Trailspace Blog February 2008
Paradox Sports: Pushing Forward
It's not what you can no longer do. It's what you can do now.
Malcolm Daly climbing in Ouray.
Photo: Kitt Daly
I read and was pondering this sentiment recently, seven months pregnant, unable to ice climb with my husband, downhill ski with my son, or bag winter Presidential peaks. I admit, I was feeling a touch sorry for myself.
Then I saw the press release for Gimps On Ice and got over myself.
Next weekend, March 8 and 9, athletes who are missing limbs, eyes, or the use of their legs will travel to Ouray’s famed park to climb vertical ice. The event is organized by Paradox Sports, a non-profit started last year to help integrate the physically disabled into the human-powered outdoor community.
The organization, led by executive director Malcolm Daly—founder of Trango, climber since 1968, and below-knee amputee since 2001—also recently announced the development of a prosthetic climbing foot in conjunction with Evolv and TRS Orthotics.
Paradox poster of Warren Macdonald.
Paradox Sports was co-founded by D.J. Skelton, an Army captain wounded in Iraq in 2004, and professional climber Timmy O'Neill, who has climbed El Capitan with his paraplegic brother, Sean.
After reading clips about some of the athletes and volunteers involved in Paradox Sports I felt inspired, not sorry. These are hardcore individuals climbing ice and rock, kayaking the Grand Canyon, reaching the top of the world’s highest peaks.
As co-founder D.J. writes in his story, “once you get over the fact that life is not supposed to be, but just is as it is right now, life becomes too easy. Deal with it and keep pushing forward.”
He's right. I'm going cross-country skiing.
For more info:
Paradox Sports: www.paradoxsports.org
Paradox Sports also will be at the Red Rock Rendezvous, March 28-30.
No Barriers: www.nobarriersusa.org
A similar organization, No Barriers will hold its annual festival July 10-13, 2008, in Squaw Valley, Calif.
Seize the Leap Day
So often we think, “if only I had more time, I’d do this or that.” Well, guess what. You do. A whole day in fact, because Friday, February 29, is Leap Day, and you don’t need to be a Leap Day baby to celebrate (though if you are, happy birthday, leapling).
So, what have you been wanting to do outside all winter, but haven’t gotten around to yet? Snowshoeing a certain trail? Bagging a favorite peak? Trying something new like ice climbing? Winter camping with friends?
There are only three more weeks of winter, officially. So use your extra day wisely. It won’t come around again for four more years.
Scared Indoors: Does the Media Affect Outdoor Interest?
Ever think that the mass media’s portrayal of the outdoors and its “extreme” activities bears no resemblance to your own enjoyable hikes, backpacks, and climbs? When the mainstream media does cover the outdoors, the stories tend to feature life-and-death struggles rather than the personally fulfilling, but far-less-dramatic, aspects of regular outdoor travels.
So, do these portrayals affect people’s interest in getting outdoors, where bears, avalanches, and other scary things might lurk in the dark?
Steve Sergeant of The WildeBeat explored this issue in his podcast last week. The program included comments from Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods), Fitz Cahall (The Dirtbag Diaries), Ryan Jordan (Backpacking Light), and long-distance hiker Andy Skurka. You can call in your comments for part two, which airs later this week.
Or share your thoughts below.
Listen at "Scared Indoors, part 1" (The WildeBeat, February 21, 2008)
Via Two-Heel Drive
Summit for Someone and Climb for Kids in 2008
Want to climb a classic peak, help kids get into the wilderness, and earn free gear at the same time? Consider a Climbing for Kids or a Summit for Someone charity climb.
The Summit for Someone fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers offers guided climbs up a range of North American peaks. You pick a climb that fits your interest (alpine rock, glacier, or expedition) and ability level (non-technical beginner to advanced) from the likes of Whitney, Hood, the Tetons, and Orizaba.
Raise money to support Big City Mountaineers, which provides challenging and safe wilderness experiences to urban teens in need of positive adult mentoring (pledge amounts depend on the climb). Train. Then summit for someone. This year they’re also offering three celebrity climbs.
Depending on which climb you choose and how much money you raise, you can receive free gear—like backpacks, helmets, sleeping bags, ice axes, clothing, and more—as a thank you. Climbs start in April and go through November. Space is limited.
Following the same format (and many of the same peaks) is Climbing for Kids, which additionally offers bi-weekly Bay Area group training hikes. Fundraising for these climbs supports Bay Area Wilderness Training, which create opportunities for urban youth to experience wilderness firsthand and helps more than a thousand kids get outside every year. You could walk away from a climb of Mt. Whitney, Shasta, or Grand Teton with more than $1,500 worth of mountaineering gear.
For more Summit for Someone info: www.summitforsomeone.org (warning: avoid opening this site in front of your boss as the intro page plays music)
For more Climbing for Kids info: www.climbingforkids.org
Name that Loki Logo
Loki, makers of technical shells with built-in mitts and face masks, is sponsoring a Name the Loki Logo contest. The winner will receive $1,000 worth of Loki clothing of his or her choice.
Got a name for the stylized Loki logo? Fill out an entry form at www.lokilogo.com. One entry per person, with no more than two name suggestions. The winner will be announced August 1.
It may help your creativity to know that Loki was a tricky, shape shifting god or giant in Norse mythology, who could change both his form and sex.
Gourmet Chocolate for the Backcountry Set
In case you’ve missed the hoopla, it's Valentine’s Day, and for many that means chocolate. Of course to some of us every day can mean chocolate, and we’d never consider heading out on a hike, ski, or climb without some of the dark stuff along for its “energy” and “health benefits.”
If you want to avoid melted chocolate in summer or less-than-decadent energy bars anytime, try Backpackers Gourmet Chocolate Bars by Hammond’s Candies. Each 4-ounce “weatherproof” bar comes encased in hand-dipped colored wax, which makes it waterproof, heat-tolerant, and rather pretty.
In the selfless interest of our Trailspace readers, I've sampled four of Backpackers Chocolate’s five flavors, all made with dark chocolate from organic butter and half and half:
Dark Chocolate—unfortunately, the straight dark chocolate was sold out on me, but as the basis for the other bars, it has a very rich, dark, creamy flavor.- Dark Chocolate Nuts & Berries—bits of cherries, cranberries, pineapple, figs, pomegranate juice, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and ginger are mixed into the dark chocolate, very flavorful.
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry—a strong, classic pairing of raspberry coulis and dark chocolate, you really can’t go wrong with this one. It’s my favorite of the bunch, followed by nuts & berries.
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter—another classic pairing, it includes bits of organic peanuts, but don't expect a typical creamy peanut butter-chocolate candy consistency. This is more robust.
- Dark Chocolate Orange Chili—for the more adventurous palette, those who like some zing in their food will love the orange-chipotle chili flavor combination.
MSRP: $9.95 per 4-oz bar
For more info: www.hammondscandies.com
Hike the Hill: Trails Advocacy Week Feb. 11-14
This week is the American Hiking Society’s annual “Hike the Hill!” Trails Advocacy Week. American Hiking Society staff and members and other trails supporters will lobby for increased hiking trail funding, the conservation of public lands, and a host of other related issues February 11 to 14 in Washington, D.C.
Even if you can’t hike the Hill, you can help protect hiking trails, natural areas, and recreation opportunities nationwide. Visit the AHS’s Trail Conservation and Policy page for info on current issues affecting trails and hiking—like roadless rules, recreation fees, off-road vehicles, and conservation and trail funding, all of which affect your hiking experience.
Become an advocate and tell your elected officials that hiking trails, open space, and outdoor recreation opportunities matter. Learn more about Trails Advocacy Week 2008: February 11-14.
Outdoor Retailer: Kids' Gear
Here’s a belated follow-up on one of the trends I noticed at Outdoor Retailer: more and more manufacturers of highly technical gear and apparel have begun making fully-featured kids’ versions of their signature products. This gear doesn’t just look like Mom’s and Dad’s, it functions just as well too. Here are just a few of the new products that caught my eye:
|
Vasque Kids’ Sundowner hiking boots Vasque has scaled down its signature hiker, the Sundowner, to fit the younger set. The Kids’ Sundowner features the same one-piece leather upper, lugged sole, padded ankle collar, and classic appearance as the adult version. Available in kids' sizes 10-13 and youth size 1-6, the Kids' Sundowner will retail for $60 and should be available in late summer 2008. |
|
Osprey Sprint Series backpacks Osprey’s new internal frame backpacks for kids, the Ace (2,900 cubic inches, $149), Jib (2,100 cubic inches $129) and Imp (1,400 cubic inches, $99), feature the same construction and technical features as Osprey’s adult line, but are sized down and redesigned specifically for Junior’s proportions. The smallest pack, the Imp, can even be clipped onto many of Osprey’s adult packs (for those times Mom or Dad has to carry the load that last mile into camp). The Sprint Series packs will be available this spring. |
 | 66° North kids’ outerwear Iceland’s 66° North makes a surprisingly complete line of children’s outerwear. Many pieces in the adult line have direct descendants in the kids’ line, including waterproof-breathable outerwear and 66° North’s signature down insulation in kids’ proportions. Shown at left, the kids’ Askur ($130, available in mid-August) and adults’ Stormur ($336, available now) jackets are feature-for-feature nearly identical, from the Polartec WindPro Highloft fleece to details such as draw cords, pockets, and zippers. Many of the kids' models also have a feature the adult versions lack: reflective taping for increased visibility in low-light conditions. |
Snoway!: Ski/Snowboard Lingo Contest
Shusskiboarding? Skoarding? Planking? There’s no one word that describes both skiing and snowboarding. But now through March 4 you can give it a try.
Ski Utah and Winter at Westminster have teamed with The Addictionary, an online dictionary of made up “werds,” for the 2008 Ski/Snowboard Lingo Contest.
Grand prize for the best new catch-all word for “skiing and snowboarding” is an April 2008 spring ski trip for two to Utah. You also can add to the general glossary of skier and snowboarder lingo. The best new general ski/snowboard word could earn you two day passes to The Canyons Resort in Park City and 10 T-shirts featuring your winning word.
Winners will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges. For more information or to enter the contest, visit http://addictionary.org/Browse/ContestWords/19.
(via Base Camp Communications)
Giving Back: 1% For the Planet Donations
As members of 1% For the Planet, we donate at least one percent of annual sales to environmental organizations. We think that along with gearing up and getting out, we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of the wild places near and far that we enjoy.
Now you can visit Trailspace’s “Giving Back” pages to see whose efforts we’re currently supporting. There also are lists of our 1% For the Planet recipients for each fiscal year. See which environmental organizations we supported in 2007.
Want to suggest a favorite environmental organization? Tell us about it and we’ll consider it for future 1% For the Planet contributions.
Choosing to Reuse: Safer Water Bottle Options
The push for reusable bottles over bottled water must be making headway. Over the past couple months I’ve had numerous people ask me about the SIGG bottles our family routinely carts around. And last month I saw the company touted on Oprah. That must mean the movement has officially arrived.
I’ve been trying to avoid bottled water as much as possible for the past year or so, due to its environmental waste. I’m not perfect, but I’ve found that nine times out of ten all that’s required is the forethought to fill a reusable water bottle at the faucet before heading out the door. Our bottles now sit at the ready by our kitchen door.
As an outdoors person, you probably have plenty of water bottles already hanging around your own place. But what if they’re plastic? With health concerns about bisphenol-A (BPA) in polycarbonate bottles getting more scientific and media attention, you might be wondering what you’re supposed to use.
Thankfully, outdoor companies offer a number of alternatives in aluminum, stainless steel, and BPA-free plastics. To help navigate the choices, we’ve pulled together the article “Building a Better Water Bottle: Aluminum, Steel, and No BPA” for Trailspace’s Gear Guide. After compiling the info, I relegated our own numerous polycarbonate/Lexan (#7) bottles to the back of our gear storage area. With all the other options available (or coming out soon), it just doesn’t seem worth using them anymore.
So, take a look at “Building a Better Water Bottle.” You’re bound to see some of these water bottle options at your outdoor store this year. I’m eyeing a few for my own family.
« Previous blog posts | Later blog posts »
