Just because Central Oregon summers can be hotter than two rats humping in a wool sock, that's no reason to abandon the cliffs. There are plenty of well-shaded, quality, and crowd-free summertime climbing areas in and around Bend. By midsummer, if climbers want reasonable friction and minimal sunburn, they have to get a little more […]
Special Issues & Guides
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
How to Jump your bike
Learn to get air by following these simple steps!
Editor’s note: Whether hopping over a log or hopping a tabletop on Whoops Trail, jumping (or hopping) is a necessary skill every mountain biker needs to master. For a little confidence boost—and some technical know-how—we connected with jumping pro Lindsey Voreis for a how-to. Jumping bikes is fun! But getting your wheels off the ground […]
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Bend’s Buzzing
With bee colonies collapsing, beekeeping is more than a hobby
Almost two years ago, Fred and Kim Rivera started Backyard Bees of Bend, fittingly, in their own backyard. The business offers beehive items anyone looking to get started would need. But, more than anything, Kim said they started the business as a way to mentor amateur beekeepers. “It’s captivating,” Kim asserts. “Instead of going to […]
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Summer Guide!
My First: Camp
My dad is an ear, nose and throat doctor. I have a certain pride in him and his work. My sister even followed in his footsteps; I refer to her as the heir to the allergy empire. But the respect for doctors—in particular allergists—did not start well. When I was 4 years old—about the same […]
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My First: Road Trip
My first summer road trip as an adult of drinking age was to the San Juan Islands in Washington. At the time, I was living in Seattle. Kurt Cobain had just died. As a rule, road trips are about the journey. My BFFs Molly (Juliette Lewis), Char (Winona Ryder) and I (a young Bette Midler) […]
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Summer First: Getting Started
Although the neoprene-suited kayakers and cyclists zipping around our rivers and roads may look like League of Justice superheroes, at some point everyone needed to take their first step, their first bike trip, cast their first fly. The area offers a remarkable selection of beginner classes. Tie on the Fly River Borne Outfitters' fly-fishing classes […]
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My First: Love of the Game
A dad, a daughter and baseball
Let’s call it the female Field of Dreams effect, a transitive property: My dad loves baseball. Ergo, I love baseball. While dad and I have had our clashes, in the world of strikeouts and batting averages, dirt and dugouts, we understand each other effortlessly. April through September: Baseball season was always daddy-daughter time in the […]
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My First: Summer in Bend
In late September last year, I moved to Bend. I arrived for the last eight days of summer. Sunflowers, daisies and jasmine were in bloom; the high desert sun never seemed to set; and the streets and river trails were overflowing with leftover Abercrombie & Fitch models—tan, lean specimens showing off their sun-kissed bodies. It […]
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My First: Whitewater Kayaking
Two years ago, I showed up at Paradise Campground on the McKenzie River for my first private whitewater kayaking lesson. Coincidently, it also was my first blind date—with the instructor. A few days earlier, I had been bellyaching to my coworkers how badly I wanted to learn to paddle on the McKenzie; as luck would […]
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My First: Concert
In 1991, grunge rock was formally introduced with the release of two giant albums; Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. By 1994, bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Sonic Youth were playing on every teenager’s Walkman. But just prior, in 1993, remnants of what had been the prevailing music trend—the hair band—were making a […]
