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Our Own Private Forest…A Morning of Mountain Biking in Bend

The first week of summer is showing off in Bend, dressed in festive colors and bringing smiles to the faces of visitors and locals alike.  After a long spring, the passing of the Solstice has brought warm weather, sunshine, and evening fires at O’Kanes Square to our little city along the Deschutes River.

Taking full advantage of this special season requires experiencing a summer powder day; getting up early to sneak in a ride before the workday begins, when the mountain biking trails are still tacky with moisture from the overnight dew, yet the air is warm enough to ride without a jacket or long fingered gloves.

This morning was a summer powder day.  “Today is the best day of the year to ride your bike,” my friend announced as we headed out from the Wanoga parking lot. Similar to a morning skin to the summit of Tumalo Mountain on a Tuesday when the rest of the world in bed, at work, or getting the kids off to school, the forest was silent and we were the only ones on the trail. We floated down the single track, our tires finding traction in corners that will soon turn to moon dust.  The birds sang their sweet morning songs as the lupine and Indian paintbrush greeted us along the way.

Those few morning hours were ours, our own private trails in our own private forest.  Just a couple of friends, a couple of bikes, and summer full of smiles.

Farm Fresh Strawberries – Four Pints isn’t nearly enough.

With high hopes of serving strawberry shortcake to our dinner guests on Thursday night, I bought a few pints of strawberries from the Bend Farmer’s Market on Wednesday afternoon.  Four pints would be plenty I thought, to enjoy Wednesday evening and still have enough for our friends the following night.  As I sliced up a few large berries and took a bite, I realized I was mistaken.

I had forgotten the taste of a real strawberry, one that had been picked that morning; by the hands of a fellow Oregonian.  There is something fabulous about a farm-fresh strawberry.  It tastes different than one that comes out of the refrigerated case at the grocery.  Full of flavor and satisfying in a way a store-bought berry could never be.  It is a bit messy to eat, dark red strawberry juice covering your fingers as you reach for a third or fourth.

After a winter of eating hearty greens and store bought fruits, these strawberries were a real treat.  I couldn’t help myself.  With my lack of self-control combined with Ben’s love of just about any type of produce, we quickly devoured a pint and a half of berries.  Four pints was not nearly enough.

I guess the strawberry shortcake will have to wait until next week… when 6 pints of strawberries will be on my Farmer’s Market list.

This is going to be a very good summer!

A Summer Strawberry Shortcake Recipe:

3 pints fresh strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

2 cups whipped heavy cream

Directions

1.              Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.

2.              Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.

3.              In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.

4.              Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.

The Nation’s Best Cyclists Descend on Bend.

The cycling population of Bend is going to grow exponential this weekend – in preparation for the USA Cycling National Championships.  Junior, U23 and Elite road racers from all over the country will descend on Bend to compete in road racing, time trial and criterium events.  For six days, June 22-27, riders will compete at the country’s highest level of bike racing and spectators will be treated to US cycling culture at its best.

The schedule of events for both racers and cycling enthusiasts is extensive; so to make it easy on you, below are some of the highlights you won’t want to miss.

For the complete calendar of events click here.

Tuesday June 22 6-8pm

Meet the riders of Peanut Better & Co. Twenty12, the nation’s top professional women’s cycling team along with their coach, Kristin Armstrong for a PB&J picinic at Webcyclery.

Wednesday June 23^rd 4:00pm – 10:00pm

Welcome USA Cycling Party in NorthWest Crossing!

Friday June 25^th 4:00pm – 10:00pm

USA Cycling Block Party on Minnesota Ave!  Live Music, Food and Beverages all afternoon and into the night in Downtown Bend.

Saturday June 26^th 6:30pm

“Chasing Legends” Film Premiere at the historic Tower Theater. Presented by Webcyclery and Scott Bikes. $2 of every ticket will go to Central Oregon Trail Alliance. Show will start at 7:30pm. Watch the trailer, find our more information and purchase tickets through Webcyclery here.

Everyday

Join the Bend Endurance Academy on they daily Junior Group Rides, previews some of the courses and exploring some of Bend’s best cycling routes.

Ride fast, be safe, and enjoy Bend…. we are glad to be host to such an awesome event! For complete details on the USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road Racing National Championships in Bend click here.

The World Cup – Not so far from home.

Whether you are a die-hard soccer fanatic, casual sports fan, or reluctant spectator, you can’t help but get caught up in the action of this year’s FIFA 2010 World Cup.  Being held in nine different South African cities, this year’s tournament has international appeal and attracts millions of viewers – in the stadium, on television and the Internet, via iPhones and over the radio waves.

Bend, like every other US city, is pulling for the US Team.  Saturday’s game against England, finishing in a 1-1 tie felt, more like a victory as we watched from Jackson’s Corner, a local corner store with a country breakfast that is sure to tie you over until dinner.

If you are like me, you don’t have a television and if you do have one, watching a match surrounded by other enthusiasts is a lot more fun that sitting in your living room by yourself, yelling at the flat screen.

Get caught up in the action and check out the next game at one of Bend’s World Cup Hot Spots:

Brother Jon’s Public House

1227 NW Galveston Ave.

541-306-3321

Sideline’s Sports Bar

1020 NW Wall St

541-385-8898

Summit Salon

125 NW Oregon Ave

541-749-2440125

Jackson’s Corner

845 Northwest Delaware Avenue

541-647-2198

Cascade Lakes Brewery

1441 SW Chandler Ave # 100

541-388-4998

Top Leaf Mate Bar

869 NW Tin Pan Aly

541-678-568

Fox’s Billiard Lounge

937 NW Newport Ave

541-647-1363

If you don’t have the luxury of spending morning, noon, and night glued to the TV, download the World Cup App from ESPN to your iPhone or Smartphone.

The USA plays next on Friday, June 18^th.  Where will you be watching?

FootZone’s Dirty Half….. Coming to a Trail Near You.

Lace up those running shoes and hit the trail!

FootZone’s Dirty Half, a half marathon on the Phil’s Trail network just west of Bend, will take place this Sunday morning at 8 a.m. sharp!  A 13.1-mile loop of technical single-track welcomes runners of all abilities – from Olympic caliber athletes to those covering the half marathon distance for the first time.  The Dirty Half is more than a trail running race, it’s a celebration and a party!

The course, which begins and ends at Phil’s Trailhead, is challenging with a net elevation gain/loss of 1000 ft.  Three course aid stations with provide energy drink, water, and encouragement to passing runners.  A great place to cheer on a friend or family member is on the 300 road, easily accessed from Skyliners Drive.

The Dirty Half after-party, complete with awards, great post-race goodies, product give-aways and treats from Nancy P’s, will be held near the finish line, just below the main Phil’s parking lot.

Even if you aren’t racing, come out and join in the festivities, or better yet, sign up to volunteer!

Contact Super Dave @ superdave@footzonebend.com or 541.317.3568

The Seasons are Changing. The Farmer’s Market is Open for Business.

The rain has stopped, the fruit trees are budding and there is a buzz in the air.  Might it just be summer?  Signs of the changing season are all around us; the opening of Bend’s Farmer’s Market is one that is palatable to the eye and to the taste buds.

A summertime event folks, myself included, look forward to each week, the Bend Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays (3-7 p.m). in the top Drake Park and  Fridays (2-6 p.m.) in the east parking lot of St. Charles Medical Center.

The downtown market is my preference. I conveniently forget my lunch on Wednesdays as I leave the house for work and am forced to forage around the market for my mid-day sustenance.   Cherries, berries, and stone fruits make for a great first course.  Greens and carrots from Fields Farms take care of the second and, if I am feeling extra ambitious, I stroll by the Sparrow Bakery booth for a delicious treat that I save for later in the afternoon.

The Bend Farmer’s Market is a place to reconnect with familiar faces, make local habit by supporting local and organic farmers, and to nourish the body with the most beautiful produce our fair city has to offer.

Be sure to forget your lunch next week and join me in a satisfying stroll around the market.

So Much To Do, So Little Time – Memorial Day in Bend

Memorial Day weekend seemed to sneak up on everyone this year; and came rushing into Bend with a calendar full of events.  Portlanders flocked over the mountains to get a taste of the Central Oregon sunshine and Bendites had to decide whether to stay in town and soak up the culture and recreation in their our backyard or hit the road and explore new places.

With a solid line-up of activities and good weather in the forecast, there was a lot to do in Central Oregon.  With three whole days of freedom, there was almost enough time to take advantage of it all.

Here is just one example of a go-getter’s schedule for the weekend in Bend, Oregon.

Friday

Evening: Dinner at 10 Barrel Brewery, Goo Goo Dolls Concert at the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

Saturday

Morning: Get up at 4:45am – Fueled by Thump’s Hairbender Espresso Blend, head up Century Drive.  Skin South Sister, ski 5,200 vertical feet, hoot, holler, and make it back to town in time for lunch.

Afternoon: Work in the garden; take a leisurely ride on the cruisers through the Old Mill and Drake Park and head to the Deschutes River Trail for a late afternoon dog-walk.

Evening: BBQ with friends, Organic Buffalo from Pine Mountain Ranch, fresh veggies from Newport Market, and desert courtesy of Nancy P’s Bakery.

Sunday

Morning: Grab coffee and breakfast at Chow.

Afternoon: Head out to Sisters for Central Oregon’s newest competitive mountain biking event; the Sisters Stampede.  After an exciting race on technical single track, the Moon Mountain Ramblers cap off the afternoon with a free show.

Evening: Back to Bend for dinner at Jackson’s Corner and the second concert of the weekend; Band of Horses and She & Him.

Monday

Morning: Rent mountain bikes from Sunnyside Sports and head to the trails.

Afternoon: Replenish your stores and cap off a great weekend with a beer and a basket of fries at the Bend Brewing Company.

Evening: Back to Reality…. Early to bed, tomorrow is another workday!

Mixed Media Beard & Mustache Competition Brings Everyone in on the Action!

Don’t have a mustache?  Can’t grow a beard?  Aren’t qualified to enter the National Beard and Mustache Championships?

Don’t feel left out.  You can still be part of the bearded fun!

Thump Coffee and the Central Oregon Mustache and Beard Society (COMBS) are partnering up to bring you the first annual Mixed Media Beard and Mustache Competition.

Stop by Thump Coffee, located on Minnesota, across the street from the Oxford Hotel, and pick up a “bearded man” template.  Then get out the glue stick, glitter, pipe cleaners and faux fur and start constructing your own bearded man.  All “bearded men” entries must be give a name and submitted to Thump by Sunday, May 30^th, 4:30 p.m.

Members of COMBS will judge submissions and the winners of each other four categories (age group, beard, mustache, and freestyle) will win $25 in free drinks at Thump Coffee and be featured on Thump’s facebook page!

Be sure to swing by Thump Coffee and check out the gallery submissions.  The Mixed Media Beard and Mustache Competition Gallery will remind on display until June 6^th and will be a featured stop on June 4^th First Friday Art Walk.

Six months later, we are still getting fresh tracks.

May 22^nd, 2010.  Bend, Oregon.  Flurries of snow can be seen from my kitchen window.  The Three Sisters, Broken Top and Mt. Bachelor are invisible, heavily cloaked in swirling white clouds.  The skis have been retired for the year, but the mountain is calling.  The powder has been accumulating for the last 36 hours and the peace, quiet and untracked snow of some Cascade summit sounds pretty inviting.

It is almost 11 a.m. by the time we pull the skis, skins and transceivers out of summer storage, so we opt for a trip up to the Summit of Mt. Bachelor.  With a couple of dogs in tow, we start to climb.  Bend unfolds below us.  What we know is a May afternoon feels a bit like a December dawn patrol.  The lifts are quiet, the slopes are empty and Mt. Bachelor feels like our own private resort.

Only in Bend Oregon can you have your pick between mountain biking on sweet single-track, a run along the Deschutes River Trail, fly fishing on the Metolius, and powder in the Cascades, all on the same day in late May.

My relentless love affair with Bend continues.

Another National Championship Event Comes to Bend!

Beard Team USA is teaming up with Visit Bend to bring the inaugural National Beard and Mustache Championships to Bend Oregon.  On Saturday June 5^th, $1,000 will be awarded to the best of show in each of the following categories:

1. Best moustache. Beards are allowed in this category but the contestants will be judged on their moustaches only.

2. Best partial beard. Includes goatees, van dykes, sideburns, musketeers, etc.

3. Best full beard. Styling aids are permitted.

4. Freestyle. Anything goes. Anything. Be creative.

5.  A randomly selected contestant.  All you have to do to qualify is sign-up.

Beard wearing, beer loving, folks from across the country will gather along side local contestants in the Les Schwab Amphitheater for the event.  A distinguished panel of judges including The Great Burke Kenny, former world champion in the full beard styled moustache category, and CC Barber, Miss Oregon 2009, will determine the winners.

Although there are some incredible beards and mustaches coming to town, there are a couple of locals that might be able to toss a hat in the ring.

1)    Steve – If you have ever ordered a cup of coffee from Thump, just across from the Oxford Hotel, you know Steve.  His wild style and unassuming disposition makes him a top pick for the Freestyle competition.

2)    Jace – Wrenching at Webcyclery or running up the trails at Smith Rock, these chops make Jace unmistakable.  Top pick in the Best Partial Beard competition.

3)    Jay – Boot maker, mountain bike guide, student; Jay still has time to keep a immaculately styled mustache.  Color, design, and signature “lighting bolts” make Jay a strong candidate in the Best Mustache category.

Registration for the 2010 National Beard and Mustache Competition is still open, so sign up today at http://www.bendticket.com.  There are no annoying qualifying events, drug tests, or dues.