Adventure Sports Journal // June/July 2019 // #109

OUTDOOR AFRO / GIGI MCBEE / EARN YOUR BEER / EVENT CALENDAR

JUNE / JULY 2019 ISSUE #109

Water Issue Best Paddle Adventures Sustainable Surfboards BIKEPACKING CATALINA Ride the Lost Coast Usal Grasshopper

Sierra Backpacking Gems MTB IMPACT REVIEW

CONTENTS June/July 2019 #109

features

regular departments

12 SS

ustainable urfboards

6E

Manufacturers driving change

14 BA

est

ditor’s

19 P

Paddling

addle to

dventures

California Paddling Guide

Monterey

A birthday adventure

Photo: Monterey Bay Kayaks

Photo: Firewire Surfobards

8E G 10 EP C // 18 E Y B ar to the

i

igi

McBee

Whitewater safety

Photo: Parker Amstutz

24 B

ikepacking

Catalina

Escape to SoCal’s Tropical Island

26 RC

iding the Lost oast

Photo: Matt Johanson

22 S

ierra

Photo: Tibidabo Photography

Backpacking Gems Recommended trails

28 TM

Photo: Jason Bates

ON THE COVER Kayaking in Channel Islands National Park with Santa Barbara Adventure Co. Photo: Ben Herndon

Connecting cyclists to local history he

Real Impact of Biking

ountain

Photo: Mike Thomas

MBOSC’s impact review study

round

News & notes Afro

20 G

Note

A conversation in Yosemite

Outdoor

arn our

eer

MTB Prescott & Sedona

30 E

Profiles

34 E

Calendar

vent

Featured upcoming events vent

Adventure event calendar

38 G

ear We Love

Goodies for an active lifestyle

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE – Subscribe to ASJ Mail a check for $20 to PO Box 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 along with subscriber name and address, or order online at adventuresportsjournal.com/subscribe.

4 ASJ — June/July 2019

asj contributors

Have you been to The Other Side?

what’s your perfect day on the water or ideal water adventure?

PUBLISHING + EDITORIAL

leoniesherman

One day in southern Cuba I snorkeled in the tropical ocean where a river meets the sea, swam a mile upriver deep into the jungle, and floated back to the beach. That was an idyllic water day.

aloedriscoll

A perfect day in the water involves hiking and/or swimming with a dry bag on my back to a barreling right reef break. The bigger, the better.

micahposner

I’d like to repeat one of my favorite adventures with my family where we go and climb over rocks and swim through deep canyons looking for a mysterious waterfall and pool that is not on the map.

parkeramstutz

It doesn’t get much better for me than a day spent at the beach in Ventura with friends and family, surfing, bodyboarding, and getting thrashed by the waves. Leaving completely waterlogged is a must.

deannakerr

Paddling my kayak with my husband and two girls. We goad each other into water fights, cheer each other on while negotiating tricky white water, and catch sight of river otters, osprey, or other wild life.

rogerschumann Taking advantage of my SUP to reach a peak no one else is surfing on a glassy, waist- to head-high evening at sunset. Or charging Mendocino’s sea caves and rock gardens with friends in our 14-foot “play-boat” sea kayaks.

mattjohanson

Catching a fish in a backcountry lake does it for me. I also enjoy swimming, kayaking and river rafting.

jamesmurren

Body surfing or paddling a long stretch of river that has whitewater along the way.

PUBLISHER Cathy Claesson cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com MANAGING EDITOR Michele Charboneau michele@adventuresportsjournal.com COPY EDITOR Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com

Sand Dunes, Death Valley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Leonie Sherman, Aloe Driscoll, Micah Posner, Parker Amstutz, Deanna Kerr, Roger Schumann, Matt Johanson, James Murren, Michele Charboneau

The Other Side Of California.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Leonie Sherman, Ben Herndon, Micah Posner, Parker Amstutz, Roger Schumann, Mike Thomas, Josh Sawyer, Kasey Carames, Trevor Lyden, Jonathan Melville, Harry Lefrak, Kyle Kelley, Jay Melena, Matt Johanson, Tibidabo Photography, Jason Bates, Chris Hunter, Sarah Lee, James Murren, Todd Bauer / TMB Images

The Owens River

Where today’s adventurers find their edge. Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra encompass more dramatic mountain and desert scenery than any region in North America. The timeless towns of Big Pine, Bishop, Death Valley, Independence and Lone Pine offer endless backcountry, camping, mountaineering, and majestic mountain vistas.

www.theothersideofcalifornia.com

LAYOUT Cathy Claesson & Michele Charboneau COVER DESIGN Juliann Klein ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Cathy Claesson I 831.234.0351 cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com EVENTS & DISTRIBUTION Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com EVENTS MARKETING Michele Charboneau 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.

PROUD SPONSORS OF

All content © Adventure Sports Journal 2019.

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

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

5

Editor’s Note

Green Jesus

A Conversation in Yosemite I had an insight recently while hiking in Yosemite. We were there for my daughter’s school band recital. After the concert, we all got to hike the world famous Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls.

S

tep by step we worked our way up the steep trail and into the driving mist until the roar of the waterfall made conversation impossible. Soon the mist was so thick we couldn’t see very well. All I could hear was my own breathing and the crashing water. As I continued walking and breathing I began to think about Jesus. I have no idea why he popped in my head; my mind was just wandering. No particular religion or spiritual path is better than any other to me, but ever since my early twenties I’ve felt a certain connection with Jesus as a divine presence.

As the trail got steeper, Vernal Falls came into view and I paused for a second to admire the sheer volume of water crashing down. I wondered what would happen if Jesus suddenly appeared in present-day Yosemite. Even though it seems ridiculous as I write these words, I clearly imagined he was hiking right next to me and we had a deep conversation.

I asked if he was here to rebuild the Christian Church.

“Nope,” he said. “I’m not interested in any particular religious viewpoint right now. I’m not here to prove anyone right or wrong, I’m just here to save nature.”

“So you are an environmentalist,” I said. “Nope, the environmentalists are just another group being right about something,” Green Jesus said. “Anyone who comes from a perspective of being right is making other people wrong. I’m not here to make people wrong, I’m just here to save nature,” he said firmly.

As we hiked, I looked over at his face and realized that “he” was quite possibly a “she.” I also realized that she

was no particular race. “I am all genders and all races,” she explained. “I’m not here to promote any particular group.”

By now the waterfall was thundering down the gorge with such power I could feel the vibration in my chest.

The spray was so thick it drifted upward like smoke, with a large rainbow appearing in the mist. We paused and Green Jesus took out her iPhone and snapped a few pictures. “How are you going to save nature?” I asked.

“By seeking awe,” she said, “And inspiring others to do the same.” Turning around she faced me and looked me straight in the eyes. His face was wet from the mist, but it also looked like he was crying. “Only awe matters right now,” she said. “Stop arguing with people about climate change, religion, politics, and everything else. Devote your life to seeking awe in nature and inspiring others to do the same. That’s how we save nature, not by being right about things and making other people feel wrong. Every article you publish in ASJ should inspire people to go outside and seek awe. Nothing else matters right now.”

I couldn’t help but ask, “Have you heard of our slogan, ‘earn your beer’?” “Yes, I love that slogan,” Green Jesus replied. “Seek awe first and all good things in life are yours to enjoy. Earn your beer.”

Breathing hard, we stared at the waterfall. We were getting wet and it was time to move. “One more thing,” she said. “Quit saying the word ‘awesome’ all the time, it’s lost all meaning. Only say it when you really mean it. Awe is not something to be taken lightly; it’s how we connect

Looking down at the Mist Trail. Photo: Matt Niswonger

with nature. If there is too little awe in the world, nature dies. Legitimate awesomeness is more valuable than gold.” With that he turned and slipped into the crowd, disappearing from my view.

Even though this entire conversation happened in my mind, it made me feel so good. My insight was that environmental facts are important, but the real problem is we have lost touch with awe. Nature is a concept now, not something we cherish. Once humans reconnect to their sense of natural awe, our place within nature will be restored organically, and without all the divisiveness.

What do you think? Have you ever had a crazy realization while hiking that’s hard to explain but still really moves you? Do you feel the divine in nature? Or is the whole concept of “speaking” to a divine presence just weird? Feel free to send me an email because I want to hear from you. We read and treasure every email we get from readers. My email address is matt@ adventuresportsjournal.com.

—Matt Niswonger

Summe rt ime s!

Ad v e nt ur e San Francisco

Oakland 101

880

880

17

San Jose

Santa Cruz

Just 40mins from San Jose!

1

Monterey

Santa Cruz Mountains | 831.430.4357

Santa Cruz Mountains | 831.430.4357 mounthermonadventures.com 6 ASJ — June/July 2019

mounthermonadventures.com

Campfire memories from Sea Otter, 2017. ASJ editor, Matt Niswonger on the plasitc horn.

From seaside getaways to mountain retreats the Pacific Yurt goes where you want to be.

Call today • Comfortable • Affordable • Easy to Set Up • Eco-Friendly

800-944-0240

Design & price your yurt in 3D at

www.yurts.com The Original Modern Yurt

The Original Modern Yurt

TM

TM

ENDLESS

Our rooftop tents are built to get way out there. Mount it on top, hit the road, and then crash in elevated comfort.

ADVENTURE

Join in, climb up.

#GETLOST www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com 7

Ear to the Ground

News & notes from the outdoor industry

Photo Trevor Lyden

Photo: Jonathan Melville

Brad Gobright Free Climbs the Muir Route

SuperTopo Forum is Pulling the Plug The online climbers’ community known as the SuperTopo Forum is pulling the plug.

For climbers, it’s the end of an era.

“It is with a sad heart that I announce that normal operation of the SuperTopo Climbers’ Forum will cease June 1. The Forum has been an amazing digital campfire, with more than two million posts over the last 18 years. It has reconnected many climbers with old friends and helped many climbers make new friends. And, there have been many amazing and compelling posts on the site, especially those on climbingrelated topics that have been enjoyed by millions of people,” wrote SuperTopo cofounder Chris McNamara in his final post to the site.

“For climbers, the SuperTopo Forum has been the virtual Camp 4. Located in the heart of Yosemite Valley, Camp 4 was the birthplace of Yosemite climbing as we know it today, bringing climbers together to share stories, plan routes, and build community.

Though Camp 4 has changed over the years, the SuperTopo Forum has preserved the spirit of climbing that once existed in Yosemite. It will be missed,” said ASJ climbing editor and Yosemite regular Chris Van Leuven.

The site will remain as a searchable database but no new posts will be accepted after June 1. Read the whole story at adventuresportsjournal.com/rip-supertopo-forum.

Brad Gobright has just free climbed the Muir route on El Capitan. Topping out after dark on May 8th, Gobright and his belay partner Maison Deschamps completed the mega route in 17.5 hours.

The crux pitch he free climbed on top rope, to avoid leading the final 30 feet with dangerous fixed gear in the dark.

The Muir takes a direct line up the vast, center face of El Capitan. It has been free climbed only a handful of times, most notably by Alex Honnold in 2014 as training for his infamous ropeless climb of the nearby El Cap route Freerider, later depicted in the movie Free Solo.

“It’s an incredible climb I’ve dreamed about doing for some time. I trained for it all winter and I think I can say it’s the hardest climb I’ve done. It’s a good step up in difficulty from El Cap free routes like the Salathe Wall and El Corazon,” Gobright told ASJ the next day.

Read the whole story at adventure sportsjournal.com/the-free-muir.

Mt. Shasta Ski Park Partners with A Singletrack Mind, Race Cascadia and California Enduro Series

2019 promises to be a big year for mountain biking at Mt. Shasta Ski Park.

In addition to extensive improvements to their trail system, and the launch of their brand new summer activities website, the park is stepping things up with exciting new partnerships sure to appeal to mountain bike enthusiasts everywhere.

Most notably, the park has aligned with A Singletrack Mind to offer an allmountain gravity skills clinic June 22-23 to help local riders and visitors alike to prep for the upcoming race season. The clinic isn’t just for race prep either; it’s an opportunity for riders of all levels to refine their downhill mountain biking skills.

On the race schedule, Mt. Shasta Ski Park is hosting two major events this season: Race Cascadia kicks off its brand new Full Tilt Race & Repeat Gravity Stage Racing series at the park on June 29, while the California Enduro Series introduces this fresh new zone to its lineup on July 13.

Learn more at adventuresportsjournal. com/singletrack-mind-shasta.

MY LIGHT MY WAY

© Matt Charland

PAT // I love being outside with the kids. I feel they can be themselves and be free to explore, ask questions and discover nature, in a world that is far too screen-centered. Nighttime activities mean stories and a crackling campfire. Being out under the stars is magic, no matter how old you are. #petzlnightlife

TIKKA

Compact headlamp for proximity lighting and some movement.

300 lumens. www.petzl.com

8 ASJ — June/July 2019

Jay Race 2019 Update

For 18 years paddlers from all over the world have come to honor one of big wave surfing’s favorite sons – the late Jay Moriarity. As of press time, this year’s event is yet to be confirmed. One thing for certain is it will not be taking place in Capitola. People are working very hard to see this event through, however the production of this year’s event is not guaranteed. Anyone planning to use this as a qualifying event is encouraged to come up with a Plan B. The Jay Moriarity Memorial Race will update their Facebook page as soon as they have come up with a decision. Look there and check our website for updates.

Learn more at adventuresportsjournal. com/Jay-Race-2019-Update.

120,000 Salmon Released into the Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project released 120,000 juvenile chinook salmon into the Monterey Bay on May 21st in support of local sport and commercial fisheries. Many of these fish will spend two years at sea, and be caught by local ocean salmon fishermen. This work is supported by funding through the Commercial Salmon Stamp Fund and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.

Learn more at adventuresportsjournal. com/salmon-release.

GU Energy Labs Raises over $15,000 to Support NICA

GU Energy Labs recently donated $15,000 to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) through its GU Gives program. The donation resulted from sales of GU Energy Lab’s French Toast Energy Gel, a flavor developed in a partnership with NICA Student-Athletes.

NICA students visited GU’s Berkeley, California headquarters to learn about flavor science, nutrition and brainstorm flavor ideas. The French Toast flavor was Photo: Todd Bauer / TMB Images created through this exercise, and students also toured GU’s production facility to see their dream flavor become a reality. Through the GU Gives program, GU Energy Labs committed to contributing 10% of all sales from French Toast to NICA to help its youth cycling programs across the country.

NICA’s President, Austin McInerny, stated “bringing NICA student-athletes into GU’s product development has not only directly benefited our ability to expand our reach across America, but has, more importantly, provided student-athletes a unique opportunity to get ‘behind the scenes’ to learn about nutrition, food science, sports marketing and product branding.”

Learn more at adventuresportsjournal.com/gu-energy-labs-raises-15000-support-nica.

New Date for Bidwell Bump

The renowned Chico Bidwell Bump crosscountry mountain bike race has been pushed to summer due to excessive snow melt.

Now set for July 20, its original date of April 20 was postponed after a creek at its venue became too dangerous to navigate.

Organizers kept watch as Big Chico Creek at Chico’s Bidwell Park rose higher and colder as the snowpack in nearby mountains melted. Finally they were forced to reschedule.

This isn’t the first time Bump officials have had to reschedule the popular event that has been taking place in Chico’s Bidwell Park since August 1976. The past few years have been tough due to wildfires, and last year the event was outright canceled because of the devastating Camp Fire. A group of diehard enthusiasts have run an underground Bump to keep it alive, but organizers, racers and fans alike are looking forward to an official event this year.

Learn more at adventuresportsjournal. com/bidwell-bump.

adidas Outdoor Partners with 1Climb to Get Kids Climbing

Living up to the company belief that sport has the power to change lives, adidas Outdoor is proud to announce a new partnership with 1Climb, a non-profit organization co-founded by world-renowned climber Kevin Jorgeson.

Bringing the outdoors into the city, this partnership empowers young peoples’ lives through the sport of climbing. Ultimately this will enable 1Climb to install ten new permanent climbing walls in Boys and Girls Clubs across the US. For Jorgeson, there has been no greater gift in his own life than being introduced to rock climbing, “Climbing has enabled the life of my dreams and it all started with that one visit to a gym when I was 9.”

Read more about it at adventuresports journal.com/adidas-outdoor-1climb. www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

9

Outdoor Afro Expanding access to adventure

By Leonie Sherman

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, escaped to Philadelphia, and then promptly turned around to rescue her family. She made 13 missions that delivered 70 enslaved people to freedom, traveling by night and using a network of houses known as the Underground Railroad. At Combahee Ferry she became the first woman to lead an armed raid in the Civil War and helped liberate more than 700 enslaved people. She’s remembered as an icon of courage and freedom, but rarely as a wilderness leader. The Oakland-based organization Outdoor Afro aims to fix that by changing the way we view black history and inspiring a new generation of black outdoor leaders.

T

en years ago, Outdoor Afro founder and CEO Rue Mapp noticed there weren’t a lot of people in the outdoors who looked like her. To find out if others shared her passion and ancestry, she started a blog. In the first few years she wrote over 500 posts about how to connect black kids to nature through leadership development. She started taking folks on hikes and organizing events. Her work was quickly recognized by leaders in the industry and she was invited to take part in a think tank that informed Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative.

10 ASJ — June/July 2019

“I wasn’t like anyone else in that room,” Mapp explains. “I wasn’t affiliated with a national organization or brand. I was there to represent something I’d created that resonated with folks.” In 2012, three years after writing her first blog post, Mapp trained a group of leaders by conference call. The next year she led the training in person. In April 2019, Outdoor Afro completed their sixth annual leadership conference. “We trained 85 folks from all over the country,” says Communications Director Yanira Castro, with obvious pride.

“They’ll lead about 900 events this year.

A lot of those events are hikes, ranging from an hour to a couple of days. We will probably reach 40,000 people this year.”

Outdoor Afro aims to get black kids outside and change the way they think about nature. “Our events are centered in a black narrative and black history of the land we are standing on,” explains Castro. “Sometimes there’s an event taking place on the birthday of an African American leader or icon. A lot of times our leaders share indigenous history about who was here before the land became what it is now. If you dig deep

enough there is always something to talk about that centers black and indigenous history.” Leaders often spend more time researching that background than leading the actual outdoor event.

Though they focus on black people, their programs are open to everyone. “You don’t have to have an afro to participate in an Outdoor Afro event,” says Castro with a laugh. Over the years they’ve reached across the country into the lives of thousands of ordinary people. “Through our outdoor leadership programs we’ve touched the lives of the butcher, the

Opposite page: Outdoor Afro Northern California participants enjoying the American River; Rue Mapp rock climbing at Cragmont Park in Berkeley. This page, clockwise from upper left: Rue and volunteer leaders in Napa Valley following the first Outdoor Afro Leadership Training in Clear Lake, CA; Outdoor Afro participant at a beginners swim event; Outdoor Afro volunteer leader, Chaya Harris, at Yosemite National Park; Outdoor Afro NorCal participant loving the outdoors on the American River (Photos courtesy of Outdoor Afro).

baker, the candlestick maker, all these people who share a fire in their belly to connect people to nature,” says Mapp.

Ultimately, Outdoor Afro’s goal is to change lives. Before she started Outdoor Afro, Mapp worked at Morgan Stanley, was a community activist, an outdoor lover and a mother of three. “Outdoor Afro allowed me to combine all these parts of myself and it does the same thing for our leaders, our volunteers, and our participants. Our organization allows people to realize their full potential,” says Mapp. Those changes ripple out to affect family, friends, and the entire community.

“Before, they may have sat in front of a television after eating dinner. Now they go on a hike or go camping together,” explains Mapp. “People find new careers and new passions. We continue to grow as an organization but our focus remains on encouraging people to live transformative lives.”

That involves transforming the way people relate to the outdoors. “We do have some specific histories to unpack, some fears and perceptions to undo.” says Mapp. “There’re a lot of assumptions involved in even going on your first camping trip – do you have a good enough car to get there, do you know how to stay warm and dry?” And there are even deeper assumptions about the tranquility of nature. “The forest was not a peaceful place for us,” explains Mapp. “African Americans were lynched in this country.

We hung from trees. A lot of us have a generational fear of the woods.”

That fear, caused by institutionalized racism, extends beyond the land. “African Americans have had a really challenging relationship with water over the past half century,” explains Mapp. “You can trace the fact that a disproportionate number of African Americans don’t know how to swim back to Jim Crow laws, not having access to pools, or waterfronts or beaches. That may be your grandmother or grandfather who couldn’t swim because they were denied access.”

African American kids aged 5-19 drown at a rate five times higher than their white counterparts.

So Outdoor Afro is rolling out a two year program to teach young African Americans to swim, funded by grants from Keen, Clif Bar and The North Face. Individuals can go to outdoorafro.com and fill out an application to win a swimmership of up to $250. Leaders will organize swimming classes for locals to learn as a group. And Outdoor Afro will partner with national organizations like the Red Cross. “We can’t teach every black child in America to swim, but if we can get 500 folks learning to swim this year it will be a great start,” explains Mapp. Ultimately the swimming initiative will become part of what Outdoor Afro will always do.

They understand that learning to swim is not just a lifesaving activity; it’s a nature embracing activity. People who can’t swim aren’t going to kayak, surf, go fishing, visit beaches or try stand up paddling. They won’t have the opportunity to develop relationships with wild rivers or coasts.

“If we want folks to have a conservation relationship with water, we need to nurture their ability to swim,” explains Mapp.

Learning a new skill or engaging with an unfamiliar experience can be scary.

Outdoor Afro aims to soften that fear by providing a supportive network of peers.

“When people have an opportunity to engage with the outdoors as a group, with a trained leader, they can unpack their experiences at a personal level,” says Mapp. “We can explain things all day long, but nothing replaces direct experience.

Ultimately they have to go out there and do it. We create a framework where people can connect with nature in a safe way, with all of their intellectual curiosity intact.”

“The outdoors is for everyone and it’s going to take all hands on deck to expand the opportunities for everyone to enjoy and protect the precious wild places we love,” Mapp continues. “We at Outdoor Afro work to lower barriers and find common ground in the platform of nature which cares nothing about how much money you have or what gender you are.

Nature is really the ultimate open source platform for all of us to live our best lives.” www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

11

Conscious Construction Surfboard Manufacturers Driving Change

By Aloe Driscoll

A surfer’s board represents the ultimate tool for communing with nature, and conjures images of azure blue waves curling across rainbows of reef. However, this emblem of environmentalism is tainted by a dirty secret.

F

or more than half a century, the majority of surfboards produced worldwide have consisted of polyurethane foam laminated with fiberglass and polyester resin. These materials are toxic to the shapers that work with them, and to the environment: traditional methods for shaping “poly” boards generate almost twice as much waste as they do end product. In addition, volatile solvents are used throughout the manufacturing process.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) blanks covered with fiberglass and epoxy resin present a less toxic alternative. Sustainable Surf offers different levels of “ecoboard” certification for epoxy boards that contain at least 19% biological components. To qualify for the higher “Gold Level” certification, the outer shell must use bio resins and the core of the board must contain at least 25% recycled product. The carbon footprint of these

12 ASJ — June/July 2019

ecoboards is about 30% less than traditional poly boards, according to Sustainable Surf. For the average shaper, these materials are more expensive than those used to produce traditional poly boards, and require a longer curing time.

Firewire Surfboards, the largest producer of such boards, is located in Carlsbad, CA. In 2014, the company transitioned its entire production line to certified ecoboards, and their manufacturing facility uses only biodegradable citrus solvents. However, CEO Mark Price says that surfers have been slow to accept more environment-friendly construction methods. “Even though surfers care about the environment, when it comes to a surfboard, it’s still viewed as a piece of equipment so the performance, the shape, the brand, the price, all of those product attributes tend to carry a lot more weight than its eco certification.”

“Internally we think all of our customers care about [sustainable products], but it’s probably not true,” agrees Lib Tech founder Mike Olson. Originally launched as an environmental snowboard factory, Lib Tech brought an innovative line of surfboards to market in 2012, and began manufacturing boards for the popular brand …Lost in 2015. The boards are crafted in Washington from 25% recycled Nitrogencell foam layered with basalt, hexzylon, and magnesium fiber, and

This page, top to bottom: Eleven time WSL world champion Kelly Slater surfing a Firewire epoxy board certified

by Sustainable Surf (Firewire Surfboards); Firewire Woolight boards are made with sustainable wool (Firewire Surfboards); The author competing at Mexi Log Fest on her Ashley Lloyd certified sustainable board (Sarah Lee).

sealed with bio-matrix resin. In addition to being exceptionally durable, they don’t require sanding, eliminating a large factor in labor and production waste. “Being eco doesn’t cost more money,” claims Olson, “unless you are comparing polyester to epoxy.”

This summer, Firewire will release Woolight, a line of boards laminated with sheep’s wool instead of fiber glass.

“The significance of Woolight for us is to show that there are natural fibers that are every bit as good as what humans have developed,” says Price. For now, Woolight has a slightly higher carbon footprint than epoxy boards, since sheep contribute to greenhouse gases by burping and farting large quantities of methane. “When we get to the point that we can biodegrade surfboards, wool is going to beat fiberglass by a mile,” says Price.

Unfortunately, surfboard recycling still has a long way to go. At some point, a string of strategically placed recycling

This page: Originally launched as

an environmental snowboard factory, Lib Tech brought an innovative line of sustainable surfboards to market in 2012 (Lib Tech). centers could make this a reality, but at the moment, the difficulty lies in the logistics: shipping surfboards is expensive.

According to Olson, the best thing manufacturers can do for now is make surfboards last longer. Lib Tech surfboards are exceptionally durable, and designed to have a longer lifespan than polyester or epoxy surfboards.

Olson and Price claim that environmental stewardship has been baked into their companies since inception. Both cite control of the production process, and the fact that they operate on economies of scale as key factors in ecoboard

own health and the health of the planet.

“Sometimes it’s not sustainable for me, and that’s really hard,” she admits.

In addition to exploring less toxic surfboard production methods, Thompson also does her best to mitigate the waste stream. Excess resin is collected and reused for art projects.

“Everyone always talks about capitalism as the engine of economic growth,” says Price. “It also has an exhaust, like any engine, or waste stream.” Firewire has already reduced landfill waste per board built by 95% in the past two years, and aims to reach zero landfill waste by 2020.

“Most of the things we’ve done exist in other industries, we just need to bolt them onto the surfboard industry,” Price muses.

Firewire and Lib Tech both use densifiers to compress foam dust. Lib Tech reuses the material in new foam blanks while Firewire repurposes it for garden paving stones.

As companies make huge strides with ecoboard production, why aren’t more surfers following suit and putting their money where their mouth is? According to Sustainable Surf, ecoboards only account for 10-15% of the global market.

Price thinks that since most of the top pros are still wedded to poly boards, “it creates a perception in the market that they represent the pinnacle of performance.”

As Price points out, polyurethane and EPS are just raw materials, and “there are many different ways to build a surfboard.”

Price, Olson, and Thompson, all surfers

Sustainable apparel & accessories made with 100% recycled materials.

“Even though surfers care about the environment, when it comes to a surfboard, it’s still viewed as a piece of equipment so the performance, the shape, the brand, the price, all of those product attributes tend to carry a lot more weight than its eco certification.”

— Mark Price, CEO of Firewire Surfboards advancement. “The small board builders don’t have the R&D budget to innovate,” says Price.

Santa Cruz shaper Ashley Lloyd Thompson is at least one exception. Early in her career, she began experimenting with biofoam and using epoxy resin on polyurethane. These days, her magic recipe is EPS laminated with flax cloth, which gives boards a woodlike quality and dampens vibration.

Though all of the boards Thompson shapes are certified ecoboards, customers rarely ask for them. “With my niche, it’s a little trickier to get people on board [with EPS],” Thompson says. Most of her customers order single fin longboards, and are hesitant to try a construction method different from what they have been riding for years. Though Thompson estimates that she is giving up some profit, she is committed to making ecoboards for her

themselves, ride ecoboards and insist that the performance is equal to, if not better, than that of poly boards. Kelly Slater and Rob Machado, arguably two of the best surfers in the world, both ride ecoboards, and Slater holds a controlling interest in Firewire. Price thinks it’s only a matter of time before epoxy becomes more widespread than polyester.

In this day and age, it’s rare to see companies leading consumers toward sustainable products without a clear monetary incentive. As a surfer who writes about environmental issues, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a hypocrite—more than half of my quiver is comprised of poly boards. “I think we all are hypocrites on this issue, to a lesser or greater degree,” says Price. “When we get on our pedestal talking about what needs to be done, we also need to, in the same breath, apologize.”

Custom branded designs and prints.

Rethink with Recover.

L E A R N M O R E - re cove rb ra n d s .co m

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

13

Stand Up or Sit Down A Paddler’s Guide to California Classics

By Roger Schumann

W

hether you prefer to paddle securely seated in a kayak or favor the enhanced view and balance challenges while standing tall atop an SUP, or both, California offers an outstanding variety of worldclass waterways to explore.

From renowned seashores to picturesque Sierra lakes, many of the state’s classic paddling destinations conveniently have rental and tour operations nearby. They are suitable for giving first timers and dabblers a nice taste of the wild and scenic nature that makes each unique. More experienced paddlers with their own boards or boats—along with the skills, gear, and savvy to do so safely, can venture further afield to experience the full flavor of the watery best.

Above: Beginners and advanced paddlers alike can enjoy a safe and exciting guided tour under the Golden Gate Bridge with Sea Trek (Sean Morley). Below left and right: Lake Tahoe is a paddler’s paradise for both stand up paddling and kayaking – rentals and tours are available at various locations around the lake (Kayak Tahoe).

Assessing Skill Levels Like whitewater rafting, skiing or rock climbing, paddling has its own rating systems, such as the five-level system used by the American Canoe Association, the nation’s largest organization for training and certifying recreational paddlers and instructors.

LEVEL 1 paddlers stick to calm, protected areas near shore. If the wind begins to blow or the water gets rough, they head straight back to the beach. They haven’t learned deep-water rescues yet, so in the case of a capsize (or falling off their SUP), their safety depends on staying within easy swimming distance of an easily accessible landing area.

Lake Tahoe

Level 2 paddlers have practiced basic capsize recovery techniques and

T

board remounts, can handle a little wind (if blowing them in a “safe” direction) and choppy water, but if whitecaps start to form, they know how to head for protection.

Level 3 paddlers are ready for longer, more-committing journeys further from shore, including crossings of bays or to islands up to a mile from shore in wind, small waves (less than knee high if standing or shoulder high to a kayaker).

They’re also comfortable and practiced performing rescues in L3 conditions.

Level 4 and 5 paddlers enjoy more-exposed areas and double-black-diamond seas, and are prepared to roam a mile or more from shore or between accessible beaches. Like backcountry skiers and snowboarders, they have specialized safety training and equipment allowing them to access difficult terrain and deal with the inevitable avalanches of water they may encounter. Instead of beacon, probe and shovel, they bring along stuff like helmets, dry suits, marine radios, chart and compass.

They’re comfortable paddling and performing rescues in L4 or L5 conditions (i.e., currents faster than they can paddle against, large swell and breaking surf from waist to head high or more (well overhead to a kayaker!), all while doing complex on-water navigation.

Keep Tahoe Blue by reporting sightings of aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe via a free smartphone app - Citizen Science Tahoe. keeptahoeblue.org/eyesonthelake

#KeepTahoeBlue 14 ASJ — June/July 2019

ahoe has amazing crystalline blue water surrounded by snowy peaks.

There are various launch spots all around the lake as part of the Lake Tahoe Water Trail, with rentals and tours available in many locations. Sand Harbor on the northeast side (ok, technically Nevada, not California) is one of the most scenic on the lake. Another extra-scenic location is Emerald Bay on the southwest corner.

Check out Kayak Tahoe for rentals and tours, or for those with at least Level 2 or 3 skills you can paddle there by heading north from Baldwin Beach (two to three miles each way) or south from DL Bliss State Park.

KAYAK/SUP EMERALD BAY Rentals • Lessons • Tours • Sales

• Begin and end your kayak or SUP rental or tour in Emerald Bay. • Explore Eagle Falls, Vikingsholm, and try kayak camping.

• Tahoe’s only island steeped in history and mystery, bald eagle & osprey nests.

kayaktahoe.com // 530-544-2011

Mendocino Coast

T

he Mendocino Coast is as wild and scenic as any seashore in the state.

Beginners can take a tour or rent kayaks and/or SUPs to explore upstream into the quiet grandeur of the coastal rainforest on both the Noyo River in Fort Bragg, the Big River in Mendocino and the Albion River, south of Mendocino. (Liquid Fusion and Catch a Canoe). While generally a fairly calm, Level 1 or 2 paddle upriver, if you’re going on your own, be sure to check the weather report and tides; plan to paddle early to avoid the typical afternoon sea breeze and pick a day with an ebbing tide on your way back. Trying to return against both wind and current in the afternoon after an easy morning being pushed upriver can be no fun—unless your idea of fun involves battling downriver for hours or possibly spending the night shivering in the bushes along the river bank until dawn.

As cool as these rivers can be, what puts Mendo near the top of many paddlers’ local bucket lists is the plethora of sea caves, arches and tunnels. Guided kayak and SUP tours into the sea caves are available from the beach at Van Damme State Park (from Kayak Mendocino and Standup Paddle Mendocino). This is also the best place for those with their own craft to start exploring Mendocino. While generally a Level 2 paddle most mornings, be aware that the cove at Van Damme can get rough on big wind or big swell days. And while paddling beyond the limited protection of Van Damme cove promises some of the best sea cave and rock garden adventure paddling on the planet, it’s not at all beginner friendly. Conditions can change from Level 2 to Levels 3, 4 and 5 in a heartbeat, and as the saying goes, “Waves in caves make graves.” For those with the requisite skills (or with experienced local guides or expert paddling buddies), the seven-mile stretch from Van Damme to Albion Cove is an advanced-paddler’s dream.

Bioluminescence & Full Moon Kayaking Trips, Whales & Wildlife Coastal California, Baja, Belize, Tonga and Beyond

BlueWaterVentures.org • 831.459.8548

Tomales Bay

in Inverness or go it on your own. Beware the big waves and strong currents at the mouth of the bay unless you are Level 4 to 5, and have a blast playing rough out there if you are.

T

hat Tomales Bay is bordered by the northern end of the Point Reyes National Seashore hints at the special significance of this local gem. Nestled in the 14-mile-long lee of Inverness Ridge, the bay is famous among local paddlers for offering relatively easy access to miles of rugged, but sheltered, largely uninhabited shoreline with by far the best coastal kayak camping in the state. It’s where most Bay Area sea kayakers take their first overnight camping trip. Take a day or overnight tour with Point Reyes Outdoors, rent from Blue Waters Kayaking

For those into downwinding on their SUPs, Tomales Bay is legendary. The prevailing northwest afternoon winds typically funnel into the mouth of the bay and rush straight down its narrow, shallow channel for miles and miles at a dependable 15 to 25 knots, creating an exhilarating one-way roller coaster ride of surfable wind waves. Where to leave your shuttle vehicle is your main decision: 3.5 miles from a launch site at Lawson’s landing at the mouth to the first take out at Nick’s Cove, or another three miles from Nick’s to Marshall, or the full 11 miles all the way to Inverness?

This page, clockwise from top: Family fun kayaking on Fort Bragg’s Noyo River (Liquid Fusion Kayaking); Taking in the view from a sea kayak in Mendocino (Roger Schumann); Viewing double breasted cormorants in Tomales Bay (Point Reyes Outdoors); Tomales Bay is a great destination for first time over night kayaking trips (Point Reyes Outdoors). www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

15

San Francisco’s Golden Gate

P

addling around with the iconic bridge in the background—or perhaps towering overhead—is a heady experience. Dabblers can take a tour or rent kayaks and SUPs from Sea Trek on the Sausalito shore, which features all the rewards and challenges of the greater bay—scenery, tidal currents, exposure, boat traffic, fog, and wind—in a more protected setting. More experienced paddlers can venture out toward “the Gate” (the waters in the general vicinity of the bridge) or cross Raccoon Strait to Angel Island for a day trip or overnight camping. Besides the distinct possibility of howling winds and ebb tidal currents sweeping you toward the open Pacific at speeds up to twice as fast as you can paddle, the waters beneath the bridge are infamous for being unforgiving. You really need to pick your day carefully and to know what you’re doing or go with someone who does. But for those who do, the three-mile, each-way paddle out the Gate along the Marin Headlands for a peek at the wild, open sea beyond Point Bonita is another top-ofthe-bucket-list adventure.

Monterey Bay Area

B

ursting with sea life from the prolific microplankton blooms that fuel the food web to the giant whales and alpha predators at the top, acclaimed for the stunning beauty of its seascapes, the Monterey Bay area is a showpiece of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. At the heart of it lies Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve, snaking seven miles up a low, coastal valley, full of marine life and paddlers. Relatively well protected, it is among the most popular paddling locations in the state. On summer

weekends there is a constant flow of tours and rentals from the two paddling shops near the mouth (Monterey Bay Kayaks and Kayak Connection; yes, both rent SUPs as well). Yet as you paddle into the slough, people spread out and thin, and it still feels wild, as paddlers are vastly outnumbered by sea otters, seals and countless seabirds whirling and diving in frequent feeding frenzies.

Beginners also flock in lesser numbers to Monterey Bay Kayaks’ original location on

3 steps closer to fun CLEAN

Become a Tahoe Keeper and learn how to self-inspect for aquatic invasive species.

Lake Tahoe is a national treasure. Help protect it.

TahoeKeepers.org • 888-824-6267 16 ASJ — June/July 2019

Cannery Row in Monterey, and to Kayak Connections’ site in Santa Cruz Harbor.

Experienced paddlers can paddle out the mouth of Elkhorn Slough onto the open bay, and, if not careful, right into the lunge feeding mouth of a whale! Humpback whales frequent the waters over the Monterey Submarine Canyon that start just beyond, sometimes feeding within a few hundred yards of the jetties, although more commonly, a mile or two out.

DRAIN

DRY

Opposite page, clockwise from top: A group of kayakers paddling beyond the Golden Gate Bridge and along the Marin Headlands on one of Sea Trek’s “Paddle the Gate” guided tours (Sean Morley); A curious harbor seal (Emma Levy / Kayak Connection); Elkhorn Slough is a great destination for family adventures (Blue Water Ventures); Paddling the slough (Monterey Bay Kayaks). This page, top to bottom: Morro Bay Harbor (Visit Morro Bay); Enjoying the crystalline water and plethora of sea caves at Channel Islands National Park (Santa Barbara Adventure Company).

the

fun

starts here ...

Morro Bay Area

The best place to view wildlife is on the water!

K

ayak and SUP rentals and tours are available in the distinctive dome-shaped shadow of Morro Rock, another coastal estuary well-known for its prolific birdlife, otters and seals. Further south, Central Coast Kayaks in Shell Beach rents boats and boards, and runs tours to the Dinosaur Caves. Not exactly Mendocino, but pretty cool and relatively easy to access. Those with skills and their own resources can paddle from Eldwayen Ocean Park in Shell Beach, just north of the Dinosaur Caves, or head a couple miles up to Avila Beach, passing another set of caves near Pirates Cove. Beginners can rent or paddle their own from launch sites near the pier in Avila Beach, in the well-protected lee of Port San Luis.

Kayak & SUP

Rentals • Tours • Classes

Santa Cruz Harbor 413 Lake Ave. 831.479.1121

Elkhorn Slough Moss Landing 831.724.5692

Two Great Locations in Monterey Bay!

kayakconnection.com

Channel Islands

DISCOVER

CALIFORNIA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS

S

anta Barbara’s Channel Islands are a National Park surrounded by a Marine Sanctuary. Lying just 12 to 20 miles off the coast they feel like another world.

Remote and wild despite the relative proximity to So-Cal’s huge population centers, they are one of the least visited National Parks in the country—largely because the only way to get there is via the Island Packers ferry service or paddling yourself. Once you get yourself

to the islands, Santa Barbara Adventure Company runs kayak tours to a stretch of sea caves on Santa Cruz Island that rival Mendocino’s. If you have some reasonable Level 2-3 skills, you can also bring your own kayaks or SUPs on the ferry and spend the day exploring on your own.

And if you have even more skills, more time and camping permits, you can spend a week or more crossing from island to island.

Roger Schumann is the owner and lead instructor for Eskape Sea Kayaking and SUP in Santa Cruz, and the author of the award winning Sea Kayaking Central and Northern California and Basic Sea Kayaking Illustrated.

SB ADVENTURE CO.

sbadventureco.com 805.884.WAVE

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

17

EARN YOUR BEER MTB Prescott and Sedona

T

Words and photos by James Murren

here is Fruita/Moab. And there is Brevard-Pisgah/Dupont. Perhaps we can say Tahoe/Truckee. What about all the good riding spots on the Keweenaw Peninsula? Places on the map that are good for a week’s worth of riding, is what I’m getting at. You get me?

One mountain biking (MTB) destination combo that I have not heard much about is Prescott/Sedona. After going there for a week of riding, I thought I might help put it on someone’s map, if it’s not already there. It is now on my list of destinations for MTB getaways.

The locations

more than just a climbing gym

Yoga drop-ins welcome Climbing Weight Room Cardio Deck

>> Prescott Mile high pine forests on the edge of the desert, with hundreds of miles of cross-country trails that encircle the old cowboy town of yore, complete with a big courthouse sitting smack dab in the middle of town. This was my first go-round riding a bike on the trails in Prescott. Perhaps it’s a quaint overgeneralized summary of it. I once visited for an evening of cowboy poetry, which had me laughing aloud and sitting in a state of ponderance. >> Sedona Mind-blowing red rock formations that seem impossible to have been sculpted and carved into reality, but Mother Nature works her magic here, unlike the soul searchers and whoever-elsers who seek energy via GPS coordinates loaded on their phones, the shamans having messaged them the pinpoint exactitude. Oh wait, there are men and women riding bikes all over the rocks, too, dodging the Pepto-Bismolcolored jeeps with hordes of humans in zip off pants and safari vests!

The trails

go online or come by to check out this fantastic gym

831.454.9254

104 Bronson St. #12 Santa Cruz

www.pacificedgeclimbinggym.com 18 ASJ — June/July 2019

>> Prescott Wolverton (#9415) > Aspen Creek (#48) > 393 > 327 > 322 > 392. Locals recommended this route and I was super glad I did it. The climb up Wolverton was gradual, getting the heart rate up while getting slammed in the face by wind gusts. From there, connecting the segments was easy as easy gets. On a Tuesday morning, I did not see one other human for two-plus hours. It had a backwoods feel to it, a sense of remoteness creeping in here and there. Up and down, it went, Prescott

being a place for people who like to pedal.

Running water over rocks was pure joy, mountain streams having that effect on me. >> Sedona I have been going at least once a year for the past six. Every time I go, I ride the West Sedona Tour, Mescal being one of my favorite trails of all trails anywhere. This time, as I worked my way around Cockscomb, I saw a trail sign for Outer Limits. Huh? What’s that? Dunno, but I took it. No map. Keep the phone in the hydration pack, was my inaction. I liked the trail, a lot. Lots of pedaling and jaw-dropping views characterized it. I then came upon another trail sign. Last Frontier. Huh? I take it. Oh man did I revel in that drop down into the dry creek bed, but oh man did I get the heebie-jeebies on some of that precipitous stretch that felt loose, making me skittish enough to dismount. I was out there all alone, and one goof up might have meant I was gonna tumble a long way down. Turns out, I found out, Outer Limits/Last Frontier were opened up only two weeks prior to me riding them.

The beers >> Prescott Prescott Brewing Company Ponderosa IPA. If you want a West Coast IPA, this one is not for you.

To me, it is what IPAs, non-British but arguably American, are all about, if about means something like: a little resin stank with a slight citrus floral bouquet like what might have been the size of a prom boutonniere thrown in the pint/can, all the while lifted up by the malts, but not elevated by a Romanian powerlifter, instead by a toy-sized crane. I liked it, as the West Coast, or even San Diego, IPA sometimes needs to exit the palate area to make room for other IPA styles. >> Sedona On the west side of town, not the one in Tlaquepaque, though I went there too, I stopped by the Oak Creek Brewing Company after finishing my last ride of a week’s worth of riding. The board showed that they had Prosperity Porter. I like roasty toasty porters and this one did not disappoint. It poured almost motor-oil-black, meaning it poured the color of the inside of a lava tube if you were to turn out your head lamp. Sitting out back on the patio, I had not a care in the world.

Paddle to Monterey A 50th birthday adventure

By Micah Posner

I was out on my stand-up paddle board near the one-mile buoy in Santa Cruz, thinking about how to ‘celebrate’ turning 50. Suddenly, the light changed and the mountains behind Monterey appeared. “I should paddle to Monterey,” I thought. Not across the Bay but around, where I could see the familiar landscapes, and my life at 50, from a different perspective. I had a large, stable paddle board with a place to tie a dry bag. I could take it slow; sleep on the beach. I’d go in the summer when the swells were small. But I needed a friend or two to go with me, for company and for safety.

E

rik and Brian both liked the idea of paddling 38.6 miles (Google Maps) around the Bay for three days and sleeping on beaches. And both of them, separately, decided to go with safer, more efficient, less comfortable vessels- kayaks.

But I wanted to see the Bay, and my life at 50, standing up.

Two days before our trip the forecast is not great: two to four-foot swells at Moss Landing. “That’s a six-foot face of water,” Erik points out, “looming over you as you try to paddle out. Seeking reassurance, we call kayak master Dave Johnson of Venture Quest: He chuckles, “I think you’ll make it one way or another.

And I think you are going to get wet.”

After we hang up, no one talks for a few minutes. “So. If we can’t make it in we get picked up, right? That’s why we have cell phones.”

We pull out of the Santa Cruz Harbor early, escorted by a pair of pigeon guillemots. By 8am, the sea calms entirely and we glide around on dark green glass, ocean below and ocean fog all around us, moving over three miles an hour and headed south. Rio Del Mar glides by, our last chance to easily get back into a car, Hidden Beach, the vertical grey condos at La Selva. By the time we are ready to land, we have traveled 12 to 14 miles and the wind and chop are making it cold on the water, despite the filtered afternoon sunlight. As we move closer to land, we can see the sides of waves unfurling themselves and pushing into the shore; a few surfers.

A mile later, Erik thinks he has found a slightly smaller break. I see a fairly empty beach; a large cypress tree. We wait for a pretty large set, then paddle in behind

I’m only standing due to the temporary consent of the ocean. I bend forward, flex my knees and put my whole body behind each stroke; faster and warmer. And the water is so smooth that I can still look around. it. A smallish wave, two or three feet, catches up to us. Erik surfs his kayak all the way in. I am on my knees surfing the paddle board and having a great time, but I don’t move back quickly enough, and pearl forward over my board when the wave breaks in three feet of water. Brian is thrown at about the same spot. Dave was right. We got in. And we got wet.

I strip off my shorty 2mm wetsuit, neoprene hood and life jacket and make use of everything in the dry bag other than the credit card. I put on one pair of dry nylon pants, two polypropylene shirts and a beanie and eat some food and water; place my sleeping bag on Erik’s spare blow up pad; take a tiny tarp out of

a tiny bag, drape it over a log and tie it to large pieces of driftwood. My new home.

The morning dawns calm and grey and still, as we had hoped. After cold breakfasts, Erik and Brian make it out through the waves, paddling like fiends.

But it takes me a few strokes on each side to get going straight, long enough that I get pushed back by the next line of whitewater. I revise my tactics; hold onto the bow of the board and wade past the smaller sets, then quickly lie down and paddle with my hands. Maybe Pancho Villa would have stood up and gone straight over the crests wearing his famous bandoleers and blowing up capitalism. I’m just happy to be out in one piece and headed south in the grey mist.

At the mouth of the Pajaro river, a diffuse sunshine comes out. The wind and sea are still becalmed. I eat chocolate wrapped in a tortilla; an apple from New Zealand. We see a pod of dolphins which we ‘identify’ as porpoises because they are kind of small. One swims right under Erik’s boat. Then the mist entirely clears away, a fresh breeze comes up and the ocean starts to rise and fall underneath us. We paddle south, thinking of a warm lunch. By the time we pull into the harbor at Moss Landing, the sea is fully awake, the wind is at our backs, and we ride it in feeling like kings of the Bay; eat a huge feast at Phil’s and bring leftovers on board for dinner.

As we exit the Harbor the wind steadies into our faces and the sea is rough enough to have whitecaps. I kneel on the board to make better time. Then I sit down. And I still can’t keep up with the kayaks. Without the leverage provided by standing up, my board is pretty much just a lame kayak with half of a paddle. We finally make it past the vacation homes at Monterey Dunes, and start imagining

Main image: In three days of paddling, there were only a few hours without sun or wind.

We sure enjoyed them. Above, top to bottom: Three not so young men make it ashore in Monterey with new perspectives; All of my gear fit into one green dry bag. My kayaking partners had a bit more gear than that. Bottom left: Erik brought a pragmatic perspective to our shared adventure, and two kayaks.

landing, then surf in on the biggest swells so far. We congratulate each other but I am not particularly proud or happy. I am cold. The breeze seems calmer on land, but it is still evaporative, and the sun is weak and low on the horizon. We went three miles in four hours. We build a leanto with the tarp and get in it, too cold to eat. Everything will be easier once the wind stops.

But when I wake after midnight the wind is still blowing, though the half moon has sunken below the line of the sea. Not until just before sunrise does the damp air get still. We pray that it will last a few hours.

I wade, then paddle on my belly. Past the surf line, I pull one of my precious shirts out of the dry bag and put it on over my life jacket to slow the evaporative cooling.

Standing up on top of the smooth flat water, it looks like we might make it to Monterey after all. I am relieved and grateful and appreciative; not triumphant.

I’m only standing due to the temporary consent of the ocean. I bend forward, flex my knees and put my whole body behind each stroke; faster and warmer. And the water is so smooth that I can still look around. Far from shore we hang out with sunfish and porpoises; see whale spouts.

The wind and sea are restless but not difficult for our last mile, presumably because we are slowly pulling into the harbor. I sit down on the board and relax, calmed by the calm sea and the end of our journey. Still seated, I paddle slowly to the beach to meet my friends and our ride home. Sorry Pancho. Standing up is good for my back and my state of mind and I’m glad that I chose the board over the kayak. But in the presence of the infinite, of the ocean, sometimes you have to sit down.

Micah Posner is an avid cyclist and mountaineer and a past City Councilmember currently employed by his family as a homemaker.

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

19

Gigi McBee

Crusading for whitewater safety

By Deanna Kerr • Photos by Jason Bates

Based in Lotus near the American River, kayak and swift water rescue instructor Gigi McBee has been on a campaign to keep herself and other paddlers safe on the river for over 20 years. Through commitment and hard work she has become a role model and an inspiration, making many in the kayak community safer in whitewater.

M

cBee has been passionate about rivers for as long as she can remember, but her fascination with whitewater kayaking began when she was 13 years old.

She was living in Santiago, Chile with her ex-patriate family when she noticed a group of campers learning to roll in the Maipo River. She knew at once it was a sport she had to do. Kayaking would become the way she would always stay connected to the magic of rivers.

McBee spent the next six years trying to convince someone to teach her how to kayak, but it never worked out. Then, in her senior year of high school, she found a way to realize her ambitions. She paid for her own lessons to prepare for her first kayak trip on the Rio Claro. It was winter in Chile but in spite of the cold, she felt she had to learn to roll if she was going to survive. So, in the dead of winter she took to the neighborhood pool, and with unrelenting determination, flipped her boat upside-down repeatedly.

She soon figured out how to recover by rolling upright. There was no way she was going to let the frigid temperatures stop her from paddling the Rio Claro.

“I was lucky to have the right amount of determination and athleticism to master a roll in my first lesson,” McBee said.

McBee graduated from high school in 1996 and moved to the United States shortly thereafter. As a member of the University of Oregon’s kayak program, her plan was to kayak as much as she could while earning a B.S. in geography and environmental studies.

Most kayakers in Oregon were men, and it was common for McBee to be the only woman in a group. She knew that her male counterparts could perceive her as the weak link on a team, but she had a strong desire to always be immersed in the river environment. She did everything she could to make sure she would not be left behind due to lack of skill or strength. She wanted to show that she was both a strong paddler and a valuable teammate.

20 ASJ — June/July 2019

Developing her skills in bigger rivers, McBee worked hard to gain as much experience as possible. She paddled the McKenzie, Santiam, North Umpqua, and Rogue rivers crisscrossing every eddy line and perfecting her paddle strokes. Just as importantly she learned how to be a great team member: she made sure she was the first person ready to go, the first person to carry her boat up a steep trail, and the first to volunteer to bring snacks.

Over time, McBee obtained a reputation for superior whitewater skills. The fact that she was a woman caused no cause for concern among male paddlers.

“I worked hard to prove I was an asset to the team,” McBee said. “I had started paddling class IV by my junior year building my skills over time.”

McBee began to travel between California and South America to run as many rivers as she could to improve her skills. Then, as her experience grew, she realized that being an exceptionally skilled paddler was no longer the end goal. In her heart she wanted to do more.

One experience in particular solidified this realization and shifted her focus from skills to safety. She was with a team on the Oyacachi river outside of Baeza, Ecuador when the unthinkable happened.

A rock in the middle of a strong rapid proved troublesome for the entire group of experienced paddlers. Each kayaker hit

The Best Thing TO COME OUT OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

EXTEND YOUR STAY IN YOSEMITE WITH A 1-, 2-, OR 3-DAY WHITEWATER RAFTING ADVENTURE ON THE WILD & SCENIC TUOLUMNE OR MERCED RIVERS. Opposite page, top to bottom: Gigi McBee with her dad on Grave Creek Rapid, Rogue River; Flashing an exuberant smile after a great day on Cherry Creek; McBee teaching the roll to student Mary Ellen (Current Adventures). This page, clockwise from top: On #2 Falls Burnt Ranch Gorge; McBee providing backup safety as her student drops into a rapid on the Rogue River; Running Slip and Slide (IV+) on Pauley Creek near Downieville.

the same rock and the current threatened to pin each of them against it, but all were able to paddle to safety.

The next day, a highly respected kayaker whom McBee wishes to keep anonymous, had an accident on that same rapid and drowned. In these tragic circumstances, McBee stepped up to help return the remains to the United States by acting as a translator.

The experience made McBee realize two things: life is short, and being a respected paddler and a good translator is not enough to save lives. If she was going to achieve her potential she had to know as much about water safety as possible. “It became my goal to make myself as safe as possible and to share that knowledge with everyone,” she said. McBee earned her first ACA certification for Whitewater Rescue Instructor in 2005.

McBee’s qualifications soon caught the attention of Dan Crandall, owner of Current Adventures based in Lotus, California. He hired her to be a kayak guide and a swift water rescue instructor in the 2000s. Despite McBee’s reputation for superior paddling skills and her certification in swift water rescue, she still had to break into the male dominated world of whitewater kayak instructors.

She had to prove she was not a weak link, but in fact, a valuable asset. She never felt mistreated or discriminated against, but there was a sense that she was more expendable than her male counterparts.

“I felt I had to work harder than the men to keep my job. I didn’t want to be the one who was late. I didn’t want to be the one who couldn’t lift things,” McBee said.

McBee once again not only proved she was an asset to the staff at Current Adventures, but earned the respect and affection of the instructors and coworkers of the entire kayak community along the American River. “Hundreds and maybe even thousands of people have taken my classes,” said McBee. And some of her students became colleagues.

Dylan Nichols is one such student. He started out as one of McBee’s protégés who then turned into a kayak guide. “In a world where everyone wants to do difficult rapids right away,” said Nichols, “Gigi teaches how to progress to the next level without getting hurt.”

Leah Wilson, another co-worker and kayak instructor, puts it this way: “One of the things that makes Gigi such a great instructor is that she has excellent skills on the water and can communicate her expertise clearly, confidently, and compassionately to students of all ability levels and ages.”

McBee’s campaign to help paddlers be as safe as possible on the river has earned her a reputation few instructors achieve.

Every summer new kayakers seek out McBee because of her in-depth instruction and swift water safety knowledge. Her dedication has made these paddlers safer in whitewater.

“The highlight of our summer!”

Read more reviews at TripAdvisor.com

CALL 800-446-7238 OR EXPLORE MORE AT OARS.COM

C ATA M A R A N SA I L I N G I N SA N TA C RUZ COME ABOARD THE 65' TEAM O’NEILL Afternoon & Sunset Sails Local Wine & Beer Tastings Wed. Night Regatta Sails Seasonal Firework Sails S C H E D U L E & T I C K E TS AVA I L A B L E O N L I N E

$25 1- H R S A I L S • $39 1. 5 - H R S A I L S • $5 0 S P E C I A L E V E N TS

O N E I L LYAC H T C H A R T E R S .C OM

(8 31) 818 - 3 6 4 5

Taxes and fees collected at checkout.

The Team O’Neill is U.S. Coast Guard licensed, insured, and inspected annually. Aerial Imagery ©Archer Koch of MultiRotorCam.

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

21

Backpackers’ Delight

Discover Sierra gems beside the JMT this summer Words and photos by Matt Johanson

As summer begins, snow melts, wildflowers bloom and hikers turn their minds to backpacking season. Thousands of them covet a journey along the magnificent John Muir Trail, the 210-mile trek from Yosemite to Mount Whitney, yet this route has become so popular that rangers reject 97 percent of permit applications.

But alternatives abound in the splendid Sierra Nevada mountains.

Here are some choices which you might even enjoy more and will not require months of frustrating efforts to get an elusive JMT permit.

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS TO SONORA PASS

T

his section of the Pacific Crest Trail leads through northern Yosemite and Emigrant Wilderness. It’s physically demanding but delivers access to rarelyseen peaks and seldom-visited lakes. The 70-mile trek takes five to seven days.

Get a permit at the Tuolumne Meadows wilderness office.

Starting at Lembert Dome, the hike

leads north to Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, where most passersby stay a night.

Continue north into Cold Canyon as the number of surrounding hikers drops to nearly zero. Miller Lake is a good goal for the second night. Enjoy the grand and countless granite peaks and domes for which Yosemite is rightly known.

Benson Lake is a detour from the PCT but

Enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner anywhere, anytime.

Adventure Meals

®

Now Introducing Fusilli Pasta We pity the Fusilli who misses out on this restaurant quality dish!

www.MountainHouse.com

NO

Artficial Flavors Artficial Colors Artficial Preservatives

22 ASJ — June/July 2019

@angulife

Opposite page: Smedberg Lake reflects Volunteer Peak; This page, top to bottom: Lupine frames a mountain in Mokelumne Wilderness; Lower Ottoman Lake makes a nice camping spot.

most worthwhile. You won’t regret hiking a few extra miles to enjoy this High Sierra gem. Once back on the PCT, climb to Seavey Pass and through Kerrick Canyon. Wilma Lake and Dorothy Lake are highlights and worthy overnight stops. Many of these lakes offer excellent fishing, even for novices, so pack along a rod and reel to improve your dinners.

After leaving Yosemite and pushing into Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, consider spending a night at Kennedy Canyon because few appealing camping options and precious little water are found between here and Sonora Pass. Make sure to fill water bottles before leaving. Beware of snowfields on north-facing slopes early in the season on the final push. Your final miles twist and turn as you descend more than a thousand feet past whitebark pines and seasonal wildflowers.

Your all season resort

Over the river and through the woods ...

Sonora Pass to Echo Summit

I

f the previous segment left you hungry for more, then you can keep right on going north on the PCT from Sonora Pass.

The next stretch leads through CarsonIceberg Wilderness and Mokelumne Wilderness, a 67-mile trek that takes four to six days. Get a permit at the Stanislaus National Forest office at Pinecrest.

Starting at a trailhead of 9,623 feet and climbing steeply from there, you should plan some time to acclimate if coming straight from sea level. Plan to spend one night between Sonora Pass and Ebbetts Pass. There are no lakes on this portion so keep your eye out for appealing streams

when choosing a campsite. In contrast to Yosemite granite, this area features vast and fascinating areas of volcanic rock.

When you reach Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass, you might encounter “Trail Angels,” who give free food and drinks to backpackers! These generous souls, many of them former thru-hikers, definitely deserve their nickname. A pond beneath Ebbetts Peak makes a good spot for your next camp. Continuing north, our route passes Tamarack Lake and Lost Lake on the way to Carson Pass. If you want to bag a peak on the way, Elephants Back (9,585 feet) provides a good opportunity for a short detour; the southwest slope is the easiest to climb.

After Carson Pass, hikers will reach picturesque Meiss Meadow, where the German immigrant Meiss family built a cabin and barn in the 1870s and spent summers there well into the 20th Century. The historic buildings still stand.

Later, Showers Lake provides a good spot for lunch and a swim. Push on to Echo Summit where, if you’re lucky, more Trail Angels will greet you with hot food and cold drinks.

... to Sorensen’s Resort you’ll go for fishing, skiing, hiking, biking or just plain relaxation. Visit the nearby hot springs and enjoy delicious meals at our country cafe.

Our cozy log cabins are nestled in dense aspen groves in beautiful and serene Hope Valley, just 16 miles from South Lake Tahoe.

(530) 694-2203 or (800) 423-9949 14255 Highway 88, Hope Valley, CA www.sorensensresort.com

Devils Postpile to Glacier Point

D

iscover glorious and little-visited wilderness on this trans-Sierra trek, a 50-mile route that takes about five days. Route finding on this journey will be more difficult than the PCT segments, so carry a good map and compass. Get your permit at the Inyo National Forest office in Mammoth Lakes.

Take the shuttle from Mammoth Lakes (or drive during evening hours) to Devils Postpile. Cross the river and the JMT, taking a southwest-bound pack trail climbing to Granite Stairway. Then our path drops steeply to the North Fork of the San Joaquin River canyon, a good camping spot. Be sure to get water here, because the climb out of the canyon will

be long, steep and dry. Reaching a dirt road, hike west past Indian Meadow and Soldier Meadow before reaching Granite Creek Campground. Turn north here onto a trail leading to Cora Lakes, another good campsite. Continue north and then west past Sadler Lake, Isberg Lakes and Isberg Pass, which marks the border of Yosemite.

If you’re the climbing type, consider a short detour to summit Isberg Peak, 10,996 feet tall.

Continue west over Red Peak Pass, past the Ottoway lakes, and beside Lower Merced Pass Lake. Now our route descends past the wildly scenic Illilouette Creek and through a burned forest on the final approach to Glacier Point, where restrooms, a snack bar and hopefully a ride back to civilization await.

Conditions on each of these routes are generally best between July and September, though this year’s heavy snowfall will mean a later backpacking season. Now you’ve got time to plan, several excellent route choices, so get out there!

Matt Johanson authored the new guidebook "Sierra Summits: 50 Peak Experiences in California's Range of Light." www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

23

Bikepacking Catalina How to escape to SoCal’s tropical island Words and photos by Parker Amstutz

I

t’s hard for some to believe that Los Angeles has a tropical escape rivaling that of France’s Côte d’Azur.

Sailboats nestled in private coves of deep blue water, subsurface terrariums teeming with marine life. A quaint island town with both luxurious seaside resorts and comfy bed and breakfasts, it’s no wonder that Catalina has long been a favored getaway for the rich and famous (not to mention it’s less than 30 miles off the coast of LA). Known to adventurers as a dream destination for the outdoor community, Catalina is poised to be the home of your next great escape.

With coastal campgrounds, panoramic views, and several places to refuel your body with a bison burger (more on that later), there’s no reason not to love this land of opportunity. Though the 38.5 mile Trans-Catalina Trail is open to hikers only, the island’s fire roads are ready and waiting for bikepackers of all skill levels.

The Ride Be prepared to put on some elevation.

Walking off the boat at sea level means you earn every foot of elevation gain.

The Catalina Island Conservancy puts out a great topographic map online, with detailed elevation profiles. No matter what, if you decide to start your ride in Avalon (the most popular option), be prepared for a 1,400’+ climb out of town.

Those burning legs will make the flowing, tacky fire road descents even more sweet (assuming you don’t follow my example and let your speed get out of hand, landing you in nature’s worst camp chair — a cactus).

The Ferry Catalina Express, the island’s largest ferry company, services both Avalon and Two Harbors, so you can customize your trip according to your riding abilities.

You’ll find the greatest number of ferry departures on the Catalina Island Express, though the Catalina Flyer is an option for those willing to forgo a bit of flexibility.

Tickets are nearly $75 per adult round trip (with bikes costing an extra $7 round trip), so expect this to be the biggest expense on your adventure.

24 ASJ — June/July 2019

This page, clockwise from top: Dropping into Two Harbors from the north; Riding into Two Harbors from the south; Heading to the dock in Avalon; Grabbing a quick pancake breakfast in Avalon before hitting the trail; Taking a break, charging phones, and making calls in Two Harbors.

PRO TIP: You’ll find the greatest availability of ferries running between Long Beach and Avalon on the Catalina Express. If you’re looking to keep your costs low, check Groupon for tickets on the Catalina Flyer. With one round trip per day from Newport Beach to Avalon, your flexibility is restricted but it’s a great way to save on the most expensive part of the trip. Remember, bikes are $7 extra round trip on both the Catalina Express and the Catalina Flyer.

Left to right: Making dinner at Parsons Landing; A late night campfire before turning in; Parsons Landing Campsite #2.

Red Tape A “Freewheeler Bike Pass” is required to bike anywhere outside of Avalon or Two Harbors. The pass is available with a conservancy membership, starting at $35. Depending on the number of riders in your party, you might find it beneficial to purchase a higher tier of membership which includes more bike passes. After stepping off the boat on Catalina, head to the nearest conservancy office (there is one in both Avalon and Two Harbors) to pick up your bike pass before heading out of town.

The Food One of the great draws of Catalina to hikers and bikers is the accessibility of delicious food along the route. Between Avalon, the airport in the middle of the island, and Two Harbors, it is easy to grab

a meal or two on any day of your ride.

In fact, we met a couple who had been bikepacking Catalina for the past ten years for that very reason. They’d only pack food for breakfast, grabbing lunch and dinner on the road each day. Keep in mind the additional cost of food on the road, though. For example, you can grab a quick pulled pork or tuna melt sandwich for around $9 at the airport, but one of the island’s legendary bison burgers can be upwards of $18. With easy access to food, Catalina is a great destination for first time bikepackers.

Campground Reservations All of the conservancy memberships include a 50% discount on three campgrounds: Little Harbor, Black Jack, and Parsons Landing. Depending on your itinerary, it’s likely these are the only campgrounds you’ll need for your trip.

The discount is quite significant, as the campsite fees are charged per person (up to $25 per night, per person on a holiday weekend). There are two options to receive the discount. You can book your reservation through Reserve America online or over the phone and call the

FAST FACT: Brought over for a movie set in 1924, the original herd of 14 bison soon grew in size and popularity. Now roaming the island, don’t be surprised if you pass a few on the road. Be sure to keep your distance and obey the conversancy’s guidelines regarding interaction with the incredible creatures. Don’t forget, these behemoths can weigh a ton, run 40 miles per hour, and jump six feet high. Take that, Captain America.

conservancy office in Two Harbors after to process your refund. Alternatively, you can call the conservancy office and have them book the entire reservation for you and receive the refund instantly.

Whichever route you prefer, the number for the conservancy office in Two Harbors is (310) 510-4205.

PRO TIP: With only eight campsites available and accessible only by boat, bike, or foot, the exclusivity of Parsons Landing was a nearly unparalleled experience. Be sure to check in to your campsite at the conservancy office in Two Harbors before riding out to Parsons Landing.

At the office, you can purchase a $20 key to access a locker at the campground with 2.5 gallons of water, firewood, and a starter log. With no running water at the campground, this is highly recommended (especially on a hot summer day).

Now get outside and hit the trail — just not the cactus!

packing is the easy part New Copper Spur and Fly Creek Bikepacking Tents FEATURING 12” SHORTSTIK POLE SETS, TONS OF GEAR POCKETS, WATERPROOF STUFF SACKS & EXTENDED FOOTPRINTS

The Mother of Comfort bigagnes.com Rob Peterson and team hike-a-bike along the CDT, Colorado. Devon Balet www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

25

Riding The Lost Coast Usal Grasshopper connects cyclists to local history

By Leonie Sherman

THE WRONG WAY I thought it would be a shortcut.

After 500 miles of bike touring I stopped to visit an old friend in Arcata. We took off for Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, where we camped on a rolling meadow perched a few hundred feet above the pounding surf and wandered the ridges enchanted by birdsong. I thought I could resume my bike tour at Highway 1, but the ranger informed us that traveling Usal Ridge Road required a high clearance four wheel drive vehicle and a winch. I realized impassable to cars probably meant a joy ride for bikes. Getting to Highway 1 would either involve hours in a car or an adventure along an unknown 25 mile stretch of dirt road — not a difficult decision.

Usal Ridge Road skirts the eastern edge of one of California’s most remote state parks.

Sinkyone Wilderness State Park is a five hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area; the 36-mile drive from the nearest town takes over an hour and there’s no cell reception for 50 miles in any direction. After less than 20 minutes of riding on the rutted washed out road, my tires skidded out on a deep gash in the road and I had to toss my bike and hit the ground rolling to avoid injury. I realized if I got hurt it might be weeks before anyone found my moldering corpse. I pushed my bike a lot over the next 20 miles; it took about ten hours to reach Usal Beach Campground. I saw one vehicle.

THE RIGHT WAY If I’d waited a few months before attempting my ridiculous shortcut, I would have encountered over a hundred cyclists camped out at Usal Beach, preparing for a grueling race the next day. Miguel Crawford, a Spanish language teacher and mountain biking phenom from Sonoma County, has convinced riders that the source of my agony is a rollicking good time. He’s mapped out three courses ranging from 30-60 miles, all of which include the Usal Ridge Road, and named them the Usal Hopper. Maybe on a mountain bike without a three day supply of camping gear it’s more fun.

The 125 riders who participated last year obviously think so — this year’s second annual Usal Grasshopper, which will take place on October 12, 2019, already has 250 riders registered.

Crawford has been organizing Grasshopper races based out of Occidental and Sonoma for over two decades. He initially started the rides to challenge his mountain biking friends to get on the road and add distance, and his road biking friends to get off the paved roads and develop technical skills.

“The Grasshoppers are an eclectic mixed terrain adventure idea designed to push people to their limit without pushing them over,” explains Crawford. “For the Usal Grasshopper, I like to have the big loop to challenge people, but the shortest route is the length of a really big mountain bike ride and involves over 4,000 feet of climbing. There is no little Grasshopper.”

He understands and caters to his crowd, though. “I don’t want to have a 170 mile

event with a thirty percent completion rate. I want people to finish totally empty, but with a feeling of accomplishment.

Ninety-nine percent of our riders finish the ride.”

Folks usually arrive in the evening Friday.

Saturday is the big race day. The fastest riders finished the 60-mile loop in just under four hours last year, the slowest took just over eight. When everyone has returned to the campground at the end of the day, there’s a bonfire and talks by locals about the history of the land cyclists just rode through, followed the next day by a guided hike. “My goal as I do these new events is to connect people with places and each other,” explains Crawford.

“The land is so much more than just a backdrop for your bike ride, you know?”

THE COMMUNITY FOREST

26 ASJ — June/July 2019

In the case of the Usal Grasshopper, the land is mostly owned by Redwood Forest Foundation Incorporated (RFFI). “When riders are enjoying the pavement of Highway 1, everything to the north is RFFI property; when they’re on Usal Ridge Road everything to the east is RFFI property, and a big part of the ride is actually on our property,” explains RFFI Program Director Elias Henderson. “It’s basically a circumnavigation tour of RFFI land.”

RFFI is a locally owned non-profit community forest creating a new ethics of forestry.

Born out of the timber wars in the late 80s and early 90s, they brought warring sides to a common table. “Some of our founders were Earth First!ers, some were mill owners and loggers,” explains Henderson. “Back in the day literally all the enviros were on one side of the table and all the industry folks on the other, just staring daggers at each other. Over

Top to bottom: Riders begin the Usal Hopper with a steep climb out of Usal Beach (Tibidabo Photography); Riders travel on over 20 miles of Usal Road from Founder’s Grove to Highway 1 (Tibidabo Photography); Event organizer Miguel Crawford briefs ride participants (Tibidabo Photography); RFFI staff outside their Fort Bragg office (RFFI); Majestic Roosevelt elk (RFFI).

Clockwise: Aerial view of the mist-cloaked Usal Forest (RFFI); Riders gather for a Sunday morning hike led by RFFI Program Director Elias Henderson and RFFI Forestry Technician Joaquin Quintana (Tibidabo Photography); Barry Wicks gets a quick paddle in Friday before the Hopper (Tibidabo Photography).

“My goal as I do these new events is to connect people with places and each other. The land is so much more than just a backdrop for your bike ride, you know?”

— Miguel Crawford the years they came to an understanding.”

They realized they all wanted to acquire, protect, restore and manage land in the redwood region for the long term benefit of the communities who live there. In 2007 they secured a loan to purchase the 50,000 acre Usal Redwood Forest. “This was a rare opportunity to bring a huge swath of timberland under community control,” explains Henderson.

“Community forestry means we are committed to transparency,” says Henderson. They dedicate resources to restoration, educational programs and citizen science. A lot of their money comes from carbon sequestration, where they are paid to not cut trees as part of California’s cap and trade program.

When they do cut trees they invite the community to survey and comment on their timber harvest plans. While the big timber companies of the past had board rooms in Georgia, Louisiana and Washington State, RFFI’s board room is in Fort Bragg. Henderson is proud that decisions are made by a communitybased board of people instead of a model driven by quarterly profits.

He grew up in Fort Bragg and remembers the devastating impact of the mill closure in 2002. “That was a moment of economic reckoning, but it was the result of an ecological reckoning,” he explains.

“Human and non-human communities can’t really be pulled apart. Tending to the ecology is necessary if you’re going to tend to the economy. Without a healthy economy the ecology will suffer, without

a healthy ecology the economy will suffer.

RFFI is really about a triple bottom line: ecology, economy and equity.”

Part of RFFI’s stewardship involves getting as many people as possible to interact with their remote forest.

“The Usal Grasshopper has been a tremendously rewarding partnership,” say Henderson. “It’s our largest event of the year and a chance to expose a lot of folks to new ideas about the history of the redwood region, conservation, how to put new forestry ethics into practice.” Last year they planted 300 trees to offset the carbon footprint of cyclists driving to get to the race; this year they’ll plant three per registered rider. “If you love mountain biking, this is a great chance for locals and visitors alike to get familiar with the property!”

Though he loves the forest and connecting people with the land in a meaningful way, it’s the origin story that keeps Henderson inspired during troubled times. “Politics today can feel so deeply divided and polarized, it can seem like there’s no way to bridge that divide. But that’s exactly how we felt 20 years ago.” An area that was once exploited by industry is now a place where communities are bringing resources under their own control. People that hated each other are working together towards a common goal.

Henderson beams as he explains, “RFFI represents a genuine synthesis between the values and concerns of each side — and that gives me hope for how our entire society can move forward.” www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

27

The Real Impact of Mountain Biking

MBOSC’s Matt De Young on the recently released MTB Impact Review

By Michele Charboneau

Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC) recently released its Mountain Biking Impact Review, a comprehensive study that addresses the environmental and social impacts of mountain biking. We had some questions about the report and asked the organization’s executive director Matt De Young for answers. >> What was the main objective?

We want to shift the discourse on mountain bike access away from being rooted in personal anecdotes, stereotypes, and emotional reactions to being evidence based. We hope that upon reading the study, skeptics of mountain biking can ask themselves if their opposition to mountain bike access is stylistic or substantive. We equally hope that mountain bikers who read the study will reflect on their personal participation in the sport, and that they will be able to recognize that as trail users we do have an impact on the environment and other trail users. We hope they will take what they have learned to make

WHEN

YOU THREAD THE LINE BETWEEN FUN AND FIERCE. WE MAKE THE GEAR THAT LETS YOU BE BOTH. MONTARA MIPS HELMET, XAR JERSEY, HAVOC SHORTS AND TERRADURA SHOES.

28 ASJ — June/July 2019

responsible decisions about where and how they recreate. >> What is the overall feedback on the report, whether from mountain bikers or other trail users?

The feedback from mountain bikers, other trail users, land managers, and the general public has been overwhelmingly positive. We are not aware of any similar initiatives to compile all of the literature on the impacts of mountain biking so there has been a clear appreciation of that effort.

We have received some feedback that there is additional literature we should take into account but we have not come across

anything that conflicts significantly with our findings. We hope that readers will let us know of anything we have overlooked so that we are able to incorporate additional information in the future. >> Some of the findings are specific to the Santa Cruz area, while others are more broad. Do you know of any similar

YOU STOP

WE’LL STOP

>> What prompted this project?

MBOSC has been involved with a lot of land use planning processes and we have heard a lot of conflicting statements about the impacts of mountain biking from land managers, the public, and other stakeholders. In these various discussions there has been a distinct lack of evidence for statements being made both in favor of and against mountain biking. As mountain bike advocates we felt that it was on us to be the experts on the subject. This led to the formation of our Science Committee, an extensive literature review, and ultimately the Mountain Biking Impact Review document.

Opposite page: Wilder Ranch State Park (Mike Thomas); MBOSC Executive Director Matt De Young (Josh Sawyer). This page: MBOSC Marketing Director Amanda Schaper on Emma McCrary Trail (Kyle Kelley); MBOSC Equestrian Liaison Lindsay Overton (right) poses with fellow park patrollers Sheryl Germany and Jack; Volunteer trail crew at an MBOSC Dig Day (Jay Melena). projects done by other organizations in California and Nevada? Is MBOSC willing to guide other organizations in compiling their local findings to create their own reviews?

I would say that our findings are pretty general for the most part and applicable to other regions. We have not seen similar projects but if anyone has, please do send them our way! We would be happy to share our process with other organizations but would also encourage them to utilize our document and to alert us to any literature that we can incorporate. >> What was most surprising to discover environmentally speaking?

That generally, the impact to wildlife (especially larger wildlife) is from the presence of humans, and the mode of transport (hiking/biking/equestrian) isn’t as important. Different user types do impact different wildlife species in different ways (speed, distance, volume), but those differences seem relatively small compared to overall impact of human presence/ absence. >> What was the least surprising to discover environmentally speaking?

That good trail design matters! Research shows that trail design (trail siting and alignment relative to topography and soil) is the most important factor influencing long term trail sustainability. >> What was most surprising to discover socially speaking?

Studies of user group interactions are interesting: In New Zealand, hikers’ opinions of mountain bikers were overall positive, especially amongst those hikers who had actual encounters with bikes.

By contrast, more negative opinions were found by those who did not have such encounters. This highlights the fact that perception of different user groups is quite important. Another study in Australia found that locals who did not use trails had a slightly less positive perception of mountain bikers than locals that did use trails. >> What was the least surprising to discover socially speaking?

That unsanctioned trails are not just

isolated to mountain bikers and are a symptom of an unmet need for legitimate trail use options. >> Who did the research and how did they go about gathering the information?

MBOSC’s Science Committee did the research. The committee is comprised of some truly awesome individuals who have backgrounds in geology, wildlife biology, chemical engineering, and spatial analysis.

They spent a ton of time diving deep into scientific journal databases, the far corners of the internet and reaching out to experts in this field. They compiled a massive number of studies which informed the conclusions drawn in the Impact Review. >> What would you say are the top five take-aways from the findings?

1. On properly built and well ­maintained trails, no measurable difference is seen between the relative impacts caused by mountain bikers vs. hikers.

2. User­created trails are unplanned and don’t undergo the rigorous environmental review and design nor meet the standards that modern, sanctioned official trails do.

3. Impacts on wildlife are similar whether the human interaction is by hikers, bikers, or equestrians.

4. There are lots of gaps in the literature and more studies would benefit our understanding of trail-based recreation impacts and how best to manage them.

5. As trail users we can make responsible decisions about where, when, and how we recreate to minimize our impacts. >> How do you envision this information shaping mountain biking and trail construction in Santa Cruz and beyond?

We hope that this information can serve to provide some focus around mountain bike access discussions. Additionally a better understanding of how trails and trail recreation impacts our natural areas can be used to inform trail planning and management. With thought and planning, trail networks can be designed to maximize recreation value and experience, while minimizing impacts to natural systems.

Read the Mountain Biking Impact Review at mbosc.org/mtb-impact-faq. www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

29

Event Profiles Featured upcoming events

CARSON CITY OFF-ROAD

ALTA ALPINA CHALLENGE

The Mammoth Bar Enduro offers a fun and challenging course that includes trails in the Auburn State Recreation Area (SRA) and Mammoth Bar OHV. In Auburn SRA, racers will take on two stages: one on Confluence Trail which runs along the Middle Fork American River and features a gradual descent featuring rock gardens and narrow sections; the other on flowy Culvert Trail which features banks, berms, jumps, drop offs and a tunnel under Foresthill Road. The other two stages of the day will take place at Mammoth Bar OHV: Eastside Trail which has been brushed and graded for a fast black diamond technical thrill run; and Stonewall/ Rocky ... a stage that starts out steep on Stonewall then leads into the double black diamond Rocky Trail with a crowd favorite finish at the venue.

A post-race party with a full BBQ lunch, local craft beer, and awards will round out this big day of racing bikes.

Professional timing provided by the California Enduro Series.

Learn more at totalbodyfitness.com.

The Carson City Off-Road is the third stop on the Epic Rides Off-Road series.

Participants will climb their way into the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, take in huge views of Lake Tahoe, Washoe Valley and the Carson Valley while connecting some of the area’s favorite (and challenging) pieces of singletrack, double track, gravel roads, and the occasional paved segment.

The event spreads over three days of festivities. Mingle with bike-minded folks while appreciating the area’s silver mining heritage and feeling welcomed by its modern-day appreciation for the outdoor enthusiast.

The Carson City Off-Road has a 98% finish rate. Bring your climbing legs and you’ll do just fine.

Each Epic Rides Off-Road Series event welcomes mountain bikers of all experience levels with three different length courses (15, 30, or 50-ish miles) that challenge the mind and body plus deliver inspiring views of nature’s beauty.

With the Whiskey and Grand Junction Off-Road events done and dusted, the final event of the series — the Oz Trails Off-Road — takes place October 11-13 in Arkansas.

Learn more at epicrides.com.

Come to the Tahoe area to ride the wild Sierra in the Alta Alpina Challenge — a ride for cyclists, organized by cyclists. Experience the breathtaking scenic beauty of classic, wild Sierra roadways and panoramas on some of the best pavement you’ll find anywhere. Ride through wilderness areas — no traffic lights and just a dozen stop signs.

Ride just your favorite pass(es), up to six total, in a Personal Challenge or pick one of four popular routes: • The Wild Sierra Metric: A beautiful 64-mile ride with 5,000’ of climbing • The Wild Sierra Century: A challenging 110-mile ride climbing 11,000’ • The 5 Pass Challenge: The classic combination: Carson/Ebbetts East/Ebbetts West/Monitor West/ Monitor East for 134 miles and over 16,000’ of climbing • The 8 Pass Challenge: The world’s toughest double century with over 20,300’ of climbing and over 198 miles.

All rides start and finish at Turtle Rock Park. Registration fee includes fully-stocked rest stops and post-ride meal.

Learn more and register at altaalpina.org/challenge.

HIGH SIERRA MUSIC FESTIVAL

DEATH RIDE

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS CHALLENGE

The 29th annual High Sierra Music Festival takes place amid the big pines of the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds in mountainous Quincy, CA about 80 miles northwest of Reno.

The popular festival’s musical lineup features an eclectic mix of genres including jamband, newgrass, funk, bluegrass, roots rock, electronica, reggae, jazz and afrobeat.

Live music isn’t all that’s on the weekend schedule.

Attendees can check out playshops such as yoga, AcroYoga, pilates, stretching, and hoopdance. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails and routes in the picturesque surrounding area.

The family-friendly, community-oriented event boasts an expanding Family Village area full of activities and certified nannies available throughout the weekend.

Vendor stalls, arts and crafts, and gourmet food and drink round out an epic weekend of fun.

Learn more at highsierramusic.com.

Recognized as one of the premier endurance events on the west coast, the Death Ride — organized by the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce — has welcomed riders from around the globe for the past 39 years, providing them with a challenging, memorable ride along the scenic roads of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The course takes riders on a 129-mile journey with 15,000’ of climbing over Monitor Pass on SR 89 (8,314’), Ebbetts Pass on SR 4 (8,730’) and Carson Pass on SR 88 (8,580’). Full highway closures on Hwy 89 Monitor Pass from 5am-noon and SR 4 Ebbetts Pass from 5am-3pm.

Along the way, riders are treated to fully stocked rest/ water stops, SAG/tech support, radio communications, medical and law enforcement support.

Be sure to visit the many booths at the Death Ride where exhibitors provide giveaways, products and services ranging from tech support to souvenir items.

Death Ride merchandise also available.

Learn more at deathride.com.

The 21st annual Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge is a road cycling event presented by the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club (SCCCC).

Start and finish is the Baskin School of Engineering courtyard at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).

Four routes include a 45-miler with 2,900’ of climbing, a 75-miler with 6,700’ of climbing, a century with 10,300’ of climbing and a double century featuring 12,550’ of climbing.

Each ride features challenging climbs, coastal views and gorgeous scenery, with the three longer routes passing through Big Basin State Park.

Delicious food and hydration will be set up throughout all of the routes. There will also be support vehicles and SAG wagons to assist the riders.

Proceeds from the event go towards the SCCCC grants program which supports local cycling initiatives.

Learn more at santacruzmountainschallenge.com.

June 28-30, Carson City NV

MAMMOTH BAR ENDURO

Photo: Kasey Carames

June 15, Auburn

July 4-7, Quincy

30 ASJ — June/July 2019

July 13, Markleeville

June 29, Markleeville

July 20, Santa Cruz

PROMOTE YOUR EVENT

DONNER LAKE TRIATHLON

Photo: Harry Lefrak

July 20-21, Truckee

2019 brings the 38th Donner Lake Triathlon (DLT) to Truckee, California.

For years, the DLT has been and remains the favorite triathlon of many. It’s no wonder, as the event features an epic setting and a beautiful and challenging course.

With seven race options plus a kids’ triathlon, there’s something for everyone.

Events are as follows: Saturday — Sprint Tri: 1/4mi swim, 6mi bike, 2mi run; Kids’ Tri: 4 age groups/distances Sunday — Half Iron 70.3 Triathlon: 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.36mi run; Olympic Triathlon: 1.2mi swim, 24.8mi bike, 6.5mi run; Half Aquabike: 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike; Olympic Aquabike: 1.2mi swim, 24.8mi bike; Duathlon (new for 2019!): 2mi run, 24.8mi bike; Aquathon: 1.2mi swim, 6.5mi run Plan to stay prior to or after so that you can experience one of the world’s best sporting playgrounds.

Learn more at donnerlaketri.com.

Do you have an event you’d like to see featured in this section? Learn about our event promotion packages by emailing us at events@adventuresportsjournal.com.

DOWNIEVILLE CLASSIC

TA-HOE NALU

The Downieville Classic is a weekend of good times and outdoor adventures in the Sierra.

Recognized by Outside magazine as one of the best bike festivals, mountain bike racers come to prove themselves in the All Mountain World Championships featuring a 29mile cross country course on Saturday and the legendary 15-mile Downieville Downhill on Sunday — both ridden on the same bicycle.

Partygoers and spectators get to enjoy Ron’s House of Big Air river jump, log pull, live music on Saturday night, a beverage garden, street expo and much more.

The inside tip is signing-up as a race volunteer to get in-town camping, an event t-shirt and socks and other perks including a Thursday night party in your honor.

Proceeds go to support the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship’s trail work in the Lost Sierra. SBTS also organizes Lost and Found Gravel Grinder and Grinduro; both are also very popular fundraising events.

Learn more at downievilleclassic.com.

Ta-Hoe Nalu is celebrating its 13th year on the north shore of Lake Tahoe at Kings Beach State Recreation Area. Join the reunion to celebrate with all those who created the great sport of stand up paddleboard (SUP) racing.

Ta-Hoe Nalu offers several high level competitive races for SUP, Prone, and Outrigger, with categories for age/ gender and skill levels. There will also be two 2-hour guided paddle tours just for the fun of it. These include a picnic lunch and a historical and geological talk about Lake Tahoe.

The Ta-Hoe Nalu festival has become a family vacation destination, offering events for all ages including a sandcastle building contest. Enjoy the food and beverage court along with live music from 2 to 5pm each day. Free demos, raffles, and prizes will add to the fun.

Come and enjoy the party at the oldest and longest running SUP race event in the world.

Learn more at tahoenalu.com.

August 1-4, Downieville

August 10-11, Kings Beach

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

31

Photo: Chris Hunter

RACE THE TRAILS

CALIFORNIA COAST CLASSIC

The steam locomotive and the bicycle were both invented a little over ten years apart. Both changed the way we travel. Which one will prevail on September 7 at Race The Rails?

Participants will ride the historic steam engine, with their bikes, up to the mining town of Ruth, NV and the base of the Robinson Mine. At the sound of the train whistle, mountain bikers and road bikers race onto their individual courses to see who can get back to the depot before the train. This is not a race against time or your fellow riders, it’s a race against one of history’s most powerful inventions! Mountain bikers test their speed and agility on a challenging ten mile course through the beautiful mountains surrounding Ely, while road bikers prove their speed and endurance on a 25 mile course along roads and highways in the area. Everyone who finishes the course will receive a finisher’s medal. Price includes tech t-shirt, finisher medal, train ride voucher, and awards BBQ with entertainment.

Learn more at elynevada.net/race-the-rails.

The California Coast Classic (CCC) is an eight-day, 525mile, self-paced pedaling adventure from San Francisco to Los Angeles that is open to cyclists of all levels. It follows a coastal route along, and parallel to, California’s iconic Highway 1, and is capped at 250 riders.

2019 marks the 19th year of this boutique, bucket list ride, which is named by Outside magazine as one of “The 30 Best Road Biking Trips.” While it attracts many repeat riders, it also maintains a friendly and welcoming vibe and is open to riders from novice to experienced.

Arthritis is America’s number one cause of disability.

Join the California Coast Classic bike tour for the “Ride of a Lifetime” and make a difference by supporting the mission of the Arthritis Foundation to pursue a cure and provide life-changing resources, science, advocacy and community connections.

Learn more at arthritis.org/californiacoastclassic.

September 7, Ely NV

STAY IN THE LOOP

September 21-28, San Francisco to Los Angeles

Register today with code ADVENTURE and save $25!

CALIFORNIA ENDURO SERIES

Photo: Kasey Carames

The 2019 CES season kicked off with the Ensenada Enduro on May 25. Remaining events include: • June 29 // China Peak Enduro at China Peak Ski Resort in Lakeshore — a big mountain favorite.

• June 13 // Mt. Shasta Enduro at the Mt. Shasta Ski Park in McCloud — new to CES, this event introduces riders to a fresh riding zone on the south slope of Mount Shasta.

• August 23-25 // Northstar Enduro — returning for a sixth season, this time as round 7 of the Enduro World Series (EWS).

• September 14 // Fox US Open at Snow Summit in Big Bear Lake — also new to the CES line up and the final stop of the EWS North American series.

• October 5 // Ashland Mountain Challenge — again wraps the seaons up in style.

2019 series points based on top five results of the six races.

Learn more at californiaenduroseries.com.

Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter which includes a comprehensive listing of adventure sports events throughout California and western Nevada! Sign up at adventuresportsjournal.com.

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

earn your beer T-SHIRTS

earn your beer

100% recycled T-shirts using Recover brand fabrics are available at events and will be available for online purchase soon.

32 ASJ — June/July 2019

®

ADVENTURE EVENTS CALENDAR List your event for FREE! AdventureSportsJournal.com/ add-event Check with race BIKING

producers to verify fees, times and events.

15 — Mammoth Bar Enduro / Mammoth 29 — China Peak Enduro / Lakeshore Bar OHV & Auburn SRA / Four timed enduro / California Enduro Series # 2 / flowy & technical stages; post-race meal, CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com prizes & awards / TotalBodyFitness.com

JULY

20 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #6 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com 6 & 7 — One or Two-Day Core Fundamentals 22-23 — Shasta-All Mountain Gravity / Truckee / Wheel lifts and cornering on day two. ASingleTrackMind.com Clinic! / Shasta / ASingleTrackMind.com

22 — Jackson Forest / Mendocino County / 7 — California Dirt MTB Series #5 / Nevada Grasshopper Adventure Series Finale; 75mi City (Dascombe/Hoot/Pioneer) / All ages & & 50mi options, 90% dirt/gravel/singletrack levels. Music, food, raffles. Proceeds benefit 1 — Lost & Found Gravel Grinder / Lake / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com YBONC & more / YBONC.org Davis / 30mi, 60mi, 100mi / SierraTrails.org 22 — Lake Tahoe Mountain Bike Race / 13 — Tahoe Trail 100 / Northstar California 2 — America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride Tahoe City / Choose from the 4hr, 8hr or 24 / 50K or 100K / Pine forests and beautiful / Lake Tahoe / 100mi & 72mi road ride Mile XC / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com Tahoe views / TahoeTrailMTB.com around Lake Tahoe; Boat Cruise/35-mile 22 — Girls Rock Women’s Mountain Biking 13 — Death Ride - Tour of the California option available / BikeTheWest.com Event / Santa Cruz / EpicenterCycling.com Alps / Markleeville / 5 pass ride, 129 mi, 8 — Incarnation 100 / Santa Rosa / 32mi, 23 — California Dirt MTB Series #4 / and 15,000 feet of lung-busting climbing / 45mi, 100K & 100mi / Incarnation100.org Grass Valley / All ages & levels. Music, food, DeathRide.com 8 — Tour of Two Forests / Santa Clarita / raffles. Proceeds benefit YBONC & more / 13 — Mt. Shasta Enduro / Mt. Shasta Ski 14 — Tahoe Big Blue Adventure Race / PlanetUltra.com YBONC.com Park, McCloud / California Enduro Series # North Lake Tahoe / Teams and individuals kayak or SUP, MTB, trail run, and navigate 8 — Fears, Tears and Beers / Ely / The oldest 28 - 30 — Carson City Off-Road / Carson 3 / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com mountain bike enduro event in America City, NV / Choose from three different to the finishline / BigBlueAdventure.com 20 — Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge / / Showcases the trails around Ely, NV / distance options (15, 35 or 50 miles), each UCSC Baskin School of Engineering, Santa ElyNevada.net/Fears-Tears-and-Beers/ crafted from a spectacular set of carefullyCruz / Four ride options featuring challenging 13 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #5 curated trails / EpicRides.com climbs, coastal views and gorgeous scenery / 29 — Alta Alpina / Turtle Rock Park, SantaCruzMountainsChallenge.com 26 - 27 — SLO ULTRA / San Luis Obispo / / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com Two-day outdoor adventure & festival /For 15 — 1-Day Core Fundamentals / Marin / Markleeville / Metric, Century, 5 Pass 27 & 28 — One or Two-Day Core Challenge / 8 Pass Challenge / Personal new athletes and seasoned competitors alike ASingleTrackMind.com Fundamentals / Truckee / Wheel lifts and Challenge / altaalpina.org / SLOultra.com cornering on day two. ASingleTrackMind.com

JUNE

ADVENTURE RACING SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

38th

DONNER LAKE

TRIATHLON

OAT BRAN SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA

featuring: Kids Sprint Olympic

July 20-21

Half 70.3 Duathlon Aquabike Aquathon

DonnerLakeTri.com 34 ASJ — June/July 2019

One Awesome Tour Bike Ride Across Nevada

SEPT. 22 - 28, 2019

AUGUST

21 — Stetina’s Sierra Prospect / Mt Rose / SierraProspect.com

1-4 — Downieville Classic MTB Race and Festival / Downieville / All Mountain World Championships, XC Adventure Race, Downieville Downhill / DownievilleClassic.com

21-28 — Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic Bike Tour / San Francisco to Los Angeles / Ride the iconic Highway 1 fully supported and at your own pace / Events.

Arthritis.org

24-25 — Enduro World Series / Northstar, Truckee / CES #4; EWS #7 / The only US host for the 2019 Enduro World Series / Check out the course and ride all season long at Northstar Bike Park / CaliforniaEnduroSeries. com & NorthstarCalifornia.com

22-28 — OATBRAN (One Awesome Tour Bike Ride Across Nevada) / Lake Tahoe to Baker, NV / Epic cycling journey across Nevada / BikeTheWest.com

8 — Tour de Tahoe - Bike Big Blue / Lake Tahoe / 72-mile road ride around Lake Tahoe; Boat Cruise/35-mile option available / BikeTheWest.com 8 — Race The Rails / Ely, NV / Train vs Bicycles / MTB and road bikers race against the train on a challenging 10 mile course through the mountains surrounding Ely / ElyNevada.net/Race-The-Rails 14 — Fox US Open Enduro / Snow Summit, Big Bear Lake / California Enduro Series #5 / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com 14-15 — Mendo Hopper / Mendocino County / Day 1: 75mi, Day 2: 79mi; mixed terrain, camping & meals included / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com 21 — Gold Rush Growler MTB Race / Folsom / TotalBodyFitness.com

39th Annual Hill Climb up Squaw

• Fun FoR Families • gReat RaFFle • live musiC • FRee BeeR

28 — Grinduro / Quincy / Gravel grinder plus MTB style enduro, 2 day festival / Grinduro.com

OCTOBER

squawmountainrun.com

5 — Ashland Mountain Challenge / Ashland, OR / CES Finale / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com 6 — Great Trail Race / Truckee /Tahoe City / MTB or run / GreatTrailRace.com 12 — Usal Hopper / Humboldt & Mendocino Counties / 60, 43, & 32mi options, mixed terrain; camping included / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com 13 — TBF MTB 50-Miler / Granite Bay, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 19 — Solvang Autumn Double Century & Solvang’s Finest Century / Solvang / PlanetUltra.com 23 — Death Valley Century / Death Valley National Park / PlanetUltra.com 26 — Filthy 50+ / Escondido / Fast, flowy 30mi & 50mi courses. Kids’ course, raffle, awards & more / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

2019

SEPTEMBER

Run and Hike to FigHt CanCeR July 27th 2019

California

DIRT

MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES

State MTB XC Championship Series

X-C BIKE SERIES • ALL AGES & LEVELS • KIDS COURSE APR 14 Sea Otter Classic, Monterey • MAY 5 DA/Round Mtn, Nevada City MAY 25 Susanville Ranch Park • JUNE 23 Osborne Hill, Grass Valley JULY 7 Dascombe/Hoot/Pioneer Trails, Nevada City

RAC E S • M U SIC • RA F F LE • FO OD REGISTER & INFO: ybonc.org

Proceeds support Nevada County school bike clubs, trail projects, & YBONC

2019 SCHEDULE Round 1 - May 24-26 Ensenada Enduro

Round 2 - June 29 China Peak Enduro

Round 3 - July 13 Mt Shasta Enduro

Round 4 - August 24-25 EWS Northstar Enduro

Round 5 - Sept 14

Fox US Open Enduro

Finale - October 5 Ashland Mountain Challenge

CALIFORNIAENDUROSERIES.COM

one year

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE!

six issues $20

Subscribe to Adventure Sports Journal THE COURAGE PROJECT / GEAR WE LOVE / EVENT PROFILES / CALENDAR

PRINT VS. DIGITAL / GEAR WE LOVE / EVENT PROFILES / CALENDAR

FREE

Solo alex honnold

THE LAKE TRAIL a dirt lap around Lake Tahoe for TAMBA

CHANNEL ISLANDS

PADDLING HER OWN CANOE audrey sutherland

WEST COAST BOARD RIDERS

MTB RACE TIPS | PACIFIC YURTS | GEAR WE LOVE | EVENT PROFILES | CALENDAR TAHOE ADVENTURE THERAPY / GEAR WE LOVE / EVENT PROFILES / CALENDAR

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE #104

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE #105

April/May 2018 • ISSUE #102

February/March 2018 • ISSUE #101

YURI hauswald

the adventure path MING POON

gravel grinder

RIDING THE

REDWOODS FOR THE LOVE OF CLIMBING seth zaharias CLIMBING INJURY PREVENTION

KEEPER ISSUE

OUTRIGGER GOLD AT AGE 76 barbara leites KIM MORIARITY making a difference

CHANNEL ISLANDS RESTORATION

FRIENDS OF THE INYO DAVID ALLFREY from Yosemite to Baffin Island

+ LOW EXIT BASE 20 ASJ—June/July 2012

SEVEN WINTER DAY TRIPS

+

MILLS PEAK MTB TRAIL OPENING

SBTS celebrates a milestone

+ THE OLD CAZ & SON + FATHER BIKEPACKING

something for everyone

MAVERICKS

women who ride mountains

CHRIS SUMMIT

first ascent bouldering 20 ASJ—June/July 2012

EASTERN SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER MOJAVE ADVENTURES FEARS, TEARS & BEERS

Mail a check for $20 to PO Box 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 along with subscriber name & address, or order online at

adventuresportsjournal.com/subscribe

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

35

ASJ Events Calendar — For a complete list of events please visit AdventureSportsJournal.com

BIKING, cont.

NOVEMBER 2-3 — Nevada County Women’s Mountain Bike Skills Clinic & Camp / Nevada City / YBONC.org

DECEMBER 8 — Dirty 30 / Poway / Fun and challenging 30(ish)mi XC race in Sycamore Canyon / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

MISC

SEPTEMBER

24 – 29 — Yosemite Facelift / Yosemite / 8-9 — Sea Kayak 101 / Mendocino / Learn The largest organized volunteer cleanup of to sea kayak on the Mendocino coast in this any national park / yosemiteclimbing.org/ two-day class / LiquidFusionKayak.com facelift-2019-1 22-23 — Sea Kayak Rock Garden Class / Mendocino / Learn paddling skills for kayaking in ocean rock gardens and sea caves / LiquidFusionKayak.com 26 - 27 — SLO ULTRA / San Luis Obispo / Two-day outdoor adventure & festival / Obstacle and crossfit-style competition / SLOultra.com 20-21 — Kayak Surfzone Fundamentals / Mendocino / Launch, land, and play in the surfzone with control, safety, finesse, and fun / LiquidFusionKayak.com

OCTOBER

JULY

PADDLING SUMMER

Monterey Bay Kayak and SUP Rentals, Sales, Lessons & Tours / Santa Cruz & Elkhorn Slough / Two locations / Convenient Lake Cunningham Action Sports Camps launch sites at both locations / See ad on / Lake Cunningham Action Sports Park / page 17 / kayakconnection.com Join San Jose PRNS for eight weeks of all things bike, scooter and skate! Limited spots Naturalist Lead Kayak Tours / Monterey available, sign up today! /sjregistration.com and Beyond / Bioluminescence and full moon trips / Whales and wildlife / See ad on page 15 / bluewaterventures.org

SUMMER

JUNE

JUNE

21-30 — Adventure Sports Week / Tahoe / For those who appreciate clean air, clear water, scenic single track, and an elevated TBD — Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial heart rate. / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com Paddleboard Race / Capitola / JayMoriarityFoundation.org

Roadshow Tour Come by and see the latest news from our sponsors & enter to win great prizes.

June 1 Lost & Found Portola, CA

July 13 Death Ride Markleeville, CA

June 28 - 30 Carson City Off-Road Carson City, NV

August 1 - 4 Downieville Classic Downieville, CA

36 ASJ — June/July 2019

1 — Donner Lake Paddle Racing / Donner Lake / Tahoepaddleracing.com

AUGUST 10-11 — Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival / Kings Beach State Park, Lake Tahoe / World’s original SUP race, all ages and skill levels, clinics and demos / TahoeNalu.com

SEPTEMBER 15 — Tahoe Cup Lake Crossing / Lake Tahoe / Tahoepaddleracing.com

RUNNING JUNE 1 — Bishop High Sierra Ultras / Bishop / 20mi, 50K, 50mi, & 100K in the scenic foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevada / BishopUltras.com 2 — Run in the Name of Love / Carmel-bythe-Sea / 5K run & 2K walk / Run4Love.org 2 — Truckee Running Festival: Waddle Ranch Trail Half, Legacy 5K & 10K / Truckee, CA / Beautiful and scenic / Fund raiser for the Girls on the Run Sierras / TahoeTrailRunning.com 9 — Squaw Valley Half and Run to Squaw 8 Miler / Olympic Valley / Fast and flat starts and finishes in the Village at Squaw Valley / SquawValleyHalf.com 23 — Burton Creek Trail Runs / Tahoe City / 6K, 12K, Half Marathon / Beautiful, fun and challenging / TahoeTrailRunning.com

JULY 4 — Run to The Beach / Tahoe Vista / 5K & 10K / TahoeTrailRunning.com 6 — She Rocks the Trails / Auburn / 10- & 25- mile options /NorCalUltras.com 14 — Big Chief 50K / Tahoe / Loop course 50K Trail Run that starts and finishes at Northstar / BigBlueAdventure.com

Check with the event producer to verify fees, times and event details.

JULY, cont.

27 — Squaw Mountain Run / Squaw Valley / 39th Annual / Run & Hike to Fight Cancer / Fun for families, Raffle, Live Music, Free Beer / SquawMountainRun.com

AUGUST 3 — Twilight Trail Adventure / Auburn / 5K & 10K options / NorCalUltras.com 4 — Truckee Half Marathon / Truckee / Half, 5K & Kids’ Distances / A loop course that starts and finishes in downtown Truckee / TruckeeMarathon.com 11 — Marlette 50K and 10 Miler (50K RRCA Western Region Championship, 10 Miler RRCA NV State Championship) / Lake Tahoe’s East Shore / Choose the 50K or 10 Miler, both feature amazing Tahoe trails and scenery / TahoeTrailRunning.com 17 — XTERRA Trail Run 5K & 10K (10K RRCA NV State Championship) / Incline Village, NV / TahoeTrailRunning.com 25 — Good Dog - Dirty Dog 5K/10K / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

SEPTEMBER TBD — Truckee Marathon / Truckee / Plus Half Marathon, 50K, & 10K / TruckeeMarathon.com 8 — Delta Harvest Run / Brentwood / OnYourMarkEvents.com 8 — XTERRA Laguna Beach Trail Run & Triathlon / Crystal Cove State Park / TrailRace.com 14 — Headlands Hundred / Sausalito / 100mi, 75mi, Triple Marathon, 50mi, Marathon / PacificCoastTrailRuns.com 15 — Emerald Bay Trail Run / Lake Tahoe West Shore / TahoeTrailRunning.com 21 — Gold Rush Growler 10 Mile & 5K Trail Runs / Granite Beach / TotalBodyFitness.com

NOVEMBER 10 — Monterey Bay Half Marathon / Monterey / Out and back along Cannery Row and Pacific Grove / MontereyBayHalfMarathon.com

DECEMBER 9 — Jingle Bell Rock / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com

SWIMMING APRIL 7 — ICE Breaker 1/2 mile, 1 mile & 2 mile Open Water Swims / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

JULY 21 — Alpine Fresh Water Swim / Truckee / TahoeSwimming.com

AUGUST 18 — Lake Tahoe Sharkfest Swim / Incline Village, NV / SharkFestSwim.com 22 — Golden Gate Bridge Swim / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com 24 — Alcatraz Swim with the Centurions / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com 24 — Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim / Tahoma / TahoeSwimming.com 25 — Golden Gate Sharkfest Swim / Sausalito / SharkFestSwim.com

TRIATHLON JUNE

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

2 — Herablife 24 Triathlon / Los Angeles / Inaugural event / Starting in Venice Beach and ending in LA / Herbalife24Tri.la

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

2 — Orange County Tri Series / Lake Mission Viejo / 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run / OCTriSeries.com

OCTOBER 5-6 — Skyline to the Sea Marathon, Half Marathon, & 50K / Saratoga / PacificCoastTrailRuns.com 6 — Great Trail Race / Truckee/Tahoe City / Mountain bike or run / GreatTrailRace.com 12 — Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance Run / Lake Merced, San Francisco / UltraSignUp.com 26 - 27 — SLO ULTRA / San Luis Obispo / Two-day outdoor adventure & festival /Five distances to choose from /SLOultra.com

8 — TRI for FUN Triathlon #1 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

MARKETPLACE

13 — June Lake Triathlon / June Lake / The Toughest Race in the Most Beautiful Place! / HighSierraAthletics.com/june-laketriathlon 14 — Tri for Kids & Real Triathlon #2 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 20 — Great American Triathlon / American River Parkway / Paddle, Bike & Swim / Unique & fun / Same course as Eppie’s Great Race / GreatAmericanTriathlon.com 20-21 — Donner Lake Triathlon / Truckee / Spint, Olympic, 70.3, Duathlon and Kids’ Distances / DonnerLakeTri.com

MTB Skills Coaching

AUGUST 10 & 11 — TRI for FUN / KIDS / REAL Triathlon #3 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

17 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe / Incline Village, NV / The all time classic XTERRA that features some of the best trails in Tahoe / BigBlueAdventure.com

24-25 — Lake Tahoe Triathlon / Tahoma / Spint, Olympic, 70.3, Duathlon and Aquabike / LakeTahoeTri.com

SEPTEMBER 6-8 — Graniteman Challenge / June Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Lee Vining/ Yosemite / 3 Days of Multi-Sport: Friday Swim • Saturday Bike • Sunday Run / HighSierraAthletics.com/graniteman 7 — Women’s Triathlon Festival / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 8 — Xterra / Long Beach / Long & sprint courses, relays, open water swim, aquathlon, 13K & 6K trail runs / XterraLagunaBeach.com 28 — Pacific Coast Triathlon/Duathlon / Crystal Cove State Beach / OCTriSeries.com 29 — Golden State Triathlon & Super Sprint Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

9 — Tri for Kids Triathlon #1 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

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

JULY 13 — TRI for FUN Triathlon #2 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

asingletrackmind.com • (209) 662-5392

24 — 22nd Annual Granite Bay Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

OCTOBER

30 — Dip and Dash Swim-Run & Team Challenge / Santa Cruz / Three distance options / FinishLineProduction.com

• Groups • Private • Teams Certified BICP 3, NICA, NASM, Betterride, USA Cycling, & WFR 4,500+ pro hrs of coaching

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

9 — Monte Rio Triathlon / Sonoma County / & Aqua Bike, 10K & 5K run / VineMan.com

29 — XTERRA Tahoe City / Tahoe City / Open Water Swim, Mountain Bike and Trail Run starts and finishes in Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com

Ride With Us. Ride Better.

View & list events for free on our website at Adventure SportsJournal.com

Ask

About our marketing packages We offer a wide range of promo tools to boost your business’ visibility. We’ll customize a plan that’s just right for your budget and objectives! staff@adventuresportsjournal.com

www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com

37

BONTRAGER BLAZE WAVECEL MTB HELMET

Earlier this year — and to much acclaim — Bontrager unveiled groundbreaking helmet technology called WaveCel. This revolutionary material is proven to be up to 48 times more effective than standard EPS foam at preventing concussions from common cycling accidents.

Standard foam helmets are designed to protect against direct impacts. But most cycling accidents actually result in angled impacts. WaveCel takes this important distinction into account. Its collapsible cellular material absorbs energy in multiple ways and then disperses it in a remarkably effective way resulting in much safer cycling protection. Is it comfortable? Indeed it is. And with several colors and styles to choose from, you’ll look smart no matter what type of cycling you do.

MSRP: $299 • bontrager.com

Gear We Love Goodies for your active lifestyle NEMO DRAGONFLY TM 2P ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING TENT Nemo recently released the Dragonfly™, a freestanding ultralight backpacking tent boasting plenty of space and convenient storage pockets. On our first night out with this tent, we had to pitch camp in the dark. We expected the usual confusion that goes with setting up a new tent in the dark, but we had the Dragonfly™ up in a jiffy.

We were thinking that this is the tent you’d want to have with you if you’re out in the backcountry when a storm rolls in unexpectedly.

What makes set up especially easy are the color-coded poles with matching webbing. Another unique feature we love are the roomy trapezoidal vestibules; lots of protected space to stow our gear once the fly is up. The tent materials seem strong and sturdy despite their light weight, and the superior craftmanship is obvious.

Comes with a dual-stage stuff sack which allows you to split the load with a hiking partner. Also available in 1P. MSRP: $389.95 • nemoequipment.com

HORNIT CLUG

We recently met the CLUG inventor at Sea Otter Classic and we predict he’ll become a millionaire because of this thing. This little gadget really is “the world’s smallest bike rack.” It’s pretty much the best bike rack ever and has won awards to prove it.

You mount the CLUG on any wall (with included screws) and it works so well you’ll wonder why nobody thought of it earlier. That said, it’s super important to get two details right or the CLUG won’t work correctly. The CLUG has to be the right height on your wall to work with your bike. (Just follow the directions and you will be fine.) Also, you must buy the right CLUG that fits your tire. There are CLUGs for road bikes and CLUGs for MTBs. Figure out your tire width and happy CLUGGING! MSRP: $19.99 • thehornit.com

HYDRO FLASK JOURNEY SERIES™ 10 L HYDRATION PACK

BLISTER MEDIC We don’t go on an adventure in the backcountry without Blister Medic in our first aid kit. Blister Medic combines the tried-and-true protection and blister prevention of moleskin with the advanced relief and healing of Glacier Gel™ hydrogel dressings.

The kit contains different size pieces specifically shaped to fit common blister areas. Alcohol pads and antiseptic towelettes are included.

And best of all — no scissors required!

MSRP: $10 • adventuremedicalkits.com

MONSTER STRAPS

SCARPA MOJITO HIKE GTX

The fully adjustable lacing system of the Scarpa Mojito Hike GTX is derived from climbing shoes. This allows for micro adjustments to dial in the right fit depending on terrain or foot tiredness.

On long hikes in the Sierra we like tighter laces on steep downhills and the Mojito allows for subtle fine-tuning so you can baby your feet.

Scarpa is an Italian company with climbing roots and this shows. The Mojito is very grippy and solid on most terrain, with an aggressive lug sole design and sticky rubber for granite or sandstone hiking. Overall this is a great shoe choice for multi-day backpacking trips. The Mojito is available in half sizes. It comes in Euro sizes so you will have to do the conversion to English sizing.

MSRP: $149 • scarpa.net

Monster Straps have got your rackmounted watercraft and sports gear covered when it comes to providing reliable, damage-free transport.

These overbuilt and oversized straps have been tested for over a decade on California freeways, Mexican arroyos and South Pacific surf escapes. You can rest assured there is no better way to secure your big-wave guns, prone paddleboards, SUPs, outriggers, surf-skis, kayaks, canoes, ice chests, bivy sacks, and so much more.

Conceived and engineered by boardand action-sport vets with a century of combined design and manufacturing experience. Tested and approved by watermen and women worldwide.

Available as pairs or singles. Ghostryder Black (pictured) or Pacific Blue.

MSRP: $29.95 • mile22.bigcartel.com

ORCA COOLER 58 QT A big cooler is key for beach picnics and campground activities. When you are ready to purchase a new one, consider the Orca 58 QT. We like this size for a family of five with plenty of room to spare, but Orca makes other sizes so check availability.

Made in USA, this bad boy sports crazy good insulation that will keep your items cool for up to ten days. The roto-molded construction is totally bomb proof and road ready, and the ergonomic handles allow solo or tandem carrying. With an easy flow drainage spout, sometimes the simplest designs are the best.

MSRP: $339.99 • orcacoolers.com 38 ASJ — June/July 2019

We tested the ten-liter version of the Hydro Flask Journey pack on a recent tenmile ride in the Santa Cruz mountains and we were impressed. The super insulated hydration system kept the water very cold for three hours of mountain biking, and the ergonomics of the pack were remarkably streamlined and comfortable.

This is a good pack for people who prefer hydration packs but don’t like the “sweaty back” feeling, because the Journey’s articulated back panel keeps air flowing between the pack and your body. The hydration bladder is made by HydraPak, an Oakland based company known for BPA free, high quality hydration components.

Overall this is a great pack with room enough for a tool kit, extra tube, food, and other trail items you need.

MSRP: $165 • hydroflask.com

HOKA ONE ONE CHALLENGER ATR 5 TRAIL SHOE

Don’t let the chunky sole fool you; Hoka One One trail running shoes are light and fast. If you are not familiar with the brand, the Challenger is a good Hoka shoe for anyone with variability in his or her running regime. In other words, if you enjoy trail running but often pound pavement as well, these are the shoes for you.

Hokas have a reputation for luxurious comfort and that reputation is well deserved. Perhaps more impressive is the midfoot design that keeps your foot nice and secure within the sole for greater confidence through uneven terrain. The ATR 5 is an improvement over previous versions because of its aggressive lug patterned outsole. These bad boys are very grippy over loose, wet trail conditions and that’s a good thing.

MSRP: $130 • hokaoneone.com

Fluid Transport 101 Just when you thought—or didn’t at all—there was nowhere left to go in hydration technology, HydraPak has been slowly, silently, crushing it and is coming into Spring 2019 with the most technically advanced products on the market. “Wait...HydraWho?” HydraPak. You might remember them from such hits as The Dakine Drafter Pack or The Salomon Adv Skin 5. They’ve been the trusted supplier of reservoirs and softflasks your favorite brands have been using for over a decade—Dakine, Salomon, Osprey, Nathan, The North Face, EVOC, Patagonia, and more—but you may not have noticed they’ve also been amassing their own product lineup.

From their base camp boss Expedition™ 8L to their ultra-tough Seeker™ 2L and Seeker™ 4L transporters, HydraPak has revolutionized the old, dry Seeker 2 L

thinking behind hauling water for outdoor activity.

Expedition 8 L

Seeker 4 L

Summer fun is in full swing!

Still time for a fishing trip, a family campout, or heading for the hills.

Lake Tahoe. Everglades. Crater Lake. Yellowstone. Denali.

You could do it in a big, expensive RV…or a long cumbersome trailer.

Or, you can make great use of a truck by adding our pop-up camper.

You’ll have a dry, warm space with a comfy queen or king sized bed.

You can get lost for a long time - powered by solar and propane.

Maybe add a bed, fridge, sink, stove, shower, or toilet.

The popped up roof goes 6’4”, creating a nice living space.

Driving, turning, parking, and making camp are all a breeze.

Unplug Get Outside Keep It Simple

Life is short. Places to go. Great things to see. Make this the year.

Give us a call. We can talk trucks, campers, and adventures.

Visit our new website with 3D video tours at www.fourwheelcampers.com