Poetry is an Eight-Legged Shuffle
THE BEACH TIMES — The migration of the land crab appears quite poetic. Each year thousands of magenta crustaceans descend to the streets, shiny backs glistening, where in tap-dance-like shuffles they cross towards the sea. THE BEACH TIMES — They often journey in early morning to avoid heat and cash in on the moisture, a trend that casts complimentary light on their backs. Adding to the enchantment, scientists confirm it is the moon that calls them seaward—a functional utility of...
These Are Hands-Down the Best Ski and Snowboard Goggles of the Year
DIGITAL TRENDS — After your boots and bindings, a solid set of goggles is arguably your most important piece of gear. It’s hard to shred out a perfect line when your goggles are fogged up or making you cry from a shoddy seal. Fortunately, the 2016/17 winter season has brought boatloads of awesome new innovations in goggle technology to the ski and snowboard world. We tested dozens of...
Nicaraguan Migrants Feel at Home with Baseball
THE BEACH TIMES — From the end of the dirt road heading away from Playa Potrero, muffled yells and hollers can be heard. As one approaches, a dusty field comes in to view where a distantly boisterous scene is unfolding. The field sits back from the road between two encampments of...
Kovea’s Electric Induction Camping Stove Lightens the Camping Load By Ditching Propane
DIGITAL TRENDS — The best part of cooking in the woods with a camp stove is arguably whipping up some delicious bacon and Dutch pancakes. The worst part? Dragging along throngs of cumbersome propane canisters. The outdoor gear company Kovea has come up with a solution to the problem: a portable electric induction cooker. Loads better for the environment and void of any hazardous fumes or landfill fodder, this...
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BUSTLE (Author's Page) — Rachel is Portland-based writer, photographer and digital producer who covers travel, fitness, adventure & the outdoors. She loves waist-deep snow, whiskey, late-night Skeeball, and pajama dance parties. Follow her on...
There’s Fun and Then There’s Army Fun
THE GOLDENDALE SENTINEL — Watching the U.S. Army’s recruitment video on their website is really, really fun. I discovered this yesterday, after hearing a blurb on the radio about a new military fun center to open soon in Florida. “Army fun center?” I thought. “Hmm.” Being raised...
Shark Tales: Keepers of the Deep Blue
THE BEACH TIMES — Behind a rocky marine crag a small fish hides—quiet, motionless and out of sight. There is no sound, movement, or light. Anywhere else on the planet the trembling creature would likely be safe, yet on the other side looms the shadow of...
Death on Tracks Prompts Official to Review Railroad Safety
WOODBURN INDEPENDENT — When Shanti Platt was eight months pregnant, she watched a man die in front of her eyes. The young mother-to-be was waiting at a railroad station in Salem on what seemed like an ordinary morning when a man stepped in front of the train. She was looking right at him and, although his back was turned...
SUP Enthusiasts Excited About QuickBlade’s Innovative New Smart Paddle
DIGITAL TRENDS — With spring in full force, stand up paddleboarding season is right around the corner. And now, for the first time, paddle enthusiasts have the ability to track detailed metrics in real-time with an easy sweep of their blade via new technology courtesy of QuickBlade Paddles. After initially announcing the device at the 2017 Surf Expo Orlando, Florida, the company just...
Rachel Cavanaugh
Portland, Oregon
Rachel Cavanaugh is a long-time journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. With more than 18 years of experience as a news reporter, writer, photographer, editor, and digital producer, her work has been featured in Men's Journal, MSN, The Hollywood Reporter, Bustle, Digital Trends, Elite Daily, Matador Network, Gear Junkie, Inverse, Mic, and other publications. She's worked as a Digital Producer for Microsoft’s msnNOW, Digital Content Writer on Nike's Global Consumer Services' team, Gear Reviewer for Digital Trends' Outdoors and Sports section, Staff Commerce Writer for Bustle's Outdoor and Fitness E-Commerce platform, and Editor-in-Chief of the Goldendale Sentinel, a weekly print newspaper in Washington state. Most recently, she was the Editorial Director for Columbia Sportswear's Tough Mother Outdoor Guide, helping to conceptualize and global retail giant's first ever digital magazine and build it from the ground up. Over a four-year period from 2020 to 2024, she grew the publication into a journalistically-styled content platform, creating compelling storytelling about people and places in the outdoors. She was responsible for all content strategy and production from story ideation and planning to research, interviews, and article delivery. In addition to writing higher-level brand stories, she managed a small team of freelance writers. She currently splits her time between Baja, California where she lives in an RV on the beach, and Hood River, Oregon where she spends her free time kiteboarding, snowboarding, and playing with dogs.