Outside Features Archives - Page 6 of 105 - The Source

Toxic Algae a Growing Concern (with Humans to Blame)

Harmful cyanobacteria blooms are becoming more prevalent in water bodies. How to keep your family and pets safe.

by Tiffany Neptune June 11, 2025July 8, 2025

The spread of Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) impacting water bodies throughout Central Oregon and surrounding areas creates cause for concern as exposure, ingestion and inhalation can have life threatening affects. It’s true that many types of algae are safe, so the proper identification of toxic algae can be life saving for humans and pets alike. […]

Outside

No Man’s Land Film Festival

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the touring film festival showcases the challenges and triumphs of womanhood in the outdoors

by Peter Madsen May 21, 2025May 30, 2025

“You’re so amazing!” “No. I’m an average person with a lot of problems.” The exploration of this sentiment is too often stifled in the pursuit — and documentation — of outdoorsy adventure and achievement. Since 2015, however, the No Man’s Land Film Festival, has sought to fix that. The festival visits Volcanic Theatre Pub on […]

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Backcountry Paradise

Two remote skiing destinations offer stunning views

by Story and Matt Brannen May 7, 2025June 3, 2025

Summer is in the air in Central Oregon and flowers are blossoming! Merino wool layers and puffy jackets are being replaced by shorts and blouses; big insulated boots replaced by sandals and Birkenstocks. Summer sports such as biking and hiking are defrosting and the transition from winter to summer is almost complete. A lot of […]

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The Future is Adaptive at Mt. Bachelor, Thanks to OAS

Monoskier Joanna Adams offers insight and inspiration

by Barron C. Wolfe February 25, 2025August 3, 2025

It shouldn’t be a secret that Bend’s backyard offers some of the best adaptive skiing on the planet. While the able-bodied enjoy “Mt. Bachelor,” everyone else skis “OAS” — as those in the adaptive sports community call it. Two names for the same mountain, depending on who you ask. Oregon Adaptive Sports has been offering […]

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REI Experiences Division Closing

Member co-op to focus on retail business

by Damian Fagan January 29, 2025February 7, 2025

Recreation Equipment Incorporated, the member-run, outdoor adventure retail co-op, closed the REI Experiences division this January. REI announced the decision to close this business on Jan. 8, and more than 400 staff were affected, primarily in the Bay Area, Seattle and Colorado. None of the REI staff at the Old Mill District location were associated […]

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Edison Sno-Park Closed for Winter

The Deschutes National Forest has closed the sno-park due to wildfires

by Damian Fagan January 15, 2025January 23, 2025

This past summer beginning in September, the Bachelor Complex fires, in particular the Little Lava Fire (15,541 acres) and Lucky Butte Fire (548 acres), burned a large swath of forest from Sheridan Mountain, just south of Mt. Bachelor, to the Edison Sno-Park along River Summit Drive (Forest Service Road 45). The 30 total fires forming […]

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Suet Smarts: Helping Birds Without Hurting Them

What bird lovers should know about safe suet feeding

by Elise Wolf December 24, 2024March 22, 2025

Picture this: A chickadee lands on your carefully crafted pinecone feeder, coated with peanut butter or suet and seeds. You’re feeling good about helping local wildlife. But wait! As your neighborhood bird rehabilitator, let me share a secret that could save birds’ lives — and it’s all about the hidden dangers of fats. You know […]

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Oregon Expands Incentives for Defensible Space Projects

$250 payments aim to encourage more defensible space projects in vulnerable communities

by Julianna LaFollette December 4, 2024April 9, 2025

Following a record-breaking fire season in Oregon, the State Fire Marshal is extending its incentive program, helping homeowners pay for defensible space projects in more communities in Oregon. Through the program, home and property owners in qualifying vulnerable communities may be eligible to receive a $250 payment following a defensible space assessment by OSFM or […]

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What We Can Learn from the Mountains

An essay on the lessons of resilience and change in the Central Oregon Cascade Range

by Kimberly Bowker November 27, 2024May 29, 2025

Growing up in Central Oregon, I always saw the mountains. They were there when I learned how to ride a bike, when I went to prom, when I experienced life and death in their shadows. Yet I don’t know a lot about these peaks other than touching the rocks on outdoor excursions and saying good […]

Outside

Improving Lives through Aerial Innovations

Bend-based company Kawak Aviation designs and manufactures firefighting equipment and much more

by Damian Fagan October 23, 2024May 30, 2025

This year has been a hard-to-forget fire season for both its longevity and intensity. Nowhere has been immune to the wrath of these wildfires, from sagebrush grasslands to mountain forests. Fires have been ignited by lightning or human-caused, compounded by a hot and dry summer season. With firefighting resources at maximum capacity, it wasn’t surprising […]

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