Laurel Brauns

The new kayak/flower sculpture in the roundabout at Riverbend Park is the latest piece of public art to confound and/or delight the citizens of Bend. The proposal for the sculpture, “Yakaya,” was submitted by Seattle artist Troy Pillow and was unanimously chosen by the Art in Public Places committee, the same non-profit organization that is responsible for the rest of the roundabout art in Bend.

The party in the Grand Canyon started in the parking lot of Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe even before we left Bend. The group of nine of us gathered on the grasses near Geoff Frank's large passenger van, sharing beers and stacking gear and kayaks on top of the roof. Although we had a fourteen-hour drive ahead of us that Saturday night in late September, our spirits were soaring with anticipation of three weeks of rafting on the Colorado River.

October is here and that means the river will rise! Canals that flow out of the Deschutes to irrigate agriculture in the surrounding areas will be shut off, and flows will increase substantially, making it possible to kayak down sections of the river that are too boney and shallow for a kayak during the warmer months.
I interviewed a few local kayaking experts about their favorite fall kayak trips and both the Riverhouse Run and the Middle Deschutes were mentioned as the best around.

The Miller Landing Project is a campaign to raise funds to acquire the last remaining undeveloped river front property just north of the Colorado Bridge and across from McKay Park. If purchased, Miller's Landing will become a commun-ity river park through the Bend Park and Recreation District and provide a critical link in the Deschutes River Trail system. Although the land has been regarded as a public park for decades, it is, in fact, owned by the Miller family and Brooks Resources who were at one time considering developing the land into 37 townhomes.

Stand-up paddleboarding is the fastest growing water sport in the world and it also has a strong hold over paddling enthusiasts here in Central Oregon. Bend's ties to the sport run deep due to local surf stars like Gerry Lopez, and paddle manufacturers Dave and Meg Chun of Kialoa Paddles.

Suggested Flatwater Adventure: Sparks Lake
Even at the height of summer, this lake feels tranquil and pristine on a Sunday afternoon. Sparks is one of the more popular kayak and canoe destinations off the Cascade Lakes Highway partly because it is so close to town and partly because there is so much to explore on a relatively small body of water. Many claim it is the most scenic of the Cascade Lakes, and late Oregon photographer Ray Atkeson made a good living proving that with his stunning collection of postcards/posters/calendar shots of the area. From the rugged basalt shoreline to the hundreds of wildflowers, Sparks is a photographer's dream.

For seasoned sea kayakers, paddling the Inside Passage, from Bellingham, Wash. to Muir Glacier in the East Arm of Glacier Bay, Alaska, holds the same mystique as backpacking the Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trail for backpackers. And it takes about just as long. For those who can’t miss three or four months of work at […]