
Milagros Aparicio greets children and their parents with a smile and a hug as they arrive at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe for their first paddle lesson. The kids, ages 8-14, are quiet, wide-eyed and nervously inspecting foreign gear that are boats, paddles and dry bags. They may not fully understand the transformative experience that […]
Posted inNews
Bend Hacks 101
Yeah, we know it’s not cheap to live #inBend. In honor of the Locals’ Issue, here’s how some of the not-so-rich-and-famous get by
It might surprise some readers to know that every Bendite didn’t move to the high desert independently wealthy, with an extravagant work-from-home-job, or with a silver pint glass engraved with their surname. Below is a peek into the world of the quintessential, avant-garde dirtbag, Central Oregon style. If you prefer to dine out of a […]
