Soaking in afternoon backyard bliss is a favorite pastime for Central Oregonians. Outfitting an outdoor space conducive to both solo R & R and family time often makes the top of a wishlist for a high desert homeowner. Luckily, carving out such a space in one’s backyard is perhaps the most accessible and approachable do-it-yourself home-build project of remodeling dreams.
Just take Allison and Derrick Clouser’s recent deck make-over for example. As owners of a home design company called Clouz-Houz, the couple had a leg up on their own DIY project. Allison has been guiding clients on interior design journeys for almost two decades. Derrick is a licensed general contractor and real estate agent. To glow-up a deck, follow the Clousers’ inspiring how-to tips below.
Upcycle and Reuse
It’s less expensive and good practice to reduce the ever-growing carbon footprint and reuse materials. The couple used this approach in their DIY deck project by reusing existing deck boards. “We flipped them over and planed the side that hadn’t been exposed to the elements,” Derrick said. “Once planed, we stained the boards with a dark espresso water-based stain to give the deck a more updated and fresh look. The railing style existed with the original deck. We sanded and restained it black to tie into the new stain on the deck boards.”
Reflecting the inhabitants
Because Allison wanted to stick with the coziness of the existing deck footprint, she made a point to enlist every inch of it. “The BBQ is used every week all summer long, so we needed that to be accessible. We chose a large sectional, perfect for our family to hang out on. Two of our three children are in college but come home in the summers,” she said. “I wanted the ambiance to feel like a quaint patio with bold prints and comfy furniture, thus creating a little outdoor oasis that coordinates with the interior of the home as well.”
The before photo
Maximizing with Minimal
Needing to maximize on seating, storage and space in general, Allison chose a modular sectional, then strung cafe lights way up high and hung hooks to house necessary items accessed from the deck frequently. “The modular sectional is an awesome way to build seating which can literally fit into any space,” she said. “The sectional is the perfect spot for enjoying cocktails while Derrick barbecues. Many nights we turn on the white lights and just sit outside under the stars. The hooks outside the back door are spot on for holding warm throw blankets to curl up with as it gets late and leashes for our two other family members, golden retrievers Max and Lucy.”
A collection of baskets, an end table and a coffee table that doubles as an ottoman also help store and organize keys, drinks, games, homework and other odds and ends.
Tips for Selecting Economical Goods
Allison found her sectional pillows on Etsy and says there are numerous vendors and operations for customizing with outdoor fabrics. The indoor-outdoor area rug came from the Studio McGee Collection at Target. “This is a nice way to keep the deck soft underfoot, preserve the boards from the wear-and-tear of weather and make for a comfy nap spot for our golden retrievers,” she said. For the finishing touches, Allison added small terracotta pots for fresh herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary and lavender for use in the indoor kitchen or outdoors on the barbeque and pizza oven, creating a welcoming space for warm summer days.
You’ve heard the joke, right? Central Oregon has two seasons: winter and August. Well, it’s the hotter season of the two once more, and you’d better enjoy it while it lasts! Here’s a run-down of ten ways to cool off in the high desert and dip in a watery oasis this summer.
“Sup” a Lake
Photo by Pete Alport
Scattered about the Cascade Lakes Highway are a smattering of inland waterways of many shapes and sizes, all perfect for a stand-up paddle session. Elk Lake offers a resort with backcountry fine dining, live music and water sport rentals. Devil’s Lake is a short and sweet traverse with the most gorgeous aquamarine water you’ve ever seen. Sparks Lake is fed by a sneaky secret creek you can paddle up and its banks have hidden campsites.
Wave Park Surfing
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
Centrally located in the Old Mill District, the Bend Whitewater Park offers traditional river surfing and kayak playboating opportunities. Bring your own gear or rent from a handful of vendors in town. To have the best experience, check the Bend Parks and Recreation web and Facebook pages for updates on water flow, safety and line-up etiquette. Act like a local by remembering, these amenities are for everyone to share!
Kayak a Resevoir
Spread out across Central Oregon are Lake Billy Chinook (north of Bend), Crane Prairie Reservoir (south of Bend) and Prineville and Ochoco Reservoirs (east of Bend)—each excellent for kayaking. For views of towering walls of John Day-formation geology and on-site rentals, check out Billy Chinook. For epic lounging, camping and shoreline exploration, see Crane. For superb bass fishing right from your cockpit, dive into Prineville and Ochoco.
River Clean-Ups
Although the opportunity to clean up whatever section of river you find yourself on is always an option, there are also organized all-day events for river clean-up volunteering. The longest standing such event, organized by The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, is in its 25th year. Scheduled for Saturday, July 31 this year, the clean-up will scour Meadow Camp, Riverbend Park, McKay Park, First Street Rapids Park and Sawyer Park for litter and trash. Wherever you go, pack it out!
Take a Dip
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
For a mellow after work river outing, how about a dip in the townie section of the Deschutes River corridor? This is a great family friendly activity that won’t break the bank. Check out Farewell Bend Park near Bill Healy Bridge for late day warm weather swimming. For a big grassy knoll and tons of put-in space on a cobble beach, see Riverbend Park. To settle into the juniper and desert landscape while dipping, try First Street Rapids—a long time locals hot-day haunt.
Scuba Club
For everything scuba, stop by Central Oregon Diving. They provide gear (rentals and retail), classes and certifications. Once you get your kit and cert, join them for one of their international hosted trips. Locally, Waldo and Clear Lake are named as diving hot spots. Clear Lake boasts a sunken forest and uncommon clarity.
Riparian Bird Identification
For those who don’t love getting wet but enjoy the water, try a self-guided river’s edge birding tour. Get your avian checklist from the visitor’s shop in the Old Mill and start marking off birds as you walk the paved footpath. On either side, the path stretches three miles upriver and becomes increasingly forested. Scout red winged black birds, mergansers, baby geese and more. Bonus points if you happen to see an osprey dive and catch his next meal!
Waterfall Kisses
Photo by Adam McKibben
What is a waterfall kiss, you ask? It’s when the mist from falling water lightly lands on your epidermis, such that it feels like a thousand cool tiny fairy kisses. Some favorite local waterfall baptisms are to be found at Paulina Falls in Newberry Caldera, Tumalo Falls at the end of Skyliner Road and Sahalie Falls on the McKenzie Pass.
Raft Big Eddy
Photo by Buddy Mays
A popular bachelor(ette), family reunion and honeymoon outing, Sun Country Tours and Seventh Mountain Resort offer white water rafting trips on the Big Eddy thriller stretch of the Upper Deschutes River, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Century Drive in Bend. Think of it as a local river roller coaster ride. The outfitter provides personal floatation devices, paddles, a raft and a guide. Although some locals navigate this stretch in their personal time, going with professionals is highly recommended!
Waterboard or Waterski
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
Motorboat, motorboat, go so fast, motorboat, motorboat, step on the gas! Take your waterskis and wakeboards out of storage and head for one of Central Oregon’s motorboat-friendly lakes including Lake Billy Chinook, Cultus Lake, Twin Lakes and Prineville Reservoir. New on the scene is Tanager, the
region’s first private ski lake—all you need to do is to buy a home in the development to access the lake.
Sail Away
Photo by Pete Alport
That sailboat in your garage itching for some action? There isn’t a lot of sailing to be had in Central Oregon, but a small contingent of enthusiasts gather at Elk Lake in the summertime. Get out the polo shirt, put on the yacht rock and cruise with those sails unfurled.
Single-use plastic is so last century, right? Director of Sustainability at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Cassidy Cushing, thinks so too. Last year alone, Cushing oversaw efforts which eliminated the use of 281,000 plastic water bottles. This number was calculated through measuring water usage at amphitheater water bottle refill stations.
In fact, single-use plastic bottles are not available anywhere in the venue. “We do not sell or allow our vendors to sell plastic bottles or utensils. All cups and service ware are required to be compostable or reusable items, and no straws are allowed. We also refrain from using toothpicks or fruit skewers in our cocktails as they make scooping food out of the trash a bit more difficult and painful!” explained Cushing. Why would Cushing and staff be scooping food out of the trash? Because that is how committed they are to recycling.
After concerts, Cushing and her team “dumpster dive” or look over the contents of each and every garbage bag with a fine tooth comb to be sure waste products are sent to proper recycle streams. Plastic bags are cleaned, dried and then taken to a facility to be reused. Beverage distributors are given back six-pack rings to reuse during packaging. Some trash is even made into art.
Cushing and Hayden Homes Amphitheater aren’t the only organizations in Bend catching the recycling craze. Cushing names The Environmental Center as a longtime Bend-centered organization that continually creates impacting programming around local recycling and sustainability efforts.
Udara Abeysekera Bickett, program manager for the Rethink Waste Project at The Environmental Center, mentions one major challenge to recycling efforts is that infrastructure is different across the state (and county) lines—meaning that what is collected for recycling in Bend is different from what is collected in Madras, Prineville, Portland or Newport. “It’s important to learn to recycle correctly across communities, especially when traveling,” she said. Fortunately, the Rethink Waste Project has published a do’s and don’ts guide to recycling available at RethinkWasteProject.org.
Recent efforts by Rethink Waste Project to address recycling gaps include partnering with Visit Central Oregon and lodging sites, including resorts, hotels and Airbnb, to implement recycling infrastructure and education that supports tourists to rethink waste; collaborating with Housing Works properties to implement recycling infrastructure and education that supports multi-family housing communities, developing and implementing large event sorting station plans; and partnering with Deschutes Brewery, Crater Lake Spirits and several other local beverage manufacturers to collect plastic film for recycling.
Another local and innovative recycling initiative is Local Plastic, which launched in 2019, and is a spin off of The Broomsmen—an event recycling-solutions team for weddings and gatherings of all kinds. “We always asked ourselves, ‘Where is all this waste going? Is it actually going to get recycled into a new product or just shuffled around in a charade of globalized supply chains?’ We realized we needed to utilize the plastic we collected to create a product in-house locally here in Bend,” explained Founder Philip Torchio.
Isolated in Central Oregon from major municipalities where recycled plastic markets exist, Local Plastic emerged from a desire to close the loop on the waste collected through The Broomsmen. Local Plastic was born to collect and manufacture locally discarded plastics into beautiful four-by-eight-foot sheet products.
In years to come, Torchio hopes Bend residents will think twice before throwing their plastic away. “We are placing a high value on your waste and view it as a manufacturing resource of the future. This discarded waste will create jobs and prosperity for our local community,” he said.
Cushing thinks support for recycling initiatives from residents, to travelers, to decision makers and corporate higher-ups is ever present in Bend in part because, “Bend is such a beautiful place. The city makes it easy to recycle or use the proper waste stream by providing receptacles, signage and ample reusable products to mitigate the production of unnecessary resources.”
During her 12 plus years of dumpster diving on behalf of Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Cushing noted, “We have a responsibility to preserve the live music experience for generations to come, and an opportunity to use our platform to inspire global environmental action.” This is what it means to be a Bendite.
The bug bit early. LB Gossett first started rollerblading as a child, at an indoor skating rink called Skatin’ Jakes in Chattanooga, Tennessee before taking her new hobby outdoors to streets, sidewalks and skate parks. “One of my most vivid memories from my early skating days was when our road had just been freshly paved and my brother took me out around dusk to test it out and teach me how to do crossovers,” said Gossett, who is now a kindergarten teacher at Bend Forest School.
As an adult, Gossett moved to Portland where she continued her skating hobby outside in parking lots, in parking garages, at the Lone Fir Cemetery and along the Springwater Corridor near Oaks Bottom. “Even though the pavement isn’t the smoothest, I much prefer skating outside,” Gossett said. Now a Bendite, Gossett enjoys skating at Pine Nursery Park, where she and other skaters use a 1.25-mile loop maintained by Bend Park and Recreation District. “It is consistent, but it isn’t so small that you get bored after a few laps. After three loops around I usually feel ready for three more in the opposite direction,” said Gossett, who also enjoys skiing, biking and running. “Skating gives me a fun physical outlet that is more exciting than running and takes less prep or planning than some other sports.”
While Gossett’s love of skating has remained steadfast since her elementary years, the popularity of both quad and inline skating has ebbed and flowed since the 1880s when the European invention of roller skates first made its American debut. Popularity with quad skates soared during the roller disco era of the 1970s and 1980s, while inline skating—or rollerblading—saw a peak in the 1990s. In Central Oregon, residents first laced up their skates at a roller rink in a former creamery building known as the Midtown Rock Rink & Roll (now the Midtown Ballroom), a space that served as the area’s roller rink for years.
Today’s skating scene in Central Oregon is more robust, with areas for skating in parks, on paths and at rinks and courts across the region. So many options is a good thing, as the popularity of the sport has surged in the past few years, thanks in part to the pandemic. In early 2020, Google searches for roller skating quadrupled from March to May, and one popular skate manufacturer, Moxi, reported a 1,000 percent increase in sales in March 2020. Whether the sport brings skaters nostalgia or serves as an outlet for exercise or fun, there are plenty of ways to join in and get your skate on.
Roller skating continues to grow in popularity because it’s a fairly easy sport to break into, offers a good workout, can have a social aspect and isn’t too expensive, according to Gossett. “It doesn’t take long to pick back up if you learned at a young age, and it is enjoyable even while you’re learning,” she said. “I’ll also say the low impact is a huge draw because as long as you aren’t doing crazy stunts it’s a smooth way to get your sweat on.”
Gossett enjoys solo skating and social skating. “A great thing about Pine Nursery is that you often see other folks—adults, kids and families—skating around,” she said. “But I also enjoy skating solo a lot, and listening to music while dance-skating to soul, funk or disco when I’m trying to get out of my own funk is great. When it’s a quieter day, Pine Nursery is a nice spot to practice more balance or stopping skills in the more open paved spaces.” There’s always room for challenge and improvement in skating, Gossett feels. “Ideally, I would like to strap on my rollerblades at home and skate anywhere around town, but I’m still building my urban rollerblading confidence.”
A great option in Bend for novice skaters is to join a skate park meetup, like those put together by Community in Bowls, an international organization that works to spread the stoke for skating in skateparks. Local organization co-administrator Willow Fraser has been leading the charge for quad skating in skate parks in Bend since 2017. Through CIB, Fraser organizes monthly meetups at public skateparks with workshops geared toward beginner skaters. Creating a space where everyone feels welcomed and comfortable in a park setting is critical to the cause, she said.
Like every sport, skating has its nuances. While some might say there’s a divide between blading, skateboarding and quads, Fraser said all are welcome at the CIB meetups. “I love skating with all types of skaters and welcome them at any skate session or CIB Bend meetup,” Fraser said. “I myself only quad skate—I tried skateboarding briefly, but my heart is on eight wheels. But some of my favorite skaters to session with are rollerbladers and skateboarders.”
Fraser, a former roller derby skater, currently offers private skate lessons for beginners and intermediates on flats, indoor ramps and outdoor park features. She continues to host CIB Bend roller skate meetups and promote Ladies Night at Bearings Skateboard Academy (open to all women, non-binary and trans skaters on any wheels) and another Ladies Night at SOLSK8S.
As interest in roller sports has fluctuated over the years, local indoor roller rink options have also changed. After Bend’s Midtown Rock Rink & Roll ended its run in midtown, Cascade Indoor Sports offered skating for many years until 2019, when the facility opted to shift its rink into a space for indoor go-karts. This paved the way for The Pavilion in Bend, a winter ice skating rink, to boost its summertime offerings to skaters. “Adding roller activities for the non-ice season has been a great complement for skaters looking for year-round activities,” said Julie Brown, communication and community relations manager for Bend Park and Recreation District. “Over the past couple summers, we’ve seen an increase in registration programs and drop-in times, and we’ve added more for summer 2022, including Friday night roller dance.” From April to September, the Pavilion skatepark features open skate, Friday night roller dance, parent-tot skate and play, pick up roller hockey, and Sunday family skate times. Roller skates, skateboards and scooters are allowed in the skatepark. The Pavilion has also stepped up to become the home court for youth inline roller hockey team, the Bend Bullets, and for roller derby team, the Lava City Rollers.
Oaks Park in Portland is the biggest roller rink west of the Mississippi. In operation since 1905, it’s one of the ten original amusement parks erected in America, coined the Coney Island of the Pacific Northwest.
Many Oregonians recall skating at Oaks Park decades ago, enjoying the old fashioned four-manual Wurlitzer organ, speed skating, couples skating and backwards skating; riding the bumps, the uneven floor on the back wall and requesting top 40 songs at the DJ booth. Oaks Park still operates today with year-round skating as well as other seasonal amusements. oakspark.com.
Where to Skate:
In the past two decades, skate parks have multiplied around the west, including in Central Oregon. Here’s a rundown on skate parks and roller rinks to check out in the region for all skill levels and with varying features.
PONDEROSA SKATEPARK
Features of this southeast Bend park include a 4,000-square-foot skate path with a mini ramp to practice pumping, roll-ins to work up to dropping in, and small quarter pipe and rollers to practice absorbing and producing speed. BENDPARKSANDREC.ORG.
THE PAVILION
An ice rink in the winter, The Pavilion in Bend transitions into a skatepark from April to September, with open skate and family skate times, as well as organized roller hockey leagues and other programs. BENDPARKSANDREC.GOV.
ROCKRIDGE SKATEPARK
This flowy bowl-like park in northeast Bend is great for just rolling around and carving practice. The skatepark is 11,000 square feet in size but can get busy, so try visiting in the early morning if you’re a novice. BENDPARKSANDREC.GOV.
MADRAS BIKE & SKATE PARK
This 10,000-square-foot skate park on the west edge of Madras features a nice, small bowl great for learners. CI.MADRAS.OR.US
REDMOND SKATEPARK
Features include a small mini ramp and banks, as well as bigger features that are really fun once the skater is comfortable, like bowls, a snake run and street features. REDMONDOREGON.GOV.
The nourishment and healing vibes of water, especially in a dry region, especially in our own yards, can’t be overstated. Water features don’t just look nice, they also provide relaxation and a sensory experience. In the parched high desert of Central Oregon, the audible trickle or flow of a hydro feature in an outside lounging space can be the thread that ties together all the other design efforts—from landscaping and plant selection to lawn furniture. Whether it’s a backyard waterfall, a bubbling basalt column, a modest fountain or an extravagant pond, a carefully designed water feature can help achieve watery backyard (or front yard) bliss.
Plan, Then Let it Flow
Before starting a new water feature project, it’s a good idea to spend some time getting familiar with different styles and products to decide what makes sense for the space available, according to Shane Conklin of Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply’s Bend location. Ewing recommends browsing through YouTube videos or visiting the website of a vendor such as Aquascape to look through ideas and find inspiration. “Research it—look at tutorials and learn what style you want to go with,” he said.
Conklin said among the most popular water feature styles in Central Oregon is the “pondless,” which incorporates a waterfall but doesn’t end with the water sitting in a pond at the bottom. Pondless waterfalls are a particularly attractive option if space is limited, but the serenity of a waterfall is desired.
The volume of water flowing through and the height at which water falls both contribute to how much sound will come from a water feature, with a louder fountain being a great option to drown out other sounds, according to Suzanne Day Audette, a landscape designer in Bend. “If we’re right next to Highway 97, I’ll say we need a stream water feature with a lot of volume,” Audette said.
To avoid an extensive installation process and ongoing maintenance, choose a standalone recirculating fountain—like those made from a large ceramic planter or other piece of colorful pottery. Often times homeowners think they want a permanent waterfall or pond feature, but don’t realize the ongoing maintenance it will need in the future, according to Michael Ludeman, owner of Earth’s Art garden center in Redmond. Ludeman said he stocks fountains and water features that offer the sound and quality people desire, without the headache of maintenance issues years down the line. “Many people just want to hear the sound of water and have it close to them, near or on the deck,” Ludeman said. With a fountain rather than a permanent waterfall or pond, “they’re going to be a lot happier in the long term as well as the short term,” Ludeman said.
Rock and roll
Rocks are large and plentiful in the high desert, and water features with carefully placed rock designs can become beautiful visual focal points in outdoor spaces. In addition to looking nice, they can also mask road and neighborhood sounds and attract local wildlife. Imagine the possibility of diverse local birds and other fauna enjoying the water feature as much as the people do.
Many local homes have native basalt and other lava rocks on site just below the surface which can be dug up, repositioned and incorporated into a water feature. In addition, non-native rocks can easily be selected and incorporated.
Another approach to creating a rocky water feature is bubbling water coming from the top of a single basalt column or group of columns. A pipe can be run through the center of this type of ancient lava rock, with water pumped up and bubbling up from the column’s top.
Water features with flowing water offer a focal point for the backyard and the sound of water can be calming, Conklin said. “It gives a visual effect to your landscape, and there’s also that subtle noise of water that can be therapeutic,” he said. “It can be really nice to look at.”
Still Waters
If space and time allow, installing a pond can be the ultimate addition of backyard serenity, and can stand alone or be incorporated into a flowing water feature like those previously described.
The classic and ever popular koi pond remains a timeless choice. Eye-catching since their backyard origins in the 1800s, tracing orange, white and black mystical elements gliding through the water embodies the feeling of swimming, floating, flying and relaxing.
Timeless Koi Ponds: In Japan, koi are often known to symbolize strength of character, perseverance, accomplishment and courage. In our backyards, koi ponds offer ultimate Zen vibes and a unique focal point.
Landscape design companies can help with the design and installation of a backyard water feature, and with ongoing maintenance for more extensive projects. “It’s more a style preference, but pondless or bubbling rocks will need less maintenance (than a pond),” Conklin said. “An open body of water is more susceptible to organic material and grass inside, and with the sun, it can make algae.”
With numerous products to help combat algae and maintain the ponds, the choice becomes more a matter of personal preference. Pick the option that makes the most sense for the space, get the water flowing, kick back and enjoy the soothing sounds of backyard Zen.
Outdoor dining has exploded in popularity everywhere over the past year. It’s no surprise that open-air meals are a hit in Central Oregon, where the outdoors is an important part of many people’s lives. Bringing the concept of outdoor dining to our own homes is a no-brainer. But let’s not leave the chef stuck in the kitchen inside, or limit ourselves to just the grill outdoors. Today’s outdoor kitchens provide convenience for backyard entertaining and meal-prep, easy-access refrigerators for cold drinks and snacks, storage space for essentials and a fun gathering place for outdoor get-togethers. (Above photo by Paula Watts)
Cook with a View
Bring the kitchen outdoors to maximize the mountain views of Central Oregon. Florida transplants who arrived in Bend in 2016 added this outdoor kitchen as part of the original construction of their home along the Deschutes River in southwest Bend.
Photo by Darius Kuzmicka
Veranda Kitchen
Outdoor kitchens don’t have to be exposed to all the elements but can instead take shape on a fully covered porch area. This Oregon outdoor kitchen combines sleek (and easy to wipe down) stainless steel with wood flooring and stone accents. It’s a protected kitchen oasis in the trees, warmed by a crackling fire on cool evenings.
Beverages Nearby
Choose a small refrigerator or refrigerated drawers specifically designed for outdoor spaces, which have much more significant temperature swings than indoor kitchens. Use these cool storage spaces for easy access to happy hour drinks, snacks, outdoor dining condiments and more.
◄ Kitchen Nook
This Central Oregon home features a sheltered space close to the house with an outdoor kitchen and dining area, offering open-air meals with some protection from the elements.
Omitting lifts entirely, more and more skiers are preferring to travel uphill under their own duress before enjoying a downhill plunge into powder. For many reasons, exploring what lies beyond the out-of-bounds signs of developed ski resorts by backcountry skiing is a popular way to recreate in Central Oregon.
Photo Brandon Nixon
First and foremost, the appeal of escaping crowds motivates many to push into the backcountry. Rather than waiting in lift and parking lines with the masses, skiers are eager to find untracked caches of snow, even at a higher aerobic cost. The harder to reach, the more likely the slopes will be untouched.
For Allison Miles, local avalanche educator and Central Oregon Avalanche Center board member, backcountry skiing reflects a lust to go where no one has gone before. Miles relishes the opportunity to see terrain in its winter coat. “The mountain landscape looks really different during the winter,” Miles said.
Appreciating what motivates a person to venture into the backcountry is one thing. Understanding the gear is another world entirely. Backcountry skiing starts with a piece of fabric, akin to carpet, which is affixed to the bottom of the skis. This “skin” only allows movement in one direction—uphill. Specialized backcountry skis are also equipped with heel lifts which help reduce leg strain during what can be hundreds to thousands of feet ascending.
Photo Brandon Nixon
These features are also present on splitboards—the snowboarder’s version of winter backcountry equipment. For both backcountry skiing and snowboarding, when it’s time to cruise down slope from the top of the hill, skins are removed, heels are lowered and a split board is transformed back to a single plank.
Other requisite gear (besides that which you’d bring on the lifts or for a winter hike) includes a backcountry specific pack, avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. More on this in the safety section.
Wintertime solitude, scouting fresh tracks and touring the seemingly uncharted acres are just a few cherries on the summit Sundays calling many a snow enthusiast into the backcountry.
Top Destinations
The Cone
Adjacent to Mt. Bachelor’s West Village parking lot, the Cone is the best place to start for beginners and a tried-and-true escape for quick sunrise or sunset sessions. With a descent of just more than 700 feet and a friendly gradient, this is a welcoming destination to those just getting their feet wet, or for those in a time crunch. Mt. Bachelor has guidelines on uphill traffic routes. Check the website for best practices. New this year: Reserve a free parking pass to enter the parking lot.
Tumalo Mountain
East of Mount Bachelor, across the saddle of the Cascade Lakes Highway, Tumalo Mountain beckons. While Tumalo can also be skied on a time crunch, the ascent is 1,900 feet over a three-mile cross section and conditions can vary. Access can be found from Dutchman Sno-Park. To ensure parking, a pre-sunrise departure is recommended as snowmobilers and Elk Lake Lodge visitors also utilize this modest lot. Routes up vary and are all up the west face. Once at the top, some choose to descend the same route traversed for summiting, while more experienced enthusiasts may choose to drop down the steeper east face. The route out after the east face descent circumnavigates the shaded, often icy, north face of Tumalo.
Photo Brandon Nixon
Broken Top Bowl
Shaped like a massive concave jagged bowl, Broken Top is located to the northeast side of Mount Bachelor. The seven-mile approach to the south face can be accessed by a thirty-minute snowmobile ride from Dutchman Sno-Park to the wilderness boundary near Todd Lake, with miles of hiking to follow. Many decent lines can be chosen from the summit ridge of Broken Top, all corresponding and named in reference to a clock face. This adventure can be accomplished in one day or some make it an overnighter. Because of the endurance and distance, consider contacting Oregon Ski Guides and enlist the services of a professional guide.
Photo Adam McKibben
Safety & Avalanches
‘Know before you go’ is a quintessential phrase for the backcountry. This includes having proper equipment like an avalanche beacon, receiving knowledgeable instruction on how to use it and learning how to read snow conditions. Backcountry certifications are given in the form of American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education course levels 1-3. Trip check and conditions report tools include Central Oregon Avalanche Center and Northwest Avalanche Center. Be sure to adhere to leave no trace ethics while exploring. Be kind to the land and the people, and mind parking and trail etiquette.
Hire a guide
Oregon Ski Guides & Timberline Mountain Guides
For glacier skiing at Mount Hood, a Broken Top bowl tour, a guide for a day tour or an educational intro to backcountry skiing or riding, contact these professional guides.
Three Sisters Backcountry
Need avalanche training? Want to check out Tam McArthur Rim or travel hut to hut, yurt to yurt? Then these are the knowledgeable guides you are looking for.
Long shot lefty and Sisters local Seth Brown got his call up to the majors late last August. Not long after, he made his first play for the Oakland A’s, dropping a base hit down the left field line and picking up his first career RBI (run batted in) as part of a 19-4 win against the Kansas City Royals. You could say that things were off to a great start. “Congratulations, Seth Brown!” hollered the announcer to the nation. “Triple-A’s or big leagues—it doesn’t matter, bat still works!’’
NBC Sports’ Ben Ross calls Brown’s 2019 batting stats a historic start—Brown was the first player in Oakland A’s history to collect ten hits in the first five games of his career.
Brown, a first baseman and outfielder, hails from Klamath Falls and Medford. He graduated from Medford High School, went on to play college ball for Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon, and later for Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where he earned a degree in law enforcement.
In 2015, the Oakland A’s brought Brown into the minors fold late in the nineteenth round of the draft. Brown said he got the call up while having a normal day around the house with his family. “I remember Jim Coffman, the scout, said, hey, you’re going to be an Oakland A, we gotta get you a pair of white cleats!”
Seth and his wife Brittaney Brown
Slow and steady, Brown worked his way up the minors ladder, starting at the AZL Athletics, and moving through seasons with the Vermont Lake Monster, Stockton Ports, Midland RockHounds, Toros Del Este (Dominican Winter League) and finally, the Las Vegas Aviators, from which he was ultimately called up to the big leagues.
Alex Hall of the A’s Prospect Watch calls 2016 Brown’s breakout year, likely due to the thirty homers he hit, compared to single digits the year prior. Brown said the key was to quiet his mind. “Minors is a long road and you’re grinding and it’s not for everyone. Long days, bus travel, standing in lines at fast food restaurants late night after games. It wears on the body and mind. Eventually I learned how to work as hard as I could every day but also have fun.”
Finding that balance helped Brown finally achieve what he’d long dreamed of. “When I got the call to the big league,” he said, “I was hitting in the cages that day, it was pretty unexpected. It was my manager’s birthday and he had gotten the best present that day, he got to tell me I was going to the big leagues. I tried to hold it together. I called my dad first. All I could say was, ‘I did it.’ It’s a moment that I will never forget—I had accomplished my dream.”
Some have called Brown a late bloomer, as he didn’t make the minors until 23 and is a major’s rookie at 27. However, his 2019 stats speak for themselves. In 112 games, he boasted a .297 batting average with thirty-seven home runs and 104 RBIs. ‘Sleeper agent’ or ‘ace up the sleeve’ seem better suited metaphors.
Don’t be surprised to see Brown and his wife Brittaney, a Sisters schoolteacher and baseball coach, giving pointers to local kids, sandlot-style, this off-season. “For kids looking to set high goals, don’t ever let someone tell you you can’t do something,” Brown said. “Any goal can be yours if you’re willing to put in the work…and say thank you to everybody who supports and roots for you.”
2020 Major League Baseball & COVID-19
In response to ongoing pandemic precautions, Major League Baseball has suspended all operations to include the remainder of Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season. The decision came in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the thirty clubs and the MLB Players Association. “The clubs remain committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins. We will continue to monitor ongoing events and undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts, and urge all baseball fans to follow suit,” said the MLB in a news release.
Three weeks in the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River among a company of adventurous Central Oregon women.
“You don’t see many trips go out with more girls than boys.” That’s the on-the-spot assessment offered by Ranger Peggy upon surveying our female-centric crew that has arrived at Lee’s Ferry, the iconic starting point for Grand Canyon adventures.
Our rag tag crew of river rats, organic farmers and adventurers has a three-to-one ratio of girls to guys. We aren’t out to make a statement, but we are the exception. Forget what you might see in the latest Patagonia catalog, the gender participation gap is a persistent failure of the outdoor industry, especially when it comes to leadership and guiding. America’s greatest river is no exception. But it’s also changing.
Rising slowly and steadily like a spring flood measured not in days but decades, the number of women voyaging through the Grand Canyon has steadily increased since Major Wesley Powell made his pioneering voyage down the then unchartered river in 1869.
Central Oregon’s Sarahlee Lawrence is one of the women who has helped smash the river guide stereotype. She’s also the chief organizer and fearless leader of our ramshackle voyage, cobbled together on a cancelled permit (an alternative to entering the long-odds lottery that determines who gets to launch a boat for the three-week, 225-mile journey through the Grand Canyon). Without a lot of lead time, we departed in the low, cold light of November.
I’ve known Lawrence for years as a friend and colleague, which was enough to merit an invitation on her trip. I jumped at the chance to join the journey in part because of Lawrence, whose reputation as a top-notch boater was earned on rivers across multiple continents over a multi-decade guiding career. Lately, she’s largely traded her oars for the tools of organic farming that she employs at Rainshadow Organics, her family farm near Terrebonne. But even when Lawrence’s feet are firmly on the ground, her mind is never far from the river. Especially this river.
A Woman’s Place
Photo by K.M. Collins
Once the sole province of men, the Grand Canyon has been inching toward integration for more than half a century, when the last serious dam building initiatives were thwarted by conservationists. It was then the river as we now know it was enshrined as a permanent national resource and a premier destination for boaters and rafters.
In some ways the Colorado River has been out in front of the rest of the country when it comes to women’s equality. The infamous and beloved Georgie White was the first documented woman to row a boat through the Grand Canyon’s gauntlet of massive rapids. That was way back in 1952, before most American’s owned a television. By 1955 White had pioneered a new motorboat design for navigating the Canyon, which she did as commercial outfit owner until her death in 1992. By that time, she had become a Grand Canyon icon, enshrined in the lore of the river.
Photo by K.M. Collins
My own passion for whitewater was ignited by a love for river ecology and a desire to fit in at my day job at a local paddling shop. A relative late bloomer, I jumped into my river obsession just a few years ago. I was a devout practitioner and in return, rivers emerged as my greatest gurus, especially the ones flowing through Oregon.
The Metolius River had taught me to kayak in brutally cold water that felt like liquid ice. The John Day River enticed me to embark on a seventy-mile solo trip on a paddleboard. The Rogue, Owyhee and Grand Ronde rivers taught me how to tough out winter as a raft passenger on a multiday trip. And as a rookie, I learned plenty from our own desert river, the Deschutes, which like the Colorado has been tamed by dams, yet manages to retain a piece of its wild soul.
The Mighty Colorado
Like other river devotees, I knew the ultimate goal lay beyond my home waters deep in a canyon that has captured America’s imagination like no other place in the world. For devout paddlers it isn’t a line item on the Bucket List. It is the Bucket.
Still nothing can quite prepare you for the immensity and the sheer grandeur of the Grand Canyon. And yet the Colorado River’s true wonders were in the mud cracks and dry washes. It was the scent of the mesquite and tamarisk; it was the swaying of the cottonwood, sedge and willow. The magic was in the freshly caught trout that Bridget shared around the campfire.
Inside the canyon, the familiar great blue heron, belted kingfisher, chukar and canyon wren offered us warm song on the coldest days. Here enveloped in the pink granite walls of the Inner George, the notion of time shrinks in the presence of place. Inside sentinels’ schist, conglomerate and limestone shepherd our route as precious day slips and fades into night, where we curl under a blanket of stars.
It’s a simple life, but it’s not an easy one. Running the Grand Canyon is an accomplishment, but it’s also a journey. After three weeks and countless rapids our voyage through time concluded with a few quiet oar strokes. I wondered what young women would follow in our wake. Will they still be an exception? Will they have to earn their spot on the river, or will they be welcomed as equals? Only time will tell.
