For those who haven’t heard the good news, the first 2016 OSU/Sisters Science Pub lecture will take place at The Belfry in Sisters on March 15. Oregon State University Ornithologist and Associate Professor Matt Betts will be sharing his research on one of the favorite birds of the Sisters Country: hummingbirds. Please pass the news along, […]
Outside Features
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Central Oregon’s Underground World
Lava flows 80,000 years ago created the Redmond Caves
Matt Skeels of Bend likes to explore the underworld of Central Oregon. As a member of the Oregon High Desert Grotto, Skeels is a guardian of Central Oregon’s caves. Having discovered a number of caves over the years, his peers call him the “cave finder” and the “cave bloodhound.” For Skeels, cave exploration is special […]
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Oregon’s Cougar Population is Growing
Encounters are rare, but know what to do
Oregon’s cougar population has grown substantially in the last two decades since the use of dogs was banned by voters in 1994 as a means of tracking and hunting the predator. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that there are approximately 6,000 of the predator statewide—some estimate higher counts—and Central Oregon has its […]
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Rex Shepard’s Cascade Challenge
A thousand miles in 43 days
Rex Shepard isn’t just an ordinary year-round outdoor enthusiast. Even the term extraordinary doesn’t seem to adequately describe him. The 30-year-old Bend native has accomplished more than most dare to dream. A coach at Bend’s Endurance Academy, Shepard pushes himself to the limits of his outdoor endurance and says his goal is to inspire others. […]
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BEA’s Kids on the Wall
Three compete at nationals
Youth rock climbers from Bend Endurance Academy (BEA) took their skills to the national level this past weekend, participating in the USA Climbing Youth Bouldering National Championships held in Madison, Wis. Leah Pfeiffer, 14, Brady Pfeiffer, 12, and Mira Capicchioni, 10, all representing the Bend Endurance Academy Climbing Team, competed in the three-day bouldering event […]
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Oceanfront Cinema
Pacific Reef Hotel debuts outdoor theater
The Pacific Reef Hotel in Gold Beach, Oregon, billboards its new oceanfront outdoor theater as state-of-the-art. Viewers might label it using many other superlatives. It is another first for Oregon: the hotel industry’s first oceanfront outdoor theater. The Pacific Reef Adventure Theater is a smart-technology glass screen measuring 33 feet wide and 12 feet high. […]
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Smith Rock Love
Mike and Marcia Volk of SmithRock.com
Central Oregon’s majestic Smith Rock State Park is considered to be one of Oregon’s “Seven Wonders” by Travel Oregon, the state agency that promotes tourism. It is also considered to be one of the world’s premiere rock climbing destinations and the number of visitors to the park has grown to approximately 900,000 per year. Most […]
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Zach Emerson
The vanishing all-season athlete
Zach Emerson, a high school senior at Mountain View, is becoming an anomaly in the contemporary sports world–he plays football, soccer, basketball, and track and field. In an age of increasing athletic specialization, Emerson is an endangered species–the multi-sport athlete. (And a darn good one, too.) On the gridiron, Emerson was named on the 2015 class […]
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Winter Fishing
High season for Steelhead
Fishing isn’t confined to fair weather months in the Bend area. It takes a little more grit, but the rewards of winter solitude and communing with nature often result in some great fishing. For those who want to chase Bull Trout or Rainbow, winter presents some of the best fly-fishing options available in Central Oregon […]
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Snow-rific!
NRCS Snowpack Report for January
Mt. Bachelor Snow Report: Powder; Snowline: 1740m. Snow Depth: 97″/base; 119″/summit. Heavy snow is forecast for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, January 21-23, with snow line falling to resort level. Albeit a dry January in Central Oregon, with less precipitation so far this month, December was one of the wettest in terms of rain in western […]