Outside
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Return of the Snow Dragon at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park

An annual tradition that takes weeks to create needs volunteers
by Julie Furnas

What originated as construction on a quinzhee (a snow shelter made by hardened show and hollowed out) at Meissner Sno-Park and evolved into an annual tradition, artist Joshua Cook and a team of volunteers are once again inviting participants to experience the “Snow Dragon” art installation on one of the most magical nights on the […]

Posted inOutside Features

All Wags at Wanoga Sno-Park 

Thanks to Dogpac, Nordic skiers and off-leash dogs can shred the groomed trails together
Avatar photo by Peter Madsen

Jeff Johnston has a ritual during Central Oregon’s winter months. Several times a week, he finds himself, along with Kundi, his Australian Shepherd, standing in the pre-dawn light at Wanoga Sno-Park. As he unlocks a shipping container that houses a utilitarian Ski-Doo Skandic snowmobile, Kundi tears around in the snow, marking his favorite spots. After […]

Posted inOutside Features

Three Sisters Backcountry is Making Cascades Magic

“Come on baby, make it [yurt] so good” – John Mellencamp
Avatar photo by Kayvon Bumpus

Put down that beat-up Harry Potter paperback. With the right guidance, the forests of Central Oregon can put a spell on you, no wands or wizard hats required. Just ask Three Sisters Backcountry about the “magic that exists” at their two mountain yurts. They’re located at the base of what the outdoor recreation company calls […]

Posted inOutside

Phase II of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge Restoration

Restoration project has come a long way since its inception
by Damian Fagan

When Susan and Dwight Sheets toured the defunct Santiam Pass Ski Lodge on a rainy October day in 2016 with Willamette National Forest Ranger Terry Baker, they were saddened with the condition of the historic lodge that had been unoccupied since 1986. “The archaeologist wouldn’t come in because it was horrible,” said Dwight. “We were […]

Posted inGo Here

Time to Shine with a Freak Holiday Salad

The Deschutes Historical Museum is celebrating gelatin sides
Avatar photo by Nic Moye

 Jello salad was created in 1904 by Mrs. John E. Cook of Pennsylvania. She called it the “Perfection Salad.” The colorful item became especially popular after World War II as a convenient, inexpensive dish for busy housewives. It became overshadowed in the 1960s and 70s with the rise of other cooking trends. Nonetheless, many families […]

Posted inOutside

Species Spotlight: Burrowing Owl

A funny little owl
by LeeAnn Kriegh

Pronghorn are perhaps the most graceful animal native to the high desert country of central and eastern Oregon. Golden eagles are the most majestic, greater sage-grouse the most emblematic. And burrowing owls? They’re the funniest. For starters, burrowing owls have the peculiar habit of living in underground burrows — not the trees that most birds […]

Posted inOutside

Volunteers Needed at Bunny Rescue

Ember’s Wildflower has rescued nearly 400 domestic bunnies
Avatar photo by Nic Moye

Most pet owners will reminisce about their favorite pet, one that deeply touched their heart, was a bonafide family member and by which each future pet is compared. Lindsey Provost took that sentiment to extremes after falling in love with her first pet bunny, Ember, in 2015. When Ember passed away in 2019, Provost started […]

Posted inNatural World

Rats! Central Oregon Hosts an Autumn Uptick in Cohabitating Vermin

There’s a rat in my kitchen, wha’ am I gonna’ do! – UB40
by Tom Rodhouse PhD Oregon State University-Cascades

With UB40’s classic reggae hit echoing in my mind, I pondered this question for the first time since moving to Central Oregon three decades ago. Tipped off by my dogs’ unusual curiosity around the furnace vents from the cellar, sniffing the blowing air, I set a few small snap traps in anticipation of an errant […]

Posted inNatural World

Western Rivers Conservancy buys in to preserve lands, protect wildlife

Sometimes to save a river, you have to buy it
by Damian Fagan

If you haven’t heard of Western Rivers Conservancy, you’re not alone. The organization engages in purchasing private lands along Western rivers to conserve habitat, protect wildlife species at risk, and to provide public access. WRG’s motto is Sometimes to save a river, you have to buy it, Way more than a slogan; it’s the core […]

Posted inNatural World

The Journey Back to the Wild

Think Wild performs life-saving surgery on a Great Horned Owl (GHOW 25-503)
by Sue Dougherty DVM MA DACVIM Think Wild Board President

Think Wild is Central Oregon’s nonprofit wildlife hospital and conservation center, caring for sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife while educating the public about coexistence and stewardship. Since opening for animal care in 2020, Think Wild has grown in staffing, services and the number of wildlife helped directly at its hospital. The spring and summer […]

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