Praying for snow or worrying about your New Year’s diet is all unicorns and rainbows—until you consider that some high desert households are dealing with other extreme adulting needs this season. Think Maslow’s Hierarchy. From paying the bills and managing mental well-being to dealing with inclement weather, present societal circumstances—and the usual seasonal affective disorder—are […]
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 inOutside
Where’s the White Gold?
La Niña offers the rarest and most prized of all Central Oregon commodities: snow. So far, it’s been a “bland year.”
Occurring every few years, La Niña is defined by stronger trade winds which cause water in the Pacific Ocean near the equator to be a few degrees colder than usual. This shift in temperature affects weather all over the world. While La Niña can wreak havoc on global farming commodities, she’s a double-edged sword in […]
Posted inNews
A Penny for Her Thoughts
Local financial advisor shares nearly 25 years of investing insights to explain 2020 volatility and help Bendites maximize 2021 futures
Did 2020 take you to the cleaners? Don’t go it alone recovering in 2021. For a highlight reel of 2020 and to help you get your savings train back on the tracks in 2021, local Registered Principal and Registered Investment Advisor Representative Linda Zivney, with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., has some insights to offer. […]
Posted inNews
In Solidarity
Healing Justice Collective forms, raises seed funds for BIPOC community restoration
“May I be loved. May all Black, Indigenous and people of color be loved. May all gay, lesbian and trans folks be loved. May all disabled people be loved. May we all be loved.” —An adaptation, by the Central Oregon Healing Justice Collective, of the popular Buddhist Metta loving-kindness prayer Aiming to close the long-fraught […]
Posted inNews
Mental Health Tips from the Pros
Low-cost hacks for improving mood and well-being—no matter your therapy budget
Finding a coven of wellness practitioners is key to making it through trying times (need I say the word… COVID). But if signing up for therapy (or finding a therapist) is beyond your scope, these are some health tips that are helping myself and my she-wolf pack make it through the wilderness of winter seasonal […]
Posted inOutside
Steep and Cheap
Hoodoo can be a wild card— but for this hometown mountain, 2020 has still been a good year
With 2020’s opening day following Thanksgiving, the earliest seen in 11 years, Hoodoo Ski Area has broken sales records across the board—and it’s only December. “This time last year, we didn’t open until the middle of January,” said Marketing Director Leif Williams, noting that mid-December as a more typical opening. “In October, we extended our […]
Posted inOutside
Gone But Not Forgotten: Locals Remember Sunriver Kayaker
An online celebration of life for Blaine Davis, who died while kayaking last month
From the 100+ posts on the remembrance page for local kayaker Blaine Davis, it’s clear that he was a beloved member of the outdoors and wider Central Oregon community. The page, Blaine Davis Remembrance, includes hundreds of photos and comments and notes from the many lives and communities he touched as far away as New […]
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Digital Foot Traffic
Central Oregon outdoor retailers offer the brands and the online purchasing that locals are looking for
In an ever-expanding digital shopping universe, Amazon is the black hole swallowing local retailers’ market shares. In a 2017 Retail Dive article, Neil Stern noted that from 2006 to 2017, Amazon saw nearly 2000% growth in market value. How can smaller retail planets without the gravitational pull of Amazon supernovas maintain autonomy? “Omnichannel, seamless retailing, […]
Posted inOutside
Timber! Holiday Tree Options Abound in Central Oregon
Hike to get your tree—or enjoy a host of other options
The custom of erecting and decorating a tree in celebration of winter holidays evolved from Germany in the 1500s. In addition to trees, some early European celebrants constructed Christmas pyramids of wood, evergreen boughs and candles—especially where trees were scarce. Fast forward 400 years, and varying regional and family holiday tree traditions have arisen. The […]
Posted inOutside
Winter + Whitewater
Books to inspire your love for all things river and ocean—no matter what the winter weather might bring
As the warm autumn winds wind down in the high desert, many are shifting from choice summer outdoor activities to favorite cold-weather ones. After the paddlers roll up the rafts and tuck them in for a long winter’s rest, this reading list can serve as a winter holdover. These whitewater can’t-miss selections will get paddlers […]
