For Dave Nissen, founder of Wanderlust Tours, coming up with new ideas is a group effort. “We at Wanderlust often find ourselves hanging out, sipping on suds at the end of the day, and brainstorming what would knock people’s socks off,” he said. After 23 years in business, Nissen and his team of guides and […]
Outside Features
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No Snow, No Problem
Mountainboards help riders conquer the summer slopes
If there’s one drawback to summertime in Bend, it’s the lack of snow on the mountains. Skiing and snowboarding down Mt. Bachelor and the other wintertime slopes is an exhilarating experience that isn’t easily replicated. But just because the snow has melted, doesn’t mean those mountains are useless. Mountainboarding is an alternative extreme sport that […]
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Skydiving in Central Oregon
The closest thing to flying
It’s easy to explore Central Oregon by hiking and biking its single-track trails, paddling its pristine rivers, and climbing its rugged mountains. But there is one outdoor area that is often overlooked: its big, blue skies. For the intrepid Bendite, the terrain above is now accessible. Two skydiving businesses—Skydive Awesome! and Velocity Sports Equipment—are putting […]
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The Other End of The Deschutes
Head North for early season hiking
With the Deschutes River running straight through town and the Cascades just beyond, it’s no secret that Central Oregon is an outdoor lover’s paradise. The Cascade Lakes Highway and Three Sisters Wilderness are just a few miles away, providing easily accessible world-class skiing in winter and top-notch hiking in summer. But as with most things, […]
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Fishing Backcountry Lakes
Enjoying the solitude and beauty of Central Oregon
Though the general trout fishing season is well underway in Oregon, many of the High Cascade Lakes that sustain planted fish remain inaccessible due to snow and ice. It can be as late as mid-June or even early July before some of these lakes can be reached on foot or by horseback, but when the […]
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Central Oregon Hunting and Fishing
National Wild Turkey Federation
Nineteen years ago Jeff DeLeon’s life took a major turn. A car accident paralyzed the military veteran from the waist down. Eric Keefer’s life changed in a similar way when he was paralyzed from an ATV accident. Both men, one a vet and the other not, have something in common. They love the outdoors and […]
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Tetherow’s New Head Golf Pro Jake Edwards
A family-friendly atmosphere welcomes younger golfers
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour is considered one of the most valuable audiences in sports, more likely to own second homes, use the advice of a financial advisor and invest more than $100,000. The demographics of PGA Tour viewers includes more C-suite executives and more women in top management positions. Yet, despite the value […]
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Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
The journey of Cat Addison
Oregon has thousands of miles of hiking trails, but the granddaddy of them all is the Pacific Crest Trail which stretches a total of 2,659 miles. It is one of three major long-distance trails in America. In Oregon, it covers 460 miles and offers what many argue is the best wilderness experience along its entire […]
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Exploring Boardman State Park
Day-hiking a stretch of the Oregon Coast Trail
In 1967 Oregon passed landmark legislation ensuring that the public would have access to its 362 miles of ocean beaches from the Columbia River to the California border. A small 18-mile stretch of those beaches is found in the isolated southern part of the state between Gold Beach and Brookings. The Samuel H. Boardman State […]
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Plight of the Monarchs
Monarch butterflies, once found throughout North America in the billions, are in the news because the species is faltering, and according to several insect specialists, is threatened with extinction. Adult monarchs do not hibernate; they MUST migrate to southern climes where they winter over in enormous numbers. Therefore, thousands of monarchs found in the eastern […]