Outside

Top 10 Gravel Rides in Central Oregon

Stellar fall weather is holding throughout the region. Check out these gravel rides, for as long as the season lasts

There's lots of buzz in the cycling community about gravel riding.

By Linda English Nov 14, 2018

Outside Features Benham Falls Three Pyramid Mountains Fall River Falls Brothers Oregon Painted Hills Camp Sherman Wizard Falls Hatchery Metolius River Ochoco National Forest biking gravel biking biking in Central Oregon Slideshow

Cenozoic Park

Exploring the fauna of the John Day Fossil beds

Passing through the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, near Picture Gorge, Ore., you'll find the geologic equivalent of Noah's Ark. Apparently, proto-cheetah, zebra, rhino and nearly every other conceivable terrestrial vertebrate wandered the Oregon countryside, according to a comprehensive fossil record starting 55 million years ago.

By K.M. Collins Nov 14, 2018

Natural World Thomas Condon Paleontology Center John Day Fossil Beds Nicholas Famoso prehistoric animals

Trail Champion

A longtime advocate for Oregon trails wins a statewide award

During the 2018 Oregon Trails Summit in October, Bruce Ronning considered the idea of leaving early to head to the coast for vacation.

By K.M. Collins Nov 7, 2018

Outside Features Bruce Ronning Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council Doug Newman Memorial Award Deschutes National Forest Odell Resort Mt. Bachelor Professional Ski Instructors of America Bend Park and Recreation District Tumalo Creek State Park

It's First Friday this week!

Here's where to find some fun stuff on the streets of downtown Bend.

OPENING RECEPTION: "N O W H E R E"

By Keely Damara Oct 31, 2018

Go Here First Friday Michael Boonstra art culture Latino Community Association Rise Up International Cosa Cura Rubbah Tree J&J Bar and Grill

The Black Widow's Sister Arrives

Let's begin this story with the high points regarding the spider genus, Latrodectus and the family Theridiidae, most of which are commonly known as widow spiders.

By Jim Anderson Oct 31, 2018

Natural World poisonous spiders spiders black widows

Sydney the Cygnet Lives On

Eloise, the surviving trumpeter swan from an original pair brought to Aspen Lakes, has lived quite a life.

By Jim Anderson Oct 24, 2018

Natural World Aspen Lakes Robin Gold Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Summer Lake

Haunted History

Where to find actual haunts in Bend

The Deschutes Historical Museum organizes a special ghostly version of its Heritage Walking Tour, only available for two days leading up to Halloween. During those recent seasonal tours, listeners get an earful of history and learn about ghostly encounters that some say they've experienced in Bend's historic downtown.

By Keely Damara Oct 24, 2018

Outside Features Deschutes History Museum haunted houses Vanessa Tupper George Brosterhous Bend-La Pine Schools McMenamins Old St. Francis Bend Historical Society

A Cyclist Tour/Trail/Crawl of Bend

Forget the Ale Trail, at least for a moment.

By David Sword Oct 17, 2018

Go Here Ale Trail Single Speed World Championships Hub Cyclery WebCyclery Crow's Feet Commons Abbey Bike Tools J Livingston Bend Velo Bike Shop Hope Technology Argonaut Ben Farver

Training for Cure

Local cyclists with type 1 diabetes overcome challenges to train for a big ride

Laura Glover, Kelsey Bennett and a group of other Central Oregon cyclists prepare for a bike ride like many do—mapping out a route, inflating tires, lubricating chains, slipping on gloves and snapping helmets tight.

By David Sword Oct 17, 2018

Outside Features Laura Glover Kelsey Bennett type 1 diabetes Travis Monchamp TrialNet Junior Diabetes Research Foundation Forbes JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes Alyson Levine

Snowvana

Gaze west and you might start to get misty eyed at the sight of snow, just starting to accumulate on the slopes.

By Nicole Vulcan Oct 10, 2018

Go Here Snowvana Red Gerard Maddie Bowman Erika Vikander AJ Kitt Sammy Carlson Mt. Hood Film Festival 10 Barrel Crater Lake Spirits Memorial Coliseum

Coyotes: Clever Rebounders

Columnist confounds trappers, foils the FBI

Way back in the '50s and '60s, I was a thorn in the side of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Predator and Rodent Control program—a misnomer if there ever was one.

By Jim Anderson Oct 10, 2018

Natural World U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Predator and Rodent Control Program FBI OMSI Mary Hazel Harris Defenders of Wildlife Predator Defense Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge

Trail Tales Debut

Two longtime locals debut a new conversation series around the outdoors

Longtime Bendites Sue Fox and Kristian Jamieson met many moons ago, while adventure sporting in Oregon.

By K.M. Collins Oct 10, 2018

Outside Features Sue Fox Kristian Jamieson Deschutes Brewery EVO Gimbals Backyard Bend Tumalo Creek and Kayak Frisky Ripples Bend Paddleboard Challenge Kialoa Paddles Alex Maclaren Video

Maston Trailhead

A great place to play throughout the calendar year

Created originally for cycling options in the winter months, the routes at Maston are an example of how varied user groups can work together to form diverse and harmonious trail systems.

By David Sword Oct 3, 2018

Go Here Tumalo mountain biking Deschutes River winter mountain biking

Natural World

The Beaver That's Not

So there we were, a full busload of 6th graders touring with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, pounding on fossil-laden rocks in a quarry just outside the sleepy logging town of Vernonia, west of Portland.

By Jim Anderson Oct 3, 2018

Natural World Oregon Museum of Science and Industry mountain beavers genus Aplodontia