During a recent program at McMenamin’s in Bend, U.S. Geological Survey biologist and researcher Garth Herring presented the work he’s doing on the issue of lead in the tissue of wildlife, specifically big game, ground squirrels and raptors. Herring pointed out that the USGS research, plus other federal government and state agencies and private conservation […]
Outside
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Get Your Rocks Off
We can thank Central Oregon’s tumultuous volcanic history for most of the things we all love most about living here: the outdoor recreation, the beauty, and probably even the beer if you want to talk hydrology (but you probably don’t, so…). One more gift bestowed upon us by virtue of tectonic mayhem? Rocks! Central Oregon […]
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Need a Little Alone Time?
The “new” Oregon Desert Trail offers an 800-mile trek through solitude
The difference between the Pacific Crest Trail and the Oregon Desert Trail, explains Shane Von Schlemp who has walked both, is a lot of “space-out time.” He goes on to explain that the famous PCT is well-marked—and increasingly well-trodden—while ODT is, at best, a faint trail that meanders through some of Oregon’s most hard-scrabbled and […]
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Go Here 3/5-3/11
Long-distance hikes (that aren’t the PCT)
Since the deservedly successful novel Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, was published and adapted to the big screen, thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail has moved to the top of every Tom, Dick, and Sally’s bucket list. For those of us interested in the challenge and fulfillment a thru-hike offers, but seeking less of a time commitment […]
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Boulder Bash Blows Up
Bend Rock Gym climbing competition goes big, and goes home!
For the past five years, the Bend Rock Gym has been hosting a competitive bouldering series called “Boulder Bashes.” But, these events have largely been self-contained to the climbers there to show off their skills. That is, until last weekend. On Saturday, the Bend Rock Gym hosted its final “Boulder Bash” of the season—and, Bend’s […]
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Ghost Towns
Growing up in the west, few things set my childhood imagination on fire like the dilapidated remains of once-booming frontier towns. As it turns out, they have that same effect on my somewhere-north-of-thirtysomething imagination as well. I was delighted to discover a slew of ghost towns within daytrip distance of Bend. This six-hour loop takes […]
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Fight Night
Big time boxing hits Central Oregon
Who doesn’t like a Cinderella story? The come-from-behind victory; the beaten and bruised opponent; hurt, written off, only to muster the strength for a final stand (and “final countdown”) and beat the unassuming favorite? It’s the type of story boxing lore is built on (see, Rocky, the first one, the Academy Award winner), and now […]
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Go Here 2/18-2/25
Wildflowers
Has this wacky warm winter stricken you with early onset spring fever? Yellowstone’s bears are emerging from hibernation, California saw its first wildfire of the season, and closer to home Oregon’s wild-flowers are starting to show their pretty little heads. Big Summit Prairie Located in the Ochoco National Forest, roughly 40 miles east of Prineville, […]
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What’s In a Name?
The sloth is NOT a slob!
For some reason that I cannot comprehend, someone, somewhere, somehow, back when the sun was a tiny thing, there weren’t no Moon and the Big Dipper was a little drinkin’ cup, got started on using the sloth as a whipping boy for the term, “slob.” I have been accused of using my column for venting […]
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Snow Runners
Local Nordic skiers gear up for Junior Nationals
In spite of the lack of snow and unseasonably warm temps that continue to limit the number of kilometers available for skiing around Bend, the season for local Nordic skiers at the Bend Endurance Academy (BEA) could not be going better. With several competitors qualified for the XC Junior Nationals to be held in Truckee, […]