Ian McCluskey
Ian McCluskey is a seventh-generation Oregonian and avid outdoor enthusiast (despite once having been hit by lightning).
He is passionate about telling stories from the wild and remote corners of the Pacific Northwest. He loves to highlight the work of interesting folks carrying on tradition and culture of our great Northwest, and helping better understand and appreciate the wildlife, history, and natural science of our region.
He’s profiled blacksmiths, teenage glider pilots, trail crews, horse loggers, dog sled mushers and wildlife biologists. Some of his adventures for “Oregon Field Guide” have included skiing around Crater Lake in winter, running the Wild and Scenic Rogue river in handmade wooden dories, and searching for sections of Oregon’s lost Skyline Trail.
His work has earned more than a dozen national awards, including several Emmys, and has toured internationally with film festivals like Banff.
When not exploring stories for “Oregon Field Guide,” you can find Ian restoring historic cabins on Mount Hood or climbing one of the snowy Cascade volcanoes.
Latest Stories
Dare to take a dip? Taking the plunge into freezing Pacific Northwest waters
Reporter’s Notebook: Why would someone shed warm clothes and step into painfully cold water? In reporting a story for Oregon Field Guide, I had to find that answer by taking the plunge.
Oregon stories that brought us joy in 2022
The end of the year gives us the opportunity to look back at events and experiences from the region. As we draw a close on a year of both hardship and joy, let’s remember some of the stories that made us smile.
Searching for Washington’s elusive wolverines
To study the elusive wolverines, researchers head into the high North Cascades in winter.
Pacific Northwesterners are taking to the ancient martial art of horse archery
A new generation is taking up the ancient martial art of shooting arrows from the backs of galloping horses.
Rediscovering Oregon’s lost Skyline Trail
A dad and daughter are retracing a lost Oregon hiking trail – one step at a time.
Volunteer handcrafts signs to guide Northwest hikers down the trail
Volunteer Daniel Finn hand-crafts the iconic wooden trail signs for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
For these interns, working in Oregon wilderness pays in money and breathtaking views
Wilderness Conservation Corps internships offer young people the chance to transform trails and themselves while earning some money for college.
Central Oregon biologist tracks the rare and mysterious Sierra Nevada red fox
Wildlife Biologist Jamie Bowles has spent the past several years in search of Oregon’s elusive Sierra Nevada red foxes.
Seattle amateur scientist helping to unlock the secrets of slime molds
Despite their unappealing name, these one-cell wonders have been fascinating (and baffling) scientists for centuries.
Removing Condit Dam spurred hopes, but it also begged questions the White Salmon River is slowly answering
Removing the 100-year-old Condit Dam in 2011 came with the hope of returning the White Salmon River to its natural state, benefiting tribes, river recreationalists, and salmon. Did it work?