“Hey Jim,” my email read. “How about a Source article describing the nature and intent of winter flies? They come into our houses—fly slow and stupidly and do not feed—and within a day or two, they die. When they keel over, they seem almost completely dehydrated and they actually crumble to dust and body parts […]
Outside
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The Magical Methow Valley
Not hyperbole—the Northern Washington ski area has it all
This is the time of year, mid-to-late winter, when Bend residents get antsy. While your neighbor takes off for Maui (who can afford that, anyway?) why not go the other direction? I propose embracing winter rather than running from it. The Methow Valley in Northern Washington, the country’s largest cross-country ski area, is the perfect […]
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Cave Vandalism
It’s time to step up protection of these gems
This memo recently appeared on thewebsite of the Oregon High Desert Grotto chapter of the National Speleological Society (NSS) — a not for profit organization whose members study, explore and conserve cave and karst resources; protect access to caves; encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environments; and promote responsible caving. There has been […]
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Jay and His Fancy Treadmill
How a physical therapist and mega-technology can make you a better athlete
Jay Dicharry was not impressed with my tomatoes. “You got to have good tomatoes to make good sauce,” Dicharry told me. “And right now your tomatoes need some work.” I had been running, at various paces, on a treadmill that measures three-dimensional forces. This “instrumented treadmill,” which is damn near the most sophisticated treadmill in […]
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Slides and Safety in the Mountains
Central Oregon gets new avalanche awareness signs and cool technology
Earlier this month, Todd Glew stood on top of a body that was buried under nearly four feet of snow. “It was really creepy, honestly,” Glew said. Glew, who was skiing near the Silver Fork Headwall, in the backcountry outside Utah’s Alta Ski Area, had his beacon in hand and was looking for an avalanche […]
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First Tracks
Bob Mathews and the history of Mt. Bachelor Nordic skiing
In 1973, Bob Mathews traveled west from Minnesota on his way to Mexico City when he stopped in Oregon to help his friends move from Monmouth to Bend. Then something eerily familiar happened—he started bartending, got a job at the mountain and then straight-up moved here. At that time there was a small cross-country loop […]
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First Ascents
Brooke Sandahl and your favorite routes at Smith Rock
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment in our five-part series on the pioneers of Central Oregon’s famed outdoor sports scene. In the past 100 years, a handful of people have helped progress the accessibility and notoriety of our adventure sport scene. These icons of the outdoor world, in a pursuit of their own fresh […]
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Two Men, a Canoe and a Lot of Gumption
How the Langleys put C.O. whitewater on the map
You know that outdoor sport that you love—the one you can’t stop thinking about and you spend all your free time doing? Yeah, that one. Now, imagine that after years of training, sacrifice and dedication, you have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. But then, without warning, your event is dropped from the Olympic […]
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Religious Rider
Dennis Heater helped track a path to today’s singletrack
In the late '70s Dennis Heater threw fat tires on an old single-speed road frame and, in doing so, created one of the world’s earliest mountain bikes. Off-road cycling became an immediate passion. Nearly a decade later, after years of racing and bicycle upgrades, he found himself in the middle of a 100-mile race with […]
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First Turns
We’re still following Terry Foley’s tracks
Editor’s Note: Over the next few weeks the Source is running a five-part series on a few of the icons of Bend’s outdoor scene. In the early '50s when Terry Foley was an 11-year-old kid, he and a couple of friends from town would often catch a ride with someone’s mom or dad up Skyliners […]