Searching for Summer

Summer. Finally. We all deserve longer, warmer days, where our biggest decisions are what plot on the map to explore. Get some new hiking boots, change the line on your fly rod, pump up your bike tires and get ready for some Central-Oregon-level recreation. Seen by many as a place to adventure, find solace, rejuvenate, relax, build connections and experiences, our home here in Central Oregon is a proverbial toolbox for the soul.

Whatever it is you seek from the natural world, the answers lie somewhere in the forests, mountains and waterways of the High Desert. Solitude, connection, adventure, exploration or the proverbial clearing of one's mind — the ultimate value is in the pursuit, the journey rather than the destination. Follow a new path. Seek out the fringes. Take a friend. Prepare and open yourself to the endless possibilities of the experience.

These photographs from local photographers may offer some inspiration.

DAVID SWORD: a freelance writer and former professional skier and climbing guide whose guiding principle in life is to explore, learn, and share those experiences around the campfire, and through photography and writing.

TREVOR LYDEN: A professional outdoor and adventure photographer hailing from Juneau, Alaska, who currently resides in Bend. He enjoys mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking and ice hockey and specializes in adventure sports imagery.

JULES JIMREIVET: A professional climber, photographer and filmmaker based out of Bend. When not dangling from cliffs, she can be found backcountry skiing, biking and/or stoking the fire on personal projects.

JOSH KELLEY: A professional cyclist, photographer and bike mechanic originally from Tucson, Arizona. With his feet firmly planted in Central Oregon soil, his favorite days are spent with his 7-year-old daughter, Olivia, exploring new outdoor places by bike or canoe.

ELIF KOYUTURK: A professional photographer and videographer originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Elif Koyutürk captures the aesthetics of invisible feelings that make us look within, leveraging the mediums of film, painting and photography. Motivated to capture fading cultures and indigenous practices, she travels the globe in search of the rawest and most authentic humanity a population has to offer.

Water

"And gentle winds and waters near, make music to the lonely ear."

- LORD BYRON

Water is at the core of life, flows without effort, changes course when necessary and always finds the path of least resistance. It is cold. It is powerful. It is reflective. Walk on the shores. Swim in its depths. Engage in its life-giving power. Observe. Water deserves our praise and our protection. From the clouds and trickling streams to lakes and rock gorging rivers, life would not exist without it. Thought provoking, don't you think?

Since the beginning of humankind, we have aspired to reach the stars. Fewer things in life make earth life feel so small as gazing deeply into the universe. Mountains are the terrestrial staircase, and each step puts you closer to the star party. The higher you climb, the further from "the known" you travel. Reach for the higher ground, seek out the remote viewpoint or distant rampart.

The largest Ponderosa Pine ever recorded is more than 500 years old, soars over 160 feet above the ground and is located right here along the banks of the Deschutes River. Oh, if that tree could talk. There is a certain magic that weaves through treetops. Close your eyes and listen. The wind carries whispers from afar, and a multitude of creature languages combine for a symphony of messaging. Central Oregon forest lands offer 1.6 million acres worth of wander-worthy conifers to explore.