Talk about creating potential from paltry: What was once an unused tract of dirt and grass beside and behind Seventh Mountain Resort’s tennis courts is now a dynamic bike park playground. Ever since it was created nearly a month ago it has attracted riders of all skill levels, from gapers to certified huckers and ages […]
Outside
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Hot Dog!
Summer skiing: Not too late to make some turns
A 4 am alarm comes around quickly—especially after a few Thursday-evening-celebration pints at Crux. The early start is new to me but old hat to my guide, who regularly rises in the predawn chill (yes, it is chilly in summertime) to guide on Mount Hood. On this particular day, we were in search of corn—the […]
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Tour Tech
Bling at this week's Cascade Cycling Classic
Over the past year, cycling technology has seen great gains—from aerodynamic helmets that actually make riders faster, to sexy hydraulic rim road brakes that offer super modulation and stopping ease. Now that the Tour de France is well under way, the public is getting its first glimpse of the latest in tour tech. This week, […]
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A Lake or River Person?
A Beginner’s Guide to Fly Fishing
I grew up on a lake in Wisconsin. Baths in the morning involved long walks on short piers, and rinsing in the clear, warm water. Afternoons were spent slicing across the still surface on water skis, and evenings watching the sun sizzle as it dropped over the horizon at the far end of Green Lake. […]
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The Dinosaurs are back!
High desert brings creatures back to life
Dinosaurs may have been blasted into extinction—or starved to death—some 70 million years ago, but in every kid's imagination they're still with us, and capable of making life more exciting than homework, or even computer games. The High Desert Museum's new exhibit, "Be the Dinosaur: Life in the Cretaceous," has combined interactive video simulations with […]
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No Pain, No Gain
Central Oregon forests are out of whack. Setting things straight, though, won’t be fun.
Kevin Larkin, Bend-Fort Rock District ranger, is asking community members for patience, understanding and that they “maintain the long view.” Last week, while addressing a comfortable City Club luncheon inside a St. Charles meeting hall, Larkin spoke honestly and earnestly about an uncomfortable subject: Larkin, and others who presented at the midweek event, explained how […]
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Righty-O, Old Sport!
Pop your collar and mingle outside with the bourgeoisie
Tennis Surprisingly, the least cost-prohibitive preppy sport is tennis. Yes, so middle-class. But really, Andre Agassi dreams can start with minimal cash outlay: a pair of running shoes, three tennis balls (which cost less than a downtown martini), and a $19.95 tennis racquet from Fred Meyer-or, better, shop locally at The Racquet Shoppe (542 NW […]
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Petroglyphs and Pictographs
We have rock art
Experts have stated that even Native Americans in charge of cultural and anthropological affairs for their tribes are sometimes stymied as to what rock art means or even what an image represents. However, Dr. James Keyser, one of the leading experts on the rock art of the Columbia Basin, says that is not the case. […]
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Hiking for a Higher Cause
Could a desert trek save Oregon’s wilderness?
It’s 9 a.m. and Sage Clegg is already worried about where her water is going to come from. She’s worried because she’s in the Central Oregon desert, it’s hot and, later in the day, she plans to walk across an extended section of dusty, exposed flats. The day before, at Sand Springs, she enjoyed refreshingly […]
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Horsin’ Around
Central Oregon’s top riding destinations
Bend’s Suzi Lewis, 56 years young, knows horses. She has been riding horses since she was 8—all over the U.S.—and has been giving lessons to aspiring Central Oregon trail riders for decades. So when she called Central Oregon "one of the best places to own and ride a horse,” I took her words as gospel. […]