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‘Durable Person’ Trip… 48 Hours Of True Adventure In Oregon Outback

Written by Stephen Regenold Apr 08, 2014 12:48 a.m. ET

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This past weekend we spent 48 hours in Oregon in search of adventure with our “Durable Person” project winner, Christian Franken, and his son, James.

Highlines, lava tubes, big desert buttes, 50+ miles of mountain biking, fields of lava, forests, and hospitality from GearJunkie contributors and friends Jason and Chelsey Magness of the YogaSlackers group (who arranged a crazy wilderness race and a weekend full of adventure) all were a part of the fun.

Thanks to CORDURA® Brand for supporting our project, including a contest that asked people to send in their “most durable” outdoor photos for a chance to win the trip and gear. Here are some highlights from our 48 hours with these “durable people” in the field. —Stephen Regenold

Welcome dinner to Bend, Ore., weekend with the YogaSlackers

James Franken helps set a highline

Top-rope climbing outside of Sisters, Ore.

Plotting a route (50+ miles of mountain biking ahead…)

Lava fields near Bend, Ore.

Jason Magness

Prepping bikes

Bikes into a cave… all a part of the adventure race

Chelsey Magness on a highline

Jason Magness strikes a pose

Careful footwork high above the ground

Christian Franken during the 8-hour adventure race

Christian and James Franken

Daniel Staudigel during the race

Top-roping on day two

Gear Junkie editor Stephen Regenold, map in hand, looking for a checkpoint in the race

—See the photo that won the CORDURA® Brand “Most Durable Person” project here.

Stephen Regenold

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Stephen Regenold is the founder of GearJunkie, which he launched as a nationally syndicated newspaper column in 2002. As a journalist, writer, and gear nerd, Regenold has covered the outdoors industry for over two decades, including as a correspondent for the New York Times. A father of five, Regenold and his wife, Tara, live in Minneapolis.