Adventure Indiana | Spring 2014

SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA’S ADVENTURE MAGAZINE

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Also in this issue Cycling

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Zip line

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Shooting

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EDITOR’S

Mixed martial arts

Editor Kathryn warms up for her first fight in 2009. Photos by MP Sports Photography.

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ixed martial arts, or MMA, is a combat sport that combines techniques primarily from Muay Thai (kickboxing), boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiujitsu. And that fact is pretty much all I knew about it when I decided I was going to fight.

At 28 years old, I walked into Monroe County Martial Arts on Bloomington’s east side with the goal of learning a martial art, any martial art. I was not an athlete, not a soldier, not a fighter.

I had been training in Muay Thai for about two weeks when I decided I was going to fight MMA. Note: I

training partners looked big, scary, tattooed and intimidating to me. But I kept going, kept training, kept coming back.

In short order, of course, those intimidating guys became Dave, Mick, Josh, Kevin—friends, coaches, teammates. Bruises became badges of honor and sweat was a well-earned sign of hard work. As a Bloomington resident, I followed in the training footsteps of Julie Kedzie, Indiana University alum and pioneer of women’s MMA, whose first coaches were my first coaches.

of the unknown.

I “retired” from the sport in October 2011, having evened out my forgettable amateur record with two wins and two losses. (You can watch the full video of my third and longest fight on our YouTube page.) In my last fight, I finally accepted that fear was the only opponent I was truly interested in defeating—came down to it, I just didn’t like hitting people in the face all that much. A bad quality, certainly, in a fighter.

With its December 2013 debut in the UFC, the largest MMA event promotion

First and last: [Right] Kathryn’s first fight and [above] her last. [Left] First and last walkouts - 2009 and 2011. Photos

by MP Sports Photography. didn’t decide I wanted to; I decided I was going to. I had never seen a bout in person and had watched only one match on TV (Chuck Liddell vs.

Rashad Evans at UFC 88, for those who wonder), but I set a course and I went after it.

Muay Thai is a stand-up technique, a form of combat on the feet. MMA bouts can go to the ground, where wrestling and jiu-jitsu become the law of the land. In Muay Thai, I had another woman in the class with me—in the wrestling class, it was just me. And I walked into my first wrestling class feeling very much like the not athletic English literature/Star Trek egghead I am. Trembling with nerves as I took my spot in line, every one of my male

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little over a year later, a few months after my 30th birthday, I walked into the cage in a skating rink turned MMA venue for the Rumble in the Rink event in Kokomo. My first fight was 43 seconds long. I won, but admittedly, it was not impressive, or much of a test of skill.

I fought three more female opponents at featherweight (plus one Muay Thai bout in Las Vegas— another story for another day) and each time, the walkout was the hardest part. Walking out meant choosing.

It meant moving toward the (likely painful) unknown with purpose and my eyes open. In that way, fear of the walkout and fear of the fight became a metaphor for me: the fear of pain and

company, women’s MMA and the incredible athletes amongst its ranks are finally getting the chance to show the fight they have in them.

If you have some fight in you (and we all have a little), gyms all over south-central Indiana offer the opportunity for men and women to learn a mean right cross or a slick triangle choke. No face punching of any kind required.

To the good fight,

Kathryn S. Gardiner, Editor

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Ryan Shanahan [left] and Fred Rose use a break in wintry weather to take a ride.

Life Cycle B-town bike lovers live the sport and ride the trails

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WORDS | Sue Shelden

PICS | Darryl Smith

reaking Away, and Indiana University’s Little 500.

What would Bloomington look like if those two events hadn’t existed? The annual race and the timeless movie still bring students and visitors to this bicycling mecca.

When the movie came out in 1979, IU students Bob Holahan and Craig Rogers, both friends and mechanics for their Little 500 bicycle team in the mid-1970s, opened a bicycle repair shop in a small garage on Grant Street. The little garage outgrew its space and moved to Kirkwood Avenue in 1981. Bob eventually changed partners, buying out Craig and falling in love with a bike-riding sports promoter named Anne.

While Anne and Bob are still at the garage, they’ve added two extremely gifted cyclists, who ride, compete and know how to fix bikes—Fred Rose and Ryan Shanahan.

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red, manager of the Bicycle Garage, began cycling as a teen, but it was his arrival in Bloomington in 1985 when his exposure to the Little 500 hooked him on racing.

“In addition to being obsessed with the thought of standing on the podium of the Bill Armstrong sta-

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dium and hoisting the Borg Warner trophy, I also dedicated myself to becoming an accomplished amateur racer and as such dabbled in many disciplines from road racing and a bit of track racing to the then-new sport of mountain bike racing—something I developed a bit of a knack for,” he says.

And, yes, Fred got to stand on that podium in 1989, which he says made him “feel like a permanent part of the Bloomington racing community.”

“It’s hard to decide if I trained to race or raced to justify training but riding in the hills around Bloomington [was] doubtless a strong influence on my choice of lifestyle.

In fact, while my studies at university were in other directions, cycling was fast becoming—and still is—my lifestyle. I suppose it is only natural that I would make a career out of managing a bicycle shop.”

Ryan, who arrived in Bloomington in 2006 and is a nationally ranked triathlete, says that “cycling has been the best combo of adventure, fitness and competition that I’ve found. There is also a great culture in

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Bloomington with group rides and races year round, so it’s a social outlet for most people.” Ryan is on the Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse team and hopes to race 20-30 times this year.

“Because of Little 500 and the rest of the community, there are thousands of cyclists to ride with and get to know at the shop.”

Fred recommends the following rides: Nashville 90—“A loop that follows 446 south to 58 over to 135 and back to Bloomington through Nashville.”

Gatesville—“A route east on 45 through Beanblossom that goes northeast to Gatesville and comes back through Nashville.”

Big Hurricane—“Explores north and east and connects all sorts of small Hoosier towns including Martinsville, Monrovia, Wilbur and Paragon and comes back through Monroe Forest.” This, by the way, is one of Fred’s favorites.

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Chanelle Biangardi and Matthew Gregory lead a group of IU Longboarding Club members at the start of the poker run event in October 2013. [opposite] Club president Max Vickers.

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“To have an open road where I can do anything I want is a real thrill.”

– Max Vickers,

President of the Longboarding Club at Indiana University

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Longboard club offers tips and thrills WORDS | Carrol Krause

subset of skateboarding, longboards hearken back to the sport’s surfer origins in the early 1960s. As their name implies, longboards are longer than ordinary skateboards.

Typically ranging from about 33 to 60 inches long, longboards enable their users to cruise long distances, slalom past obstacles and achieve thrilling downhill speeds.

“It’s all skateboarding, but longboarding uses different components,” explains Max Vickers, president of the longboarding club

PICS | Darryl Smith at Indiana University. “Longboards typically have larger wheels, around 65 to 75 millimeters, and the trucks [the underbody] are reverse kingpin instead of traditional kingpin. The boards themselves are longer and differently shaped than traditional boards.”

Students at Indiana University can improve their basic techniques and participate in events through the Longboard Club at IU. It’s an opportunity to network with others who share the passion for the MORE | Page 10 9

THE REST | From Page 9 sport, and improve one’s technique.

“The club mostly focuses on cruising and transportation, downhill and freeride,” says Max.

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ntranced by the thrill and discipline of the sport, longboarders trek around the nation—even around the world—in the quest for long treks and extended downhill inclines. Videos online attest to the high speeds that are capable with longboards. In 2012, Mischo Erban set a record of 80 miles per hour on a long mountain slope in Quebec. According to Wikipedia, the current distance record for longboarding is 7,555 miles by Rob Thomas of New Zealand.

“In the club we require helmets for participation in events,” says Max. “And you probably want to use slide gloves.

They’re like a regular work glove but have a circular puck in the center of the palm. You just lift your fingers and use the puck to slide. But for downhill racing, a full-face helmet and a leather suit are recommended. The rule is to stay in your lane and look ahead. Skate in your comfort zone.”

The club is mindful of the skateboard ban on Kirkwood Avenue in downtown Bloomington and avoids heavy traffic as well as the kind of vandalism that once was associated with skateboarders. Its group skating events are usually held on campus, but there are hills near Griffy Lake that the club also enjoys visiting.

“We try to maintain a good image for the scene,” Max emphasizes.

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and good equipment, there’s little that a longboarder can’t do. “You can travel 200 miles per day on one,” Max points out. “I’m pretty certain someone has crossed the U.S. on a longboard.”

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ocally, the Rhett Skateboarding shop on West Kirkwood sells some longboard gear, while The Ripple in Indianapolis has a large selection.

Max began longboarding five years ago after using regular skateboards for three years before that. “I’m a taller guy and a longboard fits me better,” he explains.

Since then Max has been participating in competitive downhill racing.

He finishes, “To have an open road where I can do anything I want is a real thrill.”

For more information about the IU Longboarding Club see facebook.com/groups/ IUlongboarding/ or email longboardclubiu@gmail.com.

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Run Like With a Jungle Cat

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Rescue center offers cool fundraiser for a good cause WORDS | Kasey Husk PICS | Darryl Smith

Watch the big cats run at the Run for the Jungle 5K at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.

See the video by downloading the free HTlivepage app. Then, aim your smartphone or tablet camera at the photo to the right. Or check out our YouTube page AdventureINmag.

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n need of some extra motivation to get through a 5K race? The Exotic Feline Rescue Center’s annual Run Through the Jungle 5K has it.

After all, there’s nothing quite like being chased by a full-grown tiger to encourage you to pick up the pace—even if the big cat in question is behind a 20-foot fence.

Saturday, May 10, marks the Exotic Feline Rescue Center’s 10th annual Run Through the Jungle fundraiser, designed to raise money for and awareness about the Center Point, Ind. sanctuary, currently home to more than 220 big cats. Last year, the fundraiser generated more than $8,000 for the center, race director Gary Anderson says.

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ounded by Joe Taft in 1991 with just three big cats on 15 acres in Clay County, today the sanctuary is home to 225 animals, among them tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, ocelots, bobcats and lynx, says Jean Herrberg, assistant director at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. It is strictly a rescue center, she says, as “we do not buy, sell or breed, and once a cat comes to us, it is home for the rest of its life.”

“We get cats that have been abandoned,

abused, (had) illegal owners, or (when) other facilities are shut down because they are not doing their jobs right,” she says. “A lot of the cats that we get have not been taken care of properly, and are nutritionally really deficient.”

On average, the center takes in two cats per month, Herrberg says, though sometimes months pass without a call. Last April, it rescued four tigers from a roadside zoo in Wisconsin, and afterward found one of the females was pregnant and delivered five cubs. All nine tigers will remain at the center for the rest of their lives.

All told, those animals consume 4,000 pounds of meat per day, which means the center needs funding, and lots of it. Herrberg says the center is run on a shoe-string budget of roughly $700,000, a majority of which comes from entry fees from visitors to the center, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Monday. The rest comes from grants and fundraising efforts like the Run Through the Jungle.

down by the buckets of rain that had fallen in recent days and “for whatever reason, everybody just had a blast; it was like kids playing in the mud.”

The event blossomed from there, bringing in more than 500 runners from 10 states in 2013, though this year entries will be limited to the first 500 people. It includes live jazz music, a free tour pass of the center for all entrants, and awards in both running and walking categories for many age brackets, Anderson said.

But the biggest draw, of course, is the chance to run alongside the animals. The course, he says, is fairly unremarkable most of the way, until runners get their chance to race past the cats’ pens. Since no running is allowed at the center any other day, the animals tend to get excited.

“I ran down along the fence and a tiger just ran right alongside me,” Anderson remembers of his first time running on the course. “I’m running next to like a 600-pound animal. This is fun!”

he 5K race was born 10 years ago when Anderson, an avid runner himself, was visiting the center with a friend and noted that it would make a great location for a race. That May, 150 people slogged through a course bogged

To register for the race, visit junglerun5k.com. The entry fee is $24.

Donations are wanted and welcome anytime at exoticfelinerescuecenter.org, 812-835-1130.

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Coming in June Head for the hills

Summer 2014 issue

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Ready, Aim, Fly! Zip line and paintball combines for soaring shootout

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Zip liners at eXplore Brown County sail over the ground and open fire on targets. Check out the POV footage by downloading the free HTlivepage app. Then, aim your smartphone or tablet camera at the photo above. Or check out our YouTube page AdventureINmag.

WORDS | Lauren Slavin PICS | Darryl Smith

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ntering into holy matrimony can feel like the start of a wild ride for any couple. But most don’t take that plunge after soaring tens of feet high in the air on a zip line.

“We call it the ‘leap of faith,’” said Gary Bartels, owner of eXplore Brown County.

The 15 zip lines offered at eXplore Brown County have evolved from straight shots over the woods of Valley Branch Retreat to innovative combinations of popular outdoor activities for adventurous patrons.

“Just a totally different, fun, out-of-thebox experience is my goal,” Bartels said.

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reativity has also come into play when eXplore Brown County is challenged to accommodate special-needs patrons. Bartel has worked to make zipping accessible to everyone from ages 5 to 91, as well as to the blind and amputees.

Bartel remembers one family visited eXplore Brown County for a zip line tour with a wheelchairbound 70-year-old relative.

“He said, ‘You can’t hurt me,’” Bartel remembers.

Despite his disability, the daredevil took on the Screamer Tour: a quarter-mile zip line that reaches up to 45 miles per hour.

“When you get a family of 15 people, one in wheelchair and 70 years old, it’s a really heartfelt experience,” Bartel said.

In 2012, local students had a hand in developing eXplore Brown County’s newest zip: The Superhero, where zippers take a running start to lunge forward and fly with their arms stretched out.

After spending a day learning about how physics applies to zip lining, about 40 students from St. Bartholomew School in Columbus worked to design a contest with entrants from several local schools—a contest that eXplore Brown County would make into reality.

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s a part of the Brown County Shootout, which benefited local volunteer emergency response agencies, Bartels took the Super Hero Zip and added a target-shooting component to create the Zip Top Shot. Shiny hubcaps are hung as marks for zippers to aim for with a semi-auto paintball gun. Players earn points as they hit more targets, which ring with a satisfying noise when struck.

“It’s more for paintball players looking for something different, or people who have been here before and done the Superhero,” Bartels said.

Some zippers have even dressed as their favorite super heroes while playing, or donned outfits for heroes of their own creation.

“I said, ‘you can get out of the stigma of a standard superhero,” Bartels said. “You can be a physics superhero, music superhero. Just dress up and have fun.”

To plan your own superheroic outing, visit explorebrowncounty.com or call 812-988-7750.

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eXplore Brown County event planner Vicky Wielosinski says they’ve hosted three or four zip weddings since 2012. While a bride and groom have yet to exchange their vows while propelling down, most bridal parties will zip to the ceremony or directly after, sometimes in full wedding regalia.

“I think we’ve always kind of joked about it, and then someone took us seriously,” Wielosinski said. “If they’ve got an idea, [even] if they think it sounds crazy, we might be able to do it.”

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Co-founder of the Hudsucker Posse, Paula Chambers sets hula hoop blazing and performs in downtown Bloomington. Watch clips of the action on our YouTube page AdventureINmag.

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fire flow & Bloomington troupe performs, trains and grows loop for loop WORDS | Carrol Krause PICS | Darryl Smith

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ou’ve seen them at the Lotus Festival, Bryan Park, and WonderLab: a troupe of exotically clad dancers spinning and twirling sparkling hoops around their waists, along their arms and legs, even around their necks. They’re the Hudsucker Posse, inspired by the film The Hudsucker Proxy, and hooping is their passion.

“We have held over 500 free hooping sessions over the past five years,” says co-founder Paula Chambers proudly; “at schools, churches, walks for charity, PRIDE events, and Lotus. By now, thousands of people have participated in our sessions.”

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ack in the spring of 2009, the Posse was founded by Paula, Evangeline Fellowes and Laurel Leonetti. The impetus was going to the Lotus Festival and seeing hoopers in the March Fourth marching band, from Portland, Ore. The sight was a revelation.

“At that time there was no hooping in Bloomington, and there were no hoops to be found,” Paula recalls. “No one handed us a hula hoop. We had to

learn to make our own.” The first public session had four attendees; by the end of the year there were 40-50 at each session.

Modern hoops are generally made of polyethelene tubing, which is commonly used for plumbing and irrigation. Some use other materials, but ordinary PE tubing works well and is affordable.

“It’s easy to work with, and it’s a great fitness hoop,” says Paula. “I’ve made over 500 of them so far.”

The Posse sells beautiful hoops in a range of sizes, adorned with interlacing patterns of colored holographic tape and grip tape. Hooping provides an excellent workout, but it provides something more as well.

“It’s not just exercise,” Paula points out. “It started as something fun, but it became much, much larger than any of us. It quickly took over my life, and several other lives as well. It has been lifechanging in terms of self-actualization, confidence, body image, even improving people’s relationships. It has spiritual ramifications for many of us, and can be done as a moving meditation.”

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ooping is here to stay. Many hoopers find community with others around the nation at hoop camps, hoop retreats, and hoop convergences.

There are hoopers at Burning Man festival.

Hoop dancing classes are currently offered by certified instructors at Panache Dance, Twin Lakes Recreation Center and in Bedford.

Hoops can be purchased at Paula’s store, Dance Circus, at 109 East Kirkwood in the Book Corner building.

Posse members are predominantly women aged 18 to 55, but men are involved as well. The Posse also has jugglers, fire hoopers and other flow artists, and practitioners have ranged from as young as 4 to 80 years old.

The group practices every Sunday afternoon. Winter practice is at Stone Belt Gym, 2815 E. 10th (not the Indiana Gymnasium next door!) and in warmer weather they practice at Bryan Park.

“Hooping is a singular and personal experience, like meditation, but it’s unique in that you can do it with other people,” Paula sums up.

Learn more about the Hudsucker Posse at thehudsuckers.com or facebook. com/groups/hoopdancers.

Check out the Hudsucker Posse performance during the Pride Festival by downloading the free HTlivepage app. Then, aim your smartphone or tablet camera at the photo to the left. Or check out our YouTube page AdventureINmag.

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Photo by Donovan Jenkins, courtesy Chris Vargo

IU grad hits Colorado trails and takes running beyond marathons WORDS | Lee Hadley

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ccording to legend, a Greek messenger named Pheidippides ran about 26 miles from a battlefield to the city of Athens to report the Greek victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. He then fell over, dead.

For Chris Vargo, a native of Bloomington and graduate of Indiana University, the distance that killed Pheidippides in 490 BC isn’t even a Sunday run. “I generally run anywhere from 80-120 miles per week, all on mountain trails and a little on the roads, with a long run of 25-35 miles on Sunday,� said Vargo.

Vargo is an ultra runner. Ultra running, also known as MUT for Mountain/Ultra/Trail running, is a class of competitive running

with distances greater than 26 miles. MUT running might include anything from vertical kilometer mountain races to 100+ mile trail and road races. The most popular ultra distances in the United States are 50K, 50 miles, 100K, and 100 miles.

“I’ve been racing mountain/ultra races for

helps my running performance.”

Vargo currently lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colo. “There is nothing better than getting out in the mountains and ripping around on the trails,” said Vargo.

“It’s absolutely incredible. I’ve been lucky enough to race in the most beautiful places

to win, so it’s always fun going up against the best in the world. Most guys have no problem sharing their training/racing secrets with other runners. It’s a tight-knit community, for sure. I have met some of the most incredible people in my life at races.”

IU grad Chris Vargo, [left] with fellow runners Mike Aish and Josh Arthur, warms up before the Sean O’Brien 50-miler in Malibu, Calif. Photo by Bryon Powell, courtesy Chris Vargo. [Right] Photo by David Gollom, courtesy Chris Vargo. just over a year now and have been lucky enough to find quick success in the sport,” said Vargo. “My first ultra race was the Bootlegger 50K in the mountains/canyons outside of Las Vegas. I had a great season last year which, in turn, led me to signing a contract with Nike for the 2014 season.” efore he started ultra running, Vargo had a long history of competitive racing. “I had run a handful of marathons, half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks before getting into mountain/ultra running,” said Vargo. “Before that, I raced bikes and competed on a few different semipro Cat 1-2 bike teams. I also competed in the Little 500 with the Cutters, while attending Indiana University, winning the race in 2004. My background in cycling definitely

in the country, and plan to race around the world in the near future.”

Training in the mountains definitely poses challenges. “Living in Colorado our weather is quite unpredictable. Three days ago it was 50 degrees and sunny and the next day it was snowing and -15 degrees,” said Vargo. “Those cold days are always the hardest days to get motivated. Luckily, it doesn’t take too much to get myself out the door. The other guys are out there training, so it’s important that I do the same!”

A big part of Vargo’s attraction to ultra running is being in the company of likeminded individuals. “The mountain/ultra community is the most laid back sporting environment you could ever experience,” said Vargo. “However, when it comes to racing, it’s incredibly competitive. We all want

ltra running does not require much equipment beyond shorts and shoes. “When it comes to racing, myself along with other elite runners tend to only carry one handheld water bottle during races,” said Vargo. “Most races will have aid stations where you can grab anything from water to watermelon every 5-10 miles or so. I also carry energy gels along with me. The lighter the better.”

The real obstacle to ultra running is mental. “I often think about races and what the other guys are doing for their training,” said Vargo. “If you want to be the best you have to push yourself past a threshold that most people could never fathom. Most of us are a bit crazy!”

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Shooting

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Clay

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Mitchell preserve offers courses to keep skills sharp

WORDS | Carrol Krause

lay shooting in all of its variations is offered at Sugar Creek Shooting Sports and Hunting Preserve in Mitchell.

Trap, skeet, and sporting clays are simply different variations of the popular sport of clay shooting, explains Sugar Creek’s Andrea Waldbeiser. All three feature an automated machine that fires clay discs into the air at different heights, at varying intervals, for the shooter to fire at. Firing at rapidly moving clay targets is an excellent way for shooters to maintain the skills necessary to hunt game birds.

“Each station in theory is supposed to simulate some kind of game shot,” Andrea observes.

“We have two skeet fields and one trap field here at Sugar Creek.” The facility also offers a

Sugar Creek Shooting Sports and Hunting Preserve in Mitchell offers clay shooting on three fields. Images courtesy of Jenny Day Photography.

13-station sporting clays course and a five-stand option. Indiana only has eight sporting clay courses that are registered with the state association, and Sugar Creek is one of them.

In skeet, participants shoot from stations on a half-circle course while clay “pigeons” are launched in intersecting directions from opposite ends of that course.

“It’s a good way to get into the sport, by learning those different angles,” Andrea continues.

The trap layout is different; shooters progress through a 15-station course with launchers that fire clay pigeons in different directions. “We also have a wobble trap, which changes not only the position but also the angle,” Andrea says. It takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete MORE | Page 24

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THE REST | From Page 23 the large trap course, because for obvious safety reasons the shooters must be spaced apart.

Sporting clays is “a little bit like moving through a golf course,” Andrea says. Shooters at Sugar Creek move along a 30-acre natural-terrain course featuring 13 stations that fire clay pigeons.

Most shooters use a 12- or 20-gauge, over-and-under shotgun.

Shooters at Sugar Creek must bring their own guns and may bring a golf cart or UTV to traverse the long trap course with their gear. Sugar Creek also rents several golf carts and sells ammunition.

Although Sugar Creek is open virtually all year, the big annual event is the State Shoot, which will be held June 26-29. Registered sporting clay shooters who have shot at least 300 clays in the past year will qualify.

“We anticipate 150 shooters each day,” says Andrea. “The first two days are preliminary events where shooters will be shooting smaller courses using sub-gauges and smaller shells. There will be fivestand events up next to the clubhouse where shooters will shoot 25 clays from different angles; this is a miniature version of sporting clays.

It offers a shorter alternative event for shooters who don’t want to walk a long course.”

She finishes, “Bring a gun that you’re familiar with and that’s comfortable for you, plus eye and ear protection. And when hunting season rolls around, you’ll be practiced and ready to go!”

Sugar Creek Shooting Sports is open weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday evenings from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., and by appointment. Contact Brian or Andrea at sugarcreekhunting@yahoo.com or phone 812-276-9675.

Gasthof Amish Restaurant & Bakery

Door & The Blue Fiddle & The Pig

True True Homemade Homemade BuffetBuffet- 7 Days A WeekWeek- Groups Groups Welcome Welcome Meeting & Banquet Facilities- up to 300 people

2014 Ev

April 19- Ea entsster June 14- Sp Egg Hunt ring Fe Sept. 20Quilt Auctio stival n & Fall Fe Oct. 31 & stival Nov. 1- Ho liday Baza ar

Gasthof Village InnInn 82 room hotel, complimentary breakfast, group rrates and extended stay discounts, outdoor pool, Free WIFI

Flea Market Open April-October 9am-3pm Tues., Wed. and Saturdays

812-486-2600 • www.gasthofamishvillage.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

HT-6217817

24

6659 E Gasthof Village Rd., Montgomery, IN

SUGAR CREEK S P O RT I N G C L AY S A N D H U N T I N G P R E S E RV E

TAY. S .

E N I D

PL AY! A variety of outdoor activities are near unique and comfy spots to eat, overnight and kick back.

Visit us online to plan your adventure to Limestone Country!

LimestoneCountry.com | 1-800-798-0769 Visitor Cen ter • 533 W Main Street HT-6215213 HT-6215213

3-1/2 miles from Spring Mill State Park in Historic Downtown Mitchell

• Upland Bird Hunting • Sporting Clays • Trap, Skeet, and 5 Stand

Mitchell, Indiana 812-849-5020 or 812-276-9675 www.sugarcreekhunting.com HT-6218003

25

If you have to stay outdoors unexpectedly...

TOOL KIT Play Safe, Play Smart Building A Wilderness Survival Shelter

By Kathryn S. Gardiner There’s a reason shelter makes the list of basic needs. Exposure to sun, weather and falling debris can be life threatening. Here are some tips and suggestions to keep in mind should you find yourself stranded outdoors. This list is by no means comprehensive, so consider reading up on specific types of short- and long-term shelters before you head out into the wilds.

• Stay as close as you safely can to a source of water.

• Look for existing shelter provided by nature (overhangs, hollows, caves, trees and outcroppings) or by humans (abandoned structures). Be sure to check that there are no animal inhabitants.

• Make yourself a wilderness bed.

Sleeping directly on the ground can drain body heat. Resting atop piles of grasses, pine needles or leaves can help maintain your core temperature.

The body’s normal temperature of 98.6 Fahrenheit only needs to drop 3 degrees for you to begin to feel the effects of hypothermia. Pile up more than you think you need; your body weight and movement can easily find you back on cold, hard ground again.

• Be careful not to build your bed or shelter with or on poisonous plants like poison ivy or near ground infested with biting insects.

• Keep in mind that your shelter doesn’t need to be much bigger than you are.

Think of it like a sleeping bag or a nest made of forest debris. Don’t be afraid to get dirty.

FRENCH LICK, IN

• Avoid ditches or low ground, especially in rainy or wet conditions. Stay as dry and warm as possible.

• Get as much a sleep as you can. Sleep deprivation impairs judgment and critical thinking—both of which are crucial in survival situations.

• Stay visible for potential rescuers. This can be difficult in a nest of leaves and sticks, but give thought to the likely direction and methods of searchers.

Your knowledge and how you interact with your environment in an emergency can make the difference between a cautionary tale and an amazing story. Enjoy the outdoors—and play smart.

Coming in June Survival challenge

All Suite Hotel Near Casino • Indoor Go-Karts Winery • Patoka Lake • Rail Museum Horseback Riding • Spas Pioneer Village • Water Parks Cave Tours • Antique Gallery Artisan Market • Laser Tag Miniature Golf • Zip Lines

Summer 2014 issue

Award Winning Hotel

adventureinmag.com 20% OFF

Golf Rates** When You Stay With Us **Call for details

Free Buffet Breakfast and Wi-Fi 812.936.5300 www.Comfortsuites.com HT-6215751

26

Calendar

of

Events

RUN LONG

JUMP HIGH PLAY HARD GET SWEATY

AIM STEADY

BREAK AWAY

Go. Do.

MARCH 8

APRIL 19

MAY 16-18

Sub-9 Death March

GORUCK Light

Teams of two cyclists compete to be the first to reach a select list of historical cemeteries in and around the Hoosier National Forest.

Where: Midwest Trail Ride Horseman’s Camp, Norman Info: sub9deathmarch.com

Takes place over 4-5 hours, and you will cover roughly 7-10 miles. You will also smile. A lot. We promise.

Where: Indianapolis, TBD Info: goruck.com

I.B.O. Triple Crown National Championship Where: 4H Fairgrounds, US 50, Bedford Info: whiteriverbowhunters.com, 812-279-3636, norm2bears@yahoo.com

Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby

Mustang Miles 5K Run/Walk

Flatliners vs. Hammer City, Code Blue Assassins vs. TBD Where: Frank Southern Ice Arena Info: bleedingheartlandrollerderby.com

Fundraiser for Edgewood Boys & Girls Tennis Teams Where: Edgewood Intermediate School, Ellettsville Info: Kenny Williams, kenny.williams@edwardjones.com, 812-876-3132

MARCH 15 Bedford Lions Club Fitness Challenge Fundraiser for Blessings in a Backpack.

Where: Englewood School Info: Jim Sowders, j.sowders@comcast.net, 812-275-6155

Mother/Son Bowling Where: Kingpins BowlBroadview, Bedford Info: City of Bedford, bedford.in.us, 812-275-5692

MARCH 16-23 IU Outdoor Adventures Spring Break Trips Backpacking through Zion National Park Backpacking in the Grand Canyon Canoeing on the Rio Grande River Climbing Shelf Road in Colorado Info: Call or visit IU Outdoor Adventure 812-855-2231, 1900 10th St, Bloomington.

Email tkivland@indiana.edu for details.

MARCH 22

APRIL 25-27 Morel Festival Simply music, simply mushrooms. Camp onsite, learn morel-hunting tips, and enjoy live music.

Where: 5163 State Road 135, North Morgantown Info: morelfestival.com, 317-383-6450, morelfestival@gmail.com

JUNE 1

4-mile obstacle race.

Where: Haspin Acres, Laurel, Ind. Info: spartanrace.com

Brown County is Indiana’s top mountain bike destination. The trails are very scenic, with plenty of challenge. The course contains quite a bit of climbing, but all at rideable grades. The Intro, Junior 10 and under, and Beginner Women’s categories skip the most difficult portion of the course.

Where: Brown County State Park Info: dinoseries.com

APRIL 26-27

MARCH 29

Where: 1925 First Avenue, Seymour Info: tri-stategunshows.com

MAY 1 Morel Mushroom Festival and Sale Morel hunt and contest, cooking demonstration, live birds of prey and more.

Where: Brown County State Park Nature Center Info: friendsbcsp.org, 812-988-5240, friendsbcsp@gmail.com

IU Habitat for Humanity 5K

MAY 10

Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity Where: Lower Cascades Park Shelter, Bloomington Info: Si Yu Huang, sihuang@umail.iu.edu

Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby

Hoosier Half Marathon and 5K Where: DeVault Alumni Center, Bloomington Info: Bill Bartley, bill@inrunco.com, 317-340-7506

APRIL 18 GORUCK Challenge A team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of Special Operations training.

Both hours and miles number in the double digits.

Where: Indianapolis, TBD Info: goruck.com

Flatliners and Code Blue Assassins vs.

Nashville Where: Frank Southern Ice Arena Info: bleedingheartlandrollerderby.com

Kenda DINO Mountain Bike Series

Tri-State Gun Show

Where: Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis Info: indiananasp.com

MAY 31 Bleeding Heartland Roller Derby

APRIL 26

Fundraiser for Mag 7 Where: Smith’s Shoe Center, Bloomington Info: Jo Throckmorton, jo@mag7raceseries.com, 812-272-4789

Indiana National Archery in the Schools Program State Tournament

Go Dirty Girl Mud Run Run, walk, climb, crawl through a muddy obstacle 5K. Where: White River Paintball, Indianapolis Info: godirtygirl.com

Indianapolis Spartan Sprint

Mag 7K Run & Expo

APRIL 5

Want to see your event listed on this page? Email info to adventure@ hoosiertimes.com

Easter Egg Hunt Where: 6747 E Gasthof Village Rd, Montgomery Info: gasthofamishvillage.com, 812-486-4900

MAY 17

Costume/charity bout Where: Frank Southern Ice Arena Info: bleedingheartlandrollerderby.com

Dances with Dirt Gnawbone Fundraiser for Brown County State Park, Hoosier Mountain Bike Association, Horseman’s Association Where: Mike’s Music and Dance Barn, Nashville, Ind. Info: Tracey Cohen, events@runningfit.com, 734-929-9022

Fallen Officers Memorial 5K Fundraiser for Morgan County Fallen Officers Fund, Inc. Where: Liberty Christian Church, Martinsville Info: Garry Long, garry.long@comcast.net, 765-3495073

JUNE 6-8 Midwest Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic An entire weekend of camping, mountain biking, fun and friends. Come for the day or stay for the weekend.

Where: Brown County State Park Info: midwestwomensclinic.com

JUNE 14 Spring Festival Variety of vendors, gospel music, carriage rides. Gift shops, Amish buffet and bakery.

Groups welcome.

Where: Montgomery, Ind. Info: gasthofamishvillage.com, 812-486-4900

JUNE 26-29 State Shoot Where: Sugar Creek Hunting Preserve, 2191 Bono Rd, Mitchell Info: sugarcreekhunting.com, 812-849-5020 (lodge), 812-276-9675 (cell), sugarcreekhunting@yahoo.com.

27

Oh,there’s a

reason we’re not glossy.

DONE

?

READING

Burn it

It’s printed on post-consumer newsprint and is safe for use as kindling.

Wrap it

The soy-based inks make it safe for food—a true fish wrapper.

Crumple it Balled-up newsprint absorbs odor from smelly shoes.

Pack it

It’s backpack-sized for emergency use as a wick, sieve or napkin.

Recycle it

Send it to a recycler for future re-use, or better yet, give it to a friend.

RUN LONG

JUMP HIGH PLAY HARD GET SWEATY

AIM STEADY

BREAK AWAY

SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA’S ADVENTURE MAGAZINE

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