The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 31
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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Runners prove up to the Hoodoo Challenge Man
suffers gunshot wound
By Jeff Omodt Correspondent
It was a perfect day for a trail run in Central Oregon as runners gathered for the ninth annual Kiwanis Run to The Top at Hoodoo Ski Resort. Temperatures were still in the 60s as the runners set out at 8 a.m. for their 13.2 or 3.1 mile adventures. It’s a simple concept — with an evil twist. Run a 5K or half marathon trail course around the beautiful Hoodoo Ski Area then finish the last mile gaining over 1,000 feet as you climb to the top of Hoodoo Mountain. “It’s an awesome race, with a beautiful location, but it’s really, really hard, a runner commented. Produced by the Kiwanis Club of Sisters, the race is gaining a reputation as one of the most difficult trail runs in the Pacific Northwest. “We wanted to give all our runners an opportunity to challenge themselves in a beautiful scenic outdoor setting,” said Race Director Matt Kirchoff . This year marked the biggest field ever for the event with 162 entries (65 half marathoners and 97 running the 5K). Runners ranged from seven to 79 years old.
Correspondent
Managers of the Deschutes National Forest are asking for public comment on a draft change in administrative rules that would allow approximately 160 miles of trails to be freed for use by Class 1 e-bikes. Currently, no e-bikes of any class are allowed in the Forest except on roads shared with other motorized vehicles. E-bikers say this is dangerous, often confronting high speed UTV and ATV users on narrow roads. Conversely, some non-ebike users and pedestrians say that it is often dangerous
Inside...
See HOODOO on page 17
See GUNSHOT on page 7
PHOTO BY JEFF OMODT
The Hoodoo Challenge is a difficult run — but rewarding for all who participate. Sarah Rhodes of Eugene celebrated completing her 5K: “I did it, I really made it!” This year’s race had an unexpected extra challenge for the half marathon runners. The leading runners deviated from the marked trail, adding almost 1.2 miles to the course length. “We were surprised when the route was different from last year, but we didn’t
Pondering e-bikes on Sisters trails By Bill Bartlett
“It was really fun again this year to see entire families running together. We had a lot of couples, father-son, and mother-daughter teams this year… it was all about family runners,” said Suzy Ramsey, Race Coordinator.
A man identified as a 37-year-old transient accidentally shot himself in the leg earlier this month in Sisters. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reported that at approximately 10:27 a.m. on July 7, deputies responded to Ray’s Food Place in Sisters to a report of an accidental gunshot wound. Upon arrival, they located the involved red 1997 Chevrolet 1500 pickup parked on the south end of the lot. Deputies located the driver seated on the tailgate of his truck. The man was being attended to by a citizen, who was holding onto a makeshift tourniquet to control the bleeding to a gunshot wound to the man’s left shin above the ankle. Deputies applied a DCSO-issued tourniquet to the injured man’s left leg and applied pressure bandages to further control the bleeding.
to share the trail with the growing number of e-bikers. Tensions may rise as the Forest Service seeks to accommodate all users equitably. Already, several longstanding, outspoken critics have increased their objections. Most are centered in Bend. Sides are forming on social media. The conflict in Sisters Country appears tame in comparison, but not without vocal opponents and proponents. What is a Class 1 e-bike? A Class 1 e-bike is a bicycle with a battery and electric motor that only functions — providing propulsion — when the rider See E-BIKES on page 6
realize some of the course marking flags had been unexpectedly altered by another event,“ said race leader Brian Elmstead who went on to win the race for a second year in a row. He finished an astonishing 14 minutes ahead of the second place finisher Evan Moreau.
Bucking bulls return to Sisters By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
All the bulls remained inside the arena Saturday for the second annual Red Rock Bucking Bulls Futurity at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. That’s not to say the young bulls weren’t determined to put anything on their back onto the ground. They came snorting and bucking and kicking and twisting, all trying out their moves for the judges. These young bucks were auditioning for a chance to move up the ladder and into the professional circuit. Sisters was stop No. 4 on a six-town, five-state tour that began in Idaho Falls in April and that ends in Fallon, Nevada, in September. Rodeo bulls are ranked, as
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Bulls auditioned for the big time in Sisters last weekend. are the cowboys. Not every bull is rodeo material. But you don’t know that until they are tested in events like
the Futurity. In such proving grounds, it’s the bull, not the See BULL on page 20
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Sisters Salutes ................. 9 Entertainment ................. 11 Obituaries ....................... 17 Soduko ............................21 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Trailgrams .......................15 Crossword ...................... 20 Classifieds..................21-22