When looking for an excellent brew in Bend, craft brewery Crux is the obvious choice. Or Deschutes, or GoodLife, or Boneyard Beer, or Silver Moon, or Worthy or 10 Barrel…. Maybe that’s why Outside magazine deemed Bend one of the best towns in the U.S. to make a beer run in 2018. Bonus: if a […]
Outside Features
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Crowds in the Backcountry
As national forest leaders consider quotas for local wilderness areas, some local wilderness advocates weigh in
Sarah Cuddy coordinates conservation efforts in the Ochoco National Forest for Oregon Wild. She’s worried about increased foot traffic in the woods. “With our population increase we’re seeing an increase in recreation. The sheer volume of people on the trails now is way more than we’ve experienced in the past.” Central Oregon’s population growth bears […]
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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 […]
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Fish On!
South Twin Lake, glamping in style
There are two types of campers: First, the ones who enjoy pitching a tent, unrolling the musty-smelling Coleman sleeping bag, zipping themselves into their nylon shelter and sleeping in the elements. The others, well, they like a bed, modern appliances—and in my wife’s case, a shower. Find both at South Twin Lake, located just northwest […]
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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 […]
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Call Her Big Red
La Pine State Park is a popular spot for recreation—but its giant ponderosa remains the star attraction
Located about 150 feet from the Deschutes River in La Pine State Park, it rises higher to the sky than all other big ponderosa trees on the nearby landscape. Many of its branches are bigger than the other, younger ponderosa trees that populate the Deschutes National Forest. It’s known as a Pacific ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa), […]
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Scarred McKenzie Pass Reopens
Update: McKenzie Pass is closed at least through Thursday at milepost 70 eastbound and milepost 81 westbound due to mud over the highway after Wednesday’s storms. Check ODOT’s website for up to date information on when the pass will reopen. Peter Murphy at the Oregon Department of Transportation loves McKenzie Pass. “You can’t get this […]
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Next-Level Sportsing
Yoga? Beer? Dogs? Bend takes your favorite things to a whole new level
It’s no secret that there are a ton of events happening in Bend and beyond in any given week. So how do event organizers set their events apart in a sea of awesome outdoor excursions, live music, food festivals and wellness classes? They pile on a little more Central Oregon flair, that’s what. Ready to […]
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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 […]
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Shooting, Dumping and Cleaning Up
Another purge effort for China Hat—and a push to change rules around shooting in the area
Brent Jenkins likens the national forest to a play area. “It’s our playground. I love being out in the forest and I love seeing it clean. I know people, myself included, never go out in the forest without bringing back some trash.” Jenkins works for the Deschutes National Forest, and often has his eye on […]