Eugene Weekly : Coverstory : 5.13.2010

 

Here Comes the Sun
EW’s Outdoors issue

For some of us enjoying the outdoors is as simple as stumbling out of the house and plopping down in the nearest patch of sun. For others, we need a jolt of adrenaline to remind us that we’re actually alive (or in some cases, just awake).

Right before the hail stops pelting Eugene and the sun breaks out for more than a day or two, people in Lane County start getting a little spring feverish. Some of those folks break out the shorts and flip-flops when the thermometer tops 40 degrees and start wearing sunglasses during the cloud breaks. The rest of us call that “wishful thinking.” 

But from hiking to riding to obscure (in the U.S.) sports like pétanque, this area has a plethora of adventures to choose from and the real Oregon al fresco enthusiast will do it outdoors, rain or shine. So come on, spring’s here; the pollen’s in the air. Sometimes the sun is out, and a little mud never hurt anybody. — Camilla Mortensen

 

Does a Hippie Trip in the Woods? Drug use in the great outdoors

Jump! Horses, kids, water and ditches — what could go wrong? 

Petanque Get the balls rolling