Bend Wild » Downtown Bend

Pioneer Park Renovation in Downtown Bend, Oregon

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:10:24 +0000

For those of you who haven’t been by to see the remarkable renovations in Bend’s Pioneer Park, it is a must see as the Bend Park and Recreation District and the contractors involved have done a great job of making a good park great.

Paver walkway in Pioneer Park, Downtown Bend, Oregon

An appropriate place to start descriptions of Pioneer Park is at the new handicapped accessible ramp near the Portland street bridge on the south end of the park. The ramp pictured below is very tastefully done with a lava rock facing and very sturdy and timeless iron railing.

New Handicap accessible ramp in Downtown Bend's Pioneer Park

There is a pedestrian crossing underway so that walkers and runners can cross Portland avenue with some level of safety. There is also work going on in Pacific Park on the other side of Portland Avenue. A graded, handicap ramp is in place there as well, but it currently doesn’t really connect with anything, except a goose poop laden wood chip path. A Bend parks and Rec employee I spoke with said that it was his understanding that a path through Pacific Park would be eventually be completed, thereby connecting to the core of downtown Bend with Pioneer park through the ever developing Bend River Trail system. Back to Pioneer Park and its lovely new paver walkways. Walking north along the gently flowing Deschutes River, along the freshly minted walkway is one of the more underrated views in Bend. Awbrey Butte seen over the placid waters of the Deschutes River is an impressive scene.

View of Awbrey Butte and the placid Deschutes River from Bend's Pioneer Park

Beyond this point is where the real benefit of this renovation start to shine through. The path ambles through large ponderosa trees, rimrock lava formations, and along the banks of the Deschutes. I’ve been to Pioneer Park many times before as it is close to the Bend Wild compound and this is where the trail used to get a little creepy. Makeshift homeless camps with lots of garbage could regularly be found in this area of Pioneer Park. Well, not any more. The beautifying of the trails and parks via this renovation have brought in more walkers,runners, and foot traffic, thereby driving out the homeless individuals who were intimidating to the rest of Bend’s park users. This is actually a good example of increased traffic through an urban trail system making he trails much safer and more beautiful. With these wonderful improvements, this area of Pioneer Park really does have a magical feel, which is an immense improvement.

Walkway through ponderosa trees in Pioneer park

Continuing north beyond the rimrock area, travelers come upon an apartment building located along the river’s banks. I’m certain that the city of Bend had to do some serious negotiating to get access through this property and it is well worthwhile for everyone involved. Having this elegant walkway is a phenomenal resource for all the citizens of Bend, and it adds value to the apartments which are located nearby. The path and amenities are top notch in this area with low maintenance and long lasting concrete fences and black iron safety fences. During the constructions process I noticed the men form Mike’s Fence Company working on the concrete fencing. Well done guys!

Deschutes river trail coursing behind apartments near the damn above the First Street rapids

Adjacent to the apartments, is the dam which holds back the Deschutes River. Below the dam, the Deschutes river takes on a much more rugged personality. This, incidentally is where the “First Street Rapids” area of Bend is located.the dam which makes the water under the Portland avenue bridge so placid. Downstream from this dam, the Deschutes River takes on a much more rugged personality.

First Street Rapids dam as seen from the Pioneer Park walkway

Slightly downstream from the dam is a “put-in” spot for whitewater kayakers. Foot access is available from Pioneer Park. The “put in ramp” is safe looking and lined with fine gravel.

White water "put in" on the east side of Bend's First Street rapids

Please head the ominous warning sign at the white water “put-in’ area which is seen below.

Whitewater warning sign

Believe it or not, this piece of the Pioneer Park walkway offers a little bit of history as well. As long ago as 1927, there used to be a community pool located in this area of Bend. Below is a plaque dedicated to th “Kirtsis Swim Tank”

Historical plaque about the "Kirtsis swim tank"

Shortly beyond this point, the pavered path unceremoniously ends. There are trails criss crossing this area but it is definitely undeveloped. This temporary ending point of the Pioneer Park walkway is on City owned property and it is the proposed area for a pedestrian bridge across the Deschutes River.

Temporary end of the Pioneer Park walkway, which is located across the Deschutes River from First Street Rapids Park.

With a short stroll, you will find the famed First Street Rapids and a couple of wading pools along the banks of the Deschutes River.

First Street Rapids. Bend, Oregon.

While the improvements to Pioneer are excellent, they are nothing compared to the benefit that the residents and visitors to Bend will enjoy once the First Street Rapids bridge is completed, thereby connecting Pioneer Park with the First Street Rapids parks and the Deschutes River Trail on the west side of the River. The length of the River Trail will be much more accessible with the completion of the proposed bridge, and many walker and runner friendly loops will be possible with the bridge intact. We can envision a few standardized and easy to follow loops clearly marked for enjoyment of visitors and residents alike. It would be a beautiful and simple activity for everyone on the downtown Bend area. Alas, we will have to wait for funding, but when it does happen , Downtown Bend will have another brilliant and natural calling card. This is truly the type of infrastructure that would help pull Bend out of its current economic doldrums.

Because a loop walk is not currently available on this area of downtown Bend, an out an back is the only option. On the way back to Pioneer Park there are some more beautiful views including the following view of the First Street Rapids dam. If you look closely, you can even see a fish ladder that will hopefully someday allow passage for salmon and steelhead to pass upstream to Mirror Pond and eventually the Upper Deschutes River. For more information about the “back to home waters” initiative, being spearheaded by the good people at the Deschutes Land Trust, follow this link, “Back to Home Waters”. How cool would it be to see and know that anadromous fish were passing through and spawning in Downtown Bend. Just another thing that could make our favorite city even better!

First street rapids dam in downtown Bend, Oregon

Upstream from the First Street Rapids dam is another idyllic view that was made possible by the renovation of Pioneer Park.

Path in Pioneer Park, Bend, OR.

While the renovations of Pioneer Park are great, the park did have a lot to offer before the recent improvements. The picnic shelter seen below is often utilized for weddings and other organized get togethers. It is an attractive facility with great views, and an awesome location.

Picnic shelter in Pioneer Park, Bend Oregon

Pioneer park also has an attractive garden area above the rimrock on the northern end of the park. This particular area is dedicated to Percy Drost, who developed and built Bend’s water system and several of its parks during his tenure with the Bend Parks department.

Dedication to Percy Drost

Some bullet points that are worth pondering in regards to Bend Oregon’s Pioneer Park:

-Awesome new renovation! kudos to the Bend Parks department and all the contractors involved.

-Pioneer Park is much safer and Happier now.

-Pioneer Park is now handicap accessible

-Someday, the park may include a bridge that connects Pioneer park with the First Street rapids area. This will be HUGE for the city of Bend!

-Someday you may see salmon and steelhead swimming through this area of the Deschutes River. How cool would that be?

That’s all for now! Go check out the new renovations at Pioneer Park. You won’t regret it!

Thanks for Reading,

Bend Wild

Mother Lode NW Pale from Deschutes Brewery

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:39:07 +0000

This pub-exclusive from the masterminds at Deschutes Brewery is a direct descendent of Red Chair Northwest Pale. For a previous review of Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale and all of its elegant virtues, visit the following link. Red Chair Northwest Pale. Mother Lode chimes in at 5.6% alcohol and a whopping 76 IBU’s. That is a bevy of hops! The Deschutes Brewery website boasts 7 different types of hops and 6 different malt varieties. They were busy brewers! As this is a pub-exclusive, this beer was not tasted out of the bottle. We went to the next level and bought a keg for the Bend Wild Tasting Compound.

Mother Lode NW Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon

Bend Wild – Beer Scoring Scale
	Maximum	Mother Lode NW Pale Ale
Nose/Appearance	35	32
Body/Flavor	40	37
Finish/Mouthfeel	15	13
Overall Drinkability	10	9
Total Score	100	91

Nose/Appearance-Clear, dark-staw-colored hues decorated with a moderately-tight head. Lightly vegetal notes on the nose, with sweet hints of carrot juice and dried fruits.

Body/Flavor-Surprisngly light and hop-balanced for a 76-IBU beer. Subtle pine notes carry through the entry and middle flavor profiles, but compared to its predecessor Red Chair, Mother Lode’s late flavor profile pales in complexity.

Finish/Mouthfeel- For a Deschutes beer in the “Northwest Pale” style, Mother Lode demonstrates notable astringency on the finish belying its 76 IBU’s. A lingering bitterness further distinguishes it from its “brother from another mother”, Red Chair NW Pale.

Overall Drinkability-Mother Lode is a smaller and slightly less complex version of Red Chair Northwest Pale, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially in the summer months. As things heat up in Central Oregon, we suspect Mother Lode will end up getting a fairly frequent rogering here at the Bend Wild Tasting Compound. While Red Chair was likened to Eva Longoria, Mother Lode is more like . . .. Not quite perfect, but still well-suited for summer.

Celebrity Likeness- Terri Hatcher. Not quite Eva Longoria but there is a relationship and this beer is quite sessionable, much like Terri. Lighter in complexion and and a less alluring body than Eva, but this is a beer is worthy more than one pint.

Total Score-

Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes River Trail/ First Street Rapids, an urban trail oasis.

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:39:31 +0000

Because Bend, Oregon was recently awarded the title of “Best Trail Running Town” in the USA, our trails have received a fair amount of recognition. As Bend is largely surrounded by BLM and National Forest land, we Bendites are blessed with hundreds of miles of trails for the purpose of Trail Running, Mt. Biking, etc. This is now surprise. What may be a surprise to outsiders is the fact that we have some wonderful trails within the city limits. We give the in town section of the Deschutes River Trail because it can be easily accessed at the First Street Rapids trail head which is very conveniently located in downtown Bend, on…you guessed it, First Street. These rapids are a favorite play area for urban kayakers, but they are just the beginning of the fun along the Deschutes River Trail.

First Street Rapids trail head sign, which is also the beginning of the in town section of Bend's Deschutes River Trail

For the purposes of this trail review, we chose an out and back route along the River Trail, starting at the First Street Rapids. From the small parking area, follow the very obvious trail downstream along the placidly flowing Deschutes River. The trail ambles through a wide shallow canyon with occasional cliffs above for about a mile before the first real hill.

Trail runner running along the Deschutes River Trail in Bend, Oregon.

This first peaceful first mile of the River Trail is a good place to spot wildlife. There is typically a pair of swans that return here every year along with countless other waterfowl, otters, osprey, and even mule deer.

Swans in the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon

This is probably a good place to give a big shout out to the Bend Oregon Parks and recreation Department who do a great job of maintaining this section of the River Trail. They re-surface the trail in this area recently and they honestly did a great job. The trail is firm but forgiving and friendly to runners and bikers alike. in addition to the excellent trail surface, thay have also installed some simple but attractive plant identification sign such as the one pictured below which is dedicated to a friend of Bend Wild who we’ll refer to as Squishy Wild. Despite being a golfer and hunter, we still love Squishy! Don’t worry, he only hunts cougars.

Trail side plant ID sign seen along the downtown section of the Deschutes River Trail in Bend, Oregon

At about the one mile marker, the trail bends to the left and up a disappointingly steep hill towards Mt. Washington Drive. on teh flanks of Awbrey Butte.

Stay to the left at this section of the River Trail to avoid the golf course.

Follow the well marked signs up the steep but short hill and then run down hill while paralleling Mt. Washington Drive. At the signage cross Mt. Washington Drive and follow the trail through River’s Edge Golf Course.

Steep section of trail before Mt. Washington Drive

About a half mile further and you will reach Sawyer Park on the right side of the Trail where you will see a large attractive grassy lawn where woodland fairies dance at night.

Grassy field in Sawyer Park along the Deschutes River Trail

Beyond Sawyer Park, the trail climbs mildly to a beautiful section of trail that hangs high above the Deschutes River.

Hill just beyond Sawyer Park along the river trail

At about 1.5 miles from the trail head you will encounter one of Bend, Oregon’s natural wonders, the mystical and magical Candy Cane Formation seen in the photo below

Mystical/Magical Candy Cane formation view from the Deschutes River Trail in Bend, Oregon

Soon after paying homage to the Candy cane Gods, you will cross Archie Briggs Road, seen below.

Trail runner bravely and victoriously crossing Archie Briggs Road along the Deschutes River Trail

Beyond Archie Briggs, it is but a pleasant jaunt through scenic high desert scenery before you arrive at North Cliff Drive pictured below. Keep going through the gates in the photo below as some of the best views in Bend await you beyond the gates.

North Cliff drive located about 2.5 miles from the First Street rapids and the unofficial start of this section of the Deschutes River Trail

The scene below depicts the section of River from North Cliff Drive to Putnam Road. Enjoy the scenery as it only gets better.

The river trail high above the Deschutes River Canyon on the flanks of Bend's Awbrey Butte

At the second magical, mystical candy cane formation(about 2.5 miles from the start of this run) peer off to the right(west) for this stellar view of Middle and North Sister high above the Deschutes River.

Middle and North Sisters high above the Deschutes River Canyon as seen from the River Trail

Below is the view of the river itself from near this same location.

The Deschutes River as seen from high above on the Deschutes River Trail on the Northwest side of Awbrey Butte

There are very few locations in Central Oregon that have views of the Deschutes River and and the Three Sisters Mountains from the same location. It really is pretty awesome and makes the run worthwhile by itself.

On this particular day, we opted for an out and back run stopping at the second of the two magical candy canes. If you continue o from this point, the running is sublime until the end of the River Trail at Putnam Road. If you follow Putnam Road until you reach Mt. Washington, you can make an approximately 9.5 mile loop around Awbrey Butte. While this isn’t the most rugged run in Central Oregon, it’s proximity to Downtown( thereby eliminating a car drive to the trail head, a much loved option for the Bendwild staffers) it’s beautiful views, and it’s serene riparian terrain, make this one of the the trails which has made Bend, Oregon arguably the best Trail running cities in North America.

Happy Trails!

Bend Wild

Axe Head Red from the Bend Brewing Company

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:23:32 +0000

Shame on us for taking so long to evaluate any of the Bend Brewing Companies many fine ales. Tonya Cornett, the now famous brewmaster at the Bend Brewing Company(BBC) has recently released her seasonal amber offering, Axe Head Red.

Axe Head Red ale from the Bend Brewing Company, in downtown Bend, Oregon.

Axe Head Red is a big bodied medium alcohol(our guess is that it tips the scales at about 6% alcohol this year, Tonya, please correct us!) ale. Deep auburn in color, this flavorful ale hits the nose with rich nutty and caramel notes and hits the palate with more of the same. It is well balanced by an attractive yet somewhat understated hop profile. This beer is about the malt profile but it is not sweet. It is a dry full nuttiness that paves the way for this seasonal winner from the BBC. More information about the BBC’s beers can be found at their website. Bend Brewing Company. Almost as good as the beer is the service at the Bend Brewing. They maintain an amazingly stable staff filled with affable and knowledgeable servers. We’ll have more in the near future from the BBC, so stay tuned.

The Bend Wild Tasting committee.

Tower Theater in Downtown Bend, Oregon

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:29:45 +0000

Photo of the Tower Theater in downtown Bend, Oregon