Humans have been drawn to water since time immemorial, and Central Oregonians are no exception. That’s why locals and tourists alike are eager to see the completion of the Deschutes River Trail, which currently spans more than 30, somewhat disjointed, miles from Sunriver to Tumalo. Steve Jorgensen is the man with the plan. His days […]
Outside
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Bend’s Banana Belt
Master Gardeners reap what they sow at Hollinshead Garden
“It’s warmer here at Hollinshead,” Master Gardener Nancy Crossan says, “more than any other place in Bend. That’s why it’s called the Banana Belt, and why everything here grows so bountifully.” You mean I live in the SE frost belt? Say it isn’t so! “You can still plant asparagus,” Kris Kornchild, another Master Gardener chimes […]
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Where the Dogs Are
Bend has a reputation for going to the dogs, or at least accommodating them. A number of breweries, restaurants, and other businesses accommodate pet owners, even leaving out water bowls for our canine companions during the summer’s heat. But with their popularity comes controversy, especially regarding humans allowing their dogs to run off leash or […]
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Grown and Locally-Thrown
Warning: Thrilla Cyclocross is highly addictive
Bend’s Julie Cutts was the 2013 road bike and time trail national master’s champion, so she can’t be faulted for registering as a pro for any bike race, as she did at a race at Mt. Rainer that same year. The only problem? It was a cyclocross race. “I had just met Scott Peterson [owner […]
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A Drinking Game With A Rugby Problem
At 40 years old, Bend Rugby Football Club is still young
Nope, the Bend Rugby Football Club (Bend RFC) isn’t anything new in town. It is 40 years old, founded in 1975, from a time when Bend was a sleepy post-glory mill and pre-corporation ski town, and when the closest locally brewed beer was a good 300 miles away (like, maybe, Olympia, Washington?). Early on, the […]
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Pitch a Tent
These campsites may fill quickly, so don’t delay
Everyone’s definition of camping is different. For some, it means towing their full-amenity travel trailer to the RV park with full hookups, playground, and swimming pool. On the other extreme, camping means parking the car (or locking the bike) and heading as far into the Three Sisters Wilderness as possible. For most, somewhere in between […]
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Monarch Waystations
Planting pit stops for migrating butterflies
The monarch butterfly is in a world of hurt. Right off the bat it has problems because it’s so unique; it’s a migratory insect that flies thousands of miles to survive winter, then returns to continue life in northern latitudes—and they travel right through our neck-of-the-woods. Everyone knows birds migrate and do it in astounding […]
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Mountain Biking and Road Cycling Have a Baby!
Gravel biking now has an official race in Central Oregon
The Ochoco National Forest, northeast of Prineville, is a diversely magical place, chock full of towering old growth trees, rough-cut canyons, and sprawling hard-scrabbled dirt and desert. Next weekend it will also host the Ochoco Gravel Roubaix, Central Oregon’s first gravel bicycle race. Its European namesake, the ultra classic Paris-Roubaix, is known for rough terrain, […]
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Go Here 8/19-8/26
Look Up!
Last week’s visit by the annual Perseid Meteor Shower turned Central Oregon’s eyes to the sky. For some continued star-gazing, here are some nearby—and not so close—locations for taking in the marvels of the sky on any optimal evening. Simply go where it’s dark A quick drive out to Tumalo Reservoir Road (head west until […]
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No Slacker
Local manufacturer is helping pioneer the emerging sport of slacklining
Like most rock climbers in Central Oregon, Jason Fautz was drawn to Smith Rock State Park. But scaling those sheer volcanic cliffs was not what drew his attention. Having moved to the area two years ago from Washington, Fautz was “in a transition in my life;” he naturally sought out what was familiar to him—rock […]