Outside Features
Posted inOutside

The Wheels of Autumn: Cyclocross fills up the fall schedule, while art cranks and lederhosen remains optional

Back in the day, autumn used to lend itself to a period of relative debauchery for competitive cyclists. It was typical for the lean-and-mean to gain a few pounds, stay up late and let all the rigors of training slide until after Christmas.
Michelle Mercer

Cuckoo for Cross
Back in the day, autumn used to lend itself to a period of relative debauchery for competitive cyclists. It was typical for the lean-and-mean to gain a few pounds, stay up late and let all the rigors of training slide until after Christmas. Cyclocross has pretty much ruined the off-season and if it weren't so much bloody fun, it would be easy to dismiss. And, for an increasing number of cyclists, 'cross isn't an off-season way to stay fit – it's the focus of their entire year's training.

Posted inOutside

New Trail Opportunities Abound: Making new trail connections on the eve of the Big Fat Tour

COTA is stoked to announce that several new trails in the Wanoga Complex will be open this fall.
Source Weekly

COTA is stoked to announce that several new trails in the Wanoga Complex will be open this fall. Due to a very productive trail work season, especially with the great turnout for the Steve Larsen and Bend Dental Group Work event last weekend in which 68 people turned up to work for four hours on these two trails, we have been able to complete a new trail, which is part of a link from Tiddlywinks Trail, over to Edison Snow Park. This new connector trail is called Kiwa Butte trail, named after the butte it climbs.

Posted inOutside

Good Point, Ken Burns: The Tenth Inning insists that baseball is still great, except for that goddamned Barry Bonds

Mike Bookey

We're not supposed to talk about Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa – unless remarking about the sudden and inexplicable change in Sosa's skin color – because these are the guys we collectively decided, with the help of Congress, ruined baseball. Yet I doubt anyone could watch Baseball: The Tenth Inning, the continuation of bowl-cut filmmaking wizard Ken Burns' PBS documentary following the history of America's alleged pasttime, and not remember the absolute wonder that surrounded the 1998 homerun race.

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A Safe Landing: An update on Miller Landing, Hosmer outings and an SUP milestone

The Miller Landing Project is a campaign to raise funds to acquire the last remaining undeveloped river front property just north of the Colorado Bridge and across from McKay Park.
Laurel Brauns

The Miller Landing Project is a campaign to raise funds to acquire the last remaining undeveloped river front property just north of the Colorado Bridge and across from McKay Park. If purchased, Miller's Landing will become a commun-ity river park through the Bend Park and Recreation District and provide a critical link in the Deschutes River Trail system. Although the land has been regarded as a public park for decades, it is, in fact, owned by the Miller family and Brooks Resources who were at one time considering developing the land into 37 townhomes.

Posted inOutside

Missing Out: Why Dikembe Mutombo may have helped Boise State win last Saturday

I carry within me a deep, nagging and mostly illogical need to watch pivotal sporting events.
Mike Bookey

I carry within me a deep, nagging and mostly illogical need to watch pivotal sporting events. If I miss a big bowl game or an NCAA tournament upset because one of my wife's college friends is getting married (this happens about every four months) or I get stuck at work or the cable goes out, I find myself feeling absent from the cultural fabric of the present tense. It's as if the sporting world has left me on the side of the road and continued on without me. Sure, I can catch the next bus and watch the 1:00 a.m. replay, but that's not the same. It's almost cheating.

Posted inOutside

Head East, Young Man

For a dry side version of “fall colors,” head east to the Ochoco National Forest and lay some tracks on the Round Mountain/Lookout Mountain trails.
Source Weekly

For a dry side version of “fall colors,” head east to the Ochoco National Forest and lay some tracks on the Round Mountain/Lookout Mountain trails. Aspen groves and stands of Western larch pepper the forests here along with the ubiquitous ponderosa pine in its favored habitat of “open park-like stands.” The scenery, wildlife and diverse forest types make for a unique visual experience, but the flow and technical challenge of the trails are what makes this area so muchfun for mountain biking. Current trail conditions are a little “fresh” from the recent contract trail work that was completed this summer.

Posted inOutside

Run Without the Sun: A recap of the weekend's epic trail running events

A rare wet mid-September weekend brought two great running events to Central Oregon. The Bigfoot 10K, the elder statesman of foot races in Central Oregon, was held on Sunday.
Source Weekly

ON THE RUN
Editor's Note: This is the first installment in a semi-regular column dedicated to running, including events coverage, trail updates, conditioning and general buzz from around Central Oregon's prolific competitive and casual running scene.

A rare wet mid-September weekend brought two great running events to Central Oregon. The Bigfoot 10K, the elder statesman of foot races in Central Oregon, was held on Sunday. Bigfoot is a true community event put on every year by Central Oregon Running Klub. All the proceeds benefit the Bend LaPine High School Cross Country teams. The slightly downhill course offers up fast times and more than 150 high school runners volunteer to build atmosphere by cheering on participants while making sure they're heading in the right direction.

Posted inOutside

More Than Just the McKenzie: Exploring fall colors on the wet side

Ahh, rain and fall colors. Does it get any better than this? I just rode the McKenzie River Trail (MRT) and even when it’s raining you stay mostly dry underneath the high canopy of old growth forest that covers this trail.
Source Weekly

Ahh, rain and fall colors. Does it get any better than this? I just rode the McKenzie River Trail (MRT) and even when it's raining you stay mostly dry underneath the high canopy of old growth forest that covers this trail. Fall colors are just beginning to show themselves and it only gets better as winter approaches. The MRT is one of those classic rides – very scenic, plenty of challenges for every level of mountain biker and a full day immersed in some spectacularly pristine nature. I liken riding the McKenzie to a biking baptism, as it has a renewing effect.

Posted inOutside

It's Blowout Season: College football's September tradition

“This doesn’t seem safe, does it?” I asked, maybe to the bartender or maybe to the only other guy sitting at the bar.
Mike Bookey

“This doesn't seem safe, does it?” I asked, maybe to the bartender or maybe to the only other guy sitting at the bar. Almost ten seconds of silence followed and I felt marginally stupid because when watching football in the company of other football fans, one typically doesn't strike up casual conversation by bringing into question the relative safety of the sport.

Posted inOutside

Getting Schooled: Rebound's cross clinic, Trebon on the Thrilla and more

It’s all well and good until somebody gets hurt, and I was fully aware that that someone might be me. While I’m an experienced road and track racer, many of my friends will tell you I’m pretty lame on the mountain bike. I didn’t grow up on BMX.
Michelle Mercer

Cross Clinic
It's all well and good until somebody gets hurt, and I was fully aware that that someone might be me. While I'm an experienced road and track racer, many of my friends will tell you I'm pretty lame on the mountain bike. I didn't grow up on BMX. The gravel driveway in front of our rural Indiana home was as off-road as it got for my apple-green stingray and me.

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