While shopping for a new stove, refrigerator or mattress isn’t something people do every day, choosing the right one is a decision bound to impact a shopper’s daily life for years to come. And whether the purchase is a high-priced range poised to be a statement piece for an entire kitchen, or a compact pizza oven to fire up in the backyard, the shopping experience and selection process is key for ensuring the right product ends up at home. Enter Johnson Brothers Appliances, an independent Central Oregon appliance dealer that’s quietly commanded a chunk of the appliance market in the region for more than seven decades. The company has a rich family history that’s stood the test of time, economic downturns and shifting trends, and today is growing and thriving along with the region’s booming building industry.
History in the Making
The Johnson Brothers Appliances story dates back to 1950, when Vernon and Charcelene Johnson first founded a home products store as an extension of Vernon’s general contracting business. At the time, Vernon was a home builder, eventually constructing dozens of homes in the Bend area, including many on the hilly portion of west Bend that includes NW Portland Avenue and NW Vicksburg Avenue. In the early days, the new home products store was called The Home Center, and carried things like carpeting and paint in addition to appliances, according to Vernon’s grandson, Dave Johnson. “He started the business as a supplier for things he needed to build houses,” Dave said. The business eventually came to specialize in home appliances and televisions, serving the tri-county area of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.
The company has always been a family affair, with Vernon’s son, Bob Johnson serving as a longtime employee and eventual general manager, Vernon’s daughter Charcie Madsen managing accounting and Bob’s wife, Marsha Johnson, managing advertising and administrative functions. As children, Bob’s sons Dave and Brian were often found at the business, then located at Northeast First Street and Franklin Avenue. “As a little guy, grandpa would pay me to break down boxes, and in high school as soon as I got my driver’s license I started doing deliveries and service calls.” Dave said. In 1980, Vernon changed the store’s name to Johnson Brothers as an homage to his two young grandsons. Bob took over the store in 2000, and after his untimely death in a car accident in 2015, his sons stepped in to take over ownership and operations. “Having something like this to step into has been an incredible opportunity, and I love building on the hard work that dad and grandpa did over the years” said Dave, who retired from a twenty-year career in the Air Force to return to Bend and become general manager of the business. “I really enjoy the challenges of small business. It’s a different mission than we had in the Air Force, but it comes with daily challenges, risk and reward.” Dave’s brother Brian stepped down from his career as a pastor to provide leadership in logistics, finance and personnel for the business.
Into the Showroom
The Johnson family’s hard work building the family appliance business is best seen at its showroom on Azure Drive, near U.S. Highway 20 and just east of Pilot Butte, a location the company has called home since the 1990s. Inside, customers will find one of the largest inventories of appliances and home essentials in Central Oregon. Inventory includes large cooking, laundry and refrigeration appliances, vacuums, smaller tabletop appliances, mattresses and appliances for outdoor kitchens and grilling. The 30,000-square-foot showroom offers a chance for customers to browse through aisles of appliances and products while learning more from a small sales team with a combined 200 years of experience in the appliance industry.
While in the past, a larger percentage of the company’s sales were tied to builders, the business model has shifted to cater to a more equal mix of contractors and individual buyers who are building, remodeling or reinvesting in their homes, Dave said. During the pandemic, people’s discretionary spending shifted from travel and experiences to investing within their homes, something that brought many new customers into the showroom. “We’ve definitely seen more of that retail traffic,” Dave said. “At one time appliances used to be more of a luxury, but today they’re more of a necessity. Being able to fill that need is rewarding.”
Tracking Trends
The sales team at Johnson Brothers is uniquely positioned to keep up with the latest in appliance and home design trends, gathering input from customers and appliance manufacturers as styles change. One newer trend is more high-tech appliances offering “smart” features, such as refrigerators with cameras inside that can be viewed remotely—convenient when a person is at the grocery store racking their brain to remember what they’re running low on. New refrigerator technology today can also help with food waste in the United States, by using humidity, temperature and airtight compartments to keep food fresh longer. “Manufacturers have really refined the refrigeration process to do it as efficiently as they can,” Dave said. “Storing food at home, if you apply a scientific approach to it, can optimize the preservation of food.”
Elsewhere in the kitchen, new trends in ovens and ranges have included luxury statement range pieces, sometimes in bold colors, that can become the focal point of a kitchen. High-performance, six-burner ranges with all the bells and whistles or vintage-inspired dual cooktops with ovens and warming doors below can fetch top dollar prices in the name of both function and design aesthetic.
Another trend in the appliance world is the addition of more small appliances and accessories based around function and fun. At Johnson Brothers, shoppers can find wine dispensers that scan a wine bottle label to optimize the temperature at which to store the wine, preserving it for 120 days after opening. A connected app allows oenophiles to see what their wine-loving friends currently have pouring. Another product on hand at the showroom is a compact and portable outdoor pizza oven, a great addition to a Central Oregon backyard kitchen, or for transporting to the mountain for the ultimate tailgating setup. “It’s a very well made product, but it’s not crazy expensive like some outdoor kitchen components are,” Dave said.
Experience and Expertise
Over the decades, the company has earned the trust of many shoppers in Central Oregon, including homeowners, local builders and design professionals. “An advantage of a small business is you can build relationships over time,” Dave said.
One customer Johnson Brothers has gained business from is Bend designer Kerri Rossi, who exclusively sources appliances for her clients from the company. “People have appliances for several decades. If you’re going to be spending money on something, and you’re going to be using it daily, you want to trust who you’re purchasing through,” said Rossi, principal for KRM Interior Design and co-owner of Element Design Collective. Rossi said she works with a salesperson who has been with the company for more than thirty years. “It feels like she’s family,” said Rossi, who appreciates the product education she gets from Johnson Brothers and ongoing support even after a purchase is complete. “Things can go wrong with appliances. Other appliance companies will tell you to call a one-eight-hundred number and figure it out. [Johnson Brothers] will walk you through the process, explain warranties and help you if you’re having questions or concerns.”
Whether a homeowner picks out their appliances on their own or works with a designer like Rossi, Johnson Brothers coordinates ordering the product or locating it in the showroom or warehouse, delivery and installation. In many cases, they also manage servicing of their appliances, or coordinating service through a manufacturer. A team of about thirty employees at Johnson Brothers are split between sales, delivery, service and administration, each playing a role in the success of every transaction. To see what the team is up to today and browse the company’s impressive selection of appliances and home products, stop by the showroom, open Mondays through Saturdays each week.
Rue McKenrick has spent much of his life relying on his own two feet to take him places, a decision that has led to great accomplishments, but also challenges. As a hiker, backpacker and cyclist, McKenrick has traveled the country extensively. Most notably, he’s hiked all three of the country’s major thru-hikes—the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail—a feat only about 525 people have accomplished. Back home in Bend, where he’s lived since 2010, he travels around town without a car, walking and biking everywhere.
On the Ritter Range in the Sierra Nevadas of California, 1,000 miles into a scouting journey | photo Marie-Soleil Desautels
McKenrick’s journeys, while rewarding, haven’t always been easy. He’s pushed his body to extremes while backpacking, with overtraining sending him into the early stages of organ failure. He’s been knocked unconscious by a tree falling on him while he slept and been lifted several inches off the ground in a roadside tornado, he said. He’s hiked with broken bones and countless internal ailments, battled extreme thirst and cramps in the desert and been left to refuel himself on only gas station snacks for days at a time. And in Bend, his decision to walk and bike everywhere has led to five collisions with cars and a cycling crash that caused a traumatic brain injury.
Yet, McKenrick still walks everywhere, still cycles, and for the past two-and-a-half years, has dedicated his life to his latest thru-hike expedition—the scouting, route-planning and establishment of the new American Perimeter Trail. It’s something McKenrick has dreamed of creating for years—a massive thru hike established not just for recreation, but as a means of conserving the land for generations to come. “I’m not creating the next great thru hike, I’m creating America’s next biggest volunteer and conservation project through this thru hiking,” McKenrick said.
Minnesota; At the summit of Mount Whitney, California
After years of dreaming, McKenrick took off from Bend in July 2019, hiking continuously for thousands of miles over the next fifteen months in an effort to establish the trail’s route. As he hiked, McKenrick began to pick up steam with online supporters, including Leilah Grace, a Pennsylvania physical therapist who initially reached out to help McKenrick with a back injury he posted about on social media. “There was this little voice in my head saying, this guy needs some help,” said Grace, who began helping McKenrick with social media posting and today serves as vice president of the American Perimeter Trail Conference, a nonprofit established in 2020 as a way to give McKenrick’s dream “some legs,” she said. “When I first learned about it, I thought it was just really, really cool and interesting,” said Grace, who volunteers her time with the APT Conference. “I was hooked on this idea of having a hiking trail that you could get on anywhere in the country… But now it’s the conservation piece that has hit home for me—it’s not just a trail, it’s about preserving the land that’s around the trail.”
McKenrick’s nightly homework, identifying possible routes for the next day in the North Dakota Badlands
While overtraining during his fifteen-month expedition did a number on McKenrick’s body and sent him home twice in late 2020 and again in 2021, he’s committed to closing the full perimeter loop this year. When finished, the American Perimeter Trail will roughly trace the perimeter of the contiguous United States, starting and ending in Bend. Establishing the trail means pinpointing the route mile by mile, identifying suitable public lands and in some cases pursuing easements, followed by physical trail building in some areas, done in partnership with groups such as AmeriCorps. While few people are likely to hike the entire perimeter trail, they may choose to hike pieces of it, and establishing the route and conserving the land is beneficial for public recreation and for the environment. “It’s about leaving this place better than you found it,” McKenrick said. “And I think time is of the essence.”
While out scouting the 12,000- to 14,000-mile trail, McKenrick is weaving together networks of forest roads and existing trails, using a compass and paper maps to track his progress each night and make notes about the route. “People see the compass and map, and they think I’m crazy,” said McKenrick, who doesn’t rely on GPS navigation and isn’t fussy about which type of gear or brands of equipment he uses. “The most important piece of gear you can have is an open heart,” he said.
The American Perimeter Trail Conference nonprofit is based here in Bend, but draws support from across the country, with the majority of the organization’s founding members coming from outside the area, including many from McKenrick’s hometown in Pennsylvania, along the Appalachian Trail. Supporters can become members of the organization, with regular donations helping to support the conference’s effort to formally establish and build the new trail.
Hiking in Clausen Springs, North Dakota
This spring or summer, McKenrick plans to head back out to close the loop on the first full scouting mission of the APT, connecting the last piece of the trail in Washington and then heading south back to Bend for a summertime celebration.
Looking up isn’t usually one’s first instinct as you walk into a room, unless you’ve just entered the Sistine Chapel. But ceilings in homes are getting more attention as designers take what they call “the fifth wall” to new heights.
For decades the ceiling was under-appreciated. Sure there may have been crown molding, but most ceilings were left white, without much more thought. Today, ceilings are no longer viewed as just a way to hide insulation, wires or attics. In fact, some industrial modern lofts actually embrace ceilings that expose these mechanical pieces. Other ceilings are being elevated to add personality to a room and to draw the eye upwards.
Creating more visually appealing ceilings can make a small room look larger, or make a cavernous space look cozier. Ceilings also speak to a house’s character, whether that’s playing up an ultra-modern design or old-world charm.
Three dimensional designs are classic, from the modern tray ceilings to old world coffered ceilings, to the rough-hewn exposed beams. These geometric designs tend to draw the eye upwards.
The growing popularity of tray designs in a ceiling can hold a light fixture or a simple fan and frame it, giving the room an overall pop. Tray ceilings can be elaborate to simple in design. They are also known as an inverted or recessed ceiling, which features a section that is several inches to several feet higher than the center section, which creates a focal point.
You’ve heard of painting an accent wall, why not an accent ceiling? It doesn’t have to be expensive to add personality to a ceiling. Something as simple as a coat of contrasting paint can change the atmosphere of a room. For example, in a child’s bedroom, you could paint that ceiling black or dark blue, and attach adhesive glow-in-the dark star stickers, to create a night sky.
Other fun painting projects on ceilings could include stripes or polka dots. Perhaps, if you have lots of patience, you might erect a scaffold to lie down on while you paint your own masterpiece on the ceiling, much like Michelangelo did painting the Sistine Chapel.
Designers also point out that tin ceiling tiles and mirrored tile ceilings are another way to add personality to a room, without a huge structural cost. The shine and light from the mirrors or the tin is an easy way to add some glittery reflection in a darker room that has little natural light.
What’s old, is new again. New modern designs of wallpaper are making a resurgence, and with the newer pre-pasted wallpaper, hanging has never been easier. The fresh designs on modern wallpapers can give a dramatic ceiling to any bedroom or hallway, and it’s faster than lying on your back painting your masterpiece.
To create a warmer space, or bring down a ceiling, some designers suggest hanging billowing drapery or fabric across the ceiling, giving texture, color and movement above.
If it’s personality that you seek in your home, the fifth wall is not to be ignored or forgotten. Whether it’s something cosmetic like painting, or structural like a tray ceiling, remember a ceiling will have a lot more character if it’s not plain white.
This article was originally published in Bend Home + Design – Fall 2019.
Redmond’s Cabin Creek Furniture and Design Breathes New Life into Reclaimed Wood
Don’t be surprised if one day you come across Missy and Brent Taylor wandering around in the woods gathering old pieces of ponderosa pine or old-growth juniper. The pair, owners of Redmond-based Cabin Creek Furniture and Design, have been creating unique pieces of furniture since 1997. “We begin by foraging old and left-behind wood from the forest with permits, or from private property with permission,” said Brent Taylor. Four to six weeks later, the wood has been crafted into log furniture and custom home décor pieces.
Reclaimed: This remarkable seven-foot-square dining table was made out of 100-year-old carriage house flooring boards salvaged from the 2018 Paradise, California fire. | Photo Grace Pulver
“My father was a wood-shop teacher, and I began working with wood at a young age,” said Brent. “I was always drawn to rustic, log-style furniture and would study the different types of joinery and design.” A recent Cabin Creek project began as nearly petrified two-hundred-year-old oak floorboards, weathered and reclaimed from outside an old mill. These were upcycled into several statement pieces of furniture. Another recent project, pictured above, began when the Taylors got their hands on one-hundred-year-old flooring boards from a carriage house, salvaged from the remains of the 2018 Paradise, California fire. Missy and Brent crafted the reclaimed wood into a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, seven-foot-square dining table, accompanied by nine custom lodge chairs and a bench, also crafted from the same reclaimed wood.
In addition to dining tables, Cabin Creek creates built-in bunk beds, custom bed frames and headboards. The Taylors sell their work at the Sisters and NorthWest Crossing farmers markets, in season, where they display smaller pieces of furniture and art, such as elevated dog feeders, small stools and benches, picture frames, free-standing coat trees and their very popular hanging wall trees.
One of the Taylors’ favorite kinds of projects are custom—truly custom, using wood that clients bring to them that has some special meaning. Transforming lumber that means something to a family into works of art they can treasure for generations to come is very satisfying, says Brent. “I continue to learn, enjoy and create one-of-a-kind pieces.”
The Mueggenburg Group was founded in Germany eighty years ago to trade herbs and spices around the globe. In 2014, the company set up a North American branch in Culver, Oregon. More than 700 different botanical products pass through the warehouse for processing and distribution annually. Bend Magazine sat down with CEO Nils Mueggenburg to learn about the global business of botanicals.
Rose Petals India, Oregon Grape Root Cascadia, Marigold Egypt
Tell us about your company and background.
We are a fourth-generation, family-owned and -operated business which supplies dried raw botanical and spice ingredients to the tea, food, homeopathic and nutraceutical industries. These ingredients include roots, barks, leaves, berries and gums. With over eighty years of trading herbs globally, we have established long lasting partnerships with companies and farms around the world to provide high quality organic and non-organic herbs. In addition to our facility in Culver, we currently have operations in Germany, Poland, and Appalachia. The Mueggenburg Group is managed by Dirk Mueggenburg and his two sons, Jan and Nils.
Tell us a little about the business of botanicals.
Although the herbs and spice industry has changed significantly over the years, one thing has stayed the same: family. Family operations are responsible for most harvests—whether it’s a family farm that grows echinacea and valerian on their land, or a family practice to harvest slippery elm bark in the woods for extra income each spring. The harvests are then purchased by companies like ours, who then prepare the products for the global market.
Once received, we analyze the products for pesticides, heavy metals, and any dangerous pathogens, and determine what industry this material is best suited for. Next we process the product accordingly—usually by cutting, sifting, and/or powdering. We heat-treat material to ensure dangerous pathogens are killed and the product is safe for consumption. Once we have completed this processing right here in Culver, the botanical product will be shipped to our customers.
Why did you choose Culver?
This farm was owned by an old family friend whose tea company went out of business. We realized the farm had good potential to be our new North American branch and purchased it. It was a regular farm with mills and warehousing space. In the last couple years, we’ve transformed the facility from a traditional farm to a food-grade botanical warehousing and manufacturing operation. Currently we process and handle approximately one million pounds of herbs and botanicals at our Culver location annually.
Luis Haro, warehouse and production manager and Nils Mueggenburg, CEO.
What is grown onsite at Mueggenburg Farms?
On our humble ten acres of certified organic farmland, we are growing alfalfa and goldenseal. Alfalfa is known to grow well in the area, but in 2021 our alfalfa fell through due to the drought, as the little water we had went to our new project—goldenseal.Last year we started a cultivation of goldenseal, an endangered species which must be artificially propagated and certified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to be exported overseas. It’s a long-term project to keep a sustainable supply of this item for our partners.
What are products you import or collect domestically and what are they used for?
Domestically, we get Oregon Grape root and Cascara Sagrada bark out of the Cascades. Oregon Grape is used for its anti-bacterial properties and Cascara Sagrada is commonly used in laxatives. Out of Appalachia we harvest items such as Slippery Elm Bark, used in teas, as well as black cohosh root which is commonly used in women’s health products. From South America we import botanicals such as pau d’arco bark, guarana seeds, and sarsaparilla root. Through our sister companies in Europe, we regularly import immune boosters, such as elderberry and echinacea, but also items like valerian root, licorice, passionflower, and juniper berries. Occasionally we’ll also import kava kava root from Fiji, green tea from China, or even yohimbe bark from Cameroon.
Who are your clients? How do they differ?
Our clientele varies greatly: tea companies, extract manufacturers, breweries and distilleries, pet food manufacturers, dietary supplement companies, herb and spice shops, homeopathic companies, skin care companies, flavor companies, as well as pharmaceutical companies. One of our core strengths is flexibility, as we can offer various cut sizes of the same product.
What are some industry challenges?
One of the big challenges we face is increased standardization. The consumer side of the industry requires consistent, standardized product. But the supply side is the exact opposite—nature will give us good crops and bad crops; strong oil content and weak oil content; strong assays one year and weak the next. It’s difficult to navigate at times, which is why supplier relationships are crucial to maintain. Our harvesters and growers are the first to know what the harvest will be like, and the more we communicate, the better we can prepare ourselves and our customers for inevitable fluctuations.
Your products are natural plants that largely rely on Mother Nature. What global climate change impacts are you and your partners experiencing?
Increased unpredictable weather leads to unpredictable crops, which causes price fluctuations and uncertainty. In other words, it makes prices go up when we are less sure about a harvest.
We saw several Oregon growers last year completely cease their growing operations due to the drought, which was quite sad to see. There’s not much we can do when something like this happens, and the unfortunate result is just a decrease in confidence in that growing region. It’s hard to imagine that in ten years’ time things will be better. Climate change was absolutely a contributing factor to why we have pivoted our primary operations from a farm to a manufacturing operation.
What are your goals and plans for future?
The new manufacturing facility has allowed for significant increase in productivity which will allow us to offer our milling services to third parties. Also known as “toll work,” customers can send us their product and we can cut, blend, and powder it for them.
Additionally, we’re looking to expand our small-volume side of the business. Currently our volumes we offer start at around fifty pounds which is too large for many small businesses who may just need one to five pounds of a product. We’re hoping this can help grow our business while also getting us more involved with other Central Oregon businesses. And who knows, maybe we’ll make some friends along the way!
Dull. Drab. Dark. For some, these can be the emotions and feelings evoked in a space without plants. Those magical, green, life-sustaining organisms give off a wonderful feeling and can be so much more than just an afterthought sitting on windowsills. Plants can add color to any room; they can add subtle details that accent a room or they can be statement pieces that wow guests.
In Bend, the dry climate is one of the biggest obstacles for many houseplants, yet it is possible to implement plants effectively and functionally within a home’s design. “It’s just another element of design, like how you would use color to create a feeling in the room,” said Janessa Reynolds, owner of FigLeaf Plant Shop in downtown Bend. “It just really creates this more interactive, alive feeling in a room.”
Light the Way
The first step to implementing plants into your design is to take stock of the space with an eye toward lighting. “Really take your lighting and your home into account before you buy your plants,” said Erin Hasler, owner of Root Adorned, a home goods store in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing packed with plants. “So make sure you know where you have room for them, what direction your windows face, what kind of light they’re going to get each day.”
Once you do this, you can bring that information to a plant shop and they can help you find specific plants that will thrive.
Tackling Desert Air
Bend’s dryness is one of the biggest battles for keeping plants alive here since most houseplants come from tropical climates such as Florida. Buying a room humidifier or regularly misting plants can be a great way to combat this. Create humidity for plants by filling a tray with rocks and water then placing a plant pot on top of the rocks. The water will evaporate throughout the day and create a microenvironment around the plant, said John Kish, owner of Somewhere That’s Green, another plant shop in Bend.
Branching Out
Whether subtly incorporated into open shelving or taking command of a credenza, plants are sure to elevate a room’s design.
Dryness can also be balanced by placing plants in bathrooms and kitchens. The humidity created through shower steam or a pot of boiling spaghetti can help replace some of that missing moisture. “It just adds tons of freshness and makes it feel clean and bright and kind of fresh, which is what we want in those areas of the homes,” Reynolds said. She highly recommended ferns, calatheas or any other moisture-loving plants.
Lighting, however, can be tricky in these rooms. The marbled or frosted glass common in bathrooms cuts down on light particles and makes it difficult to sustain plant life. Choosing plants that do well in indirect light can help. Additionally, having a skylight can help plants receive the kind of light they need while also benefiting from the increased humidity.
In bathrooms, plants can serve as a focal point and help create a relaxing environment.“If you have a really nice bathtub setup, I think having a really nice large focal point like a tree is really cool, and adds a really nice weight of naturalness in something that is usually filled with porcelain and glass and plastic,” Kish said. “I’ve also seen a couple bathrooms with a lot of hanging plants, and that’s also really cool,” he said. “Aesthetically, it just looks really relaxing with lots of vines and you just make your own garden oasis.”
In kitchens, plants can serve as a tabletop centerpiece or liven up an area used for entertaining. “Having one or two countertop plants is really great for entertaining,” Kish said, “because it’s kind of a natural centerpiece that continues to keep living.”
Adding to the Aesthetic
Depending on a home’s existing design style, various types of plants can complement color schemes, furniture and textiles already in the room. For modern homes with lots of glass tables and metal accents, terrariums or using glass pots could be a great fit. Snake plants or euphorbias with their clean, straight lines “work really beautifully in a modern home,” Hasler said. For rustic homes, she recommended more traditional plants such as the classic fiddle leaf fig or traditional ficuses. For bohemian homes, Reynolds recommended playful plants like philodendrons, pothos, or schefflera. Using wicker baskets can help create a more bohemian feeling as well, even for more dramatic plants such as fig trees.
High density housing—no way. Modern homes of purely glass and steel—nuh uh. Traffic tie ups, congestion at popular restaurants and parks—forget it. This is Brasada Ranch, where cattle and sheep once roamed and density is measured in junipers, sage and the star-capped night.
Located on 1,800 acres on the flank of Powell Butte in Crook County, the developers had something else in mind when they created Brasada Ranch back in 2005. The window and door company Jeld-Wen envisioned Brasada as a luxury residential resort built around environmental sustainability standards. In 2010, the company sold the resort to Northview Hotel Group, which repositioned it as a destination sanctuary in the desert to complement the residential community.
Then and now, Brasada Ranch pays homage to its Western roots, natural landscape and dizzying views of the Cascade Mountains. From the Ranch House Restaurant to the Equestrian Club and welcoming archway, every structure incorporates those features. The established Design Review Guidelines ensure that the architecture of each home forms part of the cohesive whole.
Like the rest of Central Oregon, the community has experienced an active housing market, catalyzed by the pandemic, according to D. Alan Cornelius, director of real estate at Brasada Ranch. “In March 2020, I was thinking of battening down the hatches, believing the pandemic would cease real estate activity,” he said. “Instead, the opposite happened, and real estate exploded.” As evidence, he cites sales last year of $61 million in residential lots and homes at Brasada Ranch. He said the average turnaround for homes and homesites is less than thirty days if priced relative to the market. Lots swing from $200,000 to $600,000, and homes typically sell in the $1.5 to $3.5 million range.
The master plan permits a maximum of 750 home sites. Currently, the ranch has 273 finished homes with fifty-four under construction and another twenty-four in design review. Roughly 450 people live on the ranch while another 150 own a second home there. “Most people when they come to Central Oregon are looking for the expansiveness this area naturally provides,” Cornelius said. “Brasada wanted to capitalize on that and give people room to breathe.” Lot sizes range from a half-acre to two acres, with roomy setbacks and no so-called zero-lot lines common in high density housing in other parts of Central Oregon. “We’re never going to have homes next to one another,” he said.
Feeder markets for home sales have consistently been Portland, Seattle and the Bay Area. “The pandemic had people realizing they need to slow down and enjoy more time with the kids in this wilderness expanse that is Central Oregon,” Cornelius said. “Brasada is a basecamp with a sixty-mile radius of all types of outdoor experiences.”
Trading hustle and bustle for life among the junipers
Not all residents come from outside the area. Jerry Jackson, who was born and raised in Bend, and his wife Kim, were ready to sell their home on Awbrey Butte. They planned to downsize and build or remodel a home that could accommodate an adult son with muscular dystrophy.
“We couldn’t find a lot in Bend, and existing houses were so close together,” Jerry said. They connected with a friend who was building a home in Brasada. “We looked at the plans and got excited,” he recalled. “It was perfect for us—no steps, and it had accessible hallways and an accessible bedroom.”
The family moved into the home in July 2018. “After forty years in Bend, I was over the hustle and bustle of Bend and tons of traffic on the west side,” Kim said. “People asked why we’d want to live among the junipers, but we’ve found they have a special beauty, and the desert is home to bobcats, coyotes, deer, rabbits, hawks and other wildlife.” The Jackson’s home, like all others at the ranch, has a commanding view of the Cascades, and is consistent with the native color palette and Western Ranch architectural theme. The property is LEED gold and Earth Advantage certified for energy efficiencies and environmental sustainability.
Instead of feeling isolated, the couple discovered a strong sense of community where residents often meet at the pool or for bike rides and hikes, book groups and nights around a firepit listening to live music at one of the restaurants.
The resort part of Brasada features sixty-five cabins and eight suites for nightly rental, indoor-outdoor pools, a spa, a golf course, horseback riding, fishing ponds, a dog park and an athletic center. In other words, it’s a perfect playground for grandkids, friends and family to visit. Plus, residents have access to members-only parts of the resort. “We had no expectations when we moved out here,” Jerry said. “Every day is like being on vacation. It’s an incredible place to live.”
What better season than spring to clean, spruce up and reimagine the kitchen? Expect to see kitchens (and rooms throughout the house) showcasing more of the color green—on walls, cabinets, accessories and tile. Speaking of tile, keep an eye out for more textured and natural stone varieties and fewer grout lines. Innovative technology is making its way into new appliances large and small, with features aimed at making our lives easier. The kitchen is a central gathering place in the homes of many, and a wonderful space to experiment with the latest and greatest in home design trends.
Uniquie Lighting
In addition to pendant lights and chandeliers, contemporary track lighting is proving a popular way to brighten up the kitchen.
Massive Islands
The oversized island in this Central Oregon home is a perfect gathering spot in the kitchen, which many refer to as the “heart of the home.” Islands serve double duty as eating areas and spaces for non-dining activities, such as workspaces and kids activity areas.
Live Plants
It’s easier to remember to water the plants when they live close to the kitchen sink. Resilient succulents, edible herbs and soothing aloe vera are all good choices.
The color green is trending in design for 2022, with Behr, Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore (“Essex Green,” pictured) all choosing shades of green as color of the year. Green pairs well with neutrals as paint for walls or cabinetry, as a tile or in greenery throughout the house.
Natural Stone
Tiles with natural texture and variation, including Moroccan zellige tile are trending for walls, floors and backsplashes.
Touchscreen Toaster
Revolution InstaGLO R180 2-Slice High Speed
It’s about time toasters had a high-tech makeover. The first-ever touchscreen toaster uses sensors to precisely prepare toast, with a custom process considering specific bread type. Enjoy perfectly browned and crisped toast in a fraction of the time compared to traditional heating coil toasters.
De’Longhi Dinamica Plus Fully Automatic Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine
Take at-home barista skills to the next level with a espresso machine that can be controlled via phone app. Prepare sixteen barista-style beverages with the touch of the button, and save personalized recipes for perfect coffee every day.
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When it comes time to name a new startup, business owners look for something easy to identify and spell, check for originality, and often, look for names that reflect their personal experiences and the things that have inspired them to become entrepreneurs. For those starting a business in Bend, naming often involves taking a look around at the community—drawing inspiration from places like the Deschutes River, the Cascade Mountains, the volcanic landscape and the native plants and animals. For some emerging companies, the most logical choice is naming their venture after their home—Bend. Adding “Bend’’ to a business name is nothing new, from long standing establishments such as Bend Brewing Co. (opened in 1995) or Bend Burger Company (opened in 2008) to newer businesses such as Bend Sauce (launched in 2019), which all pay homage to Bend with their company names. Here’s a look at some of the businesses that wear the Bend name proudly.
Bend Soap Company
What started as a quest to help their son get relief from eczema a decade ago turned into a family soap and skincare business for Dwight and Marilee Johnson. Bend Soap’s first product was a simple, goat’s milk soap using milk from their family farm. It helped their son’s skin and inspired the Johnsons to pursue a business. When it came time to naming the new company, they wanted something simple and traditional, Marilee said. “We’re old school and homegrown in so many ways,” she said. “Many establishments in the past would name their companies simply after their location. Since we are here in Bend, it just made sense to give a nod to our roots, mimicking that vintage way of life.” The company has since grown into a multi-million dollar business, with sales across the country of soaps, lotions and more, all bearing the “Bend” name. “We hope the fact that we have built a lifestyle brand and remained a constant in people’s lives, gives credibility to the Bend community,” Marilee said. “We hope it’s something the Bend locals can be proud of. We see folks sending the Bend Soap products all over the country to their loved ones, and being proud that it is made here in their hometown.”
Bend Soap Company | 63257 Nels Anderson Road, #110 | bendsoap.com
Bend Sauce
When dining at The Victorian Café one summer weekend in 2019, Craig Reinhart found himself wishing the restaurant offered a rich chipotle sauce. “That same day, we went to Newport Avenue Market and bought the best ingredients to play with, including organic chipotles from New Mexico and Jacobsen Salt from the Oregon Coast and created Bend Sauce,” Reinhart said. The decision to name the product Bend Sauce was instantaneous after making the first batch and realizing the name was available, Reinhart said. “We love Bend, Oregon and knew that as our brand grew, we would plant a special image in the mind and bellies of all who tried it,” Reinhart said. “I’m sure we sell more Bend Sauce in Central Oregon because of our name. Nationally, the sauce has to stand on its own and as it grows we hope our success reflects Bend positively.”
Bend Sauce | 212 NE Revere Avenue, Bend | bendsauce.com
Bend Cider Co.
After attending college to become a wildlife biologist, Kelly Roark moved to Bend to start his new career. When he couldn’t find a job in the field, he opted to stay anyway, spending time with friends and trying out a new hobby of making fresh-pressed hard cider. “This all started because he loved Bend so much,” said Roark’s wife, Tammy Roark. “He gave up his career essentially because of this calling to be in Bend.” What started as a hobby and part of a quest to live sustainably slowly morphed into a bootleg cider business as the popularity of Kelly’s homemade libations took off. When it came time to officially launch the business in 2019, the Roarks tossed around a few name ideas. They wanted a name that represented their values and beliefs and reminded them of why they were here in Bend in the first place. “We wanted something that people could remember and something that was simple—like if they tried something on draft, the name was recognizable,” Tammy said. The couple decided on Bend Cider Co., and aimed to build a brand that reflects the best parts of Bend. “People have a fondness of Bend—whether it’s from coming on their family vacation here or the memories they’ve made in Bend, there’s just a nostalgic feeling to the name,” Tammy said. “We decided if we were going to name it that, we wanted a brand that really represented Bend.”
Bend Cider Co. | 64649 Wharton Avenue, Bend | bendcider.com
Bend Brewing
While co-owner Packy Deenihan wasn’t the original founder of Bend Brewing Co. (he and his father purchased the downtown brewery six years ago) he acknowledges the obvious appeal of naming the spot after the city. As for whether the Bend-centric name brings the brewery and restaurant more business? “It certainly doesn’t hurt,” Deenihan said. “I think if you’re visiting Bend and plan to check out a brewery or two, coming to Bend Brewing is a pretty obvious choice. That said, our goal is to make BBC their favorite brewery during their time in Bend and when they go home they tell their friends.” Deenihan said one perk that’s likely related to the name of the brewery is the popularity of merchandise they sell. “We are always surprised at how many people buy our apparel,” he said. While it’s fun to be named after Bend and attract some visitors because of it, Deenihan said the business is also really proud of its local following. “It’s not really because
of our name why they keep coming back—it’s the great beer, food, service and atmosphere.”
Bend Brewing | 1019 NW Brooks Street, Bend | bendbrewing.com
Bend Burger Company
When owners Jon and Kristy Hayes opened Bend Burger Company in downtown Bend in 2008, they asked friend Ramona Newman to help get the front of the house running for the new business, named after the town. She agreed to come on board for the first six months, but thirteen years later, she’s still proudly serving as manager. Newman said that while the name Bend Burger Company probably attracts some customers, she believes it’s more likely the fresh, high-quality burgers and word-of-mouth that have led to the restaurant’s success. “I definitely think that the name Bend represents who we are and we do have a great reputation,” Newman said. “But I also believe it has more to do with our product than the name.” Originally opened downtown in 2008, the company later opened locations in Redmond (Redmond Burger Company) and a second Bend Burger Company on Third Street in Bend, and closed the downtown spot to focus on the two others. Menu items also highlight some of Central Oregon’s most popular locations, with burgers like The Bend Burger, Pole Pedal Paddle Burger, Broken Top Burger and other choices like the Newport Avenue Salad and the Paulina Peak Chicken Sandwich.
Bend Burger Company | 1939 NE 3rd Street, Bend | bendburger.com
Handmade Bend
Fine art ceramics company Handmade Bend was conceived in early 2017, when couple turned business partners Kim Tallent and Michael Knapek left behind their high-pressure careers in hopes of starting a new artistically driven business. The duo dreamed up the new venture, utilizing Knapek’s skills in fine art, mold making and bronze casting and Tallent’s expertise as a photographer and business administrator to create nature-inspired pieces including sculpted ceramic vases, mugs and bowls. When it came time to name the company, Tallent and Knapek wanted to emphasize the time and care put into each product. “The ‘handmade’ part seemed to fit naturally,” Tallent said. “Next, we focused on what inspired the business. The beauty in and around Bend was the inspiration for the first works, making Bend the next logical part of the name…and thus, ‘Handmade Bend’ was born.”
Since the pandemic began two years ago, many of the annual foot races in Central Oregon were forced to postpone or cancel their events. Virtual races became common in 2020, followed by hybrid or downsized races in 2021. For many veterans and beginners, however, this spring offers a return to normal. This season presents an opportunity to return to the full experience of cheering crowds and thumping finish parties. Whether you are looking to knock out some cobwebs after a winter offseason or simply seeking a fun afternoon, spring will have no shortage of races to choose from in Central Oregon.
Lucky Leprechaun 5k/10k
March 12
While the St. Patrick’s Day Dash in Bend is canceled this year due to COVID-19, Kelly Bither of Run Sisters Run will be hosting the Lucky Leprechaun 5k/10k in Sisters on March 12. The race will start on the east side of Cascade Avenue and wind through the neighborhoods and town before finishing at a local restaurant with live music. Finishers will receive a custom and locally made shamrock medal and commemorative beer mug.
“It’d be nice for people who aren’t super serious but want to get out in the community,” Bither said, adding that walkers are welcome. There will also be a Best-Dressed Lucky Leprechaun contest and beer from Three Creeks Brewing. See runsignup.com.
Photo by Mark Stockcamp
Bend Marathon
April 10
After two years of hosting a virtual event, the Bend Marathon returns in person this year with options in the 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon distances on Sunday, April 10. “We’re really hopeful and excited, and desperately want to be able to bring this event back to the community,” said Kari Strang, a Bend Marathon race director.
While the virtual events were great, she said, it just isn’t the same as a full in-person event. “There’s something about that human element and that true connectedness that you get when you are out doing something challenging together,” she said. Participants can still register for a virtual Bend Marathon and can receive a full refund if the race is canceled due to COVID-19. See bend-marathon.com.
Photo by Brian Becker
Peterson Ridge Rumble
April 10
For those who feel a little more adventurous, the Peterson Ridge Rumble will also take place on Sunday, April 10, and will offer distances of twenty miles and forty miles. The race takes place on the Peterson Ridge and Metolius-Windigo trails near Sisters. Proceeds will go to help fund the Sisters High School cross country team.
The Rumble, organized by Sean Meissner, is both cheaper and more easygoing than most races this length. Total elevation gain for the forty-miler is about 2,700 feet while the twenty-miler is about 1,000 feet, which contributes to a fast course. Instead of finisher shirts, runners will receive a pair of finisher socks.
The race is old school and lowkey, Meissner said. “It’s just very runnable.” See runlikeardy.com.
Salmon Run
April 23
For those looking to race in Bend, the 2022 Salmon Run on April 23 has runners follow the flow of the Deschutes River before looping back with 5k, 10k and half-marathon options. “The Salmon Run is the oldest continuous race in Bend,” said Aaron Switzer, a producer for the race. “Of all the races,” he said, “I think it’s one of the best ones to showcase Bend.”
While the half marathon is usually the most popular event, Switzer said, the Salmon Run 10k is a very popular early-season race for those looking to shed their winter layers and work up to the half marathon distance. The event benefits the Environmental Center in downtown Bend, which directs the funds towards river restoration and habitat restoration. See bendraces.com.
Trevor Mayfield wanted to try something new. The owner and distiller of Badlands Distillery considered opening up a brewery before landing on a distillery, and considered Bend before choosing La Pine. The result is a restaurant, whiskey bar and food truck combo, based around a “non-typical distillery” that began with a commitment to high-quality distilling and an emphasis on using real ingredients that push boundaries while never cutting corners.
“I saw that Bend was already full of breweries, but I thought that we were lacking in quality local distilleries,” said Mayfield. “That realization plus the greater regulations and red tape you have to cut through to make a business in Bend pushed us out towards La Pine, where they were lacking the entire brewing, distilling and food truck scene.”
Located just off the main highway that cuts through La Pine just thirty minutes south of Bend, Badlands Distillery recently unveiled a new tasting room, restaurant and retail space that includes plenty of patio space for summer drinks, room for kids to run around and even a stage on which local musicians can perform. The building was originally a Mexican restaurant that had packed the interior with as many tables and booths as possible. Part of the renovations included a new black and grey color scheme for the entire building, as well as efforts to clear up the interior to add more space. Many touches add a rustic feel, like cow skulls on the wall, black metal accents, and tabletops made from cross sections of large trees.
While Badlands is officially a restaurant, bar and retailer, Mayfield sticks to his roots as a former Bendistillery employee and lifelong homebrewer, and maintains that the distillery is still his top priority. “When it comes down to it, we make some of the highest quality liquor around. Some people ask us why we only produce four liquors while some Bend distilleries have twenty or thirty to try,” Mayfield said. “Then I just ask back ‘well, did you like any of them?’ and the answer is almost always a hesitant ‘kind of.’”
Badlands’ bagel sandwich paired with a whiskey cocktail
While Badlands currently only distills four liquors–cucumber gin, plum & sloe berry vodka, wine cask vodka and double-barrel rye whiskey–Mayfield prides himself on only producing at a very high quality with fresh, local ingredients.
“Some other distilleries will make one vodka, and then just add some artificial flavor or concentrate to create different varieties, and we don’t do that here. The cucumber gin uses only peeled and natural cucumbers to achieve that flavor. The plum vodka uses tons of real plums, nothing fake, ever,” Mayfield said. “People who are really into tasting these liquors will always tell the difference.” From the commitment to never adding sugar, artificial flavor or color, to the use of high quality water from the Newberry Caldera Springs, every step of Mayfield’s distilling process is drenched in quality and attention to detail.
Junior’s Grill mac and cheese
While distilling is number one, Badlands has brought to La Pine a trend often seen in Bend: a central location serving food and drinks that hosts both food trucks and musicians. On the menus, Badlands offers standard fare from coffee and warm bagels to sandwiches and salads. Looking for something else? Check out Junior’s Grill, a mac and cheese focused food truck that has BBQ inspirations, parked just outside. In collaboration with Badlands, the BBQ sauce they use on their pulled pork is made with their double-barrel rye whiskey.
“We saw how successful and fun the food truck pods in Bend were, and wanted to bring that to La Pine. In the summer this place is amazing. You see people getting lunch, grabbing a cocktail made with our liquor and heading out to the patio to enjoy some live music and let the kids run around. We want this to be a place for everyone,” Mayfield said.
Vowing to never cut corners, Mayfield has plans to expand the distilling operation into the future to accommodate growing sales and the potential for new liquors to be added to the menu. As an added bonus, Badlands Distillery is working on getting new food trucks to park at their lot. When the weather warms up, expect to see a full lineup of local musicians playing on the patio.
Badlands Artisan Distillery & Bistro | 51500 US-97, La Pine | badistillery.com
Deeply rooted in Northern Europe as a place for community gathering, socializing, healing, and even birthing over thousands of years, traditional saunas have evolved into an often out-of-reach luxury in the Western world. Halina Kowalski-Thompson is breaking through these limitations to bring Gather Sauna House to Central Oregonians using authentic fundamentals—connection to loved ones, community, nature and self. [Photo by Jayde Silbernagel]
Gather Sauna House is a mobile Baltic style wood-fired sauna, thoughtfully handcrafted by Kowalski-Thompson’s husband, Dorian Thompson, and made from locally-sourced juniper and other sustainable materials. The sauna is on wheels, for greater accessibility and also with the intention of relocating to different bodies of water and nature to employ the cold therapy aspect that often goes in tandem with a sauna.
With a background in mental health, Kowalski-Thompson’s passion for sauna stems from her own Baltic roots and from its benefits, particularly those of the hot/cool contrast therapy she promotes.
“I have always loved studying different ways of healing, and I have a voracious appetite for learning different cultural ways that people have healed throughout time,” she said.
The Hot Cool Contrast
The hot/cool contrast therapy essentially acts as a pump for your lymphatic system, clearing out toxins while spreading around white blood cells and increasing immunity, Kowalski-Thompson said. She also listed off other benefits including improvements in cardiovascular health, metabolism, growth hormone pathways and athletic performance. It can cause a release of melatonin for improved sleep, can reduce the risk of dementia, and has positive effects on pain. Kowalski-Thompson also said sauna can mimic exercise, helping to reduce cortisol, lose weight and release endorphins.
Photo by Amber Holm
The Coyote Den
With the guided direction of Kowalski-Thompson, I sought to gain a few of these benefits in my first hot/cold session at the Coyote Den in Tumalo, where Gather Sauna House is often parked. In the sauna, I found myself completely disconnected from the outside world throughout the heating to hot cycle. Ten or fifteen minutes later—I lost track of time—I headed out into the snowy winter weather. Against all logic, I dumped a bucket of cold water over my head for the cold cycle and immediately felt an indescribable feeling of clarity and euphoria. During the rest and rehydrate cycle, I sat comfortably in a wet bathing suit in twenty-degree temps before heading back into the solitude and warmth of the sauna to repeat the cycle. I headed home feeling reset and revitalized by three rounds of hot to cold.
For a similar experience, guests can book a ninety-minute private session in the Covid-safe, sanitized sauna with up to four others at one of Gather Sauna House’s pop-up community events. The sessions include a knowledgeable sauna guide who will teach the traditional sauna methods, tend the fire, set up the cooling station, and provide complimentary herbal infused water, locally-sourced rehydrating tea, and house-made signature sauna body cream. Guests can also opt for a private, overnight experience where they can create their personal wellness retreat in the privacy of their home or selected location. The sauna is delivered and set up for use with a tutorial of best practices.
Kowalski-Thompson’s creation of Gather Sauna House came at perfect timing for the mobile sauna movement that has swept over the United States and Europe.
“It’s so well-timed because the things that sauna can impact are really the issues of our time, the physical and mental health issues that we’re dealing with. There’s a reason it’s survived as a basic healing practice. It’s been overlooked for all these years,” said Kowalski-Thompson.
Kowalski-Thompson’s vision is to create Gather Sauna House into a space for the community to feel held and supported. “I feel like on some level there’s magic in this, and I not only wanna pursue it for myself, but I want to share it,” she said. “I want to share this healing mechanism.”
“Quintessentially Central Oregon” is just one way to describe Outdoor Ukulele—a local company making stringed instruments that can weather any kind of wild.
Outdoor Ukuleles have sailed the Arctic Ocean, paddled down the Amazon River, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. They are not only waterproof and indestructible, they have a remarkably rich tone rivaling that of wooden instruments and are, according to musicians, a dream to play. Plus, they are simultaneously playful and works of art, with colors drawn from beer and saké bottles: Deschutes Brewery brown, Japanese saké blue and Stella Artois green.
Ukulele color inspirations drawn from Deschutes Brewery brown and Stella Artois green
Outdoor Ukulele, the only company making composite polycarbonate instruments through injection molding, is the brainchild of Bend residents Scott and Jennifer Seelye. In the early 2000s, these native Oregonians built the world’s largest online skateboard retailer (Nowadays). After selling that company, Scott watched a CNBC story and learned that 90 percent of all ukuleles were being made overseas. Lightbulb moment! Their next manufacturing venture was born with a typical Bend twist: instruments for the outdoors.
The company’s tale is one for the entrepreneurial textbooks. Making polycarbonate instruments through injection molding—something that hadn’t been done before—was a vexing challenge requiring Scott’s inventiveness and patience. “We lost a year working with one manufacturer trying to get it right,” Scott said.
Early days also found Scott tweaking the design. “I had to balance technology with tradition,” Scott said. “While the software indicated a square neck would be stronger, most performers wanted a round one.” Buyers from different cultures had preferences, too. While Americans didn’t want solid-friction tuners, the Japanese preferred them. Today, the company uses custom-made precision tuners.
Finishing touches are added to the instruments.
Today the instruments are molded at 600 degrees Fahrenheit under 420 tons of pressure by a manufacturer in Albany, Oregon. The materials—polycarbonate reinforced with carbon fiber strands—give the instruments a natural grain structure that greatly increases strength and acoustics. The instruments are assembled, customized and shipped from Outdoor Ukuleles’ offices in northwest Bend.
Outdoor Ukulele makes soprano and tenor ukuleles and also banjo ukuleles (or “banjoleles”), an instrument popular in the 1920s. A sleek, black guitar was added to the company’s lineup eighteen months ago. During the first year of the pandemic, when all the world was looking for something new to do at home, sales at Outdoor Ukulele doubled. Twenty thousand of the Seelyes’ instruments have been sold since 2015.
“We’ve very lucky to have something of a cult following now,” says Scott.
Scott Seelye
Several modifications and advances now create instruments that sell all over the world. “The dealer’s store in Beijing looks like Tiffany’s,” said Scott. Ukuleles are especially popular in China and Japan, he surmises, because of residents’ smaller homes. About 1.2 million ukuleles are sold in North America each year—and about 2,500 of them ship from Outdoor Ukulele.
The indestructible nature of the instruments makes them popular for children, and Outdoor Ukuleles are used for music education in schools across the country, including Bend. When the roof on the gym at Bend’s Kenwood Elementary collapsed in 2017, video showed that the Outdoor Ukuleles survived. “They were lifted right out of the wreckage, still on the holder, completely intact,” Scott said with a laugh.
Scott and Jennifer are the definition of “makers”—those who use their hands and their wits to make beautiful products. Jennifer, a passionate knitter, is also developing a vineyard, orchard, olive grove and farm in the Willamette Valley. Ironically, neither are musicians, which Scott feels is an asset. “We are not bound by tradition or playing habits.”
Outdoor Ukelele: 543 York Drive, Suite 140, Bend | 541-392-9937 | outdoorukulele.com
Most avid mountain bikers from Bend probably know nearby popular routes such as Phil’s Trail like the back of their hand. As great as these tried-and-true trails are, it never hurts to add some variety to your life and try something new. The Madras East Hills Trail System is Central Oregon’s newest and potentially most unique trail system, offering downhill-adrenaline and uphill climbs just an hour’s drive from Bend.
The organization managing the trail system, the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, got involved back in 2019 after Brennan Morrow, who is now the Madras Representative for COTA, moved to Madras and noticed a lack of nearby mountain biking trails. Morrow approached the city about the land known as the East Hills, which is owned by the city of Madras and other private entities. “The city was excited to create a trail system to support healthy living in Madras,” Morrow said.
With approval from the land owners, COTA got to work on a trail system that breaks away from the norm in Central Oregon. While most trails in the region exist on federal land like the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and therefore have restrictions on what can be built on the trail, the Madras East Hills Trail System is privately owned and is exempt from these restrictions.
Photo Kim McCarrel
Fuel Up in Madras
After a day on the saddle, take some time to explore the city of Madras and refuel for the next big ride. Madras Brewing offers pub fare featuring ingredients from nearby farms and craft brews made locally in Central Oregon. Known for authentic home cooking and burritos the size of your head, Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant is your stop for vibrant flavors and refreshing drinks.
This means that not only are class 1 ebikes allowed on the trail (ebikes with a capped top speed of 20 mph), but the trails themselves are covered in manmade features. “The East Hills offers many types of trails for all users from beginners to advanced riders. We have berms, drops, jumps, and excellent wood features,” Morrow said. The unique nature of the trails has contributed to their popularity among local mountain bikers. Most trails around Bend on federal land can have features, but they must be built into the natural environment and typically incorporate logs or rocks. It’s the sheer amount of manmade and constructed features that makes the East Hills so special.
All together, mountain bikers have around fourteen miles of trails to explore, while horseback riders have six miles of trails for themselves. Along the way, bikers can test their skills with jumps of varying sizes, drops, tall, well constructed berms, paved corners and tons of wooden features to ride on. The passion and effort put into these trails is clear, and any biker enjoying the trails will notice that.
While you’re in Madras, don’t miss your chance to take your bike and pedal down the Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway, a thirty-mile stretch of paved road, suitable for most riders year-round. The bikeway showcases some amazing high desert landscapes and passes through the towns of Madras, Culver and Metolius. Take some time to soak in the views at the many overlooks above Cove Palisades State Park and Lake Billy Chinook.
The new trail system has helped put Madras on the map, and is a pretty popular spot on the weekends. Morrow remarked that many people use their weekend to travel out to Madras from Redmond, Bend, Portland and farther, because the East Hills have become a Central Oregon mountain biking destination. These trails are accessible year-round but have varying conditions, depending on the time of year. Dry summers call for lighter, dustier dirt while winters pack the dirt densely and sometimes reveal some mud on the trails.
The East Hills Trails are accessible near Juniper Hill Park on East Ashwood Road. From the trailhead, bikers have three trails to choose from that all splinter off into several other sections, providing bikers tons of unique combinations to keep their riding fresh. With trail names like Gut Punch, Leap of Faith and Valley of the Bones, bikers should expect a day of fast-paced, intense downhill action.
Fat, airy snowflakes gently fall on the high desert just east of Bend on a cold, brisk January day. The silent world resembles a pristine Central Oregon snow globe with freshly dusted junipers and sagebrush. The silence is quickly broken, however, as a dozen children rush out into the landscape, filling the air with shouts, laughter and gleeful squeals. School is now in session for the first and second grade students at Bend Forest School (BFS). Read on as we introduce some of the non-traditional alternative schools in Central Oregon.
Bend Forest School is one of a growing number of non-traditional schools on the rise in Central Oregon, catering to the demands of families looking for a different model of education for their child. According to the BFS website, the inclusive nature-immersion play-based early education program aims to educate and connect children to nature through interest-led, unstructured play outside, creating healthy and confident children who find joy and ownership in their own learning.
Founder and Executive Director Rae Alberg said she has seen outdoor education grow in popularity over the past five years but has seen an even sharper increase since the pandemic. “Bend is filled with people who love the outdoors and know the value that a connection to nature provides,” said Alberg. “In four short years, we’ve seen demand grow exponentially, and this year we’ll be adding third through fifth grades to our program in the fall.”
From reducing anxiety and depression to improving cardiovascular fitness, the positive mental and physical health benefits of nature are well documented. Alberg believes this directly applies to education in nature as well. “Being outdoors is not only fun for the child, but it also supports emotional, behavioral and intellectual development,” she said. “Kids really develop a sense of self in addition to the connection to the world around them.”
While Alberg acknowledges tuition can be an obstacle for many parents, she said the school recently created a foundation to help. “We provide scholarships for those who fit within the criteria and next fall we’ll be implementing a sliding tuition scale,” she said. “Creating a more equitable program is very important to BFS.”
Rachel and Josh Kelley’s daughter has attended BFS since pre-school and is now in the first grade. The parents say one of the biggest benefits of learning outside is that their daughter has a chance to be a kid for as long as possible. “I didn’t want her to have the stress that can come with being in a traditional classroom for six-plus hours a day at such a young age,” said Rachel. “We have always seen that she is her happiest when she is outside. With the small class sizes and the one-on-one teacher support, she has all the tools she needs to be a confident learner, not be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes, and she’s eager to go to school each day.”
Forging a New Path
Another school integrating nature-based learning as part of its curriculum is Forge, a fourth through twelfth grade private school that aims to better prepare youth to enter the adult world. Co-founders Jackie and Todd LaFrenz created Forge’s curriculum after decades of educational experience, much of it in Central Oregon, and based their new school on three principles: self-discovery, nature and culture.
photo courtesy of Forge
“As teachers, we are most inspired about discovering a child’s passions, gifts and possibilities,” said Jackie LaFrenz. “Even the best schools—and school districts—are still run according to an industrial-age model focused on standards, where there is little time, space or investment in that pursuit. We are creating a model that is all about unlocking a child’s vast potential and guiding him/her to build a more meaningful and impactful life.We want our students to have a strong sense of self, know their place in the world and feel as if they can do or be anything they aspire to.”
photo courtesy of Forge
Calling itself “earth centric in a digital world,” Forge offers students an impressive Innovation Lab that would make most R&D departments jealous, with equipment ranging from 3D printers, laser cutters, robotic components and kits to sewing, woodworking and shop tools alongside the traditional computer workstations. According to Todd LaFrenz, Forge hopes to bridge technology and the environment to create better leaders for the future. “It’s not enough to equip our students with the latest in digital tools,” he said. “The leaders of tomorrow will be ambidextrous—as versed in the environmental as they are in the technological. This kind of dynamic balance, where kids are immersed in nature, while learning advanced technologies, yields leaders that can connect dots and cross bridges.”
During the pandemic’s rise in the spring of 2020, education was turned on its head when schools closed their doors and students went virtual with their classes. Once classes returned to in-person in the fall, some families opted to continue at home but via a different pathway—homeschool. Homeschooling can take on several forms and factors, from the idea of “unschooling,” which lets the students choose their own path of learning through an unstructured format, to a more traditional curriculum-based approach simply with more control on what to learn and when.
Lauren and Benjamin Edwards of Redmond have been homeschooling their children on and off for more than a decade. According to Lauren, the initial decision to homeschool was primarily due to bullying and the learning environment for their first son. “His ADHD made it difficult in the classroom so we wanted to try a more individualized approach,” she said. “He acted out in a lot of ways that other kids didn’t understand. We wanted to take him out of those negative situations.”
Edwards said her experiences within the public school system also made her realize the gaps her children were missing. “One of the reasons I love homeschooling is because we’ve been able to take on a more classical approach to learning,” she said. Going broader and deeper on subjects such as personal finance and home economics help the kids to be more self-sufficient and independent, according to Edwards.
According to the High Desert Education Service District (ESD), the number of families registering to homeschool children in Central Oregon shot up over 500 percent during the pandemic to more than a thousand registered home school students in the 2020/2021 school year.
While High Desert ESD Home school Coordinator Jamie Benton says numbers have since dropped for the current school year, they remain well above pre-pandemic levels. Benton also speculates that many of the students who have transitioned back into the public school system may still be at home, taking advantage of the several new at-home virtual learning environments offered by Bend La-Pine Schools.
Though reasons vary by household, Benton said one reason for the return to public school could be cost. “Home schooling can be difficult and expensive since parents pay the tuition and provide the curriculum,” she said. From books and materials to online memberships and field trips, costs of homeschooling can quickly add up—not to mention that at least one parent must devote much of their time to schooling their children rather than working for pay. “Going virtual at a public school helps to solve that,” Benton said.
Bend-La Pine Schools offers a range of online learning programs for students and families, from structured and teacher supported to fully independent and family supported. Programs can be tailored for lifestyles and needs, whether a family travels or a child is neurodivergent and needs an environment that a school cannot provide. Online learning programs are offered from kindergarten through the twelfth grade and can be full-time, supplementary or in addition to on-site classroom work. Like all public schools, registration is free and open to all students residing in the district boundaries.
Choice (Options) Among the Traditional
Cost aside, for most families, home schooling or virtual programs may not work regardless due to single-parent households or when both parents work outside the home. Fortunately, there are non-traditional options with the Bend-La Pine Schools at on site locations as well.
Bend-La Pine currently offers six “choice option” schools, or programs with non-traditional learning pedagogies, as well as five schools that are combination choice/neighborhood schools. Parents of high school students have two possibilities amongst the choice option schools with Realms and Bend-Tech Academy at Marshall High School. The latter offers students programs focused on STEM, engineering, construction technologies, business marketing and entrepreneurship and health occupations. Meanwhile, Realms High School was an expansion from the successful middle school magnet program and is an EL Education model based on the same approach and philosophy, which is a focus on challenge, teamwork, service and compassion, and an active inquiry-based learning.
Bend-La Pine Schools Deputy Superintendent Lora Nordquist said the breadth of choices caters to the diversity of learning styles. “Choice options are important to our students because they help provide alternative approaches to learning that may be more effective for some students,” she said.
At Highland Magnet at Kenwood School, students learn through the Scottish Storyline Method, where children create a setting, become characters and overcome obstacles as the story unfolds. Parents Erika and Robert Sommer feel Highland’s unique approach completely immerses their two daughters in learning. “They come home and can articulate facts and concepts that amaze me for their ages,” said Erika. “It’s not about memorizing facts; it’s about putting themselves into a situation.”
Sommer says the “sneaky” approach to the Storyline Method is an advantage in getting kids engaged and invested. She gave the example of one daughter’s experience with a surfing storyline that focused on geography, science and art through an immersive experience. “They don’t pull out their social studies book or science book,” she said. “They are given a ‘plane ticket,’ teachers act as airport personnel and they ‘board’ a plane to Indonesia.”
The Spanish Dual Immersion program is a research-based two-way immersion program model that pairs native English-speaking students with native Spanish-speaking students and follows the same curriculum as the traditional classroom. The difference, however, is that beginning in kindergarten, 80 percent of the classes are taught in Spanish. As students get older, more and more English is taught until fifth grade when it’s half English, half Spanish. According to Bend-La Pine’s website, “bilingual skills are shown to increase critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving.” With a balanced class of both native English and Spanish speakers, children are taught their regular school subjects in both languages, and often outperform their monolingual peers in both languages over time.
Beau Eastes, whose daughter attends the sixth grade at High Desert Middle School and has been in the program since kindergarten at Bear Creek, said their experience has been a very positive one. “Obviously you go in for the fluency in both languages,” he said. “But the biggest benefit is the cultural part of the program.”
Eastes, whose family is white and native English-speaking, noted that in a town like Bend that is often cited for its lack of diversity, the dual immersion program immerses children in it. “The program really breaks down cultural barriers,” he said. “The norm of the entire education model is diversity. Because of who she goes to school with, because of her friends and teachers, she’s got a better understanding of Latin American culture. For us, bridging that cultural gap is the coolest thing.”
For children who are native Spanish-speakers, the program offers the chance to receive an education in their first language, removing language barriers that can make learning any number of subjects more difficult, while simultaneously improving their English skills.
Jasmin Tebbs, who teaches second grade in the dual immersion program at Bear Creek and who identifies as Hispanic, said, “The beauty of being able to learn in your native tongue validates the home language and creates a sense of self confidence that’s not historically been granted to Spanish-speaking children. Research has shown that Hispanic children who are in a dual language program who are educated in their native tongue perform far better than Hispanic children in traditional classrooms.” Aside from improved classroom performance, the dual immersion program grants Spanish-speaking parents the opportunity to play an active role in their children’s education. “Being able to communicate with your children’s teacher and understand the language of their schoolwork might sound like a basic necessity, but many Hispanic parents have not had that privilege. Dual immersion breaks that barrier and more.”
The Luck of the Draw (and District)
If there’s a drawback to Bend-La Pine’s choice option schools, simply put, it’s that it’s difficult for most families to get in. The programs are popular, which means they are also highly competitive, based on a lottery system, and one must have a bit of luck on their side to pull the winning ticket. Though Bend-La Pine doesn’t publish application numbers, Assistant Director of Communications Alandra Johnson said it depends on the program and school.
For the Sommer children at Highland Elementary, it was the luck of the Scots for their oldest daughter. “As soon as we moved to Bend and were starting to research schools, Highland was always at the top of people’s list,” said Erika. “We nervously entered the lottery as it seemed like we could have easily messed up our submission. I remember receiving the letter via snail mail and opening it and exclaiming ‘Oh my gosh, she got in!’”
Maple bars oozing with custard. Pink glazed rings with sprinkles, Homer Simpson style. Cinnamon twists and rolls heavy with frosting. Got your mouth watering yet? Donuts are a classic comfort treat, but they’re not just for breakfast anymore. A fresh batch of Central Oregon bakers are taking donuts to the next level of dessert decadence, just right for special events or for everyday indulgence.
Sweetheart Donuts of Bend’s famous ring donuts with sprinkles.
Celebrating with Donuts
When Shelbi Bloc added a breakfast pastry to her menu at Too Sweet Cakes, her boutique bakery in Bend, she knew no ordinary donut would fit. She developed her own croissant donut, a tall, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth ring dusted with sugar and dripping with glaze. The buttery dough is folded 100 times, to create steamy pockets that keep the layers airy and light.
It’s no wonder her creation transcended the breakfast crowd and landed in special occasions. “Donuts are so popular for weddings and events because these days people seek the familiar. Donuts remind us of home and of childhood—and they’re even better when they are really special,” said Bloc.
Lavender almond, vanilla sprinkle, cherry chip, maple, and chocolate croissant donuts at Too Sweet Cakes.
Since launching Too Sweet Cakes in 2018, Bloc has opened locations in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Black Rock Coffee shops throughout Oregon also carry her pastries.
Gourmet Flavors
From top to bottom: birthday cake: vanilla cake with vanilla glaze and sprinkles; Aztec: chocolate cake with spiced chocolate glaze and sugar; churro: vanilla cake with cinnamon and sugar; Elvis: banana cake with peanut butter glaze, strawberry jam and bacon crumbles.
At Chalk to Flour, a cottage bakery in Bend, owner Kristina Serhan agrees that the gourmet donuts trend stems from cravings for comfort food, beautifully crafted. Serhan began with a high-protein donut that reflected her passion for CrossFit training. Currently she focuses on mini- and full-size cake donuts that are baked, not fried. “The minis are just right for baby showers or any event needing a little delicious treat,” said Serhan.
Serhan bakes desserts to order, and sometimes the requested flavors are surprising. She recently created an Elvis-themed donut modeled after his favorite sandwich: banana and bacon, with peanut butter and jelly. And her own current favorite? “Definitely the Aztec chocolate donut—the spice glaze has cinnamon, chipotle and cayenne. Just enough kick to complement the sweet,” she said.
Twists on the Classics
Traditional donuts range from glossy, yeast-leavened pillows of dough to dense cake donuts covered in sprinkles to fritters cobbled together with fruit. At The Dough Nut, a Bend take-out donut shop with midtown and westside locations, owners Kirk and Sidonie Heppler offer all the classics, plus add a few unique twists. “We have fun with toppings and seasonal flavors, like pumpkin chai in winter and strawberry shortcake in summer, but we make our signature donuts year-round,” said Heppler.
Clockwise: cake with chocolate sprinkles, Oreo, cake with peanut topping, cake with colored sprinkles, salted caramel, blueberry sprinkle.
Heppler’s favorite is their PB&J donut, jam-filled and topped with peanut butter frosting. Another signature combo is the French toast donut: a raised donut drenched in an egg wash, grilled, and drizzled with maple glaze. For a more substantial snack, they slice the French toast donut, add ham and swiss, and grill it again for a Monte Cristo sandwich.
Occasionally, the Hepplers team up with other Bend establishments. Their donuts are the foundation for J-Dub’s breakfast sandwiches, and they’ve collaborated with a local brewery on stout-infused donut holes. Homespun recipes mean the donuts are made from scratch with no trans-fats or corn syrup.
A Wickiup Junction apple fritter for two, but we won’t tell if you don’t share.
Extra-Large
At Wickiup Junction in LaPine, roadtrippers stop to fuel their vehicles while filling their bellies with supersized handmade donuts. Sarah Maurer, the pastry baker, arrives at 2:30 each morning to begin the lengthy proofing process.
She keeps an eye on the weather—humidity and temperatures impact how yeast behaves, and she’s looking for maximum rise. By 6 a.m. she begins frying what she describes as “all-day donuts, meant for sharing.”
The display case soon fills with apple fritters and cinnamon rolls the size of dinner plates, bear claws and donut rings big enough for two…and then come the bacon maple bars. Maurer drops hot grilled bacon bits into the maple glaze, melting into the topping. “My favorite part is hearing people’s reactions when I bring out a full tray of these bars,” said Maurer.
Just a Nibble
For donut lovers who crave just a bite, Grandma B’s Mini-treats in Redmond fills a unique niche. Emily Brattan, owner and baker, uses her own recipes to re-create pastries she loved as a child, such as powdered mini-donuts, whoopie pies and Pop-Tarts. “A mini-treat is a small commitment—it’s just enough to feel good about,” said Bratton.
Grandma B’s mini-donuts in powdered sugar, vanilla with lemon glaze, cinnamon and sugar, and vanilla with chocolate glaze flavors.
Her version of the Pop-Tart folds a crunchy buttermilk crust around traditional fillings like strawberry, brown sugar, and s’mores. Grandma B’s Mini-treats are available at the Honey & Pine Coffee kiosk in Redmond, or by special custom order.
Donuts for the People
Donut fans in Bend never need to travel far to get their fix. On the north end of town, in the Bend River Promenade, Delish Donuts stands out for their generous donut toppings and their old-fashioned buttermilk bar, shaped to dunk in coffee (see on page 130). And at Sweetheart Donuts, an easy stop centrally located on Business 97, every box
of donuts should include a Big Foot, their Bismarck-style donut shaped like a Sasquatch footprint.
Old fashioned, cruller, donut holes and the cherry tiger tail twist from Richard’s Donuts.
Fan Fave
Ask any long-time Bendite where to find great donuts, and they’ll surely mention Richard’s Donuts Bend’s longest-running donut shop. “We’re pretty traditional with our donuts and how we make them,” said Joy Khamphanh. Her parents, Thong and Kham Khamphanh, own and operate the business, and Joy manages the shop. It’s no surprise the shop has thrived for more than two decades: the atmosphere is inviting, the donuts are consistently delicious (Khamphanh’s favorite is the cherry tiger-tail twist) and the owners love their customers. “Making the donuts is fun, but for my mom it’s all about the customers. She knows all the families who come in, and has watched kids grow up. This community means a lot to her,” said Khamphanh.
Because bringing a little sweetness into customers’ lives is what the donut business is all about.
We arrived in the waning sunlight of an early spring day, pulling up in front of a classic historic schoolhouse perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. My husband and I had just driven across the river from Hood River, where we’d stopped for a beer at pFriem Family Brewers and to watch the windsurfers at play in the chilly March waters. The creaky double doors of the former schoolhouse—recently transformed into the Society Hotel Bingen—welcomed us in to a warm and inviting library and common room, outfitted with old books and comfortable couches, just as the train rolled past outside along the waterfront, letting forth its old-timey whistle as if on cue.
When the founders of The Society Hotel, located in a renovated historic building in Portland’s Chinatown, went looking for a second location, they were in search of more than a pretty place. “We were looking for a story—a place with a history that a design could latch on to, and not just a destination that would be all new,” explained co-owner Matt Siegel, as he gave us a tour of the second Society Hotel, which opened in spring of 2019.
The team found the story they were looking for in Bingen, Washington—a small, formerly industrial town just over the river from Hood River, Oregon. There sat an 80-year-old schoolhouse, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and still boasting great charms and solid bones. The 7500-square-foot building served as the school for Bingen and White Salmon, Washington, from 1938 until the 1970s. In the 1980s, it became a hostel and inn to serve the burgeoning windsurfer crowds who had begun to descend on the area for the famous winds of the Columbia Gorge.
Photo Natalie Gildersleeve
The Society team acquired the property and got to work. The schoolhouse and equally historic gym were restored; adjacent, a brand-new structure of adjoining cabins and a state-of-the-art luxury spa were built. “We got to restore and build new,” said Seigel, adding that there were “elements of cuteness” that the team wanted to keep—blackboards set into walls, antique lockers for belongings and wooden bleachers in the gym. Alongside every charming historical element was placed a modern touch.
Photo Alex Hoxie
The result is a campus of amenities both old and new, a meandering maze of spaces to explore and relax in, both indoors and out, over a weekend stay. The lobby doubling as a living room boasts a cozy fireplace, wall art made into a guide to local adventures, crafted cocktails and fresh-made pastries and meals, and a vast collection of classic books acquired from a former college. Art accents throughout the property are old classroom posters, touting the tenets of the ABCs to the solar system. The gym is a classic open space perfect for weddings, gatherings, or shooting a few hoops. The sanctuary is an aesthetically amazing subterranean dome, a circular architectural feat built partly underground with carefully designed acoustics and a soft bamboo floor, where events from yoga classes to dance parties take place. The lodgings include, on the high end, individual cabins with full kitchens, views of the Columbia River and picnic tables and hammocks outside. On the affordable end, guests book a bed in the most luxurious bunk room they’ve ever laid eyes on, complete with bunks outfitted with charging stations for electronics, cubbies for personal belongings, reading lights and thick privacy curtains—all for under $50 a night.
The Spa at Society Hotel at Bingen
It is the spa at the heart of the Society Hotel at Bingen that draws the visitor in again and again, wedging itself into memory until the next visit. A beautiful structure of wood and glass sits in the center of the cabin ring, built around an indoor saltwater soaking pool, an outdoor hot pool, a cold plunge pool and a cedar sauna.
Seigel had insisted that I try the cold plunge, no matter how unappealing an experience it might seem; he even suggested that I might find it weirdly addictive. Kept at a chilly 54 degrees, the cold plunge is said to promote health and well-being; the idea being that when submerged in cold, the blood pours to the inner organs, resulting in an invigorating, stimulating sensation throughout the body. [Read writer Katryna Vecella’s own experience with cold/hot treatment in our Wellness story on page 55].
photo courtesy We Are PDX
In the interest of scientific inquiry and journalistic integrity, I gave it a whirl. The shock of submerging brought to mind memories of being the kid brave enough to dive into an alpine lake in late spring; the seconds ticked by ever-so-slowly as the cold sunk in and I tried to count to ten; and then came my ever-so-quick return to open air and ultra-speedy journey to the sauna, where the dry heat and cedar scents soothed and warmed me to the bone. After the sauna, I took a soak in the outdoor heated pool, where the fresh air of the Columbia Gorge smelled of early spring and the sun was setting downriver.
I had to admit that I felt amazing. So, the next morning, I did it all over again.
About White Salmon, Washington
White Salmon, Washington is a mile uphill from Bingen and offers a majority of the services that support the Society Hotel Bingen. Grab a seat on the upper outdoor deck at Everybody’s Brewing for a view of Mount Hood and a pint. Catch live music on Mondays. North Shore Café is the spot for tasty breakfasts and a juice bar that pulls from plenty of local produce. The Book Peddler is piled to the ceiling with the titles you seek, both classic and new. The White Salmon River is popular with white water kayakers, and the White Salmon River Valley is dotted withwineries. Take a scenic drive and sip on local syrah and grenache.
Ah, spring. The days last longer, the sun hangs higher, and the winter storms that bully our mountains are finally starting to chill. After a big day of play it’s time to kick back with refreshments, friends and a little entertainment, too. Want to up your own tailgating game? Learn from these Central Oregonians who take après outdoor gatherings to a championship level.
Keepers of the Mobile Lounge
Nadine Ruth and the Chix on Stix
If you head up to Mount Bachelor on a warm spring day and see some ladies with flashy tie-dyed scarves dangling off the backs of their helmets, you should bow in awe before these “Chix” and then ask to follow them to their boisterous hang-out for lunch, the PALL.
“That’s the parking lot lunch lounge,” says Nadine Ruth, the 75-year-old “fearless leader” of the Sunriver-based Chix on Stix. “We’re just a group of very active women.”
The Chix on Stix clique goes back to at least 2005 when about a dozen women, nearly all of them retired and over 50, got together once a week for a day of skiing. Since then, the group has expanded to nearly sixty women, many of whom meet on Thursdays at ski racks outside the Sunrise Lodge. They’ll split up for the morning by ability and then meet back at the parking lot where Ruth’s pick-up truck acts as the gathering spot.
You can find her rig quite easily as she built a collapsible warming hut in the back of her truck using about $100 worth of PVC piping and sheets of heavy, clear plastic she picked up at Joann Fabrics. A portable propane fire pit keeps the space toasty while carpets make the bed less slippery in ski boots. If you’re still not sure, look for the words, Chix on Stix, emblazoned on the side.
Typically, everyone just brings their own lunch, but birthdays are cause for celebration. For Ruth’s seventy-fourth birthday last March, someone brought a barbecue and s’mores and fired up the tunes for dancing. “We all share a love for being outside and skiing,” she says. “I don’t ever want to give that up, which is why I have a new knee.”
The Master of Entertainment
Cameron Halmrast
If you head up to Benson Sno Park near Hoodoo Ski Area off Santiam Pass on a Friday or a Saturday night, chances are high you’ll find a crew of hard-bitten skiers and snowboarders sitting around watching a movie outside. There’ll be a fire going and maybe even a tuning bench set in the snow, complete with a hot iron to wax your boards. And is that a pot roast you’re smelling? Why, yes, it just might be.
Cameron Halmrast and his friends have their post-ski situation dialed. The 36-year-old web developer manager for Springfield-based Richardson, a performance headwear company, started skiing at Willamette Pass before switching to Hoodoo, where he has held a season pass for years. Being up there almost every weekend allowed him to quickly fall in with employees and friends who “post up” at Benson. “We don’t plan,” he says. “We’ll just connect with one another once we’re up there.”
Together they’ve created the ultimate place to recharge. Halmrast scored a $5,000 Panasonic projector for less than $100 at a sale in Eugene. With additional help from an Amazon Fire Stick, his phone and a 360-degree speaker, Halmrast can project ski flicks onto a 120-inch screen he brings along for immersive, al fresco entertainment. They’ll play bocce ball and build a fire. To refuel after a hard day of running laps off the Big Green Machine lift, Halmrast breaks out an Instant Pot to whip up meals like jambalaya, huevos rancheros and even a roast. Another friend went so far as to bring a smoker up there to finish it off. “The only issue was having the silverware to cut it,” he says.
Halmrast jokes the only thing they’re missing is the kitchen sink. “I’m just trying to bring some of the fun,” he says.
The Guy with the Coolest Rig
Jeff Harris
You’ve probably seen it parked against the snowbank at the Sunrise middle lot at Mount Bachelor and wondered: Is that a spaceship that crashed into a Ford? A James Bond villain vehicle? A steampunk’s fever dream? Nope, it’s Jeff Harris’ custom late-1960s vintage camper, the rig so many people naturally gravitate to when the day is done.
“My three design words are submarine, UFO and log cabin,” says Harris, 33, who teaches skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor. “I’m just really drawn to that ‘60s deco style because it’s fun and unique. I think I’ve built pretty much one of the only ones like this anywhere.”
Harris has spent years and untold thousands of dollars rebuilding and customizing the cab-over camper using the dilapidated husk of a Avion-brand frame he found for $1,600 on Craigslist. He knows what he’s doing. He first moved to Bend a few years ago to work on restoring vintage Airstreams for a small company in town and once even converted one of the classically retro silver tubes into a two-chair hair salon for a client in California. With his own rig, he’s installed steel plate countertops, a futon and floating, movable tables that can become a ski tuning bench. There’s a thirty-two-inch Smart TV up over the cab and LED lights that cast a cozy glow across his powder boards stored inside. An open floor plan means he can stretch out. “Even with people hanging out in here, it isn’t cramped,” he says.
Harris often takes his rig down to Wanoga Sno Park where the scene can get rowdy with snowmobilers tailgating after ripping around in the woods. Other times you’ll find him at Kapka Butte (“more mellow”) or even in Bend near the Old Mill when concerts are in town. “I can pump out some sound,” he says. “I mean, everybody is attracted to the thing. It’s pretty awesome.”
The Trailhead Champ
Tobias Scott Carleton
You bought a portable fire pit. You’ve got your gravity chairs and a folding table that’s perfect for holding an infrared, no-flare-up grill. Maybe you even have some battery-powered Christmas lights for extra ambiance when the sun dips low. But does your set-up include a portable wood-fired sauna? Tobias Scott Carleton’s sure does.
“I’ve always really enjoyed building stuff like saunas and hot tubs,” says the 25-year-old Central Oregon Community College student. “The ability to have a sauna I can bring around to places, it’s awesome.”
Carleton got his skills serving in the Coast Guard as a damage control guy who specialized in welding, plumbing and carpentry. He spent about forty hours building the sauna out of cedar fence wood mounted in the back of a trailer converted from a cheap truck bed he found online. Inside he added benches for six people with built-in firewood storage, a porthole window for watching the snow fall, string lights and a small wood stove that hunters might use in a warming tent. Metal tubing and flanges connect the interior of the stove to the exterior of the trailer to suck in fresh air that gets the fire roaring. “I also didn’t want to be competing with the fire for oxygen.”
“The stove gets ripping to the point it glows red,” he says, adding that a pot of water with eucalyptus oil atop the stove adds the vapor.
You can find Carleton at any number of the local trailheads where he loves to cast off on long mountain bike rides or at scenic viewpoints along Tumalo Creek. Last fall, scores of grateful kayakers piled into it at Benham Falls, where about sixty paddlers had gathered on a freezing day for an informal race to raise money for kayaker Alex Kollar, 28, who went missing on the Deschutes River in October.
Chances are good you may see two of these saunas floating around Bend soon, too. “I’m selling this one to build another one,” he says. “I’m always looking for my next project.”
Food for Thought
The thing that separates memorable tailgating sessions from the mediocre really boils down to one thing: food. Burgers and dogs are great—especially if you make your own kraut!—but try these easy, make-ahead treats that you can heat and serve out of a pot.
Chicken and dumplings: Thick and
gut-warming, add a splash of extra veggie or chicken broth to the pot before warming.
Jambalaya: Shrimp, sausage, chicken, ham: all the food groups in one delicious bowl; add a splash of broth to the pot before reheating. Serve over rice or with tortillas.
Chili: Because, chili.
Chicken Tikka Masala: Make it in an Instant Pot at home. Reheats beautifully.
Tortilla Soup: Don’t forget to garnish with fresh cilantro, diced onions, radishes and avocado.
Saucy grits: This is actually quite easy to make on site, requiring about 20 minutes of simmering. Spoon into bowls; let guests add hot sauce, black beans, radishes, butter, cheese, avocado and green onion. A splash of chicken broth or milk prevents pastiness. Serve with naan warmed over your wood fire pit.
Ramen: Technically, a two-pot endeavor but very easy and guaranteed to impress. Make the broth ahead of time and reheat when needed; cook noodles in a separate pot. Use tongs to dish wet noodles into a bowl, add paper thin slices of raw steak, bok choy, mushrooms and green onions to bowl; ladle piping hot broth over noodles and serve immediately. Let guests add their own chili oil, sesame oil, and shichimi togarashi, the Japanese seven-spice condiment that adds some kick. Savory Spice in the Old Mill sells it.
Katie Daisy started her life in a whimsical home surrounded by nature in the small town of Lindenwood, Illinois. Her mom carried art supplies in her purse and encouraged her daughter’s creativity, leaving Daisy with childhood memories like drawing on the back of restaurant placemats and exploring her mom’s wildflower gardens. “It was all sort of a fairy tale,” Daisy said. It wasn’t until high school that the creative teen took her first art class. For her final portfolio project, Daisy created black and white Tim Burton-esque greeting cards and had them printed at a local shop. Seeing her art on a finished product sparked something in Daisy, and she envisioned a life in which creating art could be a career.
Daisy set out to attend art school, applying to just one—the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her parents encouraged her to attend a state school with a lower price tag, so when Daisy was accepted into MCAD, she would attend completely on student loans. “We didn’t have any money growing up,” Daisy said. “But my folks have always really believed in me.” Daisy majored in illustration, taking classes in hand lettering, typography and eventually product design, a course that helped Daisy narrow in her vision for the future. She realized her art could be on not only cards and prints, but on anything, from aprons and mugs to shirts and décor.
Photo by Karen Eland
After graduation, Daisy was encouraged to seek out a steady illustration position with an established company, which she almost did. Instead, in 2008, Daisy started an online shop on an up-and-coming platform for handmade and vintage goods called Etsy, which at the time had about 200,000 sellers. “I kind of got in there at the exact right time,” said Daisy, who owes much of her success to the website, which today has more than 5.2 million sellers and facilitates billions of dollars in sales annually. An early work of Daisy’s went viral on a couple mommy blogs, helping her shop, “thewheatfield” take off.
In the early days, Daisy did everything herself, including printing her work on an Epson printer at home and making frequent trips to the post office. Self-employed and able to travel, Daisy explored the United States, living in Asheville, North Carolina and Austin, Texas before landing in Portland. It was there she overheard people in a bar talking about Bend. Intrigued, Daisy did an online search for housing in Bend, typing in keywords like “clawfoot bathtub” and “exposed brick walls.” When an available listing in downtown Bend popped up, Daisy knew it would be her new home. “Bend has just been so welcoming,” Daisy said. “I’ve made the best group of friends ever, and I’ve never had such a close community of artists.”
Once settled in Bend, Daisy continued to grow her Etsy store, and soon began catching the attention of art directors from big brands like American Greetings and Hallmark. Today, many brands work with Daisy to license illustrations to use on particular products (such as greeting cards) for a set amount of time. These arrangements offer more exposure for Daisy’s art and a revenue stream outside Etsy, while allowing the artist to retain control of just how her illustrations are used.
With her Etsy store thriving, Daisy in 2016 published her first book, an illustrated field guide about nature called How to be a Wildflower. “It’s all about wanderlust and inspiration and finding yourself within the natural elements of the world,” said Daisy, who was working on the book while pregnant with her son Finn, now 7. The book became a New York Times bestseller. In 2021, Daisy released a companion book, How to be a Moonflower, exploring the mystery and magic of nighttime. Daisy said the book was fittingly created during a darker time in her life, which included a health scare and divorce. “It was the darkest year I’ve ever had, but I birthed a book out it, which is cool,” she said.
Photo by Right In Her Image Photography
In the fall, Daisy was busy with some new projects, including a “Greetings From” mural series with fellow artist Karen Eland in partnership with Visit Central Oregon. Nearly fourteen years after starting her online shop, Daisy is grateful for the success she’s seen and proud that she’s able to support herself and family through her artwork. One day, Daisy hopes to open a small brick-and-mortar art shop and studio for the public to visit. For now, she works out of her own whimsical cottage on the outskirts of Bend near Tumalo. The inside is filled with antiques and murals of animals and nature and outside is a lush flower garden, much like the one Daisy remembers from her childhood.
Katie Daisy’s books and artwork are available locally at ju-bee-lee, The Workhouse, Dudley’s and Roundabout Books, as well as online at thewheatfield.etsy.com. Learn more about Daisy at katiedaisy.com.
Sydney Cejka and Christine De Carlo met in New York City in 2016, when both were attending school to become physician’s assistants. The two met during their first semester and bonded over the challenges of a grueling school program. “We would stay up until 2 in the morning chugging energy drinks to wake up at 8 a.m. and take an exam, then sit through lectures all day,” Cejka said. “Our free time and money was slim, so getting through this I think showed us we could do anything together.”
Cejka grew up in Richland, Washington and De Carlo always thought of herself as a “PNW gal in a concrete jungle” so after graduation in January 2019, they left the city and headed west. While they settled in Washington, the couple took their wedding as an opportunity to show friends and family one of their favorite Pacific Northwest vacation destinations—Central Oregon. Growing up, Cejka took spring break trips with her family to Sunriver, skiing on Mount Bachelor and spending time with family friends, and as adults, the region became a favorite destination for her and De Carlo. “What’s not to love about Bend,” Cejka said. “Year-round activities, the food scene and Christine’s favorite, the breweries.”
The couple chose Central Oregon’s Long Hollow Ranch as the location for their destination wedding, using the wedding weekend as an opportunity to introduce guests to some of the couple’s favorite places. Pre-wedding activities included visits to Bend’s Silver Moon Brewing and Spider City Brewing, and a hike with the brides at Smith Rock State Park.
The ceremony and reception took place on the grounds surrounding the 100-year-old barn at the ranch in Sisters, offering a rustic and romantic backdrop for the evening. The couple said “I do” under towering pine trees before enjoying dinner from El Sancho and then hitting the dance floor. Many guests were shuttled to and from the party from Mount Bachelor Village Resort on Bend’s west end. “Being surrounded by our favorite people was the best thing. Our family and friends drove in from all over the country, and their love and commitment didn’t go unnoticed,” Cejka said. “Central Oregon is great. The hikes, breweries, restaurants and everything Bend has to offer is very much a part of who we are and what we value.” With the ceremony behind them, the couple started the process of changing both their last names to De Cejka. “We wanted to honor the idea of us coming together and beginning our new life together, so we settled on combining our two last names into one.”
Wedding Team
Venue: Long Hollow Ranch | Photographer: Victoria Carlson | Florals: Floral Designs by Alicia | Dresses: a&bè | Hair + Makeup: Makeup by Mandy, Shantae Knorr | Rentals: Curated Events, Aspen & Pine Co. | Transportation: Northwest Navigator, Cascade Towncar | Officiant: Ally Crha | DJ: Hillary with Bend Event Sound | Catering: El Sancho | Cake + Dessert: Morrison Cakes
Nestled between the towering Cascade mountains and the high desert, Sunriver Resort is the most idyllic setting for a dream ceremony and reception. Looking out on a brilliant purple-hued sunset and never-ending mountain views, couples will realize they’ve found the perfect place to start their lives together. Surrounded by flowing streams and a forest of fragrant pines, couples and their guests will always remember the magic and romance of Sunriver Resort.
Where to Say “I Do”
Sunriver Resort offers a variety of spaces for ceremonies and receptions that can accommodate the most intimate to the most extravagant parties. Choose from many captivating outdoor venues with towering Ponderosa pines and aspen trees situated alongside “Little Sun River,” a tributary of the Deschutes River. Look out to Mount Bachelor and the Cascade mountain range as a perfect backdrop. The most iconic indoor venue is the historic Great Hall which offers dramatic hand-peeled timber, high-beam ceilings, two floors of event space with massive river-rock fireplaces on each level, and a gorgeous floating spiral staircase.
Accommodations
Sunriver Resort truly offers the northwest’s widest range of guest accommodations. From rental homes, condos, and cabins to luxury honeymoon suites—the resort even offers pet-friendly accommodations so no one gets left behind. Stay for a night or stay for a week, Sunriver has the perfect accommodations to call home before, during and after the ceremony.
photo Victoria Carlson
Catering
Sunriver Resort offers two packages for wedding catering—the Sunriver Signature Package and Sunriver Sunset Package—both showcasing Pacific Northwest flavor and flare. Packages can be served as plated meals or buffet style, if preferred. Included with the packages,
the resort offers champagne and cider toasts as well as cake cutting and serving. The resort also offers a full bar with professional service.
Activities
With year-round, world-class recreation, natural beauty and Pacific Northwest ambiance, Sunriver Resort is a premier destination resort. Hike and bike on more than 40 miles of trails, paddle the scenic Deschutes River, play at a Golf Digest top 100 course, indulge at Sage Springs Spa, go horseback riding at the stables, swim at the Cove Aquatic Center and in the wintertime, drive twenty-five minutes to Mt. Bachelor ski area for some skiing or snowboarding fun. Sunriver Resort offers adventure for everyone year-round.
Arriving at Black Butte Ranch can feel like an escape from reality. Slip away from the usual and experience a wedding of a different pace. Just northwest of the idyllic Western town of Sisters, Black Butte Ranch is nestled within Deschutes National Forest. For those who dream of escaping to luxurious cabins, waking up to mountains greeting your gaze and saying “I do” beneath the rustling of aspen leaves, look no further than Black Butte Ranch.
Where to say “I do”
Black Butte Ranch’s outdoor wedding venue provides a one-of-a-kind experience in the fresh, mountain air. Get married by a cluster of aspen trees with Phalarope Lake in the background and panoramic views of the Three Sisters, Broken Top and Mount Washington. Receptions take place on the lodge deck, which in the summer is surrounded by petunia flowers. Extra indoor space works well for buffet food service, a gift or cake table, or for weddings with a mix of an indoor and outdoor reception. Engagement parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and luncheons are also welcome on-site.
Photo by Julianne Brasher
Accommodations
Guests can settle into the ranch at one of 120 vacation rentals. The various on-site lodging options can accommodate families and groups, with some rentals having up to six bedrooms. Ranch amenities and vacation rentals are all connected by 18 miles of walking and biking paths within the resort, keeping guests in close proximity to one another. On-site amenities include a full-service day spa, indoor and outdoor pools and a fitness center.
Catering
Culinary experts and banquet staff cater weddings at the ranch, with couples able to browse through a catering menu to make selections and customizations. Menu options bring a farm-to-table experience, with many seasonal and local ingredients incorporated. Meals can be served plated, family style or as a buffet, with menu options such as alder planked hot smoked salmon filets, charcuterie displays with locally cured meats or marionberry crisp dessert with vanilla bean ice cream.
Activities
Guests will find plenty of ways to fill their downtime at Black Butte Ranch. Nearby trails are great for hiking and mountain biking and there are two award-winning golf courses and a putting course on-site. For the ultimate country experience, the ranch offers horseback riding, one of the best ways to explore all 1,800 acres of the property.
With a unique style that is both rustic and refined, Tetherow beckons back to Central Oregon’s rural roots while still providing a luxurious experience for those who visit. Indulge in tasty Pacific Northwest dining, wine flights, group yoga and pampering before the big day, or get playful with a round of golf on a world-class course or poolside relaxation before or after the ceremony.
photo Gina Paulson
Where to Say “I Do”
The resort offers two main options for wedding ceremonies—the event pavilion or the event lawn, both offering sweeping views of the Cascade Range and a golden hour sunset with excellent lighting and views for photos. The pavilion features retractable glass doors and a variety of room configurations for events of different sizes, with the Newberry-Zaal Ballroom the showpiece room of the pavilion. Tetherow’s outdoor space is a manicured lawn below the clubhouse with views of Deschutes National Forest and the golf fairways below. Alternatively, couples can opt to reserve one of the vacation rentals for a more private, elopement style wedding and an intimate gathering.
Accommodations
Tetherow has room for all with around forty vacation homes available for reservation, all equipped with full kitchens, fireplaces, private hot tubs and patio areas. These rentals are offered in sizes ranging from one to five bedrooms, creating a range of experiences. The resort also has fifty hotel rooms available for reservation, all offering a variety of views and amenities. All lodging options on site are only a five minute walk from the main event spaces.
photo Gina Paulson
Catering
Proudly utilizing local purveyors whenever possible, the dishes created by the catering team at Tetherow are local, fresh and delicious. Try appetizers like Wagyu sirloin tartare or smoked salmon mousse, or entrees such as salisbury steak with Cascade natural beef and Oregon mushroom demi glaze. Champagne toasts are available along with a full service bar option, serving up drinks like the Fireberry, a special ginger cocktail recipe unique to Tetherow.
Activities
Guests can plan for an adventurous stay at Tetherow, with golf on-site, mountain biking and hiking trails adjacent to the resort and the mountains just up the road on Century Drive. Shuttle service is available for trips into town or stay at the resort to enjoy Tetherow Sport with a gym, fitness classes, on-call massage therapists, saunas and steam rooms, as well as hot tubs, a pool and cabana for rent.
Voted the No. 1 wedding venue in the state by Oregon Bride magazine each year since 2016, Brasada Ranch is a sought-after year-round destination for an indoor or outdoor wedding. Set in the high desert with mountain silhouettes in the distance, Brasada offers great views, several venue options and a wedding team prepared to plan and execute an unforgettable day.
photo Gallivan Photo
Where to Say “I Do”
Brasada Ranch offers seven options for wedding locations, with areas suited for small, intimate ceremonies or large gatherings. The Barn is a beautiful, Western-style outpost offering an indoor/outdoor reception venue and a spacious grass terrace great for large outdoor weddings. Dining and dancing can each take place indoors or outdoors, with options to customize the rustic space. The Range, Brasada’s farm-to-table restaurant, is another great venue for ceremonies and receptions. The Range Lawn offers gorgeous mountain views, and the restaurant is set up with a full bar and multiple fire pits. Trestle Pond is another mid-size venue option for an outdoor ceremony, with great wedding photo opportunities. The nearby Trestle Bridge is another unique venue on the ranch, great for a cocktail hour or intimate reception space. Recent venue additions include the Cascade Events Lawn, with nearby pool, hot tub and firepit, and The Studio, a 1,500-square-foot space with high ceilings and three stylish garage doors that open to a covered terrace with outdoor bar, heaters and shade options.
Accommodations
Ample lodging options at the ranch make it easy for all guests to stay together. The Ranch House suites are centrally located and for adults only, while the one- to four-bedroom Sage Canyon Cabins are great for families or groups of friends.
photo Gallivan Photo
Catering
Brasada offers a farm-to-table wedding menu and custom wedding cakes. Catering menus can be customized for wedding receptions, bridal luncheons and rehearsal dinners, with a lengthy menu of options available for hors d’oeuvres and
family-style dinner options, choices for dessert bar, smores
bar and late-night snack options.
photo Gallivan Photo
Activities
Members of the wedding party and guests alike can indulge at Spa Brasada, a full-service spa offering massages, facial treatments and nails. Heated pools and spas on site offer relaxation and a chance to enjoy high desert sunshine, while
The Athletic Club offers complimentary fitness classes including Pilates and yoga. Go for 18 holes at Brasada Canyons, or for horse lovers, explore 900 acres of trail riding and adventure on Mustangs, Draft-Cross and Western Pleasure horses.
Last October, dedicated ski enthusiasts were hiking areas of Mt. Bachelor blanketed in the first snowfall of the season, posting photos on social media and spreading stoke for the upcoming winter. Around the same time, Central Oregon skiers and snowboarders were sounding off in a petition calling out the latest business decision of Mt. Bachelor ski area and its parent company, POWDR, following the announcement of a new Fast Tracks product that lets skiers cut lines at the resort for a fee starting at $49 per day. This juxtaposition of excitement and love for skiing coupled with an anger toward resort operating decisions has become commonplace at ski areas throughout the country, often fueled by rising lift ticket prices and a perception that profits are the only thing on the minds of ski area operators. “Recent changes to our once little mountain town have been challenging for many, but the affordability, crowds, COVID and access to the mountain have become unbearable for many,” said Dan Cochrane, a Bend local who started a petition directed at Mt. Bachelor against the Fast Tracks product. “Since POWDR Corp has taken over, it has become clear that profit over people is the new motto.”
While lift ticket prices at U.S. resorts have risen substantially in the past decade, ski area operators in Central Oregon insist there’s more to the story than just a desire to hike up prices to make money. Running a ski resort involves expensive lift infrastructure and vehicle fleets to maintain, a seasonal workforce to hire and train and the responsibility of operating a playground for inherently risky activities, opening a door for liability and litigation not seen in many other businesses. Throw in an iffy weather forecast, the looming impacts of climate change and a passionate customer base, and ski areas operators have quite the challenge in front of them.
Yes, lift ticket prices are going up, but the same isn’t necessarily true for season passes at our local resorts—Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo Ski Area—which treat these annual passes as a “locals product,” keeping access more affordable for frequent skiers. Mt. Bachelor CEO John McLeod said that since 1999, two years before Bachelor was acquired by POWDR, until today, the season pass price has only risen 11 percent. “If you look at the season pass as a kind of ‘locals’ product and our day ticket as a ‘tourist’ product, you can easily see that our pricing strategy has heavily benefited the local community over the long term,” McLeod said. A product like Fast Tracks, while infuriating to many locals, can actually help mitigate rising costs and keep season passes more affordable, according to McLeod. “To the extent that this is a successful product, the revenue it generates will allow us to continue to minimize price increases on our mainstream products as we work to deal with inflation in our cost structure,” he said. While the pricing strategy at Bachelor is about profitability, it’s tied to keeping the resort viable in the long term, McLeod explained. “[It’s] about balancing our costs and maintaining a level of profitability that ensures we will be around for the long run while providing funds for the long-term growth and development of the resort,” he said.
A Perfect Storm for Central Oregon Ski Areas
Heated discussions over ticket prices are just one of many challenging aspects of running a ski area today, according to Jordan Elliott, president of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association, a nonprofit trade association representing the business interests of winter sports destinations. Elliott said that as ski areas wait for adequate snowfall to open (as Bachelor and Hoodoo both did this December) they’re expected to be ready to roll on a moment’s notice. “Even before the snow settles, you need your full vehicle fleet, your mountain operations crews, ski and ride school instructors, rentals and retail staff, restaurants, they all need to be fully staffed, trained and ready for a mountain full of guests,” Elliott said. “If the snow doesn’t come, then the guests don’t come, but much of the expense is still there.” For this season in particular, ski areas have also taken note of the state of the labor market, getting creative in recruiting efforts but still struggling with hiring in some departments, such as food and beverage.
When ski areas are able to open for the season is dependent almost entirely on Mother Nature, with climate change bringing more uncertainty to the industry. “Climate change is one topic that I used to say was on the forefront of everyone’s minds,” Elliott said. “Now I would say that climate adaptation is integrated into nearly every level of business decision making. It’s part of most ski areas’ DNA at this point.” This means not only big-ticket investments in snowmaking equipment, but also an industry shift toward the use of more fuel-efficient vehicles and utilities, doing business with others who prioritize climate stewardship and ongoing advocacy work.
Another looming issue ski area operators wrestle with is litigation from on-mountain incidents. “Skiing and snowboarding are adventurous activities that take place in a natural environment and involve risk,” McLeod said. “Litigation against ski areas for all manner of incidents is on the rise and driving constantly increasing insurance and liability costs which ultimately have an impact on our season pass and ticket pricing.”
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
With the ongoing challenges of running a ski area amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two seasons, Mt. Bachelor leaders opted to enroll management staff in Dare to Lead, a training program from leadership researcher Brené Brown that centers around how to face uncertainty and risk as leaders and to lead with courage. “After the pandemic hit, we knew we would need more management skills than ever to help us work through the challenges ahead, including dealing compassionately with many new and unforeseen employee situations,” McLeod said. “Working through this last year and a half with the team at Mt. Bachelor with the open and honest approach we learned from Dare to Lead was one of the toughest and most fulfilling periods in many of our careers.”
Looking to the future, ski areas including Mt. Bachelor will continue to balance a profit model that allows for infrastructure improvements, addressing the impacts of climate change and answering to a passionate population of outdoor enthusiasts ready to hit the slopes. And while more than 13,000 of those skiing devotees have shown their passion by signing a petition against Mt. Bachelor’s latest revenue-boosting move, Fast Tracks, the ski area is moving forward with the product. While the frustration among some skiers is sure to linger into the start of the season, it’s likely not enough to hamper a busy winter in Central Oregon. Despite the challenges of the industry, the growing popularity of outdoor recreation gives ski area leaders confidence as they predict the future of the business. “Outdoor recreation in all forms is in high demand,” McLeod said. “Meaning…our business is positioned well for the future from a demand perspective, and the people who work in it are pros who love what they do. Those are some good ingredients to work with.”
Bend-based company Metolius Tea brewed into existence in 2010, when founder Amy Stahl began mixing potions based on her love of fine tea and plant medicine. Bend Magazine sat down with her to talk about challenge and growth, the search for amazing chai, and her desire to place equal value in both what her company does as well as how they do it.
Tell us about Metolius Tea’s beginnings.
My journey started in the study of plant medicine. At first, my teas were “book” designs: teas that, based on my research, might cure a headache or ease a stomach cramp. A teahouse downtown graciously let me build their apothecary menu, giving me the opportunity to interact with hundreds of customers as they were drinking my tea. I quickly realized my teas needed one more important quality to be effective: they should taste good! That’s when I flipped my priorities: I made teas to taste lovely. The medicinal and functional qualities of the plants still informed my designs, but they acted as the underlying architecture.
What makes Metolius Tea special?
There are companies who blend tea on cheap leaves with fake flavoring, and there are companies who source high end, pure teas, but few companies blend with beautiful, high-end leaves and avoid synthetic flavorings like we do. That’s what made us special when we started. Now I believe we are also special for creating a remarkably kind company culture and developing organized and responsive customer service. As I’ve grown as a company owner, I’ve placed equal value in what we do and how we do it.
Share a major turning point for your company.
I really found myself as a teamaker the day I designed our earl grey. At the time, I enjoyed drinking high quality, single estate black teas, and I enjoyed bergamot flavored earl grey, but I noticed the conspicuous absence of a well-crafted, quality earl grey. Since I couldn’t find it, I made it: hand-picked leaf and bud black tea, bergamot essential oil, Madagascar vanilla bean and bright, beautiful bachelor’s buttons—all farm direct from small production farmers. In 2017, we reached another pivotal milestone. I could not find a chai that I loved, even though cardamom and ginger are my favorite flavors. I spent one crazed-year designing our chai. I filled a pink notebook with hundreds of drafts, research on solubility, chemistry and aromatics, and drawings of processes. In my final months of refining the recipe, Palate Coffee became our first chai customer. Chai now represents over 65 percent of our business and we sell it to hundreds of coffee shops across the country.
How did you name your company?
My first company name was “Lovely Goat Plant Medicine.” When I approached Tetherow Resort about serving my tea in their restaurant, the owner, Chris van der Velde (who would one day introduce me to my husband and officiate our wedding) communicated to me in a series of Dutch swear words that I had better change the name if I wanted my tea at Tetherow. So, I came up with a new name. Water is essential to tea. I used to drive to Sisters once a week to bring tea to Sisters Coffee Company and Angeline’s Bakery. I would keep on driving to the Metolius River, where I’d go jogging along the river, making wishes, being with the grand old ponderosas, cataloging the medicinal plants along the river’s edge—rose, Oregon grape, elder. While I did just change the name so Chris would buy my tea, Metolius has come, like a river, to represent both where we came from and where we are going. While we have stayed “plant-forward,” true to our organic roots, we have grown into a company with viable goals to enrich our world with our work and through our products.
How much tea per year does Metolius currently sell?
We are about 90 percent wholesale facing with approximately 300 wholesale accounts across the country, and we do some direct retail sales through our website, MetoliusTea.com. It’s kind of crazy to think about. Ten years ago I was living in odd little backyard places around town—yurts and tree houses and such—and I had my mason jar collections of locally wildcrafted plants. Now, as I look out the window of my tea factory, I see my team unloading three pallets of organic Peruvian ginger that we will brew in our chai.
What have been your most significant challenges over the years?
It’s been full of challenges: losing confidence as I came to terms with my limitations, then gaining confidence as I came to terms with my strengths and how to leverage them. Waiting. I know we are making real progress year over year, but it isn’t flashy like a time lapse in a movie set to a single song. It is stable: uncomfortably, painstakingly real-time growth, accompanied by the requisite untamable queue of emails, meetings and details that feel miles away from my plant passion origins.
What do the next ten years hold?
This year we are launching a not-for-profit line of teas to be initially sold through our wholesale customers, with 100 percent of the profits going to schools and nonprofits in tea growing regions. I want to find more people who are doing environmental and social justice work in tea-growing regions. If we can partner with them and leverage what they are doing, that would be my dream come true.
photo cindy apple Photography | Live Work Play Architecture | Skyline Carpentry
Compact, functional and highly customizable—Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, are popping up in more backyards across Bend. But what are they exactly? Commonly referred to as backyard cottages, in-law apartments or granny flats, ADUs are secondary living spaces built on the property of a single-family home. In Bend, an ADU may be up to 800 square feet of detached, attached or even repurposed space such as a garage or attic, so long as it has a separate kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area. With popularity on the rise in recent years, these small-sized projects involve complex local regulations that require careful planning and efficient design to maximize space. With a little research and planning, an ADU can add functional space to a property and be a fun design project.
Small dwellings, big demand
photo cindy apple Photography | Live Work Play Architecture | Skyline Carpentry
Over the past twenty years, the ADU trend has boomed in Bend. According to the City of Bend Community Development Department, 702 ADU applications have been approved since 2001, with 516 occurring in the past five years after the city eased permit restrictions in 2016. “The city has made strides to make it an easier process, but there is still a lot of pre-construction planning,” said Hank Hill, owner of Bend Craftsman Company. “One of the biggest misunderstandings with ADUs is people think they can just throw one up in their backyard–they don’t understand the application process, city requirements and fees involved.”
Still, the appeal of an ADU lies in its multifunctionality. Whether an ADU is used for rental income, family housing, a home office or workout space, Hill said local interest increases each year. “As ADUs get more popular we are seeing a lot more inquiries, despite how involved and expensive they can be,” Hill said. “Sometimes it doesn’t make financial sense, sometimes it’s more of a necessity because they are building it for a family member. There’s definitely a market for people who want them no matter what, and I think the demand will continue to rise because it’s a creative way for people to maximize return on their property.”
Size-wise design
Architect and design Neil Kelly
After homeowners persevere through the detailed ADU permit process, the next step is to design a minimal structure that meets all the requirements. “The first thing is to determine the footprint, where the house is on the lot, and know what space you have. Secondly, ask ‘Is it allowed?’ Then you have to fit a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, dining and living area all in one,” said Kathleen Donohue, a design consultant for Neil Kelly remodeling firm.
Discussing a recent ADU project in Bend, Donohue
described tactics for designing in a compact way. Exterior
factors to consider include: location (some neighborhoods and historic districts have special requirements), parking spaces and whether the unit might cast a shadow on a neighbor’s
property—potentially interfering with solar panels. Inside, she said open elements such as vaulted ceilings, half walls and strategically placed windows can help make a space feel bigger. “You try to add as much natural light as possible but you also don’t want to be looking out on the main house—or the hot tub—so we locate windows high up on the wall,” she said, laughing. “I like it, because it’s a puzzle, thinking about every little inch and how to achieve the most multifunctionality. I like walking through a project after it’s finished thinking ‘I could live here,’ and keeping things simple; it can be a lot of fun.”
photo of Courtyard DADU Eirik Johnson | ROBERT HUTCHISON ARCHITECTURE
In Bend and beyond
Despite high costs and extensive approval criteria, ADUs are here to stay; recent legislation is expected to make ADUs easier to build in Bend and across Deschutes County. In November,
the City of Bend adopted House Bill 2001 amendments, with changes that make ADUs easier to develop. The
updated code includes streamlined review processes and design standards that allow for denser “middle housing” in more neighborhoods citywide.
Tucked In: Orienting andetached ADU around a north-facing courtyard can provide privacy from the street, while large windows and glass doors bring in light.
Outside of Bend, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 391 into law last June, granting counties the right to allow ADUs in rural residential areas, subject to certain restrictions. However, according to Tanya Saltzman, senior planner for Deschutes County Community Development, enacting the new law locally will take time, as the county cannot pass local legislation until state-level criteria are completed after June 2022. “The Planning Division has been receiving a lot of inquiries and staff has been conducting outreach to communicate the timeline,” Saltzman said. “There are a lot of factors involved with ADUs—both as the county develops the code and individual property owners go through the process, but our goal will be to make it as clear as possible for property owners once the code is in place.”
While planning his summer gardening season last year, John Kiesler of Redmond found himself wanting to get a head start growing his warm weather produce, such as tomatoes, squash and pepper plants, but was finding Central Oregon’s climate a bit difficult. Cold weather and frost can stop these types of plants from growing, even as late in the year as June, shortening a gardener’s season quite a bit. To combat this, Kiesler last June invested in a new backyard greenhouse from NW Green Panels, a company in Terrebonne. With the greenhouse in place, Kiesler was able to successfully grow those warm weather plants, and he is looking ahead to another extended growing season this year.
photo stock.adobe.com/Rawpixel.com
Any avid gardener in Central Oregon can benefit from adding a greenhouse. Options include prefabricated greenhouses and greenhouse kits that can be purchased and set up on most properties, or custom, DIY greenhouses offering a deeper level of specialization for each gardener. In either case, gardeners can choose a greenhouse to match the needs of the local climate, available backyard space and the types of plants grown. “Greenhouses, especially in Central Oregon, are vital for getting a good harvest from your home garden,” said Kody Turner, the customer service and sales manager at NW Green Panels in Terrebonne. “Greenhouse gardens will grow faster and produce more because of the steady temperatures and diffused sunlight.”
In general, greenhouses can add a level of consistency to a gardener’s growing season; something that can be highly sought after in climates like Central Oregon where it isn’t too uncommon to see snow in the morning and sunny skies in the afternoon in the spring and fall, or warm days with very cool nights in the summer. “In Central Oregon, we tend to get quite a bit of sun, even in the winter. When it’s freezing outside, but the sun’s still shining, we’ve had our greenhouses reach temperatures of around 70 to 80 degrees,” Turner said.
photo Jennifer Gulizia | The Flowering Farmhouse, thefloweringfarmhouse.com
Ashley Joyce, founder and lead gardener of Bend Urban Gardens, said that a gardener should evaluate their personal needs before purchasing a greenhouse. Typically, gardeners who focus on growing short-season, cold-tolerant plants like beets, carrots and some dark leafy greens might not benefit too much from a greenhouse. However, gardeners who choose to grow other types of plants, especially heat-loving varieties like squash, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, would benefit from a greenhouse that keeps the rather unpredictable Central Oregon frost away. “We often use June 1 as our last frost date, but in reality, we don’t really have a reliable last frost date,” Joyce said. “This makes growing vegetables in our region more challenging than in most other regions of Oregon and requires high desert gardeners to be prepared to protect their cold sensitive plants.”
The draw of a greenhouse in Central Oregon is clear, as they protect frost-vulnerable plants from dying in the extreme cold, but what are the benefits of constructing a DIY greenhouse? According to Joyce, the benefits include general personalization for a gardener’s personal needs. For example, a custom DIY greenhouse can use restored materials to decrease a gardener’s carbon footprint, and it can be constructed in ways that fit small or oddly shaped backyards. Joyce’s personal greenhouse was constructed to account for the amount of snow in the region, to make sure it would never collapse under the load.
photo Jennifer Gulizia | The Flowering Farmhouse, thefloweringfarmhouse.com
With so many benefits, it is no surprise that greenhouse sales have been steadily increasing over the past few years. According to Turner, 2020 was a big year for greenhouses for a few reasons. “We saw an uptick in new gardeners, because they were spending much more time at home and finally had time to grow a garden. Also, it seems that many people want to be self-sufficient and grow their own food. Our customers want to eat healthy and not rely on grocery stores.”
Kiesler’s greenhouse out in Redmond is made entirely of cedar wood cut and stained by NW Green Panels. The structure ended up being eight feet wide and twelve feet long at the base with benches and shelves on either side to maximize the possible growing space. “Due to the frost that can be in Redmond until the middle of June, I can get a head start on my tomatoes, squash and pepper plants, and then transplant them to an outdoor garden when the cold weather has passed,” Kiesler said.
Whether the goal is to get a head start on this year’s growing season or have the flexibility to extend the season longer, a greenhouse can be a reliable way to manage Central Oregon’s unpredictable climate. Winter is the perfect time to start planning this structure, likely to become a high desert gardener’s most important backyard asset.
Oregon gardener Jennifer Gulizia’s backyard greenhouse was built using panels from NW Green Panels in Central Oregon. See what’s she growing by visiting @thefloweringfarmhouse on Instagram.
There is no denying that the street taco craze has hit Central Oregon. All across the region, chefs can be found serving up tacos, often adding personal touches such as lightly crisping the shell, incorporating cheese or a slaw of some sort, and using meats and salsas more familiar to the American palate. However, when someone wants to find an authentic taco, where can they go? And what exactly makes a taco authentic or not? Read on to learn about three Mexican eateries that keep old traditions alive, and discover what makes authentic Mexican food, authentic.
The Basics
The word “taco” comes from the old Nahuatl word tlahco which means “half or in the middle,’’ referring to the way Aztecs wrapped veggies, meats and spices in tortillas. It is believed that these early tacos actually evolved from the diet of the Olmec, also known as La Cultura Madre. This society created many practices still found in Mexico today, including the creation of masa for tortillas.
“The most authentic piece of a taco is a handmade tortilla,” said Hansel Chavez, who co-owns the El Taquero food truck with his fiance, Hanna Cain. “That’s the base it’s all built on. It’s a key piece of our tacos that we can’t do without.” This sentiment is shared by the owners of the other two authentic eateries featured here, Omar Florez and Crystal Jimenez of the Alebrije Oaxaca food truck and Rosalba Villicana of La Frontera.
Each also said this: an authentic and traditional taco has a handmade tortilla (corn, not flour), meat, freshly chopped onion and cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a dash of a hot, homemade salsa.
What is the final word on authenticity? Consumer response. Each owner said that when a customer comes from Mexico, whether they lived there or just traveled there, and reports that one of these restaurant’s tacos tastes exactly like the ones served in Mexico, the chef knows she or he has done it right.
Carnitas at La Frontera
Rosalba Villicana prepares the masa and salsas fresh daily. “I was born in Michoacán. When you’re little in Mexico, they teach you how to cook, and I always loved it,” said Villicana, who was taught to cook by her aunt and her mother, although most of the recipes served at La Frontera are her own creation.
Villicana said that carnitas are a staple dish in Michoacán, and her recipe remains extremely similar to the carnitas tacos that she ate growing up. Similar to American pulled pork, carnitas start with a fatty pork shoulder slow-cooked for a minimum of two hours, usually longer. The pork fat slowly cooks out into a liquid that helps the meat fry, and adds a deeply rich and savory flavor to the meat, which ends up being incredibly juicy, while still being crispy.
Sticking to her roots, Villicana portions the carnitas onto a handmade tortilla and tops them with onion, cilantro, lime and some of her supremely spicy salsas. “Salsa needs to be spicy, very spicy,” she remarked, with a laugh.
La Frontera | 2330 South Highway 97, #8873, Redmond
Quesotacos at El Taquero
The quesotaco proves that authenticity is a tough thing to define. The quesotaco proves that authenticity is a tough thing to define. “It’s not what most people consider authentic, but it was also created in Tijuana using authentic ingredients,” said Chavez. “A lot of our older Mexican clientele don’t see that as a real taco at first because of the cheese, but when they try it and recognize the authentic flavors in the meat, salsas and tortilla, they usually change their minds.”
Making the quesotaco begins early in the morning to prepare the birria. The recipe belongs to Chavez’s mother, who always makes the stew by heart with no steps or measurements written down. Twelve different spices, peppers and veggies are blended together to create the consomé broth that the diezmillo or chuck steak cooks in for a minimum of four hours.
The resulting meat is incredibly tender, and is removed from the stew to be placed in a handmade tortilla with Oaxacan cheese, onions and cilantro. The taco is then grilled on a flat top with a bit of the consomé to aid in the frying process. The end product is a crispy shell filled with cheese and meat that seem to melt together and encapsulate the onion and cilantro. Try them with a cup of consomé for dipping and some of Chavez’s mother’s salsa for a kick.
Serving cuisine specifically from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, Alebrije Oaxaca specializes in dishes like mole enchiladas, memelitas and of course, tacos. One of the owners, Omar Florez, was born and raised in Oaxaca and strives to bring to Central Oregon the same flavors he grew up with by using recipes that come straight from Oaxaca.
Adobada translates to “marinated” in English, but pork adobada typically follows a loose recipe. Cuts of pork shoulder are left to marinate in a red chile sauce with notes of citrus and vinegar for hours, before the meat is dropped onto a searingly hot grill and quickly cooked to a crisp. The resulting meat is crispy on the outside with a tender and juicy interior with just enough fat to add a rich flavor, like bacon. You can probably guess what goes on this authentic taco: cilantro, onion and lime with a splash of hot salsa, all held together on a handmade tortilla.
A common theme found in these authentic Mexican tacos is this: instead of trying to add new touches to each dish, Mexican food strives to take simple ingredients, as fresh and as high quality as possible, and make the most out of them by sticking with traditional cooking methods and recipes that have been passed down for generations.
Chavez said, “It is important to us to keep these traditions alive, because not too many people do that anymore.”
We asked, and you delivered. The fourth annual Bend Magazine Readers Choice awards are in, and let us just start by saying, thank you. Bend is fueled by passionate individuals who strive every day to make this cool mountain town even cooler by breaking out of the box and trying new things. In a year that was anything but easy for local businesses, our community never faltered. Central Oregonians of every creed and background stepped up to support the innovators and the hard workers that make this place so special. Here is our chance to recognize some of your favorites, voted for by you in our Readers Choice contest.
Four categories. 199 contenders. Two weeks of voting. 39,161 votes. Thirty-one winners. Most votes in a single category: best breakfast. Followed in total vote counts by best bakery/dessert, best brewery, best coffee and best burger. Most hotly contested category: best brewery. An active town like this needs the fuel to adventure, and that explains why we get so excited about food and beverages, namely craft beer. But that’s not all—the best places for toys, bikes, fly fishing gear, hair styling and items for our four-legged friends can be found in these pages, and more. Read on to see which places Bendites named their favorite, and be sure to support all of the local businesses that provide our community with so much.
Jason Neel has seen many sides of the homebuilding industry since he first walked onto a Central Oregon construction site in 1991 to ask for a job. He’s been a framer who worked his way up to a general contractor and was a partner in a homebuilding company developing subdivisions in the early 2000s. In the past decade, Neel has chosen to zero in his company’s focus on fewer homes, built with the highest attention to detail and a start-to-finish process that often happens alongside future homeowners. Through his company, JD Neel Construction, Neel leverages his thirty years of experience working in the Central Oregon construction industry, passing along the benefits to clients.
It starts with a conversation
The process of building a new home with JD Neel Construction begins with an initial meeting between a prospective homeowner and the company. “It starts with a conversation,” Neel said. The company works with designers and a realtor from the beginning to evaluate a site and plan a home that makes the most sense for the land. Together they consider ways to maximize views, sunlight and how the house will take shape on the lot. “We’ve been designing houses per lot,” said Rob Davis, a broker with Harcourts The Garner Group. “We don’t have a playbook, if you will. We take our designers out to the lot and talk about what we want to capture, whether it’s views, the river or something else.” As the home comes together, Neel and Davis work closely with the future homeowners to walk them through various selections for the home and ensure they stay within their budget. For speculative builds, the team starts with a plan they believe will appeal to the masses in terms of design and style. If a pre-sale happens before the home is finished, the new homeowner can weigh in on the finishing touches. Neel said that having worked in Central Oregon for so long means he and his team have built up relationships over the years with contractors, others in the industry and homeowners. “It’s somewhat of a small circle,” Neel said. “And we’re still a small enough town where reputation and quality matters.”
Developing Redtail Ridge
A lifelong resident of Central Oregon, Neel has watched firsthand as the region has changed and grown over the years, taking seriously his company’s role in building quality homes that are part of the community. In the fall, JD Neel Construction was busy raising walls on multiple homes in the quickly developing Redtail Ridge subdivision on the southwest end of Redmond. Through a partnership with the developer, the company has built many of the homes in the subdivision, including the very first house in the neighborhood. “We built the first house out here, and we plan to build the last,” Neel said. The neighborhood boasts gorgeous mountain views while being within close proximity to Redmond and just twenty minutes from downtown Bend. Many of the homes in the subdivision sell for upwards of $800,000 or more, with some offered for more than $900,000. “We’re at the top of Redmond’s price point, but it’s been nonstop for sales out here,” said Neel, chatting from his on-site office at a jobsite in Redtail Ridge in mid-October. “I think this is Redmond’s finest neighborhood, from the mountain views to the quality of all the homes out here. We have a lot of interested buyers.” Neel, who grew up in Redmond and still lives there, enjoys adding new high-quality homes to the market, even if he struggles a bit with watching Central Oregon grow so fast. “We love the little town that we grew up in and aren’t going anywhere,” he said. Neel said one thing he loves about his work is being able to visit a neighborhood years after completing a project and know that the homes his team built have helped to build a community. “I like being able to see your work when it’s done, and come back five or ten years later and realize you’ve helped create whole streets and neighborhoods.”
Venturing into Discovery West
Looking toward the future, JD Neel Construction plans to focus its efforts on building homes in the Discovery West neighborhood of northwest Bend, a new project from the developers of NorthWest Crossing. JD Neel Construction finished its first home in Discovery West in 2021, and is one of nineteen builders who will work in the new development. Neel is proud of how that first build turned out, earning an Energy Performance Score of 7 and helping the company earn the accolade of Earth Advantage Builder of the Month last summer. “We did a lot of cool modern technology in this house, and the buyers came along partway through the build process and were great to work with,” Neel said. The company in October had already started three more homes in Discovery West with more on the way, aiming to build the homes to be energy efficient, with solar panels, adding Aerobarrier product after drywall to reduce any remaining air leaks in the home and other features. “We’re definitely a lot more efficient than your average home being built today,” Neel said. The company hopes to stay involved with Discovery West as the neighborhood is built out. “The project as a whole we’re excited to be involved in, and we’re hoping to be there for the duration of the project,” Neel said. “Discovery West will be our main production area for a while, and then we’ll see what comes from there.”
Building community
What sets JD Neel Construction apart from other builders is the company’s commitment to building relationships—whether that’s between Neel and his staff, the company and other contractors or with the homeowners they serve. Neel directly employs a small staff of three or four employees, some of whom have been with him for more than twenty years. “I recognize that it takes a great support team to be successful,” Neel said. When it comes to working with contractors, Neel does his best to partner with other local companies whenever possible. “We like to support local,” he said. The staff at JD Neel Construction and their contractors work together to build relationships with future homeowners throughout the process of a home build. “I always want to make sure our buyers are getting what they want, for the best value,” Neel said. After working with JD Neel Construction for the past seven years as a broker, Davis agreed that Neel’s strength is his focused approach to each client and each project. “He’s willing to sit down with the buyer, talk about what their needs are, what their likes and dislikes are, and then put it on paper and build it,” Davis said. “Jason’s attitude is very forthcoming. He wants the buyers to really be involved, which is nice, and refreshing.”
New owners with their own vision for a long successful Bend business have taken over Area Rug Connection, a more than twenty-year-old, 9,000-square-foot rug store located on the southeast end of Second Street. Jenny and Greg Lanker purchased Area Rug Connection in early July and have since expanded the store’s offerings to include a full range of home décor. Jenny describes the updated selection as including furniture, lighting, home accessories, and of course, lots of rugs.
The rug inventory offered by Area Rug Connection is designed to suit the needs of any and all clients, with styles ranging from traditional and Tibetan to contemporary and textural varieties. There are high-end, handmade rugs for luxury buyers, as well as machine-made varieties that can fit any budget. The expert buying team curates a huge, constantly growing selection for people to browse. The store also offers the ability to order custom rugs that can fit any room and style.
The couple prioritizes integrity and client satisfaction above all else. And the experienced team on the warehouse floor offers industry expertise and friendly, low-pressure support when clients need it. Their number one priority is helping the customer find the right rug or home décor piece, while helping them avoid mistakes and buyer’s remorse. To aid clients in avoiding the wrong rug, Area Rug Connection offers the “Check it Out” program. Customers are welcome to take rugs home for a test drive before deciding on a purchase. Evaluating a rug, or several, in your home can be invaluable when it comes to finding something that truly fits your space. As purchasing a rug can be a large investment, this is one way the team ensures customers are confident with what they select.
The Area Rug Connection also offers solutions for the long term care and maintenance of rugs. Expert cleaning and repair services are available to all, regardless of the purchase location of the rug. The store proudly plays a role in preserving these woven heirlooms.
Envisioning the future of Area Rug Connection, the Lankers hope to create a friendly, comfortable place where customers can browse and where interior designers can welcome clients. The team imagines a one-stop shop serving design inspiration and the type of pieces that define a home’s style.
Through a newly updated website, customers will have access to the showroom floor from the comfort of their home. And while the Lankers agree that nothing beats the in-person experience, Area Rug Connection’s digital store is designed to be as interactive as possible, providing the best experience for all customers, including the virtual ones.
Since 2018, when Darrin Hollyman started his own firm and won the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) Home Designer of the Year award, he’s been rolling out Hollyman-designed homes in upscale communities across the high desert–from Caldera Springs to Black Butte Ranch to Tetherow. A significant portion of his work is centered around Brasada Ranch, where he designed 25 homes, with three more projects currently ready for the design review process.
One of the recently finished homes in Brasada is a stately Western ranch house that he says meets Brasada’s design guidelines to a “t,” but also caters to the practical needs of residents. In the community’s characteristic style, the house has exposed wooden beams and rafters, gable roof forms, shed dormers, deep roof overhangs and materials of stone and wood, often sourced from Central Oregon. Originally designed for a professional chef and an outdoor furniture sales representative, the residence has a spacious and well-equipped kitchen, a butler’s pantry and patios for outdoor dining and entertaining.
Q&A
An interview with Darrin Hollyman, owner, hollyman design
How do you balance the needs of your out-of-town clients with your commitment to the local community?
I design for many clients in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and other cities around the country. I recently designed a log home in Vandevert Ranch, but more commonly my clients ask for lodge-style, Modern-Mountain and Modern-Farmhouse homes. I move in the direction that architecture is going. I bring it back to the local level by ensuring that the architecture is consistent with a particular neighborhood’s character and supporting the local community by using local builders and subcontractors.
Can you share the story behind the Western ranch house in Brasada and how it came to be completed?
I designed a two-story, 3,225-square-foot home with another 740 square feet of covered outdoor living space for the original owners, a chef and an outdoor furniture sales rep. They sold the lot and architectural plans before beginning the project. A Portland builder bought the plans and started construction but deviated from the original design, ruining the flow of the home. The current owners asked me to restore the original design, and Baxter Builders completed the home in 2023.
What are some of the interesting details about the residence?
The house features significantly more glass than a typical Western-style ranch house. One can see through the entire house from the covered outdoor kitchen on the back patio to the other outdoor patio with mountain views. We installed large windows, including corner windows, to enhance natural light. The exterior showcases both vertical and horizontal cedar siding, along with stone and locally sourced materials whenever possible.
The kitchen is designed for a chef, with a butler’s pantry that seamlessly extends from the kitchen without a wall or door. A sink on the island allows for food preparation while entertaining guests simultaneously. The range is vented with a metal hood, flanked by two windows. Overall, the kitchen features numerous built-in amenities and a smooth flow with the rest of the home.
As an award-winning designer with many years of experience under his belt, Hollyman’s reward remains the same–designing homes that owners love. “Our mission at hollyman design is to unleash creativity in architecture, crafting the best living spaces with seamless flow and striking exterior geometry,” he said. “We aim to provide high-end custom home designs that exceed the expectations of homeowners. Through our innovative approach and attention to detail, we strive to elevate the standard of modern living.”
Darrin Hollyman’s interest in architecture began way back in elementary school, when his family’s home was destroyed in a fire. His parents were looking at rebuilding the structure, and brought home plan books, which sparked the interest of young Hollyman, who was in sixth grade. While those plans never came to fruition, Hollyman remained interested in home design, and between high school and college took a job framing houses in his hometown of Florence on the Oregon coast.After attending college in Arizona to earn an associate’s degree in architectural design, Hollyman returned to Oregon, where he began working for an architect in Florence, followed by a structural engineer in Eugene, soaking up more industry knowledge each year.
When he finally landed in Central Oregon, Hollyman settled in with a local design/build firm to hone his craft as an architectural designer over the next two decades. In 2017, with a wealth of knowledge under his belt, Hollyman opted to step out on his own, forming his new company, hollyman design.
Deliberate Design
For Hollyman, home design begins with a methodical look at the land the home will sit on, taking careful stock of rock formations, site grade, desired views, orientation of the sun and more. “The goal is to walk softly, and make sure that the home looks like it’s part of the environment,” Hollyman said. When clients put their trust in Hollyman, they’ll reap the reward of a home designed to maximize the lot’s views and incorporate existing natural features on the site, aspects that must be considered at the very beginning of the home design process. “ I think what Darrin’s really good at is his eye for placement,” said Troy Kaiser, owner of Kaiser Home Builders, a company that has constructed a handful of homes designed by Hollyman. “We have great views here, and he’ll rotate the home to focus on some of those specific mountain views. He’s good at placement to capture the best views or a specific focal point. That’s definitely his expertise.”
As the intricacies of the design come together, Hollyman works to ensure spaces meet the needs and desires of the future home’s owners, while also using his own talents and experience to put together an efficient and livable floor plan. “I think he does a really nice job of the layout of the house and how it all comes together,” Kaiser said. “Whether that’s an open floor plan, or something with more privacy that some people want. He’s really good about capturing that vision.”
Architectural Variety
Hollyman spent the first part of his career designing mostly homes of a similar style to one another—contemporary craftsman or lodge-style homes. After starting his own company, Hollyman gained the freedom to continue designing luxury Craftsman homes but also explore new styles, including modern and ranch-style architecture. The ranch style is something Hollyman has been able to explore in the resort community of Brasada Ranch, where several homes he designed are under construction now. Hollyman also serves as the consulting building designer for the Powell Butte resort, ensuring that new construction in Brasada follows neighborhood design guidelines and the development keeps its authentic style as a ranch resort. “I really enjoy designing out there and like the architecture,” Hollyman said. “They’re more of estate ranches, so the homes look a bit more broken up. They’re more fun, because there’s a little bit more dynamic to the architecture itself.”
As Hollyman has branched out in his design styles, longtime industry colleagues have been alongside to watch, including Kerri Rossi, principal for KRM Interior Design and co-owner of Element Design Collective, who has worked in collaboration with Hollyman for more than twenty years. “It’s almost like we grew up together in this industry,” Rossi said. “We worked together at another company, but when we each went out on our own, we just bloomed. It’s allowed him to become more creative, and I’ve been blown away at his designs.” In recognition of Hollyman’s knack for home design, he was awarded Home Designer of the Year by the Central Oregon Builders Association in 2018.
Trending Layouts
Part of Hollyman’s work is keeping up with the latest in home design trends. One thing he’s seen is the return of butler’s pantries—separate areas used for the majority of food prep, away from the rest of the kitchen, which becomes more of a “showcase kitchen.” These transitional spaces were historically used by butlers as a food preparation area, as well as a place to store and polish up china and other dishes. Today’s butler pantries offer a way to keep the clutter and mess of food preparation outside of the kitchen, which can be reserved for entertaining. “These spaces are definitely seeing a comeback, and we’re not seeing so many corner pantries anymore,” Hollyman said. Other floorplan trends include more flex rooms for children or grandchildren and bonus rooms over garages. Home offices are also more common, and Hollyman sees them as a standard addition to most homes, especially with Central Oregon’s high number of remote workers.Passion and Performance
Clients who work with Hollyman can expect an expertly designed home maximizing Central Oregon’s beautiful views, according to builders familiar with his work. “He’s a hard worker, and he’s always available to us,” said Brody Baxter, owner of Baxter Builders. “He does a really good job of providing a really livable and pleasing layout. All of his designs have a good flow to them, and take advantage of all the views. Because of that, they always feel bigger.”
Hollyman’s work tackling challenges that arise during building is also something that sets him apart. “Anytime I call Darrin, he’s always available, and he’s a problem solver. No project ever goes perfectly, but it’s about how you resolve the issues,” Kaiser said. At the end of each project that Hollyman has designed, Kaiser said he’s been amazed at the finished product. “Every time I do one of his projects, I think it’s beautiful and a well-thought-out floor plan,” he said. “I feel lucky to be able to work on his homes.”
A tour of Mike and Cindi O’Neil’s home offers treats for the eyes—mountain and desert landscapes—and for the body—warmth, comfort, bountiful natural light and rooms that flow easily from one to the next. But hidden within the walls, windows, roof and floors are planet-saving features.
photo grace pulver
This award-winning contemporary house is green—meaning that it’s packed with energy efficiencies from LED lighting to a ductless mini-split heating system and solar panels. These and other features add up to a net-zero home that produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year.
As owners of SolAire Homebuilders, the O’Neils have helped nearly 400 clients create high-efficiency, healthy custom homes since 1995. “Our clients enjoy homes that are more energy efficient than their neighbors’ homes,” Cindi said.
When it was time to build their own “forever home,” as Cindi puts it, they hired Bend architect Neal Huston to design a house in the countryside near Sisters. The site had few trees, allowing for unimpeded views of Broken Top and the Three Sisters and endless blue skies.
photo courtesy of SolAire Homebuilders
The 2,800-square-foot home has vaulted ceilings over the living room, dining room and kitchen, four bedrooms (two are used as offices) and two baths on a single level with ADA universal design features. They also have two outdoor living areas which together offer a grill, sitting alcove, a mobile firepit and a chiminea.
The O’Neils drew on their backgrounds to ensure that the home’s energy needs would be sustainable over the years, relying heavily on Central Oregon’s sunny climate. Mike now has 45 years in construction, and Cindi’s work as an ecologist strongly influenced her desire to build their business and residence around green practices.
Completed in 2020, the home was on the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes in 2021. An Earth-Advantage Platinum certified home, it won the Green Building Award in the $500,000 to $999,000 category. It also won the Best Kitchen and Best Value Awards in the $975,100 to $1 million category.
Airtight living
Central Oregon’s famed year-round sunlight can be tricky to manage. Taking advantage of a southwest orientation, the
O’Neil home recruits passive sunlight through expansive, high-efficiency windows on the view side.
photo courtesy of SolAire Homebuilders
But as longtime residents of the high desert know, the sun can also be punishing on a home. To mitigate sun exposure, the couple extended the eaves for shade and installed exterior solar shades that block 95 percent of heat from crossing into the building. In wintertime, the shades remain up to harness the sun’s abundant warmth.
The couple also created a nearly airtight dwelling by paying special attention to walls, doors, attics and ceilings where typical homes leak heat and air. The exterior walls are 10-inches thick and filled with blown-in fiberglass. Rafters and ceilings are super-insulated with foam and loose fill fiberglass.
To eliminate major heat loss through ducting in forced-air heating systems, they installed a whisper-quiet heat pump outside and wall cassettes, or “mini-splits,” inside. Whereas forced-air systems consume a lot of electricity to heat or cool outside air, heat pumps reduce electrical needs with technology that requires only heating or cooling air from the inside. “It’s a cool technology,” Cindi said. “The efficiency of a heat pump is astounding, and you don’t have to bring in outside air to get the comfort level down to a set temperature.”
photo courtesy of SolAire Homebuilders
Airtight homes also require that stale air be ventilated out. Two devices, an energy recovery ventilator, or ERV, and a HEPA filter help maintain indoor air quality. These companion pieces draw fresh air into the HEPA filter, which removes dust, pollen, pollutants and wildfire smoke, and then expel stale or smoky air to the outside.
Most of the electrical needs for the O’Neil home are handled within the system. The roof-top solar array provides power during the day, but in the morning before the sun rises, and in the evening as it sets, a Tesla Powerwall kicks in as a backup. When the Tesla runs out, the home pulls from the local power grid, Central Electric Cooperative. Winter grid usage is offset by excess electricity generated from solar panels in summer, which goes back into the grid. Hence, the net zero designation. Net zero also shields homeowners from inflation because whatever they buy on the grid is reimbursed by their contributions to the grid.
Aesthetics balanced with efficiencies
Inhabitants of energy efficient homes must balance their aesthetic desires with health-minded compromises. For example, carpet is a no-go in most green dwellings because it produces VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and collects dirt that sullies the air. The O’Neils chose engineered white oak flooring and porcelain tiles for most of the home but couldn’t resist adding a bit of carpet in their closets. And because bare feet love a warm floor, the couple installed radiant heat in the bathrooms.
The gourmet kitchen combines energy efficiencies with modern design, featuring a large quartz-topped island with bar stools. “We’re often in the kitchen together,” Cindi said. “We call Mike the sous chef. At SolAire, he’s the builder. At home, the kitchen is my territory, and I get to be the boss there,” she said and laughed.
photo courtesy of SolAire Homebuilders
Cabinets are white oak and don’t off-gas VOCs. The kitchen faucets as well as bathroom shower heads are Waterwise to conserve water. Appliances are high end, Energy-Star rated, and a walk-in pantry is large enough to stock a couple of weeks’ worth of groceries—a handy feature when living in the country.
“It’s a joy to live in. It feels sometimes like I don’t need to go outside because of the way Neal Huston designed the views,” Cindi said.
The couple is committed to intentional and thoughtful design to create high-efficiency, healthy homes. “The built environment consumes 25 percent of the nation’s energy,” Cindi said. “Why don’t we reduce the dependence on carbon? Every home has a roof to support solar panels. Every builder has a choice on whether they super-insulate and build a home to reduce energy demand going into the future.”
“We’re concerned about the world and what we’re leaving our grandchildren,” Mike added. “Building sustainable homes that last 200 years will improve the environment for future generations.”
In an adrenaline-fueled community like Bend, talented and passionate skiers run rampant. Every four years when the winter Olympics arrive, a few hometown athletes step into the spotlight to compete at the highest level. For all of Bend’s Olympians—past, present and future—the Olympics mean years of grueling training through every kind of weather, building support from a wide community network and keeping a laser focus on the end goal. What stokes their fire and makes it all worthwhile? Bend’s top winter athletes, fierce competitors all, share their Olympic journeys.
Tommy Ford / photo REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo
Finding Balance: Laurenne Ross and Tommy Ford
Every athlete experiences unforgettable moments in their career. For Laurenne Ross, one of those moments took place at the starting gates of an Olympic downhill racecourse, on a mountain near Sochi, Russia. “It was a quiet like I’d never experienced. Race starts are usually chaotic and noisy, but this was pure silence—like I was all alone in this magical, silent bubble,” said Ross.
Laurenne Ross
For Ross, that memory stands in contrast to another unforgettable Olympic moment: joining the entire Team USA for the opening ceremonies. “The ceremonies were crazy cool. Walking in together, not just skiers but with bobsledders and hockey players—made me realize I was part of something bigger. Especially because skiing is an individual sport, it was a powerful moment,” she said.
Ross grew up skiing on Mt. Bachelor. At age 14 she got serious about ski racing on the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (MBSEF) team. Now at age 32, she is a veteran of several World Championship and World Cup races, as well as two Olympic Games, including the 2014 Sochi games and the 2018 games held in PyeongChang, South Korea. She’s retiring from ski racing this year—a bittersweet decision. Stepping back from ski racing allows her to focus on other lifelong passions and find a deeper perspective on ski racing.
“No matter how many medals you win, they’ll never be enough if you don’t find joy in the process. We tend to judge our success by the wins, but ultimately skiing is about passion and flow, finding joy outside in the mountains with your community,” she reflected.
Bend skier Tommy Ford has also competed in two Olympics, including the 2010 games in British Columbia and the 2018 games in PyeongChang. He sees the Olympics as more than a set of races. “The community of athletes that come together is something found nowhere else. But the games in PyeongChang did more than that—they sparked talks between South and North Korea, bringing those countries together,” said Ford.
Ford launched into ski racing with MBSEF at age seven, joined the US Alpine Ski Team at age 20, and now at age 32 is among the best giant slalom (GS) racers in the world. Following the South Korea games, Ford earned three podium finishes during the 2019-2020 season at World Cup GS races in Colorado, Italy and Japan. Ford’s subsequent season was cut short after a serious crash at the World Cup GS race in Switzerland, in January 2021.
Since that time, Ford has channeled his determination and energy into recovering from injuries left from that crash. “It’s been almost a year of rehab for knee strength, hand movement and functional neurology. I’m chipping away at it and feeling stronger—hoping to get back on the snow in the next few weeks,” said Ford.
Will Ford be able to race this season? It’s a question he can’t answer yet. Like every skier shooting for a chance to compete in Beijing, earning a spot on the US Olympic alpine team depends on the race results from the whole season, and on current rankings with the International Ski Federation (FIS). Final determinations are often made in late January, just weeks before the Olympic games begin.
For now, Ford is focusing on building strength and balance. He credits Bend’s strong culture of outdoor pursuits for the wealth of sports injury experts in Central Oregon. Guided by therapists and health professionals at Rebound Physical Therapy, Boss Sports Performance, Tumalo Wellness and Desert Lotus, Ford expects to shift from recovery back to race training.
“I’m taking on more training day by day but keep listening to my body. I’m not thinking too far ahead,” said Ford.
Be the Last to Leave: Hunter Hess
Hunter Hess
Ask any avid halfpipe fan about Hunter Hess, and you’ll probably hear about his signature trick: the triple cork 1,620-degree. This past July, Hess was the first halfpipe skier to land this trick, which involves four and a half full rotations.
At age 23, Hess has been a member of the US Ski Team for almost six years. He’s on the freeski team, which includes halfpipe and slopestyle skiers. Growing up in Bend, he was surrounded by ski culture—watching ski films at the Tower Theater and making Mt. Bachelor’s terrain park his playground. “I fell in love with freeskiing long before it was an Olympic sport,” he said.
Hess has already stood on the podium at the Genting Snow Park, site of the Beijing Olympic freeski competition. That was in 2018, when he placed third at the China World Cup. Returning to Beijing as part of the Olympic team would feel different, according to Hess. “The Olympics let you show the world what you can do. For me, it’s not just representing my country, but the community I come from—my family and coaches that got me here,” he said.
Community support is critical for competitive skiers, but persistence and dedication are the keys, said Hess. “It’s weird to even call it work because skiing is so enjoyable. But for halfpipe, there’s no chairlift. We hike back up after every run, again and again. In bad weather, when you’re tired, you have to outlive everyone else if you want to progress. That means start early and be the last to leave.”
Ski Fast and Have Fun: Ravi Drugan
Three weeks after the closing ceremonies for the traditional Olympics, the competition fires up again with the Paralympic Winter Games, the top-tier event for athletes with disabilities. The 2022 Beijing Paralympics will be the largest to date, with more than 700 athletes competing in 78 medal events. Alpine racing events include downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super-G, held on the same courses used in the Olympic games.
Ravi Drugan
Ravi Drugan, age 32, has been a member of the US Paralympic National Team for three seasons, and trains year-round with the team. This year, he’ll compete in the slalom and super-G races in Beijing. “Being on this team is an honor, and the Paralympics take it to a new level. But just like every other race, I plan to ski as fast as I possibly can and hopefully have a lot of fun with it,” he said.
As a sit skier, Drugan uses a high-performance DynAccess monoski, which clicks into the same binding and ski that a stand-up skier would use. While most international ski racers focus on one discipline, Drugan mixes it up. In addition to downhill events, he competes in Monoski X at the X Games in Aspen—winning a bronze in 2015. Monoski X is a skier-cross event with four sit-ski racers on the course at a time, navigating rolling jumps and banked turns.
“I’m a freeskier at heart, but I do love the finesse and challenge of alpine racing. There is no better way to judge yourself than to be up against the best skiers in the world, racing the exact same course with dictated turns. You have to get comfortable with pushing your skiing right to the edge,” said Drugan.
Drugan now lives in Bend, but he grew up in Eugene. At age 14 he survived being hit by a train but lost both legs above the knees from the injuries. Five years later, he learned to monoski at Hoodoo Mountain, with the help of Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS). “Without OAS, I wouldn’t be the skier that I am; I wouldn’t be here today. They’ve been my biggest supporters, and I’ll always support them in return,” he said.
Visualize Success: Dominic & Sebastian Bowler
Dominic & Sebastian Bowler | photo Joe Kline
“I like to picture walking through the Olympic village, skis over my shoulder, surrounded by people from all over the world,” said Dominic Bowler. Dominic and his brother, Sebastian, plan to compete in Beijing this February. Instead of skiing with the US team, they’ll be skiing for Brazil—their mother is Brazilian, and the brothers hold dual citizenship. Both brothers juggle ski training with academics: Dominic, age 20, is a student at Sierra Nevada College, and Sebastian, age 17, is a senior at Summit High School in Bend.
The Bowler brothers grew up in Bend, skiing at Mt. Bachelor. “Like most Bend kids, we learned to love skiing jumps in Dilly Dally Alley,” said Dominic. From there they progressed to terrain parks and began training with MBSEF.
Both skiers prefer slopestyle, but to fill team allocations one of them will compete in halfpipe. Each event has unique challenges, said Sebastian. They’ve trained far less in the halfpipe, but every halfpipe is structurally similar. Slopestyle courses are each unique. “Skiers get a four-hour window to learn that course and plan where to fit in tricks,” he explained.
Rather than feeling competitive with each other’s successes, the brothers agree that learning together made them both better skiers. When one learned a new trick, he’d teach the other. “We’d break the trick down into parts, then build it back up step by step,” explained Dominic. “There’s no one I like to ski with more than my brother,” he added.
Sebastian Bowler | photo courtesy of Gilson Skis
Breaking down a spinning aerial trick into parts is just part of the freeskiing equation—developing spatial awareness for landing is critical. For Sebastian, it’s a matter of repetition. “The more time you spend in the air, spinning, the better you get at finding that neutral position. You learn the time you have before landing. Sometimes falling is the best teacher because you’ll do it differently next time,” he said.
Dominic practices aerial combinations by playing them over in his mind. “I’ll look at high points around me, like a rooftop, and visualize what tricks I could do off that point, and mentally replay them before I fall asleep at night,” he said.
Dominic Bowler | photo courtesy of mt. bachelor
The Long and Winding Trail: Aspiring Nordic Olympians
For some Olympic skiers, the dream propels them forward. Others take it day by day, training for the love of the sport, not sure where their efforts might lead.
Maddie Carney may be young, but she has a crystal-clear vision of her goals. She puts herself squarely in the camp of future Olympians who start with the dream of standing on that podium. “I believe that if you work hard for a dream, you can get places. And the Olympics is the place for the best skiers in the world,” said Carney.
Maddie Carney | photo matthew lasala
Carney, age 12, is part of the MBSEF Nordic program. Inspired by US Nordic Team skier Jesse Diggins, Carney is already known as the kid who goes hardest at every training and every race. She plans to cover her bedroom wall with race numbers until she too can compete at the highest level. Like the women of the US Nordic team, Carney and her teammates balance the intensity of the sport with a lighthearted tradition: they swipe glitter over their cheeks before every competition. “I like the team spirit, but mostly I like to go as fast and as far as I can. It’s just the way I am wired,” she said.
While Carney is just growing into the world of cross-country racing, skier Cole Shockey is entering his final season of high school competitions. For him, the Olympic games represent the highest possible achievement. “It’s not just the global audience. It’s the history and heritage of the games. No other platform has that—not the World Cups or World Championships,” he said.
Cole Shockey
He’s built an impressive resume of ski racing achievements over the years, but he doesn’t dwell on Olympic dreams. He’s focusing on the next step: advancing to a university with the right combination of academics and Nordic racing opportunities. In the meantime, he is training with specific goals in mind: capping off his high school racing career at the US Nationals Race at Soldier Hollow in Utah, the Junior Nationals in Minneapolis and potentially the Nordic Nations Championship in Norway.
Shockey has learned to expect the unexpected in cross-country racing. He lost one race when his pole snapped, and another when the temperature dropped twenty degrees, rendering his ski wax all wrong. But he thrives on the challenge of a sport that demands a trifecta of stamina, technique and a high threshold for pain.
“The person who wins the race is the one who keeps going up that hill when it hurts. You have to believe that the pain doesn’t matter, but the end result does matter. It’s about being the best skier I can be, every day. Maybe that can take me to the Olympic level. But I’m focusing on what I do today,” he said.
Last summer, alpinist Graham Zimmerman attempted a new route on K2, the second-highest mountain on earth. At 7,000 meters of the 8,600-meter Himalayan mountain, historically, everything would be frozen. Instead, Zimmerman experienced temperatures at 53 degrees Fahrenheit, weather you may expect on a bluebird spring ski day at Mt. Bachelor.
“What I came home with was a story as to how these mountains are heating up,” said Zimmerman, a Bend local using his outdoor experiences to advocate for climate policy. He is a self-proclaimed “imperfect advocate” and a climb captain for Protect Our Winters, or POW, a nonprofit organization helping people protect the places they love from climate change. To be a perfect advocate, he acknowledges, would mean giving up the activities he loves, but those are also the activities which make him care about the outdoors in the first place—skiing, climbing and creating global connections. “When we talk about imperfect advocacy, it’s me utilizing a story that I took from going on a trip that had a pretty big carbon cost and using that to talk about climate,” Zimmerman said.
photo Shannon McDowell
As climate change becomes one of the most significant issues of our time, POW is turning outdoor enthusiasts into climate advocates. The organization acts as a guide, providing tools for advocates to use their voices to create systematic change. “If we can shift ourselves into a greener economy with more efficient travel, electronic vehicles and the green energy grid, then we can actually do these things that are the reason for giving a damn about climate and landscapes in the first place,” Zimmerman said.
To make these changes, people need to engage with the political system, get involved locally, and look at our elected officials to understand their stance on climate and vote accordingly, Zimmerman said. We also need to raise our voices and share our personal climate stories.
“We all have stories, particularly people who are spending a lot of time outside,” Zimmerman said. “Anybody in Bend has stories about how their livelihoods, their recreation and their love of landscape are being affected by climate, and that’s one of the most powerful tools we have for breaking down partisan divides and meeting our fellow citizens of this country and this world where they’re at and where we’re at. Think about those stories, think about how you tell them, about how you utilize them to create connection and drive action because they are super potent.”
POW aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by embracing renewable energy, electric transportation, carbon pricing policies and preventing fuel extraction from public lands. These changes will come from incentivizing a clean energy future, making climate a top policy priority and shifting our nation’s attitude around climate change. Become a member of the POW Central Oregon Alliance to get involved with outreach, events and alliance recruitment.
When Jamie Nesbitt first moved to Bend from the Bay Area in 2015, he was surprised to discover no LGBTQ+ event at Mt. Bachelor, as he’d seen at other ski resorts over the years.
Unlike those who may have idly wondered the same thing, Nesbitt did something about it. Nesbitt, the president and one of the founders of OUT Central Oregon, and his partner reached out to Mt. Bachelor in 2017 to see whether the mountain might support such an event. “I said, ‘We’re not asking for anything, just a rainbow flag and a table,” Nesbitt remembered. “Their response was amazing.”
From that phone call, Winter PrideFest was born. The event started in 2018 with discount lift tickets, $200 of Nesbitt and his partner’s personal money, and a theory—that there was a desire for a visible celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in the great outdoors. Now in its fourth year, the March celebration has garnered thousands of dollars in grant money and grown into a multiday event with a variety of gatherings and parties expected to bring more than 1,200 people to Bend.
“When Jamie first called, his concept of starting a small and welcoming winter event that would celebrate and encourage the participation of the LBGQT+ community within winter sports fit so well with the vibrant, open arms of Bend, Mt. Bachelor, and Oregon outdoors,” said Reese Thedford, Mt. Bachelor’s director of sales. “There was no doubt of the need for such a celebration and that we wanted to be part of its success and growth.”
Turns out, Mt. Bachelor staff had long discussed hosting an event tailored to the gay community but weren’t sure who to contact to get the ball rolling. “That really set a lot of the foundation for OUT Central Oregon’s mission—visibility,” Nesbitt said. “Clearly there are a large number of LGBTQ+ people here, but where are they? So our mission is inclusivity, of course, but it’s also about visibility.”
Photo courtesy of out central oregon
In Winter PrideFest’s first year, Nesbitt was relieved Mt. Bachelor wouldn’t require the usual 20 people for the group ticket discount. He needn’t have worried—upwards of 150 people showed up. It’s only grown from there.
City Councilor Barb Campbell heard about Winter PrideFest and suggested OUT Central Oregon apply for a grant from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund. Nesbitt and other group members had two weeks to write it, asked for $10,000, and got every penny. Bend companies have been involved in making the program a success as well. Blackstrap creates custom-designed gaiters for PrideFest participants, Seventh Mountain Resort has been a welcoming host from the start, Silver Moon Brewing and Immersion Brewing have both served as brewery partners, and other bars and businesses around the region have happily partnered with OUT Central Oregon and Winter PrideFest.
In return, the Winter PrideFest has consistently over-delivered on just how popular its events will be. In 2019, Nesbitt said he expected about 300 people at Immersion for the opening event—and 450 crowded the brewery.
For the 2020 event, OUT Central Oregon was again awarded a grant, this time for $17,500.
The cultural grants have allowed OUT Central Oregon to get the word out about the event, and to expand its offerings. In addition to skiing at Mt. Bachelor, other events include Wigs, an ice-skating event at Seventh Mountain Resort, as well as dance parties, Sunday brunches, movie screenings, a drag tubing event and a panel on LGBTQ+ visibility in athletics.
Among those OUT Central Oregon asked to be on the panel was Wyn Wiley, an environmentalist drag queen who uses the drag name Pattie Gonia and who aims for inclusivity and equity in the outdoors. “For the queer community, the traditional narrative is to run to big cities for acceptance, when really there’s a lot of beauty in going in the other direction and running into the forest,” Pattie Gonia said. “But the truth of the matter is, a lot of queer people don’t feel safe outdoors. It’s a very cis, white, straight-dominated space with a lot of homophobic people in it.”
photo Brenda Berry
Their trip to Winter PrideFest was illuminating. “I was literally like, ‘I have never heard of Bend, Oregon in my life. What is this?’ But I’m all about it. I love queer people in rural spaces and mountain towns, so let’s do this.”
Pattie Gonia liked Bend so much, in fact, that she moved here in March 2021. And now that she’s here, she wants to see some big moves from Bendites. “My critique of Bend then and now is that it is a place that needs to embrace equity, embrace diversity every single way,” she said. “It’s so segregated, so lacking in true inclusion work, and we really need to celebrate people and organizations—not just OUT Central Oregon but all the organizations that are working to increase opportunities both in the city and outdoors for marginalized groups, and I think we have a long way to go.”
To that end, Pattie Gonia’s work with Winter PrideFest is not done. And she encourages allies to step up, join in and make Bend a more inclusive, comfortable place for everyone. “Allyship is not a noun, it’s not a title or a badge you get to put on yourself,” she said. “It’s a verb. It requires action, getting uncomfortable, showing up with the capital and resources you have to give. Allies are always welcome. This is not a space that we’re trying to make that is exclusively queer. We want to see you there! Show up at community events like Winter PrideFest. Come out. Show up. You are invited.”
The event in March will be bigger and better than ever, thanks to another marketing grant and an eager public ready for events after 2021’s hiatus. In addition to the ski days at Mt. Bachelor (complete with a DJ spinning on the snow), 2022 Winter PrideFest will again feature a sports panel, as well as ice-skating, a dance party and opening social, small happy hours, movie screenings and other events that celebrate the outdoors, the LGBTQ+ community, and encourage equity and inclusivity.
photo courtesy of out central oregon
“We didn’t want it to be a Whistler party, these events that have been around for 20 to 25 years at big mountains. Oftentimes they’re marketed only to men, and they’re just party, party, party,” Nesbitt said, laughing. “A guy in a speedo on the chairlift is not the vibe we want, and it never was.”
What Nesbitt and OUT Central Oregon really want is to practice inclusivity—beyond the LGBTQ+ community to everyone, especially those who are marginalized. They’re putting their money where their mouth is, offering scholarships to Mt. Bachelor’s Ski/Ride in 5 and partnering with organizations like Vámonos Outside (connecting the Latinx community to the outdoors) and The Father’s Group (building community by overcoming racial discrimination) to encourage more inclusion.
“This is for everyone. This is not just for the LGBTQ community,” Nesbitt said. “We are taking pride in beautiful Central Oregon and our mountains, and we feel we’re celebrating all of that with Winter PrideFest.”
The world of snowsports progresses quickly. Every few years, gear, equipment and mountain culture have a way of reinventing themselves. Terrain parks have transformed in only a few decades. Starting as a counterculture pursuit for snowboard-rebels who carried around shovels and dug their own snow features while avoiding ski patrol, terrain parks are now an infrastructural, mainstream activity with accessibility for all daring enough to try something new.
Once a rarity, today riders and skiers can find a terrain park at most ski areas in the country. Entire crews are sculpting artificial features daily—jumps, berms, rails, rollers and walls—for skiers and riders to attempt tricks, from spins and grabs to flips and grinds, and also catch air. Terrain parks range from small, more progressive and learning-based to large, expert parks with features comparable to the ones seen in the X Games.
Terrain parks are not only more prevalent, but they’re also becoming a priority for mountain resorts. Leading this shift is Woodward, a global action sports experiential company owned by POWDR, the parent company of Mt. Bachelor Resort. Since 2019, Woodward has elevated the terrain park experience at Mt. Bachelor to be one of the highlights of the mountain’s already playground-like terrain.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
With more than fifteen dedicated Woodward parks at Mt. Bachelor, ranging from the Start Park to a halfpipe and slopestyle performance venue in West Village, kids and adults alike are empowered to emulate their inner Shaun White on the slopes. Woodward parks are designed intentionally for intuitive progression, allowing skiers and riders—from beginners to experts—to naturally discover their own skill and style, making growth more fun and safer.
The mountain remains fresh and exciting thanks to the hard work of park crew members, who use their creativity to change the layout of each park many times throughout the season. “There is so much variety for all ability levels in our Woodward Mountain Parks that each crew member probably has their own favorite build,” said Dustin Smith, senior slopes manager. “Some love transition features and some are all about rails; everyone’s got their own thing. I personally like Peace Park as I find so much variety in line choices in that terrain park.”
Peace Park—designed in collaboration with Danny Davis (Grand Prix Winner, X Games Gold Medalist and a U.S. Olympic Snowboard athlete) and the Mt. Bachelor terrain park team—uses natural terrain that reinvents freestyle terrain with a focus on transition, creativity, flow and fun. The name comes from Davis’s belief that people doing what they love in the outdoors freely and creatively were as close to peace as one can come.
Despite the inclusivity of terrain parks nowadays, getting in the lineup, calling your drop-in, and taking that first move with all eyes on you can still be quite challenging. “I would focus on features that don’t intimidate you; maybe it’s a small snow hip or roller jump,” Smith said. “Whatever you think will help you gain more board or ski awareness with practice over time. Keep practicing and progressing as you become more comfortable on snow.”
Photo Jill Rosell
Check out the features you’d like to try and watch others prior to hitting them. Also, consider signing up for a park-specific lesson and learn from an experienced instructor who knows the mountain and parks.
Skiers and riders can enjoy all that Mt. Bachelor has to offer by being respectful out on the slopes. “Be friendly, respect staff across the resort, and be stoked to be out there,” Smith said. “If you have questions or want to connect, stop by and talk to the Woodward Terrain Park crew as there are crews out daily keeping the parks tuned. Skiers and riders should be sure to call your drops and don’t stop on top of any feature, stay clear of landing zones, and always be Park Smart.”
Restrictions: The package must be reserved by phone at (541) 549-5900. Two-night stay valid Sunday – Thursdays. Cannot be combined with any other packages/specials. Not valid on any holidays.
The contest begins on January 1, 2022, at 12:00 AM and ends on January 16, 2022, at 11:59 PM PST. For the complete list of rules, visit our contest policy page.
Activity is abuzz in Sunriver, where the first significant housing development in nearly fifteen years is underway. Ground broke on a new neighborhood within the 1,000-acre Caldera Springs community in mid-November, with future homeowners already showing interest and a flurry of more than forty homesite sales out of the gate.
The new Mirror Rock neighborhood is part of the Caldera Springs Eastern Expansion and features unique homesites with water views, natural volcanic rock outcroppings and locations bordering 220 acres of permanently protected land called the Wildlife Forest Preserve. Mirror Rock is part of a 600-acre expansion of Caldera Springs, a thriving resort community adjacent to Sunriver Resort, under development by the owners and operators of the resort. “Caldera Springs is a family-centric community where owners value the strong connection to nature, the high quality of architecture and the abundance of amenities,” said Krista Miller, general manager of Caldera Springs. “The community builds upon the appeal of Sunriver, but does it in an intimate, upscale way.” The expansion will ultimately include 340 new homes, vacation rental properties and community amenities that will add to the experiential, family-centric resort destination. Homesites start in the mid-$300,000s and range from just under a half-acre to over one acre in size.
Close to it all, amenity rich
Sunriver is a stunning and carefully planned community with incredible proximity to outdoor recreation, something near and dear to Central Oregonians. The community as a whole has drawn repeat visitors for decades, some of whom choose to make their vacation destination a permanent home or more frequent travel destination by purchasing property there. While most Bend natives and visitors alike are familiar with Sunriver, Caldera Springs is still a somewhat new addition to the community—development began in 2005—and continues to fly under the radar as a place to visit, or consider for buying a primary or second home. Situated 20 miles from Mount Bachelor and 20 miles from downtown Bend, endless opportunities await.
This expansion of Caldera Springs now underway includes many planned amenities, boosting the appeal for potential new homeowners. “Having an amenity-rich community has always been a top priority for us,” Miller said. “We envisioned the amenities at Caldera Springs to be a complement to all of the great options available in Sunriver, while adding exclusive experiences for our owners and vacation rental guests.” Community additions include a new pool with water slide (this is in addition to the existing Quarry Pool), new fitness center and family game room. A park featuring pickleball courts, climbing and play structures inspired by nature and small and large dog parks will be added, along with miles of paved and soft trails that will connect with Sunriver’s existing 40+ miles of paved pathways. “Unique to Caldera Springs, and coveted by owners and guests, is the abundant access we provide to the outdoor playground around us,” Miller said. “The community is ideal for just about any outdoor activity, be it golf, fly fishing, biking, paddleboarding, tennis, pickleball, swimming, fitness, sledding, cross country skiing and more.” Homeowners and vacation rental guests are also given access to popular Sunriver Resort facilities including The Lodge, along with membership opportunities at Crosswater Golf Course and Sage Springs Club & Spa.
Another perk of ownership in Sunriver is the community’s vacation rental program, which allows owners to easily rent out properties at times when they’re not in use. “Many of our homeowners appreciate the opportunity they have to participate in our vacation rental program,” Miller said. “This gives them the opportunity for a separate revenue stream at times when they are not using their home. Our on-site property management team gives owners peace of mind that their home is well cared for and the exclusive access to Caldera Springs and Sunriver Resort amenities ensures their property is a top pick for vacationers.”
Nature at the forefront
It’s no secret that the great outdoors is what draws people to Central Oregon. If our outdoor spaces remain protected and well taken care of, nature will also be the constant that keeps us enamored with the region as our communities change and grow. The team behind the development at Caldera Springs understands this, and has incorporated environmental stewardship into community planning. The 220-acre Wildlife Forest Preserve offers protected wildlife habitat that will be held in perpetuity, benefiting the region’s flora and fauna, including elk, deer, birds and other native plants and wildlife. In addition to the preserve, the new Mirror Rock neighborhood also includes its own lake, park and 180 acres of common open space. Combined, these areas offer 400 acres of land that will remain undeveloped, allowing mature Ponderosa pines to grow uninhibited and encourage mountain wildlife to roam freely. Rock outcroppings left behind by once active volcanoes dot the land near new development, becoming a visual highlight of new homesites. Trails and streams weave around these rock formations, keeping the landscape looking natural and authentic. The connection between the development of Caldera Springs and the land has been thoughtfully considered, aiming to keep the area beautiful and wild for generations to come.
Home at last
Caldera Springs is of the purest and most beautiful new developments in Central Oregon, and the first area to break ground on new activity in nearly 15 years. Demand for these homesites is high, with buyers showing interest from around the Pacific Northwest. As part of the first limited offering of homesites in mid-November, forty-two parcels were sold for a combined $18 million. Those looking to solidify their family’s space in this incredible community would be wise to move quickly as the area undergoes this period of expansion. “We’ve been really pleased with the initial response to the new homesites in the Mirror Rock neighborhood,” said Michael Diven, managing broker at Sunriver Realty. “These lots each offer unique characteristics and natural beauty. Pair that with the many amenities of Caldera Springs, and buyers are seeing a neighborhood that is truly different from others in Central Oregon.” Caldera Springs is a one-of-a-kind community, part of one of Central Oregon’s top resorts. It’s a place for a legacy home, where generations can come to enjoy four seasons of adventure near Mount Bachelor’s eastern slope. See where life can take you while enjoying luxury resort amenities, family-friendly fun and incredible hospitality, within a sun-drenched alpine climate.
We recently asked you where to shop locally this holiday season 2021, and you nominated over 115 locally-owned stores! Now that is some serious Bend LOVE! Following your recommendations we went shopping and purchased $25 gift cards to each of the top four mentioned shops. We are now giving them away all week long on our Instagram page. Click here to see the original post on our Instagram page for the full list of nominees. Below are the top 13 mentioned shops:
Patrick Trowbridge and his wife Karrie own twenty-four acres on a pumice butte with 360-degree views from Mount Bachelor to Mount Jefferson, Lava and Pilot buttes to the Ochoco Mountains, and Awbrey Butte to Smith Rock. It’s a unique property in Deschutes River Woods, an area not generally recognized for its views. Patrick said it was “the de facto neighborhood park” before they acquired the property in 2012.
A quarter-mile south of Bend’s city limits, Deschutes River Woods, or “DRW,” was developed in the early 1960s as an unincorporated part of Deschutes County. Its main entry points are from Brookswood Avenue in southwest Bend and the Baker Road exit off south Highway 97.
In the past, it was known as a place where Bend’s working class could buy larger parcels of almost an acre in an unmanicured environment and with no design requirements. People built homes pursuant to their own desires and tastes, leading to a diversity of home styles and types. In the early days, the east boundary along the railroad and Highway 97 attracted a rough crowd, and the community over the years earned a reputation for run-down properties.
As Central Oregon grew in recent decades, DRW gradually improved its status as a livable place for families close to Bend but far enough out to retain its original character with large lots, dense pine forests and privacy. Apartment complexes, condos and other high-density housing is almost nonexistent in this rural development. The 2020 census showed a population of 5,532 people.
The Trowbridge’s family story illustrates how far this neighborhood has come in just the past decade. The couple moved to Bend in 2000 from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and spent ten years in downtown Bend, where they could walk to most places. In 2010, they wanted more space. As a broker with Knightsbridge International Real Estate, Patrick saw opportunity in the oft-forgotten DRW neighborhood. The family bought a 5.6-acre property for $204,000 and renovated it while getting a feel for the area. (They sold the house three years later for $425,000, and it sold again this past December for $1.1 million.) “We met people out here and really liked it,” he said. “The neighbors are down to earth.”
Photo by Graham Lott
“DRW used to have a bad rap, but I think it’s changed now,” said Leslie Graff, another resident who, along with her husband Dan, bought a lot with a manufactured home in 2000 and have been steadily improving the property. “We almost bought a teeny, tiny fixer-upper house off Franklin Avenue (in Bend’s core) with a postage stamp of a yard on a very busy street,” she recalled. “We’ve always been thankful we decided on DRW. We’ve seen a lot of change in the twenty-two years that we’ve lived here. We’re in a good pocket with the greatest neighbors. It feels like we’re living in the country, and yet we’re just a hop, skip and a jump away from the city.”
The area still has buildable lots, but the supply is dwindling, according to Trowbridge. Recent sales show a mix of new but primarily older homes where values are on pace with the rest of Central Oregon’s hot real estate market. A home built in 2004 on the Graffs’ quiet, dirt road sold in 2017 for $370,000 and is now listed for $749,000. Realtor.com shows the median price for a sold home was $525,000 in September, with thirty-one listed homes ranging in price from $329,900 to $2 million.
The western edge of DRW is bounded by the Deschutes River where homes with low-bank frontage are valued in the $1- to $2-million range and look across the river to Lava Island Falls and Meadow Camp. “People are starting to realize that parts of DRW offer gorgeous home sites,” Trowbridge said.
Google Maps reveals one of the more unusual aspects of the neighborhood—ancient lava flows that comprise an impenetrable southern border. Several main streets dead end at the lava flows that form part of Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Although there are no parks in DRW, residents can access trails that lead to Lava Butte within the national monument.
Alker Family Farm
Several businesses operate out of DRW, including the Alker Family Farm, a small-scale organic vegetable farm, Bend Pine Nursery, High Desert Mulching, Motokidz Motorsports, a dog groomer and boarder, an upholstery shop and others, along with a private Christian school and two churches. Riverwoods Country Store near the Baker Road exit and C. E. Lovejoy’s Market off Brookswood are the nearest convenience and grocery stores.
Deschutes River Woods today is a community in transition, where you can find a jumble of RVs, jalopies and tractors in some yards, farm animals and gardens in others, gated driveways, quiet streets with little traffic, parents who walk kids home from their bus stops, and most residents loving the rural environment where they and their pets have room to roam.
Agile fingers twist and turn, patiently weaving beauty from simple string and corn husks. It’s Kelli Palmer’s way of tapping into ancient traditions, helping to keep them alive.
“People say corn husk weaving is a dying art, but I’m trying to get the art back,” Palmer said as she laid bundles of hemp and rayon raffia on my dining room table. A bowl for water kept the corn husk wet and pliable. Palmer is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which includes the Wasco, Warm Springs and Paiute peoples, and is also part Shoshone, Hoopa and Yakima. At 12, she attended a tribal culture camp and learned basic basketry but set it aside for years. In her mid-20s, she attended another basket making class that ignited her love of the art form.
She sought one of the region’s most skilled teachers, her mother Eraina Palmer, but the elder Palmer encouraged her daughter to learn from other people. “Mom inspired me to keep going, but I wanted her to teach me. One day, when I knew she was teaching my uncle, I ‘snuck’ into her home. I hadn’t been invited but just happened to stop by,” she laughed. “I was 30, a few years after my divorce and still searching for something to make myself whole.”
Her mother relented and mentored her daughter until Palmer became a master basket weaver herself. While the title honors and respects the artist, she feels unworthy, even at 45. “I’m still perfecting my work,” she said. Still, her reputation grew and another master basket weaver, Pat Courtney-Gold, convinced Palmer to teach. She has taught corn husk basketry at workshops around the Northwest, at the High Desert Museum and Central Oregon Community College.
photo visit central oregon
At my table, Palmer regarded traditional corn husk hats called putlapas, originally used as women’s head coverings during longhouse religious ceremonies and contemporarily used at pow wow dances. She also brought flat corn husk baskets, once used to store dried roots, fish and meats and now prized as purses and decorative regalia for horses.
Palmer demonstrates the three-step, false embroidery technique on a partially completed basket. It’s so complicated that she holds my fingers and hand in hers, and in about two minutes, I manage to complete one stitch. At this rate, I could finish a small flat basket in roughly the time it took her uncle to finish his basket—about 15 years.
Even in Palmer’s hands, a putlapa takes anywhere from two months when she doesn’t have a job to a year when she’s working full time. Beyond twining, the hats are patterned, which requires a complex grid for most practitioners. But Palmer no longer needs to graph her designs. “I go with whatever strikes my fancy,” she said, which may include a traditional pattern like the Wasco deer or more contemporary motifs. An Idaho basket collector commissioned several putlapas from Palmer, which enabled her to stay at home during the pandemic. Back at work now, she finds time to teach because “lots of people want to learn, even if it is hard,” she said. “I encourage people to keep going until they find their rhythm.”
Getting into her rhythm means contemplating herself, finding her zen. “I do this because it makes me happy and keeps me calm.”
Rachel D’Antona thought she had it all. The founder and original artist behind Bend’s Hikerbooty, an artist duo specializing in illustrations of public lands, wasn’t always drawing maps and art of trail systems. A 2010 grad from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in interior design and construction technology, she was working her “dream job” as a drafter and project manager for a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky. Years into the position, she’d racked up more 16-hour work days than preferred, and was questioning her career choice. “I just knew there had to be something more for me out there,” she said.
photo submitted by Hikerbooty
On a whim in 2015, D’Antona decided to head west, suspend her career and hike the Pacific Crest Trail in its entirety from Mexico to Canada. From April to October, she hiked through California, Oregon and Washington and had a life changing experience.
While on the trail in Oregon, D’Antona had a medical mishap that landed her in Bend during Brewfest. “The Les Schwab Amphitheater was packed, people were floating the river, and I thought to myself, ‘what a magic little town,’” she said. Upon finishing the PCT, she would move to that magical town in 2016 and begin her own business, based on her experience on the trail.
“After completing the PCT, I wanted something to remember the experience. I thought a map would be perfect, but nothing I could find captured why the PCT was so important. No map I found mentioned all the trail angels and amazing stops that made the hike special,” said D’Antona.
photo submitted by Hikerbooty
As a result, D’Antona drew up her first map of the PCT, posted it to social media, and the rest is history. “That first map I posted took off more than I expected it to, I had people telling me they’d like to purchase something similar, and Hikerbooty grew from there,” she said.
Now, D’Antona works with Brian McGregor, who joined Hikerbooty in 2018 as a visual artist specializing in illustration and watercolor, and the duo collaborate on a multitude of projects that highlight the beauty of America’s public lands.
photo submitted by Hikerbooty
“Working with Brian makes me feel a little like I’m in college again,” D’Antona said. “It’s fun to bounce ideas around and hype each other up.”
The name, Hikerbooty, stands out for obvious reasons. “I could have picked something mundane and boring, but I wanted the name to mean something,” D’Antona said. She goes on to explain that Hikerbooty can mean a few things. To some, it can be a reminder of the treasure-memories and experiences-that are found on the trail. To others, it is a reminder of a certain tradition in the hiking community where, upon summiting a peak, hikers take a barebutt photo. “It’s a camaraderie thing, among hikers. A reminder that you just worked your butt off,” she said.
While the name is a lighthearted reminder to never take oneself too seriously, the mission behind Hikerbooty is a serious one: as the population of Central Oregon continues to grow, more and more people are in need of education on how to properly take care of and respect public lands. The mission of Hikerbooty is to draw people into these public lands so that they can enjoy them, but then also take on the responsibility of advocating for the same lands. “It’s really about doing your part! If you’re going to take the time to use and enjoy public lands, it only makes sense that you should care about their preservation,” D’Antona said. “People have life altering experiences in nature all the time, and we should all want to keep our public lands safe for future generations to enjoy as we have.”
For the future of Hikerbooty, D’Antona is optimistic. “For now we’ll have to keep things to the United States, but I’d love to offer a public lands map of each state, and I eventually want to make a book of my artwork surrounding Oregon’s public lands, full of fun facts and anecdotes. I’d like it if someone could pick up that book and realize that exploring the outdoors isn’t so intimidating.”
Find Hikerbooty art in Bend at The Bend Store, Wild Roots Coffee and Powderhouse, or see hikerbooty.com.
Whether you are a local or a visitor to Central Oregon, it’s a treat to go to the Sunriver Resort lodge for a drink or a meal. Built in 1969, the iconic building has been updated over the years, but the bones of the beautiful structure remain the same. Head up the stairs to the Twisted River Tavern—the bar offers great westerly views of the winter sky. After a day of hitting the slopes, trekking trails or sledding down hills, warm up with a hot drink in front of the tavern’s large rock fireplace. Try the S’mores Hot Cocoa—it’s a grown-up take on the favorite childhood treat. Steaming hot cocoa is poured over housemade marshmallow-infused vodka and hazelnut liqueur. Garnished with whipped cream and a sprinkle of graham cracker dust, it’s a perfect drink to celebrate the winter holiday season. Just twenty minutes from Mt. Bachelor and even closer to good snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails, the cozy lodge at Sunriver Resort is an ideal spot to recharge after a day outside, and to plan your next adventure.
photo courtesy of Sunriver Resort
S’mores Hot Cocoa
1 ½ oz. marshmallow vodka (infuse your own or buy it)
¾ oz. Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
Hot cocoa
Whipped cream
Graham cracker dust
Add marshmallow vodka and Frangelico to an eight-ounce mug. Fill remaining mug with steaming hot cocoa. Top with whipped cream and graham cracker dust.
After careers in beverage sales, wine distribution and brand marketing, Duane and Dina Barker planted wine grapes on their land east of Bend. In 2017, the couple took their first harvest to a winemaker. Today, Lava Terrace Cellars is a thriving, award-winning winery. Duane Barker answered Bend Magazine’s questions about the naysayers, the challenges and the medals won along the journey.
Duane and Dina Barker
Tell us about your background and how you ended up in Bend.
I grew up in Carmichael, California, where I worked summers helping my dad on his Coca Cola sales route. By the age of 23, I was a Coca Cola branch manager. Wine distribution and sales during Oregon’s early wine industry days followed. Coca Cola of Bend brought me to Central Oregon, where I met and married Dina, and we started Brilliance in Branding in 2015.
How did you decide to launch Lava Terrace Cellars?
We already had a garden, chickens and a few cows, so the next thing to complete our sustainable farming would be a vineyard. We love to enjoy wine with a meal, especially one using ingredients grown on our five-acres in Bend. We were ready to start a new business. What makes us a great team is we both have the MacGyver mindset, allowing us to successfully work together to meet whatever challenges we encounter. Managing a vineyard takes a great deal of homework, ingenuity and sometimes spur of the moment decisions.
How did you choose which wine grapes to plant?
We researched what varieties would grow at 3,400’ elevation and survive Central Oregon’s cold winters. We wanted grape varietals with a later bud break and an early harvest. Our property was mostly sagebrush, lava rocks with incredible outcroppings and unusable slopes. We had to engineer stakes into the ground, using the lava rocks as stake posts. Everything we have done is a labor of love. It takes patience and tenacity to grow grapes—about five years from when the vines are planted to when they produce high-quality fruit to make commercial wine. In 2017, we took our first harvest to a winemaker. Today, our wines are produced in Bend at Elixir Winery.
What have been your most significant challenges and rewards?
The rewards are opening a bottle of our wine and enjoying it with friends and family, and when someone tastes our wine for the first time and shares how much they love it. It’s fun watching someone who has never heard of La Crescent, Marechal Foch or Marquette be wary and then seeing how much they enjoy it.
Every farmer worries about dealing with whatever Mother Nature throws their way. We have learned ways to protect our vines and grapes that allow them to thrive. We have a frost protection system for nights when it drops below freezing during May and June, and we are creating a canopy system to take advantage of warm days. Harvesting the grapes and seeing the winemaking process begin brings us a huge sigh of relief, and harvest is a time
of celebration.
Tell us about your varietals.
We grow cold-hardy hybrid grapes that thrive in Central Oregon’s climate. The hybrid grapes are created by crossing two or more of the French varietal species with Native American grape species. The grapes we grow are disease resistant, have shorter growing seasons and require less water. What is great is that powdery mildew is almost never a problem here on Central Oregon’s high desert.
The white varietals we grow are La Crescent and Brianna, and the red varietals are Marquette, Marechal Foch and Crimson Pearl. The Brianna is related to Muscat and can be dry or sweet in style with flavors ranging from grapefruit to pineapple. We plan to use our Brianna to create a sparkling wine. Maréchal Foch makes a deeply red wine with earthy characters as well as some jammy, dark-fruit flavors.
Which is your favorite?
We really enjoy pairing wine with food, so if we are having fish, pork or lamb dishes, we will pair it with our La Crescent or if we are having beef, pork or curry dishes, we will have our Marechal Foch, which is also awesome with chocolate desserts. Our Marquette goes well with a pasta, stew, beef, lamb or spicy recipe.
Tell us about the awards for your wine.
In 2020, we entered our first two wine competitions resulting in six medals and international recognition. At the 2020 Sunset International Wine Competition, Lava Terrace Cellars received silver medals for its 2017 Barrel Aged Marechal Foch and 2018 La Crescent. The 2020 San Francisco International Wine Competition awarded silver medals for its 2018 Reserve – One Barrel Marechal Foch and 2019 Marquette, and bronze medals for its 2018 and 2019 La Crescent.
There were many naysayers who said wine grapes couldn’t be grown in Central Oregon. The recognition is a celebration of proving them incorrect. We believe this is just the beginning for not only our success, but for our fellow vineyard and winery owners in Central Oregon. The Central Oregon Winegrowers Association supports and celebrates one another’s successes. Receiving awards both inspires and motivates us to continue to grow high-quality grapes to make outstanding wines. We have learned a great deal about growing grapes and making wine in Bend in the last nine years, and we are happy to share what we know with anyone.
Oregon has 19 AVAs (American Viticultural Area) but none in Central Oregon. Do you expect us to get our own wine-growing region designation?
Lava Terrace Cellars is a member of the Central Oregon Winegrowers along with several vineyards and wineries including Faith, Hope and Charity and Redside Ranch. The goal is to eventually establish an AVA. Several wineries think Marquette may be the signature grape for Central Oregon, like pinot noir is for the Willamette Valley.
What does the future hold?
We plan to complete the necessary steps to open our tasting room in 2022, with plans for some fun events to introduce more people to our wines. We are adding baby-doll sheep to the vineyard to oversee weed management. Wine aficionados can order our wine from lavaterracecellars.com, which we can deliver locally in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook County. The wines can also be purchased at many local shops around Central Oregon.
Avisit to downtown Bend’s Smith Rock Records is an experience rife with nostalgia as customers step into a space packed with new and used vinyl albums, CDs and cassette tapes. Vintage music posters, memorabilia and tapestries decorate the walls, the smell of incense cloaks the air and music softly plays over the surround sound system. The store sits in the O’Kane building, a two-story structure built in 1916 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s—all appropriate to the throw-back feel of this classic destination.
While a trip to the record store might seem like a thing of the past for many, vinyl sales have actually skyrocketed across the U.S. in the past couple of years, thanks in part to shifting habits during the pandemic and a growing number of music lovers preferring analog formats to listen to their favorite tunes. The spike in interest and sales has been a boon for stores like the one in Bend, which in 2020 changed owners and rebranded under a new name, Smith Rock Records.
Less than two years ago, the future was uncertain for Bend’s Ranch Records, as the downtown record store was known, in business since 1996. Then-owner John Schroeder had been eyeing retirement for a couple of years, and with rumors of pandemic shutdowns looming last February, he briefly considered calling it quits on the store. Luckily for Schroeder and audiophiles around the region, another music lover was more than ready to step in. “I had no apprehension in taking it over,” said Patrick Smith, a Central Oregon native with a long history in the local music scene. Smith, who also does sound production for concerts, had discussed buying the store from Schroeder in the past, and pandemic or not, he was still interested. Schroeder began to show him the ropes, and by the summer, Smith was officially the new owner.
Smith thanks his mom for introducing him at a young age to music, which has been an important part of his life ever since. “The radio was constantly going when I was growing up,” said Smith, who grew up in Bend and Redmond. “And she gave me some of her 45s when I was real little.” After college in Eugene and stints in Seattle and Portland, Smith returned to Central Oregon, where he has helped with a sound and audio production company and been sales manager at audio equipment store Stereo Planet, among other jobs. As someone who appreciates music in its richest forms, including vinyl and CDs, Smith understands why the formats are making a comeback. “Hardcore music folks, they never stepped away from the record,” he said. “Records sound a lot more realistic. When someone hits a cymbal, it sounds like a cymbal.”
After taking over the store last June, Smith renamed it Smith Rock Records—which includes his own last name, the word “rock,” and is a nod to Smith Rock, a favorite climbing destination for Smith, who lives between Redmond and Terrebonne. While some loyal customers questioned the name change, Smith was quick to explain that Bend has been home to record stores of many names over the past few decades. In the early 1980s there was Great American Record and Plant, which split into Great American Record for music and Stereo Plant for audio equipment (today it’s called Stereo Planet). When Great American Record left town in 1982, Schroeder managed a store called Rising Run Records that popped up in its place. That store’s name later changed to Paramount Records and after it eventually closed in the early 1990s, Schroeder and a partner opened Ranch Records. While Smith has kept the “Ranch Records” illuminated sign in the window of Smith Rock Records for old times’ sake, he’s reorganized the shop to make it more inviting to customers and made other upgrades, such as adding concert-quality trusses with stage lighting on the walls and adding wheels to displays to easily rearrange the space. Smith hopes to begin hosting events like album singings, acoustic shows and small concerts as soon as this winter.
Business has been steady through the pandemic, Smith said, with lines forming outside during times when the store capacity was limited. The holidays last year saw lots of gift-buyers and there were plenty of tourists over the summer, in addition to locals, he said. “The pandemic has helped quite a bit. People were just in the vinyl-buying mood and people really needed music,” Smith said. In 2020, vinyl sales across the country grew to 27.5 million records, rising thirty percent from 2019 and outpacing CD sales for the first time in thirty-four years. While Smith can’t predict the future of the record industry, he said he expects more classic record collections to surface in the coming years as the Baby Boom generation ages and passes on their belongings, boosting used inventory for shops like his. At the same time, artists today are producing more vinyl when they release albums, expanding new inventory for record stores. In the first half of 2021 alone, 19.2 million new records were sold.
Check out the latest inventory and see what the vinyl resurgence is all about at Smith Rock Records, 117 NW Oregon Avenue in Bend, or visit facebook.com/smithrockrecords for store updates.
‘Tis the season to dust off those hand-written recipe cards and recreate the aromas and flavors of fond holiday memories. At the end of a long day serving up dishes to paying customers, local chefs unbutton their coats and hang up their aprons for some well-deserved time with family. As quickly as they’re home, their toque is back on to whip up dishes for a new set of clientele—those who may be more apt to give critique, but also help out a little, in the kitchen. Local Bend chefs shared some of their favorite holiday meals with us—dishes they make at home, and if we’re lucky, may share at their restaurants this festive season.
Considerate Dining
A quick note before continuing on to four amazing dishes from some of our favorite local chefs. The last year-plus has been an unprecedented time for restaurants, during which understaffing and long lines have become daily occurrences. When we reached out to local chefs and owners this season for holiday dish recommendations, many were busy hurdling labor shortages and managing shifting COVID-19 guidelines. Let’s all do our best at being gracious, patient guests. Kindness and generosity should be our go-to approach when dining out this season—and every season.
Strata
Brian Walczyk, Chef at Washington
On Christmas morning as a kid, Brian Walczyk’s mom would make strata, a baked casserole made with bread, eggs, cheese, and any other ingredients you may have on hand. “Christmas day for me was always the most anticipated day of the year so I’ve always associated strata with family being together and winter break,” said Brian Walczyk.
Now, Walczyk makes strata for his son and continues to instill the importance of enjoying the fun of a free day spent with family. “Growing up, my mom would make one with bacon and one with just cheese because my sister didn’t eat meat,” said Walczyk. “What I make now is with lacinato kale, Italian sausage, reggiano, mozzarella, and jack cheese.”
This dish is ideal for the relentless pace of the holidays as you can use leftover bread and have the meal prepped the night before while still wowing your guests with gourmet breakfast. Keep a lookout for Washington’s brunch menu around the holidays, as this Walczyk tradition is sure to make an appearance.
Eggnog
Cliff Eslinger, Executive Chef of 900 Wall
Cliff Eslinger knows the start of the holiday season has arrived when the leaves begin to change, the town quiets down, and he and his wife, Sara, make the first batch of eggnog in October. “Eggnog ties to the downshift of summer and the start of the best months to live in Central Oregon,” said Eslinger.
The recipe is simple: mix egg yolks and sugar, whisk in the milk and cream and finish by adding brandy and dark rum. Eslinger recommends leaving the ingredients in a glass receptacle and letting them sit in a cooler for at least a week and up to a month, shaking every other day. Time removes the harsh mouthfeel taste, leaving only the sweet cream flavor with a hint of spice. Finish this holiday classic with freshly grated nutmeg and a small spoonful of whipped cream. Find eggnog along with other seasonal dishes at 900 Wall this holiday season.
Lamb Osso Bucco
Thad Lodge, Owner of Marcello’s Cucina Italiana
When Marcello’s Cucina Italiana closes for the day during the busy holiday season, owner Thad Lodge enjoys sharing the afternoon with his family. He slow roasts and braises lamb for the traditional northern Italian dish lamb osso bucco. “The hours of slow roasting and braising the lamb offers a great opportunity to sip on wine and spend time enjoying company,” said Lodge.
Lodge’s version of the dish is made with root vegetable stew, red wine, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms. He typically serves the dish with local chanterelles but recommends simply finding the best in-season mushrooms. “Another part you can get creative with is, traditionally you do the dish over polenta, but it’s also fantastic over any type of pasta or even mashed potatoes,” said Lodge. “It’s fun to play with.”
Lamb osso bucco will be served at Marcello’s Cucina Italiana in Sunriver this holiday season.
Stuffed Baby Pumpkin
Jamar Adams, Chef at Solomon’s at Tetherow
Jamar Adams has created a beautiful and delicious fall dish with a baby stuffed pumpkin. Adams roasts the baby pumpkin then stuffs it with festive flavors of hazelnut and cranberries and trumpet mushrooms to create vegetarian “meatiness.” The dish is topped with chimichurri and lemon tahini.
The plate is a creative twist on the flavors of his grandma’s holiday cooking, which Adams ate growing up, along with a twist on a long-time friend’s acorn squash dish. “My grandma used to always do a pumpkin stuffing that had a lot of similar ingredients so that’s where the stuffing part of the pumpkin comes from,” said Adams. “The similar flavors remind me of that.”
The dish is always an option for a special meal through the fall and is a great vegetarian option to serve for holiday festivities. Solomon’s will be hosting a four-course pre-set Thanksgiving dinner on November 25 with the stuffed baby pumpkin as a vegan main course.
ENTER TO WIN $1,500 IN PRIZES FROM
THE OLD MILL DISTRICT!
Nowhere epitomizes Bend’s transformation from a sleepy lumber town to a world-class destination like the Old Mill District.
Once home to two of the largest ponderosa pine sawmill operations on the planet, the Old Mill District now showcases restaurants, shops, art galleries and boutique fitness studios nestled alongside the Deschutes River.
The winter months are truly magical in the Old Mill District. That’s why we have partnered with our friends at the Old Mill District to bring you an exclusive Holiday Giveaway. One winner will be randomly chosen.
Prizes include:
Saxon’s Fine Jewelers: Bujukan bracelet from Gabriel and Co.
Va Piano: 2019 Chelle Den Millie Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and 2017 Scooteney Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Evoke Winery: 2017 Orgasmic Cabernet Sauvignon
Savory Spice: Bloody Mary and popcorn gift sets
Anthony’s gift cards
Tumalo Creek: Four full-day kayak/canoe/SUP rentals
Wild Child: Holiday gift package that includes books, baby blanket, and toys
Lush: Holiday gift box
Sisters Coffee: Customized Hydro Flasks and whole bean coffee
Old Mill District gift cards
The contest begins on November 1, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. and ends on November 21 at 11:59 p.m. For the complete list of rules, visit our contest policy page.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Sometimes winter outdoors in Central Oregon can be a lot. Cold temperatures, short days and sketchy roads. While on many days we can rally with the best of ‘em and get out there, some days we just wanna spend more time in our backyard than in the backcountry. Here, Bend Magazine has a few recommendations to beat those winter blues without even needing to wear a jacket.
Fun in Bend for the Whole Family
Cold weather can be hard for parents and kids alike. From that elusive lost mitten to the rigors of layering, winter adds complexity and time—unless, of course, you opt for some fun indoors. For families in Central Oregon, there are a plethora of options. Sun Mountain Fun Center is a one-stop shop with an arcade, bowling, bumper cars, laser tag and even augmented reality games. For those looking for something with a little more bounce, Mountain Air Trampoline Park is equipped with 26 large trampolines enclosed by two angled trampoline walls.A basketball and dodgeball enclosure provides an area for those in need of a little competition, and the ValoJump experience combines a video screen with jumping for interactive exercise and gaming that can be played between multiple people.
Fun in Bend for the Young at Heart
Coyote Bar, downtown Bend
Kick up your heels at The Coyote, a country bar with free line-dancing lessons daily at 5:30 p.m., a mechanical bull, and a family-friendly menu for lunch and dinner. Children are welcome until 8 p.m.Corey’s Bar and Grill has an approachable, laid-back vibe for karaoke that happens on Thursday and Sunday nights. It’s a guaranteed good time whether you’re crooning Sinatra or sitting in the back singing along.
Vámonos Outside at Bend Rock Gym
For Lovers of the Classics
Sometimes there’s no reason to mess with a good thing. Your grandparents went bowling, your parents went bowling and we still want to go bowling for some friendly competition in retro-styled rental shoes. Lava Lanes has been a staple in the shadow of Pilot Butte for decades for an afternoon or evening playing toward the pins. If classic literature is more your lane, Central Oregon is fortunate enough to have multiple independent bookstores to while away hours on a wintry day. Dudley’s Bookshop in downtown Bend has an extensive selection of fiction, outdoor and just about every other genre under the sun, along with a long list of curated recommendations from store owner and book connoisseur Tom Beans. In Sisters, visit Paulina Springs Books for a wide selection of both adult and kids’ books. The store also hosts near-weekly author events, in-person and virtually. Put all the reading to a test at Astro Lounge, in downtown Bend, which hosts the area’s longest running trivia night every Tuesday night.
For the (Non-Winter) Sports Buffs in Bend
If you love sports, but just don’t love the cold, there are options to sweat indoors. To start, fans of everybody’s favorite new sport, pickleball, play at Pickleball Zone Bend (PZB). With eight individual courts, the four-year-old facility offers memberships as well as drop-in play, along with lessons and camps. Also rent a court and stay for bites and brews after at Ballers & Brews on Bend’s east side. At K1 Speed Bend, drivers can race high-speed electric go-karts in a challenging indoor course. Off a track and on a bike, at StarCyclein NorthWest Crossing, cardio fans supply their own power. The workout feels a bit like a strength-building party, with its low light and high-energy music.
Finally, for rock-climbing hounds looking to keep their skills sharp in the wintertime, check out Bend Rock Gym. The area’s original climbing gym, it hosts three separate gyms under one roof that beckons climbers with more than two-hundred climbing routes and nearly as many bouldering problems.
Wesley Heredia Vámonos Outside at BIPOC Climbing Night at the Bend Rock Gym
For Those Who Want a Little Screen Time
Looking to level up a cold winter day? Look no farther than Vector Volcano—a perfect mix of old-school arcade nostalgia and new-school vibes (with craft beer on tap). This downtown Bend video arcade has favorites from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Fans of the big screen visit McMenamins Old St. Francis School, a converted 1936 Catholic schoolhouse with multiple pubs, restaurant, soaking pool and a fun, couch-filled theater with a full menu from the adjacent pub. The Tin Pan Theater is a 28-seat venue that shows finely curated independent films from around the world. Now that’s cozy indeed.
Around Bend, people hear the term “backcountry” thrown around pretty often. Backcountry skiing, backcountry snowmobiling, backcountry snowshoeing… you get the idea. Bend’s backcountry is alive and well, with more people choosing to explore these areas than ever before. While breaking into the backcountry can be intimidating for beginners, backcountry enthusiasts swear by the experience and say that the freedom and the sense of exploration is unparalleled. Ready to get started?
photo Adam Mckibben
What is Backcountry?
A backcountry area is any area of wilderness that is sparsely populated, and undeveloped; this means fewer people, but also fewer resources, should someone need something like food, equipment or medical attention. Locally, there are three main backcountry areas that athletes, explorers and adrenaline junkies frequent: Tumalo Mountain, Three Sisters Wilderness, and Tam McArthur Rim.
“Those are the most popular backcountry areas around Bend,” said Zoë Roy, a development director on the board of directors with the Central Oregon Avalanche Center. “Splitboarding, ski touring and snowmobiling are the most popular activities, but snowshoeing and cross country skiing can be added as well.”
photo Jules Jimreivat
Skip the Resort
These popular backcountry activities can be accomplished in areas that are more developed and safer, like a ski resort, but to Roy and other backcountry enthusiasts, that doesn’t matter so much. The backcountry provides athletes more independence, a cheaper day-to-day cost, and way fewer face-to-face interaction with strangers. “The backcountry is an amazing alternative to resort skiing because there are fewer crowds and once you have the equipment, it’s free,” Roy said. “The backcountry is peaceful, beautiful and quiet, which I think more and more people are appreciating.”
Barry Wicks, the sports marketing director at Kona Bicycles, head consultant at Hella Sweet Ink, professional mountain biker and avid backcountry skier, echoes these statements. “I started skiing when I was 2, mostly terrorizing the mountain in what we referred to as the ‘Flying Wedge,’” Wicks said. After taking a skiing hiatus post-high school to focus on racing mountain bikes, Wicks got back into skiing when he moved to Bend in 2010. “I was pretty tired of riding chair lifts, and skiing in the backcountry gave me all the sensations I was familiar with and loved from riding mountain bikes: freedom, a sense of adventure and exploration, and escape from the crowds.”
Ok, I’m In! Where Do I Stay?
As exciting as the backcountry might sound, there are some barriers for people wanting to join in the action. Finding lodging can be one of these barriers, but it can also create another excuse for adventure. Tent camping in the backcountry, especially during winter, should only be done by those with experience and the proper equipment. The temperatures at night can easily drop below freezing and into the negatives, so staying warm and bundled up is essential, and will require having gear that is tested and approved for extremely low temperatures. The safest way to camp overnight would be in a camper or RV, staying at one of the nearby sno-parks. Kapka and Wanoga Sno-Park both have overnight RV camping spots available, and both of them can access the backcountry through skiing and snowmobiling trails. Renting a cabin is also a great alternative, with a few options offered locally.
photo Christian Murillo
Nordic ski huts are available in the Three Sisters Wilderness area, and there’s even a guided, multi-day ski tour that has guests staying in the huts. Yurts are available for private rentals as well, in the same area. A bit closer to Bend but still near the action, the winter cabin rentals at Elk Lake resort offer a bit of mountain luxury to any backcountry experience.
However, the most popular choice of lodging is your own bed. Many backcountry enthusiasts opt to start their day in their own home and hit the sno parks early, around 5 a.m, then drive back home before nightfall to avoid the hassle of winter lodging. Out-of-towners should consider renting a spot for the weekend in Bend, Redmond or Sunriver.
photo Adam McKibben
Safety First
It is crucial to remember that backcountry sports have little to no safety net. Crashing on skis and injuring yourself on Mt. Bachelor property will get you an express ticket to the bottom of the mountain via mountain rescue and a snowmobile. Injuries in the backcountry don’t have the luxury of a quick rescue, and that is why it is so important that backcountry athletes have experience in their sport and an understanding of their own limits.
Skiing at a resort means that the runs have been groomed, tested and ranked based on their difficulty. The backcountry won’t have that, so athletes must determine what is safe and what isn’t, on their own.
The biggest safety concern in the backcountry is avalanches, especially when using a snowmobile. “More people are using snowmobiles to get farther and faster into the backcountry,” Roy said. “This is awesome, but also important to remember that snowmobiles can travel in avalanche terrain and sometimes they break down. Be prepared for both scenarios!”
This writer remembers backcountry snowmobiling growing up in Bend, and dozens of times where it felt like we spent more time digging the snowmobiles out of deep powder than we did riding them. Lesson learned, backcountry athletes always need to be prepared to get themselves out of a bind, especially avalanches; we would never leave the house without a shovel, a handsaw, food, water, extra layers and medical supplies.
“It’s so important that people are heading into the backcountry with the correct avalanche equipment,” Roy said. “It’s one thing to carry an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe, it’s a whole different thing to know how to use them. Education is just as important!”
photo Lane Pearson
On safety, Wicks said, “I’ve taken avalanche classes, spent time with backcountry wizards, and I try hard to be a student of the mountains, paying attention all the time to changing conditions, terrain and weather.” Wicks also recalls a moment where an avalanche took a member of his skiing party, and quick action led to a rescue without incident. “Being in the backcountry can be scary, but it does not have to be,” Wicks said. “Wise decision making and conservative choices can help mitigate risk, but I always have the mindset that anything can happen at any time, and I try to be ready for any eventuality as best I can.”
Three Sisters Backcountry, Oregon Ski Guides and Central Oregon Community College all offer multi-day avalanche education courses. Central Oregon Avalanche Center hosts free, monthly refresher classes that are a good place to brush up on, or begin, your education.
As a helicopter pilot with Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Nicole Orlich relies on high-tech weather forecasting every day. Aviation-specific platforms provide crucial atmospheric details for safe flying: she checks HEMS (helicopter and emergency medical services) to view low-level conditions in small areas, and Foreflight, an aviation app, to get weather briefings for her planned routes.
But Orlich’s advice to others for predicting storms is simpler, requiring no fancy technology: “Go outside and look up,” she said. “Weather apps and radars are important, but they’re not enough. Pay attention to how weather systems look and feel.” In that way, Orlich has developed a necessary instinct for weather that can change midflight.
While Nicole seeks out the calmest flight path between storms, her brother also keeps watch on the skies—in search of snow. Andrew Orlich flies closer to the ground than his sister, skiing in the backcountry or at Mt. Bachelor, where he is well known for his aerial maneuvers. Growing up in Central Oregon’s rugged climate taught them both to anticipate blustery weather, even on bluebird days.
Andrew bases his ski plans on weather cues from the jet stream, pressure systems and snow accumulation.
“Winds from the north bring cold air; wind direction tells me which slopes might load with snow. Low pressure systems bring precipitation, and temperature projections tell me how to layer for the day. Then I make an educated guess about how conditions might change, so I can pivot if needed and still have an awesome experience,” said Andrew.
Andrew Orlich
Few Bend locals delve into meteorology as deeply as the Orlich siblings, yet life in Bend revolves around the weather, from the tourist economy to the water supply to whether we ski on velvet or crust. Working behind the scenes are skilled experts who track the storms, interpret the data and layer science with gut instinct. These are the storm forecasters—the unsung heroes of winter.
LOCAL FORECASTING IN BEND
Many forecasters are life-long weather enthusiasts. For Katie Zuñiga, meteorology is a recently discovered passion. As a KTVZ journalist, she’s moved from producing to anchoring the news, but working with local legend Bob Shaw on weather reports was the spark that ignited her love of meteorology. “I get energized by learning the science behind the storms—how high-and low-pressure systems translate into snow and wind. I love sharing that science with others,” said Zuñiga.
“Weather reporting is unique because it’s unscripted. We never use a prompter for the forecast,” said Zuñiga. On a typical day, she studies the weather synopsis from the National Weather Service (NWS) station in Pendleton. Then she’ll compare multiple forecast models and review satellite and radar images, pulling significant elements from each layer of information. “Sometimes models don’t agree. Identifying the most likely outcome comes from deductive reasoning and experience,” said Zuñiga.
Storm forecasting in Bend holds two unique challenges, Zuñiga explained, and both are related to the geography of Central Oregon. The first challenge is a lack of radar information. The NWS operates weather radars in Portland, Medford and Pendleton. The radars send waves upward at an angle. By the time the radio waves reach Bend, they are miles overhead. “We get high-level radar information, but a lot happens between the ground and the radar image,” said Zuñiga.
Katie Zuñiga
The second major challenge is caused by the ground itself—that is, the changing elevation and ground angles. “Mountain regions have so many microclimates. Creating one forecast is a struggle,” said Zuñiga. Despite the variability, all KTVZ forecasts rely on data from the Redmond Airport, the nearest NWS certified weather station. “When I predict a two-inch snowfall, I know some spots will get a dusting and some way more. Precipitation and temperatures vary wildly from Warm Springs to LaPine—even across town. But we are committed to using only measurements verified by the NWS,” said Zuñiga.
PENDLETON TO BEND: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Meteorologists normally fall into two camps, according to Ed Townsend. There are forecasters who interpret and communicate current weather events, and there are researchers who develop new forecasting tools and technology. As the Science and Operations Officer at NWS Pendleton, Townsend gets to do both. He keeps one foot in operations—developing and defining forecasts—and the other foot in emerging science, leveraging new research into their daily work.
Pendleton may be more than 200 miles from Bend, but information from this office forms the foundation of every local forecast. Remote tracking of winter storms is more accurate than ever, according to Townsend, thanks to the latest generation of radar and satellites. “The advancements are staggering. High-resolution satellite snapshots map the movement of atmospheric rivers like the Pineapple Express, and our upgraded radars distinguish precipitation as rain, snow, or something in between,” said Townsend. Satellite images are especially important in places like Bend, where radar coverage is weak.
The recipe for Cascade winter storms involves three ingredients: a surge of moist air, mountain topography to lift the air, and freezing temperatures to support crystal formation. Add some atmospheric instability and voila! Bendites are in for fresh snow. Predicting whether the storms show up as howling blizzards or snow-globe-style powder dumps—that is where digital analysis and human instinct intersect, said Townsend. “Ultimately, our human strengths lie in recognizing patterns and extracting the critical pieces from big data,” he added.
Do the NWS models predict a ski-friendly winter season this year? Townsend is moderately optimistic.
“There are no guarantees, but the odds are tilted toward a weak La Niña pattern,” said Townsend.
Annual snowfall in the Cascades averages over 400 inches during a La Niña cycle. A bountiful snowpack impacts more than winter recreation: it’s critical for replenishing ground water and reservoirs throughout Central Oregon. After several years of below-average snowfall, much of the Cascades’ eastern slopes are experiencing serious drought.
As Townsend explained, climate change and meteorology are related sciences, but distinctly different in their scale and timeframes. The NWS Pendleton team stays focused on their core mission: analyzing current weather events and trends from the Cascades to the Wallowas, and providing solid forecasting data to support weather-related decisions made at a local level.
photo richard bacon
WINTER EXTREMES ONA VOLCANO
Understanding winter storms at Mt. Bachelor ski resort means adding a few key terms to the weather vocabulary: tree wells, wind slabs, freezing rime and storm recovery.
Dustin Balderach, Snow Safety Supervisor and head forecaster at Mt. Bachelor, keeps those terms in mind as he monitors storm events and snowfall throughout the ski season. Along with the ski patrol and management team, Balderach is constantly translating the forecast into potential impact on operations: Which lifts can run? What areas can open? Where are the avalanche risks?
“This 9000-foot volcano is the first obstacle to interrupt weather systems coming from the Pacific, so we get the full force of those winds. Combine that with our northern latitude, perfect for supercooling moist air into freezing rime, and you get gnarly, challenging mountain conditions,” said Balderach.
In addition to their own weather stations, Mt. Bachelor contracts with a private forecasting company for daily reports. They also rely on the University of Washington School of Atmospheric Sciences for models that predict snowfall intensity, and charts that graphically intersect freezing level with windspeed and direction.
Yet according to Balderach, nothing replaces real-time reports from ski patrollers with seasons of experience on the mountain. Mt. Bachelor storms follow predictable patterns. Each chairlift has a microclimate: Northwest experiences the brunt of incoming storms, with the harshest winds and rime. The intensity softens as storms wrap eastward around the mountain. Ski runs accessed by the easternmost chairlift, Cloudchaser, often feel protected on storm days…until the lift pops above the tree line, fully exposed to gale force winds. And Summit? “There are days the anemometer is frozen solid. And days it’s like skiing inside a ping pong ball, no visibility. But when we can open it, Summit is the most special place, with amazing views and ski runs in every direction,” said Balderach.
Along with the thrill of fresh powder, multi-day snowstorms bring hazards for skiers. Ski patrollers check for unsafe cornices, wind slabs that could collapse and slopes with avalanche danger. Tree wells are more difficult to mitigate. These hazards form when the lower branches of pine trees prevent snow from packing around the trunk. Skiers can easily fall into the pockets of loose snow and become stuck. Skiing with a partner and avoiding tree well areas are the best ways to stay safe.
FORECASTING FOR BACKCOUNTRY ADVENTURES
Backcountry skiers like Andrew Orlich, who forgo the ease of a chairlift, need to understand both weather and avalanche risks before they venture into backcountry terrain. The Central Oregon Avalanche Center (COAC) is dedicated to educating the backcountry community about how to stay safe.
Aaron Hartz works as a forecaster for COAC, in addition to teaching avalanche safety classes and managing his business, Hartz Science Explorations. For Hartz, the snowpack tells a story; the snow layers reveal the history of that season’s weather events. One rainy day can create an unstable layer that lasts for months. Avalanche forecasting requires awareness of the entire snow season. Building the forecasts is like solving a puzzle, fitting together weather information to create a full picture.
Central Oregon’s freeze-thaw cycles reduce avalanche danger by creating snow layers that stick together, but avalanches do happen. “Any snowstorm dropping ten inches or more is concerning, as are strong winds that push snow into huge slabs or cornices,” said Hartz.
The COAC weather station on Moon Mountain sends basic-but-important measurements to their website by modem. Any backcountry adventurer can check real-time temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and air pressure before they venture out. Hartz advises that weather analysis shouldn’t stop there.
“Keep asking yourself throughout the day if conditions are what you prepared for,” he said. “Is visibility or snowfall changing? Do I need to adjust my route or timeframe?”
Peter Murphy
WEATHER ON THE ROAD
Monitoring the weather is always partially about safety, maybe in no area more than when it comes to car travel. “We are in the business of keeping roads open. That’s why we’re here. If a road is closed, know that there is a good reason why,” said Peter Murphy, Public Information Officer for Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in Central Oregon. Murphy is responsible for sending out emergency road alerts to first responders, news stations and county road managers.
Murphy’s team bases decisions on NWS Pendleton’s daily conference call, and stays in close contact with plow drivers and emergency responders. Because Bend is a travel destination, they monitor both sides of the Cascades, plus weather along the Columbia gorge, explained Murphy. “Certain spots on roads to and from Bend are known for a classic combo of high winds and ice buildup, like the gorge or mountain passes,” he said.
The best way to avoid winter road hazards is to use ODOT’s TripCheck.com, an online resource for road conditions and closures. Taking a moment before hitting the road lets drivers preview road conditions through live webcams and check the interactive state map for road closures and snow hazards where traction tires are needed.
This winter, when you think about the weather, perhaps you’ll think a little bit more like a scientist—or at least remember to thank a scientist for the forecast you consider. When in doubt, simply go outside and look up.
Central Oregon Veterans Outreach was founded in 2005 by members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #820 in Bend. They had a vision of an organization that could support veterans of every generation and followed through by interacting with the local homeless camps around Central Oregon. “This group’s first focus was to get these homeless veterans off the streets, fed and warmed up,” said COVO’s executive officer JW Terry, a thirty-year Navy veteran and lifetime member of Chapter #820. “While those original vets have drifted apart, I know they are all proud of what COVO has become.”
photo Lesley Zacharias
Connecting with local homeless populations evolved into the homeless outreach program, which reaches both vets and non-vets. “A lot of people don’t know, but around 50 percent of the people we assist are non-veterans,” Terry said.
“We still sometimes get people who say ‘this donation has to go to a veteran’ and things like that, and for those people, we have ways of making sure that specific donations go to certain places,” Terry said. “But over the years we’ve learned to not turn away anyone who needs our help.”
COVO regularly does outreach into homeless communities to build trusting relationships. This can be tough, as unfortunately in some instances, individuals have been seen taking advantage of these populations by inappropriately taking pictures and videos of them. “A lot of people don’t really understand that that tent is someone’s home,” said Ron Moore, a veteran who spent seven years living homeless who now works as an outreach specialist for COVO. “You can’t just go shoving a camera in someone’s home and expect them to be okay with it.”
Once trust is established, COVO evaluates each client on a case-by-case basis to match them with the right program. COVO offers food, tents and clothing, as well as other programs that promote finding affordable housing, stable jobs, medical assistance and support along the way. Specifically for veterans, COVO offers healthcare, as well as supportive services for veteran’s families. “That transition can be a hard one,” said Moore. “Without support along the way, it can be possible for someone, even with an apartment and a job, to fall back into homelessness.”
The employees at COVO, many of whom are veterans who have experienced homelessness, wish members of the community understood that this is a complex issue. They outlined factors such as high medical bills, mental health issues, addiction, social isolation, high housing costs, low wages, and more as causes that can contribute to homelessness. During the pandemic, these factors hit communities harder than ever.
The future of COVO is a bright one, full of collaboration with NeighborImpact and the City of Bend. Terry said that in the ideal future, COVO wouldn’t exist, but he’s sure it will. “We’re still dealing with issues the Romans dealt with thousands of years ago,” Terry said. “These issues aren’t going to go away anytime soon. But, neither are we.”
For information on how to get involved, visitcovo-us.org.
Central Oregon is known nationally for outdoor recreation, and that’s in part because of the amazing skiing around here. However, years before BachelorButte became a resort destination and people flocked to Bend for our snow, back when skiing was still considered a new sport in the United States, local clubs and residents tried their hand at skiing some other local spots. These old ski hills may have been lost to time, but a local historian is digging their stories back up.
The 1965 Junior Olympics were held on Pilot Butte. Pictured is the ski jump competition, with spectators and fellow competitors watching from the sidelines.
Steven Stenkamp, a former firefighter and Bend city mayor turned local historian, has become an expert on lost ski areas. Through his independent research, he has found four forgotten ski areas near Bend: Overturf Butte, Skyliners McKenzie Pass, Skyliners Tumalo Creek and our very own Pilot Butte.
“A lot of the history we’re talking about here wasn’t written down, so much of it is largely unknown,” Stenkamp said. “I’m really happy to help share that history and keep it alive.”
To understand how Central Oregon grew as a ski destination requires an understanding of a certain old Bend club. The Skyliners Club, a group of
like-minded individuals who enjoyed outdoor recreation, was formed in 1927. The group’s first goal? Find a permanent and organized area for winter recreation, such as skiing, ice skating and old-school toboggan sledding.
The Bend Skyliners at the original McKenzie Pass ski area jump site in 1930
“The Skyliners selected a spot seven miles west of the town of Sisters on Forest Service land, next to the original path of the Oregon Skyline Trail,” Stenkamp said. “Construction of a small lodge, a toboggan run and ski jump were completed in time for a December 1928 opening.” The lodge was expanded only a year later to accommodate for the popularity of the site, where skiing competitions regularly saw jumps of over 100 feet.
However, due to a combination of factors such as non-plowed roads, the distance from Bend and the somewhat inconsistent snowfall on the hill, the Skyliners would look for a new spot by 1934, killing the McKenzie Pass ski area by 1935. They moved up to Tumalo Creek, to a fledgling ski area that had first been established with an ice-skating rink in 1933. Over the years, the Skyliners worked to upgrade the hill, adding in lights for night skiing, a lodge, warming hut, a ski jump and even two rope tows to help skiers up the hill. “Before the rope tows, people really had to work to ski,” Stenkamp said. “You really had to want it, to hike those hills over and over.” The hill at Tumalo Creek remained popular until 1958 when Mt. Bachelor officially opened its ski runs.
While the Skyliners Club was doing their thing, other Bend residents were trying to figure out more places to hit the slopes. Overturf Butte began as a toboggan hill in the 1920s, but it wasn’t long before skiers showed up. Eventually, the hill was upgraded with lights for night-time activities, but the toboggan hill proved to be a bit too steep and led to more than a few hospitalizations. Similar to the original Skyliners Hill west of Sisters, Overturf ski area died out due to the opening of the Skyliners Hill near Tumalo Creek.
By 1935, the Skyliners had moved their ski area and jump to Skyliner Hill near Tumalo Creek.
In 1962, members of the community expressed their interest in reopening Overturf Butte as a local ski area, but decided to develop Pilot Butte instead when the landowners at Overturf refused. The proposed development included a nearly-too-large ski jump fit with a rope tow, artificial snow and lights that would be open all season long for years to come. However, fundraisers fell short as Mt. Bachelor grew in popularity, and the partial funds were instead used for a temporary ski jump and snow machines on the north side of Pilot Butte, above what is now Pilot Butte Middle School, used only for the 1965 Junior Olympics.
“The first jumper had too much speed and ended up in the sagebrush at the bottom of the hill,” Stenkamp said. “The winner of the jump competition was also the smallest competitor; four-foot eight-inch Jerry Martin from Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
Despite the success of the 1965 Junior Olympics, which had 2,500 people in attendance, Pilot Butte and the other smaller hills just couldn’t compete with Mt. Bachelor. Aside from the new resort eroding the other hills’ popularity, the smaller hills also dealt with more inconsistent snowfall and unplowed roads that made access more difficult. As Mt. Bachelor grew and gained resources, it began to plow roads, offer ski lifts, lodges, classes, competitions and more; all of these amenities were too good to pass up, and other hills were left high and dry, mostly forgotten to history.
That is, until Stenkamp uncovered their past. Thanks to the work of historians like Stenkamp, we can look back and remember the legacy of our community, when people came together for the love of snow. These early hills tell tales of perseverance that directly contributed to the huge popularity of Central Oregon as a winter recreation destination. Any avid skiers, snowboarders and more have these early developments, and the people who pioneered them, to thank for their modern passion.
Have you ever dreamed of being a forest ranger or a fire lookout? Even if you never made that career happen, you can play make-believe with this popular winter activity: rent a forest lookout or ranger cabin for an overnight adventure. Because of remote locations, road closures and plenty of snow, these winter wonderland sites are sometimes only accessed by cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or snowmobiling. Scoring this particular night in the woods requires some advanced planning, but a little perseverance on Recreation.gov can result in awesome rewards, such as beautiful winter vistas, brilliant night-skies, a warm winter shelter and a truly unique winter experience.
Some of the structures are still used as fire lookouts or for seasonal staff during the fire season, but off-season, the lookouts and cabins are available to rent because of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Collected fees go into preservation of these historic structures, which would otherwise be decommissioned and possibly torn down. Each rental offers different amenities such as propane stoves, stocked kitchens, solar-powered lights and woodstoves, so peruse each site online to know before you go.
Here are a few of the fire lookout and forest cabin rentals to add to your bucket list.
photo Elena Pressprich
Hager Mountain Lookout
Perched atop Hager Mountain at 7,195 feet, the Hager Mountain Lookout is used during the summer as a fire lookout and in the winter as a rental. Located in the Fremont-Winema National Forest 15 miles south of Silver Lake, the six-to-eight-million-year-old volcanic dome is known for its summer wildflower blooms and inviting solitude. In winter, the trail to the lookout follows the closed road; the four-mile-long stair-master ascent for skiers or snowshoers gains 2,200 feet. The summit’s viewshed is spectacular, stretching from Mount Shasta north to Mount Hood and east across the Basin and Range. The indigenous Klamath People called the peak “Chock-chock-lisk-se,” which translates to “bald faced rock,” a reference to the rocky summit and another early name for the peak—Bald Mountain. Early settlers also called the peak Hagerhorst Mountain after a local pioneer rancher from the Silver Lake Valley; that name has been shortened to Hager Mountain. No matter the name, be prepared to be blown away by the brilliance of the night sky.
Fivemile Butte Lookout
Twenty miles west of Dufur (almost rhymes with obscure—as in the middle of nowhere), this 14- by 14-foot lookout is perched atop a 40-foot-tall tower in the southeast corner of the Mount Hood National Forest. Accessible in winter by ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile, on a clear day, one can view numerous Cascade peaks from Mount Rainier to the Three Sisters and south to Mount Thielsen. Two trails loop to the cabin and though their distances seem short, three and four miles respectively, the ascent can still be a challenge due to weather. A 1960s-era lookout, Fivemile Butte has received several upgrades inside. Outside is a metal catwalk with a pulley system to lower and raise supplies such as firewood from the ground-level woodshed up to the lookout. The only downside is that the outhouse is at ground level.
Ochoco Ranger Cabin
Located along Ochoco Creek in the Ochoco Mountains east of Prineville, this ranger cabin was built in 1940 and has had several upgrades. The two-story house has the luxury of indoor plumbing that the lookout rentals lack. Nestled amongst towering ponderosa pines, the cabin offers excellent opportunities to explore Big Summit Prairie and winter trails originating from the Walton Lake Sno-Park. Skiers, snowshoers, sledders, and snowmobilers will all find terrain and trails that suits their passions. After a fun day exploring the snow and surrounding forests, the warmth of the cabin allows for folks to stretch out in the living room or snooze in one of the several bedrooms. Don’t be surprised if your party is serenaded by howling coyotes or hooting owls at night.
Hall House, Fish Lake Remount Depot, photo Bill Sullivan
Fish Lake Remount Depot
This Willamette National Forest site, located at Fish Lake near McKenzie Pass, brings history to life. Indigenous peoples used the area to hunt, fish, and forage for plants and berries for thousands of years before fur trappers and settlers began exploring the area or following the Santiam Wagon Road over the Cascades to the Willamette Valley. A way station at the site housed overnight travelers and, once the area became part of the National Forest system, rangers and mule packers. Today, the depot’s Commissary Cabin and Hall House, both constructed in 1924, are two rentals available in winter. Renters can take advantage of trails right out their front door or visit seven different sno-parks within a 20-minute drive. Numerous marked Nordic ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile trails offer miles of winter fun through deep forests and open meadows. A group of retired Forest Service personnel formed Friends of the Fish Lake to help preserve this historical treasure and keep alive the echoes of freighters, indigenous peoples, and pioneers who passed through this region.
photo Tyler Roemer
Clear Lake Cabin Lookout
This tower cabin sits on Clear Lake Butte, a 4,454-foot gently sloped hillside covered with fir trees, on the south side of Mt. Hood. Overlooking Clear Lake and Timothy Lake in the distance, views are readily on hand, as is fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing nearby. One of three Forest Service watchtowers on Mount Hood, Clear Lake Cabin is still used to spot fires during summertime each year. Originally 100 feet tall when it was built in 1932, the tower was replaced with the current 40-foot building in 1962. The cabin is atop a 40-foot tower and is surrounded by a wooden catwalk. The 14-by-14 room is furnished with a small bed, a wood stove and a propane cook stove. The lookout can only be accessed by skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing four miles from a parking area at the Skyline Sno-Park.
In the best of circumstances, the road to homeownership can be complex, and the day the keys are finally handed over can be life changing. In more challenging circumstances, it’s hard to put into words what it means. “It’s night and day,” said Eryn Sisson, who moved into her new home on Bend’s west side in late July. “We feel safe and sound and secure and spoiled.” Sisson and her son Paxton are the proud new owners of a two-bedroom, two-bath home in northwest Bend, in a mini neighborhood full of other new homeowners. The single mother and her son are just some of the faces of the latest Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity development, an eleven-home neighborhood off Northwest Juniper Street. For Sisson, the opportunity to buy a home through Habitat for Humanity couldn’t have come at a better time.
photo Lesley Zacharias
Road to home
Sisson and now 11-year-old Paxton learned in March 2020, just a couple of weeks before the pandemic set in, that their northeast Bend rental was under foreclosure. They’d paid the rent each month, but the owner hadn’t kept up with the mortgage, and the bank was ready to step in. While Sisson scrambled to find another rental, a friend reminded her of Habitat for Humanity. She’d applied in the past, but never had quite the right qualifications to move forward. In order to pursue homeownership with Habitat for Humanity, applicants must fall into a specific income range, making more than what would qualify them for any public assistance, but less than seventy-five percent of the area’s median income when applying. Applicants must also have a solid credit score, have a steady work history, agree to 150 hours of volunteer work and help pay closing costs. Once they move in, they’re expected to pay a mortgage that matches thirty-three percent of their income at the time they enter the program. “It’s a massive commitment,” Sisson said. “And meant for people who are living way below their means.” Sisson has spent the past seven years as a paralegal, and with a steady work history and just the right circumstances, this time she was approved.
Photo Lesley Zacharias
The next eighteen months were kind of a blur. Sisson and her son spent time volunteering at the ReStore, Habitat for Humanity’s secondhand store for home goods and tools. When construction started on their future home, they also pitched in on Saturdays, helping to literally raise the walls of the residence. Sisson learned about homeownership and budgeting through online classes and Zoom meetings organized by Habitat. In the meantime, Sisson continued her full-time job and Paxton stayed busy with remote schooling while the two lived in a temporary rental.
Eventually, near the end of the process, Sisson and her son visited a park in Bend where they were introduced to many of their future neighbors. Many have shared stories of overcoming hardships, but together Sisson envisions they’ll become a tight-knit group of neighbors who support each other and recognize how significant the opportunity of homeownership is for them. “I can’t even explain it, we are so grateful,” she said. “And we deserve this, and I think every family in the neighborhood deserves this.”
Overwhelming need
In Central Oregon, Sisson and her son are one of many families struggling with the region’s lack of affordable housing, according to Robin Cooper Engle, vice president of resource development for Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity. The local organization, which is affiliated with the greater Habitat for Humanity but operated and funded independently, tries to plan a few years ahead on inventory of homes, but even with dozens of homes in the pipeline, the need is far greater, Cooper Engle said. “There are a lot more applicants than we can serve,” she said. Habitat works with local cities, foundations, businesses and private donors to raise money for land and construction, and generates money from the ReStore, but the organization is always seeking more funds to keep up with demand. In the case of the west Bend development, the undeveloped land was donated to the organization, and Habitat will own and lease the land to the new homeowners, with an agreement that if the homeowners wish to sell, they must sell back to Habitat to ensure the home ends up in the hands of another applicant. “It’s just really about serving people with housing,” Cooper Engle said.
Cooper Engle and her daughter Carly went through the Habitat program themselves eleven years ago, when Cooper Engle was a single mother and Carly was three years old. The experience gives Cooper Engle a unique perspective and deep appreciation for the organization she works for. “Giving people an opportunity for homeownership is so transformational,” she said.
photo Lesley Zacharias
Moving in
Sisson and Paxton moved into their new two-story home in late July. It’s 1,200 square feet (including a garage) and is just the right amount of space for the duo. Paxton, a sixth-grader at Pacific Crest Middle School, settled into the downstairs bedroom, and his mom moved in upstairs, taking advantage of a small walk-in closet and her own upstairs bathroom with a tub. The home has white cabinetry, light finishes and neutral walls, allowing Sisson to customize the space and add her own pops of color, which she quickly started doing late this summer. Just before they moved in, the home was staged with furniture from the ReStore for showings as part of the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes. When the family of two began moving in, they were gifted a beautiful coral couch from the staging, and Sisson designed the rest of the living room around it. It’s a comfortable sitting piece that’s well enjoyed by the family’s two cats—one-year-old Watson, and Pua, who was adopted this summer.
photo Dry Sky Photography
While the family was still settling in this September, Sisson was quick to share what they’re enjoying about the home so far. “It’s bright, and it’s happy and it’s everything we ever wanted or needed,” she said. Together, she and Paxton love cooking—they’ve recently been making Asian dumplings—and Paxton is planning a tinkering space in the garage to work on projects. Paxton loves spending time outside the home, on his pogo stick, playing basketball or biking around. Sisson also just got a bike, a pink cruiser, which will be great for transportation around town. “I haven’t used my vehicle hardly at all since I’ve been here,” Sisson said. “We’ve just been walking everywhere.”
Finally moved in and able to reflect on their journey over the past year and a half, Sisson gets teary eyed thinking about how much has changed, and what their future looks like in their new home. “We’re going to build our life here—and we get to figure out what that looks like, inside these walls.”
coba tour of homes
In July, the home was on display as part of the Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes. It earned the tour’s Green Building award for homes valued at less than $500,000 and was awarded best feature for homes valued between $380,000 and $400,000 for being a net zero residence. The home is outfitted with solar panels and energy-efficient heating and cooling.
Resources
Builder: Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity
Architecture and Design: Wooster Design Inspirations
Photo courtesy of the history channel and A+E Networks®
If you consider yourself outdoorsy and haven’t caught an episode of the History Channel’s Alone reality TV series yet, which you can watch on Netflix and Hulu, you’re behind on your studies. The premise of the show is simple but stressful; ten people get dropped off at separate sites deep in the wilderness with ten items of their choosing, with instructions to survive for as long as they can or until a medical team says they must quit. What these bushmasters do to find food, stay warm and not go absolutely mental in the supreme solitude makes your Three Sisters through-hike look like a staycation at Loge.
Given Central Oregon’s outdoorsy cred, it is only fitting that someone from the area actually made it onto the series. About this time two years ago, Joel van der Loon, a survival skills teacher living in Sisters, was in the middle of season seven, holed up on a remote corner of Canada’s Great Slave Lake in the subarctic trying to live on his own for 100 days, which was the longest any contestant on the show had ever done up to that point. The prize for doing so? $1 million.
Cast members of Alone crafted their own shelters by hand using few tools and the natural materials available to them. Photo courtesy of the history channel and A+E Networks®
“I was just elated to be out there, like a kid in a candy store,” says van der Loon, now 36. “It was this amazing opportunity to combine all of my skills in this area that sees very little human presence with this fantastic safety blanket. If anything goes wrong, you can push a button and someone comes and picks you up.”
Adventure is nothing new to van der Loon, who approaches nature and bushcraft with an almost spiritual connection to ancient cultures. He grew up bouncing between a small sugar cane community in South Africa and off-the-grid in the Tanzanian bush before moving to Sisters via California four years ago. Learning how to survive in the wild as our distant ancestors did has been a passion of his since he was at least five years old. That’s when his grandfather, Desmond, gave him a bow from the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert that ignited a curious spark.
Joel teaching a class of school kids winter survival skills at on the Los Coyotes reservation of the Cahuilla and Cupeño tribes. Photo courtesy of the history channel and A+E Networks®
I was just elated to be out there, like a kid in a candy store. It was this amazing opportunity to combine all of my skills in this area that sees very little human presence with this fantastic safety blanket. If anything goes wrong, you can push abutton and someone comes and picks you up.
That spark turned into an inferno later when his father, John, a cave diver who survived being lost at sea, separated from his mother, Michele, a professional bodybuilder, and built a home in the African bush. To keep the wild animals off the property, his father hired Maasai guards who began to teach van der Loon how to hunt, track, start a fire and other survival skills.
“I was just fascinated by them,” he says.
Joel lives in Sisters with his wife, Leah, and their four-year-old son, pictured here on a Central Oregon morel mushroom hunt. “Mushroom foraging is a great way to get kids engaged in the forest.” Photo courtesy of Joel van der Loon
For three years van der Loon ran a full-time survival school in California—he still teaches once a month while working as a heating and cooling technician—but it wasn’t until 2017 that Hollywood noticed his skills. Producers at Discovery Channel tapped him to be a participant on a show called Bushcraft Build-Off, whereby he and two friends had to build a boat using only an axe, a chisel and the natural materials in their immediate surroundings. “It was a great experience but not a survival experience,” he says. “I mean, we got fed.”
That wasn’t the case on Alone. A friend of his, Dave Nessia, had appeared in season three of the show and recommended van der Loon as a candidate for a future season. van der Loon jumped at the chance. Of the thousands of people who applied, he was one of dozen to make the shortlist and one of ten to actually participate.
Van der Loon had no idea where he would be sent until about a month before filming began. In preparation, he packed on as much body fat as he could. Participants were then randomly assigned sites around Great Slave Lake and given a very brief helicopter tour of the area. Crews staying at a fishing lodge in the region would physically come out to check on him every ten days, and he had mandatory morning and evening check-ins via a satellite device. Otherwise, he was there alone and filming the experience himself with broadcast-quality camera gear he had to lug around everywhere he went. “A pain in the butt,” he said.
The show is strangely addicting. Throughout the course of it we watch van der Loon build a shelter straight out of eight-year-old boy dreams. We see him catch a surprising number of fish. And then we watch on tenterhooks when a wolverine, well…let’s give
away no spoilers here.
Oregon State Highway 58 climbs over the forested slopes of the central Cascade Mountains from the east side logging town of Crescent to Willamette Pass before descending along the Middle Fork of the Willamette River to Eugene. The road passes sparkling Diamond Peak, an 8,774-foot mountain that dominates the southern skyline, Crescent and Odell lakes, Salt Creek Falls, and the Willamette Pass Ski Area. For a winter retreat, the Willamette Pass area has it all: sno-parks from which to Nordic ski or snowshoe, snowmobile trails, a ski resort, overnight lodging and restaurants, plus a whole lot of wild places.
My wife and I spent a mid-week winter retreat at the Odell Lake Lodge and Resort. Built in 1903, making it one of the oldest lodges in Oregon, the lodge is located on the southeast end of the lake adjacent to the lake’s outlet. This cozy and laid-back resort offers rustic cabins with kitchens and gas heat, as well as rooms upstairs in the main lodge, which is what we chose. Downstairs is the Fireside Room, a communal space for enjoying the wood-fire warmth or sharing stories with fellow travelers on a cold winter night. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dining (during the summer) serving delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, as well as dessert specialties: marionberry cobbler or mud pie.
Our days were spent visiting nearby sno-parks where we strapped on snowshoes or Nordic skis to explore miles of marked trails. Back at the lodge, we enjoyed after-dinner strolls along the lake’s edge. In the Willamette forests, we found beautiful and rugged scenery, spectacular views, dense forests and uncrowded trails.
Gold Lake Sno-Park Shelter | Photo agefotostock/Alamy Stock Photo
Gold Lake Sno-Park
Nearly seven miles west of the resort along Highway 58 is the Gold Lake Sno-Park, a hub for many ski and snowshoe trails. At the sno-park, the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol volunteers operate out of a warming hut, providing information and rescue services. The volunteers shared great trail and history tips, including filling us in on early settler William H. Odell, for whom the lake was named.
On our first morning, we crossed back over the highway from the sno-park and struck out on snowshoes for Gold Lake. We passed through dark forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, subalpine fir, and western white pine, all laden with fresh snow from the night before. The occasional “whump” of snow hitting the ground reminded us to beware of overburdened branches overhead. Blue diamonds marked the route and we enjoyed breaking trail to the lake and some side trails to the Marilyn Lakes, as well as having lunch in the three-sided Gold Lake Shelter, built in the 1940s, as snow continued to fall.
Pengra Pass
The next day, we returned to the Gold Lake Sno-Park and this time put on our Nordic skis and headed south towards Pengra Pass and Eagle Rock, an overlook of Odell Lake along the Pacific Crest Trail. Pengra Pass honors B.J. Pengra, a 19th-century pioneer who promoted Willamette Pass as a military road and railroad route across the Cascades.
Though the trail intersections were well signed, we had to pay close attention to few-and-far-between trail markers. “We ain’t in the Deschutes anymore, Toto,” became a refrain regarding the difference between the Willamette and Deschutes national forests in terms of trail signage.
Although a low-cloud ceiling covered the high peaks as we reached the pass, we were graced with outstanding views of Odell Lake in a short while. Our snowy descent through the hemlock and fir forest resembled the slash marks of Zorro rather than the graceful curves of a calligrapher’s pen. I made a note to myself: stick with snowshoes.
Salt Creek Falls | Photo Greg Vaughn/Alamy Stock Photo
Salt Creek Falls
We began our final morning by driving about eleven miles west of Odell to the Salt Creek Falls Sno-Park. We hadn’t done much research into the falls, but we’d heard they were impressive; that turned out to be an understatement.
On snowshoes, we followed the closed road from the sno-park to the summer parking area and overlook. Salt Creek, which is also the outflow from Gold Lake, weaves through the forest on its way to the confluence with the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. At the overlook, the creek plunges nearly 300 feet over a lip of basalt. The scene was both beautiful and surreal at the same time.
Originally, we had planned to continue on our snowshoes to do the Diamond Falls loop, but the recent snowfall and road conditions made us rethink our time and our drive back to Bend. We opted to save this loop for another day, along with trails to Fuji Mountain, Fawn Lake, and Maiden Peak—an excuse to return.
For our next trip, perhaps we will try staying at Shelter Cove Resort, Crescent Lake Lodge or the Willamette Pass Inn, excellent options for overnight accommodations in the area. Nearby Manley’s Tavern, located in Crescent Junction along Highway 58, looks a little funky from the outside but the staff is friendly, and the tavern is known for its delicious fried chicken dinner. A little farther away from Willamette Pass is the town of Oakridge, about thirty miles west of Odell Lake, where visitors find more choices for lodging or eating, such as the Westfir Lodge or the 3 Legged Crane Pub and Brewhouse, as well as Ray’s grocery store. Oakridge, once called the Shangri-la of the Cascades, also describes itself in winter as “above the fog line and below the snow line.”
For folks in Eugene, the Willamette Pass winter wonderland is an easy jaunt up Highway 58. For Bendites, it’s a bit more of a trek, but one worth making.
Editor’s note: The names of some individuals have been changed for privacy and identity protection.
Like hundreds of other Central Oregon parents, Anthony Harper drops his 9-year-old son off at the bus stop and then leaves to go about his busy day with Zoom calls, chores and errands. Unlike most parents, however, Anthony is homeless. For the past four years, he and his son have split time between shelters and their small RV in various locations in and around Central Oregon where they can feel safe and seek refuge.
illustartion by punnarong/iStock Photo
Anthony is one of a growing population of homeless in Central Oregon. According to the most recent Point in Time count (PIT), an initiative that counts the homeless population on a single night in winter, the number of homeless has grown in Deschutes County to 1,098 individuals—an alarming 13 percent increase from the previous year. Pair that with another 12 percent increase the previous year, and the city has seen a whopping 25 percent increase since 2019. These figures are likely low as well, according to Bend City Counselor Megan Perkins. “It’s not perfect. They take numbers on one night and there are a lot of people that are not reached,” she said. “The likelihood is that it’s much larger.”
The growth is visible. The number of pitched tents appears to have grown exponentially in the area over the past few years, with ramshackle camps sprouting up in vacant lots, deserted streets and on/off ramps around the city. Just outside of town, along areas such as China Hat Road, dilapidated RVs and trailers dot the forest roads where houseless individuals are living out of their vehicles. The numbers of tent camps and vehicles are difficult to estimate, but Anthony Harper says he’s seen the forest roads transform over the past few years. “It used to be you’d have to walk a good distance to find anyone,” he said. “Now, you’re surrounded by people.”
Our Neighbors without Walls
According to Colleen Thomas, Deschutes County Homeless Services Coordinator and Chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition, which serves Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties along with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, homelessness is very individualized as everyone has their own reasons for being homeless. “I’d be lying if I said there weren’t individuals in our community who do not struggle with either mental illness or substance abuse,” she said. “It’s a large percentage of the homeless population. Chronic homelessness and mental health or substance abuse go hand in hand.”
However, Thomas is also quick to debunk several stereotypes of the homeless, including that many are transient or just passing through town. On the contrary, most of the individuals are our former neighbors and classmates, according to Thomas. “Eighty percent of the people surveyed from the most recent point in time (PIT) count were last stably housed in Oregon,” she said. “When we look at chronic homelessness, it’s individuals who have been in our community for years.” Additionally, many individuals who are homeless are employed. “We hear a lot where community members think there are jobs available and wonder why they don’t work, but the reality is that many already do have jobs,” she said. “But ‘affordable housing’ does not always address what people can really afford, nor does it account for wait lists and other variables.”
Anthony Harper has experienced this himself. A Bend resident off and on since 1999, he previously worked as a skilled machine operator and prior to that had a photography business working with clients such as Hoodoo Ski Area. Due to financial struggles and unforeseen hardships, however, he was not able to keep up and eventually was forced to move into the RV. “I made close to $40,000 but still couldn’t find housing,” he said. “People don’t understand. You need rental history; you need IDs and letters of recommendation. You need insurance. And where do you wait while you’re on a wait list?” Eventually, after losing hundreds of dollars in application fees and getting nowhere, Harper says he gave up and turned back to the RV. Since COVID, he’s gone back to school full time and will be graduating from OSU this winter. Upon graduation, Harper says he’s done with Central Oregon. “Once I graduate, we’re out of here,” he said.
illustartion by punnarong/iStock Photo
The Need for More Services
Affordable housing and financial struggles are primary reasons for many individuals being homeless, but Bend City Counselor Megan Perkins says the lack of services is a close second. “There are not enough treatment programs in Bend, not enough beds in the shelters and not enough mental health programs,” she said.
John Lodise, the Director of Emergency Services at Shepherd’s House, which provides emergency services for men, women and children in Bend and Redmond, said the demand for shelter continues to rise. “We now have more capacity than ever before but we continue to see more requests coming in to meet that demand,” he said. Lodise noted that this past winter, between Thanksgiving and March, 371 individuals utilized the Bend Shepherd’s House shelter and 106 stayed overnight at the Redmond facility.
Colleen Thomas agrees that more effort needs to be put toward service providers and acknowledges the current gap between policy and funding and actual execution. “Elected officials can throw money and policy at the issues all day long, but we need to think more about how we can support these projects with staffing and boots on the ground,” she said. “All of our service providers are at capacity and stretched thin.”
Shepherd House’s Lodise says the real challenge is with staffing and figuring out what is required to effectively provide the services needed to the homeless on the streets. “How many folks does it take to work alongside these individuals [in camps]?” he said. “We don’t know the answer to this, but it’s a lot. It’s hard work, and you have to find people who are committed to doing the work, which is difficult.”
The strong growth of the homeless population has forced the city to take notice and it has responded in several ways. According to the homelessness page on the city website, “The City of Bend is working with public agencies and community partners to support homelessness solutions for our community. This includes finding ways to keep people in their homes, provide temporary transitional housing and increasing the availability of affordable housing.”
Closing the Gap
Realizing the gap that exists between the policymakers and the service providers doing the work, the city established the Emergency Homelessness Task Force (EHTF), which began convening in early summer 2021. The group currently consists of a mix of government employees from the City of Bend and Redmond, the county and fifteen service provider liaisons. According to a City of Bend website, the group was established “to bring the most informed minds on houselessness together to inform both the city and the county on collaborative opportunities with countywide resources and to develop actions toward ending houselessness in Deschutes County including interim actions to address real-time needs.”
City of Bend Counselor Megan Perkins serves as the council liaison on the EHTF, and said she hopes the combination of government and service providers will bring a more unified front to the fight against homelessness. “One of the things we didn’t want to do was just barrel ahead without getting input from the people doing the work,” she said. “These are the people that respond most to the homeless in the community.”
Carolyn Eagan, who serves as the City of Bend’s Recovery Strategy & Impact Officer and EHTF member, said the task force is first prioritizing three main areas: creating authorized encampments, or managed camps, within the city of Bend, developing permanent supportive housing and formalizing emergency protocols to keep people safer during extreme weather events.
Eagan heads up the subcommittee to find a more permanent location for the managed camps. “We need these immediate authorized encampments,” she said. “The current camps are not safe places for individuals to camp.” Eagan said the target is to launch one camp before the winter season sets in to serve as a pilot, take the learnings and then apply those learnings to one-to-two additional managed camps. She said the camps would cost approximately $350,000 to $400,000 per year to run, which does not include the additional services by those on the ground. The city has $1.5 million in funds slated for the initiative while the county has $750,000 earmarked, with potential for an additional $750,000.
Eagan stressed that the solution is meant to be temporary until more permanent, affordable housing is built. Until then, the managed camps will provide a stable address for individuals. “It’s easy to become disenfranchised when you lose your home because you lose your address and everything attached to it,” she said. “But if we can find a semi-permanent location and give them an address, we can get them an ID, get them back on OHP [Oregon Health Plan] and get them treatment if needed. There’s a lot of concrete value in having an authorized encampment that’s properly managed.”
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is the second priority being worked on concurrently by the group. Colleen Sinski, program manager at Central Oregon FUSE, a non-profit established to address frequent users of health care and law enforcement, is leading the initiative and subgroup for the task force. In a recent EHTF meeting, Sinski stated the goal is to “combine affordable housing with on-site services—health care access, substance abuse treatment, community programs—to meet the needs of folks who are the most vulnerable in the community.” She stressed the need for long-term funding for the project for it to work. “It’s not just funding the operations,” she said, “but how do we have 10 to 15 years of secure funding so that the residents have the support they need to be successful over the long term,” Sinski said funds would be pulled from dozens of sources and the group recently put out an RFP for consulting and development.
The third priority is developing and formalizing the emergency protocols to address real-time needs for the homeless during heat waves, fire season, cold and inclement weather, and other unforeseen or unpredictable circumstances. “What are we doing when the smoke or the heat don’t go away?” said EHTF member Carolyn Eagan. “We need to be formalizing this process to provide relief for folks that don’t have a place to go.”
According to the city webwsite, the EHTF has an aggressive timeline and hopes to have strategy and plans in place to begin executing the initiatives in winter. Eagan said the group is making strides but still has a long road ahead. “We’re making progress,” she said. “It’s been the easy progress so far, but the next few months are going to be the difficult progress.”
Still, the group is feeling optimistic. Deschutes County behavioral health homeless services coordinator and EHTF member Colleen Thomas said she feels Bend is finally going in the right direction. “I’ve been doing this work for a long time, and when we talk about homelessness and addressing it, there’s usually a buzz around the winter months or the holidays, and then it usually fizzles out,” she said. “But now it’s not fading anymore. The community is opening their eyes to the problem.” Thomas said she believes part of it is the shift in elected officials who are now looking to create solutions. “It’s a bumpy road, and there’s always room for improvement, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
illustartion by punnarong/iStock Photo
How to Help
While the city and service providers strategize for both short-and long-term solutions, citizens can also lend a hand—or in some cases, just a smile. “Just greet someone and smile,” said Anthony Harper. “Even though we might not smile back it doesn’t mean we hate you. We’re just having a hard time.”
Colleen Thomas said the easiest and most impactful action the community can make is to treat all individuals with dignity and respect. “It seems very basic but it goes a long way,” she said. “The second thing people can do is educate themselves on the topic and the resources. And lastly, volunteer—serve meals, educate, advocate; help in any way.”
The weather might be cooler, but some trails typically remain snow-free and just right for an easy hike. Unlike some other winter activities, a walk in the woods doesn’t require expensive equipment or expert skills, especially if you choose one of these trails the whole family can enjoy. Check the weather, bundle up, and head out for a morning or afternoon of early winter fun for all generations.
Shevlin Park Loop Trail
Start at: Shevlin Park parking
Marking its 100-year anniversary as a Bend park in 2021, Shevlin Park is a nearly 1,000-acre area offering a number of trails. Depending on recent snowfall, winter hikers may face only a little mud or packed snow. Choose an accessible stroll on the paved road or a number of single-track trails, including Shevlin Park Loop Trail, a 4.7-mile jaunt that’s perfect for taking at your own pace. In winter, bring shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Expect forested high desert scenery, glimpses of Tumalo Creek, quaint foot bridges and frosted or snow-capped trees.
Deschutes River Trail Through Old Mill District
Start at: Riverbend Park or old mill district
The Deschutes River Trail covers a dozen miles through Bend. The paved stretch hugs the river through the Old Mill District and is a great way to get family members of all ability levels outside. With proximity to shops and restaurants, you can even promise hot chocolate. This trail provides a surprising amount of wildlife and nature viewing right in town. While many species of birds live and nest in the riparian zone, look carefully and you may even see beavers and river otters swimming, or bald eagles and ospreys soaring overhead. A pedestrian and bike-only bridge connected to the trail parallels SW Columbia Street and overlooks Bend Whitewater Park, where you’re likely to see brave souls surfing and kayaking even in winter.
Big Pine Loop
Start at: La Pine State Park Big pine trailhead
At 0.7 miles, the Big Pine Loop trail south of Bend near La Pine is a great hike for all skill levels that offers beautiful views of big pines, just as the name implies, plus sights of the Deschutes River. Layer up for a walk around the loop to breathe in the fresh scent of ponderosa pine and pause a moment at two special spots on the trail. First, McGregor Memorial Viewpoint where there is a gorgeous bend in the Deschutes River, and second, the affectionately named “Big Red,” a 500-year-old, 29-foot-diameter beauty that’s one of the world’s largest ponderosa pines. It’s a sight to behold.
Last winter’s fury left many of us wishing we’d been better prepared. This year, season-proof your yard and garden before deep winter hits. Come spring, you’ll be all set to greet the sun and flowers of the season.
Protect the Garden
In your entire yard, pull up all dead plant materials, rake diseased leaves and remove all fallen branches. “This will prevent insects and disease from overwintering,” said Amy Jo Detweiler from the OSU Extension Service. On your vegetable garden, spread compost or mulch and plant a cover crop that will come up in spring. Consider winter wheat, cereal rye, winter rye, triticale, winter barley or winter peas. “Once it is up, turn it under to enrich your soil.”
Hydrate
Before winter and before turning off the irrigation, deep-soak newly planted perennials, trees and shrubs. What comes next depends on what sort of winter we have. “If we have lots of snow, enjoy the view from inside your cozy home. But if we have a break in the weather with a dry spell—where the sun is out, no snow has fallen and the ground is warmed up—you will need to drag out the garden hose and give all of your plants a deep soak.” If we have a long, dry, sunny winter (wouldn’t that be a change), water every six to eight weeks.
Save the Trees
Young trees are especially vulnerable in winter. For the first few years until the outer bark has thickened, wrap the trunks of thin barked trees like maples, aspen and ash with paper tree wrap to prevent sunscald. “Remove the paper in spring so it won’t harbor unwanted insects over the summer,” said Detweiler.
Tidy Up
Clean your garden tools with a bleach solution and allow them to dry thoroughly before storing. “Tuck them away, along with fertilizers, in a safe dry place out of the reach of children,” said Detweiler.
Pretty on the Inside
Want to brighten up your home with some color? Force bulbs indoors. Try crocus, hyacinths, paper whites, amaryllis, tulips, daffodils, miniature iris or scilla. Also consider planting a window garden of lettuce, chives and parsley.
Holiday Décor
Make holiday decorations from conifer trees, shrubs and ornamental berries from the landscape. Select a live Christmas tree for the holidays, but remember that live trees can only be kept inside for three to five days before breaking dormancy. Plant your tree as soon as possible after the holidays. “If the ground is too frozen to plant your tree, dig a hole the same size of the container on the east or north side of your home, and then sink the tree in the container into the ground to protect and insulate the roots.” Permanently plant the tree in the best location come spring.
Editor’s Note: Originally published November 2017.
It was a dark and stormy night…” goes the often-mocked cliché used by wannabe mystery writers. Yet, the chilling tales of Central Oregon’s haunted landmarks are far from jest or fabrication. Get spooked with the Historical Haunts of Downtown Bend Walk, an annual tour that interweaves local history with spine-tingling paranormal stories put on by Des Chutes County Historical Society and Museum building, a site steeped in bone-chilling legends. The walk involves no private homes because the museum makes it a practice not to include residences in its tours to respect homeowner privacy. If your house is haunted, it’s up to you to speak up about it … or not.
Deschutes Historical Museum
Built in 1914 as the Reid School, this was Bend’s first modern school, complete with central heating and indoor plumbing. George Brosterhous, one of the contractors, reportedly fell from the third floor through an open stairway and died. Ivey explains that many people believe that his ghost haunts the building. “We call them ‘George’ moments, as his spirit has been known to move objects, help staff find things, and even appear to a museum visitor,” she said. And there’s even a reported second ghost roaming the halls. “Margie” has been described as a 6- or 7-year-old, possibly a Reid School pupil, wearing clothing from the 1910s-1920s. She earned her name from a late-night recording by a museum intern that included a cryptic voice repeating the name “Margie.” She’s been heard giggling, turning water taps on and off and flushing ladies’ restroom toilets.
Des Chutes Cafe
Another notable haunt, better known for its mouth-watering pastries than for its ghostly encounters, is the popular Des Chutes Cafe (previously The Sparrow Bakery) in midtown. Built in the 1920s to house the payroll office for Bend’s Iron Works, previous Sparrow co-owner Jessica Keatman senses that the building is haunted by the office assayer. One story has it that the assayer does not like the door left open to the old safe that is still in the building, so he closes it. Bakery staff have reported hearing loud crashes coming from the back of the store, doors opening and closing by themselves, and even ghostly laughter—but nobody’s there. Keatman is more specific: “We call him Jackson, and sometimes we leave tea and a scone in there to make him happy.”
O’Kane Building
This historic downtown building, circa 1916, has had many owners, but its original builder, Hugh O’Kane, was reportedly a colorful character, having previously lost two other Bend buildings to fires. Over the years there have been reports of ghostly smoke, strange lights, footsteps and voices. The apparition of an old man (O’Kane?) has been seen by some in the basement. Another tale told by a former third-floor office worker tells of “tug-of-war” experiences with “something or someone” preventing the opening of lock-less cupboard doors.
Lara House Lodge
Another downtown haunt is the Lara House, a quaint craftsman-style home built originally as a lodge in 1910, and now, thanks in part to its paranormal reputation, a popular bed-and-breakfast inn. Guests have reported a ghostly visitor at night who apparently enjoys moving objects around and making eerie whispering noises. Also, there have been sightings of a ghostly image of a woman in the top floor window, though the floor is supposedly empty.
Other well-known Central Oregon buildings getting “honorable mention” for reported ghostiness include:
New Redmond Hotel
Paranormal activity: Strange orbs in the lobby, apparition of a lady, and “disembodied” footsteps in the hallways.
McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School
Paranormal activity: Guests reported hearing children running and laughing upstairs, even though it’s a one-story building. Here’s a particularly strange tale reported by a couple staying in one of the guest rooms: retiring for the evening, the couple placed one of their cell phones on the bedside table, only to wake up the next morning to find a photo on their cell phone of them asleep in the bed. Spooky!
Tower Theatre
Paranormal activity: Theatrical tradition calls for a “ghost light” to stay on inside the theater 24/7. Because many theaters have history of ghost sightings, the Tower’s ghost light is said to either keep them away or give them light to see by.
Downing Hotel
Paranormal activity: Often falsely reported as a former house of ill-repute, the Downing actually was a fashionable hotel/restaurant built in the 1920s by William Downing to bring fine dining to a turbulent, rowdy part of downtown. Now it is a lively nightclub and restaurant called Seven, said to be haunted by an attractive lady in a green velvet dress who roams the halls—reportedly the widow of Downing, who committed suicide after learning of his wife’s unfaithfulness.
Is it suddenly colder where you’re reading this story? Perhaps you’ll feel better knowing that, not surprisingly, many of these stories have been debunked. Old buildings are known for creaking and groaning floors and walls. Even so, it’s hard to ignore the abundance of unexplained energy roaming these places. It’s just that time of year. Happy Halloween!
Editor’s note: Originally published September 2020.
Led by Kirsti Wolfe of Kirsti Wolfe Designs, this kitchen renovation aimed to revitalize a dim, congested space into a blend of functionality and aesthetics. Focusing on natural light and personalized ambiance, the project incorporated artistic elements and strategic design features to transform the space. Client collaboration was key to ensuring all needs and visions were integrated, resulting in a cohesive kitchen. As an interior architect with 20 years of experience in Bend and 30 years in the industry, Wolfe specializes in creating personalized, timeless spaces, particularly in kitchen and bathroom remodels. The finished kitchen reflects her commitment to innovative design, exceeding the client’s expectations and celebrating individuality.
Q&A: An Interview with Kirsti Wolfe, Owner of Kirsti Wolfe Designs
What were the goals for the kitchen remodel in both functionality and aesthetics?
Our main goal for the kitchen remodel was to create a functional space that suited the client, with special consideration to the children’s active meal preparation routine. I had the opportunity to watch how the family operated in the kitchen, which influenced our approach. To improve functionality, we addressed the previous design’s shortcomings by implementing practical storage solutions and opting for better lighting. Aesthetically, our aim was to create a timeless style by using high-quality cabinetry and durable finishing materials.
Can you share the inspiration behind the design concept for this kitchen remodel?
We aimed to create a brighter ambiance by opening up the space to allow more natural light to flow in. Our design also focused on adding wall space for artwork and incorporating cabinetry with architectural details to transform the kitchen into a visual centerpiece. To maximize functionality without overcrowding the space, we used hidden storage accessories for a clutter-free environment. The layout prioritized the separation of workstations and appliances to accommodate multiple users simultaneously. Diverse materials such as quartzite, warm walnut wood accents and light-painted wall cabinets were used to add visual interest while still being cohesive. The island countertop served as a focal point, and touches of deep, slate-blue paint complemented the “Michelangelo” quartzite countertops.
Could you walk us through the collaborative process with the client?
I presented several floor plans to the client and refined them based on the client’s feedback to create the ideal layout. We then developed a design palette inspired by existing artwork and the island countertop to ensure cohesion and harmony within the space. To provide the client with a tangible sense of the final result, we used 3-D renderings to visualize different materials and color options in the context of the space.
Having been in business for 30 years, how do you tailor your designs to meet the evolving lifestyles and preferences of your returning clients?
It’s been so fun, and I feel very fortunate to work with new and several returning clients. Getting to know the clients over the years has been great, and as their needs evolve, the process remains new and exciting. I strive to create functional, fresh and timeless designs to fit their current and evolving lifestyles.
RESOURCES
Appliances: Sub Zero & Miele (Johnson Brothers Appliances)
541-382-6223 | jbbend.com
Cabinets: Finer Cabinetry & Wood Work
541-385-6949
With more time at home over the past eighteen months, Central Oregon homeowners are looking at their environments with fresh eyes. “People wish to create and design a new sense of comfort and to make the most of their homes—whether they are starting from the very beginning as a sketch on paper, or a partial/full remodeling project,” said Kirsti Wolfe, owner of interior architectural design company Kirsti Wolfe Designs. Wolfe said she is receiving more requests for paired offices, spa-like bathrooms, larger kitchens (to accommodate more in-home cooking), cozy media rooms and new or converted exercise rooms. “People are choosing not to go out to do as many things, so they are thinking more about the experience of being at home. The pandemic has changed what people want. It is often referred to as: #covidconstruction,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe has worked in Central Oregon for seventeen years and in interior design for thirty years, watching firsthand as design styles and clients’ desires have changed. More recently, she has observed that homeowners are rethinking their time at home and how their spaces work—or don’t work—for them. Wolfe and her team work with local architects and builders to execute projects for homeowners, with more than half of Wolfe’s business coming from repeat clients looking for new builds, remodels or second homes outside the area. “Many of the clients I work with, now that they’re spending more time in their homes, realize there is something else they want,” Wolfe said. A current project on Wolfe’s docket is an indoor/outdoor bathroom with sliding doors that lead directly into a Zen garden outside. “It is going to be a relaxing atmosphere incorporating a water feature or an outdoor shower,” Wolfe said. “People want their homes to feel more comfortable and less isolated.”
photo Cheryl McIntosh photography
From residential to hospitality
While Wolfe is known for designing gorgeous, functional kitchen and bathroom projects, her work is far from limited to just these rooms.She is spending more time addressing the auxiliary areas of the home, including media rooms, exercise rooms, mud/laundry rooms and offices. These projects reflect many design styles, from traditional to modern.
Nearly a decade ago, Wolfe’s company expanded into the hospitality industry, as vacationers and stay-cationers began to seek more comforts of home while on a trip. With the rise of Airbnb rentals and the growth in popularity of vacation home rentals, it has become clear to hotels and resorts that creating a home-like experience for lodging is critical. Wolfe assisted Bend’s Tetherow Resort by designing its guest rooms to include spa-like bathrooms and spacious mudrooms for dropping off skis and other outdoor toys and gear. “When you have a space for those things to land, guests can truly enjoy the rest of the room,” she said. She is now designing something similar at Sunriver Resort, by remodeling the Lodge Village guest rooms, modernizing the accommodations by upgrading mudrooms and bathrooms by adding lighter and more modernized aesthetic. The result generates a more user-friendly space that feels like home.
Interior architecture designer Kirsti Wolfe knows that good design starts with the bones of a house.
From luxury homes to west side bungalows to new construction, Interior Architectural designer Kirsti Wolfe knows that good interior design starts behind the paint color and before the tile is set and any lighting is hung. For Wolfe and her design business in Bend, Kirsti Wolfe Designs, creating a space that is both functional and beautiful starts with the bones of a house.
Wolfe has a master’s degree in Interior Architecture from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. That means she approaches her designs similar to how an engineer or architect would, focusing on the function and making the most of the space and resources. For almost 30 years, she has specialized in kitchens and bathrooms, two of the most used rooms in a home, because of the infinite technical details that go into making those spaces function for each home.
Wolfe begins by asking herself, “How is this put together architecturally, and how will it function? We start there, and grow function into a pleasing form for the client. We provide professional documents for builders and subcontractors which saves them time and money.”
Wolfe and her design team, Angela Newell and Tracy Pszczolkowski, work with a variety of budgets and styles in Central Oregon, offering many design packages. Wolfe describes her business as providing a positive and enjoyable experience from commencement to completion. Wolfe and her team design entire custom homes, new construction, remodels, hospitality destinations, restaurants and more.
Wolfe also has strong relationships with architects and builders in the region, often coming into a project before building has taken place to rework room layouts to allow for more function and utility. Her architectural background allows her to see the technical details in a space before the design details.
“When you see the layouts, you can see a difference from a typical design versus what we can provide,” said Wolfe. “It’s creating a one of a kind home with the client’s individuality showing through in the final design.”
Traditional Elegance
When Linda Lonergan was building her custom home in Bend, she turned to Wolfe to work out a space issue in the master bathroom. “I had plans in place, but I wasn’t very happy with the kitchen and bathroom designs. I didn’t feel that they utilized the space well,” Lonergan said. “I went to Kirsti and told her what my feeling was, and she immediately went to work with redesigning the spaces, which provided more storage, more usability in every aspect.”
In the original plans, when entering the master bathroom door one would look directly at the toilet, and angled walls didn’t allow for much counter space or storage. Lonergan brought Kirsti Wolfe Designs in before construction began. By moving interior walls and redesigning the layout, Wolfe was able to add more space to the master bathroom. In fact, the bathroom went from twelve square feet of storage to fifty-two square feet of storage.
“So much about interior design is listening to the client and their needs and wants. You want to make the space beautiful, but you need it to function and flow, too,” said Wolfe.
The finished bathroom has a dressing table in addition to the double-sink vanity. The alderwood inset cabinetry was custom designed by Wolfe and built by Bladt’s Custom Woodworking. The stone slab counters add contrast to the dark wood. Wolfe designed the custom tile layouts, and the selection of all plumbing and lighting fixtures too. The result is a master bathroom that functions beautifully, and looks beautiful, too.
“Kirsti’s very creative, very professional,” said Lonergan. “She comes up with options for you, but she’s decisive. She’s not afraid to go outside the box, and make it very custom.”
Contemporary Zen
For a new home on the west side of Bend, a recent client turned to Kirsti Wolfe Designs for her custom kitchen and bathroom.
“I was afraid of being intimidated by an interior designer, but she was very easy to be around. I had met with my builders Copperline Homes and met with my architect Al Tozer, but we hadn’t started building at all. It was a good time to bring her in,” said the client.
Wolfe and the client started from scratch and spent time figuring out exactly what she would want and need in the space. The homeowner wanted a calming and tranquil atmosphere in her home. Using elements of water, glass and wood in the kitchen and bathroom, Wolfe ensured that her vision flowed throughout the space.
The aesthetic is also in play in the kitchen, with the contemporary European-inspired design that includes clean lines, and making use of every inch of the room. All the lines fall into place along the stainless-steel hood, and the two-inch-thick glass cabinets match above and below. The live-edge sapele wood table, custom made by Dansky cabinetry (which also made the rest of the cabinets in the home), functions as the client’s everyday dining table attached to the island, and was designed to suit her entertaining lifestyle.
“We took time to make sure every decision was thoroughly thought out,” said Wolfe.
The client was thrilled with not only the final product, but also the process of working with Kirsti. “If ever I had a question she was there to answer and help me through the process, and she let me be part of the process.”
The dramatic and vibrant colors of trees, shrubs and flowers brighten our neighborhoods and cities in the fall season. Even in the high desert, where leafy green hardwoods are not found in the abundance they are in other parts of the country, we still get our show. For a brief window in September and October, oranges, reds and yellows are all around us.
Fall is also the best time to plant trees and shrubs, ensuring years of color to come. Read tips here on the best plants and trees to choose, how to maintain your fall color as long as possible and planting like a pro.
Perennials, annuals and grasses
A smattering of grasses and flowering plants add variety and beauty to a yard. For fall color, plan to add a few perennial fall-blooming asters, mums, coreopsis and tall stately Garden Phlox. Annual plants and flowers such as purple Homestead Verbena, combined with the dramatic foliage of flowering cabbage and kale, will brighten every yard. Plant a few reliable violas and pansies in the garden as well as patio containers and hanging baskets, for added frost resistance. Don’t forget to deadhead the spent blooms of your annuals and perennials. This necessary task will ensure re-blooming right up to the last days of fall.
Shrubs and trees
How do you know which trees will offer the best fall color? Try the reliable Red Sunset Maple, the amusingly-named Nannyberry tree, or the legendary king of reds, the Pin or Northern Red Oaks. When it comes to ornamental shrubs, the reliable Burning Bush will always be at the top of the list. Another great choice is the Chokeberry with its multi-color yellows, oranges and reds. This shrub offers wonderful white flowers plus berries to make the wildlife happy. The Serviceberry is a fantastic choice for our arid climate, with a variety of alluring smoky hues. The Amur or Flame Maple reveal the colors of the changing season.
Make the color last
As the season starts to wind down with shorter days and cooler temperatures, reduce your watering schedule and eliminate the application of synthetic chemical fertilizers. Attention to these two details allow for plants to better acknowledge the change in seasons, thus preparing them for their show of autumn colors.
Planting tips
If you act fast, you can get a few new trees and shrubs in the ground this season, in preparation for next fall’s vibrant show. Fall planting follows the heat of summer, when the weather cools but the soil is still warm enough to nurture the roots. Plant trees before winter hits and the ground freezes.
When planting, use liberal amounts of organic compost to yield a better acidity to the soil. A soil rich in acidic humus will influence vibrant fall colors. In contrast, alkaline soils can not only alter flower colors, but can rob you of the desired vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.
A little planning and your yard will look fantastic every season of the year.
Editors note: Originally published on September 25, 2020.
Food dehydration is one of the most ancient methods of food preservation, with evidence of Middle Eastern and Asian cultures dehydrating food in the hot sun more than 14,000 years ago. Luckily for beginners, this long history makes food dehydration a very well-researched and accessible method of food preparation and preservation.
Healthy Snacking
Dehydrated foods are naturally preserved (no unnatural additives), typically high in antioxidants and fiber. Self-preparation of dehydrated foods can also mean less plastic waste compared to store-bought varieties, making dehydrating an eco-friendly and healthy choice.
For Julie Mosier of Bend, dehydrating was a way to create convenient and light backpacking meals for herself and her son. Years later, Mosier has authored The Dehydrated Cookbook For Outdoor Adventurers. She has also taught classes at Central Oregon Community College on the subject of dehydration. Dehydrated meals are lighter to carry around, making them ideal for backpackers who don’t want to be weighed down. Preparing these meals on the trail requires very little equipment, so hikers can ditch the bulky propane stove and opt to carry extra water instead to re-hydrate meals. In addition to full meals, dehydrating is a great method to create trail-friendly snacks, such as beef jerky or dried fruits and veggies.
photo Bryan Stablewski
Fruity and Crisp: Dehydrating adds a fun crunch and can make fruits more palatable for kids and adults. Pay attention to portion size as it’s easy to over-consume.
Prepare and Preserve
So, how does dehydrating work? Depending on the resources at hand, dehydrating can be accomplished in a regular oven, but it’s preferable to use a dehydrator appliance. “I recommend trying to borrow a dehydrator, or find an inexpensive model,” Mosier said. “These can be found around town in stores like Sportsman’s Warehouse, Lowes, and Wilco.”
To avoid cooking your food instead of dehydrating, temperatures in a dehydrator are regulated to stay near 140 degrees fahrenheit; any hotter and the food might cook instead of dehydrating, locking in the moisture and preventing long-term preservation. “It’s the most efficient and best quality to have a dehydrator with both a fan and a thermostat,” said Glenda Hyde, associate professor of practice for Oregon State University’s Family and Community Health Program, specializing in food and nutrition for the OSU Extension Service. Hyde recommends getting an appliance certified by Underwriters Laboratories for food safety standards.
Depending on the amount and type of food being dehydrated, and the efficiency of the appliance, dehydrating can typically take anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. It often works out to begin dehydrating something in the evening and wake up to ready-to-eat dried fruits, meats and vegetables.
If an appliance isn’t readily available, dehydrating can be done in a regular oven, set to the lowest temperature possible. Since today’s ovens often only go as low in temperature as 170 degrees, this must be a careful process of trial and error, often done with the oven door propped open. Because spoilage is a risk using this method, it isn’t reccomended, Hyde said.
photo Fresh Off the Grid
Keep it Simple: One way to simplify the dehydrating process is by purchasing pre-chopped frozen fruits and veggies and using them on the dehydrator, according to Glenda Hyde of the OSU Extension Service. Hyde recommends using silicone grids below dehydrator racks to prevent small pieces of food from falling through.
Dry This
As far as ingredients, pretty much everything is on the table; local fruits, veggies and meats can be found at farmers markets and stores such as Locavore, Bend’s year-round, indoor farmers market. At first, Mosier recommends keeping things easy and familiar. “At its simplest, one can simply chop up some fruits and veggies, place them in a dehydrator and walk away,” she said. “Alternatively, you can start with meals you already make, such as soup or chili, spread some on the trays, and you’ll end up with a dried version of a meal you already know and like.”
Mosier spent time experimenting with dehydration and testing recipes that would work well as trail meals. “I spent a great deal of time figuring out how to create nutritionally dense meals for my son’s backpacking trip,” Mosier said. These experiments led to some delicious discoveries, including how to improve recipes by dehydrating each ingredient separately for different times, creating different textures once the meal is re-hydrated and avoiding a “homogenous blob.”
photo Fresh Off the Grid
Shelf Life: For long-term storage, dehydrated foods are best kept in an area that is cool, dark and dry, like a closet or drawer, according to the OSU Extension Service.
One beginner friendly dehydration recipe that utilizes garden leftovers is dehydrated zucchini chips. Hyde said these can be dehydrated plain, or spiced up with barbecue sauce, salts or other herbs and spices. “The flavor just really pops,” Hyde said. Unlike dehydrated fruits, which can be high in carbs and sugar if overeaten, dehydrated veggies, like zucchini chips, are healthier.
Explore a dehydrating guidebook from the OSU Extension Office, which serves Deschutes County, at beav.es/OSUFoodPreservation.
Amber shafts of sunlight illuminate the tips of prairie June grass. Junco birds dangle like trapeze artists on rabbitbrush feeding on the choicest seeds. A western fence lizard soaks in the late afternoon sun on a lichen-dappled lava boulder. A family of quail tumble among the sage, avoiding the watchful eye of the resident Cooper’s hawk. It’s an enthralling performance all happening right in our backyard.
Our postage-stamp-sized wildlife habitat wasn’t always such a welcoming haven for the local animals.When we purchased our home west of Tumalo State Park in 2012, we found a neglected, dying lawn losing its battle against a tide of cheatgrass and noxious weeds.
Having been raised by ecologically-minded parents not far from ecologist Aldo Leopold’s legendary shack in rural Wisconsin, I felt an immediate call to restore this damaged plot to its native state. The hope was to create a refuge among the manicured lawns that demand such intensive human intervention to survive in this arid environment.
A juniper snag surrounded by green and gray rabbitbrush, interspersed with Wyoming and Great Basin sages.
The challenging part was figuring out just how to do so in Central Oregon, with little understanding of what truly belonged here. Initially, we naively believed that all that was needed were the “drought tolerant” plants offered at local box stores. We quickly discovered these plants require more water than the local climate provides. With some research and lots of trial and error, we were able to turn the once desolate view out our back window into one teeming with life using the rich plant diversity of the region.
It’s possible to bring the high desert into any yard in Central Oregon, and here are a few tips learned along the way to make the process easier.
Know Your Zone
Central Oregon offers a surprising variety of small ecosystems that are both subtle and distinct, from sagey juniper forests to ponderosa stands studded with manzanita. To be successful, first determine which ecosystem your home sits in to know what plants will flourish there. Not all species thrive together, or thrive in every neighborhood, so it’s worth taking a stroll in the natural terrain in your immediate area to take note of the grasses, trees, shrubs and wildflowers that grow near each other. To identify these plants, pick up some regional guidebooks such as Sagebrush Country by Ronald J. Taylor or the delightful The Nature of Bend by LeeAnn Kriegh.As an added benefit, these books provide interesting facts about the local flora and fauna—like the hibernating habits of the Great Basin spadefoot toad that can burrow in the sand for up to two years.
Make a Plan
The best time to plant is early spring or late fall when cooler temps and moister soil can encourage plants to better establish roots. A great way to get started is to pay a visit to a nursery that specializes in native landscapes, such as WinterCreek Restoration & Nursery in Bend. Or, for the more adventurous, visit a U.S. Forest Service office to get a free permit which allows you to collect up to sixteen native plants.
Consider minimizing the size of a backyard lawn to make way for more native plants that will not only endure drought conditions but will also feed and shelter wildlife. Accent with rocks and tree snags to reduce water usage and provide extra perches for birds.
Native local plants should be the foundation of a high desert landscape, while low water regional plant species should be used as accents.
Plant Like a Pro
For a natural look, plant the way things grow in the wild. Native bunch grasses are hardy and help protect the ground near shrubs while they get established. Plant complementary species in clusters, give plants enough space to avoid crowding and plant shrubs and trees away from the house to provide defensible space against wildfire. For help, seek out a landscaping service specializing in small spaces, such as Smallscape in Bend.
Soapweed yucca’s striking flowers and spiny leaves liven up a high desert landscape.
Be Patient
Once planting is done, allow time for the natural landscape to come into its own. Protect young plants by giving them water until they really take root. Remove weeds to allow plants to prosper. Weeds may return for a while but notably fewer each season as the natives quickly out-compete the invasives. Before long, the new plantscape will begin to thrive, propagate and invite the local animal life to play their specialized roles in your very own desert sanctuary.
It certainly was a surprise to us how readily even the cheatgrass gave up as the local plants regained their rightful place in our little patch of the high desert. The process isn’t without effort, but the desert rewards us by showing that our care translates to a landscape that is largely self-sustaining. Gone are the pesticides, heavy watering and fertilizer. In their place is the rich scent of sage, baby quail and an assortment of animal visitors native lands attract. You can’t help but feel a deeper connection with the local flora and fauna in the place we are lucky enough to call home.
When Neil Kelly Company senior designer Kathleen Donohue approached a remodeling project in northwest Bend earlier this year, she knew it would be a balance of the client’s wish list, budget and project logistics. And in the case of this Awbrey Glen home, it would involve a bit of problem solving and creativity, too. The company was hired by a couple who were preparing to return to the Bend home where they had raised a family, after years of renting it out while they focused on careers out of the area. The couple’s desired updates included a more modern kitchen that was better for entertaining, new dog-friendly rustic hardwood flooring throughout the main level, a more inviting downstairs powder room and a new “cellar” to house an impressive wine collection. “They had been living elsewhere for work reasons, and they came back to this home to get it ready for their retirement and to be their forever home,” said Donohue, who is a certified master kitchen and bath designer, or CMKBD, and certified aging in place specialist, or CAPS. Donohue has been with Neil Kelly, which specializes in design/build remodeling, for more than thirty years, so she’s well versed in remodels. She knew to keep the homeowner’s wish list in mind from the start, and set out to accomplish their goals with their budget in mind.
Opening up the kitchen
When it came to modernizing the kitchen, Donohue set out to brighten up the space, tweak the layout to feel more open and add new cabinets and flooring complementing the home’s existing woodwork. The kitchen had both an island and a peninsula, so the latter was removed to improve the flow of the room. “It was pretty crowded before, so it was important to keep things really simple,” Donohue said. New appliances were added, including a Bertazzoni range, accented with an ivory hood. The new cabinets are a mix of natural knotty alder, matching existing wood in the house, and some painted a grey green color that ties in well with the greenery outside. “The color really brings the outdoors in with that golf course right outside the window,” Donohue said. The island is topped with a wooden counter that helps warm up the space and keep it from feeling too industrial. “She said she’d never had a kitchen like this and never dreamed she would,” Donohue said of the homeowner.
photo Tim Cotter
Cellar Challenge
In early discussions about the remodel, the plan was to convert a small pantry underneath the stairs into a wine cellar, but after realizing the owner had a 400-bottle collection, Donohue knew more space was needed. “There was a little pantry, but it was literally a closet under the stairs, and wouldn’t be enough room on its own,” she said. An existing covered front porch area on the exterior just outside the pantry wasn’t used by the homeowners but was already underneath the house’s roof, while an adjacent laundry room had an angled area that was underutilized. Together these extra spaces would become the new cellar, offering the area needed to display the wine collection, as well as a bistro table and chairs for entertaining.
Refreshing Spaces
Simple updates to the existing laundry room and powder room helped to lighten up the areas visually and make them more inviting. The powder room was dressed up with fresh finishes, wallpaper and a new light fixture. The more compact laundry room was outfitted with the same grey green cabinetry as the kitchen and a bright white counter.
All the updates helped transform the home from a more traditional lodge style design into a more contemporary space. “The homeowners just really, really love it and are really pleased,” Donohue said. “It’s a beautiful home in a beautiful setting and this project finished all the things they wanted to do to bring it up to date.”
Neil Kelly Company | 190 NE Irving Avenue | 541-382-7580 | neilkelly.com/bend
When a fire ripped through downtown Bend’s Anjou Spa in 2016, owner Jenna Walden found the spa literally in a pile of ashes. It was a defining moment for the business, with Walden choosing to rebuild the spa back stronger, even finding a way to incorporate the business’s fiery past into the design of the new space in west Bend. “It was a total loss,” recalled Walden, “but I knew I was going to rebuild, and when I was thinking about it, I wanted to try and add shou sugi ban into the design. I was tired of all the mountain rustic and mid-century modern designs, I wanted to add something new here.”
photo Nakamoto Forestry
Though shou sugi ban is relatively new to the West, it is a centuries-old design technique from Japan known there as “yakisugi,” which translates to “charred cypress.” Walden chose to use this technique on a prominent wall at the entrance of the new building.
North America’s largest producer of shou sugi ban, or yakisugi, happens to be based in Portland, and is helping bring the unique technique to more Oregon homes and other buildings. “We take Japanese cypress trees, logged from our sustainable forests in Japan, and we burn, or char the wood, which enhances the color of the wood from black to almost a white and grey tone,” explained Aaron Davis, digital marketing manager for Nakamoto Forestry, which is also the oldest company in the world making yakisugi in the traditional method. “After the burning, we brush the wood, and add an oil, which enhances the textures and the grains.”
Shou sugi ban is used not only as a cool elemental design on interior walls, but it is also considered a premium exterior cladding because it holds up extremely well to the elements. “Burning or charring the wood makes it fire resistant,” said Allison Hall, Oregon sales manager for Pioneer Millworks, a reclaimed and sustainable wood product company with an office in Portland, and with projects in Central Oregon. “Raw wood will burn at 450 to 500 degrees, but the combustion point for the charred wood is 2,000 degrees. By heating the wood, you cook out the sugars, which case hardens the wood, and it also makes it pest-resistant from insects like termites and carpenter ants that feed off of those sugars and cellulose.”
photo Virtually Here Studios
According to both Pioneer Millworks and Nakamoto Forestry, case-hardened wood will last at least fifty years or for the life of the structure, with very minimal maintenance. “The Japanese also found that not only was charred wood pest and fire resistant, but that the carbon layer also stands up to wind, rain and snow,” explained Davis. “The Japanese have also found that the charred wood is naturally UV protected, and keeps it from wood rot.”
Shou sugi ban comes in a variety of textures from something like alligator skin to more of a silky-smooth variety, and various colors from black to toast to an almost white tone.
Pioneer Millworks has put its own American spin on shou sugi ban, by adding colors like red and blue, along with more traditional wood tones and grains. All the company’s timber comes from sustainable forests in the Pacific Northwest and is milled in McMinnville. “We can’t pinpoint exactly how yakisugi came about because Japan was a closed society for so long … but we know in rural areas they were using it for centuries for exterior home cladding, on fences, and storehouses that held valuables like rice and other food products, because of the fire-resistant properties,” Davis said. “It’s really quite ingenious charring wood to make it fireproof.”
photo Nakamoto Forestry
Perhaps the oldest example of shou sugi ban can be seen on Japan’s Buddhist Temple in Nara Prefecture. The five-story pagoda is one of the world’s oldest, built in 607 AD.The temple caught fire, but was eventually rebuilt in 1711 using old yakisugi lumber. “I think the Japanese celebrate the aging process and see the beauty of the patina in shou sugi ban,” said Hall, who has seen rapid sales growth, especially now in wildfire-prone areas. “Japanese aesthetic finds patina that comes with age desirable and unique. The imperfections are the point.”
Back at Anjou Spa, Walden found shou sugi ban so beautiful and captivating she studiously researched how she could do it herself and found a partner at the DIY Cave in Bend.After experimenting and practicing on countless pieces of lumber, she finally summoned the courage to control the fire and char the pieces that now make up the accent wall at the new spa, which opened one year and one month after the original spa burned down. “It is sort of like the Phoenix, rising out of the ashes,” said Walden, who now laughs at the irony. “It is very symbolic, isn’t it?”
Browse around internet apps like TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram, and it doesn’t take long to stumble across an aesthetic that’s seeing a rise in popularity among teens and young adults. Characterized by wicker baskets filled with wildflowers and fresh baked bread, rolling countryside hills and long linen dresses, the “cottagecore” style has taken hold.
Cottagecore is the romanticization of a rural lifestyle that gives specific nods to Victorian era English villages. As an aesthetic, it can influence fashion and food, as well as architecture and interior design. Despite all the different applications of the aesthetic, there is a common theme woven throughout—cottagecore is known to invoke warm, safe and nostalgic feelings from those who experience it.
Translated into home design, a cottagecore home would include aspects that make people feel nostalgic and cozy, with a mix of old and new pieces. Neutral walls, old wooden furniture, a wood-burning fireplace, casement windows with light drapes, exposed wood and brick, vases of wildflowers and greenery, and small reading nooks with antique finds can all add cottage style to a home. Think of a grandmother’s house, but somehow trendy.
Bend-based designers Sarah Phipps and Anna Stringer worked together several years ago on a cottage remodel on Bend’s west side that Stringer now runs as an Airbnb rental. The 1934 structure was looking worse for the wear when the pair of friends first began revamping it. To begin the remodel, the two stripped the house down and discovered the original lap siding, still preserved, and an old brick chimney.
The interior was painted an off-white mascarpone color with a bright white trim and the floor was given new life with a hardwood upgrade. The furniture in the cottage is now a mix of old and new, a modern couch right next to the exposed brick chimney, as well as the old fireplace and an antique davenport, both painted the same white as the trim. A retro-style pink refrigerator from Smeg provides a splash of color.
While the finished space is a great example of cottage design, even Phipps and Stringer are still figuring out exactly what cottagecore is, and how it differentiates from some more established styles. Phipps describes her own style as “OG Cottage,” which can mean different things, depending on the age of who you’re talking to, she said. “Every generation has nostalgia for the past, but the dateline isn’t static,” Phipps said. “We have to realize each new generation takes up the reins and makes what is old their own.”
Cottagecore calls for neutral and soft color schemes. When furnishing, mix antique, thrifted and new pieces and keep the space fresh with flowers and plants. Photo Tara Donne
In short, what is considered cottage style to Phipps could be completely different from what her 17-year-old daughter considers cottagecore, based on what each generation considers to be nostalgic and comforting. Theories online suggest that more time spent at home last year because of the pandemic spurred the popularity of cottagecore, along with the idea that isolating yourself can be enjoyable. Many of the pandemic trends, from baking sourdough and experimenting with homebrewing to starting an herb garden or taking up sewing, can all be considered part of cottagecore.
While the cottagecore aesthetic overall is popular with Gen Z, the interior design style is enjoyed by all ages. Stringer said most of the guests staying in the cottage Airbnb love the interior, even if they don’t know what to call it. “I would say people seek it out even if they don’t realize it at the time. Demand has grown substantially over the last few years and renters love the uniqueness of a cottage style rental,” Stringer said.
While a wide variety of colors, textures and items can work as part of a cottage design, there are certain strategies to achieve the look, including a mix of older and newer items. Phipps recommends thrifting for interior decor, as well as checking Facebook Marketplace and antique stores for older pieces to accompany newer ones. She suggests local stores such Lark, furnish., Roundabouts Home Consignments and Iron Horse Second Hand. For inspiration, search for cottagecore on online platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, and find ways to embrace the design in any space.
There are countless Central Oregon hikes with mountain views to choose from, these two higher-elevation hikes west of McKenzie Pass are some of our favorites. Both the Four-in-One Cone and Scott Mountain hikes are accessed off of Highway 242, also known as the Old McKenzie Highway, and have connections to Felix Scott Jr. In the summer of 1862, Scott hired fifty men to build a passage over the Cascades, something that previously did not exist. The rugged road was cut past Scott Mountain and alongside lava flows from Four-in-One Cone to crest the Cascades for the purpose of moving cattle and freight from the Willamette Valley to gold miners in Eastern Oregon.
THE FOUR-IN-ONE CONE TRAIL
The hike to Four-in-One Cone crosses the highway, passes the Obsidian Cliffs connector trail, then proceeds uphill skirting the edge of a “recent” lava flow. The trail follows the original Scott Trail, though these days, instead of bellowing cattle, hikers may hear the grating calls of Clark’s nutcrackers or the “Eenk!” alarm calls of American pikas.
Around the 4.5-mile mark, a short, steep climb leads to a ridge comprised of conduits that concurrently spewed ash and lava around 2,600 years ago. The lighter eruptive material built up the four overlapping cinder cones. As hikers gain the ridge, the rewards are outstanding views of both distant and nearby Cascade peaks.
South Matthieu Lake with views of North Sister found off the Scott Mountain Trail, photo Brandon Nixon
Back on the main trail, hikers may proceed 0.8 miles to the wildflower-laden Scott’s Meadow at the intersection with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the turn-around point.
9.0 miles round-trip (additional 1.6 miles round-trip up to the PCT)
Elevation gain: 1,500 feet
THE SCOTT MOUNTAIN TRAIL
The hike up the 6,116-foot-tall Scott Mountain begins near the Scott Lake campground and proceeds counter-clockwise past stunning Benson Lake.
This beautiful lake sits in a basin gouged out by Ice Age glaciers that once cloaked the Cascades. Farther along, a side trip leads to Tenas (Chinook jargon for “small”) Lakes, a series of shallow ponds ringed with huckleberry bushes. The main trail curves up the flank of Scott Mountain, a glaciated shield volcano, to the summit from which provides a great lunch spot to soak up the views of the surrounding peaks.
From the summit, hikers may retrace their route or extend the hike through coniferous forests and open meadows before passing Hand Lake on the return to the trailhead.
8.2 miles out and back
9.7 miles via Hand Lake
Elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Pro Tips
A day-use Central Cascades Wilderness Permit is required in advance (available on recreation.gov).
Remember your federal recreation pass for the trailhead parking.
A unique framing style once reserved for barns and warehouses is growing in popularity and leading to a new wave of creative homes and structures. Pole barn, or post-frame construction, design allows for walls of windows and breathtaking views, something a conventionally framed home couldn’t easily support. And as the use of pole barn construction gains traction, traditional builders are seeing more demand for barn-inspired homes, including here in Central Oregon.
Metaphorically, the pole barn framing structure of poles and trusses are “tree-like,” said Steve Nuetzel, a Bend-based architect and general contractor who built a few pole barns for clients before deciding he’d like to build himself one as a home. “Pole sounds like it would be round, but they’re actually square or rectangular,” Nuetzel said, explaining that each pole in a pole barn structure is placed twelve feet apart and set four to six feet deep in concrete like a flag pole. Trusses are then bolted to each side.
Nuetzel’s pole barn home vision comes to life just south of Sunriver near the Deschutes River, where the indoors transition seamlessly into the live lodgepole and ponderosa pines outside. The barn home is split into a residential side and a workshop area. The residential side includes 1,100 square feet of space with one bedroom, one bathroom, the kitchen and living room. An expansive covered deck just outside its glass doors offers an additional 1,200 square feet of outdoor living space perfect for lounging and dining. The workshop side of the home is the most barn-like, providing another 1,100 square feet for a combination workshop-office area complete with a 14-foot-high door where Nuetzel renovates RVs and trailers.
On the residential side, the home’s exterior is made up of red cedar siding and top-to-bottom walls of windows, interrupted only by the naturally stained Douglas fir poles that support the home, while the workshop side of the building has metal siding. Nuetzel carefully considered aesthetic and efficiency in building a home he would love, installing clear, vertical grain Douglas fir cabinets and concrete slab countertops, polished to a high sheen. The natural materials complement the light, organic feel of the home. “It’s a really uplifting space,” Nuetzel said, explaining the high ceilings, natural light, and views of the sky and treetops through an atrium over the living area make the home feel “almost spiritual.”
Many of the home’s design features are also energy saving, offering long-term cost-effectiveness, Nuetzel said. The roof’s deep overhang shades the home enough that he hardly ever uses his air conditioner, and in winter, an efficient wood-burning stove surrounded by a large concrete hearth absorbs and reflects heat so well, Nuetzel doesn’t use his heater much either.
While not technically pole barn construction, DC Builders out of Damascus, Oregon, is known for building barn-inspired residences, which also offer wide open floorplans. One barn-inspired residence built in Central Oregon features a barn-style RV garage downstairs with a spacious living area on the second story.
Generally, pole barn construction is a little more affordable than for a conventional house, meaning homeowners can turn and invest those cost savings into higher-end finishes inside, or save the money altogether.
Cost was a concern for Amber and Josh Blount, who sold their Bend home to purchase a ten-acre property in Terrebonne, with plans to build a custom home. When faced with escalating prices along with labor and material shortages related to COVID-19, they decided to get creative with their construction plans. “We (were) standing at the property and looking at this forty-eight-foot by twenty-four-foot pre-existing (pole) barn at the top of the hill and thought to ourselves, ‘maybe we can make this work?’” Amber Blount said.
Bend-based PJ Hurst Design and PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. of Klamath Falls were excited to guide the Blounts on their remodel for the home they’re calling “Terrebarn.” Having lived on a Portland floating home, a hobby farm and a unique hillside house in Bend, the family is at home in unusual spaces. And because they rent out their house when they vacation, the Blounts can appreciate the appeal of a one-of-a-kind abode.
photo DC Builders
That fits well with the design style of PJ Hurst, whose motto is to “do the unexpected.” Her design will showcase sweeping views of Smith Rock and local mountains via panoramic windows and incorporate nods to rock climbing throughout, including a climbing wall up to the Blount kids’ secret reading loft and a mural of Smith Rock. With two levels, the three-bedroom, two-bath home will boast high ceilings ideal for a hanging chair and acrobatic equipment hung from the trusses. A library ladder in the kitchen will allow the family to reach high cabinets designed to add storage space.
While construction hasn’t quite begun, Hurst is excited to support her clients in bringing the design to life. “It’s such a cool thing to see a modern family jump into this barn lifestyle and really absorb this as their life,” Hurst said. “It just kind of shows that it’s not just a concept, it’s a way of life.”
As a second-generation sheet-metal worker and owner of a Bend HVAC company, Paul Shepherd has long been comfortable welding and crafting metal to fit a purpose. But it was only five years ago that he truly let his creativity start shining, when he was asked to create a copper range hood for the new home of a Shepherd Heating & Air Conditioning client. With no interest in taking the easy route, Shepherd crafted an intricate and beautiful copper hood that well exceeded the expectations of the homeowner. “The range hood was a piece of art, which we knew as soon as we saw it done,” said Connie Perala, owner of the home in the Crosswater neighborhood of Sunriver. It wasn’t long before Shepherd was also forging hardware for the kitchen cabinets, welding steel brackets for the interior beams, and creating a custom tile backsplash behind the oven range. Unknowingly, Perala had become one of the first customers of Shepherd’s future business, Forged Elegance.
Building a business
Today, five years after creating those first custom pieces in Perala’s kitchen, Shepherd has shifted his focus to crafting gorgeous wood and forged steel furniture, including beds, tables, chairs and mirrors. The wood is almost exclusively sourced from historic structures, which are torn down and given new life through Shepherd’s work. And the metal is hand-forged by Shepherd in his shop in Bend. Together the wood and metal come together in artistic elegance to create showpieces for homes near and far. While Shepherd is the man behind the magic, he also relies on help from his team, which includes his wife, Amanda Shepherd, who helps with design and finish work, full-time shop worker Shawn Allen, sub-contractor Brad Pinkert and Shepherd’s son, Jacob, who helps with steel work. Shepherd still operates the HVAC business he owns, but often spends his early mornings, between 4 and 7 a.m. at his Forged Elegance space in Bend, restoring and preserving aged woods or hammering out the details of steel accents. It’s become a labor of love for a craftsman always looking to design something new and different.
Barnwood revival
Wood for Forged Elegance’s projects comes almost exclusively from historic structures slated for demolition. Shepherd works with Brad Campbell of LongHorn Lumber in Powell Butte to source the aged wood, which has come from right here in Oregon and as far away as Missouri. One of Shepherd’s first hauls of barnwood was from a ranch in Spray, a town of about 200 people in rural eastern Oregon. The fir wood was 100 years old when it was used for construction on the Buffalo Ranch, where it existed for another 104 years, making the salvaged lumber more than two centuries old. “This barnwood holds a large amount of history in each piece, representing America through agriculture,” said Shepherd in a writeup about the wood collection, now being used to craft tables, bedroom furniture, benches and mirrors.
Another nearby salvage is that of a water tower built along the Umpqua River in Central Oregon in the 1970s by the Forest Service. The tower, made of beautiful 800-year-old redwood, fed water to the Steamboat Inn in Idleyld Park. The area was hit by a wildfire in 2018 and the water tower’s roof caught fire, rendering it unusable. But, the tower stayed intact and after coming down, Shepherd purchased all of the wood to reuse for his Forged Elegance pieces.
For Campbell, who acts as a lumber broker sourcing the aged woods for Shepherd, seeing the finished products is a special experience. “I’ve known Paul for several years, and I’ve got to see his work as it’s kind of progressed. I like the unique designs he comes up with and how he utilizes the material,” said Campbell. “Often times it’s 100-year-old wood and it’s not the easiest to work with. I’ve worked with it a bit myself.” Campbell has been salvaging and reclaiming wood for thirteen years and said most of the lumber he procures is supplied as raw material to builders. “Paul’s really been a bright spot in my business to see the smaller pieces that can’t be used in the construction of a home go towards furniture and things like that,” Campbell said. “The added value with the forge work is what really sets it apart. He’s blended together the wood and steel into almost artwork.”
One of the newest hauls of wood that Campbell helped connect with Forged Elegance is from an 1860s barn in Missouri with a unique story. At the time, wealthy plantation owners sometimes paid the less wealthy to fight in the Civil War in place of themselves or a son. In this case, the currency was a plot of land, which would only be given to the replacement solider if he returned from war. This individual fought in place of the plantation owner’s son, surviving the war and returning to get the land. He built a barn using bald cypress trees on his new property in 1865. More than 150 years later, the barn was torn down, the wood salvaged and transported to Oregon, where Shepherd began repurposing it. “Everything has a story behind it,” said Shepherd, while giving a tour of his Bend showroom in September. “Not only is that bald cypress piece over there absolutely beautiful, but it’s got an amazing story that you can tell your friends. It was built in 1865 and it will probably still be around another couple hundred years from now.”
Forging a following
As Forged Elegance has gained its footing over the past year, Shepherd has picked up many repeat customers who are using his furniture and décor to transform their homes into spaces that showcase his work.
Bend homeowner Kim Hogue is the owner of several Forged Elegance pieces, including a four-post bed, nightstands and an oak, bar-height dining room table. “Kim gave me the freedom to have full run over the design of all their pieces,” said Shepherd, who works with his wife to dream up and design just how the steel and aged wood come together for each item. “She fell in love with a coffee table first and bought it, and then started asking for more pieces.” Hogue’s nightstands use thin strips of salvaged wood, milled down from larger pieces. “It’s a very intricate piece,” said Shepherd, who finds uses for even the smallest bits of wood and shavings of metal around his shop. “We try to use everything.”
Paul Shepherd
For Perala, one of Forged Elegance’s first customers, time has only made her more enamored with Shepherd’s work. This summer, she commissioned him to create beautiful new furniture for a second home in Tigard, using the redwood salvaged from the water tower impacted by wildfire. She’s seeking more contemporary pieces for her home there, versus the more rustic work in her Sunriver home. “I like the history,” Perala said. “The tables he’s making for the Tigard house are the 800-year-old redwood he has. I just love the history behind the wood.”
Shepherd opened his Bend showroom, office space and shop in 2020, and uses it as a place to showcase bedroom sets, office furniture, multiple dining tables, mirrors and more. It’s open by appointment only but is a great place to see the vastness of what the company can create. For a smaller peek at Shepherd’s work, Bendites can pay a visit to the new Italian restaurant on Galveston Avenue, Bosa. Shepherd used chemicals to create a patina for the columns behind the restaurant’s bar, and then stuck around to make forged curtain rods on the wall of windows facing the street.
Customers new and old are also invited to follow Forged Elegance on Facebook, where Shepherd posts new pieces as they’re completed, sometimes selling them within minutes or hours to dedicated followers of the work, who appreciate the craftsmanship and history behind it. The combination of aged wood and forged steel is something Shepherd is proud to share with those interested. “Forging in general is probably one of the oldest trades and there are not as many people that are able to do it anymore,” he said. “It’s so unique and it’s so stunning when you pair it with this aged wood. It’s an art.”
When Sam Elcik and Sumra Zaidi relocated to Bend in 2020, they hoped to find a home in a quiet neighborhood, near green space, with easy access to downtown Bend. It seemed an impossible checklist until they toured a home for sale in the Boyd Acres Neighborhood, near Sawyer Park. “I was hesitant when our realtor suggested this area, but it checked all the boxes for us. We can get on the river, walk the dogs in the park and bike downtown. Most of all, we love the quiet,” Elcik said. The couple is far from the only new Bend residents settling into Boyd Acres. This neighborhood is among the largest in Bend, yet its livability is often overlooked.
One neighborhood, many options
Boyd Acres encompasses the northern tip of Bend, from Cooley Road and Juniper Ridge south to the Pilot Butte canals. The Deschutes River defines its western edge; Pine Nursery Park sits at the eastern boundary. Within those landmarks, locals find a lively mix of shops, parks, restaurants and industry. Those who hope to call Boyd Acres home will find a variety of home styles and sizes, from spacious lots in established subdivisions to newer streets with more modern construction.
McKay Cottage
“Boyd Acres has long been considered more affordable, and the diversity of subdivisions attracts homebuyers,” said Lynnea Miller, principal broker at Bend Premier Real Estate. Lot sizes have changed over the years, as state regulations have encouraged greater density. “Older properties can have larger, family-friendly yards, but the homes might need updates. Newer homes are turn-key, with few surprises—perfect for those who don’t care for maintenance,” Miller said.
Because of the range of homes available and wide swath of town considered part of the neighborhood (the Boyd Acres Neighborhood Association lists seventy-five subdivisions within the neighborhood), defining an average home price is tricky. Generally, the area is attractive to buyers looking for more affordability than other areas of Bend, especially families. It’s also home to Bend’s newest and northernmost elementary school, North Star Elementary, which opened in fall 2019 to help alleviate overcrowding in the Bend-La Pine School District.
photo courtesy The Circuit Bouldering Gym
From Ranches to Restaurants
Despite the recent development boom, bits of history can be found throughout the neighborhood. The area is named after Charles and Anna Boyd, who moved to Bend from Montana in 1904. They built their homestead, the heart of their 600-acre cattle farm, on the site of the Bend River Mall. The original buildings still stand and are now home to Pomegranate Home & Garden.
McKay Cottage, a well-loved brunch spot, resides in another piece of Bend history. The restaurant was originally the home of Olive and Clyde McKay and was first located near Drake Park before the structure was relocated to OB Riley Road. Clyde McKay was a driving force behind Bend’s turn-of-the-century timber industry; McKay Park is also named after him.
10 Barrel Brewing, photo Pete Eckert
Bend has long since grown beyond ranching and timber, and Boyd Acres is now home to a bustling business community. Most visible are the large retail clusters such as Cascade Village and Bend River Promenade (with its new WinCo Foods supermarket), which make Boyd Acres a shopping destination. Bend’s entrepreneurial spirit truly shows up in the mixed industrial spaces where small manufacturers such as SnoPlanks and Left Coast Raw mingle with traditional industry. Fitness and recreation businesses such as The Circuit Bouldering Gym, Cascade Indoor Sports and K1 Speed, an indoor go kart racing venue, also thrive here, making active recreation part of daily life for Boyd Acres residents.
Scattered throughout are brew pubs and restaurants, so local diners can stay closer to home. Some establishments, such as Chi Chinese and Sushi Bar and Craft Kitchen, have relocated from other Bend locales. Others are unique to the neighborhood, such as Bridge 99 Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewing East Side, Oblivion Brewing and Wild Roots Coffee.
K1 Speed, photo Alex JordanChi Chinese and Sushi Bar, photo Talia Jean
Parks, Trails, and Gathering Space
No neighborhood is complete without access to green spaces. Boyd Acres is flush with parks and trails. Local runners and dog walkers frequent the pathways alongside the Pilot Butte canals. These open canals, dug mostly by pickaxe and shovel more than a century ago, continue to bring water to farms outside of Bend.
In addition to small parks and playgrounds, several larger parks offer additional recreation options: Pine Nursery Park is primed for play, with 159 acres of sports fields, pickleball courts and an off-leash dog area. Rockridge Park buzzes with action on its lunarscape skatepark, bike skills course and log-scramble playground. For a quieter experience, the trails at Riley Ranch Nature Reserve amble along a Deschutes River canyon; the trails at Sawyer Park connect to the Deschutes River Trail toward downtown Bend.
More development is on the horizon in Boyd Acres, too. Second locations for Costco and Fred Meyer are planned for the north end of town, and the Deschutes County Central Library is slated for construction just beyond the northwest boundary of Boyd Acres. In addition to books and media, the library will serve as a community center for programs and events, and act as a general gathering space for community members.
Sometimes when there’s a product we wish existed, but can’t find, we settle for less. But what if it’s for something as personal as your skin? For four Bend beauty and skincare businesses, a lack of natural offerings led to innovation.
Forbes estimates the beauty industry is a more than $500 billion business worldwide. The skincare industry is growing too, expected to be worth more than $200 billion by 2026, according to a report put out by Fortune Business Insights. In huge global industries, how do Bend-based businesses stand out and find success?
“I think it’s a very holistic lifestyle here. People who move here want to get outside of big cities,” said Mandy Butera, owner and founder of Wren and Wild, a clean beauty boutique. “You have these people who are not only taking care of their bodies and their families, but they need the right products to put on their skin as well.”
Wren and Wild
Mandy Butera loved working for Estée Lauder, Clinique and Origins for decades, until discovering more about major brands’ product ingredients, some of which consumers question for being harmful. But with long ingredient lists full of complicated names, products can be difficult to research. Butera envisioned connecting people to the clean products she sought.
“Our goal is to find the best of the best for clean beauty,” Butera said, explaining that her company Wren and Wild offers products that involve no animal testing and ingredients that won’t harm the skin and body. After starting as a pop-up, Wren and Wild opened its own shop in 2018, doubling its sales from the year before, and doubling again every year since with wildly popular online sales driving numbers up. Wren and Wild curates products in one place where an expert team is excited to connect and consult with customers about their needs. So far, the boutique has sold a collection of clean beauty products, without offering its own brand. But Butera said a product line is in the works—something she’s excited but tight-lipped about.
Dwight Johnson and his wife Marilee couldn’t bear watching their son suffering from eczema ten years ago. Store products often had ingredients that irritated him even more. Then Johnson learned about goat milk’s healing enzymes and began experimenting in his home kitchen. Eventually, he landed on a goat milk soap formula that lathered well, binded to grime and easily rinsed off, leaving his son’s skin happy.
Since those humble early days, Bend Soap Company has grown into a $5 million business, with about 75 percent of sales made east of the Rockies. Never growing less than 50 percent year to year, the company has reached up to 100 or 200 percent growth. At the heart of it is still Johnson’s team, mixing up all-natural soap batches in Bend with milk from his own goat farm.
Johnson admitted people may ask why Bend would be a skincare or beauty center. “We’re not near a harbor. What it comes back to is we enjoy a natural lifestyle. We ended up in Bend because of that. The product we create is a solution to solve a problem.” Good solutions, it turns out, work anywhere.
Bend Soap Company | 63257 Nels Anderson Road #110 | bendsoap.com
Angelina Organic Skincare
Angelina Swanson had already been studying botany, working in a natural food store’s herb department and taking a salve class twenty-eight years ago when she developed cracked heels and hands from her part-time rafting guide gig. Unsatisfied with anything on store shelves, Swanson created her own formula—Skin Doctor Salve, which is still a bestseller today.
It was twenty years ago in Bend that Swanson decided to pursue skincare as a business, starting with a KitchenAid mixer in her log cabin before growing into a “results-driven farm-to-face skincare brand” with a store on NW Bond Street where products are made on-site.
Swanson is proud of some of the goals Angelina Organic Skincare has hit in the last few years, including matching retirement benefits for employees, offering a month of vacation and free health care; not to mention the vision she holds for her products. “We say ‘full circle beauty.’ Everything we do in our business has to create more beauty in the world than destruction,” Swanson said.
Ericka Rodriguez initially pursued making lipsticks she wanted—vegan products not tested on animals that wouldn’t dry out her lips. Now a planet-first, full-vegan color cosmetic company, Axiology is carried in stores including Ulta and has an international customer base as passionate as Rodriguez is about ingredients.
Rodriguez started in home kitchens in Brooklyn, then Bali and finally Bend, the perfect place to launch Axiology in 2014. Selling in national stores has been a huge accomplishment but brought with it the challenge of keeping products up to Rodriguez’s high standards, something she’s determined to do. When large-scale production didn’t offer the same attention to detail her team did, Rodriguez quickly took production back to small batches in Bend.
As Axiology transitions from lipsticks to various color cosmetics (the popular balmies launched on Earth Day 2020 can be used on lips, eyes and cheeks), Rodriguez said that trend will continue in 2022, with the launch of a new product like nothing the company has offered before.
When Sue and Scott Olson first entered the Vandevert Homestead in 2018, it was shuttered and inhabited by birds. But the couple saw past the crumbling structure to the clear views of Broken Top and Mount Bachelor, the sounds of the bubbling Little Deschutes River that meanders through the site and the historic importance of Vandevert Ranch.
Luckily for both the ranch and the Olsons, it was a classic example of the right people at the right time. They made an offer within an hour.
Saving a piece of history
The Vandevert Ranch history dates to 1892, when William “Bill” Vandevert acquired 160 acres near today’s Sunriver, although at the time there was no Sunriver, no Bend and no Deschutes County. He built a log home and schoolhouse for his eight children and wife Sadie. Successive generations of Vandeverts lived in the homestead for nearly a century.
But by the 1980s, the home’s lodgepole and ponderosa pine logs were in rough shape. According to the 2011 book Vandevert: The Hundred Year History of a Central Oregon Ranch, by Ted Haynes and Grace Vandevert McNellis, the homestead was slated for auction in 1987. Just before the place landed on the auction block, Jim Gardner, the outgoing president of Lewis & Clark College, and his wife Carol, bought the property.
They had a vision for the ranch’s restoration, but soon realized the homestead was beyond saving. Their plan was to build a replica using some of the original logs. Instead, a contractor’s mistake led to an entirely new replica log cabin. The couple also acquired adjacent acreage and developed a 400-acre gated community around the replica homestead and its Sears and Roebuck kit guest house, which had been added to the ranch in 1953. The Gardners stipulated that any new home in the Vandevert Ranch development would have to be built of log construction.
The development flourished, and to this day, Vandevert Ranch is a neighborhood consisting of twenty-two individually owned lots and common areas, including stables, dog kennels and a fly-fishing pond. It remains true to its historic roots of 130 years ago, and is considered one of the country’s finest log cabin communities, prized for its scenic location and privacy.
Eventually, the replica homestead at the center of it all began its own period of decline. “We heard that one group had it under contract and planned to tear it down for another home,” Scott said. “But the neighborhood architectural committee denied this plan. The neighbors have always understood the importance of the homestead’s history.”
Restoration Begins Anew
The Olsons hired Bend architect Jeff Klein of Klein Architecture in 2018 to oversee the design and renovation of the home and a new barn, and to shepherd them through work with the neighborhood design review committee and the nine separate county approvals necessary to receive the building permit. The guiding tenet in the homestead was to save as much of the structure as possible and create a more livable environment.
While the look and style of the exterior would remain the same, the 3,200-square-foot interior would undergo several changes and upgrades. In 2019, they began by converting a small, unusable attached garage into a sunroom. The flat roof over the garage leaked, causing extensive damage to the log structure. They retained the flat roof, but to prevent further water damage, Klein worked with the framers on designing a sloping roof system with a waterproof membrane to channel water away from the building’s exterior. This also created an ideal space for a rooftop deck, accessible from the upstairs master wing and guest bedroom.
The main floor is rectangular with four quadrants—sunroom, kitchen, living room and dining room. The sunroom functions as a casual place to hang out. In a nod to modern design, giant windows and a door open accordion-style for indoor-outdoor living. The sunroom also filters more natural light into the home. “The sunroom opened up the house and gave us more interaction with the river,” Scott said, referring to the nearby Little Deschutes.
Unlike many owners who acquire an older home and can’t wait to remodel the kitchen, the Olsons left the 1980s-era kitchen intact, including a farm sink, concrete countertops, butcher-block-island and built-in seating. They converted a former sitting room and office into a dining room with a fireplace, and furnished it with a large custom-made wood table for hosting their extended family and friends.
Scott, Sue, Max and Michael Olson enjoying their back patio and the sunroom with its accordion-style doors and windows.
The crown jewel of the home can be glimpsed from the modest front entryway. An archway leads to the dining room on the left, while another is a gateway to the grand living room on the right. The wood-burning, stone fireplaces in each room, made with materials sourced from the property, face each other through the arches. Remarkably, Robin Zinniker, the mason who built the great room’s two-story fireplace in the 1980s, was still around to create the fireplace in the dining room, which shares a chimney with an upstairs guest bedroom fireplace.
The living room’s vaulted space with exposed timber trusses includes a wrought-iron bottom chord to carry both the tension and bending of the trusses. A large authentic antler chandelier, an elk head over the mantle, a larger-than-life-size photo of a grizzly, and Western-themed artwork and furniture are perfect complements to the massive log walls.
The living room along with other parts of the house feature the Vandevert hash knife, a tool used to cut meat. It was incorporated as the ranch logo when the Gardners developed the ranch, in a nod to the Vandevert cattle ranching family history. “We put it everywhere we could, such as the front door knocker, fireplace door handles and light fixtures,” Sue said.
The original log cabin didn’t house people who owned cars, sports equipment like skis and bikes, or even laundry rooms, but they did have barns. So, Klein designed an entirely new structure near the homestead resembling an old-fashioned barn but with all modern amenities “hidden” inside. The two-story “barn” features a three-car garage, laundry, gear room, Scott and Sue’s office and an entertainment room with a covered outside deck and views of the mountains.
With the renovated homestead, the new barn and the Sears and Roebuck kit guest house comprising the Olson compound, the family is enjoying its lifestyle on the historic Vandevert Ranch. “We have a home for all seasons,” Sue said. “We love the roaring fires and snow in the winter, and in the summer, sitting at the river with people floating by our dock. We have many ways to enjoy nature. We feel honored to have had the opportunity to restore this property with its historical significance.”
Scott added that they have friends still searching for their special place, “But we’ve found our home. We’re here for the long-term and who knows? Maybe grandkids in the future.”
Resources
Project Planning, Entitlements and Approvals: Vandevert Ranch HOA Board of Directors, Vandevert Ranch Design Review Committee, and Deschutes County Historic Preservation and
Historic Landmarks Commission
Picture a chilly fall morning, the sun not yet above the horizon. The household is quiet, but the early riser knows the rest of the residents will be up soon, hungry and craving a treat. Dig into an early morning muffin baking session and make the whole household happy. Here we feature three tried-and-true muffin selections for the fall season.
Cranberry
Tart and sweet, colorful and tasty, cranberry is a standout choice for a fall muffin. Nearly 3,000 acres of cranberries are grown in Oregon, producing 40 million pounds of the berries each year. Most are grown on the Southern Oregon coast, where the temperate climate along the coast affords a long growing season, giving the berries a darker pigmentation than berries grown in other states. Oregon cranberries are harvested from mid-October to mid-December. Order some online from Cape Blanco Cranberries, fresh or frozen, and bake to your heart’s content.
Oregon grows more than twenty varieties of apples, producing a whopping 110 million pounds a year of the famous fresh fall fruit. Most are grown in the region around Portland, most notably the Hood River area. Make a trip north this fall and drive the Hood River Fruit Loop, featuring dozens of orchards and farmstands to shop from. Try Kiyokawa Family Orchards or Packer Orchard. Common apple varieties grown in Oregon include Jonagold, Granny Smith and Braeburn, but the Honeycrisp and Ginger Gold are great choices for baking. One of many advantages to the apple muffin is its moist texture. Dice the apples small for best results. Dig in—you’re getting your fruit for the day, too!
Making pumpkin muffins from scratch might sound impossibly difficult, but it isn’t really. Buy a pie pumpkin from your local grocer, pumpkin patch or a harvest market. Slice it open and remove the seeds. Bake it upside down in a baking dish filled with an inch of water. Scoop out the baked pumpkin and puree. Treat it just like the canned stuff, and follow your favorite recipe. Voila! You can freeze the leftover pumpkin puree for a year, and make tasty fall pumpkin muffins all year long.
This easy cinnamon and brown sugar pumpkin recipe looks irresistible!
Editors note: This story was originally published on September 29, 2020.
Brian Trottier was backpacking through Buenos Aires years ago when he met up with his sister, who worked at a Four Seasons. She put Trottier up in a room on the same floor as the hotel’s executive lounge. Trottier walked inside to find an endless supply of snacks and drinks, and ended up spending most of his stay right there, even inviting his friends from a nearby hostel over to reap the tasty “executive” benefits. “The term executive lounge has always been this moniker for pretending we’re fancier than we are,” said Trottier, who opened downtown Bend’s San Simón with his wife, Ashley, in October 2019. Tucked away in Tin Pan Alley, Trottier describes San Simón as a candlelit, romantic, bohemian bar, with no TVs, and “as a place for adults to actually talk to each other.” The menu features handcrafted cocktails, a few beers and other drinks and some cheaper options, like $3 PBRs, along with charcuterie boards to snack on. As fall approaches, stop by for a belly-warming mix of bourbon and ginger with the Executive Lounge cocktail. A visit to San Simón is as good of an excuse as any to pretend we’re fancier than we are.
Executive Lounge Cocktail Recipe
2 oz. bourbon
½ oz. ginger rosemary simple syrup
¼ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
4 mint leaves, plus 1 sprig of mint
3 sprays of peated scotch
Shake together bourbon, syrup, lime and mint leaves. Double
strain over a big ice cube and use an atomizer or spray bottle to do three sprays of peated scotch. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Ginger Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 cup of fresh ginger juice
Fresh rosemary
1 cup boiling water
½ cup sugar
Steep fresh rosemary in hot water for three minutes. Remove the rosemary and add the sugar to the hot water. Mix the hot sugar water with the ginger juice to create ginger rosemary simple syrup.
Janessa Bork lived a childhood full of experiences that make her the self-proclaimed “wild child” she is today: an active competitive snowboarder, dirt biker and skateboarder. Born in Bend but raised in Bozeman, Montana, Bork spent her days running free, playing outside and absorbing all the beauty that exists in the abundant mountains and forests of Montana.
Janessa Bork in front of the mural she created at Dr. Jolly’s
Her family eventually moved back to Bend, where Bork graduated from Mountain View High School. Since then, she’s moved around but always manages to make it back to Bend. “This is my home, and I love it so much,” Bork said.
Being the child of a rug weaver and an artisan mason, Bork remembers having her creativity cultivated from a young age. “My mom used to help put on summer art camps when I was in grade school and it definitely helped shape my desire to make and create things with my hands,’’ Bork said. “I worked for my dad in the summers doing masonry and construction which taught me a lot about building.”
Fresh out of high school, Bork took a painting class at Central Oregon Community College and met her would-be husband, Josh Ramp. Ramp had just graduated from high school in Alaska and decided to make a new life in Oregon, where he had family. He had dabbled in painting and drawing in high school, and was exploring the subject in Bend in a traditional painting techniques class taught by Professor Bill Hoppe.
Close-up view of the mural at San Simon
“The second we met we were magnetized to one another,” Bork said. “We’ve been together through the thick of it, and it’s really shown our strengths and dedication. We’re far from the perfect couple but we have created our dreams from nothing and stuck to our guns, and I’m so happy it’s starting to pay off.”
The two fresh-faced grads moved to Portland in 2008 to pursue design school together, after Hoppe took note of Bork’s affinity to the arts. After graduating in 2011, the duo worked separately as freelance artists, illustrators and designers, eventually moving back to Bend in 2017 to live the quintessential Central Oregon lifestyle full of high adrenaline sports and ample time spent outside. Bork, in tandem to her art career, had become a snowboarder who is sponsored by Mt. Bachelor, BlackStrap and others.
Graphic design can oftentimes be a job that requires one to sit in front of a computer for hours on end; a stark contrast to an adrenaline-filled lifestyle. Bork decided that a desk job just wasn’t for her. “I realized the last thing I wanted to do for a career was stare at a computer all day,” Bork said. “After a few freelance jobs, I realized I could merge traditional painting techniques with modern design to create a unique quality aesthetic that stands out from the rest.”
To capitalize on that realization and create a career that isn’t exclusively relegated to a computer screen, Bork and Ramp founded VIVI DESIGN CO. in 2018. The company specializes in environmental design, product branding and hand-painted craftsmanship, which translates to designing and painting tons of murals for local businesses. “Our creative process includes analog and digital techniques,” Bork said. “We utilize digital programs and hand-drawn graphics to get that exact design we visualize for a seamless, distinct look.”
Just another day at work for Janessa at Josh
The name VIVI has a couple of meanings for Bork and Ramp. “The letters look so aesthetically pleasing next to one another, resembling two halves as one whole through compound words,” Bork said. “The word vivi is from Latin descent, meaning ‘to live, living and alive.’”
Bork goes on to explain how this Latin saying encompasses her and her husband’s daily life; to live with design, to feel alive through design and to live through habitual creativity.
VIVI DESIGN CO. can be found locally in many murals around Central Oregon, including murals done for local businesses such as Dr. Jolly’s, Backporch Coffee Roasters, Kefi Fresh, the Cottonwood Cafe in Sisters, Pioneer Cannabis Co. in Madras and many others. Currently, VIVI DESIGN CO. is designing a mural for a local plant shop, Somewhere That’s Green.
Nate Decker’s fascination with beautiful wood and the stories behind it started in Hawaii, when he was growing up on Maui and later living on Kauai. Highly revered and endemic to Hawaii, koa wood is strong and light, and Decker learned to make things like picture frames and paddles from it, while also experimenting with mango and monkeypod woods. After making the move to the west coast nearly six years ago, Decker landed in Bend, setting up his modest woodshop in the garage of his new home on the west side of town.
With Bend as a home base, he traveled to Montana, where he used his professional background in hotel sales and marketing to help develop a large cattle ranch into a “dude ranch” destination. It was there he saw how purposefully new life could be given to old wood through projects happening on the ranch. “I was very inspired by how they used this barnwood,” said Decker, who began sourcing his own barnwood back in Oregon.
Decker’s signature piece became a mountainscape of five peaks in the Cascade Range—Mount Bachelor, South Sister, Middle Sister, North Sister and Broken Top—created with repurposed wood from old Oregon barns or other structures. For each piece he creates, Decker can explain exactly where the wood originated, showing old pictures of structures and providing the history of how he came across the materials, whether it’s lath from a 90-year-old house being knocked down in Bend, wood from an old barn he helped tear down in La Pine or Lakeview or blue pine harvested on Santiam Pass after one of last summer’s forest fires. He spends hours carefully milling the wood, preserving details such as cracks, fading, weathering or bits of lichen that add subtle color. “Old wood has textures that you can’t recreate, that only sun, rain, wind or snow can (create),” he said.
Decker officially launched his company, Five Peaks Woodworks, in 2020. An outdoorsman and certified mountain guide, Decker has always been drawn to the mountains. “Mountains are very inspiring to me,” he said. “They’re beautiful. They humble you, and they test you.” In addition to mountainscapes of the Pacific Northwest, desert inspired scenes and other designs, Decker also creates live edge cutting/charcuterie boards. The boards are designed to showcase the unique features of each piece of wood, with epoxy used to fill in cracks, sometimes adding pops of color to rich wood tones. He works with Epilogue, a lumber mill south of Portland, to sustainably source lumber from trees taken down by tree removal companies in urban areas. The wood would otherwise become wood chips or firewood but is instead given new life by Decker and other customers.
Five Peaks Woodworks
Sustainability fits in with Decker’s lifestyle, which revolves around time outdoors, on ranches, in the mountains, tending to overflowing garden boxes just outside his workshop and exploring with his dog, Bambam. The mild-mannered American bulldog and boxer mix was the first dog rescued by Real Good Rescue, a nonprofit based in California that Decker co-founded. Bambam hangs around the shop below Decker’s house most days, but heads upstairs when things get too loud or dusty, or when projects last late into the night. Some pieces can take days to create, especially when factoring in the time Decker spends sourcing wood (often helping to tear down barns), traveling around the state, milling and then imagining a new life for the materials through his designs. That time spent becomes part of the story of each piece of wood, carefully repurposed on a customer’s living room wall. “Whenever I make something for someone, I’m able to share the story behind it,” Decker said. “I think the extra effort is worth it.”
See Five Peaks Woodworks latest creations at fivepeakswoodworks.com. Charcuterie boards are available at Newport Market, 1121 NW Newport Avenue in Bend.
Editors Note: This article was originally published September 2021
Rob Little knew the power of the outdoors. He spent his youth hiking and camping in the mountains surrounding the Southern Oregon town of Medford where he grew up. His passion for outdoor recreation never waned and while studying creative retail strategies during his MBA program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Little and classmate Jared Peterson formed the seeds of what would later become Cairn—a subscription box service for outdoor gearheads, delivering curated products for camping, backpacking, hiking and other outdoor-related activities. Little and Peterson saw the success of companies doing similar concepts across the clothing, pet and food industries and modeled this same approach to the outdoors, which had not yet been done.
Cairn
Founded: 2014
A monthly and quarterly subscription box service for outdoor recreation consumers, delivering curated products for camping, backpacking, hiking and more.
Owners: Co-CEOs Rob Little and Jared Peterson
Fun fact: Since its founding, Cairn has partnered with over 300 outdoor brands to ship 3 million products to more than 75,000 outdoor enthusiasts around the U.S. Cairn was acquired by Outside in April 2021 and continues to be run by Little and Peterson in Bend.
Though Cairn was not much more than an idea at the time, when Little finished his MBA in 2013, he and his wife Betsey took the plunge and moved to Bend with the idea that a successful business and personal passions were not mutually exclusive.
“Bend checked all the buckets,” Little said. “The outdoors, the people and the spirit of the city were exactly what we wanted. At that point, it was the mechanics of quitting our jobs, packing up everything we owned in our car and making the trip.”
Like Little, most residents in Bend come to the area for one shared goal: to be surrounded by—and enjoy the fruits of—the outdoors. It’s no surprise this mentality blends into the business community as well. According to Brian Vierra, outgoing venture catalyst at Economic Development for Central Oregon, many entrepreneurs move to the area first, and then once settle, begin to establish roots in the business community. “People move here to take advantage of a lifestyle,” he said. “But once they’re here, they’re committed to an area, and they start to build relationships. If you’re entrepreneurial, eventually you start a business here, whether you originally worked in the [Central Oregon] area or not.”
It’s this combination of entrepreneurial and adventurous mindset that makes Bend unique. It’s also these factors—along with an amazing mentorship network—that makes Bend great for startups and early-stage companies.
Mentors and Talent All Around
Brian Vierra
Economic Development of Central Oregon
Founded: 1981
Helps with the economic development of Central Oregon through three key areas: Move (recruitment of companies to Bend); Start (startups); and Grow (helping with retention and growth through incentives and other means).
CEO: Roger Lee
Fun fact: In addition to putting on the Bend Venture Conference, EDCO also offers mentoring resources through its Stable of Experts program.
Van Shoessler
Bend Venture Conference
Founded: 2003
A multi-day conference put on by EDCO that brings together entrepreneurs and business owners to pitch innovative ideas in front of peers, angel investors and the Bend community.
How it works: Entrepreneurs and business owners across three categories—Growth Stage, Impact and Early Stage—compete to become a category finalist and earn the right to pitch their business idea for a chance to win financial rewards and services.
How to enter: Prospective applicants submitted throughthe BVC website in August 2021.October 21 to 22, 2021, Tower Theatre, Downtown Bend | bendvc.com
“Bend is the perfect place to begin or domicile a startup,” said EDCO’s Vierra. “It’s not as noisy as the Bay Area, not as much activity or competition.” But the biggest advantage, according to Vierra, is the small-town ability to make big time connections.
Van Shoessler, former VP of sales at insulated drinkware maker Stanley PMI, came to the area in the second half of his career and began to connect with like-minded outdoor industry veterans such as Gary Bracelin, who helped pioneer the snowboard sports category in the 1990s. With help from EDCO, the pair formed the Oregon Outdoor Alliance, with a goal to bring together outdoor industry employees to create vibrant communities. “We wanted to create the infrastructure here first, then attract the businesses and people,” Shoessler said. Eventually, bridges were built and pavement was laid to begin connecting existing outdoor industry employees together and new ones in. Now, the ease of connecting for this sector in this community is amazing, he said. “You have a beer with someone and the next thing you know you have six names,” Shoessler said. “If you come here as an entrepreneur and realize your gaps, you can find someone to help you fill those.”
Jesse Thomas, co-founder of Picky Bars, which was recently acquired by Laird Superfood, knows this firsthand. Thomas, his wife and co-founder Lauren Fleishman, and the team’s third co-founder Steph Bruce—three active professional athletes—moved the energy bar company to Bend from Eugene just three years into its short lifespan. Thomas sought to connect in the community quickly after moving to Bend. He joined Opportunity Knocks, an organization that matches like-minded business owners, CEOs, community leaders and key employees with a trusted team of peers who act as an informal board of advisors. Looking back, Thomas said that he feels fortunate to have landed in the group he did. “The people that played a part in Picky Bars’ growth were people from my Opportunity Knocks group who built successful businesses here,” Thomas said. “People like Scott Allan from Hydro Flask, Will Blount from Ruffwear, Meg and Dave Chun from Kialoa and Eric Meade—they were sounding boards for me early on. I was really lucky to be in that group and spend time with them.”
Gary Bracelin
Opportunity Knocks
Founded: 1996
Bend-based 501(c)6 nonprofit that brings together like-minded business owners, CEOs, community leaders and key employees with a trusted team of peers to act as an informal board of advisors to help achieve business goals.
OOA Co-Founder Gary Bracelin, who also launched an outdoor incubator called Bend Outdoor Worx, calls Bend a “one-and-a-half-degree of separation” town. “We have an incredible amount of talent and resources here,” he said. “Whether through OOA, EDCO, Opportunity Knocks, BOW—the support and infrastructure are there to bring the talent together. That’s the difference.”
Brian Vierra from EDCO said many of these key individuals are newly retired or winding down their career and looking for something to do in addition to recreation. “They tend to make themselves accessible and help people who ask,” he said. “There are no companies big enough to support them and so they help in other ways, which is often helping startups.”
Cairn’s Rob Little took full advantage of those willing to listen and give advice, gleaning knowledge from the vast outdoor industry experience available. “I took every meeting I could get,” he said. “If they’d talk with me, I shared everything and listened to what they had to say.” After Little prodded Gary Bracelin, he eventually landed Cairn in the inaugural class of BOW. “I wanted them all around the table to vet these things I was going through,” he said. The mentorship through BOW helped establish a firmer direction for the business and fill in the gaps for areas such as finance and accounting, among others.
Outside of the outdoor industry, the willingness to help can be hit or miss. According to Hunter Neubauer and Kevin Hogan, founders of cannabis producer and retailer Oregrown, the cannabis industry is about as cutthroat is it gets, though mostly due to law. “There’s not a lot of collaborative efforts in town,” Hogan said. “Nearly every other market nationwide is less competitive due to regulation. We’ve got the least barriers for entry, which creates more competition.”
Neubauer said he hopes one day this will change but for the moment, cannabis businesses need to look outside of their own industry for help. With a retail business, Neubauer and Hogan have worked closely with the Bend Chamber of Commerce, who the pair said has been very supportive. “In all honesty, I was shocked in the beginning,” Neubauer said. “They were extremely helpful to us and have been a huge advocate from the start.”
The positive impression eventually led Neubauer to join the Chamber board, on which he still serves. To his knowledge, the Bend Chamber of Commerce was the first in the country to have a cannabis business owner on the board.
Lauren Fleishman, Jesse Thomas, and Steph Bruce
Picky Bars
Founded: 2010
Real food energy bars and oats designed for athletes in mind, helping to fuel adventures with organic ingredients, plant-based protein and intentionally balanced nutrients and flavors. All products are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free while some are vegan.
Owners: Former professional athletes Lauren Fleishman, Jesse Thomas and Steph Bruce.
Fun fact: Picky Bars was sold in April 2021 to Sisters-based Laird Superfood for $12 million. Laird Superfood saw a 98 percent salesincrease of their primary businessin 2020, reaching $26 million.
Though Bend is rich with mentorship and business support, it’s not without its flaws and challenges. Geographic isolation makes it challenging for travel, both for employees and more importantly, for production. “It’s an extra leg anywhere you go when traveling, which makes it so much tougher,” said EDCO’s Vierra.
Cairn Co-Founder Jared Peterson said the company was forced to push their distribution out of Bend once they reached a certain threshold. “Distribution was by far the biggest challenge for us here, and probably something that can never get solved simply because Bend is so isolated.”
Thomas and Picky Bars still manufacture and ship from Bend,albeit at a cost. “We’ve always done our fulfillment from Bend,but it’s been a challenge,” he said. “It delays shipping both to us and our customers and it costs more. It’s more time and more money.”
A more recent challenge for companies has been housing and the impact on employee acquisition. Thomas believes that it could be one of the primary limiting factors in the economic growth of Bend in the foreseeable future. “People are getting priced out of homes, and it’s getting harder for companies to attract these employees,” he said.
In addition to the affordable housing shortage, general increased cost of living and the small market has negatively impacted employee acquisition as well. Cairn’s Peterson said the fear of “If it doesn’t work out with you guys, what else is there?” is something that looms in the back of many potential candidates’ minds. But for those that do work out, it’s a dream combination for everyone involved.
Kevin Hogan and Hunter Neubauer
Oregrown
Founded: 2015
A farm-to-table cannabis company headquartered in Bend offering consumers 21-years of age or older recreational and medicinal cannabis products.
Owners: Hunter Neubauer, co-founder and chairman of the board; Kevin Hogan, co-founder and president
Fun fact: With a flagship store in Bend, the company has expanded to open new stores in Portland and Cannon Beach, with a Eugene location slated to open later in 2021.
The slower pace of life and welcoming environment driven by the Bend lifestyle also bleeds into the investment circles of Central Oregon. Though by no means as affluent as larger markets such as Portland, Seattle or the Bay Area, there is money in Bend for those with a good idea and the willingness to work for it.
Cairn’s Peterson quit what he called his “dream job” at Apple for a chance to grow a successful business of his own. Peterson moonlighted for several years with Cairn before fully committing and leaving Apple to move to Bend in 2015. Though Peterson said moving to Bend was one of the toughest decisions he’d ever made, it was a risk worth taking. “The idea of living in Bend and building our own brand was appealing,” he said. “There was momentum and it was exciting.”
His previous experience in the heart of the tech industry gave him insight into how the traditional venture capital model worked. “Silicon Valley is go big or go home,” he said. “There’s a standard VC model, and it’s much more cutthroat. Here it’s more grassroots. You tap into angel investors who are a little more patient, and they help your business grow.” Peterson noted that nearly all the individuals who invested in Cairn were either from the area or connected to someone in the Bend community.
The Bend Venture Conference, which kicks off October 21, is a primary driver of funding for the region. The multi-day conference attracts angel investors to hear entrepreneurs and business owners from around the country pitch their innovative ideas in front of their peers and community. The competition is broken out into three categories—Growth Stage, Impact and Early Stage—with three to five finalist companies selected in each category. According to EDCO’s Vierra, the conference is the largest angel conference in the West and is now in its eighteenth year. “Over the past six years, the conference has invested over $11 million in thirty-eight companies,” said Vierra, who’s quick to add that this number doesn’t include the investments that happen outside the conference but were initially started or connected within the conference itself.
Affton Coffelt
Rob Little attended BVC prior to moving and said the spirit of the conference helped push him over the edge to relocate. The small-town setup is known for its energy and Little felt the buzz. Just over a year later, he was pitching the idea of Cairn on the stage and even walked away with a $15,000 Fire Starter Award, which is given to one of the conference’s concept or launch stage finalists.
“BVC gave us a lot of energy,” said Little, who also competed the following year. “I equate it to playing a sport in a big event—there’s a big audience, you want to do well, you want to hear a response. It’s inspirational.”
Broken Top Candles CEO and Founder Affton Coffelt pitched at BVC on two occasions and said each taught her something new about her business. “When I pitched the early stage, it allowed me to fully connect with the community and learn the resources available for entrepreneurs and startups,” she said. The second time, when pitching for the growth category, pushed her to look at her business in ways she hadn’t before. “It forced me to an uncomfortable place that really benefitted me in the long run. In the end, it gave me the confidence and courage to dive further and learn things both about myself and my business.”
Coffelt went deep in the rounds both years at BVC, and although she didn’t walk away with any awards, she said what came out of the experience was substantial for the business. “It was a flipping point,” she said. “I knew where we wanted to be, but when outside people start to acknowledge what you have, it gives your business validity.”
Little echoed these sentiments, saying BVC led to alignment with the community. “Our primary motivation was not being on the stage but trying to connect to the town. We wanted the community to embrace Cairn and have pride for us,” he said.
Broken Top Candles
Founded: 2015
Home and personal care products such as candles, linen sprays, lotions, soaps, sanitizers, diffusers and perfumes.
Owner: Affton Coffelt, founder and CEO
Fun fact: Currently in more than 2,500 retail locations around the country and employs twenty-three Bendites. The company is also a1% for the Planet member company.
Broken Top Candles’ Coffelt said that getting people behind you that understand your business is key. Coffelt said she has worked with or been involved in nearly every group Bend has to offer, from EDCO and pitching on the BVC stage to Opportunity Knocks, the Chamber and even state and national groups such as Business Oregon and Vistage. Each can serve a purpose depending on what you’re looking for and the stage you are in, she said. “Know your resources and stay connected,” Coffelt advised. “Even if you try something and it doesn’t work out, know there are other groups and people. Everybody in this community wants you to succeed.”
Jesse Thomas commented that even direct competitors can be willing to lend a hand. Andy Hannagan, the owner of energy ball company Bounce Bars, was one of the first people he met in Bend. “He had this big brand in Australia and was growing it in the U.S. He was so helpful and supportive,” Thomas said. “Even after the acquisition, he reached out and congratulated me.”
EDCO’s Viera said the business community has a “rising tide floats all boats” mentality. “You’ll see competitors helping each other out because they all want to see the community of Bend succeed,” he said.
Looking back now, Little said BVC, the mentorship and the abundant resources available through the Bend business community proved pivotal for the trajectory of Cairn. “If I had one piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs in Bend, it would be to go all in,” he said. “Commit and be vulnerable. Stealth mode in business is not constructive. So much of success is feedback.”
Walking into Sen, a new Thai noodle house that specializes in street food recipes and hot pot meals, feels a bit like walking into an art gallery. Visitors are greeted by chic white walls, modern light fixtures and high ceilings with towering windows that go nearly to the top—perfect for gazing out over the Deschutes River that flows outside. The décor is intentional; nothing is thrown together haphazardly, and everything has a purpose.
The same could be said about the food, and the ingredients used to create each dish. I ordered the tom yum boran, a noodle soup with ground pork, lime, cilantro, crushed peanuts and bean sprouts, while my friend and dinner date across the table ordered the pad thai goong, adding prawns (goong means “prawn” in Thai) to the classic stir fry dish.
Sen is owned and operated by Rosie Westlund, her parents Paul and Ampawan Itti, and her cousin, Bua Karoon. The same family, originally from Chaing Mai, Thailand, owns another popular Thai restaurant, Wild Rose, just a few blocks away. Westlund explained that Sen acts as an overflow for Wild Rose, and vice versa.
“When people call or walk in and we can’t seat them, they sometimes ask ‘are there any other Asian restaurants nearby?’ and now we can just direct them to our other restaurant,” Westlund said.
Rather than simply opening a second location for Wild Rose, Sen allowed for a diversity of flavors and a wider range of dishes.
“Wild Rose is exclusively a Northern Thai restaurant. Sen brings together flavors from across the country, but the menus don’t cross over,” Westlund said. “In Thailand, most people eat at food stalls that specialize in just one dish. We’ve taken our favorites from when we go to Thailand and decided to serve them all here, as opposed to sticking to one regional cuisine.”
I was delighted to see that each noodle soup came with five different presentations, made up of four different noodle types to choose from or an option to ditch the noodles for a bowl of rice, instead. Westlund mentioned that this is pretty standard in noodle houses across Thailand. Outside of the noodle soups, every entrée comes with the famous (or infamous, if you don’t prefer spice) question, “how spicy would you like that?” Guests can decide how brave they are, on a scale of one through five. Even further to the delight of the table, the waitress brought out a rack with various small jars filled with spicy combinations of peppers, brines, oils and spices—perfect for adding some additional flavor to any dish.
My tom yum soup came out of the kitchen begging to be photographed; each ingredient was placed piling over the edges of the bowl, showcasing contrasts of both color and texture. The broth was a sweet, sour and spicy medley, taken to another level with bites of fatty and savory ground pork with light, crunchy bean sprouts and cilantro. With the addition of a halved hard boiled egg and an entire fried wonton placed on top, this entree was well worth the price tag of $18.
Speaking of price, a night at Sen doesn’t have to break the bank. Guests have a full bar available and cocktails cost around $15 a drink, but there is always the option to opt for a Thai light beer, which only ran us $4 a bottle.
While Sen has upscale and fine dining qualities, the atmosphere of the restaurant strays closer to the establishments back in Thailand that inspire the menu, the Thai noodle shop. The Sen website says that these shops are “busy, bustling and vibrant institutions,” and in the best way possible, that is what dining at Sen feels like. Friends and family are talking and laughing, the employees are in good spirits and the entire building just feels full of life. Nothing felt stiff and everyone felt comfortable, so much so that the bartender was cracking some jokes with our table.
From left to right: Tyler and Rosie Westlund, Ampawan and Paul Itti, Bua Karoon and family.
Getting to this friendly, delicious place did not come without challenges. The owners spent about two years trying to open; about a year and a half was spent on construction, which took considerably longer to complete due to health and safety restrictions related to the pandemic. “Our forte is in the restaurant side of things, and we had to learn a lot about construction while the process was taking place. It was little things like picking door handles, hardware accents and lights that we’ve never done before,” Westlund said. “It was definitely a learning process.”
Sen walks the line between casual and fine dining; it is simultaneously where I’d take out-of-town friends to showcase Bend’s nicer side, and where I’d want to meet up with locals for consistently good food and cheap beer.
Sen Thai Hot Pot and Noodle House | 65 NW Newport Avenue, Suite 100, Bend | senhotpot.com
On the set of The Way West starring Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark, Sally Field, Lola Albright and Jack Elam, 1967.
Midway through 1955, polio vaccines finally made their way to Central Oregon, American military advisors began training troops in “Viet Nam,” the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs commemorated the 100th anniversary of their treaty with the U.S. Government, and a windstorm just before July 4 swept through Bend and wrecked the Mirror Pond arch, the anchor piece to the iconic Water Pageant.
But no event garnered as much attention from the Bend media that summer as Kirk Douglas and his film The Indian Fighter, which was shot throughout Central Oregon.
The high desert had been used in movies before—Marlene Dietrich starred in Golden Earrings, a 1947 World War II spy/romance flick which filmed around the Metolius River—but The Indian Fighter put Central Oregon on the map as a location for big, wide-open spaces that were perfect for Westerns, adventure films and even an Animal House-meets-Porky’s-on-the-water comedy in the mid-1980s.
On The Indian Fighter film set with Kirk Douglas, 1955.
“You’ve got to remember, back in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, we’re still super rural,” said Kelly Cannon-Miller, executive director of the Deschutes Historical Museum, which currently has a cinema exhibit that features The Indian Fighter and other movies filmed in Central Oregon. “We have some nice, lovely landscapes where you don’t have to edit out power lines and a lot of other modern things, and you can still get sweeping vistas of a Western frontier. Film producers still had access to wild places pretty easily.”
Playing a key role in the area’s development as a film destination was the Bend Chamber of Commerce’s decision to fund Fort Benham for $30,000. A 200-foot-by-200-foot replica stockade by Benham Falls, Fort Benham was built specifically for The Indian Fighter but also with the goal of attracting other film productions.
“United Artists, not the U.S. Army, built the stockade known alternately as Fort Benham and Fort Laramie in 1955,” the Deschutes Historical Museum said in an exhibit devoted to Bend’s cinematic history.
Kirk Douglas and Elsa Martinelli on the set of The Indian Fighter, 1955.
“We’re really at a place where everyone is looking at what else is out there from an economic development standpoint,” added Cannon-Miller, who points out the Shevlin-Hixon Mill had closed five years earlier and Bachelor Butte’s transformation to the Mt. Bachelor ski area was still three years away. “Our shift to tourism is still very much in the planning stages. People wanting to make Bachelor Butte a world-class ski area are realizing you need more hotels, more gas stations, a better road up to the mountain. The area’s really looking to create a new industry following the loss of Shevlin-Hixon and the business community really stepped up. Hollywood took notice that Bend’s open and welcome (for film production), and businesses are willing to support this new emerging industry.”
The films Oregon Passage (1957) and Tonka (1958) both used the fictional fort, as did several episodes of the TV show Have Gun, Will Travel, which aired from 1957 to 1963. (The criminally underrated Day of the Outlaw was shot in the same time period, but didn’t use Fort Benham, and was instead filmed in the snow at Dutchman Flat Sno-Park and Todd Lake.) Unfortunately, a fire in 1962 damaged much of the area around the fort, and it was later demolished as it became a fire danger itself (and a bit of a house of moral disrepute, according to locals).
Despite the loss of Fort Benham, Central Oregon continued to attract major Hollywood pictures. Mara of the Wilderness (1964) (think female Tarzan set in the Cascades); Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum in The Way West (1967); the Disney comedy The AppleDumpling Gang (1974); and John Wayne’s True Grit sequel, Rooster Cogburn (1974) all staged scenes in and around Bend in the 1960s and ‘70s.
While Westerns initially dominated movie productions in the area, the 1980s ushered in an era of unintentionally hilarious, yet really bad films. St. Helens (1981) attempted to depict the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption—yep, that’s the Pine Tavern doubling as the exterior of Whittaker’s Inn—but instead the volcanic ash looked more like the Nothing from The Neverending Story and the romantic storyline felt like something out of a rejected Northern Exposure episode.
Paramount Studios, Rooster Cogburn shooting in Shevlin Park with “The Duke” John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn, 1974.
Just as bad, but not nearly as serious, was Up the Creek, which featured a 36-year-old Tim Matheson, of Animal House fame, as a 12th-year college student who is essentially blackballed into entering the national collegiate whitewater championships by the dean of his school. (Yes, that is the basis for the entire movie.) Heavy on recycled jokes from Animal House and Porky’s (and light on plot), Up the Creek did not earn the adoration of the cinematic world.
“The only thing good about this movie is Chuck, played by Jake the Wonder Dog,” wrote Washington Post film critic Rita Kempley, who called the film a “moist smut movie.” “Chuck has all the best scenes. Still, that brave little pooch is Up the Creek without a dog paddle.”
Since Matheson guided fictional Lepetomane University to immortal whitewater rafting fame on the Deschutes, Central Oregon has seen Chance, Shadow and Sassy try to make their way home in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993); Kevin Costner and Tom Petty trek through Smith Rock in The Postman (1997); Steve Zahn awkwardly pursues Jennifer Aniston in Madras in Management (2008); and Reese Witherspoon finds herself out of water in the Badlands east of Bend, which was transformed into the Mojave Desert for Wild (2014).
Stay tuned, as more films will surely make use of the beautiful and diverse Central Oregon landscape in the future.
When Whitney Keatman launched Sparrow Bakery in 2006, she got creative with her sourdough starter. “An old concord grapevine was thriving outside our building. I used the grape skins’ natural yeast to start the culture. Fifteen years later, we’re using the same starter for our breads,” Keatman said.
Sourdough starters, those gooey mixtures of microbes, water and flour, act as a natural leaveners. Starters require regular care and feeding; at Sparrow Bakery, the bakers replenish the large bucket of sourdough starter with flour and water daily, after the doughs are mixed and set to rise. During rise time, the complex blend of yeast and good bacteria digest the flour, releasing bubbles of carbon dioxide.
The benefits of sourdough go beyond an airy loaf, according to Keatman. This ancient method involves fermentation, when the microbes produce lactic acid that shifts the bread’s flavor and structure. “The starter brings that sour tang and breaks down some of the gluten, so the bread is more nutritious and easier to digest,” she explained.
Fermentation– it’s not just for beer!
Whether in beverages or food, fermentation happens when good microbes (probiotics) metabolize carbohydrates to create enzyme and acids that transform the food’s flavors and nutritional profiles. From sourdough and yogurt to kimchi and tempeh, fermented foods are found in cuisines around the globe. Before refrigeration, fermentation was essential to extend foods’ shelf life. Today, foodies appreciate the umami undertones of fermented foods, as well the impact of probiotics on digestive health, mental clarity and mood stability.
Super Belly Ferments’ Chive Lime Probiotic Dressing Marinade. Additional flavors offered are Balsamic Beet, Caesar, Goddess and Ranch flavors.
Paul Trendler and Sarah Frost-McKee, of Bend, became enamored with fermented vegetables when their son was born. “Our veggie ferments ramped up nutrition for all three of us. The diverse array of nutrients from the probiotics and prebiotics—they play a vital role in resiliency for the gut-mind connection,” Trendler said. Science backs up that connection: regular consumption of probiotic-rich food helps moderate blood sugar, boost liver function and lower cholesterol. Just as importantly, fermented foods influence the gut-brain connection. By supporting the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, probiotics can lower anxiety and boost cognitive function.
Trendler and Frost-McKee grew their passion into two businesses: Local Culture Ferments, which offers a variety of fermented vegetables, and Super Belly Ferments, for their line of salad dressings made from fermented ingredients. “Drizzling a bit onto salad or vegetables makes it easy for any person, from toddlers to grandparents, to get probiotics into their diet,” Trendler said.
Bringing Protein to the Vegan Plate
Long before mass-produced meat substitutes landed in grocery store freezers, fermented soybeans known as tempeh provided a high-protein meat alternative. Tempeh is an Indonesian dish that involves soybeans wrapped in banana leaves, along with a type of fungus culture called Rhizopus. This process grows a mesh of mycelium around the beans, and binds them together. The lacto-fermentation process, started by the fungus, keeps undesirable microbes from thriving.
Super Belly Ferments’ Lemon Cayenne Probiotic Drink. The company also offers pomegranate, tumeric ginger and lime flavors.
Preserving the Flavor, Respecting the Land
Sauerkraut may be the most well-known fermented dish, but it’s spicier cousin kimchi has a growing fanbase. Kay Declercq, of Root Cellar Staples in Bend, makes both by hand in small batches. She slices napa cabbage for the kimchi and green cabbage for the sauerkraut, then salts the cabbage generously to draw out liquids. The salty brine supports the growth of lactobacteria on the cabbage surface, so no extra water or culture starter is needed.
After adding a slurry of spices and herbs, Declercq transfers the mixture to a fermentation vessel with a special lid that allows bubbling gases to escape. As the lactic acid concentration rises, Declercq monitors the pH carefully. “The right acidity is what keeps the food stable. It’s a beautiful way to preserve food in its natural state,” Declercq said. While pickling vegetables with vinegar and salt can produce a sharp acidity similar to fermented brine, pickling does not involve probiotics, she clarified.
Beyond the health benefits of fermented foods, Declercq views fermentation through a sustainability lens. “Preserving food through fermentation honors the work of the farmers that grew it. Instead of letting fresh veggies go to waste, fermentation makes them even more dense with nutrients. It’s a way to respect the farms and the soil,” she said.
DIY fermentation
Even with a wide range of probiotic-rich foods available in Central Oregon, making fermented foods at home appeals to many adventurous amateur chefs. As Declercq noted, any vegetable can be added to a batch of sauerkraut or kimchi, reducing the food waste at home. And as for the sourdough starter, Keatman advises people to worry less about the details, and just give it a try. As she said, “If it fails, just start over. The results are so worth the effort.”
In 2004, Arlene Gibson was working as a corporate lawyer and caretaking for her aging mother. Right before her mother passed away, she told Gibson to switch directions in her life and change career paths to something more involved with helping others. This set Gibson on a path that would eventually cross with that of Carol Oxenrider, who, after her husband died, yearned to spend her life helping others. Together, Oxenrider and Gibson founded Younity in Bend in 2006.
Younity is a local nonprofit that advocates for bullying and suicide prevention through educational services and programs for both kids and adults. The organization has reached nearly 10,000 kids in Central Oregon, helping them deal with issues such as bullying through an approach that is based around love and healthy communication. “We don’t fight, and we always preach nonviolence,” Gibson said. “That being said, we do teach kids how to deal with bullying on both sides of the issue.”
Co-Founder Arlene Gibson “There’s a quote hanging on my office wall from Gandhi that reads, ‘we must be the change we wish to see in the world.’ That perfectly explains why Younity is important to me.”
Younity teaches that bullying and other types of aggression come from some sort of pain or trauma from inside the bully. With this mentality, the organization has led seminars and assemblies in local schools where students who are bullied learn techniques to deal with the situation, while kids who bully are helped to understand why they bully, and what healthier ways there are to express emotions. “I’ve seen kids who you would never think would be friends, kids who have been bullying one another, stand up and apologize to those who they hurt,” Oxenrider said.
Through their programs, Younity teaches skills that kids will find valuable as they grow and mature, such as emotional maturity, healthy ways of dealing with trauma and conflict resolution. Take Younity’s Inspiration Day, for example. This program is set in school and is tailored for students, parents and all staff. Through assemblies, individually tailored classroom lessons and small group workshops, Younity provides people with the confidence and the know-how to recognize bullying, stand up to it and communicate about it in healthy ways. Aside from bullying, Younity also offers programs to support mental health in students and raise awareness for depression and suicide.
Co-Founder Carol Oxenrider “Younity’s own motto, ‘together we are stronger,’ encapsulates exactly why I believe Younity is important.”
Younity is able to do so because of the generous work of more than 2,000 volunteers and a dedicated board of directors; so dedicated to helping children that Younity is one of the only local nonprofits with no salaried employees, meaning that all money raised goes towards programs that help kids and families.
A board member who would prefer to keep her last name anonymous said she was excited to learn about a Central Oregon organization advocating for bullying prevention. “Bullying is an important issue in this day and age, especially with it becoming more pervasive thanks to social media,” Claire said.
On the future of Younity, the board is optimistic. Claire said, “I believe Younity will evolve with the changing needs of young people. We are always looking for more members to join this wonderful organization to help us further advance the impact Younity has on our community.”
Contact
To volunteer, donate or get involved with Younity in any capacity, reach out here: younityus.org | (541) 382-1093
Fall hikes in the Rogue Siskiyou National Forest offer an extraordinary opportunity to explore a 1.8 million-acre expanse of some of the most unique and biodiverse land one can find in the nation. It is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the beauty of autumn while traversing the magnificent mountains, rivers and lakes that dot and wind through the landscape. The incredible diversity of flora, fauna and landscape didn’t just spring about for no reason. This land has an ancient secret that has helped it become the enchanted forest it is today.
Like much of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, the Rogue Siskiyou National Forest has a notable geological past. Unlike the rest of Oregon, the rocks in this forest are particularly old, and were not formed exclusively by volcanic activity. 200 million-year-old rock that was formed by underwater volcanoes and the constant shifting of both tectonic plates and the underwater currents themselves support the habitat of countless sensitive plant species that have a hard time surviving elsewhere. This explains why when Dr. Robert Whittaker, a giant in the world of ecology, explored the region in 1950, he named it one of the most biodiverse places in the nation, only rivaled by the Great Smoky Mountains of the American South.
The Rogue Siskiyou National Forest got its name when the Rogue National Forest was combined with the Siskiyou National Forest in 2004. The word “siskiyou” comes from the Indigenous Cree and means “bob-tailed horse.” The word became associated with the forest in 1828 when French Canadian workers of the Hudson Bay Company began to call it that.
Fast forward to now, and the modern Rogue Siskiyou National Forest is ripe for adventure and exploration by everyone. There are seemingly endless options for hikers in the area, so here are a few great spots to get you started.
A local favorite hike is the Raine Falls Trail, located an hour west of Medford and through Grants Pass. The drive might be a bit long, but the hike is so worth it. The out-and-back trail hugs the banks of the Rogue River for all 3.7 miles, providing constant views of the raging waters below. At the end of the hike, you’ll come across Raine Falls, a wide and short waterfall at a bottleneck section of the river where huge amounts of water are pushed through a small section, creating monumental whitewater rapids. Sometimes, you’ll even be lucky enough to catch an expert rafter or kayaker brave the falls. This trail is overall moderate in difficulty, with a few sections of uneven terrain.
For a longer day hike with breathtaking views of expansive forests and not-so-distant mountain peaks, try out the Wagner Butte Trail. A 40-minute drive south of Medford, this 9.4 miles out and back trail is considered one of the more difficult climbs in the region but well worth the effort. Much of the hike takes place in a shaded forest, offering relief from the sun. In this section, hikers will get an up-close look at the incredible biodiversity that lies within the forest and might even catch a glimpse of wildflowers if they hike early enough in the season. After climbing 2,300 vertical feet, hikers will get amazing views on clear days, catching glimpses of Mt. Shasta to the south, coastal range peaks to the west and many more hills and buttes that can be tackled in other hikes.
For a family-friendly hike that feels more like frolicking through a magical forest, check out the aptly named Enchanted Forest Trail, which breaks off into the Felton Memorial Trail. Another hike that lies about forty minutes from Medford via highway, the Enchanted Forest Trail is a 4.4 mile out and back hike that features a lush forest of madrone, fir and pine trees, wildflowers in the spring and summer, an antique and abandoned Chevy truck, and even a chance to witness wildlife like deer and wild turkeys. The hike itself is made mostly out of switchbacks but offers amazing views of the Applegate Valley. About three-quarters of a mile in, hikers will come across a fork in the road that leads to the Felton Memorial. Instead of switchbacks, this trail will offer a much more gradual climb until hikers reach a clearing where a helicopter crashed in 1993.
Rogue River flowing through Siskiyou National Forest
For serious backpackers looking to take in as much of the Rogue River as possible, there is a trail at the north end of the Rogue Siskiyou National Forest perfect for river exploration. The Rogue River National Recreation trail is not for the faint of heart but can offer a true taste of remote adventure. The trailhead is a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Medford, but don’t worry about driving it twice in one day. The 40-mile trail typically takes hikers 4-5 days to complete as they hike the length of the river between Big Bend and Grave Creek. The trail includes uneven terrain and is considered one of the most difficult hikes in the region. Due to moderate temperatures, fall is an ideal time to attempt the hike. While the trail comes with risks, it also comes with great rewards; majestic and steep canyon walls, cascading waterfalls and idyllic creek after creek are just a few of the sights to behold along the wild Rogue River. Some hikers opt to have support via boat and have supplies delivered to them that way, while others choose to pack everything on the trail.
While some trails are more well maintained than others, all trails can be kept clean by following the simple principle of “pack it in, pack it out.” Simply put, hikers are expected to leave no trace as they take with them everything that they brought with them, including trash that would otherwise litter the trail.
These hikes are just a fraction of the adventure waiting for visitors in the Rogue Siskiyou National Forest. From family-friendly trails to days of overnight backpacking, this enchanted forest, filled with lush trees, vibrant wildflowers and some extreme biodiversity, will keep hikers wanting to revisit again and again.
Finding ways to alter one’s state of consciousness is human nature. For some, the gravity-assisted sport of downhill mountain biking does just that. When skill is matched with challenge, mind and body become one in an effortless ability to conquer jumps, ride berms and simply stay on the trail until the bottom of the hill; the rider enters a flow state.
Fifteen-year-old Arlie Connolly, a competitive downhill racer and free rider, describes this energized focus in one word: freedom. “I feel free to be able to do and explore whatever I want. I can push myself how I feel comfortable, and it just makes me feel super free,” said Connolly.
In the case of downhill riding, freedom comes with risk, and Connolly counters the inevitable risk of speed and aggressive riding by wearing ankle braces, knee pads, body armor, a neck brace, a full-face helmet and elbow pads. “When you’re going fast, lose control and start tomahawking down the mountain, and you can walk away from it, that’s nice,” said Connolly.
Great local shops including Pine Mountain Sports, Sagebrush Cycles and Project Bike sell protective gear, share tips on trail condition, and rent and sell bikes. Important bike features to consider include suspension, wheel size, frame materials, gears and brakes.
Depending on how much downhill riding you intend to do, you may consider a downhill bike, made exclusively for descents due to large suspension and heavier weight, or an all-mountain bike, a cross between a trail and downhill bike, which allows for a more well-rounded ride that can still handle steep drops. Other special features worth noting include a dropper post (allowing a rider to quickly drop their seat for a descent), wide and stable handlebars, and grippy yet light pedals.
Central Oregon is a bucket-list destination for mountain biking and breeds young talent like Connolly, who competes nationally, but especially enjoys the comradery of going head to head with passionate local riders at competitions such as the Gravity Race Series at Mt. Bachelor, which just had its seventh annual series this past summer. The local community of passionate riders is stoked to welcome newcomers to the trails. Ready to take the plunge? Here are some top regional downhill trails to consider.
Photo Arian Stevens
Advanced
Redline at Mt. Bachelor Bike Park
Open until October 3, Mt. Bachelor offers more than thirteen miles of lift-served, downhill bike trails ranging from green to double black diamond. A staff favorite, Redline is not made for the weak-hearted. Located under Red Chair, the advanced jump-line trail provides berms, rollers and jumps to create a truly magical riding experience for those ready for some high-intensity action. The trail is closed daily and watered to keep the dirt and features in prime condition. There will be whoops and hollers (and maybe some backflips) on the world-class trail.intermediate Farewell near Bend
Arlie Connolly takes flight at the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park, photo Jesse Polay
From the Tumalo Falls parking area (or Skyline Sno-Park if parking is full), climb North Fork up to Mrazek for this speedy and scenic descent. In just three miles, riders descend more than 1,200 feet in elevation. The backdrop of this trail includes incredible views of the Cascades. Don’t get too caught up in the scenery, though. While there are no mandatory drops, there is loose rock, tight switchbacks and a seriously steep descent. Also, remember the most technical obstacle is other humans—slow down for hikers enjoying the trail.
Intermediate
Funner Near Bend
The name says it all. Loaded with a variety of natural features including drops, jumps and skinnies (ridden wooden features), the trail does a beautiful job of showing riders the landscape and geology of the area. Funner rides well most of the year and, after the highly-trafficked summer months, fall is the time to hit this techy trail in the Wanoga trail system, located south of the Cascade Lakes Highway.
Intermediate
Lawler Near Oakridge
Head southwest and in less than two hours, the mountain bike capital of the Northwest awaits. Oakridge offers hundreds of miles through the Willamette National Forest. Lawler Trail is one of the classic, more challenging rides with steep descents through a deep green forest with jagged ridgelines, tight switchbacks and take-your-breath-away exposure.
Tips For the Best Possible Ride
With a shuttle service, it really is all downhill. Local shuttle companies, including Cog Wild and Trans Cascadia Excursions, will shuttle you to the top of the trailhead for a reasonable price. Plan ahead and shuttle to check several rides off your list—a great way to experience as much as possible in a day.
Do your part to love the trails like they love you. As trail use gains popularity and Central Oregon grows in population, the collaboration between the biking community and the organizations that support the maintenance and momentum of the area need support. Consider donating or volunteering with Central Oregon Trail Alliance, buying a Northwest Forest Pass or even just picking up some litter on each ride. Happy Trails!
The intoxicating combination of the McKenzie River and the Willamette National Forest is extraordinarily otherworldly. This sensory playground where rustic solitude meets outdoor adventure is conveniently located halfway between Eugene and Sisters on Highway 126, approximately fifty miles from each direction.
With twigs snapping underfoot as my husband and I unloaded the car at our Horse Creek Lodge cabin, I was entranced by the pure scent of dew-infused Douglas fir trees. I did what anyone should do; paused for a moment and took it all in. Horse Creek Lodge is surrounded by forest and has three cabins, a lodge and a budget-friendly campground. I watched the fluttering Northern Flicker birds land on one tree, then another, forever undecided which branch was best. It was time to shake off the week and enjoy what awaits at the McKenzie Bridge scenic area.
photo courtesy of The Tokatee Golf Club
After a quick rest, we drove a short three miles down the highway for our afternoon tee time. Nestled in the shadow of the Cascades and along the McKenzie River is the historic Tokatee Golf Club. Still thriving after fifty-five years, Tokatee Golf Club public course has a rich history and a loyal following of golf enthusiasts. The entire course is hidden among the trees and is barely visible from the road. While Tokatee does not offer lodging, it does have a restaurant serving snacks and burgers and a sizable pro shop where I immediately bought a new golf glove with the assumption it would absolutely improve my game. Soon enough, we were ready to tee off at hole one—using GolfBoards instead of using golf carts to zip around the course. The GolfBoards are similar to large skateboards with a handle, and we rode them over the grass with our clubs attached to the front. It took a hole or two for me to get used to moving the GolfBoard by leaning my body forward; I had no idea how much those little hills on a golf course could be so fun! Four hours later, we concluded that our favorite unexpected sight on the course was the goat pen located on hole 17.
Hiking the McKenzie River Trail, photo Buddy Mays
Craving post-match nourishment, we drove halfway back to our cabin—a whopping 2.8 miles—and stopped at the McKenzie General Store and Obsidian Grill. This small rural store, open since 1932, offers organic groceries, snacks, beverages, craft beer and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings in their well-appointed courtyard behind the store; a large (weather permitting) fire pit, several tables and Adirondack chairs are scattered around, creating opportunities to visit and make new friends. In no time, we were enjoying nachos, salmon tacos and a juicy burger as the sun was going down and the Edison string lights softly glowed over our heads and under the stars.
The garden at Belknap Hot Springs, photo Norman Barrett, Alamy Stock Photo
Day two was full of promise! I sipped coffee in the crisp morning air on the cabin porch, still wrapped in a blanket. Horse Creek Lodge and Outfitters is a full-service adventure hub as well as our lodging site. Owners Gary and Alyssa Brownlee are rafting guides, hiking and biking enthusiasts, and McKenzie area experts. We opted for a rafting trip and headed to the launch site on the McKenzie River. With life jackets on, waivers signed and instructions understood, we were soon splashing our way through class II and class III rapids. There are serene spots throughout the float that softly glide the raft downstream, and the highlight is to float under the Belknap Covered Bridge. Named for an early pioneer settler, Rollin Belknap, the bridge dates back to 1890 and is on its third reproduction—brightly painted white, fully encased, and situated in lush greenery; it’s a pretty sight.
After the cool water of the river and the physical exhaustion of rafting, we took a nice soak in the Belknap Hot Springs. This outdoor pool is located at the Belknap Hot Springs Hotel and is a short six miles east of Horse Creek Lodge. The relaxing, warm water was just what we needed to wrap up the weekend.
Belknap Covered Bride, photo Leon Werdinger, Alamy Stock Photo
The 2020 Holiday Hill Fire
The Holiday Hill fire burned more than 170,000 acres and destroyed more than 700 structures in the McKenzie Valley in 2020. The fire threatened, but did not take, Tokatee Golf Club and Horse Creek Lodge. Hiking trails, boat launches and many vacation lodgings have all been affected, as have the roadways. Use travel precautions and check the road forecasts for delays or closures. Do your part to give back to the local communities by supporting local businesses and recovery efforts. See mckenzierecovery.org for more information.
It was September 2014 when a UPS truck arrived at Sunriver Brewing Company with 200 pounds of fresh Mosaic hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington. The shipment took Brett Thomas, then one of Sunriver’s two brewers, by surprise; he’d been expecting the hops, but not for at least another day or two. Thomas wasn’t sure whether the delivery was due to a miscommunication, missed phone call, or lost voicemail—but when the shipment arrived at the brewhouse, he knew he needed to do something with the hops—and fast. Thomas immediately ruled out storing the hops overnight in the brewery’s cooler, lest they wilt and degrade. Setting them aside in the humid brewhouse seemed just as fraught. “It’s like, ‘Crap, what do we do?’” Thomas, now Sunriver’s director of brewery operations, recalls thinking. “I had to start making some decisions at that point.”
Brett Thomas, Sunriver’s director of brewing operations
Locked in a race against time, Thomas had his fellow brewer transfer another beer-in-progress to a different tank a day early, freeing it up to make use of the freshly delivered hops. From there, he cleaned the tank, started brewing, tossed in the hops, mainlined cups of coffee and—at age 40—pulled an all-nighter like an overworked college student. Thomas didn’t head home until 10 a.m. the following morning. “That was the longest day of my brewing career,” he said. “It was about a twenty-seven-hour day for me. It was exhausting but invigorating; I was going to make that beer regardless of what it took.”
The race to do it, and do it right, was partly because Thomas wasn’t just brewing any ordinary beer; he was brewing a fresh-hop beer—a style which, in recent years, has become the heartbeat of regional festivals, a mainstay at bars and breweries alike, and one of the most fun, if challenging, styles for brewers to craft. So as summer turns to fall in Central Oregon, here’s what the fuss is about—and why anyone would work all night to make such a beer—along with background on the phenomenon and how to enjoy the once-a-year fun that is fresh-hop season.
Fresh-Hop Beers, Explained
Most of the beers you’ve ever enjoyed—from Natural Lights in college-town dive bars to high-end sour ales and hazy IPAs from Central Oregon’s best breweries—have used dried hops as one of their main ingredients. The plant, with a cone-shaped flower, acts as a preservative that keeps beer fresh longer—and gives beer its aromas and flavors. So, if you’ve ever enjoyed a vanilla-tinged porter or picked out the pineapple flavor in your favorite IPA, you have the humble hop plant to thank.
Josh Yoker, one of Sunriver Brewing’s talented production brewers
These hops, actually a cousin of the cannabis plant, are generally picked and processed on farms, turned into small pellets (resembling rabbit food), placed into vacuum-sealed bags and stored for weeks or months in refrigerators. Hop farms can be found all over the United States, but the vast majority are in Washington, Idaho and Oregon—where hops have grown in the Willamette Valley for more than 150 years.
But when hops for fresh-hop beers are picked between mid-August and mid-September, they aren’t pelletized and stored for later use. Rather, the freshly picked hops are cleaned and immediately sent to craft breweries for inclusion in a brewing batch over the following 24 hours or so—a tight timeframe that ensures the hops retain their freshness and distinct flavor profiles before degrading over the following days.
The resulting beers boast intense flavors and stark aromas made possible by the specific hop variety used in that beer; maybe it’s a juiciness that lingers on the palate, hard-hitting notes of citrus or pine, or lasting resinous flavors that stand out. “The essence of the hop ends up in the beer,” explained Wade Underwood, co-founder and general manager of Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters. “They’re really unique in that we can only make them a few days each year when they’re physically harvested, and they make incredible beers with more delicate notes than most bigger IPAs.”
The beers generally start showing up around Oregon in early September, a few weeks after their hops are picked from the bine (not vine!), and can remain relevant well into October. And while IPAs and pale ales account for most fresh-hop beer styles, several breweries routinely churn out fresh-hop lagers, most commonly Oktoberfest-style beers, as the season unfolds.
The first fresh-hop beers showed up in the Pacific Northwest in the early 2000s and have been growing in popularity over the past decade. Early on, brewers saw it as a fun and pressure-packed challenge, along with a way to show off the fresh flavors of the hop. Our region’s collective love of hoppy IPAs made it easy for those brewers to find a receptive audience, and fresh-hop beers have become seasonal mainstays ever since.
Today, fresh-hop beers are ubiquitous at breweries, taprooms, and festivals around the Pacific Northwest. Thomas says Sunriver expects to brew seven or eight fresh-hop beers in 2021, for instance, and Bend’s Deschutes Brewery routinely churns out upwards of a dozen or more fresh-hop beers each year. But just why are fresh-hop beers the most sought-after seasonal release each fall?
Central Oregon hop growers and brewers alike teased out a few common themes in trying to explain the allure of the beers. First, there is the one-and-done nature of fresh-hop season, which is matched by the style’s short shelf life. These beers begin to lose their pungent, fresh flavors soon after getting brewed. Most beers rely on ingredients that aren’t nearly as fresh, but fresh-hop beers degrade a lot quicker once they get brewed and into kegs/cans. All of this, along with regional IPA-lust, increases the urgency to sample these unique ales and lagers.
Trever Hawman, Bridge 99 Brewing owner and managing member
But for many, the appeal gets beyond those explanations—and into what they say about our region’s roots in agriculture. “As an agricultural product, hops are so ingrained into Oregon’s culture,” Thomas said. “It is something that brewers specifically come to Oregon for. People come to Oregon for craft beer, and a lot of it is the connection to hops and that agricultural component.”
As a brewer, Bridge 99 Brewery owner and managing member Trever Hawman enjoys the season for the rare opportunities it provides—and the self-imposed pressure to get a beer right. After all, most brewers must wait a whole year for a second chance if their first fresh-hop beer misses the mark. “You’re using a whole bunch more hops than usual, and then you’re like, ‘I hope this works, that’s a lot of hops going in there,’” Hawman said. “That makes it a little more scary and a little more sketchy, but it’s super gratifying when it comes out, and it’s good.”
Fresh-Hop Close to Home
The Willamette Valley may produce the vast majority of Oregon’s hops each year, but Central Oregon is no stranger to fresh-hop season. At least one local farm produces hops for a Bend-based brewery, and several breweries throughout the region have put their own stamp on the style in recent years.
Tumalo Hops Company, for instance, was launched in 2006 and has been growing four varieties of hops just outside the community of Tumalo ever since. Husband-and-wife team Gary and Sue Wyatt run the small farm and process each year’s yield for local homebrewers, along with the Bend-based Bridge 99 Brewery.
For several years, the Wyatts have supplied Hawman with 100 pounds of hops for Bridge 99’s annual fresh-hop beer. Whenever the hops reach peak ripeness each September, after four to five months of steady growth, the Wyatts generally wake up around 4 a.m. to pick fifty bines and bring them into their shed for processing; by 8 a.m., the duo generally has 100 pounds of fresh hops sorted and ready for Hawman.
Gary Wyatt, Tumalo Hops Company
Meanwhile, Hawman and his crew start their fresh-hop brew day as early as 7 or 8 a.m. so they can be ready when the Wyatts arrive with the hops roughly three hours later. Most years, Gary Wyatt said the hops are poured into Hawman’s tanks just twenty minutes after they leave his farm. In a state beloved for its farm-to-table ethos, it doesn’t get much fresher.
Farther west, Underwood and his team at Three Creeks Brewing have earned acclaim in recent years for their annual Conelick’r Fresh Hop IPA. The beer earned a bronze medal for fresh-hop pale ales and IPAs at the 2021 Oregon Beer Awards—as well as a gold medal for fresh-hop beers at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival (the country’s largest beer festival). Fans will be able to pick up four-packs of the beer beginning in mid-September—and can likely try it at the tenth annual Sisters Fresh Hop Festival, returning on September 25, 2021, after a COVID-19-induced hiatus in 2020.
As for Thomas and that beer he stayed up all night to brew in 2014? That became D’Kine, Sunriver Brewing’s original fresh-hop IPA and, today, one of its best-loved releases every fall. The beer uses Mosaic hops from Coleman Agriculture in the Willamette Valley, giving it flavors of mango, blueberry, citrus and pine. Nearly a decade later, D’Kine remains a signature beer that invigorates Thomas each year—especially now that he’s not working overnight to make it happen. “Fresh-hop beers are a labor of love,” he said. “The entire process, from the guys picking the hops all the way to the brewers pulling the hops out of the [container], it’s a very labor-intensive style of brewing—but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With fresh-hop season upon us, the sheer volume of beers can feel overwhelming—so here’s what to know about the style, what to watch for and how to enjoy the beers all season long.
Your Guide to Fresh-Hop Season in Central Oregon
The Season Itself
The region’s first hops are generally harvested in mid-August, and the first fresh-hop beers begin showing up on store shelves, as well as in brewpubs and taprooms, by early September. Different hop varieties are harvested at different times through mid-September, however, so you might see fresh-hop beers on tap around Central Oregon well into October.
Not Just for Hop Heads
Even if you don’t love IPAs, you’ll find plenty to love about fresh-hop season. The bitterness most commonly associated with IPAs tends to get distilled in fresh-hop offerings, with those sharp notes replaced by a wide range of easier-drinking flavors. Brewers have also taken to brewing fresh-hop lagers, as well, that boast milder, more well-rounded flavors.
Where to Enjoy Fresh-Hop Beers
Most Central Oregon breweries either source fresh hops from local farmers or make the marathon trip to the Willamette Valley each fall to source their hops—so you’ll find fresh-hop beers at breweries and taprooms all over the region. For a sample of the season, though, the Sisters Fresh Hop Festival (in late September every year: sistersfreshhopfest.com) brings together roughly twenty-five breweries pouring their own fresh-hop creations.
Mary and Joe Ostafi are both trained architects, so they know a thing or two about building design. They’re also minimalists, who enjoy being purposeful about their possessions, their spaces and their lives. That’s why during the pandemic, as they sat working remotely from their 550-square-foot apartment in Oakland, California, they realized a change was in order. Mary had always dreamed of living in Oregon and both were eager to immerse themselves in the outdoors and escape some of the chaos of living in the city. “We’d never been here before, but I’d wanted to live in Oregon my entire life,” Mary said. “We were just looking to get closer to nature.” Joe had heard good things about Bend, and they liked that Central Oregon was less rainy than the Willamette Valley. “We took a chance and packed up a van and moved here,” Joe said.
Seeking sustainability
As the couple settled into a rental home in Bend, they began looking for a permanent space to live that embodied their values, including sustainability. Mary started her career as an architect focusing on sustainability, getting in early on efforts focused on green building. She traveled to Sweden to pursue sustainability in grad school in the late 2000s and returned to practice architecture along with Joe at a firm in St. Louis. Today she’s a high-performance coach who works with social and environmental entrepreneurs, guiding her clients to grow the sustainability movement. Meanwhile, Joe continues to practice architecture, designing mostly new research-and-development laboratories in Silicon Valley. When it came to looking for a home in Bend, they wanted something environmentally friendly, with a small footprint.
Luckily for the Ostafis, the new Hiatus Roanoke development was just underway, and their dream home wasn’t far out of reach. The west Bend development features ten two-bedroom homes perched on a hill, each 1,200-square feet in size (including a 350-square-foot finished garage) and expertly designed to be energy efficient—about 40 to 50 percent more efficient than current building codes require. It’s the second development by Hiatus Homes, following Hiatus Benham, a community of eleven studio-sized tiny homes in southeast Bend, which are also energy-efficient. As Joe said, the couple’s new home at Hiatus Roanoke is high-performance—a perfect fit for his wife, a high-performance coach, and himself, a high-performance architect. The home was built with non-toxic materials, features a ductless, high-efficiency ventilation system, wall-mounted tankless toilets and high-performance windows, all details that make the home more environmentally friendly. The Ostafis were first in line to buy, and moved into their new home in late March.
Home at last
All settled in, the home feels purposeful and not too confined, with the Ostafi’s furniture sliding into place just right. It’s a perfect amount of space for the couple, along with their 14-year-old rescue cat, Adison, who loves basking in the home’s plentiful natural light, but is still deciding what she thinks of the scruffy little dog that lives next door. The two-level home features a compact garage with entry into the downstairs bedroom, which is used as Joe’s office or a guest room, with its own full bathroom. Upstairs is the main bedroom (also used as Mary’s office), main bathroom and open concept living, dining and kitchen area. The highlight of the space is a massive folding glass door, opening up the living room to the upstairs outdoor patio and incredible views of Bend, including the Old Mill District. Peering to the right, the Ostafis can see Mount Bachelor in the distance, behind a towering Ponderosa pine tree that partially covers the snow-capped peak. The home’s unique angled roof is designed to complement the sunlight year-round, blocking harsh light in the summer evenings but still offering plenty of natural light for the winter. Down below the deck, the Ostafis can see the last few homes in the mini development taking shape. The first five homes have sold, with the remaining five, still under construction, expected to hit the market this summer. As the neighborhood fills up, the Ostafis expect to get along well with the new residents. “We all probably share similar values if we’re buying smaller homes,” Mary said.
The Ostafis adore the design of their new home, and Mary loves that the lower square footage encourages the couple to continue the minimalist lifestyle. “What we love about it most is that it’s a small house,” Mary said. “We love the modern, minimalist design. They really leveraged every inch of space.” Even if the Ostafis had used their own architectural skills to design something custom, the end result would have been very similar, Mary said.
Soaking in the sunshine from the patio on a late spring evening, the Ostafis said they’re eager to see more of what Bend has to offer, post-pandemic. They’re taking care of a gardening plot at Millers Landing Community Garden, and are regulars at the Bend Farmers Market, where they like to pick up fresh produce for Joe—a former sous chef—to use in home-cooked meals. They feel like they’ve just begun to explore the region’s culinary scene and are eager to meet more people in the community. They’ve already met their first two neighbors in the development, who have moved in on either side of their house—and are enjoying exploring the outdoors via biking, with plans to get kayaks or paddleboards in the future. Joe said, “We love the idea of being in this community of people with like-minded views.”
Tom Beans grew up in suburban Philadelphia and moved West in 1993, landing a job at Tower Books in San Mateo, California. He moved to Bend in 2011 and, after stopping by Dudley’s one day in 2014, happened to speak to the owner and suddenly had a new job. A few months later, Beans purchased the shop. Bend Magazine sat down with Beans to talk the rewards and challenges of owning a bookstore, and the future of print.
Rumors continue to fly about the death of books. What is your feeling on the future of the printed book industry?
First it was the big box stores that were going to wipe out indie bookstores. Then it was the combo of Amazon and the rise of eBooks. Amazon is the 900-pound gorilla in the room, but eBook sales continue to decline year over year. We all spend too much time on screens, and the resurgence of indie bookstores is in part due to screen-time backlash. Printed books aren’t going anywhere.
How did you survive the pandemic closures of last year?
Like just about everyone else we were closed from mid-March until the end of June. It was usually just me sitting in a dark shop fielding emails and phone calls. We had plenty of customers coming by for curbside pickup and we did (and still do) free local delivery. What was a real difference maker for us was the launch of our online sales platform partnership with Bookshop.org. Online sales paid our rent from April to June which was a huge relief. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of our community rallying around us like they did at a time when we were all struggling.
Dudley’s has been mentioned in big media. How did that come about and what was the impact on your store?
I wish I could say I had a direct hand in that, but I think it’s just a factor of Bend growing into a national tourist destination or, in the case of The Guardian from the United Kingdom, a worldwide one. Those pieces came out as things were really taking off in Bend, but I still hear folks mention, “We read about you in TheNew York Times,” and that’s pretty cool.
How do you see your relationship to the Bend community?
Pre-Covid, Dudley’s was a meeting place for so many different members of our community, and we loved providing that space. I’m really proud that we’re the first bookstore in the country to join one percent for the Planet and all of that money goes to local environmental non-profits doing great work here in Central Oregon.
Tell us about your daily rewards and challenges.
There’s so much I love about this job. I get to talk to folks about books I love all day long. I get to meet interesting people, both locals and folks from all over the country. If there’s one single thing I had to choose, it’s deciding what books to bring into the shop. I spend just as much time reading about books as I do reading them and, almost daily, I get to apply that knowledge and try to choose titles that I think our customers will find interesting. We don’t just stock popular titles and I try to choose books that will push people a bit and maybe expand their horizons beyond their normal comfort level.
As for challenges, there’s this misconception that owning a bookstore is an easy dream job for any booklover, but the reality is the “business” part has to come first. What really made the difference for me was the two-year Small Business Management program at COCC. For any curious local small business owners, I can’t recommend the program highly enough.
Describe your dream future for indie bookstores.
The “Shop Local” message continues to spread and there’s a great little indie bookstore in towns all across the country.
Sterling and Kathy McCord have always been one step ahead. Sterling worked in sustainable construction when building green was just emerging within the industry. Meanwhile, Kathy opened up Bend’s first citywide takeout delivery service (Bend Takeout Express) years before Uber Eats was even a thing.
When the recession hit in the mid-2000s, the pair turned to their family for the inspiration for their next venture. With two young kids at the time, Sterling was looking for an easier and more sustainable way to commute around town and get the kids to and from school. One day while riding his recently converted electric hub scooter, the idea of an e-bike business emerged. “It came from a sustainability point of view,” he said. “Nobody at the time was doing e-bikes or looking at sustainable transportation so we saw an opportunity.”
With Kathy’s business savvy and Sterling’s vision, the pair set to work and in November 2008, Bend Electric Bikes was born.
Sterling and Kathy McCord
An electric bicycle, commonly referred to as an e-bike, is equipped with an electric motor powered by a battery that produces power for assisting propulsion. E-bikes range from small motors assisting the rider’s pedaling to a more powerful assist via a throttle.
E-bikes are a flexible, eco-friendly alternative form of transportation that’s risen in popularity not just in Bend, but around the globe. Many see e-bikes as a way to drive less, avoid traffic congestion and stay healthy, all the while barely breaking a sweat uphill on their way to work.
The Rise of E-Bikes
In the early days of Bend Electric Bikes, these now common fixtures on the road were only just beginning to gain a foothold. “We were a bit of a spectacle in the beginning,” Kathy said. “We would turn a lot of heads, answer questions and get a lot of stares.”
Early e-bikes were somewhat clunky with large batteries and less than desirable aesthetics, but that began to change when more reputable bicycle manufacturers such as Giant and Specialized started producing e-bikes in the late 2000s. E-bikes slowly became lighter, more cost-effective and equipped with more energy-efficient batteries, which meant longer range capabilities for riders. Eventually, Sterling believes, you may not even be able to tell the difference between an e-bike and a traditional analog bike.
Along with technological advances, the e-bike form factor has also expanded to meet consumer needs and now users can find everything from commuters and hybrids to cargo bikes, touring bikes, gravel and e-mountain bikes.
The McCords have seen the trend evolve firsthand at the Interbike International Bicycle Expo, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America. “Each year the e-bike section would slowly get larger and larger,” Kathy said. “Until finally the last one we went to seemed more heavily skewed toward e-bikes than traditional bicycles.”
Sterling said customers of Bend Electric Bikes run the gamut of age and ability. “Some are looking for a substitute for a car or to commute to work, others are simply looking to spend more time outside and just want to have fun,” she said. Kathy said she also sees many couples come in for e-bikes, which can be an equalizer for varying abilities and allow one rider the ability to keep pace with another.
The boom in popularity of e-bikes over the last decade has helped propel the sales of Bend Electric Bikes and grow the company to seven full-time employees. This past year, the company saw its sales of e-bikes more than double due to a surging interest in bicycles during the pandemic, and Sterling said the company is on track for even more growth in 2021.
More than anything, however, Sterling and Kathy are just happy to see more people on bikes.
“As a 53-year-old female, I’m all about pushing past stereotypes of who rides bikes—e-bikes are for everyone,” Kathy said. “You can see people’s minds opening up about all the new options they have; all the barriers that can be eliminated—hills, distance, weather, arriving to work sweaty, overcoming injuries. It’s inspiring to see people walk through the doors and be excited about bikes.”
Note: The representatives of both Bend Magazine and Bend Electric Bikes strongly recommend always wearing a helmet when bicycling.
As Bend’s population booms and the housing market becomes more competitive, residents are increasingly turning to areas that may have been a little bit below the Central Oregon neighborhood radar. “Southeast Bend is the next area to appreciate in Bend” said Stephanie Ruiz, a broker with Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty.
Roughly bordered by Murphy Road to the north, Knott Road to the east and south, and Third Street/U.S. Highway 97 to the west, the area has long offered convenient shopping along Third Street and has been home to established neighborhoods and small ranches. The anchor of the area has been the oldest existing golf course in Central Oregon, the Bend Golf Club. Built in 1925, the club has since expanded to offer tennis, swimming, pickleball and other activities plus a modern clubhouse. In a juxtaposition of old and new, at the 10th Fairway the course also abuts the new 1925 Townhomes neighborhood.
Built by Arrowood Development, the townhomes are described as “luxury homes in a resort setting” by Femke Van Velzen, the firm’s brand and design director. They are an example of both southeast Bend’s growing popularity and Central Oregon’s popular golf scene. Once completed, 1925 will have thirty-four single-level homes, two two-story townhomes and two stand-alone single homes circling a green common area. While floor plans are established, buyers are encouraged to choose flooring, cabinets, finishes and colors to reflect their personal style. Arrowood will also contribute to a buyer’s golf or social membership initiation fee at Bend Golf Club. While several of the development’s homes have already gone under contract, remaining townhomes are priced in the high $700,000s to low $900,000s.
August 2020 saw the arrival of the community’s first residents, Tom Walklet and Cheryl Johnson, who moved from Triple Knot, an Arrowood development at Tetherow in west Bend. Both avid golfers, they liked the Bend course, were looking for a change and wanted to downsize in preparation for their eventual retirement. Once unpacked, they were quick to realize other benefits besides golfing to southeast Bend. “We are as close to shopping and healthcare as we were at Triple Knot and, with quick access to 97, it’s faster to get to Sunriver and even up to Highway 20 to get to the coast,” explained Johnson.
Closer to home, the couple enjoys being in an area with older neighborhoods and more mature landscapes. They acknowledge that with the old, the new is coming, and they note that the city is improving the area’s infrastructure to accommodate the growth. Currently in the midst of an extensive rework of Murphy Road, the city’s finished roadway will offer another route for east-west traffic between Third and Fifteenth streets. It will also provide easier access to the new Caldera High School at Fifteenth Street and Knott Road and to nearby Alpenglow Park. Named by students at Jewell Elementary and sited north of Caldera, groundbreaking on the new thirty-seven-acre park took place in February. The parcel will include a demonstration garden, playground and sprayground, event pavilion, off-leash dog area and trails and multi-use pathways that connect to the Larkspur Trail and the Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail. Opening is planned for summer 2022.
Vince Genna Stadium
Also close by is Vince Genna Stadium, where a summer highlight is watching the Bend Elks baseball team take on all comers. (At press time, the team had planned a full summer season for 2021. Visit bendelks.com for information.) Other quickly reached amenities and activities are the High Desert Museum to the south and the newly expanded Larkspur Community Center to the north. Scattered throughout the area are many parks offering youth and adult softball games, basketball, playgrounds, picnic shelters, pickle ball, skate parks, walking trails, off-leash dog areas, small bike pump tracks, and natural play areas.
Ruiz believes southeast Bend is an area worth examining, particularly if home buyers are looking at new construction rather than trying to buy an existing home. “People are willing to wait for new construction so it is not as competitive,” she explained. The 1925 Townhomes development sits south of the Stonehaven neighborhood, a fairly new development of single-family homes built beginning in the mid-2000s, and east of more new developments closer to U.S. Highway 97 built in the past two decades.
Back at 1925, the Walklet/Johnson household is well pleased with their new home. “We have met a lot of people here, and from all over,” Walklet said.
“People really use the club: it has very easy access, and it is much easier to get to play here than on the west side,” continued Johnson.“It’s a very active group, and it’s very easy to get assimilated.”
Noting the welcoming attitude, Walklet added that the couple had hosted a COVID-correct Kentucky Derby Party. “Everyone dressed up a little bit, and we hope to make it an annual event,” he said.
Gardening in Central Oregon can be a difficult, yet rewarding task. Weather patterns, the climate and even the soil itself can present challenges for gardeners to overcome, making the success of each plant all the more satisfying.
Amy Jo Detweiler, an Oregon State University professor and OSU Extension horticulturist, has some tips to share to help Central Oregon gardens survive and thrive this season. Detweiler manages the OSU Master Gardener program for Deschutes County; a volunteer-based program that trains and certifies Master Gardeners through the extension services of land-grant universities across the country.
Know the climate
A key mishap that Detweiler sees in Central Oregon gardening comes from lack of experience with the region’s climate. People moving in from regions with different climates often find that Central Oregon growing conditions are far different from what they are used to.
Many gardeners know to prune, or trim off certain parts of their plant, when the weather warms up, in order to maintain their plant’s health and air circulation, while also removing dead branches and leaves. But knowing when to do this can be tricky in Central Oregon. “A big thing is that people want to prune too early. We see that people who come from places like the Willamette Valley and California will trim their plants too early in the season, around January and February, because they are not used to Central Oregon’s climate,” Detweiler said. She recommends Central Oregon gardeners wait until March and April before trimming plants back, to avoid killing the plant or stopping its growth by exposing it to the cold.
Central Oregon’s somewhat unique weather patterns—with warm, sunny days and brisk nights—can take some getting used to for gardeners coming from both warmer and cooler climates. Because of the cool nights earlier in the growing season, the time it takes for a plant in Central Oregon to reach full maturity is longer when compared to other regions. “Gardens in Central Oregon don’t grow at night because of the temperatures. If you buy a bag of tomato seeds that claim to reach full maturity in eight weeks, they would likely take closer to ten weeks here. I tell everyone to add at least two weeks to your estimate of when the plant will reach maturity,” Detweiler said, adding that plants in the region can sometimes grow at around 70 percent their normal rate.
Understand the soil
Aside from the climate, the soil in Central Oregon can also cause some new gardeners to scratch their heads in frustration. “Central Oregon soil is neutral to basic, on the PH scale,” Detweiler said. “Some popular plants people want to grow, like blueberries, rhododendrons and more, all require more acidic soil.”
Making the soil in your garden more acidic might sound like an easy fix, but Detweiler warns against some of the more popular methods of acidifying your garden—like sprinkling coffee grounds or pine needles. Detweiler says that both of these methods are myths that don’t really do much. Sure, coffee grounds are acidic, but the amount you can dump in your garden won’t change the PH value of the soil by any discernible value; same goes for pine needles. There are real ways to acidify your garden’s soil, but these are all very expensive and complicated methods, and are not recommended for most home gardeners.
Instead, it’s better to choose plants appropriate for Central Oregon’s existing soil, or the soils and mulches you can add to a gardening bed, rather than trying to change the PH of what’s there.
Choose plants carefully
At the end of it all, gardening success truly lies in choosing the right plants. Having an understanding of each plant’s weather and climate, watering, soil and sunshine requirements will save any gardener trouble down the road.
Gardens in Central Oregon require plants that are cold-hardy enough to make it through our long and cold winters, while also being adaptable enough to make it through the summer heat. Otherwise, gardeners need additional equipment like a frost blanket to keep their more sensitive plants from dying in the cold.
Detweiler also recommends researching your chosen plant yield, and to try not to waste water on plants that will eventually be thrown away because they grew too much produce.
With a good grasp on the garden’s yield, the Central Oregon climate and the patience to do things a bit slower, any gardener can be successful in Central Oregon.
Salad truly is one of the most versatile dishes out there. With so many different ways to build a salad and so many flavors to pick from, getting started can sometimes be a daunting task. This simple guide will help you build your next favorite salad, and make sure that bland, boring salads are a thing of the past.
Add Veggies and Greens Galore
Try to match your raw greenery to your flavor profile. More delicate flavors go well with tender, leafy greens like butter lettuce and spinach, while more bitter greens like arugula pair well with dressings with stronger flavor profiles.
Once the raw greens are chosen, select an array of colorful in-season vegetables to add. Visit a local farmers market or join a CSA—community shared agriculture—program for a convenient way to have locally grown veggies available throughout the summer season. Slicing up fresh veggies raw is an easy salad addition, or try roasting or pickling to experiment with different tastes and textures. Don’t forget herbs—small additions like chopped cilantro, basil and mint can boost the flavor of a salad.
Pick the Proteins
Protein rounds out a salad’s nutritional value and keeps us feeling full longer, with options ranging from lean and tasty meats to nuts, eggs and other protein-rich toppings.
For animal-based protein, chicken, both breaded and fried or grilled, is a popular choice. Other options such as hard boiled eggs, salmon or steak can provide valuable protein, with many lean options. Outside of animal-based protein, there are even more possibilities. High-protein cheeses include parmesan and pecorino, while seeds and nuts, including hemp seeds or walnuts, also offer protein and healthy fats.
Many plant-based protein sources provide a good crunch to give the salad texture, especially when roasted. Roasting sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds offers a protein-rich topping with an added crunch. Try experimenting with chickpeas, a protein-packed bean enjoyed raw or roasted, or quinoa, which is typically cooked like rice, but can also be roasted for a crunchy topping.
Dress it Up
Dressings typically come in two varieties: thick and creamy dairy-based dressings such as ranch and blue cheese, and lighter vinaigrettes. Both styles come in countless varieties, but even then, it’s tough to beat homemade.
A simple vinaigrette can be made with just fat and acid—traditionally, olive oil and vinegar. The fun part about homemade vinaigrette is how the flavor possibilities are endless. For example, using lime juice as the acid and adding in freshly chopped cilantro into a basic vinaigrette will create a light cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
Homemade Vinaigrette
Start the base with ½ cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of vinegar (add more for a tangier taste).Add a tablespoon each of Dijon mustard for flavor and maple syrup or honey for sweetness. Add two cloves of minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Shake it up! A tightly sealed mason jar is a great place for stirring and storing leftover dressing.
Find it Fresh – Fresh ingredients in Central Oregon
To find fresh ingredients in and around Bend, start with farmers markets, or locally sourced grocery stores like Locavore, an indoor farmers market open year-round on NE Third Street. The Bend Farmers Market runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays in Brooks Alley downtown through mid-October, while the NorthWest Crossing Farmers Market is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays from early June through September. Most Central Oregon cities, including Sisters, Madras, Redmond and Prineville, also offer a weekly farmers market.
Welcome to Bend, an adventurer’s paradise and cool kids’ hangout for culture, food and drink. With countless great shops, boutiques and restaurants popping up every year, and endless outdoor activities year-round, Bend has become the place to be. Add frequently sunny skies, the walkable shopping districts and some of the best local brewing in the nation, and it’s no wonder so many people come to visit every year—and then move here for good.
Now that you’re here, how do you make the most of it? We’ve rounded up a collection of fun facts about Bend—what visitors want to know, and locals think they should already know. Here you’ll learn everything from how to deal with a roundabout, how to float the river and what’s with that volcano in the middle of town?
Photo by Talia Jean Photography
Where am I?
Bend is near the middle of the state of Oregon, which is sandwiched between Washington and California on the West Coast. This town of around 100,000 is situated at the base of the eastside of the Cascade Mountains, in the rain shadow (Google it). Bend sits on the borders of the Deschutes National Forest and Central Oregon’s high desert, meaning we’re surrounded by a uniquely diverse array of outdoor activities.
Using the town as a home base, visitors and locals alike can get to some of the most beautiful spots in Central Oregon in less than an hour’s drive, like Smith Rock to the north, Mount Bachelor and the Cascades to the west, and the Newberry Volcanic area deep in the Deschutes National Forest to the south, just to name a few. Lots of people choose to remain in Bend, where there is more than enough to keep you occupied.
What’s with all the logging references?
In the beginning, there were trees. And then, there were lumber mills. The Old Mill District is called that for a reason—two huge lumber mills sat on the banks of the Deschutes River in the early decades of the 1900s, and their efforts fueled the town. Ranchers and farmers were here on the curve of the Deschutes River known as Farewell Bend then, too. (Did you catch that just now? That’s how Bend got its name).
Photo by Talia Jean Photography
These early workers were pioneers, laying the foundation of what would become an amazing little city. Their history and the history of Bend can be seen on the plaques that scatter our parks, as well as on the walls of some historic downtown buildings. To learn more about our pioneer past, check out the Deschutes Historical Museum downtown and the High Desert Museum just south of town.
Why is everyone so friendly?
Well, why not? The attitude you’ll find around town is reminiscent of Bend’s small-town roots. People are friendly and offer help when they think you need it. It would be a challenge to push a dead car through downtown without a crowd of people coming to push alongside you. We’re wary of big businesses, and, especially during this pandemic, we try to support locals as much as possible.
It’s the unique locals of Bend that make this place so great. This town is full of creative and hardworking people who are making strides in industries new and old, from the exploding brewery scene to local artisans crafting their art. We also care a lot about our landscapes and taking care of them, and we hope you will too.
photo Jill Rosell
So, is Bend rural or urban?
A little bit both. With rural roots, and a population explosion in the past twenty years, one can expect to find a uniquely blended culture around town. Visitors find steakhouses next to vegetarian restaurants, micro-breweries next to sports bars, and Western line dancing and axe throwing next to neon lit nightclubs. Bend is a little country, a little trendy, and we like it that way.
There are a lot of people in the river. How do I do that?
A) Rent or buy a floatie. B) Don water-friendly clothes including footwear and a personal floatation device. C) Get in the river somewhere in the Old Mill District (Riverbend Park is a great choice). D) Float, splash, laugh, safely navigate the water park! E) Use the convenient Ride the River shuttle, which loops between downtown and the Old Mill District in the summer, to return to where you started.
Safety first!
While you’re in the river, keep these things in mind. It is illegal to jump off bridges into water in Bend. It is equally illegal to drink alcohol or consume drugs—legal or otherwise—in the river. Leave no trace and take your garbage home. And wear a life jacket, for Pete’s sake!
Trails and Trails and Trails
photo Jules Jimreivat
The mountains are calling, and I must go. Are there trails up there?
So many! The trails in the Cascades are amazing! But here’s what you need to know—a new permit system has been put in place this year to cap the number of people on the trails in the Central Cascade region of the Deschutes and Willamette national forests. In this new system, which applies to all trails in the region from May 28 to September 24, visitors must purchase a day-use or overnight hiking pass. Don’t worry, it’ll only run you up to six dollars. There is a daily cap on hikers per trail, so check for a permit a week before your planned hike. Why is this new system in place, you ask? This is just one extra measure put in place to help make sure that we can all enjoy Bend’s nearby trails. Take a map, too, and food and water. We want you to come back safely.
And a word about poop.
Whether you are in the company of a horse, a dog or some other furry friend out around town or on the trails, be sure to have a plan to deal with their business when they answer the call of nature.
photo Kayla McKenzie
Okay, I’m ready to go play. Where shall I go for a walk?
This town was built with trail networks in mind. In town and out, trails can connect people with some of the most beautiful landscapes, views and parks around. Hiking to the top of Pilot Butte will give you a 360-degree view of Bend and the surrounding landscape, while the twelve-mile Deschutes River trail provides a look at how urban developments and the natural environment come together. Shevlin Park has 652 acres to explore with paved and unpaved trails. Finally, a stroll through Drake Park might be one of the most relaxing things you can do in town, and the Old Mill District is full of scenery and action alike.
Anything to know about trail etiquette?
Thanks for asking! Rules of etiquette exist on our trails to ensure that everyone can use the trails equally and fairly.
Mountain bikers are supposed to yield to hikers, but they are also often going much faster and it is sometimes safer for the hikers to yield. In the case of encountering a horseback rider, it is generally best to let the horse have the right of way, considering that it is the most unpredictable of the three modes of transportation.
Among just hikers, it is polite to yield the trail to the group going uphill, because many people can get into a hiking rhythm, and might not be in the mood to stop halfway up a steep climb. If you are caught behind a group of hikers and want to pass, feel free to give a little “hello” or “hey there” just to alert the other group of your presence.
And remember, when in doubt, just treat the other person (or animal) on the trail with respect. The golden rule goes a long way and can help preserve the trails—and Bend’s reputation for friendliness—for future generations.
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
I have a car. But I am terrified of roundabouts.
Don’t fret—you are not alone! First off, yield to those already in the roundabout, and then enter when there is a break in traffic. Then what? A roundabout is like an intersection; you can go straight, left or right. However, instead of being told to turn or go straight, most GPS systems will treat a roundabout like a highway, and tell the driver which exit to take, relative to where the car entered the roundabout. In general, drivers should treat roundabouts like a highway; they are expected to signal when switching lanes or picking an exit, and they should read road signs carefully to know which lane they need to be in to get to their chosen destination, if the roundabout has multiple lanes. Always signal on your way out, and you’re on your way to the next destination!
Where do I park?
There’s lots of free parking around town, especially around the Old Mill District and near area parks. If you’re near or in downtown, pay attention—at best, you’ll find two-hour free parking, and some lots allow you to stay longer for a fee. Tickets are steep, so read the signs before you walk away from your car.
Photo by Jules Jimreivat
I like to bike. Can I bike?
We love to bike, too! Bend is a bike friendly city and you’ll find plentiful bike lanes and access all around town. We have several districts that are accessible completely by foot, once you’ve parked your bike. The Old Mill, Downtown, and the Box Factory are all great shopping and dining districts that can be traversed by foot; a highly recommended option when enjoying Bend’s brewery scene.
Any public transportation around here?
Sure! Catch the bus around town with info at cascadeseasttransit.com. Catch a shuttle to Mount Bachelor via Navigate Oregon, Cascades East Transit and local resorts. Check out cobreeze.com for rides to Portland, Madras and more.
While we’re talking about transpo, a friendly reminder to please stay out of our jails.
The beer in town is incredible (we know), but there is no excuse to drink and drive. Yes, the cannabis here is legal for those over 21, but public consumption is a no-no. And just like with the booze, consuming weed before driving is no bueno. Bend has Uber, Lyft, multiple taxi services and even a randomly appearing party barge that drives through downtown and the Box Factory, completely for free. Be a smart kid, please.
Okay, I’m hungry. Where do I eat?
So many choices around here! Find clusters of restaurants and breweries downtown and in the Old Mill District. But don’t be afraid to seek out hidden gems, tucked away on the east side, west side and in NorthWest Crossing. From fine dining to quick bites on the go and everything in between, Bend has great food. Ask a local their favorite and you’re bound to get a different answer every time.
Photo by Erica Swantek
I like to party. I like to get down.
You are in good company. Before the pandemic, there was a festival and celebration in Bend pretty much every weekend. We’re basically that cool friend with the rich parents that everyone wants to host the party. Things are a little mellower events-wise this summer, but a few options remain on the calendar.
The Les Schwab Amphitheater, on the banks of the Deschutes River as it meanders through the historic Old Mill District, just got a remodel to add 1,840 square feet to the stage. Concerts are scheduled throughout the season—grab a ticket and kick back on the expansive lawn with a brew from the beer garden and a bite from the onsite food trucks. Munch & Music is a free concert series hosted in Drake Park that typically features a calmer atmosphere than other fests, as well as artisan craft booths. The first Friday of every month, the local businesses of the Downtown District put up art and serve free drinks to passersby. Around town, farmers markets offer the freshest local goods around. Meandering through these stalls might be one of the best ways to get to know the flavors of Bend and the surrounding area; it is not uncommon to see local chefs perusing the stalls to find fresh ingredients for nightly specials.
Photo by Alex Jordan Photography
I can’t find a food truck.
Oh, you’re a jokester, now, are you? Yes, Bend loves its food trucks. They pop up everywhere, from random parking lots to organized food truck lots to even the base of Mount Bachelor. Here’s your chance to experiment and try the creative solutions for take-out invented by some of our most artisan chefs.
You never told me about the volcano.
Oh, right! Look east from downtown. See that perfectly rounded small peak? That’s Pilot Butte. It’s named that because early settlers used it as a landmark on their overland migration west. It’s a cinder cone, which is a small volcano. One of the only volcanoes inside city limits in the United States, in fact. You can walk right up it if you want. Go ahead—it’s extinct. And the view up there is amazing.
Photo by Brandon Nixon
Where can I learn more?
For more modern updates on Bend, look up some of these Instagram accounts to see what locals are talking about: @bendmagazine, @thebestofbend, @visitbend, and if anyone is in the mood for some local humor, @memesofbend.
Editors Note: This article was originally published July, 2021
You’ve been skiing, hiking, rowing on the river or strolling through Drake Park when it’s time for a food break. Only, the meal you packed isn’t exactly exciting. A plain protein bar. A half-smashed sandwich. A browning banana. The food is bland, the texture is off or it’s just not enough calories. It’s tough finding food that checks all the boxes and adds to your enjoyment of the outdoors. A few local companies are working to change that, by creating enticing food options that offer flavor, fuel and a break from prep work.
Luckey’s Woodsman
Jackson Higdon
Jackson Higdon opened Luckey’s Woodsman, his new food truck offering “elevated backcountry cuisine,” on Mount Bachelor in December. Post-ski season, Higdon moved his truck to the new food truck lot at Silver Moon Brewing that he helped launch.
Luckey’s Woodsman was Higdon’s “pandemic lemonade.” In March 2020 he was laid off as chef and general manager at Riff Taproom. Higdon was sad to leave, but understood the company’s need for a new direction. He spent the summer backpacking, reflecting and scrambling to cook outdoors. As a chef, even Higdon has a love-hate relationship with cooking while camping. “I hate it, I make a big mess, it takes me a long time,” Higdon said. But he doesn’t believe he or anyone else should compromise good food to get outside. The basis for Luckey’s Woodsman was born.
“I talked to forest rangers, retirees doing big bike races, firefighters,” Higdon said. Many of them were cooking good food outdoors, but it took hours of planning and preparation. He found others running around last minute, overspending, and once outdoors, spending more time cleaning up longer than they had enjoying the food.
At the truck, Higdon offers dishes like the Italian Stallion sandwich to be savored onsite, meals to grab and go for the day and camper kits, available
as cold boxes or hot kits, like his mac and cheese with cured smoked salmon. “It’s the way to say yes to a weekend trip, it’s the way to have a better lunch when you’re doing a day trip,” Higdon said. If you’ve been designated as the trip chef but you’re not the most confident cook, consider giving Luckey’s Woodsman a go.
Tiffany Caston hopes to help people enjoy dining outdoors with less stress. Bend Agave is a pop-up picnic company, offering a service that sets up and breaks down luxury picnics. Book a session with Bend Agave, and Caston will plan, set up and clean up a chic picnic experience for you and your crew at your location of choice around Bend. Though the pop-up picnic experience is new to Bend, companies like Bend Agave have already blown up in popularity in California and Florida.
Caston’s pop-up picnics are what glamping is to camping, with plush seat pillows around a low-set table, real dishware, cozy blankets and aesthetic touches like pampas grass and candles.
Caston after experiencing a pop-up picnic herself on a beach in Florida and Failla by following a creative spark to turn her love for food creation into a full-time career. Pop-up picnics and charcuterie boards are the perfect way for people from all walks of life, outdoorsy or not, to enjoy time outside in Bend, whether that’s in Drake Park or your own backyard.
Asmart thermostat here, a doorbell camera there, a talking speaker on the shelf. Home technology is making its debut in a growing number of Central Oregon homes every day.
But without a custom, comprehensive plan, homeowners looking to incorporate technology into their spaces may end up buried in a variety of apps, mismatched technology and lackluster tech support. That’s where Matt Schaberg, partner in A&E Electronic Solutions – Bend, comes in. Rather than trying to DIY your way into home technology, Schaberg is here for homeowners from the start, listening to their needs and proposing a whole-home plan that strives for simplicity and usability. “We focus on making things easy to use for homeowners and their guests,” Schaberg said. “What people despise is when they push a button and their TV doesn’t turn on. We take proven technology and make it reliable and easy to use.”
Matt Schaberg
Schaberg, a former General Electric product designer and marketer, sees his new business as filling a gap locally, somewhere between unlicensed audio-visual techs and line voltage electricians. With the continued growth of low voltage in a residence, he and his team are licensed to take care of all the low voltage and technology a home needs to be “smart,” from lighting control and automated window treatments to home security, climate control, sprinkler systems and audio visual elements, like movie rooms and surround sound for music.
Individual aspects of the home can be controlled separately—like locking a door or turning on a light—or a variety of items can be paired together to create a “scene.” It can be as simple as pressing one button to draw the window shades, dim the lights and turn on the TV in the movie room. Scenes can be turned on with the press of a button, or be automated to happen at certain times, such as opening the shades along with the sunrise or gradually turning on lights as it gets dark at night.
After launching the new venture in March 2020 with partner Mike Elsberry, Schaberg said he’s been busy incorporating technology into many new homes in the region. He sits down with homeowners, interior designers, builders and architects to plan out their unique needs and wants, and when the project is complete, clients can easily control their home’s features from a touchscreen pad, by voice, remote or on their smartphone. “We take best-in-class technologies and add an automation aspect that people like and enjoy, which makes their lives easier.” Schaberg said he also focuses on developing long-term relationships with clients, to ensure the technology remains useful and up-to-date for a homeowner’s changing needs.
Schaberg, who enjoys Central Oregon’s outdoor offerings, including golfing at Tetherow, said it’s been fun working with homeowners in that development, many of whom are friends. “It’s been a great opportunity to work with many of my good friends to make their homes easier to use, to live in and ultimately shine.”
“Manuel Baptista knows his business,” said Steve Bennett, a long-time builder of luxury homes in Central Oregon. “Hands down, he and his people are good to work with and their work shows it, too.”
Photo Marvin Walder
The genesis for Baptista Tile and Stone Gallery started when company founder Manuel Baptista discovered he liked to work with his hands. While still at Redmond High School he learned the basics of tile and, after graduating in 1976, moved to Portland to master the many facets of the tile and flooring industry. In 1978 he returned to Central Oregon with his contractor license.
In 2003, he opened a storefront and hired a small installation crew and design staff. In 2007, the company opened the current showroom on Bend’s SE Business Way. The facility has since expanded to include tile installation and design areas, onsite fabrication and a warehouse. The team has also grown to a staff of almost fifty to address all aspects of tile, stonework (including granite, quartz and quartzite), hardwood flooring and carpeting. The company also offers complimentary design services to its customers.
Manuel Baptista | Photo Marvin Walder
“When I started in the business, contractors were hands on, working on each aspect of their projects,” Baptista said. “Now, the complexity of the work that’s involved—with construction so vast—a contractor has to have experts in every aspect of their business to oversee multiple projects. The number of liabilities that can happen on a project is critical to avoid, so you want to have good people handling your projects. My goal has always been to make our customers happy by providing the best materials and quality installation.”
The Baptista staff attends tradeshows and manufacturer sites to keep abreast of the latest developments in product offerings, trends and technologies. Baptista offers exclusive product lines, such as Portland-based Pratt + Larson. Pratt + Larson offers a wide range of tile designs, sizes and finishes. It manufactures tile specifically for each customer’s installation and even gives customers the opportunity to create their own colorways.
“We hold trainings for the Baptista staff here in Portland,” explained Arthur Moloian, director of business development and showroom at Pratt + Larson. “We also go to Bend to work with them. It’s a real back and forth,” he said.
Among the many benefits of working so closely with vendors is the range of products which Baptista carries or has access, including items manufactured in Portland or on the other side of the world.
When Ilene Smith and her husband returned to Central Oregon after living overseas for twenty years, they realized the home they had left behind needed a major update. Working with contractor Ed Arnold, owner of Bend Originals, and the design and installation crews at Baptista, the couple replaced existing Saltillo tile that ran throughout the first floor with a herringbone-patterned Italian porcelain tile. Other changes on the first floor included a new kitchen with Mt. White quartzite counters and an Italian blue-gray tile, Manhattan Smoke, on the backsplash. The new fireplace and television surround feature the same smoke tile. Elsewhere in the house, the couple remodeled the master bath to incorporate marble, Mont Blanc quartzite and a Japanese soaking tub set at one end of the new steam shower.
“I love the veining in the quartzites, and that we have pieces that no one else has, and I love how the smoke tile looks blue or gray depending on light,” Smith said. “Barbara’s [Baptista designer Barbara Souza] attention to detail was meticulous. The process was overwhelming at the start, but they were really good about explaining everything and providing very detailed information. I was in good hands, and it all went very smoothly.”
As he continues to run the business, Baptista said he’s most grateful for his staff, from the sales team to installers and others, who all play a role in the success of the company. That success becomes evident by the customers who return. “One of the best feelings is when a client comes into our showroom and says, ‘thirty years ago Manuel installed the tile in our home. We are working on another project and are glad you are here!’ Continually inviting us into your house to enhance your home says something.”
Baptista Tile & Stone Gallery | Open by appointment only to best address the needs of customers | 611SE Business Way, Ste. 101 | baptistatile.com | 541-919-6560
When Tom and Cyndi Harper were looking to make the move from San Clemente, California to Central Oregon, they knew the competitive market here would be a challenge to break into. “Our experience with Windermere was one of real success,” said Tom, who worked with a broker out of Windermere’s Bend office. “We knew it would take a locally respected Realtor to structure an offer in such a way that a seller would consider it; let alone find common ground and agreement with buying our Central Oregon home. There are so many competitors for each home today that we knew it would take the most savvy of Realtors to guide us to victory.”
Seeing brokers and clients work together to achieve their goals is what attracted Dave Feagans to the real estate business about twenty years ago. After an early career as a homebuilder in Portland, he decided to delve into real estate, getting his license in 1999 and relocating to Central Oregon in 2001, where he promptly began his new career as a Realtor. “To me, it felt like I was made for this,” said Feagans, owner of Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate. “There is no greater joy than seeing a family get their home—it’s really exciting to see people win in that way, and it’s fun to be a part of that.”
After thirteen years of previously owning/operating a local boutique real estate firm in Bend, Feagans welcomed the opportunity to join the Windermere family, where he’d have access to more tools, resources and talent for helping buyers and sellers, while still working for a company with a local feel and community pride. Windermere’s reach is substantial, with more than 300 offices and 6,500 agents across the western United States, with maximum international exposure and marketing through the company’s global platform. Brokers who come to Windermere are always more seasoned, with valuable experience and community connections that match up perfectly with Windermere’s standards.
Dave Feagans
Local leaders
In Central Oregon, the family-owned Windermere branch has five offices, including two in Redmond, one in Madras, one in Sunriver and a location in Bend. The Bend office recently relocated to the bank of the Deschutes River near the Old Mill District, from which events at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, ice rink, river rafting and surfing park are visible. The office’s new deck also offers beautiful Cascade Range views to enjoy. “We’ve got a lot of pride in our new location,” Feagans said. “We’ll be here for decades in this new space. We enjoy the visibility this unsurpassed riverfront location offers as well as the ease of access for our clients.”
With more than 100 seasoned Realtors with decades of experience, Windermere’s offices are well-connected throughout the community. Their brokers participate more within the local real estate association than any other firm, taking roles as executive leadership, board positions and as committee members. These attributes naturally create an advantage when advocating for buyers and sellers, particularly within today’s very competitive market in Central Oregon. “Our brokers are known across Central Oregon. Our names aren’t new, and so our ability to work together locally with others in the community is superior,” Feagans said.
Giving back
This spring, Windermere agents got their hands dirty, literally, as they took on yard work and other household maintenance for the elderly community as well as a food drive and civic beautification within the Redmond area as part of an annual community service day held company-wide. The event builds a sense of community between the brokers, and those in the region who can benefit from the extra help, and is just one example of Windermere’s commitment to philanthropy. Each Windermere agent contributes a portion of every closing to the Windermere Foundation to help give back to the community.
In Central Oregon, two committees decide how to grant the money each year, giving about $20,000 annually to local nonprofits, such as Bethlehem Inn and Habitat for Humanity, among others. In 2020, the company donated to wildfire relief efforts in Oregon, with some funds going toward stranded animals, displaced by the fires and sheltered at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.
At its core, Windermere is a company focused on helping others, whether it’s through generous philanthropy, or the more everyday work of helping buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals in Central Oregon.
“Having a local agent with extensive knowledge of the area was vital and made our transition to Central Oregon smooth and effortless,” said Cyndi, who has since settled into the couple’s new home in Bend. “We have been thoroughly enjoying our home and new life here and there’s just no other way we could have achieved this success without the help of our Windermere broker.”
Stuffed Baby Pumpkin
