Have you ever heard of the Fijian who loved to brag about his homeland? Bas (short for Basilio) has been sharpening his whitewater skills over the past year and gaining hands-on experience on rivers across the western United States. In addition to heightening his reputation as a well-versed river guide, Bas has a range of other responsibilities, including: maintaining ties with native land owners (mataqali), promoting the company and sharing his love of culture with visiting travelers. Look into the soul of this storytelling, island native in our eleventh episode of guide interviews!

Tell us how you ended up becoming a river guide.

Written by Lauren de Remer

O.A.R.S.' Sales & Marketing Coordinator

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When can I see Aurora Borealis?

When, where & how bright
Anybody can talk about the weather, but  nobody can do anything except predict, wait, and watch. So it goes with the next Solar Maximum cycle, when peaking storm activity on the sun will lead to increasingly spectacular light shows in the northern skies here on earth known as the Northern Lights. The last minimum was in 2008, and the next predicted maximum currently ranges from 2012 through 2014.

Depending on the source, we should be preparing for communication interruptions if the next round of solar storms comes in fast and furious, or global chilling if the storms miss a cycle (a possibility, in one recent forecast).

Written by B. Frank

Author of Livin' the Dream: Testing the Ragged Edge of Machismo (Raven's Eye Press, 2010), Brad Frank has done time as a: Colorado native, sawmill savage, fruit picker, artist, wanderer, poet, seasonal worker, commercial driver, photographer, traveling coffeehouse proprietor, outdoor guide, river rat and writer. Since 2005 he has been listed as a contributing editor and senior correspondent for Mountain Gazette, a magazine that sagely advises, "When in doubt, go higher." More stories from B. can be found at bfrankbroadsides.com.

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Advice for Planning Your Next Family Adventure Vacation

    At one point during our five-day rafting trip down Oregon’s wild and impossibly scenic Rogue River, my 10-year-old daughter, Markie, became obsessed with the notion of catching a rough-skinned newt. This was after a day during which we had leapt from 15-foot-tall cliffs, swum through trains of standing waves, and negotiated scream-inducing rapids mined with boulders, huge suckholes, and raft-swamping ledge drops. The sun had just slipped behind the rim of the gorge and our party of 11 had emptied a gigantic Dutch oven of its chicken-chili-cornbread contents. We’d drawn our camp chairs close as the conversation turned to old college stories and river stories and assorted misadventures endured in the pursuit of adventure.

Written by T. Edward Nickens

Field & Stream editor-at-large T. Edward Nickens is known for do-it-yourself wilderness adventures and profiles about people and places where hunting and fishing are the heart and soul of a community. He has chased ptarmigan and char north of the Arctic Circle, antelope in Wyoming, and striped marlin from a kayak in Baja California. Author of Field & Stream's "Total Outdoorsman" skills features, he is also host, writer, and coproducer for a number of Field & Stream's television and web shows, among them The Total Outdoorsman Challenge and Heroes of Conservation. Nickens has been a National Magazine Award finalist, and has won more than thirty writing awards, including three "Best of the Best" top honors awards from the Outdoors Writers Association of America. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, within striking distance of mountain trout, saltwater flyfishing, and a beloved 450-acre hunting lease that has been the cause of many a tardy slip for his two school-age children.

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8 reasons to stop for a visit

Heading through Salt Lake City soon? Don’t just pass by this scenic city. If you have an hour or more, here are some of the best ways to experience the city.

1.)   Feast on local fare at the downtown Farmer’s Market in Historic Pioneer Park (June thru October).

Written by Cari Morgan

Cari Morgan is a freelance writer and founder of Evoke PR. She currently lives and plays in the Sierra Foothills.

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Adventure photographer Justin Bailie shares a few of the techniques that have earned him a world-wide reputation.

Written by Justin Bailie

Professional adventure, lifestyle, environmental and travel photographer based out of Manzanita, Oregon.

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