By Renee Patrick 　　The quintessential Oregon that comes to mind for many is one of wet, lush forests, rocky coastlines, and snowy peaks, but on the other side of the Cascade Mountains lies a high desert landscape that covers almost half of the state. For Brent Fenty, Oregon Natural Desert Association’s (ONDA) executive director, this immense desert has captivated him...

　　Words by Nina Caprez, photos by Jan Novak 　　Climbing has this ability of showing us what is really going on inside of us, of bringing our ego to the light, and that’s often painful. 　　Standing at the bottom of the wall, I was realizing this. Realizing I had not really faced this type of challenge as directly and bravely as...

　　When I started planning my 2015 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, I knew I wanted ultralight backpacking gear. I wasn’t aiming for sub-10 pounds or any particular ‘goal weight’, but I wanted to make intentional gear choices that kept my base weight low without going completely barebones. (Base weight is the total weight of your pack, fully loaded, not including anything...