Winter 2010

Editor’s Letter
Kevin Max
Editor, 1859 Oregon's Magazine
Beer and adventure are central themes
in this issue, as well as many of our lives. After spending a good
long autumn in a dirty affair with cyclocross racing, I’m constantly
reminded that adventure should (almost) always precede beer.
When the adventure comes first, you amuse yourself. When beer
takes precedent, you become the amusement of others.
The features in the winter issue of 1859 strike
a balance between an incredibly daring ski
adventure, that stretches the length of the
state, and a chronicle of the determined people
and forces that shaped today’s craft brewing
culture throughout Oregon.
Winter is not uniform in Oregon. It comes
early as a white blanket along the spine of the
Cascades, then later in the form of rain and
mild temperatures in the Willamette Valley
and along the coast. In February 1948, winter
was in full swing when WWII veteran Jack
Meissner strapped on cross-country skis and
departed from Mt. Hood for Crater Lake, 300
miles south. “Oregon’s Greatest Ski Adventure”
(page 40) documents Meissner’s bold
journey through the Cascades, in and out of
storms, across lakes he was somewhat certain
would not crack under him and into lore as
Oregon’s most risky backcountry adventure.
As Meissner discovered, sometimes it’s what
a man has to do to find the right wife.
A less conventional, but equally nurturing
marriage is that of Oregon and craft
beer. Even while sales of beer’s megaproducers
slumped the past twelve months,
the sale of craft beer has increased as we
strive to support local businesses and pursue
quality. We explore the early dignitaries
of Oregon brewing who were blindsided
by dignified troops of Temperance then
sidelined by Prohibition before rebuilding
the foundation for today’s avant garde craft
beer culture ("Liquid Courage," page 32).
By now the in-laws have gone back to
Minnesota—a state which my 7-year-old
daughter thinks is home to all grandmothers.
(True, she’s never been to Florida.)
Cabin fever has set in. Lucky for us, Oregon
brings a myriad of choices for winter
getaways. From off-piste hut skiing in the
Wallowas to off-season golf at Bandon
Dunes, 1859’s “Destination Oregon: 10
Cures for Cabin Fever” on page 47 will get
you going.
Also, don’t miss Bend resident and
NBC and Universal Sports commentator
Steve Porino’s early picks for the medals
in the Alpine events of the Winter Olympics
in “What I’m Working On” (page
30). As NBC’s man on the mountain in
Vancouver, a former U.S. Ski Team member
and a World Cup racer, Porino shares
more detail about these skiers than his
TV spot allows.
Finally, all good things end in food and,
in our case, Dungeness crab. In “Home
Grown” (page 62), we begin with a glimpse
of the life of third-generation crabber Corey
Rock. Oregon is the top producing
Dungeness crab state and practices the
highest standards of sustainability. Our
own Home Grown Chef serves up crab
sliders in a delicious green curry mayonnaise
and chef John Newman of Newmans
at 988 in Cannon Beach dishes his twist
on crab cakes with lemon aioli and candied
lemon zest. Save the rest of the lemon
for your Hefeweisen. Cheers!
10 1859 OREGON'S MAGAZINE WINTER 2010
Photo Jon Tapper