Outside
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Rattlesnake Hysteria Calm down, snakes aren't that dangerous

Rattlesnakes may be animals to fear but if the right steps are taken to be safe, the creatures will not pose a threat.
Jim Anderson

Every year at about this time, rattlesnake hysteria breaks out all across the West. Just the other day one person was bitten by a rattlesnake in one of the national parks in California, now parks personnel are going out in the field wearing snake protection on their legs and footwear.
Last week, I received an alarming email from a resident of Squaw Creek Canyon Estates near Sisters all in a tizzy because one rattlesnake was found dead on the road near the development and another was seen on someone’s back deck. A cry went up to locate the dens where the snakes spend winter and move them somewhere else for fear they’ll cause harm to children and pets. Then a report came in from a young lady in the same area who reportedly saw three “small snakes” that she thought were rattlesnakes, adding fuel to the fire.

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Taming the Risk: Fear can be overcome, but accidents will always happen

Sometimes we over look the danger of outdoor activities but dwelling on the possibility will ruin the excitement to come.
Michelle Mercer

As I sit here with a chipped tooth – the bizarre souvenir from a group road ride a few days ago when a rock shot out from under another rider's rear tire like a BB and nailed my front tooth – and having religiously watched this year's Tour de France, which was rife with an outrageous number of crashes, I can't help but think of the risk-versus-reward element of playing outside.
While the pros get paid to take those risks, it's still difficult to watch them suffer catastrophes like Chris Horner's serious crash in Stage 7 of this year's Tour de France, which forced him to abandon the race for which he trained diligently and smartly. Another, particularly acute incident for many cyclists, given our primal fear of cars, was the horrific crash during Stage 9 that occurred when the driver of a media vehicle swerved into a rider, who collided with another rider as he tumbled across the pavement. In both cases, the riders remounted despite significant injuries and finished the stage.

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No More Re-Racks: It's time we came up with some formal beer pong rules

it’s time that real peer pong rules are decided upon.
Mike Bookey

Games have rules, as do sports and public swimming pools (“no horseplay” being my favorite). Without rules, you'd just be aimlessly wandering, maybe with a ball. That's not a game. That's just screwing around.
So it is with this in mind that I make a call for consensus in the world of beer pong. As a retired beer ponger (I wanted to spend more time with my family) who still plays in the occasional charity tournament or takes to the table to instruct a misguided youth or two, I would like us to finally acknowledge that this game has become one of our nation's more beloved pasttimes. I would guess with some confidence that more people in this country have thrown a ping-pong ball at a plastic cup of Natural Light than have held a hockey stick.
Hell, the suddenly quite funny Jimmy Fallon faces his guests in an ongoing beer pong tournament and the last time I was at the grocery store, I noticed a set of “beer pong balls” next to the cheap end of the beer cooler. This is remarkable, not just because someone has probably skipped up a tax bracket by placing crappy ping pong balls above the PBR, but because this appears to be the only drinking game that's managed to assimilate itself into mainstream culture. You don't see Jimmy Fallon playing quarters on TV or beer bongs for sale at Safeway, do you?

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Cut to the Chase: Lift-served mountain biking, hiking and disc golfing with a view at Willamette Pass

Source Weekly

For mountain bikers who hate to ride uphill, Willamette Pass is a must-ride. Late in June, after the snow has melted from the mountain, the small ski resort off of Hwy. 58 near Oakridge converts its six-person chair to a gondola for mountain bikers, hikers, disc golfers and sightseers. The ski slopes give way to some intense singletrack riding with some killer Cascade mountain views, including those of nearby 8,678-foot Diamond Peak. “It's a little slice of heaven,” says mountain biker Jeremy Fritts.
With a 360-degree view from the summit and an 18-hole disc golf course that winds down the mountain, it is also worth a stop for non-riders. Located an hour and a half from Bend, Willamette Pass is one of only two mountains in Oregon that offers lift-serviced mountain biking, the other is Ski Bowl at Mt. Hood. While the resort restricts its mountain bike lift operations to the weekend, it's still relatively crowd free.
But mountain bikers should take note: Willamette Pass is not for the faint of heart. While there are some relatively tame trails, the riding is geared more toward downhill-style biking.

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Where to Sit for the Crit: Cascade Cyclings premier public appearance returns to down town

Michelle Mercer

The phone at 900 Wall began ringing in April with people eager to make reservations for Saturday, July 23. They were staking a claim on elegant front-row seats for the Cascade Cycling Classic criterium races that will take place that afternoon and evening. The restaurant, like many others downtown, adds outdoor tables for the race, and is now completely booked, mostly with Bendites.
“It's a fun event,” says 900 Wall's Mike Millette. “It brings in a lot more locals than other events.”
Zydeco actually limits the length of time people can sit on the patio during the race due to demand for tables. “People will camp out there all night,” explains Manager Brian Bellew. “It's a great event. If we could, we'd put rows of seating out there.”

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Pity the Poor Jackrabbit: Things haven't been easy for these quick critters

A look into the fast world of jackrabbits.
Jim Anderson

If there is one wild animal that is taken for granted, overlooked in the wildlife management business, completely misunderstood by state agencies and killed relentlessly, it is our poor old black-tailed jackrabbit.
Jackrabbits are actually “hares,” not “rabbits;” they’re in the genus lepus and are twice as large as our local rabbits, and hares have taller hind legs and longer ears. Cottontail rabbits were named for a puff of fur that adorns their tails, while, on the other hand, jackrabbits were named for their ears, which initially caused some people to refer to them as “jackass rabbits.” Mark Twain brought this name to fame in his book, Roughing It. “Jackass rabbit” was, however, just too awkward and the name was later shortened to jackrabbit.
There is also another difference. Rabbits that are in the genus sylvilagus make a nest in which the female gives birth to naked, helpless and blind baby rabbits, known as kits. Pregnant momma jackrabbits don’t bother to build a nest and appear to be very nonchalant about where they give birth, but when you study them for a while, you will see some very clever hare-thinking in what they do.

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Gimme Dingers:The Home Run Derby is like The View with more swearing

The Home Run Derby is a home run.
Mike Bookey

“Holy f***ing s*** I love hitting home runs.” – Babe Ruth, to a bedridden child. 1932.

The home run is, unequivocally, the most exciting thing in baseball. Well, next to some drunken college junior jumping down onto the field and eluding security for five minutes of excitement that eclipses anything baseball could ever offer.
The home run, however, should be awesome. It's the great equalizer. It can instantly change a game and has long been reason enough for stadiums to light off a few hundred dollars worth of fireworks, sometimes even indoors (see: Kingdome, The). It's also capable of eliciting hugs between strangers, which is otherwise awkward – trust me.

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Rolling on the McKenzie River: The river next door offers trips for beginners and experts alike

The McKenzie River is perfect for a day trip.
Laurel Brauns

The McKenzie River is running higher than usual for this time of year, making it the perfect day trip for those looking for a manageable whitewater adventure that is an easy drive from Bend. The scenery is lush and green with clear aqua blue waters, and there are a number of different runs for varying ability levels.

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Crank It Up: Cycling opportunities abound for riders of all abilities

Central Oregon is the perfect place for cyclists and recreational riders to enjoy in town races and wildlife trails.
Michelle Mercer

It's a good time of year to be a cyclist in Central Oregon. The trails at higher elevation are opening up, with snow giving way to wildflowers, offering riders room to spread out on singletrack less seen. After a long winter, and an even longer spring, the roads now beckon with the promise of endless, sun-drenched miles and beautiful summertime vistas. We can vicariously enjoy the Tour de France, which is televised multiple times daily for almost an entire month, and root for hometown boy Chris Horner. Sweet.
And last weekend's ride on McKenzie Pass was pure bike bliss, not so much due to my own experience, but because of the display of hundreds of cyclists paying homage to one of our most notable routes. The informal pilgrimage of riders churning up the car-free road took on a celebratory air, and almost qualified as a flash mob on wheels, as cyclists relished the complete ownership of a beautiful piece of road. Not to be elitist, but what if McKenzie Pass were closed to motorized vehicles?

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Trouble in Hot Dog Land: In America, wasting food is a sport

The Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York serves as America’s favorite holiday past time of wasting food.
Mike Bookey

I began my Fourth of July morning like many other Americans. I woke up, put my Lee Greenwood mix on the stereo and red, white and blue underwear on my nether regions, fired a few bottle rockets skyward and then tuned my television to ESPN to watch some weirdos gorge themselves at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York. And not just a few hot dogs, but more than 60 of the mixed-meat wieners and their accompanying buns in 10 minutes.
Hot dogs, and the grotesque overeating thereof, are quite American, so I'm not going to say that a wiener-eating contest (oh come on, get your head out of the gutter) has no place as a Fourth of July tradition. What I'm more concerned with is that ESPN would recognize competitive eating as a “sport.” If wasting food is a sport, then so is throwing diamonds down sewer drains or showering daily with Evian. But on the other hand, what's more American than throwing away things people in other parts of the world would die for?

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