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, […]
Outside
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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, […]
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Go Here 2/11-2/18
Three Valentine’s Appropriate Adventures
While Bend’s finest eateries may be all booked up for Valentine’s Day, there are plenty of no-reservations-required options for those who’d prefer to combine their fondness for a special someone with their love of nature. Tumalo Mountain Sunrise All those iconic images of Mt. Bachelor at sunset? Those are taken from the vantage atop Tumalo […]
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What Goes Up
Vertfest celebrates a boom in backcountry skiing
“It’s really a festival of fun,” says Stirling Cobb, the events and sponsorship manager at Mt. Bachelor. He’s talking about Vertfest, one of the few winter carnivals to focus on backcountry skiing, which returns this weekend to Central Oregon for its third consecutive year. “It’s all about the mountain lifestyle where like-minded people can come […]
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Counting Crows
The 2015 Great Backyard Bird Count
It’s seems like just yesterday that the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and then the Ft. Rock/Christmas Valley Raptor Count, plus several other “counts” have taken place, and now for those who want to—or have to—stay at home and look at birds out the window, here comes the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This one is […]
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Too Bad We Can’t Ski on Tears
Nordic ski season is pretty thin for high school racers again this year
“I think it’s obvious to all of us who are skiers and have skied in Central Oregon for a while that there is a change in the weather patterns,” says Matt Fox, who helps coach the Mountain View High School Nordic team. Every Wednesday for the junior racers is an “on snow” day, and so […]
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Not At All For The Birds
Some choice spots for winter birdwatching
From high desert to sub-alpine, Central Oregon hosts a wide range of ecosystems making it one of the best places in the state to spot a diverse range of birds, even in the middle of winter. With snow levels unseasonably low, many of the best birding spots in the region are easily accessible. Brothers Oasis […]
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No More Killing Coyotes for Sport
Sport shooters slaughter coyotes at recent event in Harney County
In mid-January, the second annual Harney Coyote Classic encouraged what can only be called a “coyote slaughter.” The event, held near Burns, is yet another example of some sportsman’s desires gone haywire. Over the past 100 years, stories of coyotes being the worst nemesis of ranchers and farmers have been so blown out of proportion […]
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Go Big!
Winter X-Games showcase local skiers
A decade ago, Ravi Drugan was struck by a train; the injuries left him a double amputee. At the time of the accident, he was 15 years old and admits that he wasn’t yet the strongest skier. He was, however, immersed in ski culture. His dad had been skiing since he was two years old, […]