Outside
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Mountain Bike Mecca

How Bend’s biking history was built and the pioneers who launched it
Kara Tatone

There are more than 15 bike shops in Bend, hordes of riders, countless trails and trail possibilities, and today mountain biking is a booming industry—equal parts cultural identity and athleticism. But it wasn’t always this way—and the pioneers, really unknowing trendsetters, that put mountain biking on Bend’s map, and Bend on mountain bikers’ maps, celebrate […]

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Skinny Tires, Rugged Terrain

Ride Hard Finish Thirsty cyclocross returns for second year
Kara Tatone

The recipe? Combine one part road bike precision, one part mountain bike climbing, throw in a pinch of hike-a-bike, and stir in mud, sand, grass, and gravel. For a second year, Boneyard Cycling presents its annual Ride Hard Finish Thirsty cyclocross race, a two-day merry-go-round of 200 or so cyclists hosted on a private, rought-and-tumble […]

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Children of Summer

Jim Anderson

Margaret Anderson (no kin, darn it) couldn’t have picked a better title for her exquisite book about Jean Henri Fabre, the father of experimental entomology, than “Children of Summer.” And as far as I’m concerned, you couldn’t pick a better book to introduce to your children—and entertain yourself—than Anderson’s 95 pages of Fabre’s observations. From […]

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Wide Open Spaces

Advocates make the case for greater wilderness protections
Avatar photo Erin Rook

The rugged expanses of the American West have long supported local economies through rural industries such as cattle grazing, logging, mining and other energy ventures. But recent research suggests that these wild lands may be more profitable in their natural state than tapped for the consumable resources they can provide. That’s good news for advocates […]

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Go Here: Treehouse Resorts

Unleash Your Inner Monkey
Avatar photo Corbin Gentzler

Just four-ish hours to the south, your inner monkey awaits. Perhaps best known for Oregon Caves National Monument, Cave Junction Oregon contains not one, but two treehouse hotels. These aren’t the makeshift treehouses, but fully pimped out cribs, with real beds, plumbing, and appliances. Out ‘n’ About Treesort Technically located about 10 miles south of […]

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Baby Steps, and Shooting!

How to start a new sport
Avatar photo Phil Busse

From the first snap of the football when the game was invented in 1892, it took seven decades before the first Super Bowl was played. Basketball was slightly quicker to mature; invented in 1891, seven years later there was a national championship when the six existing teams battled for the title (won by the Trenton […]

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Go Here 9/4-9/11

High Desert Wildlands
Avatar photo Corbin Gentzler

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act which allows for protection of some of the nation’s most stunning and desolate landscapes. What better way to celebrate the wildlands of Central and Eastern Oregon by getting out and experiencing the diverse environments and vistas. Two lesser known areas, the Owyhee Canyonlands and the Greater […]

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Calm in a Storm of Adrenaline

Local rider is an up-and-comer in the up-and-coming sport of slopestyle
Avatar photo Phil Busse

Propping elbows with day-old scabs on the table, 21-year-old professional mountain biker Carson Storch from Bend calmly explains, “I like being in the air.” “Oh, these,” he says when asked about the scabs that look as if a tiger has clawed both of his arms. “These are actually from Mt. Bachelor,” he explains. “I just […]

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Go Here 8/28-9/4

Avatar photo Corbin Gentzler

With Labor Day here, a farewell to float tubes may be in order. But, cooler shorter days don’t mean time to hibernate; instead, they make for perfect biking weather. It’s no secret Bend is bike-nut crazy, but not all of us were born on berms, with mud coursing through our veins. For those new to […]

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