The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: I is for INDUSTRY

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We've spent plenty of time highlighting the amazing natural features of Central Oregon. Sure, we have beautiful mountains, sweeping plains, deep caves, pristine lakes, and fantastic weather, but did you know we also have a thriving business community? That's why on today's blog post we're discussing some of the amazing stuff that's made right here in the Bend, Oregon area! 

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESSES:

We can always get behind a company that strives to provide a great environmentally-friendly solution for reducing waste. Silipint makes customizable containers of varying shapes and sizes out of a sustainable silicone-based compount. They even make accessories like lids for their cups, and dog bowls! Check out all the fun colors and styles they offer, or design your own on their website. 

 

RUFFWEAR

Who doesn't love furry, four-legged friends? Well this great local company makes quality wearable accessories for your pup! Ruffwear makes everything from traditional leashes and harnesses to life jackets for your dog, making it even easier for you to explore each corner of the world together. Bonus: check out their Instagram for your daily dose of adorable dog pictures. 
 

BROKEN TOP CANDLE CO

These are some of the best-smelling candles we've ever come across-- and they're made right here in Bend! Taking their name from the iconic mountain right outside of town, Broken Top Candle Co. makes fantastic-smelling, soy-based candles. They've teamed up with other local companies, like Silipint, to make custom products, too! We actually sell them at our office, so be sure to stop by and snatch up one of these beautiful candles before heading out on one of our tours! 

 

HYDROFLASK

This is the company that makes those water bottles you see everywhere in Bend-- out on the hiking trails, in coffee shops, at the Rock Gym, and on your coworker's desk at the office! Each season they release a new variety of colors, and many people try to collect multiples of their favorites. Although they've grown to be a huge, multinational company, their roots are firmly planted in Bend, Oregon! 

BREEDLOVE GUITARS

While we often focus on the outdoor-related activities and businesses in Bend, we appreciate the full spectrum of pursuits that make the Bend area so special. After all, we have the celebrated annual Sister's Folk Festival right next door, and Breedlove Guitars right here in town! These award-winning luthiers craft an array of beautiful guitars, and other stringed instruments. Definitely check out their wares! 

 

BUT WAIT! THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT ALL... 

We would love to mention EVERY ONE of the magnificent companies making things in Bend, but we have rivers to canoe, and caves to explore! So for now, we recommend checking out Visit Bend's "Made In Bend" List, the Source Weekly's most recent "Made In Central Oregon" issue, and Downtown Bend's list of vendors. 

The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: H is for HYDROLOGY

In our last blog post, we discussed the amazing Geology of Central Oregon. We're lucky to have a near-endless supply of amazing rock features that attract thousands of climbers, hikers, and sight-seers to our little corner of the world every year. The grand statures of sites like Smith Rock State Park are easy to appreciate, but don't forget: it's WATER that ends up shaping most of this rock, and which allows us to live in this desert landscape. That's why we're talking about HYDROLOGY this week! 

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Deschutes-River-Central-Oregon-Water

HMMM...
HYDROLOGY, YOU SAY?

Hydrology is less commonly discussed than Geology, but these two sciences go hand-in-hand. Hydrology studies the movement, distribution, and quality of water. A large part of Hydrology studies the water cycle and water resources, as well as examining local and even extraterrestrial watersheds. 
 

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Waterfalls-Bend-Oregon

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

The survival and flourishing of humanity is directly linked to water. We must maintain a healthy drinking water supply, provide irrigation for crops, and we're susceptible to the whims of floods and ocean currents. In short: our hydrological features can have an immense impact on where, and how, we live!

VISUAL CUE: CENTRAL OREGON'S WATERFALLS

That's right-- we are super lucky to enjoy a number of beautiful waterfalls in Central Oregon. These amazing water features provide a lot of joy for tourists and locals alike. They're also a great visual representation of how powerful water can be, and how water can wear away dirt, wood, and rock to form its own shapes in the landscape. 

UNDERNEATH OUR FEET 

Bend gets its drinking water mainly from Bridge Creek, a tributary of Tumalo Creek, and when needed during high-volume times, the city taps into the Deschutes groundwater aquifer.

Image from The City of Bend Utility Dept.

Image from The City of Bend Utility Dept.

MORE ABOUT OUR DRINKING WATER

It's true-- we have DELICIOUS water in Central Oregon, derived from a pretty unique water system. Our spring-fed rivers and streams are connected to groundwater systems, which provide a steady flow of pure water at cool temperatures year-round. 

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Because Central Oregon is so dry, most of the precipitation that supplies our groundwater falls in the Cascade Range. In fact, almost none of our groundwater comes from the rainfall in Central Oregon. Rather, we depend on the hardiness of the snowpack in our mountains to supply the pure, naturally-filtered water that comes from our faucets. 

VOLCANIC ROCK: NATURE'S WATER FILTER

We've discussed how volcanic Central Oregon is in previous blog posts. Because of our geological history, our lands are rich with a variety of volcanic rock! So, when our groundwater flows from the Cascade Range, it passes eastward through the permeable volcanic rock, eventually enriching our aquifer with delicious, pure water. In fact, until recently, our only man-made filtration was a screen to keep out sticks and leaves!

If you'd like to learn more about the drinking water in Bend, definitely check out the excellent and informative Deschutes Basin Groundwater Study done by the US Geological Survey. 

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Broken Top's unique features were carved by immense glaciers moving through the rock

Broken Top's unique features were carved by immense glaciers moving through the rock

A WORD ABOUT GLACIERS

Just a quick note: glaciers are not necessarily related to the snow-pack that provides our drinking water, though there are a few glaciers left in the Cascade Range that contribute to the overall health of the snowpack. Although there's an entirely separate science related to studying glaciers (Glaciology), these amazing features are worth at least a quick mention here due to their importance in shaping the landscape around us, and the lingering effects they've had on our water supply. 

GLACIERS AND OUR DWINDLING SNOW-PACK

Glaciers are ancient ice floes attached to the highest peaks of mountains. These are the giants that carved through rock and dirt to shape mountains and winnow valleys. Unfortunately, their dwindling size and numbers are also a huge indicator of global warming.

Compare these two images for reference: 

Images from "Our Vanishing Glaciers" by Jim E. O'Connor

Images from "Our Vanishing Glaciers" by Jim E. O'Connor

Images from "Our Vanishing Glaciers" by Jim E. O'Connor

Images from "Our Vanishing Glaciers" by Jim E. O'Connor

OUR IMPACT

In the 8 years since the above photo was taken, the snowpack continues to be diminished by rising global temperatures. Glaciers are an important part of keeping the snowpack cool, and robust in the summertime. As they become smaller, there's less for our winter snows to build upon. That's why it's so important to USE LESS WATER in our daily activities, be mindful of our consumption habits, and to do our best to reduce our carbon footprint!

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The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: G is for GEOLOGY

Broken-Top-Geology

The geology of Central Oregon is quite unique and accounts for much of the beauty in Central Oregon. We enjoy pools of clear blue water, high desert plains, lava fields, and some of the most intriguing rock features on the continent. And for all of that, we have millions of years of volcanic activity to thank! 

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF CENTRAL OREGON

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VOLCANOES

It's true, we owe a lot to volcanoes. They've left us these gorgeous landscapes, some great rock climbing, and even the opportunity to find fossils underneath our feet. There are still a number of volcanoes-- active and inactive-- surrounding the town of Bend. We have some of the most recent faulting, and youngest volcanic activity in Oregon. We'll talk more about Central Oregon's volcanoes in a later blog post.

We lead amazing Volcano Tours in the summer if you're interested in learning more about these geological giants! 

Photo by Chaney Swiney

Photo by Chaney Swiney

OBSIDIAN FIELDS

These sharp, glassy rocks are an amazing sight to behold as they sparkle in the sunlight. At 1,300 years old, our obsidian fields are significantly younger than most others in Oregon. Obsidian is created when felsic lava (which has a lower percentage of the heavier elements) cools quickly, before any crystals can form. We have lots of obsidian throughout Central Oregon! 

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Obsidian-Bend-Oregon

CALDERAS

Calderas are large volcanic craters. They're formed either by an explosive volcanic eruption, or the collapse of surface rock into an empty magma chamber. Crater Lake is a caldera filled with centuries of accumulated waters from rain and snow.

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THE BADLANDS

Just east of Bend is the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, over 29,000 acres of stunning public lands. The landscape is known for its castle-like rock formations, dry river canyons, and desert terrain spotted with ancient juniper and sagebrush. In the Badlands, you can find Native American pictographs.

The Badlands are a high desert terrain, and associated with a "volcanic rootless shield." While rootless lava shields are not themselves volcanoes, they are accumulations of lava flows fed from skylights above lava tubes. In short: 80,000 years ago, this whole places was lava!

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FUN FACT

In the 1960s, astronauts trained on the volcanic terrain in this area to prepare for their upcoming trips to the moon. In fact, Astronaut Jim Irwin of the Apollo 15 mission brought a volcanic rock from Central Oregon and placed it on the moon! 

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