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Articles by KM Collins
The Basics Of Rafting
They say you never forget your first time. This is true for whitewater rafting as much as anything else. Rowing my first-ever class IV on the recreation stretch of the Rogue River, I was heading slow and sideways into the biggest drop on the run. On impact, my left tube shot up to what felt like an 80-degree angle just as the pins-and-clips on my right oar blew out. I couldn’t believe my boat didn’t flip.
Best Waterproof Phone Pouches For 2025
Nothing brings the outdoor vibes to a screeching halt like an unforeseeable phone malfunction due to too much adventure. Hard-hitting splashes, dropping in deep water, infiltration of dirt, droplets in the charge port, and cracking a screen are just some of the scenarios you want to avoid while having your phone on a paddling trip.
Best Paddleboard Car Racks For 2025
Picture it now: The breeze in your hair, the sun setting over the horizon and the blade of your paddle cutting through the water as you glide across a lake on your paddleboard. Sounds like a great way to wash off a workday. But before reaching such a serene experience, there is a small detail to sort out: how you’re getting your board to the water.
Best Waterproof Fanny Packs For 2025
Whether you’re Inflatable paddleboarding, kayaking, rafting or drift fishing, you need a place to keep some gear close and dry. It’s critical that, whether you are on an afternoon float or a weeklong trip certain items on your packing list, such as phones, key fobs, snacks, cash, or a box of flies, not only remain tucked away in a waterproof place but are always accessible when you need them.
Best Waterproof Fanny Packs For 2025
5 Ways Surfing Will Absolutely Beat You Down Paddling out looks easy… until you actually try it. In this edit, I’m breaking down the five things surfers never really tell you about paddling out. …
How To Score A John Day River Permit And Plan The Ultimate Trip
Standing on river left at Clarno Rapid, I watched the water tumble over a wide ledge, forming a hole that stretched from bank to bank. I was on a paddleboard mission down the Wild and Scenic John Day River, contemplating the risk and reward of running the rapid versus portaging. Clarno was the most significant drop near the start of the 70-mile trip. Eventually, I walked back to my board and cranked down on the straps of my PFD.
How To Score A San Juan River Permit And Plan The Ultimate Trip
The San Juan River holds a long-running record of drawing life to its waters within an extremely arid region of the Utah desert, and today you can add paddlers to the list. The San Juan consistently supports year-round flow for boating. So obtaining a permit for a trip down the San Juan River, when others have run dry, is a small trifle rafters can appreciate.
Ashland is Basecamp
Ashland is Basecamp For winter recreation, sunup to sundown, check out these key stops on the Southern Oregon winter backcountry trail Story by KM Collins As Jack Frost starts to whisper in Southern Oregon’s ear, visitors and locals are planning their winter recreation itineraries and as usual, Ashland is ground zero.
How To Score A Middle Fork Of The Salmon River Permit And Plan The Ultimate Trip
Some rapids sit front of mind for every boater who’s paddled the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Eli Kretzmann, 14-year professional river guide and trip leader for Boundary Expeditions on the Middle Fork, says even senior guides have been known to get the boater butterflies thinking about Velvet Falls. “There is a good deal of anticipation while hurtling toward the nearly river-wide ledge,” says Kretzmann, noting Velvet Falls at high water is anything but velvety.
Striking Gold: Catching Rare High Flows On The Lower Owyhee River
Table of Contents hide Chasing blind corners through Iron Point Canyon, I knew Montgomery Rapid was coming up fast. The telltale marker was an eddy on river left. Undoubtedly, there was always a commercial company pulled over for a scout. This was my third trip down the Lower Owyhee River, the 67-mile stretch from Rome to Leslie Gulch, during what was arguably the best season to guide in two decades.
Women owned Adventure Businesses
Women owned Adventure Businesses Southern Oregon entrepreneurs setting the bar for the outdoor industry Story by KM Collins A couple of years ago, one of my mentors launched a whitewater-based education business in Southern Oregon. In doing so, she opened up the possibility for me to shadow her and learn about whitewater safety and skills on a deeper level, from a woman.
The 55-Year Legend of Sawyer Paddles Keeps Growing
“Maravia hits its 50th anniversary this year, and Cascade River Gear has been in business for 43 years. It’s important to tell the story of legacy river companies because it’s a small and very niche market.
Hidden Gems
Lesser-known museums to explore in Central Oregon By KM Collins & Nicole Blume As spring draws near, what better time to emerge from hibernation for an educational trip to a museum? Museums can spark curiosity, encourage creativity and critical thinking and broaden children’s worldview about history, culture, science and art. While we all know and love the High Desert Museum, did you know there are many lesser-known options in Central Oregon worth exploring?
Carving out local mountain charm at Mt. Ashland for over 57 years
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 Steep and Deep Carving out local mountain charm at Mt. Ashland for over 57 years Story by KM Collins Rogue Valley locals have been quenching their thirst for powder on Mount Ashland’s steep and deep slopes since the ski area first opened in 1964. With a summit at 7,533 feet, Mount Ashland is the highest point, and many say the crown Elizabethan jewel, of the Siskiyou Mountain Range.
Domiciliary Dope
March 20, 2019 Special Issues & Guides » The Leaflet Mastering home-grown cannabis outdoors in the High Desert By K.M. Collins Domiciliary Dope By KM Collins So you want to join the rest of bourgeoisie Bend by home growing buds in a post-black market, above the board, private, small-scale venture? The good news: you could need less than $10 to get started! The bad news: there's no cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all approach.
The Rub on CBD Tropicals
March 20, 2019 Special Issues & Guides » The Leaflet From athletic ailments to epidermal irritations, CBD tropicals are the next big thing in pain relief By K.M. Collins The Rub on CBD Topicals By KM Collins Balms, lotions and creams are popping up like seedlings on dispensary shelves all over Oregon, featuring phrases such as "hemp derived" and "full spectrum." But what does it all mean?
Adults in the Pool
Being an urbanite from a working-class family, I've never had a swim lesson. I was somewhat afraid of water most of my life. I used to think I was the only one—especially in a place as outdoor-centric as Bend. Come to find out, many other adults are also uncomfortable with water. Milagros Aparicio, client services coordinator for the Latino Community Association, said a float trip gone wrong at age 19 kept her away from the water for over a decade.
McKenzie Paddle Adventure
plashes and giggles abound on a lush, fun and flowy section of the McKenzie River. While you're paddling, gaze below the surface to see glassy greenish-blue water and a riverbed lined with rounded igneous cobbles—a nice relief from Bend's lacerating lava rock. A brown bag lunch never tasted so good when consuming it under giant deciduous trees on the beach at Finn Rock.Drive 6.8 miles past McKenzie Bridge until you see a store called Christmas Treasures . Pass it.
Amanda Gow | Source Spotlight | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon
Stepping into the executive director role at the Boys and Girls Club of Bend three months ago, Amanda Gow was prepared. Bend native, check. Ten years experience working with young people facing adversity, check. A stellar degree from the University of Oregon in international business and finance, check. And, perhaps the icing on her skillset cake, "I would have been a perfect club kid," Gow states, "I was raised by an amazing, single dad.
Nonprofit Champion: Milagros Aparicio | Culture Features | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon
A line forming in the foyer, 10 minutes before opening. That describes a typical Tuesday for Milagros Aparicio, who gets her three children off to school and then prepares to see clients on behalf of the Latino Community Association at its Bend office. Aparicio believes, "By working at the association, I am not only empowering the Latino community in Bend, but my own family. I try to learn as much as possible from each client, community partner and volunteer...
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