Zach Urness

About

For the past eight years, I’ve reported from Oregon’s highest mountains, wildest rivers and most remote corners. As an award-winning journalist covering Oregon’s outdoors for the Statesman Journal, my specialty is crafting stories through words, pictures and video that inspire Beaver State residents to get outside and explore the bounty this state has to offer. My work is regularly published in newspapers and magazines across the Pacific Northwest, from the Seattle Times to USA Today, and I am the author of the book "Hiking Southern Oregon." Although writing and reporting is my specialty, I've turned myself into an award-winning photographer and videographer who can shoot, edit and produce mini-documentaries that transport readers from their couch to the summit.I've embraced the digital transformation of newspapers, mastering each content management system and even learning how to code. I created the outdoor website Southern Oregon Outdoors and maintain a social media following that numbers over 10,000. After eight years of continual travel in Oregon, I know every corner of the state on an intimate level. I know where to find Oregon’s hidden gems, whether it’s a tiny restaurant or alpine lake, and have the technical skill to climb mountains, raft rivers and hook steelhead. To keep our outdoors content strong at the Statesman Journal, I recruited a strong roster of freelance writers who I edit and work with to improve their copy. I operate two Facebook pages,