The story of Willamette Pass is not just about one ski area trying to survive climate change and legal headwinds. It’s about what happens when a community decides that access to the mountains is worth fighting for.

It’s a Friday afternoon in February, and our NWAC weather forecasts come bearing good news. A forecast of several new inches of snowfall means the group text is popping off with weekend plans and ecstatic friends.

The Pacific Golden Chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) is a treasure that some of us have delighted in eating, and even fewer have indulged in foraging for themselves.

Relieved to have found the trail, we were feeling good again back on track. But soon, we’d be facing even more obstacles, patches of snow, and—even more snow.

Even though some of our machines rode with quirks and limits, together, we traveled hundreds of miles, conquered storms, dirt roads and trails, craters, and lava fields, and returned home with memories richer than anything money could buy.

I was gassed, bleeding, and had used the last burst of energy I had to push myself out of the slot, and before me now was the final leg of the journey: a 300 foot rope climb to the top.

To hike, ride, drive, float, wade, swim, or fish the North Middle Fork is to live something special. It’s to step out of our beeping, buzzing, ringing, streaming, trending grind and into life that reminds you why free rivers and tall trees and wild things matter.

One part mountain bike adventure and one part Burning Man festival, Mountain Bike Oregon is an experience unlike any other in the region.

Squarely focused on the beating heart of west Cascadia’s Willamette National Forest, the Oakridge Trails Alliance stands as a testament to a community’s love for the land, outdoor recreation, and sustainable stewardship.

I took a look at the weather for the next few days. 4-6” on Wednesday, over 12” that night. Very quickly, the powder flu took hold.

It wasn’t until January that the temperatures began to drop and the weather radars started to pick up a large storm system heading south towards Oregon. The snow estimates got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Then, it happened.