Allison Hartz

In 2006 Gabe Howe and a handful of friends set out to restore the Trans-Kalmiopsis backpacking route rendered impassable by the gigantic Biscuit Fire a few years earlier. The route traversed 26 miles over sharp ridgelines and through the steep canyons of Southern Oregon’s Chetco River watershed. The group thought it would take a year to clear the overgrown brush and fallen trees. Little did they know it would be five years before the Trans-Kalmiopsis was finally reopened. In the process, the Siskiyou Mountain Club... More

It’s safe to say we were here to explore, to savor each moment and to celebrate the freedom of the wilderness. We set off with our dog Riggins late in the afternoon toward Slide Lake. The trail turned south, traversing the eastern side of the ridge and offering views of aptly named Slide Mountain, with numerous avalanche paths leaving scars down its face. Above, basalt columns stood in various states of toppling into each other. More

Whirring bicycle wheels and the steady gnawing of puppy teeth against a rawhide bone merge into a peaceful rhythm as I pedal down the two-lane highway, just a handful of miles outside Mitchell. I’m exploring the Painted Hills Scenic Bikeway, Oregon’s newest addition to its official bicycle-friendly routes. Located in Eastern Oregon, the state’s 15th Scenic Bikeway connects the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument over 161 miles and tops the state’s total bikeway network to more than 1,000 miles. To... More