News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sharri Bertagna carries top-quality gear at a fair price at her new Hike-N-Peaks shop on Hood Avenue.
Sisters is a town for outdoor adventure. The trails into the wilderness are all around us, and it's even taught in the classroom through the IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition) class at Sisters High School. Enter Sharri Bertagna and her new outdoor gear emporium, Hike-N-Peaks.
"When our kids went into IEE last year, I saw a true need for some outdoor gear (in Sisters)," Bertagna told The Nugget.
Bertagna is an avid hiker herself, and with her son Jonathan graduating this year, she now has time to devote to an enterprise of her own that fits her passions.
"Jonathan is the climber," she noted. "He's the reason the climbing section came to be."
Hike-N-Peaks features Metolius climbing gear, and hiking equipment from backpacks to water filters to headlamps to trail shoes and sleeping bags - all top-quality brand names like Osprey, Salomon, Black Diamond and Katadyn.
Bertagna has made an effort to develop her own niche rather than duplicating offerings from other stores in Sisters. For example, regarding shoes and boots, "I had to figure out what was not being sold in town," she said.
Her mission is simple: Just help outdoor adventurers have good, quality products.
That's everybody from Pacific Crest Trail hikers to weekenders looking to summit Black Butte. She'll be working with the schools' IEE and Eco programs, and will offer group hikes with local leaders who know Sisters' backcountry well.
"I've hired a couple of IEE interns for the summer," she said.
Students will be constructing a Leave No Trace display in the store.
Hike-N-Peaks is located at 103-A E. Hood Ave. in Sisters. For more information call 541-904-0778 or find them on Facebook.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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