“The swim in the triathlon is the shortest leg,” explains Rick Floyd, a local professional triathlete and swim coach. “But,” he cautions, “it can be the most challenging for beginners.” Although probably too late to start training for the Deschutes Dash this weekend (Sat. & Sun., Old Mill District), if you happen to get bit […]
Outside
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What Goes Up
Mt Bachelor Downhill Bike Park gives you your dessert without having to eat your spinach!
When asked if it is cheating to have a chair lift carry your bike (and you) to the top of Mt Bachelor, and then just let gravity do the work, Mike Shannon, manager for Bend Cyclery, laughs. “Not at all,” he says. “There is still a lot of cardo and physical workout that comes along […]
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I’ve Never: Shot a Gun
Playing cowboy with the Pine Mountain Posse
As the first child born to overprotective parents, I am naturally predisposed to approach life with caution. As such, I’ve always had a healthy respect (read: mild fear) for anything that can cause loss of life or limb. Chief among those agents of potential death and destruction—guns. (Cue eye rolls from all the native Central […]
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Speed Cycle
Criterium brings cyclists flying through downtown
The 35th Annual Cascade Cycling Classic has arrived. Like many cycling events, it brings a large number of people and bicycles to the area. But unique to this event is the massively popular criterium race, which takes over the downtown core with the whir of sleek bodies and spinning wheels—and throngs of captivated spectators. “For […]
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Float Like a Butterfly
It’s the season to count Checkerspots, Buckeyes and Swallowtails
For 28 years, my wife Sue, our family, and her team of volunteer helpers, have been counting butterflies in Central Oregon for the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). The season begins with the Ochoco Count in late June, when the team conducts a day-long search in a 15-mile circle that includes Big Summit Prairie, east […]
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Go Here! 7/17-7/24
While there are plenty of terrestrial ways to enjoy Central Oregon, sometimes leaving the ground is the best way to understand it, whether that means getting a (literally) bird’s eye view of the High Dessert expanse, or just being thankful to having both feet planted firmly back on it. Summertime in Central Oregon offers plenty […]
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Climbing Past Stereotypes
A local teen is set to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro
When Eli Reimer reached basecamp at Mount Everest, he was perhaps more excited about his reward—Lay’s barbecue chips—than completing his climb and, more broadly, about his remarkable accomplishment as the first American with Down Syndrome to reach that altitude. “He took it in stride,” says Eli’s dad, Justin Reimer, about his son’s achievement in March […]
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Cats, Wildlife and Disease
OK, Good People; it’s time. No, it’s way past time to have a serious discussion about cats, disease and wildlife. Yes, I know, we’ve been down this muddy old road before, but it isn’t just the losses of our native birds, mammals and reptiles by outdoor and feral cats that needs to be discussed and […]
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Strung Out
Highlining takes off in Central Oregon
In an undisclosed area (as this is a cherished and secret spot of the crew I am following) a figure tactfully and gradually crosses a highline 40 feet above hikers and bikers who remain entirely unaware of the network of ropes and equipment tied around the trees and boulders above their heads. I’m with Ari […]
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Go Here! 6/26-7/3
Go Here! For a desert, there sure are a surprising number of lakes in this area. And what a great way to cool off in the summer heat. Two favorite choices: Scout Lake Although most tourists seek Suttle Lake as a summer destination, nestled into the mountains past Sisters, Scout Lake demands only two things: […]