Adventure Sports Journal // May/June 2021 // Issue #118

MAMMOTH BIKE PARK

With a vast beginner zone for newbies, 80+ miles of singletrack to make progression easy, plus some of the most radical terrain in the country, Mammoth Bike Park offers a world-class mountain biking experience for everyone.

PHOTOS: Rick Gunn (18); Teresa Baker (10); Jonah Grubb/Steep Water Studios (14); Matt Johanson (12).

PUBLISHING + EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER

Cathy Claesson cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

EDITOR

Michele Lamelin michele@adventuresportsjournal.com

COPY EDITOR

Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Taylor Luckenbach taylor@asjmag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Leonie Sherman, Matt Johanson, Krista Houghton, James Murren, Jim Scripps, Anthea Raymond, Tracy Barbutes

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rick Gunn, Ian Collins, Teresa Baker, Raul Hernandez, Jonah Grubb/Steep Water Studios

LAYOUT

Cathy Claesson

COVER DESIGN

Lauren Worth

asj contributors

What’s the most creative way you’ve used outdoor gear to MacGyver yourself out of a tricky situation?

leoniesherman

Down-climbing a fifth class pinnacle with no gear, a friend and I cannibalized his pack for buckles and straps and made tiny sketchy plastic chockstones to aid our descent.

mattjohanson

When I’m climbing a pitch that’s too hard for me, I’d rather pull on gear than take a leader fall.

kristahoughton

When a nasty stick ended my bike ride by breaking my derailleur clean off, I used sticky sided injury tape to secure the derailleur to my frame. Then I was able to coast and hike my way out of the canyon to get home.

jamesmurren

ADVERTISING

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Cathy Claesson I 831.234.0351 cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com

EVENTS & DISTRIBUTION

Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

EVENTS MARKETING

Michele Lamelin michele@adventuresportsjournal.com

Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com

Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Adventure Sports Journal or our advertisers. We usually agree with our articles, but sometimes we don’t. We welcome all contributions.

All content © Adventure Sports Journal 2021. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the editors

ADVENTURE SPORTS JOURNAL

PO BOX 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 Phone 831.457.9453

asjstaff@adventuresportsjournal.com

PROUD MEMBER

jimscripps

Before tubeless, I gashed a tire/tube about eight miles from where I parked. The only solution was to try something I’d heard about: stuffing the tire with downed leaves. It worked for a while, somewhat, and I made it back to my car.

Backpacking in Yosemite, all we brought was a bag of gummy worms. When a bear wouldn’t stop harassing us, paracord to the rescue: We launched the gummy worms into a tree.

anthearaymond

Paddling the Eel on a multiday trip this past March, the wrist gaskets on my drysuit blew. It was cold and wet. We wrapped my wrists in duct tape every morning and it was fine.

tracybarbutes

I once had to use a Leatherman, duct tape and bailing wire to repair a snowmachine in Alaska’s Topkok Hills during the Serum Run expedition. Does that count?

mattniswonger

I ran out of water about 600 feet from the top of El Capitan. I called my wife and had her offer a climber $100 to tie three ropes together and dangle a gallon of water from the top. It took a few tries but eventually I was saved.

Editor’s Note

POWER TO THE PAPER Printing Zines is an Act of Revolt

Dear readers: we need your help. After twenty years with our nose to the grindstone, many of the large outdoor companies that supported us ten years ago won’t even return our calls anymore. When they do pick up the phone it’s always the same story: “Our budget for print advertising has been cut to zero. This is coming from the top. I love reading ASJ but my hands are tied. Sorry…”.

We are a free resource to the outdoor community of California and Nevada, by far the two most epic states for adventure recreation activities like climbing, biking, surfing, and snow sports. There is nothing online that captures the experience of reading an issue of ASJ in print. You can go to our website right now and see what I mean. Sure we have our content archived at our website, but I have a hard time getting excited about an article on

my phone screen. It’s just not the same experience.

I won’t beat around the bush: we are hanging by a thread. Sure we have lots of loyal readers and advertisers, but looks can be deceiving. Because of our large, broad and targeted distribution It costs between $18K and $20K to produce, print and distribute each edition of ASJ.

As outdoor companies adopt a “digital only” marketing policy, Adventure Sports Journal is withering on the vine. We’ve been serving the outdoor industry for 20 years, and we would like to continue.

Please help us save this printed resource for the CA/NV outdoor community by becoming a member. We need reader support to help us meet our overhead. If our print rag dies we are done. We won’t be jumping on the digital bandwagon.

We refuse to reinvent ourselves as an invasive digital data collection machine that serves up clickbait articles to a bored

audience on Facebook and Instagram. Other once proud outdoor magazines have sold their souls, but not us. Going fully digital is antithetical to everything we believe in. Not only do we hate promoting the toxic smartphone addiction epidemic, we also don’t see any financial opportunity in a saturated digital environment that already demands too much of everyone’s time.

If you agree, help us save this free printed resource that has been cherished by the California outdoor community for decades. We are not asking you to ditch your Facebook feed, just please help us make sure that Facebook and Instagram aren’t the only way to share the stoke and magic of the outdoor adventure lifestyle. Memberships start at $5 per month and include a subscription, so you are guaranteed to not miss an issue of ASJ. Other membership levels and perks are also available.

Thanks to the support of our extraordinary members and community who have sustained Pacific Edge and Sta through this last year of closures. We are OPEN and plan to stay that way! Also: Congratulations to Adventure Sports Journal in their 20th year!

If you want to help us, please go to adventuresportsjournal.com and click on the membership tab. Without help from readers like you we simply cannot exist. Any ideas to help us survive the digital apocalypse? I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me an email. We appreciate your feedback and ideas.

Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

We refuse to reinvent ourselves as an invasive digital data collection machine that serves up clickbait articles to a bored audience on Facebook and Instagram.

PLEASE USE ASJ TO SAVE THE PLANET

I am urging you to use ASJ as a medium to speak out and rally against the impending worldwide catastrophe of global warming. Your readers are obviously nature lovers and so must become active supporters for a radical change in our energy use of fossil fuels and destruction of our forests — our planet’s tree populations.

We must organize and fight together to stop the huge energy corporations from continuing to pollute the earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gases. And we must also fight to stop the destruction of our planet’s remaining rainforests and large trees. Only by uniting with the other nations of the world _ including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea — can we hope to successfully slow down and eventually end global warning’s

perilous march toward environmental suicide.

— Rama Kumor, Fairfax

WOKE IS BROKE

I recently picked up the most current issue of your magazine. Out of 26 pages, over half are fully recognized as advertising. That leaves very few column inches for true journalism. It’s disappointing to see that it’s mostly recycled opinion pieces that remain and represented as journalism.

Challenging your readers to become better victims when they are not, is a perfect example of why “woke is broke.” Your readers want content that represents sporting endeavors, not politics.

On the upside, your issue is large and colorful.

— Desh McQueen

We love hearing from our readers. Drop us a line at staff@adventuresportsjournal.com

Ear to the Ground

News & notes from the outdoor industry

Adventure Sports Journal Signs CEO Diversity Pledge

ASJ has joined a growing list of large and small companies who have signed the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. These companies range in size from global companies like Adidas to local climbing gyms like Pacific Edge Climbing Gym and every size in between. Other companies who have signed the pledge include BioLite, MooseJaw, Merrell, Outward Bound, KOA, Rumpl, Vasque, Toad & Co, Lifestraw, Mammut, Eddie Bauer, Burton, Smartwool, Outside, CamelBak, GoPro, POW, Backbone Media, People For Bikes and many more. For a complete list of participating companies go to insolidarityproject. com/partners.

In a nutshell, the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge is all about committing leadership resources towards hiring a diverse workforce and presenting diverse representatives in advertising and marketing efforts. The pledge comes at a time when outdoor companies across the nation are looking to engage with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the traditionally white outdoor recreation industry. Long respected as leaders in the realm of environmental stewardship, US outdoor companies have spent the last year grappling with how to be leaders – or even just responsible and accountable – in the realm of social justice.

As outdoor publishers for over 20 years we have known for a long time that skiers, snowboarders, climbers, surfers, hikers, mountain bikers and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts in California and Nevada are disproportionately white and male. However, statistics and demographics don’t really tell the whole story as the conversation turns to who actually has the time, money, and freedom to enjoy the considerable mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of pursuing recreation on public lands. If we start with the idea that spending time in nature is a basic human need, we begin to grapple with the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor recreation.

Learn more at asjmag.com/diversity-pledge

Outdoor Media Goes Corporate

In a major consolidation that combines Outside, Climbing, Backpacker, Peloton, SKI, Yoga Journal, Trail Runner and many other iconic outdoor magazines, Pocket Outdoor Media (POM) is betting that bigger is better for outdoor enthusiasts. Moving forward POM has rebranded itself as Outside. These acquisitions were made possible by the closing of a Series B financing from investment partners that include Sequoia Heritage, JAZZ Ventures, Zone 5 Ventures, and NEXT Ventures. The financing and acquisition transactions will enable the company to make significant investments in audience, technology, and product development. Cooley LLP and Progress Partners advised the company with respect to the transactions

Said Michael Moritz, who will be joining the Outside board of directors: “We’re investing in Outside because the management team has warmly embraced the future of information and entertainment on the internet. Just like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Outside will create and distribute distinctive content to a worldwide audience on any connected device. Better still, Outside will turbocharge the online programming of many of the most-loved fitness and health brands. As a longtime journalist and former ink-stained wretch, I’m now being granted the opportunity to start a new chapter—as a digital-stained wretch.”

Read more at asjmag.com/pom-outside

THANK YOU!

For 20 Years

CONTRIBUTORS, ADVERTISERS, VENDORS & READERS

Thanks for your continued support and inspiration. ASJ isn’t possible without you. It hasn’t always been easy, but your help keeps us going.

EVENT PRODUCERS

Thanks for the fun times and opportunities to collaborate. We can’t wait to be together again.

BUSINESSES

Thanks for making room on your shelves to share ASJ with your customers.

With your support we can continue to inspire adventure, event participation, exploration and environmental stewardship.

Ear to the Ground

Weed Wins Water War

After a five-year struggle, Weed, CA has secured rights to its spring water. Adventure Sports Journal was one of the first media outlets to report on this issue, and we couldn’t be more excited to share that the Weed City Council approved an agreement which secures, in perpetuity, the City’s rights to the high quality Beaughan Springs water that their community has relied on for more than 110 years. This is a tremendous win for Weed and the citizens who have struggled since 2016 against Roseburg Forest Products’ (RFP) efforts to take away their most important water source. Facing ongoing public pressure and negative publicity for its role in Roseburg’s “water grab,” Crystal Geyser Roxane (CG Roxane) has agreed to purchase the water rights from RFP and then transfer them to the City on highly favorable terms, terms now approved by the City. CG Roxane is also taking a number of other steps to improve its relationship with Weed, where it operates a large water bottling plant. Read our original article that ran in 2017 about the water war at asjmag.com/weedswater-war and the updated news at asjmag.com/weed-secures-water-rights

Pedal Assist Bikes Allowed on 35 Miles of Truckee Trails

The Tahoe National Forest recently approved the East Zone Connectivity and Restoration Project, a landmark decision that opens 35 miles of existing non-motorized trails to Class 1 e-bikes in and near Truckee, California. This is the first time e-bikes have achieved an official designation for use on non-motorized US Forest Service trails in the Pacific Southwest Region and marks a historic win for accessibility in the Truckee-Tahoe region.

Opening non-motorized trails to Class 1 e-bikes provides more diverse recreation opportunities and this, according to Jonathan Cook-Fisher, District Ranger, is one of the key missions of the Truckee Ranger District.

Not all e-bikes are allowed on the newly designated trails, which is why it’s important to know how each is classified in California. Class 1 e-bikes have no throttle and are pedalassisted only, with a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle and max assisted speed of 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assisted only, with a max assisted speed of 28 mph. In their studies, the Tahoe National Forest found the on-trail impacts of a Class 1 e-bike over a standard mountain bike to be minimal, whereas permitting them on designated trails enhanced user accessibility. Learn more at asjmag.com/class-1-e-bikes-truckee

MBOSC Is Now Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship

Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) has completed an extensive rebrand effort to become the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS). In addition to a name change and revamped logo, the organization has rolled out a brand new website (santacruztrails.org), online action center and updated membership program. This will make it easy for both local and visiting trail users to enjoy and protect the natural beauty of the Santa Cruz Mountains landscape through inthe-field volunteering opportunities, outreach campaigns and educational opportunities

Since Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz’s inception in 1997, the organization has grown from a mountain bike advocacy and social group into a professional trail stewardship organization with deep trails expertise, full roster of field and office staff, extensive community and volunteer engagement, and strong relationships with local land managers. As SCMTS, the organization will be more influential in trail access decisions and do more for all trail users — mountain bikers included.

“This is a major milestone for trail development in the Santa Cruz Mountains area,” said Matt De Young, executive director of SCMTS. “This rebrand is an important first step in realizing the trail future we all want to see locally.”

Read more at asjmag.com/scmts

No More Unlimited Camping in Alabama Hills

The Bishop Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office has been working to create a management plan since March of 2019 when the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act designated 18,745 acres of the Alabama Hills as a National Scenic Area.

The Alabama Hills, about 250 miles north of Los Angeles, is positioned in Owens Valley. Payahuunadü, meaning land of flowing water, is the original Paiute name for what’s known today as the Owens Valley. Payahuunadü is home to the Paiute (Nüümü) and Shoshone (Newe) people.

BLM has stepped in with a comprehensive management plan for this area currently known for rock climbing, hiking, dispersed camping, off-roading, RVing and movie making.

The new changes will, among other things, require permits for one of the 50 designated campsites selected from the current 126 “disturbed areas” that campers have been using for years. Camping is allowed for no more than seven days in a 28-day period, and will be limited to 14 days total in a calendar year. All visitors will have to use restrooms or pack out all human waste and toilet paper. Fires will only be allowed in designated campsites.

Read more at asjmag.com/alabama-hills

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

AFFORDABLE HARNESSES. HIGH-END MATERIALS.

PETZL: EVA FOAM

EXTREMELY DURABLE AND RESILIENT

OTHER BRANDS: EPE FOAM

CHEAP WITH A SHORT LIFESPAN

Many brands use low-quality EPE foam in their entry-level harnesses. This is the same foam used in disposable packing materials. In every affordably-priced CORAX harness, you’ll find durable EVA foam. The same foam used in hockey pads and other high-impact sporting equipment. This foam maintains integrity and keeps you comfortable for longer.

Put on any of our three CORAX harnesses and #ExperienceTheDifference for yourself. www.petzl.com

EARN YOUR BEER

Seasonal waterfalls in San Diego and Julian Beer Company

By James Murren

THE EARNING

When enough rain comes to San Diego’s hinterlands, seasonal waterfalls appear on the landscape, making for new experiences in a land where it is dry most of the year. One such place is along a somewhat recently built trail named Cold Stream in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Whether I am mountain biking or hiking it, come winter-into-spring, I keep my eye out for a little waterfall easily visible from the trail. Seeing the water flow and drop some six feet or so is a bit of a meditation piece. On a group ride a few years back, we stopped and walked the little path to the fall and revelled in its cool and refreshing water after having ridden several hours on a warm afternoon. It cascades down a ways and offers a good place for some water and rock hopping to break up your hike or bike outing.

Up in the vicinity of Julian town, if you ask around (or do enough gleaning of the web), and then go a-searching, you will find Mildred Falls. I have biked from town out to see it. You can also drive there, but why not make a little adventure out of it? Plummeting nearly 300 feet, Mildred Falls (pictured above) becomes San Diego’s longest/ highest waterfall when it is flowing. To see it, conditions have to be just right. Officially, it is on Cleveland National Forest land and there are no marked trails, but there are several footpaths that take you to the falls and around to various vantage points to take it all in. Exercise caution, as it can get quite precipitous in some areas.

There is nothing quite like seeing water run where most of the year it is dry and brown. I cannot help but think of the wonders of nature that happen when rain falls and flows, the magic and majesty of falling water being a sight that slows me down and brings me to a stop. Life springs forth, green emerges, and out pop the wildflowers. I am reminded of impermanence when I see seasonal waterfalls. They remind me to enjoy the here and now.

And when the waterfalls come back around, the memory of joy from before bubbles back up, and fills me again, and reminds me to enjoy it while it is here/now.

THE BEER

Julian Beer Company (JBC), in the famous little mountain town of Julian in San Diego county, offers outstanding beer, bar-b-que, pizza (including gluten free and vegan options) and huge salads. There is wine, too, and usually cider is on the libations menu as well. While you are walking around town looking for that perfect apple pie, and you really can’t go wrong wherever you buy one, remember to stop in at JBC for a laid-back, sunny afternoon in the fresh air. Weekends can be quite busy. If you prefer less of a crowd, stop by during the week. The energy is less hectic, and you will likely get on mountain time for an hour or two.

JBC is quiet on the San Diego beer scene, but those “in the know” seek out some of the best tasting pints this side of Mars. Recently, I had a quite quaffable porter, tasting extra delicious on a chilly afternoon. Like some San Diego breweries, JBC does IPAs very well. They also have all the standards/classic beer styles you would expect to find at a California brewery.

julianbeercompany.com

Photo: Gibson Pictures

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET

Teresa Baker’s Work

By Leonie Sherman

Less than a decade after Yosemite became a National Park, there was still no agency tasked with managing the newly protected lands. Herders and farmers continued to graze animals in alpine meadows. The military was brought in to manage the parklands, and soldiers became the nation’s first park rangers.

They garrisoned at the San Francisco Presidio during winter, where they built barracks which still stand today. Every spring they trekked across the Central Valley to put out forest fires and protect the park’s eastern boundary from poachers and timber thieves. Many of them were recently freed slaves. The Natives called them “Buffalo Soldiers”for their thick curly hair and legendary bravery in battle.

The Buffalo Soldiers built the first trail to the top of Mt. Whitney and created the first arboretum in Yosemite. One of them, Charles Young, became Superintendent of Sequoia National Park in 1903. Despite this connection to and investment in public lands, today, people of color make up less than 20% of National Park employees, and visitors are overwhelmingly white.

When Teresa Baker first noticed this on a visit to Yosemite seven years ago, she vowed to bring diversity, equity and inclusion to the outdoors. Since then she has worked with the National Park Service to expand access to marginalized communities, inspired legislation to honor and recognize the contributions of Buffalo Soldiers and encouraged outdoor industry leaders to incorporate better practices into their business. She believes that if we are to address the looming threat of climate change, we all need to work together, and has devoted her life to that mission. Baker grew up in Richmond, in the east bay, with eight brothers and no sisters. “Being outdoors was always something that came natural to us, we rode horses, went camping and hiking, I never thought anything of it, it was just the natural way of being for me.”

As an adult she began to visit Yosemite National Park every month, to hike and marvel at the waterfalls and soaring granite walls. She mostly ignored the people. “On that one trip, seven years ago, I started to notice the people around me, and

how they did not look like me,” Baker explains. After returning home, she got in touch with the DC office of the NPS. “I asked them if they were aware they had a diversity problem,” she says. “They were open and honest and said ‘yes, we have this problem, and we are working on it, help us fix it.’”

But Baker was not satisfied with NPS progress. “So I became a bit of a troublemaker!” she admits with a laugh. “I began forming events on my own, to start engaging underrepresented communities of color so they felt these spaces belonged to them as well.”

She started an African-American National Parks event the first week of June. “I asked people to get out into a national park the first week of June and speak to rangers, hike the trails, learn the history and post their photos on social media.”

Thousands of people posted photos from all over the country. “People would email and post on social media about their first time being in a national park, or their first time taking their family to a park, or their first time being in these spaces. Because I put the call out they felt invited.” Baker sighs with satisfaction. “Because these parks belong to us, the people.”

NPS noticed her efforts and began to take her more seriously. “They realized I was going to be a pain in the butt and it was better to do these events together instead of doing them separately,” she recounts. “They said ‘we may not agree with you on 100% of everything, but let’s find common ground and work together.’ They understand that they need us as much as we need them.”

In 2014, she collaborated with NPS on a retracing of the Buffalo Soldiers’ route from San Francisco to Yosemite. With the support of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the city of Los Banos, the Presidio Trust, Outdoor Afro, and the Yosemite Conservancy, Baker gathered hundreds

of people to make the journey from the Presidio to Yosemite. While the first park rangers took days to complete the journey on horseback, their modern admirers traveled by car, bus and motorcycle. The park service provided buses and campgrounds while they were in the park, and helped them pull together events on Buffalo Soldier history.

One of the attendees, Robert Hanna, was John Muir’s great-great grandson. “That trip, and that experience, was absolutely life-changing,” he told a local paper. Hanna began working with State Assembly Member Frank Bigelow to introduce legislation honoring the Buffalo Soldiers. In April 2016, the State Assembly designated the portion of State Highway 41 from the Madera-Mariposa county line to the park entrance Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Highway. Governor Jerry Brown signed it into law shortly afterwards.

Soon after, Baker turned her attention to the outdoor industry. “I started noticing the absence of people of color over social media platforms in outdoor brands,” she explains. “I just wasn’t seeing people of color represented.” Initial efforts to engage with marketing divisions and CEOs failed to gain traction.

So Baker got creative. She reached out to Chris Perkins at the Yale School of the Environment and together they created the Diversity Pledge, aimed at CEOs, requiring steady work to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in their companies.

The first year, she walked the floors of the Outdoor Retailer Show in Denver and found it hard to get attention. “But now we have 180 different brands and companies committed to doing the work,” she says with pride. Merrill, GoPro, Granite Gear, Burton Snowboards and Dick‘s Sporting Goods have all signed on. Every year they submit a report of what they have done to date, what plans they have moving forward and what challenges

they face. Baker follows the companies on social media and reads articles to make sure they are doing the work; if they don’t submit their annual report or fail to live up to their commitments, the company is removed from the list.

But Baker doesn’t want the pledge to be the focus. “The work needs to be the focus,” she insists. “It’s hard work, we are trying to change a culture of how people have done business. It’s scary work. People don’t want to make mistakes, they don’t want to say or do the wrong thing.” She is finding that people are willing to take that risk when the issue is reframed. Diversity, equity and inclusion are elements

In 2014, she collaborated with NPS on a retracing of the Buffalo Soldiers’ route from San Francisco to Yosemite. With the support of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, the city of Los Banos, the Presidio Trust, Outdoor Afro, and the Yosemite Conservancy, Baker gathered hundreds of people to make the journey from the Presidio to Yosemite.

of intersectional environmentalism. “We are ultimately fighting for environmental issues as we do this work. If these places aren’t protected, we aren’t going to have places to bike and hike and ski,” Baker explains.

“The racial demographic shift currently underway is proof that if we do not engage communities of color we are doomed, “ she continues. “We have to start engaging communities that are not currently engaged, it’s the only way we are going to be prepared for the environmental attack currently underway.” An effective response to the existential threat of climate change requires that everyone has a seat at the table.

“This is not about trying to divide a country,” Baker insists. “It’s about trying to be more inclusive of who we invite in. What we need is more people paying attention to this message: diversity and inclusion is the only way forward to save our planet.”

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: TERESA BAKER WITH HER NIECE AT ONE OF HER FAVORTE STATE PARKS, SAMUEL P TAYLOR STATE PARK (TRIPOD); BAKER AT THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY SIGN OUTSIDE OF YOSEMITE (TRIPOD). THIS PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: GROUP PHOTO DURING A “WE GOT US” CAMPOUT IN BIG SUR — AN ORGANIZED CAMPOUT THAT BAKER DOES TOGEHER WITH JOSE GONZALEZ, FOUNDER OF LATINO OUTDOORS — TO BRING FOLKS TOGETHER WHO HAVE NEVER CAMPED OR OFTEN FEEL OUT OF PLACE AT TRADITIONAL CAMPSITES (RAUL HERNANDEZ); BAKER ENJOYING LOS LOBOS STATE RESERVE, CARMEL (SELFIE).

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Light winter promises good hiking on the PCT

Words and photos by Matt Johanson

After a hard day of high-elevation backpacking a dozen miles around Ebbetts Pass, I would have settled for crackers, peanut butter and water. Instead, a group of trail angels I’d never met before invited my companion and me into their roadside camp to enjoy hot cheeseburgers and cold beer. That’s the spirit of the Pacific Crest Trail: mountain-sized challenges balanced by worldclass company. The 2,650-mile path between the borders of Mexico and Canada never fails to deliver both.

Some 7,000 hikers tread the path each year, including around 10 percent who trek the entire distance and the others who do complete portions. Thru-hiking marks a lifetime achievement for many, but completing even a short section delivers rewards and builds skills for longer journeys.

Hundreds of hikers have already started north through the desert from the Mexican border, but it’s not too late to start planning your own adventure. As the pandemic recedes slowly, this looks like a good year to go. This winter’s light snowfall will mean fewer mosquitoes, easier hiking and a longer backpacking season. If you’re eager to discover this wonderful world, consider these three segments for an introduction.

Sierra Club’s Peter Grubb Hut, a beautiful and rustic ski cabin. Continue north past Basin Peak, another short and optional adventure and the highest point of this segment.

From here we gradually descend, passing many streams and meadows on the way to Jackson Meadows Reservoir, about 25 miles from Highway 80. Another 12 miles, all downhill, takes us to Highway 49, about 1.5 miles east of Sierra City.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST (24 MILES)

This section north of Los Angeles closely traces Highway 2 west of Wrightwood. With an average elevation of 6,000 feet (and a high mark of 9,406 feet), it offers cooler temperatures than the hot desert to the southeast which thru-hikers complete in spring. But it’s also low enough to be free of heavy snow and accessible from latespring through late fall in most years.

Hikers who appreciate a gradual warm-up might prefer an eastbound hike starting at Three Points Trailhead near Camp Valcrest. Our trek through the San Gabriel Mountains includes multiple stream crossings and several optional summits, including Winston Peak, Throop Peak and Mount Burnham. Complete the hike below the switchbacks beneath Mount Baden-Powell (named for the founder of the Boy Scouts) at a large trailhead and parking area. The town of Wrightwood stands about seven miles to the east.

This segment crosses Highway 2 several times, providing easy access by PCT standards and allowing hikers to easily shorten or extend this suggested portion. Parking at popular trailheads in this area requires an Adventure Pass.

SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST (57 MILES)

This section showcases some of the North State’s best scenery including Castle Crags State Park and Mount Shasta, encompassing elevations between 2,100 feet and 8,200 feet, gaining elevation in the northbound direction. In a normal year, backpackers can reasonably access this area by July.

Join the path south of Dunsmuir on Highway 5 at Castle Crags State Park, which protects a spectacular range of granite spires which formed 170 million years ago. More recently, miners and Modocs fought a historic battle here in 1853. Hiking to the striking spires area involves a detour off the PCT of about three miles round-trip, definitely worth it if you have the time.

The PCT leads past many ponds and lakes as it winds northwest through ShastaTrinity and Klamath national forests. Some 34 miles from the suggested start are Deadfall Lakes. Here you’ll find a worthy detour to the nearby Mount Eddy, highest of the Klamath Mountains, which affords visitors awesome views of Mount Shasta to the east.

HIGHWAY 80 TO SIERRA CITY (37 MILES)

Throughout much of the Sierra Nevada, the PCT traverses elevations above 10,000 feet with distances of 100 miles or more between road access and resupply opportunities. In comparison, this short segment northwest of Lake Tahoe tops out at around 8,400 feet, making it much more accessible and a reasonable choice for beginners, conditions permitting. This section is normally accessible by late June, though heavy snow years may require a later start.

Find the trailhead north of Highway 80; there’s a backpackers parking area south of the highway that’s free in summer. Our route takes us right beneath scenic Castle Peak. Once you’ve gained Castle Pass, you can climb north to visit Castle Peak’s three summits, or hike south to ascend the more modest Andesite Peak. Less than a mile from the pass, our trail passes near the

At 37 miles, our path crosses Forest Road 17 at a trailhead and parking area. Hikers might catch a ride here to the town of Weed and Highway 5. Otherwise, the PCT crosses State Route 3 in another 20 miles to the northwest, about 57 miles from our start and six miles southeast of the town of Callahan. This is the kind of place where many PCT hikers break out a hitchhiker’s thumb.

Whichever section you choose, you can expect to be challenged on the way, physically and otherwise. There’s a lot to learn out there and a short article like this can’t possibly express it all. But you can expect to learn on the way, especially if you use one of the many excellent guidebooks and/or cell phone apps. You can also expect to meet fellow hikers who are almost always kind and generous with their experience and help.

You may someday even find yourself returning the favor by giving back something to the PCT community in the form of extra food, water, rides to town, or maybe even burgers and beer.

California and Nevada

2021 River Opportunities

By Anthea Raymond

Whitewater boaters monitor the snowfall at high elevations all winter long. They want a lot of snow, and ideally they want this snow to melt slowly. This pattern creates long, wet seasons like the one in 2017, when California rivers flowed with gusto until late summer. 2021 isn’t going to be like that. California’s drought is back. Experienced kayakers and rafters are surveying their options in a year when the snowpack is about 60 percent of normal.

For once, dam is going to be a very good word. Sections of river on the South Fork of the Trinity, the South and Middle Forks of the American, the Lower Klamath River, the Tuolumne, and even the Central Valley’s Lower

ON THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOP: HEADING INTO A STANDING WAVE ON THE TUOLUMNE (SIERRA MAC RIVER TRIPS); GOING THROUGH A RAPID ON THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN. (OARS); A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THE TUOLUMNE RIVER (JAMES KAISER / OARS).

FOR SEASONED BOATERS

Advanced and expert boaters are also eyeing limited edition, special releases negotiated by American Whitewater, an organization that monitors and protects whitewater throughout the United States. A highlight of the upcoming season looks to be the several days of boatable flows coming for the first time to the San Joaquin River Class III-IV Horseshoe Bend. (Details were being finalized as this article was being written.)

American Whitewater is also saying that two runs on the Pit River in Northern California (Pit 1 and Pit 5) will be accessible the entire month of October. The latter includes some mellower, Class III. Finally, there should be some limited weekend releases on the Feather and Mokelumne through summer. You can keep your eye on all of that here: americanwhitewater. org/content/Release/view/

BEGINNERS & INTERMEDIATE

Those who are just getting into boating will also have plenty of options this season. Taking a rafting trip with a professional outfitter is a great way to enjoy this year’s whitewater.

Another option is to take a class and get professional instruction. On the South Fork of the American, the California Watersport Collective and Current Adventures

DOUBLE THE FUN WITH A TANDEM

Five reasons and three tips for getting a bike built for two

By Leonie Sherman

Strava says we were going over 50 miles an hour. Normally on steep bike descents I proceed at a geriatric pace; a wreck 25 years ago shaved off my left eyebrow, cracked my helmet in half and instilled caution for speed. But normal rules don’t apply when you’re riding a bicycle built for two.

My first tandem was a clunky beach cruiser with 3-inch tires and seven speeds. I paid $300 for it. Though one friend and I rode it on some fire roads, it was mostly reserved for showing out-of-towners around, visiting with friends and flat terrain. I rode it happily for a decade with over a dozen friends.

My new sweetie was not satisfied with the lumbering red beast and six weeks after our first kiss we laid down $400 for a 30-year old 21-gear tandem mountain bike that had been ridden by its previous owners from Alaska to Canada. We subjected it to over 800 miles of smooth pavement and singletrack trails within two months. I’ve ridden a bike solo for tens of thousands of miles, but never had as much fun as I do on this bicycle built for two.

We are forced to work together when tethered by a bike chain. We combine our strengths and compensate for each other’s weaknesses. We can tackle technical terrain and long days or run errands. All of this is true whether you’re riding with a romantic partner or a friend. A tandem will strengthen your relationships. Folks who claim tandems lead to divorce were in doomed marriages before the tandem showed up.

FIVE REASONS TO LOVE RIDING A TANDEM

1A

Tandem Equalizes Your Abilities. If one rider is fitter or more experienced than the other, a tandem allows them to ride together at the same pace. A person with a disability or someone who doesn’t know how to ride a bike can enjoy being the stoker. Even when riders’ fitness and abilities are matched, a tandem allows them to take turns hammering and relaxing.

Quick note about terminology:

The person responsible for steering, braking and shifting usually sits on the front of the tandem.They are called the captain, the commander or the pilot. The person responsible for pedaling hard, maintaining good cheer, checking maps and ignoring quips about them not working is called the passenger, the rear admiral or the stoker. For the purposes of this article we will go with pilot and stoker.

2Boredom

Is Not a Problem. No matter how much you love riding a bike, there are tedious featureless miles. With a partner you can enjoy long conversations, delve into philosophical queries, point out landscape features and wildlife the other may have missed, sing songs, and tell jokes. The miles fly by when you have someone to share them with.

3Ups and Downs. Four legs don’t quite compensate for a heavier frame when moving uphill. A tandem can tackle steep grades, and an experienced stoker will provide motivation on even the toughest grades, but going uphill on a bicycle built for two is slow, no matter how fit the riders are. On the other hand, doubling the mass without adding to wind resistance means a tandem screams going downhill and can outpace many single bikes on flat terrain.

4Tandems Build Trust and Care. Without being able to stop, steer, or shift, the stoker needs to have faith in the intentions and abilities of the pilot. The pilot must learn the comfort level of the stoker and anticipate their needs. Switching roles is recommended. Practical jokes are not.

THREE Tips for Beginners

Contemplating the control of a 12-foot long 50-pound beast with two wheels can be intimidating. The following tips will help you get rolling smoothly with minimal damage to yourself, your partner, your bike or your pride.

5Tandems

Create Celebrities. Get used to seeing strangers smile; everyone loves a tandem. Cyclists want to chat. Drivers slow down. Pedestrians offer thumbs up. Copious positive regard is an unintended benefit of tandem riding.

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to ride a bicycle built for two. Though tandems are not easy to transport, they are easy to find. Internet forums bulge with used ones and bike stores bristle with shiny new models. Whether you’re aiming for a casual afternoon roll or a strenuous multi-day tour, there’s a friend who wants to join you and a tandem out there that wants to be ridden. See ya on the road!

1Take Off and Touch Down. Getting started and stopping smoothly are the crux of riding a tandem. Figure out where each rider likes the pedals positioned and what angle feels comfortable to start. Be sure both partners are ready before one begins pedaling. Let the stoker know when a stop is coming up.

2Communicate.

The stoker can’t see the terrain or read the pilot’s mind. All those unconscious decisions a solo rider makes- swerving to miss a pothole, slamming on the brakes, coasting downhill, navigating a bump, switching gears- need to be verbalized when piloting a tandem.

3Plastic Pedals. Shins will be bashed as partners get accustomed to riding together. Sturdy metal or clipless pedals will result in blood and anguish for novice riders. Plastic pedals are cheap and save shins.

PEDAL ASSIST

Is it cheating?

By Krista Houghton

I have owned an electric mountain bike for a year now. I love it so much that I sold my carbon Stumpjumper and never looked back. No regrets, not even one. Yes, the eMTBs are ruffling some feathers, and not everyone is a fan. In 25 years of riding a standard bike, I’ve never experienced aggression from other riders; now I have. I’m talking about straight up anger and resentment laced into their whispers of “that’s cheating” as I pedal past.

When everyone was on a standard bike, this kind of thing never happened. For a small vocal minority, the eMTB has somehow changed that. Is it jealousy that drives these comments? Perhaps, as these bikes are expensive. But so is any new cutting-edge mountain bike.

Is it fear of what they will bring to the trails? Yes, perhaps. I do feel that these eMTBs are not for the newbie rider. A novice rider on a $10,000 ebike, wearing head-to-toe Patagucci makes me cringe every time. Those that think they can start riding technical, crowded trails with little to no experience do concern me. Please, there is still a learning curve to mountain biking and rules of the trail must be respected.

In my opinion, these bikes are best served as a next level ride for seasoned riders wanting more — or maybe a different riding experience altogether. Electric mountain bikes allow us to push our personal boundaries, and venture into different opportunities along the trail. For some, uphill riding becomes fun again.

Pedal assist mountain bikes (AKA “Class 1” electric mountain bikes) do no more damage to trails than standard bikes. In fact, sometimes they do less. I foresee a whole new era of unidirectional eMTB trails that better follow the natural contours of the land than some existing trails. Sometimes, the traditions of the past become outdated and need to be changed. Mountain biking has always been about revolutionary ideas, not conformity.

In terms of the naysayers who whisper “that’s cheating” when I’m politely trying to pass, who am I cheating? You? Me?

Neither in fact. Since I got my e-bike I’ve logged way more rides, more miles, ridden harder and longer than ever before and I am in excellent shape. How is this cheating? I have saved many tanks of gas by not having to shuttle rides — we go door to door now. So, I’m not cheating the environment either. I am not cheating you out of your fun, and I’m certainly not cheating myself out of my fun.

Can we just agree to disagree?

BIKEPACKING NEVADA’S HIGH ROCK CANYON An oasis outside of Black Rock City

Each year, the loin-clothed legions arrive, buzzing with the optimism of fans tailgating pregame at the Super Bowl. They drive janky RVs – thousands of them – still covered in last year’s playa dust, roofs mounted with haphazardly strapped tarps flapping over stacks of second-hand bikes with fur-covered frames. They pour into Reno, Nevada from all directions, but mostly from the San Francisco Bay Area, in the waning days of summer, and fill up on supplies at grocery stores with parking lots configured like dystopian demilitarized zones, cases of plastic water bottles stacked on pallets surrounded by chain-link fence.

From Reno, the artists, bohemians, hipsters, tech bros, polyamorists and Germans who make up the cohort known as Burners leave again, en masse, and head 100 miles north. The train of RVs, some pulling fantastical art cars and trailers of cartoonish miscellany, meet their destination a few miles beyond the northeastern Nevada town of Gerlach, at the edge of the mind-bending, expansive Black Rock Desert. For the week ending on Labor Day, Burning Man hosts 80,000plus revelers who come together to play, dance, catch a buzz and confer their humanity on each other during maybe the greatest annual festival the world has to offer. Burners call it coming home.

For the other 51 weeks, this part of the Great Basin is a different

place. There’s the majesty of the flat alkaline playa, but venture 50 miles to the other side and a classic highdesert landscape rises with pinion, juniper and sage in the shadow of towering red sand and decomposing granite walls. Spring-fed verdant canyons framed with willow and golden aspen create habitat for all variety of critters: sage grouse and chukar, rabbits, pronghorns, deer, elk and bighorn sheep. Under a blue skyline that bends heavy with earth’s horizon, it looks and feels remote, a place measured in geologic time that also brims with life.

This is where our adventure starts, a bikepacking sojourn up High Rock Canyon to an old Bureau of Land Management desert cabin at Steven’s Camp and a dirt road loop back the next day. For dedicated bikepackers,

it’s a relative stroll – the fall weather is mild, and at the end of day one we’ll be met by our sag wagon driver, Jonathan Hurt, flat ground to pitch our tents, a home-cooked meal and two coolers of high-brow beer (this may not even technically count as bikepacking). There are eight of us with varying levels of experience, and seven bikes (two ride tandem). Photographer Rick Gunn has literally ridden around the world (some parts twice), and Kurstin Graham, shop manager at Reno Bike Project, has been on a years-long mission to lay rubber on every desolate stretch of Nevada road and trail, adding to the extensive catalog on his Bikepacking Northern Nevada blog (bikepackingnv.blog).

Graham is serving as our Nevada backcountry emissary, along with

Stacey Wittek, executive director of the Friends of Black Rock High Rock. The non-profit, headquartered in “downtown” Gerlach, connects visitors with the 1.2 million acres that comprise the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area and its ten companion wilderness areas. Beyond High Rock Canyon, there is a vast amount of land to explore. We’ve decided to meet at a sign at an intersection of dirt roads near the mouth of the canyon at first light. After adjusting wheels, hanging bags and double-checking pack lists, from here we’ll start pedaling a Jeep road up High Rock Canyon with the goal of making about 35 miles by late afternoon. Off-road capable vehicles (with clearance, suspension and oversized tires), can navigate the canyon most of the year, although there are a couple of relatively deep water crossings. We took our trip during chukar season, known outside of Nevada as “fall,” so as we inch along trail on mountain bikes weighed down with snacks, water and gear, we enthusiastically wave hello to the hunting groups driving through, just to make sure they

Story by Jim Scripps • Photos by Rick Gunn

OPPOSITE PAGE: HUSBAND AND WIFE MARC PFISTER AND CAILLE GASH FORD A WATER CROSSING WITH THEIR TANDEM BIKE DURING A BIKEPACKING TRIP IN NORTHWESTERN NEVADA’S BLACK ROCK CANYON. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: NORTHERN NEVADA’S TOPOGRAPHY IS EXPANSIVE, A HIGH-DESERT ESCAPE ON THE EDGE OF THE GREAT BASIN, ABOUT TWO HOURS NORTH OF RENO; YELLOW ROCK CANYON IS ONE OF NUMEROUS CANYONS TO EXPLORE BY BIKE IN THE BLACK ROCK DESERT-HIGH ROCK CANYON EMIGRANT TRAILS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA; ROCK GRAFFITI MARKS THE HISTORY OF WESTWARD EXPANSION OF WHITE PIONEERS HEADING TO OREGON AND CALIFORNIA. THE AREA IS ANCESTRAL LAND OF THE NORTHERN PAUITE PEOPLE.

know we’re terrestrial and human. This route is also popular with overlanders, especially in summer.

From the flat edge of Black Rock desert, the walls of the canyon grow around us as we make progress. Our group is following High Rock Creek and crisscrossing through it on a winding double-track dirt road. This area is ancestral tribal land for the Northern Paiute people, and a heavily trafficked route for early white settlers headed west by wagon train to California and Oregon in the mid1800s. Along the way, the walls tell the stories of that era of westward expansion, with the pioneer graffiti of names and dates scratched into the rock. These imprints of the western land grab also serve as reminder of conflict in this region, another of many in which colonial expansion overwhelmed and took from native people. We are nearing the Oregon border to our north, and California is close to the west.

For Wittek, the wilderness around High Rock Canyon has had a spiritual draw since she first started exploring

the area at age 16. “All the hubris of culture kind of fades away on the edges, to allow for bigger thoughts about what humanity is, what culture is,” she says. “When you’re there, you see yourself within a billion years of contextual awareness of history.”

Indeed, as we pedal along the solitude is palpable, but there’s also an enigmatic energy that comes from being surrounded by the high desert while moving through it. Traveling by bike allows for a deep appreciation of this effect. We hear the wind, the leaves in the brush and we feel the cool of the creek as we ford deeper sections. Move slowly enough, you’ll see the life force of the desert all around, feel the smallness of yourself in the bigness of the place. As we approach Yellow Rock Canyon, three wandering pronghorn antelope make a silhouette on a rise one valley over before darting down the other side.

Nevadans have made this area part of their identity for generations, but since the early 1990s, when Burning Man moved from San Francisco

Yep, This is it.

Nevadans have made this area part of their identity for generations, but since the early 1990s, when Burning Man moved from San Francisco to what would later be dubbed “Black Rock City,” the area has been inextricably linked to the festival, and the festival to it.

WE’RE DONATING 5 BUCKS FOR EVERY PAIR SOLD.

THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE BAG

USE CODE ASJ5 FOR $5 OFF ANY BAG!

STASHERS 3.0 Modular Insulated Adventure Bag

Keeps food and drinks hot or cold for 4 hrs+. Removable food-grade liner safe for storing food and snacks — no baggies needed! Padding and insulation keeps phone, camera and electronics safe from bumps in the trail. Attaches to each other and integrates well with other bikepacking bags and gear. Adjustable, padded carry strap available. Great for hikes, bikes, kayaking, ATVs, or traveling the world, these heavy duty bags are a smart choice for any outdoor adventure!

Follow us on Instagram for details: @stashers_

to what would later be dubbed “Black Rock City,” the area has been inextricably linked to the festival, and the festival to it. Will Roger Peterson, who has led Burning Man’s growth in the desert for the last two decades, made Gerlach his full-time home.

“The power of the place is really strong or I wouldn’t have moved here,” he says. “There’s an awe to it. I get to go out there by myself. There’s a real strong sense of being back in nature. Nature’s so big up here. It’s often what’s missing in our lives.”

Peterson believes that Burning Man facilitates similar connections. Being in the Black Rock Desert is part of what makes it work. “I feel like we’re introducing people to nature,” he said. “One of the things our culture lacks is a connection to nature. [Burning Man] brings a bunch of people together to experience nature and community and the artistic community … all of the things that we need to put our society back on track.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP IMAGE: FAR FROM LIGHT POLLUTION INTERFERENCE, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT AT STEVEN’S CAMP, AT THE TOP OF HIGH ROCK CANYON; SPRING-FED STREAMS AND SNOWMELT SUSTAIN LIFE IN THE CANYONS OF THE HIGH ROCK CANYON AND SURROUNDING AREAS; RIDING TOWARDS THE BLACK ROCK DESERT AFTER BREAKING CAMP; A BIKEPACKING RIG, SET UP FOR DESERT DIRT RIDING.

If a week of “radical self-reliance” in the desert offers Burners a taste of the region’s natural elements, an adventure with a small group of friends into High Rock Canyon is a whole meal. Our group stays relatively together, and with relatively few mechanical issues along the way. At the end of day one, Steven’s Camp is a welcome sight. It’s basic, done in the “cinderblock aesthetic” architectural style, but it has a remarkable repose on a grassy hilltop, set in a series of grassy hilltops. There’s a firepit, and an adjacent meadow fed by a bubbling spring. Tomorrow will be stressfree, an easy ride back on a graded dirt road. We set up our tents, and talk and laugh into the evening, reflecting on the ride and this place that touches your soul in a way no other place can.

Jim Scripps is director of the journalism program at Sierra Nevada University in Lake Tahoe.

NEW PLUS SIZED CARGO BAG COMING SPRING 2021

50 LESSONS IN 50 YEARS // PART 2

RUNNING TIPS

By Matt Johanson

Before my high school cross country league meet, my teammates and I huddled and cheered. Though we ran our hearts out, our rival beat us by three points. Yet, we grew because of it. Distance running taught me how to work hard.

With my 50th birthday on the horizon, I applied the lessons I’ve learned over the years (listed below) to run my first marathon. My weekly running increased from 20 miles to 50 miles. I ran track intervals again with high school kids, and I built up from 5Ks to 10Ks and half-marathons. My times steadily improved.

#1: WORKOUTS WORK. After our tough loss, my friends and I learned to act less like teenagers when it came time to run. We improved every year, winning five track and cross country league championships and reaching the state meet. Put in enough effort to improve.

#2: RUNNING IMPROVES HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE. You don’t have to be competitive to enjoy the benefits. Running just a few times

a week makes people healthier and happier.

#3: HELP YOUR BODY RECOVER. Alternate between easy and harder workouts. Stretch. Increase mileage gradually. Run on trails instead of pavement. Replace shoes often. These become more important the older you get.

#4: EMBRACE PERSONAL RECORD (PR). In running, everyone can measure improvement individually. PRs document a runner’s progress and promote effort.

#5: WRITE DOWN WORKOUTS TO TRACK PROGRESS AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF. When you know how long a run took before, beating that mark brings happiness. Plus, it’s harder to skip a day when you have to confess to your logbook.

#6: LATCH ONTO A RUNNING PARTNER OR GROUP. This helps a runner train, improve and make friends.

#7: RACE ONCE IN A WHILE, even if you don’t consider yourself competitive, to encourage your training. Plus, you will collect race t-shirts that impress your friends.

#8: GET ON THE TRACK TO RUN INTERVALS. Run shorter repetitions than your race distance and faster than your target pace. The improvement this generates addicts many runners.

#9: MIND YOUR PACE. In workouts or races, most runners slow down in the middle of their distances. Minimize that loss by running evenly.

#10: SET GOALS AND STRIVE TO ACHIEVE THEM. Whatever your

level of ability, there’s a challenging benchmark within reach. The bigger the goal, the better you will feel when you achieve it.

After two years, I entered a marathon with the goal of breaking three hours. For 20 miles, I paced 6 minutes and 30 seconds per mile. The final six miles slowed, but I managed to finish in 2 hours, 57 minutes and 58 seconds, exhausted and delighted.

I realized later that I hydrated and fueled insufficiently, a beginner’s mistake. The experience proved to me that I still have more to achieve and learn in running. I’m looking forward to both.

“I turned 50 recently and I’m grateful to still enjoy outdoor activities that I picked up in my youth. Following are lessons I’ve learned over the years. This installment, the second of five, focuses on running.”

12 - 13 — Hayfork Hopper / Trinity County Colusa County / Two days of gravel riding / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

12 — Tour of Two Forests / Santa Clarita / PlanetUltra.com

19 — Lake Tahoe MTB Race / Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com

19 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series

Race #7 / Lakeside / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

19 — Mile High 100 / Lake Almanor / MileHigh100.com

26 — Rock The Ride / Yountville / benefit ride & walk for gun violence prevention / RideNapaValley.com

40th Annual Death Ride — July 17, 2021 —

Tour of the California Alps / Markleeville / New race directory / 5 pass ride, 129 mi, and 15,000 ft of lungbusting climbing / DeathRide.com

Santa Cruz Mountains

Challenge — July 17 - 25, 2021 — Santa Cruz

BIKING

26 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series

Race #8 / Lakeside / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

26 — Alta Alpina Challenge: Riding the Wild Sierra / Markleeville / Choose up to eight passes / AltaAlpina.org/challenge

26 — China Peak Enduro / Lakeshore / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

July

10-11 — Mt. Shasta Enduro / McCloud / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

Carson

NV / StetinasPaydirt.com

11 — Gold Country Century Challenge Road & Gravel Ride / Nevada City / RotaryGoldCountryChallenge.com

— Sept 12, 2021 — Tour de Tahoe – Bike Big Blue / Lake Tahoe / Ride around Lake Tahoe’s beautiful 72-mile shoreline / BikeTheWest.com

BIKING, cont.

September

12 — Grizzly Peak Century / Moraga / 3 routes / Grizz.org/century

12 - 13 — Mendo Hopper2 / Mendocino County / Two day adventure ride / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

17-19 — Silver State 508 / Reno, NV / “The toughest 48 hours” in Sport / the508.net

California Coast Classic

— Sept 18 - 25, 2021 —

California Coast Classic / SF to LA /

Fully supported / Ride

iconic Highway 1 at your our own pace / Use code ADVENTURE for $25 off / Events.Arthritis.org

25 — Gold Rush MTB / Folsom / TotalBodyFitness.com

25 — Grizzly 100 & Big Bear MTB Gran Fondo / Big Bear Lake / bbvrace.com

26 — Mare Island Pedal Fest / Vallejo / Naval shipyard / RideNapaValley.com

OATBRAN

— Sept 26 - Oct 2, 2021 —

OATBRAN (One

Awesome Tour Bike

Ride Across Nevada / Lake Tahoe to Baker, NV / Epic cycling journey across Nevada / BikeTheWest.com

October

2 — Marin Century / Stafford Lake / 5 routes / MarinCyclists.com

2 — Great Trail Race / Truckee , Tahoe City / MTB or run / GreatTrailRace.com

Ashland Mountain Challenge — Oct 2 - 3, 2021 — Ashland Mountain Challenge / Ashland / Racing on east side of Mt Ashland / 4 stages / Mandatory climb to top / CaliforniaEnduro Series.com

Sea Otter Classic

— Oct 7 - 10, 2021 —

Sea Otter Classic / Monterey / World premier cycling festival / Races, events, vendors, camping and more / SeaOtterClassic.com

9 — Tri-States Gran Fondo / Mesquite, NV / PlanetUltra.com

10 — Tour de Cure / Virtual / Tour. Diabetes.org

10 — TBF MTB 50-Miler / Granite Bay, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

15 - 17 — Paso Robles Cycling Festival / Paso Robles / PasoRoblesCyclingFesitval. com

15 - 22 — Million Dollar Challenge / Palo Alto / ChallengedAthletes.org

17 — NAPA9 / Napa Valley / 125 mile adventure / RideNapaValley.com

30 — Filthy 50+ / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

November

20 — Death Valley Century / Death Valley National Park / PlanetUltra.com

December

4 — Dirty 30 / Poway / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

MISCELLANEOUS

June

18 - 27 — Lake Tahoe Sports Festival / Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe. com

Lake Tahoe Sports Festival

— June 18 - 27, 2021 — Lake Tahoe Sports Festival / Tahoe City / Challenge yourself during the day and relax in the evening / AdventureSportsWeek Tahoe.com

PADDLING

June

12 - 13 — Reno River Festival / Reno, Tahoe / RenoRiverFestival.com

July

24 — Tahoe Paddle Jam / Lake Tahoe / TahoePaddleRacing.com

August

7 - 8 — TA-HOE NALU Paddle Fest / Lake Tahoe / TahoeNalu.com

28 — Downwinder / Lake Tahoe / TahoePaddleRacing.com

2021 EVENTS Check with event producers for details &updates

PADDLING, cont.

September

19 — Tahoe Cup Lake Crossing / Lake Tahoe / TahoePaddleRacing.com

RUNNING

May

1 — Wild Wild West Marathon / Lone Pine / plus 50K, 50mi, & 10mi / LonePineChamber.org/events

1 - 9 — Race to Educate / Carmichael / RaceToEducate.com

8 — Quicksilver Endurance Runs - TBD / San Jose / Quicksilver-Running.com

8 — American River 50 Mile Endurance Run / Calistoga / 25- & 50- mile / NorCalUltras.com

8 — Muir Woods Marathon, Half Marathon, & 7 Mile / Stinson Beach / Challenging trail run / EnviroSports.com

11 No Excuses 5K / William Land Park, Sacramento / noexcuses5k.com

Bishop Ultras

— May 22, 2021 —

Bishop High Sierra Ultras / Bishop / 20mi, 50K, 50mi, & 100K in the scenic foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevadas / BishopUltras.com

June

5 — Run For Mercy 5K & Family Walk / Virtual / MercyMultiplied.com/rfm

6 — Truckee Running Festival / Truckee / 5K, 10K Half Marathon / TahoeTrailRunning.com

12 — Romancing the Island Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com

13 — Olympic Valley Half Marathon & 8 Miler (previously the Squaw Valley Half Marathon & Run to Squaw 8 Miler) / Olympic Valley / OlympicValleyHalf.com

20 — Burton Creek Trail Runs / Tahoe City / 6K, 12K, Half Marathon / TahoeTrailRunning.com

26 - 27 — Western States 100 / Olympic Valley / wser.org

July

4 — Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club’s Firecracker Run / Santa Cruz / santacruzfirecracker10k.org

4 — Run to The Beach / Tahoe Vista / 5K & 10K / TahoeTrailRunning.com

10 — She Rocks the Trails / Auburn / 10& 25K options / NorCalUltras.com

Big Chief 50K

— July 18, 2021 —

Big Chief 50K / Northstar Resort, Truckee / Loop course between Lake Tahoe and Truckee / TahoeTrailRun.com

18 — Blood, Sweat & Beers / Auburn / BloodSweatBeers.com

18 - 19 — San Francisco Marathon / SF / TheSFMarathon.com

19 - 21 — Badwater 135 / Furnace Creek

Lone Pine / “The World’s Toughest Road Race / BadWater.com

24 — Fab 40s 5K / Sacramento / fab40s5k. com

31— Truckee Half Marathon / Truckee / TruckeeMarathon.com

August

8 — Good Dog - Dirty Dog 5K/10K / Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

Marlette 50K

— Aug 15, 2021 — Marlette 50K / Spooner Lake, Tahoe / Adventurous, & challenging with great views / 10K option / TahoeTrailRun.com

21 — XTERRA Trail Run 5K & 10K / Incline Village, NV / TahoeTrailRunning. com

22 — Fair Oaks Sun Run / Fair Oaks / FairOaksSunRun.com

28 — Graniterock River Run / Hollister / runsignup.com/Race/CA/Hollister/Granite rockRiverRun

28 — Race for the Arts / Sacramento / RaceForTheArts.com

28 — Angel Island Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com

September

Emerald Bay Trail Run

— Sept 11, 2021 — Emerald Bay Trail Run / Lake, Tahoe / “One of America’s Most Scenic Trail Runs” – Competitor Magazine / TahoeTrailRun.com

12 — Buffalo Stampede / Sacramento / BuffaloStampedeRun.com

12 — Giant Race / San Francisco / Half Marathon, 10K, 5K / race-sfgiants.com

18 — She.Is.Beautiful / Santa Barbara / RunSheIsBeautiful.com

18 — Lederhosen 5K / Olympic Valley / TahoeTrailRunning.com

19 — Clo Cow Half Marathon, 10K & 5K / Petaluma / CloCowHalf.com

25 — Gold Rush Trail Run / Granite Beach / TotalBodyFitness.com

25 — Oakdale Chocolate Festival Run / Oakdale / OnYourMarkEvents.com

October

2 — Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5 Mile / Big Sur / EnviroSports. com

Great Trail Race

— Oct 2, 2021 — Great Trail Race / Truckee to Tahoe CIty / Run or Bike / Benefit for Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue / GreatTrailRace.com

2 - 3 — Urban Cow Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk / Sacramento / UrbanCowHalf. com

9 — Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance Run / Lake Merced, San Francisco / UltraSignUp.com

17 — Graniterock Rock & Run 5K and 10K / Aromas / runsignup.com/Race/CA/ Aromas/RockandRun

17 — Folsom Blues Breakout 13.1 / Folsom / Plus 5K, Relay, & Kids’ 1K / FolsomBluesHalf.org

23 — Napa Wine Country Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Calistoga / Envirosports.com

November

6 — Rio Del Lago 100 Mile Endurance Run / Folsom / NorCalUltras.com

6 — Golden Gate Headlands Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K / Sausalito / Envirosports.com

7 - 8 — Badwater Salton Sea / AnzaBorrego State Park / 81 miles / 45 teams of two or three ultrarunners / BadWater.com

13 — Feat to the Beach 200 Mile Relay / Fresno to Pismo Beach / 4 - 12 person teams / SierraCascades.com

14 — T9 Mermaid Run San Francisco / Golden Gate Bridge / 5K, 10K, Sirena 10mi / MermaidSeries.com

December

4 — Death Valley Trail Marathon and Half Marathon / Death Valley National Park / Scenic wilderness trail / EnviroSports.com

5 — California International Marathon / Folsom / #1 Boston Qualifier / RunCIM.org

11 — Hark the Herald Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island / EnviroSports.com

12 — Jingle Bell Rock / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com

TBD — Santa Run Silicon Valley / San Jose / SantaRunSV.com

SWIMMING

May

22 — Open Water Swim Clinics / Santa Cruz / runsignup.com/Race/CA/ SantaCruz/OWSClinics

June

20 — Open Water Swim Clinics / Santa Cruz / runsignup.com/Race/CA/ SantaCruz/OWSClinics

26 — Tahoe City Swim / Tahoe City / TahoeSwimming.com

July

24 — Open Water Swim Clinics / Santa Cruz / runsignup.com/Race/CA/ SantaCruz/OWSClinics

25 — Alpine Fresh Water Swim / Truckee / TahoeSwimming.com

August

1 — Golden Gate Bridge Swim / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com

8 — Lake Tahoe Sharkfest Swim / Incline Village, NV / SharkFestSwim.com

29 — Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim / Tahoma / TahoeSwimming.com

September

11 — Golden Gate Sharkfest Swim / Sausalito / SharkFestSwim.com

19 — San Francisco Bay Open Water Swim / San Francisco / Pointto-point 1.5 mile swim & .5 mile swim/ SwimAcrossAmerica.org/sanfrancisco

25 — Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim / San Francisco / 1.5mi from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park / SharkFestSwim.com

October

10 — San Diego Sharkfest Swim / San Diego Harbor / SharkFestSwim.com

TRIATHLON / DUATHLON

May

8 — Folsom Lake International Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

June

19 — Huntington Lake Triathlon / Lakeshore / Sprint & Olympic, Relays, 5K & 10K Runs / SierraCascades.com

20 — Alcatraz XXXX Escape from the Rock Duathlon / Alcatraz to SF / EnviroSports.com

Tahoe

Off Road Triathlon / Tahoe CIty / Excellent terrain, trails, and blue water / AdventureSports WeekTahoe.com

July 11 — Dip and Dash Swim-Run & Team Challenge / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com

24 - 25 — Donner Lake Triathlon / Truckee / Half Tri, 70.3, Olympic Tri, Sprint Tri, Kids’ Tri, Aquabike / DonnerLakeTri.com

August

7 — Annual Granite Bay Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness. com

7 — Pasadena Triathlon, Duathlon, & Angel 5K / PasadenaTriathlon.com

8 — Tri Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com

XTERRA Lake Tahoe

— Aug 21, 2021 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe / Incline Village / Off-road Triathlon / Various distances / BigBlue Adventure.com

21 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe / Incline Village, NV / BigBlueAdventure.com

28 - 29 — Lake Tahoe Triathlon / Tahoma / LakeTahoeTri.com

September

12 — Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / Ironman.com

19 — Shaver Lake Triathlon / Shaver Lake / Sprint & Olympic, Relays, 5K & 10K Runs / SierraCascades.com

25 — Pacific Coast Triathlon/Duathlon / Crystal Cove State Beach / OCTriSeries. com

26 — Santa Cruz Triathlon / Santa Cruz / SantaCruzTriathlon.org

October

2 — T9 Mermaid Triathlon & Duathlon / Capitola / International Tri, Sprint Tri, Sprint Du / MermaidSeries.com

10 — Orange County Triathlon/Duathlon / Lake Mission Viejo / OCTriSeries.com

24 — Herbalife24 Triathlon / Los Angeles / Herbalife24tri.la

List

Gear We Love

Goodies for your active lifestyle

1NEMO STARGAZE™ RECLINER LUXURY CHAIR

The Nemo Stargaze™ Recliner Luxury chair takes glamping to a whole new level. Not only does it recline, it boasts a swinging option for optimum relaxation and comfort.

Even when set on uneven, rocky, or sandy terrain, this chair offers stability whether in motion or still. Tip back into the deep lounge position for the most relaxing and inspiring star gazing you’ve ever experienced.

Superior design doesn’t stop there; the chair features a no-spill cupholder, an adjustable headrest, and a pocket for your stuff. Not only is the Stargaze™ Recliner Luxury chair great for camping, it’s ideal for tailgating, lounging at the beach and so much more.

Made from aircraft grade aluminum and non-absorbent monofilament mesh, this chair is durable, resists bacteria and doesn’t retain water. Set-up is easy-peasy and intuitive, as is packing it up into its padded case. The shoulder strap on the case makes for a convenient carry, and it even features a place to stash your phone and keys.

Available in assorted colors.

rather than pushed inside them, and delivers sound via your cheekbones so you can still hear what’s going on around you. How cool is that?

We found the Aeroplex to be remarkably comfortable and secure even while running on technical terrain. Plus, since this model is waterproof (albeit not for swimming), it was nice to not worry about some light rain.

The Aeroplex is intuitive to use, has an 8-hour battery life, and comes with a handy storage pouch. Its light, slim design boasts a “barely there” feel, and you can choose between several great colors.

MSRP: $159.95 • aftershokz.com

3

GSI RAKAU KNIFE SET

GSI’s Rakau Knife Set is a vital addition to your gourmet camp kitchen. Sustainably sourced, this set is crafted for longevity and everyday use.

It features three knives including a Chef knife with a Santoku blade and Granton scallops which allow for the thinnest of slicing, as well as a serrated bread knife and a paring knife.

4

ORCA WALKER 20 SOFTSIDE COOLER

At 14.5”x11”x13.25”, the ORCA Walker 20 Softside Cooler is just the right size for day hikes, beach outings and short car trips. In fact, this cooler – which is insulated with 28mm of tough MetaPolymer – can keep items cold for days when packed with ice properly.

The outer shell is made from ultradurable SPEC-OPS 840 Denier double TPU. The cooler also features Ultrasonic RF Welding (such as what’s used in whitewater craft) and its zipper is waterproof.

Convenient highlights include an easy open magnetic split handle (share the carrying load with a friend!), a padded shoulder strap for comfort, a pocket for your phone and other necessities, and hooks for hanging extra items from.

BPA-free, anti-microbial and FDA food grade; 3.6 pounds with a max load of 50 pounds.

MSRP: $199.99 • orcacoolers.com

5RUFFWEAR SWAMP COOLER™

DOG COOLING VEST

continued evaporation, and the mesh lining will keep your doggo dry and comfy.

Additionally, the garment offers lowlight visibility with reflective trim, and has a light loop for attaching Ruffwear’s Beacon™ (sold separately). An integrated portal allows leash attachment when the Swamp Cooler is worn over Ruffwear harnesses.

Available in a wide range of sizes from XXS to XL.

MSRP: $59.95 • ruffwear.com

6GOAL ZERO NOMAD 5

Goal Zero’s Nomad 5 Solar Panel is the solution to your charging challenges no matter what adventure you’re on. This lightweight yet rugged 5-watt panel features a built-in kickstand that allows for multiple positioning angles while at camp. You can also strap the panel right to your backpack to catch those rays on the move.

MSRP: $219.95 • nemoequipment.com 2

AFTERSHOKZ AEROPLEX

Bone conduction headphones boast technology that allows you to listen to music (and podcasts, audio books, etc.) or talk on the phone while still being well aware of your surroundings. For that reason, we were excited to give the AfterShokz Aeroplex a try … and we’re happy to report we were impressed!

This wireless, open ear endurance headphone set sits in front of your ears,

The knives – which include protective sheaths for safety and sharpness – are meticulously crafted in stainless steel; handles are a waterproof wood laminate. Additionally, the set includes a quickdrying dual-sided microfiber towel (a soft, nonabrasive side and a rough, scouring side), a bamboo cutting board with juice gutter, a knife sharpener, and a soap bottle.

It’s all tidily organized in a recycled PET cloth case, making it a sweet gift for camp chefs and other outdoor cooking enthusiasts.

MSRP: $69.95 • gsioutdoors.com

Keep your K9 adventure buddy cool during your summer outings with Ruffwear’s Swamp Cooler. Simply soak the Swamp Cooler in water, wring it out and put it on your dog. As the moisture evaporates, heat is pulled from the dog. Reactivate as needed by soaking in water … or your doggo can reactive it by taking a swim!

The Swamp Cooler is designed for a relaxed fit offering maximum shade with UPF 50+ coverage and side-release buckles for super easy on and off. Its wicking outer layer reflects heat and facilitates evaporation, while an absorbent middle layer stores water for

The Nomad 5 can be used to charge any device that can be charged from a standard USB port, including phones, headlamps and Goal Zero power banks. Although the USB output port on the back of the panel is not waterproof, the entire front face of the panel can get wet without causing any issues.

It’s important to note that solar panels only produce power when exposed to sunlight, therefore they don’t hold a charge. Hence, it’s best to pair with a power bank to capture that precious power for later use. We love that the Nomad 5 features a built-in charging dock that accommodates Goal Zero’s lightweight and compact Flip power bank (sold separately) for use after the sun goes down.

MSRP: $59.95 • goalzero.com

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Adventure Sports Journal can’t offer likes, comments, or shares — but we can help you get stoked on outdoor recreation and stewardship in California and Nevada. Sure, we enjoy connecting with people on Facebook and Instagram, but the clickbait articles and divisive comments can be exhausting.

That’s when we like to set our phones down and read an article printed in the latest issue of ASJ. The experience of reading words and seeing pictures on a printed page is more relaxing, more serene, more authentic, and unlike any experience you can find online. That’s what keeps us going.

Facebook and Instagram raked in over $70 billion in advertising revenue last year, to the detriment of independent magazines like ASJ. That’s why we depend on support from companies and individuals like you.

Please support our advertisers and become a member today.

We think ASJ is an important voice for the outdoor community in California. If you agree then consider helping us continue our work by becoming a member today.

Scan the QR code and learn more at adventuresportsjournal.com/membership.

Memberships are as low as $5 per month and include a subscription! adventuresportsjournal.com/membership

Photo by @TravisBurklePhotography