Sponsorship is the backbone for professional cycling, and the annual Cascade Cycling Classic—the longest consecutively running stage race in the United States—is no exception. But it is a different type of sponsorship than, say, the U.S. Postal Service or Volkswagen ponying up cash; it is something much more grassroots. “The fact that we have local […]
Outside
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Trail Magic
Neighbors chip in to create a cycling-support way station
A human-kindness driven phenomenon found on the Appalachian Trail, known as “trail magic,” provides food and assistance for hikers attempting the long traverse from Georgia to Maine. And now, Bend can now boast about its own version of trail magic along the 36-mile Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway with the installation of the first bike aid […]
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Go Here 7/15-7/22
The Swim of Things
Recreational and competitive swimmers flock to the complex of pools at Juniper Swim|Fitness, the standard for water-based activities in the Bend Park|Recreation system. The facility offers a children’s activity pool, an indoor swimming|kiddie pool, as well as a 50-meter lap pool. But, if your love of swimming tends towards the more natural, chlorine-free type, Central […]
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The Eagle Has Landed
Central Oregon has an unprecedented youngster
As many of you may know, I’ve been working with golden eagles since the 1950s when I discovered their dead bodies rotting near poison bait stations set out for coyotes. I also began banding baby eagles in the early 1960s, along with a wide variety of other raptors when I was approved by the US […]
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Go Here 7/8-7/15
Beat the Heat
There are plenty of better ways to get out of the sweltering temperatures than the air-conditioned cineplex. (Although Ant Man does look pretty good.) James Jaggard, general manager of Wanderlust Tours, has some suggestions for absorbing knowledge instead of UV rays. No sunblock is required! Cave Tours The number one suggestion from Jaggard is to […]
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Twelve Years Strong
Gary Bonacker turns Tour des Chutes into a tour de force for fundraising
Gary Bonacker prefers the term “cancer thriver” to “cancer survivor.” “The second you are diagnosed with cancer you are a survivor until the day you die,” says Bonacker, who, along with his wife Sue, owns Sunnyside Sports. “A lot of people think being a survivor means you have beaten cancer.” Diagnosed with brain cancer in […]
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Listening and Wondering
Sen. Ron Wyden hears concerns at Oregon’s seven wonders
Although the pounding forces of nature forged the Oregon Coast thousands of years ago and volcanic explosions—and implosions—left their distinct marks on the landscape with a series of mountain ranges (and craters and lava tubes) throughout the state, over the course of just one single year seven spots in Oregon have been singled out as […]
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More Downhill
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park’s sophomore year is bigger and badder
At the end of last summer, the crews at the newly-opened Mt. Bachelor downhill bike park heard a lot of different opinions. Some riders told them that Lava Flow Trail, the easiest sloping trail, was too fast. But other riders begged for something a bit more gnarly, and to turn up the challenges. And, in […]
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Go Here 7/1-7/8
Running Off the Beaten Path
Renee Metivier Baillie is a professional runner sponsored by Mizuno and is often seen running the streets and trails of Central Oregon with other elite Bend-based athletes. When asked to recommend three trails of varying intensity, Baillie could only exclaim, “Oh, so many options!” But, when pressed, she narrowed the options to the following trails, […]
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Pickett’s Charge Storms On
A veteran mountain bike race stays young
Twenty-one years ago, Bill Clinton was midway into his first term, the first blog was launched, the global temperature was a few degrees cooler, and mountain biking was still a relatively new sport. The equipment was crude, little better than big boy dirt bikes. A few prototypes had shocks, and disc brakes were only for […]
