Dr. Cassandra (Cassie) Fallscheer followed her passion for math into the stars. While studying high-energy particle physics in college, she was awestruck after attending a talk on astronomy. It was then that she was drawn to the beauty and mystery of the cosmos and her small place in the vastness of the universe. She hasn’t stopped looking up since. Lucky for us, her passion included sharing a closer view with the rest of us. Her non-profit, The Asterisk Observatory, partnered with a local landowner “to allow people to appreciate and learn about the dark skies of Oregon” from the rim of the Lower Gorge near Smith Rock State Park.
State Parks Day is also National Trails Day, and it means a lot more than just free parking and camping at Smith Rock State Park June 3-4. It’s also an opportunity to show your appreciation for one of the crown jewels of the State Park system, our beloved “Smitty.” There are multiple opportunities to give back to the park thanks to the volunteer organizations that have put together the following projects.
Life doesn't pause while you figure out how to handle your trauma. The daily hassles and irritations as well as the accomplishments and milestones keep coming. In a podcast for Smith Rock TV, we talk with author, former climber, and psychologist Dr. James Porzelius (Jim) about the intersection of mental and physical—in this case, climbing, in dealing with trauma, plus other insights Jim shares from his unique perspective.
Last weekend Redpoint Climbers Supply started a new tradition at Smith Rock—the Redpoint Rock Wranglers Climbing Comp. In this free event, participating teams competed in timed partner sport redpoint climbing at Smith Rock State Park.
Local climbers at Smith Rock know Redpoint as the spot for Coffee, Bear, and Gear. ” Community” should be added to their tagline. With outdoor movie nights and special presentations, such as the one done by the author Jeff Smoot on his book “Hangdog Days: Conflict, Change, and the Race for 5.14,” Redpoint has broadened the confines of their “downtown” store location in Terrebonne. Next up? A climbing competition at Smith Rock State Park. But more to come on that.
