Oregon events will take outdoor challenges to whole new level.Byline: INSIDE THE OUTDOORS By Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard Too much "Reality TV" in your life and not enough real challenges? You've come to the right place. The Outdoors Guy can point you toward enough summer adventure to burn off a winter's worth of couch-potato chips. Such as the 2004 X-adventure Raid Series race, featuring four-person coed teams racing 120 miles over varied outdoor terrain near Bend. Or the Balance Bar Adventure Sprint near Portland in July. Or any of several other events. The toughest challenge, no doubt, will be the Raid race, to be held June 11-13. It is one of four qualifying races - and the only one in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. - for the X-adventure World Championships in Argentina from Nov. 20-Dec. 5. During the race, team members will travel by mountain bikes, canoes, skis and in-line skates, as well as by foot. The course is kept secret until just prior to the start, when pre-designated checkpoint locations are revealed. But, rest assured, it will be challenging. The Bend area offers a wide variety of tough terrain, including rugged lava flows and desert, forest, and mountain alpine country. The canoe legs could involve any one of numerous lakes, or the Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to one of these U.S. rivers:
The entry fee is $900 per four-person team. Amateur and pro divisions are available, but even novices must demonstrate a high level of skill to be accepted. For details, see: www.theraid.org. There is no charge for spectators, but watching the race will require going to race headquarters, where the course and the best spectator viewpoints will be posted. The location of race HQ will be announced just prior to the event. If that's too complicated, you can always wait and watch the highlights on television. NBC-TV has agreed to cover every stage of the X-adventure Raid Series qualifiers, and will air reports over several Saturdays during its weekly "World of Adventure Sports" program. If a two-day multi-event race is too much - or if you're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a good warm-up event - there's still time to jump into the annual U.S., Bank Pole, Pedal, Paddle race. The May 15 event runs from Mount Bachelor to downtown Bend, combining alpine skiing Alpine skiing Class of competitive ski events consisting of speed events (the downhill and the supergiant slalom) and technical events (the slalom and giant slalom). , Nordic skiing Nordic skiing Skiing techniques and events of Scandinavian origin that include cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Nordic events were included in the first Winter Olympics in 1924. See also Alpine skiing. , bicycling, running, canoeing or kayaking, and a finishing "sprint." Individual and team entries are available. See the Web site: ppp.bendnet.com for details and entry forms. The July 24 Balance Bar event will involve nearly 1,000 participants at Henry Hagg Lake Henry Hagg Lake (also Hagg Lake) is an artificial lake in northwest Oregon, United States, which is an impoundment of Scoggins Creek which drains a small portion of the eastern side of Oregon Coast Range. outside Portland. Teams of three will compete in trail running, mountain biking mountain biking Sports medicine A sport in which participants use specialized bicycles to navigate rough, steep trails covered with unforgiving rocks Injury risk Concussions, fractures, death. See Extreme sport, Novelty seeking behavior. , kayaking and several "special tests." The entry fee is $270 per team, much of which is returned as prize money. Details: www.BalanceBarAdventure.com. Not multi-talented when it comes to outdoor activities? Well, if you can walk you can get involved in Oregon's longest relay for walkers, which finishes in Eugene's Alton Baker Park Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It features duck ponds, bicycle trails, and a dog park, and directly touches the Ferry Street Bridge. . The inaugural Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt], with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its Relay will start July 16 in Champoeg State Park near St. Paul St. Paul as a missionary he fearlessly confronts the “perils of waters, of robbers, in the city, in the wilderness.” [N.T.: II Cor. 11:26] See : Bravery and visit nine towns and five parks in five counties over two days. The event is a benefit for stroke treatment programs. Teams of eight to 12 participants will walk about 140 miles. Details: www.wondersofwalking.com. Another popular one-discipline event, of course, is the bicycle tour. New for cyclists this summer is a "mini-ride" organized by Cycle Oregon, a group long known for its week-long "cross-state" bike tours. Not everyone wants (or is able) to spend seven days in the saddle. So Cycle Oregon decided to add a shorter ride with the same amenities as its main event. The inaugural mini-ride is July 23-25. Based in Sisters, it will feature two days of riding along bucolic Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographical region lying near the center of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is commonly considered to include Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Primary cities in Central Oregon are La Pine, Sunriver, Bend, Redmond, Madras, and Prineville. back roads, with stops at such as landmarks Smith Rock, McKenzie Pass, Camp Sherman, the Metolius headwaters and Wizard Falls. The ride fee is $150. Details: Call 1-800-CYCLEOR or visit www.cycleoregon.com. Mike Stahlberg can be reached at mstahlberg@guardnet.com. |
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