Outside Features

As Colin Dunlap and his parents watched racers slide down icy hillsides and endure sub-freezing temperatures during last year's Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, he could tell his dad was unimpressed.
“He wasn't that into it,” says Dunlap, who was a high-school freshman at the time. Colin himself wasn't too sure about the sport, either.

The new kayak/flower sculpture in the roundabout at Riverbend Park is the latest piece of public art to confound and/or delight the citizens of Bend. The proposal for the sculpture, “Yakaya,” was submitted by Seattle artist Troy Pillow and was unanimously chosen by the Art in Public Places committee, the same non-profit organization that is responsible for the rest of the roundabout art in Bend.

A successful fall steelhead trip starts with the right provisions. If you're running the lower Deschutes, you'll need a boat capable of surviving a head-on collision with a speeding pick-up truck, about half a dozen rods, and 150 hand-tied flies. If it's October, you'll need clothes suited for the third week of June as well as the first week of January because you're likely to experience weather that oscillates between those two polar extremes on any multi-day float. You'll also want some durable, cleated boots to navigate the river's swift currents and notoriously slick rocks. Finally, you'll need the equivalent of a fully stocked bar, at least one bottle of bitters and a jar of pickled, spicy beans. Oh, and an air mattress, which aids in sleeping and can be used as an inflatable boat, should you happen to leave yours at the bottom of the river, as we nearly did a few weeks ago.

If you believe the numerous outdoor gear sites, self-appointed gear guru bloggers and outdoor magazine “test” stories and annual gear guides, no outdoor experience is worth undertaking unless you have the latest and greatest (read expensive) gear. A two-person tent's five-star rating by Backpacker magazine apparently means that every night spent in said tent during a howling blizzard will be as comfortable as a stay in a five-star resort. And woe be to anyone who even considers a snow cave as shelter.

CROOKED RIVER BELOW BOWMAN DAM: redband trout and mountain whitefish. Fishing has been great! Flows should remain consistent around 75 cfs throughout the winter resulting in consistent fishing. A sample of redband trout and mountain whitefish are tagged with a numbered floy tag protruding from the back. Anglers who catch a trout or whitefish with a floy tag are encouraged to release the fish after recording the tag number, fish length and location caught. Anglers can send the information to ODFW at (541) 447-5111 ext. 24 or michael.r.harrington@state.or.us.