Fall 2011 Women's Adventure Magazine

LONDON 2 LONDON BY BIKE AND BOAT

FALL 2011

Yes You Can

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Fear and Loathing on the Gauley River Playing the Pain Game THRIVE IN THE WILD™ $4.99 US $6.99 CAN V9N3

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Cowgirl Up

Climbing Tips, Training for the Slopes, Great Gear for Fall, and More!

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contributors

Lynn Morris

A multimedia journalist from the UK, Lynn Morris has worked for the BBC, the Press Association, The Ecologist, Go!, and Women’s Adventure among other websites and magazines. Currently living and working in Sierra Leone, she is also a director of an environmental education charity called Atlantic Rising (atlanticrising.org). Lynn earned a degree in anthropology from Cambridge University and a master’s degree from Manchester University. In the last couple of years, she traveled 28,000 miles around the edge of the Atlantic Ocean overland as part of an environmental education project. She managed her freelance writing while being kidnapped by rebels in Cote d’Ivoire, ship wrecked in Guinea-Bissau, and suffered from dengue fever in Venezuela. She mostly writes about travel, the environment, and people doing adventurous things. Lynn is sometimes on Twitter @journolynn.

Erin Rottman

A bona fide city girl who thought kayakers were crazy, Erin Rottman earned a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and went on to newspaper jobs in Los Angeles.

It only took one Colorado winter for the adventure to find its way out, and city council and school board meetings got traded for steep mountains and fast rivers. Now, Erin divides her time between Los Angeles, where she plays USTA competitive tennis, and Crested Butte, Colo. After her first year in Colorado, she became a PSIA-certified ski instructor for people with disabilities. In summer, she paddles, mountain bikes, and goes on multi-day rafting adventures with her family on the Colorado River. Her work has appeared in Shape, Fit Pregnancy, and Los Angeles magazines. Erin’s latest kayaking accomplishment is perfecting the offside roll.

EDITORIAL Skiing the French alps on a perfect snow day.

] ]

In the Philippines scuba diving and hiking.

]

In Peru exploring Machu Picchu.

[

EDITOR IN CHIEF REBECCA HEATON

In Bali on a yoga retreat.

Art Director Rebecca Finkel Web Director Susan Hayse

[

Paddling down the Tarn in France.

Assistant Editor Jennifer Olson Copy Editors Mira Perrizo, Michael Bragg

Contributing Writers Jen Aist, Shiromi Arserio, Laura Binks, Kate Bongiovanni, Adam Chase, Melissa Gaskill, Heather Hansman, Lynn Morris, Erin Rottman, and Molly Sprayregen Floating in a canoe on

]

Jackson Lake in Wyoming.

Editorial Interns Laura Binks, Molly Sprayregen

Contributing Photographers Jack Affleck, Ron Behrmann, Tris Bucaro, Richard Donovan, Kennan Harvey, Martin Hatley, Michael Hayes, Alex Hibbert, Erik Isakson, Allen Krughoff, Charles Lane, Beth Lockhar, Zach Mahone, Nigel Millard, Brian Mohr, Kathy O’Malley, Ande Peersen, Jim Shannon, Re Wikstrom SUBMISSIONS For contributor’s guidelines, visit www.womensadventuremagazine.com/contributors-guidelines Editorial queries or submissions should be sent to edit@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com Photo queries should be sent to photos@womensadventuremagazine.com Women’s Adventure is always looking for new and innovative products for women. For consideration, please send non-returnable samples to 3360 Mitchell Lane, Suite E, Boulder, CO 80301

PUBLISHING

PUBLISHER SUE SHEERIN

[

Meditating at an ashram in India.

Key Accounts Sue Sheerin

sue@womensadventuremagazine.com 303 931 6057

Molly Sprayregen

Molly has two great passions: writing and adventure. As a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, she is taking advantage of every opportunity to combine these two loves. She has written for such Penn publications as the Pennsylvania Gazette, 34th Street Magazine, and First Call Magazine, and spent the summer as an intern at Women’s Adventure. Hailing from Chicago, Molly has spent every summer since age nine exploring woods, mountains, and waterfalls around the country and around the world. She most recently climbed California’s Mt. Langley as part of the Summit For Someone program, helping raise money to send urban teens on backpacking trips. She believes everyone deserves the opportunity to discover the enchantment the outdoors can bring, and she hopes to keep showcasing that enchantment through her writing.

2 WAM • FALL | 2011

If you could be anywhere in the world at this moment, where would you be and what would you be doing?

Account Manager Lisa Sinclair

lisa@womensadventuremagazine.com 970 556 3279

Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Laura Brigham

[

Learning how to surf in Australia.

laura@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Meghan Maloney

meghan@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Copyright © 2011 by Big Earth Publishing. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is expressly prohibited.

Outdoor activities are inherently risky and participation can cause injury or loss of life.

Please consult your doctor prior to beginning any workout program or sports activity, and seek out a qualified instructor. Big Earth Publishing will not be held responsible for your decision to thrive in the wild. Have fun!

womensadventuremagazine.com

The super-light, low- profile designs get you closer to the earth and deliver a number of positive benefits while you are having fun outside

HOW IT WORKS:

Table of Contents

Contents

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Features Around the World in 850 Days Sarah Outen has a background in adventure. She is the youngest person and first woman to have rowed solo across the Indian Ocean. And now she has embarked on her next journey: traveling from London to London on a humanpowered circumnavigation of the planet.

52

A River Ran Me… Out of Town

From early September to mid-October, the Gauley River in West Virginia becomes one of the rowdiest stretches of whitewater in the country. Rafting guides from around the country flock to the area to work. Heather Hansman is one of them. Having guided for several seasons in Maine and Colorado, A look at

she felt ready to take reflective

on the Gauley. Or at sses, wear, sungla least she thought. e-

GEAR

30

40 Climbing

12 On the Map

26 I’m Proof

14 Pinpoint

28 Destinations

16 Trends

0 Try This Skydiving 3 1 Dream Job 3

A world of adventure awaits

Underwater destinations

Cute commuter bags

17 Media Reviews Books for fall

18 Manhandle

Hair today, gone tomorrow

20 Psychobabble Head game

22 It’s Personal

Records are meant to be broken

Learn 3 great moves

42 Ski & Snowboard Training

NM, CA & MA

Get ready for the slopes

CEO at Backcountry.com

32 Roar

Eliminating plastic pollution

34 Über Girl

40

46 Parenting

Backpacking with kids

6 Marketplace 6 7 Partnerships 6 8 Musings 6

Without pause

36 Beyond

Cowgirl tales

Healing is half the battle

4 WAM • FALL | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

ALEX HIBBERT; COURTESY OF HEATHER HANSMAN; PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE; CASIE ZALUD; COVER IMAGE: JUSTIN BAILIE / TANDEM

d lif an d insulate r fall. fo s st ve style

master

16

57

aspire

wonder

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Ann Mehl is a certified life and career coach. In her weekly blog, she discusses hot-button issues and how you can be a better person in your everyday life.

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Our edit team reviews a new bit of gear every Tuesday for your active adventures.

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Gear Fridays

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Have an adventure while giving something back

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Running Tours for Adventurous Women!

Angkor Wat Half Marathon & 10K Vietnam & Cambodia

Editor’s Letter

S

“

o, what do you do?” This is an oft-asked question when people meet for the first time and are searching for a way to break the ice. The strange thing, though, is that these five words can have such different meaning depending on where they are being asked. Let me explain.

I originally hail from the East Coast, most recently from Washington, D.C., where the majority of people are wed to their work. It’s suits and ties, nylons and heels, 9 to 5 (if you’re lucky) in an office. And when people ask the question, “So, what do you do?” they expect the answer to be what your job is.

Nov. 26 - Dec. 6, 2011 BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: 11 Days / 8 Nights (3 Nights Hanoi, 5 Nights Siem Reap) • Air fare on Cathay Pacific from LAX, Intra-Asia Air • Superior First Class Hotels, Full American breakfast daily, Special Lunches & Dinners, Extensive Sightseeing including famous Angkor Wat Temple • Park and Run Fees. $3,680.00 (sharing double room) from LAX, plus air tax

Optional 5-day Air Extension to Phuket & Koh Yao Island

Kilimanjaro Half Marathon & 5K

When I first moved to Colorado 11 years ago, this same question came up in conversations with new people. However, instead of wanting to know your professional stature, those asking the question were more often curious about what you do for fun.

How sane is that?

It really all comes down to how we choose to relate to one another. In D.C., once you find out what someone does, it’s a conversation starter. Hopefully.

You find interest in one another’s jobs and get a sense of each other’s personality and passions.

Or it can be the reverse. For some, once they find out what you do work wise, and there is no common ground or you can’t connect them with so-and-so to help advance their career, the conversation comes to a standstill. I say this from experience.

The same happens in Colorado to a degree. When someone asks me, “So, what do you do?” I tell them I mountain bike, I road bike, I hike with my dog, I do yoga, I cross-country ski. And if they do any or all of the above, we have something to talk about. But I’m not much of a paddler or climber or hardcore downhill skier, so when I’ve met people who are passionate about any of these activities, we don’t have as much to talk about.

BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: 13 Days / 10 Nights • Game Safari in Tanzania including famous Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara • Deluxe Camping Safari • Most meals, Run Fee, Pasta and festive Farewell Dinner • Optional balloon safari From $5780.00 (sharing double room) from Minneapolis (other US cities avail.),plus air tax

Optional 6-day trekking extension to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Great Wall

Marathon/Half Marathon/10K China - Programs to Beijing, Xian, Tibet May, 2012 PLEASE CONTACT:

Kathy Loper Events 619-298-7400

Through my years as an outdoor and fitness writer, I have had numerous opportunities to give different sports a try and I’ve taken away something from each experience. My first time rock climbing, I was terrified shimmying up a 100-foot wall, then exhilarated when my instructor belayed me down. I tried ice climbing and was fascinated by how, with the right tools and skills, a human can scale a wall of ice. In a kayak roll class, I learned that I should have been wearing nose plugs and that I was much happier on a sit-on-top kayak in the rapids. And in a steep bumps ski clinic, the moguls were actually polar bears facing downhill and all I had to do was ski around or over the back of them, just not over a polar bear’s “head” where I could risk getting bit.

Life is all about trying new things, and when you narrow it down to the things that you like best, you stick with them. The next time you are posed the question, “So, what do you do?” you could simply answer, “I enjoy life.”

Moving forward as the new editor of Women’s Adventure, I promise to instill this mantra in the magazine’s pages.

Enjoy,

www.kathyloperevents.com CST# 2080745-40

8 WAM • FALL | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

CASIE ZALUD

February 16 - 28, 2012

This isn’t a bad thing, though. And it doesn’t happen all of the time. I am generalizing somewhat.

I have had wonderful discussions with all kinds of outdoorsy types, and have given a number of activities a try, such as climbing and paddling. But I only have time to fit so many sports into my schedule—and have only so much room for gear in my closet—so I tend to hang out with others who share in my chosen outdoor pursuits.

wonde

14 Pinpoint 16 Trends

Explore the Seas

Commute with Style

20 Psychobabble

Fighting Fear

ERIK ISAKSON

Multnomah Falls is an awe-inspiring 611-foot-tall cascade of water in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. A runner enjoys a close-up view as she crosses Benson Bridge.

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On the Map

On the Map

North Pole

Women’s leaders, readers, events, and adventures around the world…

—Compiled by Laura Binks and Molly Sprayregen

Ontario

Los Angeles Del Mar

Arizona

New Orleans

Mexico

With a mission to empower women toward a healthy lifestyle, the Athleta Iron Girl Event Series has grown to 14 events nationwide. This fall, try a 10K in Del Mar, Calif., on November 6 or a half marathon in New Orleans on November 20. irongirl.com The 2012 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships will be held February 10–12, 2012 in Los Angeles, making it the second time the United States has ever hosted the event. The race involves about 230 athletes from 30 countries, but it holds special significance for the United States, as it is the final event that will determine who qualifies for the 2012 Paralympic team. homedepotcenter.com

12 WAM • FALL | 2011

England

Run and play in Mazatlan, Mexico, December 3–4, 2011 for the Great Pacific Marathon. The marathon is December 4, along with a 5K, 10K, and half marathon. But the not-to-miss event is the night before: the release of 1,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles on the beach opposite the Mazatlan Aquarium. The aquarium releases the turtles to promote respect for the environment and family life among community and visitors. maraton.org

TOP TO BOTTOM: COURTESY OF FRONTIER ADVENTURE SPORTS & TRAINING; CHARLES LANE; COURTESY OF IRON GIRL; U.S. PARALYMPICS

See dozens of people drop out of the sky in Eloy, Ariz., where the USPA National Skydiving Championships will take place from October 27 to November 5. As the largest annual skydiving event in the world, the competition features over 500 competitors participating in over 24 events, from freestyle skydiving to formation skydiving, in which teams attempt to form geometric shapes during freefall. uspa.org

New to adventure racing? No experience is needed for the Frontier AC Fall Classic on September 24 in Muskoka, Ontario. The event is designed as a fun first step into adventure racing. Try paddling, mountain biking, and trekking as part of a team of three or solo. Prepare yourself to be put to the test by this adventure race that could take 12 hours or longer to complete. facebook.com/frontieradventurechallenge

This February (delayed a year due to funds), Rosie Stancer will begin her second attempt to complete the first women’s North Pole solo expedition. For 60–70 days, Rosie will take on the frozen Arctic Ocean, walking, skiing, climbing, and swimming across 415 nautical miles. She’ll face polar bears, sleep deprivation, unstable ice conditions, extreme weather, and temperatures as low as -40° C. During her first attempt in 2007, Rosie was airlifted out with just 89 nautical miles to go. Now, she wants to show others that it really is possible to achieve their goals. rosiestancer.com

In 2012, the last Olympic sport to feature only male participants will finally include women.

Thirty-six female boxers will get the opportunity to throw some Olympic punches for the first time in London next summer. Three female weight classes have been added to the boxing competition, making this an historic Olympic Games. london2012.com

Haiyang, China will host the 3rd Asian Beach Games from June 16–22, 2012. The games include 45 countries participating in 12 events, featuring a combination of modern sports and variations on traditional ones. Dragon Boat racing, powered paragliding, beach handball, and beach basketball are among the exciting competitions taking place next summer. ocasia.org

China

TOP TO BOTTOM: MARTIN HATLEY; TOURISM PORT DOUGLAS; COURTESY OF PEAKS FOUNDATION; RICHARD DONOVAN

Kenya

This January, 12 professional female climbers will begin the Peaks Foundation’s 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge, summiting three of East Africa’s highest mountains in a span of three weeks. The Peaks Foundation runs female climbing initiatives to raise money for local organizations, offering challenges like 3 Peaks 3 Weeks, 1 Peak 1 Week, and Your Peak Your Week. These 12 women will raise money for three East African non-profits while they climb. peaksfoundation.org

The seventh Antarctic Ice Marathon, the southernmost marathon on earth, takes place November 30, 2011. The race is located just a few hundred miles from the South Pole at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains with an altitude of 3,000 feet. It’s a unique opportunity, but with an average windchill of -20° C and winds that can blow from the South Pole at a steady 10-25 knots, don’t expect to set a PR. icemarathon.com Antarctica

On November 14, 2012, a total solar eclipse will send a Queensland, Australia, morning into darkness.

To commemorate the breathtaking two minutes during which the sun is completely covered by the moon, runners will participate in an event unlike any other: the Solar Eclipse Marathon. At Four-Mile Beach, runners will begin the race Australia when the sun starts to reappear in the sky, finding an active way to celebrate the wonders of the universe. solar-eclipse-marathon.com

The all-female triathlon series in Australia, Triathlon Pink, has five events this fall and winter in Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth, Sunshine Coast, and Melbourne.

Proceeds go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which is a not-for-profit foundation established to promote and support research in every aspect of breast cancer. You can compete as a team or individual in the short, medium, or long course. triathlonpink.com.au

w

Pinpoint

Underwater Destinations Exploring the world’s most exotic dive locales

By Shiromi Arserio and Jennifer Olson

I

t’s loud on the surface of the water, with waves crashing all around. You feel awkward and unbalanced on the swaying boat deck with a heavy tank on your back, an air regulator in your mouth, a mask on your face, and fins on your feet. But once you dive down, the world around you transforms.

Underwater, everything is silent, save for the sound of your own breathing amplified by the dive apparatus. And your once-cumbersome gear morphs you into a graceful human water creature.

When you’re scuba diving, the world seems slightly emptier down below, away from the hustle and bustle of people. Yet, as you find yourself surrounded by enormous schools of curious fish and playing peek-a-boo with critters living in colorful coral, you are reminded of how full and diverse the world really is. Suddenly the training, the heavy air tanks, the momentary pressure in your ears, and the queasy boat ride all become worthwhile.

Sipadan Island,

Malaysia Off the coast of Malaysia, just east of Borneo, is Sipadan Island, which underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau described as an “untouched piece of art.” In Sipadan’s pristine water roam schools of giant trevally (large game fish), patrolled by solitary reef sharks. Friendly, curious turtles are also a common sight, as Sipadan has one of the world’s largest sea turtle populations. At Barracuda Point, you can spot snapper and bumphead parrotfish, but the main event is the large swirling vortex of barracuda.

A kaleidoscope of vibrant coral is on display at Hanging Gardens, an ideal wall dive for snorkelers and new divers. While peering over the steep drop-off, keep an eye out for hammerhead sharks resting on plateaus in the abyss.

Insider Tips: Sipadan has a daily

120-person limit. However, permits are easier to obtain during rainy winter months. Contact resorts on Kapalai (sipadan-kapalai.com) or Mabul (sipadan-mabul.com.my) for permits and dive boats.

Ras Mohammed, Egypt

This spectacular reef off of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in the Red Sea is home to hundreds of species of coral and fish. Coral pinnacles rise up from the seabed at Shark Reef, while grouper, stingrays, and moray eels congregate near a wall.

Use the stronger currents to drift over to Yolanda Reef, where you’ll find the wreckage of the Cyprian cargo ship, Yolanda, which carried toilets that are strewn on the seafloor and now serve as homes to colorful fish. In the reef garden at Anemone City you can find anemone fish and multitudes of wrasse. Conditions here tend to be calmer, making it popular for beginner divers.

Insider Tips: Dry weather and

cool temperatures in the winter months result in clearer water, with visibility averaging 150 feet.

Diving Ras Mohammed is primarily via boat, which most resorts provide. If yours doesn’t, contact The Wave, a PADI-certified dive shop. thewavediving.com

Cayman Islands, Caribbean

Nothing can spoil a scuba diver like the warm water, maximum visibility, immaculate wrecks, lively reefs, and wall dives of the Caribbean’s Cayman Islands. Whether shore or boat diving, visitors can observe an array of fish, such as sharpnose puffers, parrotfish, spotted trunkfish, grouper, damselfish, and honeycomb cowfish. Or you can discover life inhabiting purpose-sunk wrecks, like the 330-foot Captain Keith Tibbetts wreck off Cayman Brac and the new Kittiwake wreck off Grand Cayman.

Nurse sharks are spotted occasionally during wall dives on the east end of Grand Cayman, not too far from If it’s been more than a year since your last dive, consider taking a refresher course.

PADI offers an online SCUBA Tune-Up course on safe diving practices. Your local dive shop may even offer a refresher pool class too. padi.com/scuba

14 WAM • FALL | 2011

the Blue Iguana Recovery Program (blueiguana.ky) and a blissful aprèsdive spot, Rum Point. Snorkelers may enjoy Stingray City or swim with barracuda and small reef fish in crystal-clear water just offshore.

Peak season runs November through May, but you’ll score the best deals in summer and fall.

COURTESY OF CAYMAN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM; LAWSON WOOD

Of all the spectacular underwater places around the world to explore underwater, here are four of our favorites.

t

Insider Tips: Park your fins on

Grand Cayman’s northwest side at Cobalt Coast Resort (cobaltcoast. com) or in the eco-friendly Lighthouse Point condos (lighthousepoint-cayman.com), where Divetech (divetech.com) shines as the in-house dive shop. Or check out the locals’ best-kept secret on the east end: Ocean Frontiers (oceanfrontiers. com). Hop over to a sister island and stay at Brac Reef Beach Resort (bracreef.com) where Reef Divers II guides you on three dives—even night dives—each day.

t womensadventuremagazine.com

t Western Australia’s best-kept secret offers the biological diversity of the Great Barrier Reef— without the crowds. Consisting of more than 160 miles of coral reef, Ningaloo is home to dugongs, manta rays, and migrating humpback whales. Sea turtles are also abundant, as the reef is a breeding ground for endangered turtles.

But the area’s biggest draw is the elusive whale shark. Reaching up to 40 feet long, this filterfeeding shark is the largest species of fish in the world, and Ningaloo is one of the most reliable places to watch them. What’s more, you don’t have to be a diver to observe these creatures.

Manta rays prefer shallow waters and whale sharks tend to swim just below the surface, making snorkeling at Ningaloo almost as enjoyable as diving.

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Insider Tips: Humpback whales visit between

July and November, while whale sharks arrive in March. Boats to Ningaloo leave from either Exmouth (exmouthdiving.com.au) or Coral Bay (ningalooreefdive.com/tours.html).

t

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16 WAM • FALL | 2011

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Media Reviews

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Books for Fall

Three reads that dig into different psyches

By Molly Sprayregen

Hell on Two Wheels

I

n Hell on Two Wheels, Amy Snyder provides an astonishingly well-reported story of a group of athletes who face sleep deprivation, hallucinations, heat stroke, respiratory problems, neck failure, and so much more in the Race Across America, a competition to be the first man or woman to reach Maryland from the Pacific Coast. This race is not done in stages like the Tour de France. Instead, athletes bike straight through the nights, sleeping no more than three hours a day, and usually far less.

Everything about this book is exciting because everything about this race is different from anything you think you already know about cycling. You will learn something new and astounding on every page, and be left wishing that you could spend more time hanging out with some of the greatest athletes in the world, who, more than anything, teach us about the extraordinary power of the mind. (Triumph Books, $25)

A Blistered Kind of Love

My Year with Eleanor

T

A

One Couple’s Trial by Trail

he miracle of Angela and Duffy Ballard’s Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike came not from their completing the journey but instead from the fact that, after five months, 6,300,000 steps, 1 knee injury, 36 blisters, a marmot attack, 528 ibuprofen doses, and countless arguments, they were even more in love than when they began. (Mountaineers Books, $18.95)

A Memoir

fter losing her job as a fast-paced blogger, Noelle Hancock decided it was time to change more than her occupation. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” So, for 365 days, Hancock did just that. From karaoke to shark diving, Hancock chronicles her discovery that, by embracing and understanding her fears, she can dominate them. And by intertwining her own story with that of Eleanor Roosevelt, Hancock adds fascinating depth to an inspiring tale. (Harper Collins, $25)

WAM • FALL | 2011 17 women-perf_2,25x9,75_us.indd 1

23.08.11 19:11

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Manhandle

Hair Today, I Gone Tomorrow The ups and downs of how much body hair is too much—or too little—on men and women

By Adam W. Chase

18 WAM • FALL | 2011

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know I live in Boulder, Colo., where many men shave their legs for that competitive edge, but I’m still surprised at how many of my male friends do it. Over the past decades, I have shaved and haven’t, based on whether I was doing triathlons, adventure races, or only running. Yes, shaving makes it easier to deal with road rash and helps with massage, wetsuit removal, and hydrodynamics, but it also feels really good when you get into bed, especially if it’s with a woman who is also freshly shaven. But is it a turnoff when women have major stubble?

Hair or no hair, it’s a personal preference, as is the question of how high that shaving or waxing or laser “ought” to go. Questions about odor, abrasion, or whether a “Brazilian” is a full shave or just leaving a landing strip are all raised by that topic. I doubt that anyone is into stubble, as it represents an “I don’t really care that much”

womensadventuremagazine.com

03.02.2011 16:03:46 Uhr

Manhandle

attitude, like dressing in a sloppy manner. I know one guy who has a fixation on “cleaning things up” and insists on shaving his date as part of the foreplay process. There is another who has such an aversion to inner thigh leg stubble that he avoids certain positions during intercourse. But complete depilation via laser seems a rather dramatic and indelible decision, like getting a tattoo. Although there is always the fallback of a merkin, a pubic “wig.” Google the term; it has an interesting history in films and high fashion.

And, certainly, the roles are easily reversed, with women having their strong preferences for hirsute men or those who are follicle-ly challenged. Similarly, I have had women tell me that they couldn’t go out with

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a man—namely me—who weighed less than they did or who had legs that were thinner than theirs. I’ve also heard women friends worry aloud that their arms or shoulders were getting to be too muscular looking and that the bulges might chase away potential suitors.

While such outward appearances may say something about how seriously a person takes her or his sport or personal hygiene, doesn’t it all come down to attraction and one’s feelings for the individual underneath all the physical manifestations and trappings? Hair comes and goes and so do body shapes, passions for specific sporting disciplines, and levels of fitness. But who someone really is, regardless of whether she or he shaves, waxes, plucks, or lasers, will be a constant. And if someone is that fixated on the minor appearances, then they aren’t worth the time of day, are they? n

WAM • FALL | 2011 19

03.02.2011 16:03:36 Uhr

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Psychobabble

encing it. I can personally attest to this from my recent kayaking mishap in the Amazon. But I am not willing to give up the sport yet. So I reached out to a number of expert kayak instructors and sport psychologists and asked them to share their strategies for helping to reduce fear.

“I don’t like to think of this as avoiding fear, but it’s developing the courage to confront it,” says Greg Chertok, a New Jersey–based certified consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Chertok introduces athletes to mental exercises that help them enhance performance.

Athletes can confront fear with weapons like acknowledgement, self-talk, and focus on skills.

Okay, I understand the research and the misperceptions, and I know I should find peace in the green, lush foliage of this remote Amazon region.

But I still fear that a rock will crash into my head and knock me unconscious, and I won’t be able to roll upright or pull my skirt to get out of the boat, and I’ll never ever make it home to my two girls.

Why can’t I just buck up?

Head Game

Overcoming fear in adventure sports requires mental and physical practice

By Erin Rottman

A

merciless current pushes me too far left and I flip. It should have been an easy move: Stay to the left of the first wave, paddle through the rapid, set my angle before the boulder, and eddy out on the right. But I didn’t quite pull it off. Now I’m upside-down, holding my breath underwater. My heart is beating fast and I’m scared. I push my paddle to the surface and set up for a roll. I miss the roll. I try again and miss again. Instead of kayaking, I am now swimming in Ecuador’s Quijos River.

I am the paddler in the group who wishes the van rides were longer so the river runs could be shorter. I get nauseous when squeezing into my spray skirt. I ask my kayak-crazed husband, “What’s wrong with tennis?”

Adventure sports, perceived as riskier than activities like tennis, often create anxiety in people who are afraid they’ll get hurt. Yet research shows that the risk associated with outdoor sports like whitewater 20 WAM • FALL | 2011

kayaking is more perceived than actual. One study published last year in the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine journal found that college students were less likely to be injured kayaking and rock climbing than they were playing traditional sports like soccer and football. An earlier study in the same journal revealed that, although kayaking is becoming more popular, fatalities and injuries are uncommon.

Peter Sturges, who has run Otter Bar Lodge Kayak School on the California Salmon River with his wife for 30 years, believes that people’s perceptions greatly affect fear levels. Otter Bar used to include a mountain biking program, and Sturges says that with biking, unlike kayaking, they took clients to the hospital every month. Similarly, he adds, “Stand-up paddling is way more dangerous than whitewater kayaking, but people think that it’s less dangerous, so they aren’t afraid.”

Valid or not, fear in adventure sports is real and can affect the performance of the person experi-

I, like many women, have no problem expressing this anxiety. “Men have just as much fear as women, but it’s just not fashionable to show it,” Sturges says. “Women are more open to expressing fear than men.”

When that ugly animal named Fear shows up on the river, experts say it’s helpful to simply acknowledge it. Say hi. “We are harder on ourselves in general,” says Anna Levesque, who leads women’s clinics through her paddling school, Girls at Play.

“When we do feel nervous, we think that something’s wrong.” If you are going through a nervous phase and don’t want to paddle hard rivers, then just don’t paddle them, Levesque says. “It’s OK.” Once in Ecuador—some 3,500 miles from home and tied to a group dynamic—I didn’t have the option to choose a tamer river, so I made sure to stay within one foot of my teacher, Mary DeRiemer of DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, at all times. No way was I leaving her side. We discussed my goal for the week. I wanted to get out of my head and stop wishing that I was on a tennis court. DeRiemer nodded and smiled. “There are three things you need to say to yourself,” she said.

“I am precise, I am powerful, and I’m having fun.

Eventually, you will stop merely telling yourself and actually start believing it.”

Repeating a mantra in your head, or self-talk, helps athletes stay focused, says Chertok. “The body and mind are so powerfully interconnected,” he says.

“Your thoughts are determined by how you feel, which affects how you perform.” Thinking about flipping can prompt our bodies to release chemicals womensadventuremagazine.com

Psychobabble

things down accomplish significantly more than those who don’t,” Chertok says.

I am precise, I am powerful, and I’m having fun.

After I swam the Quijos River with my paddle in hand and boat somewhere downriver, our group stopped for lunch. DeRiemer explained that my roll failed because I didn’t finish it. “No matter how bad the water is where you flip, you just have to tell yourself while you’re underwater, ‘This is going to be the most perfect finish I have ever done,’” she said.

that affect heart rate and muscular tension. Positive self-talk works, Chertok explains, because we associate words like “calm” or “powerful” with feelings that can cultivate encouragement and focus.

Chertok recommends that self-talk be short, positive, and goal-oriented. He also encourages self-talk outside the sport. “Practice is going to produce more favorable results,” he says, adding that uttering a mantra once at the top of a rapid won’t be very productive. Keeping a self-talk journal helps you to acknowledge any possible negative thoughts and determine whether they led to a certain feeling or behavior. “Those who write

More than a tenuous tip, her advice has a psychological foundation; knowing what to think about if you do find yourself upside-down or in any other less-than-ideal situation helps build confidence and dispel fears. “Have a plan,” says Steve Portenga, the University of Denver’s director of sport psychology. A strategy helps you stay in control. You may not be able to govern the currents in the river, but you can scout that water and pick a line. “Know what skills you need to use, then practice them,” he suggests. Someone who doesn’t have a clear sense of what to do is more likely to do it the wrong way.

Having a plan also helps because our brains generally have the capacity to think about one thing at a time, according to Portenga. “If we’re really engaged in some sort of thought process on edging and angle, there’s less room for us to be concerned about fear,” he says.

I guess I shouldn’t multitask on the river, nor should I try to avoid fear by sticking so ridiculously close to my teacher. Chertok insists that these lessons of acknowledgement, self-talk, and focus on skills are larger than the sport itself. “Trust the process. Enjoy the journey,” Chertok says.

“It’s more about life—being able to control your thoughts and being able to manage your anxiety.”

Next time, I plan to put some distance between my boat and my instructor’s boat and then call upon those skills I have learned and practiced with world-class kayak teachers. I just scheduled another river trip to work on reading water and edging.

Before leaving, I am practicing my mantra: I am precise, I am powerful, and I’m having fun. n

SHUTTLESERIES WHEELED GEAR HAULER

+ PHOTO: JOE STOCK

WWW.OSPREYPACKS.COM

WAM • FALL | 2011 21

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It’s Personal

Healing is Half the Battle How can you keep an injury from getting the best of you?

By Kate Bongiovanni

T

he other day a friend told me I must have the patience of a saint. If only he knew. I can lie when I’m typing an e-mail or tweeting. I can shrug my shoulders when asked how I’m coping. I can repeat, “What can I do?” and “I don’t have much of a choice” when inquiring minds want injury updates. A stress fracture in your lower extremities will do that to you.

You tell yourself it’s OK when, really, it’s not.

That’s what happened to me when I got the biggest blow to my endurance sports lifespan, a stress fracture in my left tibia and a prescription to take it easy and lay off running until further notice. When you’re someone who likes to joke that she has adult onset ADD—the only reason that might fully explain her crazy race behavior and inability to sit still—you don’t take that news lightly.

If only that friend knew what I had gone through. The skipped sweat sessions because I couldn’t bear the thought of another night pedaling the stationary bike. The tears pooling in my eyes when I spectated at a race that I wanted to be running. The frustration skiing green runs on a picture-perfect end-of-ski-season day when I should have been tearing up the fresh powder in the back bowls. The week when I laid on the couch wallowing in self pity. And that’s only the first month—the abridged version.

I try to ignore as it tells me I can’t run, practice yoga off my knees, or churn out centuries on my bike. The absence or tardiness at a running event simply because I’m tired of watching runners do what I can’t—and how badly I want to join them.

The depression that kicks in when I know my body is not at 100 percent, I don’t know when it will be, and I literally have to modify every activity from yoga to folding laundry. And the biggest whammy: accepting the fact that I have to cancel a triathlon training camp I hoped to attend since returning from last summer’s experience, because my doctor, my family, and some of my close friends highly advised me against going.

If only he knew what I was hiding from him— or opting not to tell—when asked for a status update. The disappointment of finally having running buddies but not being able to run with them. The reality of knowing that I can’t add triathlons and races to my calendar in case I need to bail altogether. The reluctance to plan an outdoor hiking adventure when I don’t even know if I’ll survive, pain-wise, past the first day. The daily reminder, the pressure on my inner leg that

If only he knew how badly I wanted a DeLorean time machine so I could go back to the future a la Marty McFly and Doc Brown. To fix that series of events in the space-time continuum that brought me to where I am today, bruised and battered mentally and physically. Like the June with a distance event every weekend—a century, a triathlon, a marathon, a 10-day YellowstoneTeton camping trip. Like the winter devoid of recovery—two weeks of boot-camp workouts

22 WAM • FALL | 2011

that felt great at the time but, in retrospect, were a root cause to this malaise, multiple weeks skiing hard in the mountains, training for the Boston Marathon, swapping full nights’ rest for cat-naps, and stretching for more exercise. Like all the other events that naturally weigh down a body, they do so even more when you don’t take the time to properly recover and regroup—or even train.

If only he knew the mistakes I’ve made. My rap sheet of athletic blunders is rather astonishing—and embarrassing. I should know better, understand that my body isn’t able to handle all those rigors even if I wanted it to. I learned the hard way 10 years ago when I woke up feeling like I’d aged 60 years overnight and was so stiff and achy I stopped running for the rest of the summer. But it’s easy to forget about that when you’re practically labeled superwoman because you rocked an event that you never planned to race in the first place and ran a personalbest marathon six weeks after your ankle felt like it was breaking beneath you. And it’s even easier to keep rolling full steam ahead because it feels good, not because it actually is. If I had been more careful from the get-go, I probably wouldn’t be in the situation I’m clawing to get out of now.

If only he knew the giant question looming in my brain: If I’m this crazy now, how can I keep this injury—or some other one—from happening again? It’s one thing to take a break from a sport you love because you want to. It’s entirely different to be forced, especially when those breaks stretch more than two months during summer’s prime and have the potential of lasting six months or more. And I’m practically set up for failure: Research says that once you get a stress fracture, you’re even more likely to get another one. Great. Thanks. Love ya, leg.

But what my friend doesn’t know is he has steadily kept my focus intact. I know I’ll be back out there soon—in some way, shape, or form— because I think I’d go absolutely nuts if my running days were truly over. But the question is when? I only have one race on the calendar, the marathon that became my A race by default when I failed to run more than a 10K at race pace six months prior. Surely my doctor will give me approval by then to run.

The only problem? How much of my sanity am I going to lose in the meantime? I doubt I can tolerate another near meltdown along a race course’s sidelines watching others do what I love without me. I can only be patient for so long before that patience runs out. n womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • FALL | 2011 23

aspir NM, CA & MA

30 Try Skydiving

Take the Leap

36 Cowgirl Tales

Rediscovering the West

BRIAN MOHR / EMBERPHOTO

28 Destinations

Emily Johnson soaks in the scenic fall foliage on two wheels in Vermont’s Green Mountains. The peak time to catch the most vibrant colors is from the last week of September through the first week or two of October.

WAM • FALL | 2011 25

a

I’m Proof That...

I’m Proof That…

Records were meant to be broken Jenny Hadfield

HO M E TOWN: AG E :

Willow Springs, Illinois

44

M OT TO : Live actively.

Author, writer, and endurance athlete.

5- M I N U T E PE AC E : A walk, there is nothing more peaceful than to move a little bit.

FAVO R I T E DE S T I NAT I O N: New Zealand or anywhere off the beaten path.

M U S T - H AV E GE A R : Garmin Forerunner, GRID foam roller, ElliptiGO, and a good variety of lululemon running apparel.

C A R E E R H I GHLI GHT: Being able to help people realize their dreams and change their lives.

S H O RT - T E R M G OA L: Write a book on my own and use the ElliptiGO to train for the JFK 50 Mile in November.

LO N G - T E R M G OA L: Come up with ways to get youth active.

JO B:

W

hen I was five, I won a handstand contest.

Everyone in the neighborhood where I grew up had gotten together for a party. I am not sure whose idea it was to have a handstand contest, but it is my first memory of me competing. Looking back, I realize it was only the beginning.

I haven’t always been an endurance athlete. I was active as a teenager, but it wasn’t until I graduated from college that I was introduced to running.

While completing an internship at GE Medical Systems in Wisconsin, my colleagues would talk about running and eventually turned me on to the sport. At first I couldn’t make it very far, but soon I was running more than I was walking and eventually completed my first 5K. After that, training and endurance adventures became a huge part of my life.

“Fozzie Bear is a constant reminder that no matter how hard things get, life is good and there is humor in everything.”

Jenny (far right) had a great support team on her ElliptiGO journey. From L to R: Kathy O’Malley, husband John Bingham, Deborah Dean, and Tris Bucaro. Fozzie Bear joins Jenny on all of her active adventures.

I was introduced to the ElliptiGO while at a race exhibition. My husband was the one who told me I had to try it. I immediately fell in love with it and knew I wanted to ride it long distances. In 2010, I rode over 500 miles from Chicago to Toronto.

At the time, the ElliptiGO was officially being launched in Canada. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than riding it across the border just in time for the Toronto Marathon on September 22. The adventure started on September 17, and after six days of riding from Chicago, through Indiana and Michigan, and into Toronto, I had gone 507.5 miles.

On June 13, 2011, after training for a year, I attempted to break the record for one-day ElliptiGO distance traveled. I knew that I wanted to give it a try and that I could do it. I haven’t always been the fastest, but I knew I could go the farthest. The route was in northwestern Illinois on the Grand Illinois Trail and Parks Bike Tour century course.

There were no aid stations or crowds along the course. Just a “crew” consisting of my husband, John Bingham, and friends who made sure that photographs were taken, food was prepared, and the ElliptiGO was in record-breaking condition.

After about 12 hours of riding time and 152.1 miles, I stopped at the fire department in Harmon, Illinois. I may have set the women’s distance record and done something no one else has done, but I know for me it is all about the adventure.

Happy trails,

26 WAM • FALL | 2011

Jenny

womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESY: JENNY HADFIELD; TRIS BUCARO AND KATHY O’MALLEY

NAME:

—Interview by Laura Binks

WAM • FALL | 2011 27

Destination

Fall Getaways

Worthwhile destinations for those with time, energy, or money to spare

By Melissa Gaskill Albuquerque N E W

M E X I CO

Piñon-scented desert air, blue skies, mountain peaks, centuries of history, and authentic Southwest culture make mile-high Albuquerque the place for adventure. Best of all, the weather is glorious in fall.

time:

energy:

money:

Spend some time (nearly) alone.

Pick a few days from October 1–9 for the 40th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Festival where more than 500 hot air balloons and 800,000 balloonists and spectators gather. The event includes mass ascensions of balloons, accurate landing contests, and night “balloon glows,” plus parades, parties, concerts, and more. Musts for your itinerary: a balloon ride, of course, and joining a balloon chase team (look for the chase team tower). itsatrip.org/balloon-festival

Hike Pino Trail in the scenic Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area through rolling foothills of cholla and sage up into ponderosa pine and spruce trees. It’s 4 sometimessteep miles with 5,200 feet of elevation gain to an intersection with the Crest Trail near the top of Sandia Peak. Traverse on the Crest Trail, then descend the 7.7-mile La Luz trail, with stunning views of the city. Want to take it (relatively) easy? Hike up and ride the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway down. Either way, arrange a ride back to your car at the trailhead. Pick up trail maps at REI, ranger stations, or order from the National Forest Service. nationalforeststore.com

Hop into one of New Mexico Jeep Tour’s bright red vehicles for a 6-hour tour of 20,000 scenic, private acres on Diamond Tail Ranch. Wander ghost towns, search for pottery shards around Pueblo ruins, spy wild horses, ponder petroglyphs, and soak up the desert ambiance. Experienced tour guides customize the experience around your interests and desired level of activity. Picnic lunch included; stunning view no extra charge. nmjeeptours.com

2–3 days

28 WAM • FALL | 2011

3,200 calories

EXPLORE Climb to Acoma Sky City, an ancient Pueblo community atop a high mesa, home to descendants of the Anasazi.

sccc.acomasky city.org

DRINK Enjoy Albuquerque’s signature drink, a Silver Coin margarita at El Pinto Restaurant & Cantina, made with 100 percent agave platinum tequila, Cointreau, and fresh squeezed limes.

10500 4th St. NW; (505) 898-1771; elpinto.com

EAT The building’s old, but the food is fresh at Cecilia’s Café.

Set your mouth on fire with Carne Adovada, tender pork marinated in red chili, and cool it off with a spoonful of honey.

230 6th St. SW; (505) 243-7070; ceciliascafe.com

REPEAT Come back in December to ski Sandia Peak Ski Area’s 20-plus trails, quickly accessible from town via the tramway.

sandiapeak.com

R ACE Day of the Tread on October 16 has it all—a half or full marathon, 5 and 10K walk/ run, and bicycle rides of 12, 26, 54, 80, or 100 miles.

Costumes encouraged!

dayofthetread.com

BIKE S H OP The Kickstand, northwest corner of Juan Tabo Blvd. and Menaul Blvd.

(505) 299-2624; thekickstand505. com

RUNNING S TORE Fleet Feet Sports Albuquerque, 8204 Menaul Blvd.

(505) 299-8922; fleetfeet albuquerque.com

OUTDOOR S TORE REI, 1550 Mercantile Ave. NE

(505) 247-1191; rei.com

$195/person

DREAM adventure:

$400/25 miles

An overnight 25-mile guided canoe or kayak trip on the San Juan River, worldrenowned for its trout fishing and remarkable scenery; nothing beyond Class II waters. Overnight stay in comfy travel trailers with gourmet catered meals.

womensadventuremagazine.com

RON BEHRMANN; MICHAEL HAYES

a

Destination

Cape Cod, M A S S A C H U S E T T S

Monterey, C A L I F O R N I A This iconic piece of California is home to Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, Pebble Beach, and the breathtaking Big Sur coastline. It’s also host to a plethora of opportunities for fall adventure on and off shore. time: 3

a

This quaint slice of New England is where folks from big East Coast cities come to play in the summer. Hit shoulder season in fall for better deals, smaller crowds, and often gorgeous weather.

days

Backpack the rugged, steep, and beautiful Ventana Wilderness to Double Cone. The trailhead starts on Highway 1 at Bottcher’s Gap campground. Hike 7 miles up and over Skinner Ridge and Devil’s Peak and camp at Pat Springs. Day hike from there another 7 miles to summit Ventana Double Cone. Hike back the third day. Check trail conditions and take USGS maps, available at REI or online. ventanawild.org

energy: 1,800

calories

Bike the 18-mile paved Monterey Bay Coastal Trail out and back. The trail traces the stunning shoreline from Pacific Grove to Castroville, with access to beaches, restaurants, and more. Map at mtycounty.com/pgs-parks/bikepath.html

money: 2-tank

dive, $259

Fall offers the best visibility for diving kelp forests in the 6,000-square-mile Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Book a two-tank boat dive with Sanctuary Charters and see reefs, big fish, seals, and sea otters. Boat $96, dive master $80, gear rental $83 (includes tanks, computer, wetsuit); Aquarius Dive Shop, (831) 375-1933; Sanctuary Charters, (866) 737-3483; sanctuary charters.com

time: 7

days

Hop on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and rent the secluded, 3-bedroom Pignatiello Family home, located between historic Edgartown and South Beach. Explore the island by bike (8 bikes come with the house), kayak, or hike.

Off-peak rates $1,500–2,850 per week. (216) 524-1223; marthavacation.com

energy: 5,000

calories

Tour the Cape by bike on a 70-plus-mile portion of The Claire Saltonstall Bikeway, from the Sagamore Bridge to Provincetown. Detour for the scenic 10.7-mile Shining Sea Bikeway, North Falmouth to Woods Hole. crw.org/claire. htm; maps at woodshole.com/bikewaymap.pdf

money: $700

for 6

Board the 36-foot sloop Bounder in East Falmouth for a day exploring harbors and towns around Martha’s Vineyard; hop ashore for lunch. (508) 540-6316; capecodsailingadventures.com

ANDE PEERSEN; FALMOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CAPE COD

E AT Enjoy seafood with a clear conscience.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Restaurant Program participants serve only ocean-friendly fare.

D R I NK Wine, of course—it’s California!

Sample 90-plus area wines at A Taste of Monterey, which overlooks the bay.

montereybay aquarium.org under Restaurant Program; (877) 229-999

(831) 646-5446; tastemonterey.com

EAT The Cape is famous for lobster; get your fix at over-the-water Landfall Restaurant.

Luscombe Ave., Woods Hole; (508) 548-1758; woodshole.com/landfall

DRINK Sip a cup of joe made from organic, fair-trade beans roasted on-site and nibble on a fresh-baked treat in Pie in the Sky’s cozy courtyard.

10 Water St., Woods Hole; (508) 540-5475; woodshole.com/pie

REPEAT May–October, get smart about the ocean at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Exhibit Center or National Marine Fisheries Aquarium, the oldest research aquarium in the country.

15 School St., Woods Hole; (508) 289-2663; woodshole.com/science.htm

RE P E AT Surf, kayak, or build a sandcastle next summer on Monterey State Beach, which stretches from Fisherman’s Wharf to Seaside.

(831) 649-2836; parks.ca.gov

R AC E Big Sur Half Marathon and 5K on Monterey Bay, November 20.

(831) 625-6226; bigsurhalfmarathon.org

B I K E S H OP Bay Bikes, 585 Cannery Row, rents hybrid, mountain, road, and tandems—plus 4-wheel surreys!

(831) 655-2453; baybikes.com

R ACE 34th annual Cape Cod Marathon, half marathon on October 29, full marathon and relay on October 30.

Falmouth; (508) 540-6959; capecodmarathon.com

RU N N IN G S TORE Fleet Feet Sports Monterey, 12 Del Monte Ctr.

(831) 372-5664; fleetfeetmonterey.com

BIKE S H OP Corner Cycle, 115 Palmer Ave., Falmouth

(508) 540 4195; cornercycle.com

O UT D OOR S TOR E Outdoor World, 2222 North Fremont St.

(831) 373-3615; theoutdoorworld.com

RUNNING S TORE Bayside Runner, 38 Long Pond Road, Plymouth

(508) 591-8422; baysiderunner.com

WAM • FALL | 2011 29

a

Try This

Skydiving Take the leap and feel what it’s like to fly

do

• Jump with an instructor attached on your back for your first time. Not only is it safer, but it’s also a great way to decide if you love skydiving enough to spend the many hours—and dollars—it takes to get certified for solo dives.

With a tandem jump, you have a highly experienced jumper accompanying you, and you can enjoy the entire experience in an afternoon.

By Molly Sprayregen

• Elect to have a cameraman jump with you. You’ll be happy to have both a video and still shots of your dive to relive the moment and share your experience with friends and family. Having another person falling next to you makes the jump even more fun because you can interact in the sky. It’s cool to watch someone circling around you and above and below you. During my dive, I grabbed my cameraman’s hand and we spun in circles.

don’t Y

ou know that feeling when you plummet down a rollercoaster and your stomach lags 10 feet behind?

Well here’s a secret: Skydiving doesn’t feel that way. You may be thousands of feet higher than that amusement park ride and strapped to nothing but the instructor on your back, but it only feels like falling for a few seconds. Once the wind resistance sets in, it simply feels like flying.

and craters, rafted through the jungle, and even jumped off a 1,200-foot bridge in Ecuador. I love a thrill, but skydiving was always one step above where I was willing to go. When I saw a video of a friend’s mother skydiving, I expected her to look like I did when I jumped from that bridge: mouth wide in horror, so shocked that screams wouldn’t even come out. But she was smiling, giving peace signs and thumbs up, and flapping her arms like a bird. I had to try it.

I jumped from 14,000 feet—from a plane, of course—and my only regret was not going higher. I wanted to stay in freefall forever because, surprisingly enough, that 150-mileper-hour plunge was the least scary place in the world. It’s hard to describe what it felt like up there, but it definitely did not feel like plummeting toward a rocky death. I was so high that it seemed inconceivable to believe that the ground was waiting for me below. As the wind whooshed my lips into a smile, all I felt was freedom.

I did a tandem for my first jump, which meant my instructor jumped with me and was attached to my back. I would highly recommend this for the first-time jumper. All of that adrenaline is more than enough to handle without worrying about logistics. Besides, having someone attached to you who jumps 10 times a day is a big comfort.

Think of it this way: You can trust him to get you down safely because he wants to get himself down safely, too.

I’ve always been an adventurer. I’ve backpacked all over the world, rappeled down waterfalls 30 WAM • FALL | 2011

Standing on the edge of the plane, it helped having that extra push behind me. I was connected to someone, and when he jumped, I had to go with him. There was no option to back

• Choose the cheapest skydiving facility.

Do your research on safety regulations and get recommendations from others who have tried it and had a great experience. More often than not, the best skydive centers are regulated by both the United States Parachute Association and the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Forget to pull the parachute. I was having so much fun that I didn’t notice my instructor tapping me on the shoulder telling me it was time. That’s why I was glad I was flying tandem. I forgot, but he remembered.

down. And, even though I was scared at first, I have never felt so simultaneously thrilled and calm than the moment the two of us did a flip into the wide-open sky.

When I was flying, it was the only thing that mattered, and all of my anxieties disappeared.

Never has my mind been so consumed in the moment, concerned with nothing but what I was feeling right then. Skydiving was the most fun I’ve ever had, but it was also an emotional cleanse, as if that immense wind blew away all of my problems, making me see that it really is possible to be that happy and carefree. n womensadventuremagazine.com

PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE

The author soaring through the air with the greatest of ease—and the biggest smile.

Dream Job

meet

a

Jill Layfield

By Molly Sprayregen

“This is a fantastic company, full of great people, and I want to do everything I can to make sure this company is here for the long haul.”

In 2004, Jill Layfield took a marketing job at Backcountry.com.

Since her arrival, she has helped the online outdoor retailer grow from 215,000 to 2.6 million orders of gear shipped per year. This year, she was named as the company’s new CEO. And while her new duties are keeping her busy, this

balance that. It is super challenging being a strong leader, but also being very down to earth.

wife and mother of two won’t let anything slow her down.

AG E :

36

S TO M P IN G G ROU N D : JO B:

RE WIKSTROM/BACKCOUNTRY.COM

W

What about your work keeps you motivated?

Park City, Utah

CEO at Backcountry.com

hat is a typical day at work for you?

A typical day involves about 3–4 hours of meetings, usually a combination of meetings with folks that are on the executive staff and those with other employees who are keeping me in the loop about different initiatives we are working on. I also spend a lot of time responding to e-mail. I am a big believer in not letting your e-mail box become unwieldy, so I have a rule that I respond to almost all e-mails within a week. Every day I also spend about a half hour writing a post on an internal blog that all of our employees read, mostly

about progress against our goals.

And finally, I will usually escape in the middle of the day to run or mountain bike or go to the gym. I pretty much need that to keep my energy up.

like a dream job to be able to do e-commerce and also live in an area where access to climbing and skiing is unparalleled.

How did you become interested in working for an outdoor company?

The biggest challenge has been balancing what I think employees want from “the CEO.” They expect me to act differently and they view me differently, so I’m balancing that and filling that role in a way of leadership and authority, but at the same time still remaining who I am and approachable. People want to look up to me, but they also want to relate to me, and I really want to

When I saw the marketing position with Backcountry.com, I was an avid climber. I’ve also been a skier and a mountain biker, but climbing was very much a part of my passion and something that I really spent most of my free time doing. When I saw the position, it seemed

What has been your biggest challenge as CEO?

First and foremost, I love to win.

I’m competitive, and I think of what we do here as being highly competitive because customers have a lot of choices about where they can shop. It’s up to us every day to try to improve our customers’ experience so they continue to come back. I want to make sure we are doing everything to be at the head of the pack. On a personal level, I feel an immense responsibility to all of our employees. This is a fantastic company, full of great people, and I want to do everything I can to make sure this company is here for the long haul.

How do you balance work and being a mom?

I surround myself with the best people, respect their talents and expertise, and delegate. I’m comfortable with the fact that I can do lots well, but maybe not lots perfectly. When it’s time to work, I work. When it’s time to be a mom and wife, I am a mom and wife.

When it’s time to sleep, I sleep.n WAM • FALL | 2011 31

a

Roar

The Deep Blue Sea Plastic pollution in the ocean is infiltrating the food chain and that scares Anna Cummins, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, to death—or at least into action

By Jennifer Olson

She’s been environmentally aware since age 14 when she grasped the links between daily habits and environmental health, becoming a vegetarian and eventually launching a “Bring Your Own” campaign in Los Angeles to discourage single-use plastics. “Simple choices have far-reaching impacts,” Anna says, but she’s the perfect example of how one simple choice can lead to another.

Her lifestyle of focused learning, spontaneity, and activism steered her toward marine conservation and non-profit work. She started by volunteering on an expedition with Captain Charles Moore’s Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Three weeks of sailing off the Baja coast collecting albatross stomach samples opened her eyes. “Every sample,” Anna says, “had plastic in it—lots of plastic. The boluses [that albatross regurgitate] should be full of squid beaks and partially digested fish, but these were full of our synthetic waste.”

Anna’s next expedition was a month-long 4,000-mile journey from Los Angeles to Hawaii with Dr. Marcus Eriksen, who saw eye-to-eye with Anna on the plastics issue. Several things profoundly impacted her on this trip. “For one,” Anna says, “I expected to see an island of garbage the size of Texas. But it was more dispersed.” Plastic was spread over thousands of miles, even broken into particles called confetti. Her second realization: It’s getting in the food chain. They collected 671 samples of fish that normally feed on plankton. Thirty-five percent had plastic in their stomachs. “These fish aren’t commonly food for people,” Anna says, “but they are food for fish like tuna and mahi-mahi that humans do eat.”

The third unmentioned thing that impacted Anna: Marcus. “Somewhere in the middle of the gyre, he made a little ring out of trash and proposed,” she says. “That’s where we decided to spend our lives as a couple and as colleagues doing this work together.”

And that’s exactly what they do. Anna and Marcus incorporated 5 Gyres in 2009 and became the first to research plastic pollution on a global scale. They’ve carried out adventurous awareness campaigns and, as of this year, completed research in all five gyres. “I’ve seen enough to know we have a problem, so now is a good time to step back and engage people in the work we’re doing,” Anna says, emphasizing her aim to educate communities and encourage better daily choices.

32 WAM • FALL | 2011

Anna and Marcus succeed because of their common goal to “make a difference in the world—not just with plastic but through sustainability in a world that’s gone mad,” says 5 Gyres communications director, Stiv Wilson.

Plastic pollution, in particular, hits closer to home than some issues. “As a woman who’s thinking about kids now,” Anna says, “I wonder about the pollutants in my body and worry about passing them to the next generation.” Stiv puts it more plainly, “It scares the crap out of her. That’s just plain wrong, and it’s personal.” That personal hazard inspires all of Anna’s work.

Anna is spending this fall sharing research findings, promoting solutions, and engaging the public to reduce plastic pollution. 5 Gyres’ “Waste to Waves Solutions Tour” aims to educate about plastic marine debris and propagate hands-on solutions on both U.S. coasts. In the works are tools, such as a pocket-sized “solutions card” and an iPhone app with info and tips to reduce plastic pollution.

A life dedicated to marine conservation isn’t so bad, though, Anna says.

“I’m a community and family-oriented person, so it’s tough when I’m away. But I love the adventure. Sometimes Marcus and I look at each other and say, ‘For two people who didn’t have much money going into this, we’ve gotten to see a lot, meet people around the world, and make a difference.’” In the way of encouraging other women with a passion for a cause, Anna says, “If you dive in and start making it happen, people step up and support you.” n

Simple ways to rid the world of disposable plastics: 5 seconds: Bring your own re-usable bags. Ask for your drink “with no straw please!”

5 minutes: Bring your own coffee mug. Carry a reusable water bottle. Pick up 3 pieces of trash a day.

5 hours: Participate in a local beach cleanup. Get your local coffee shop/ market to offer a discount for reusables. Shop at farmers’ markets for local produce (sans packaging).

5 days: Volunteer with a local environmental organization.

5 weeks: Join 5 Gyres on a sailing expedition to research plastic pollution at sea. Visit 5gyres.org to learn more. womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESY OF ANNA CUMMINS AND STIV WILSON

O

f the world’s five major gyres (systems of circulating ocean currents where plastic debris tends to accumulate), only the North Pacific Gyre had been extensively researched for plastic pollution—until Anna Cummins came onto the scene. She sailed the world researching the extent of the world’s plastic pollution problem, tested her own blood for pollutants, rode her bike across two continents raising awareness, and is now stirring the movement toward a solution and eliminating marine pollution, one plastic bag at a time.

The Ultimate Baselayer for women!

For a retailer near you visit www.hot-totties.com

a

Über Girl

Without N Pause

icole Duke has multiple personae. For two of the four seasons during the year, she taps into her competitive side—as a professional stand-up paddle boarder in summer and a professional cyclocross racer in fall. Year-round, she is a wife, a mother of two, and a hair stylist. This fall, she will take on yet another personality as an announcer in the world of Web TV.

So how does she do it all?

Nicole Duke is the ultimate multi-tasker proving that you can be a mom, a professional athlete, and everything in between

By Rebecca Heaton

“I’m not good at pausing,” Nicole says with a smile.

This trait shone through at last year’s Cyclocross Nationals. With two laps to go and having held a solid third place throughout the race, Nicole’s brake pads locked onto her wheel and she couldn’t pedal. “Three girls passed me and I was pissed,” she recalls. “I got to the pit, switched out my bike, and caught back up to them.” The lead group whittled down to Nicole and two of her teammates.

“We were duking it out and the announcer was going crazy,” she says. With half a lap to go, the riders approached a technical section and Nicole gained a 12-second lead. Then she caught her handlebar on a course marker pole and flew off her bike into thick mud. Her teammates rode by. But the race wasn’t over yet for Nicole.

“My bike was messed up from the thick mud, so I just picked it up and started running. I got to a set of stairs and passed my teammates. I was like a fire-breathing dragon,” she says. At the final straightaway, Nicole jumped back on her bike but couldn’t get her shoe in the pedal because of the mud.

Her teammates and several others rode by and Nicole finished in 6th place— one spot off the podium and from consideration for the Worlds team.

“After that finish, I went to a field and lay down and cried,” she says. “I had so much raw energy and emotion and needed a release.” Needless to say, even with this finish, Nicole ended last season as a National Masters Champion.

Nicole has been competitive at a high level since grade school in Tarpon Springs, Fla. She started playing soccer at age 10 and eventually landed a full scholarship at Presbyterian College. But after her freshman year, she burned out on the sport and moved on to her next focus: mountain biking.

As a young girl, Nicole rode dirt bikes with her dad and started racing them at age 7, so she was comfortable going fast on two wheels. When she came home that first summer after college, “I walked into a local bike shop and told them I was going to be a pro mountain biker and that I needed a bike,” she says. Nicole didn’t have enough money to buy a bike, so she put one on hold and worked as a hostess, and eventually in the shop, to make the payments.

“I thought, ‘That is what I want to be doing,’ and I was automatically good at the technical aspects and the speed because of my years of dirt biking,” says This cyclocross season, Nicole will host the “Cyclocross Diaries,” a series of eight “webisodes” with Wend magazine. She will travel to races across the country to conduct interviews and share experiences on the ’cross culture and racing, along with competing herself. The first episode will be filmed at Cross Vegas on September 14. Check it out at wendmag.com.

34 WAM • FALL | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

ALLEN KRUGHOFF

Once the bike was hers, “I started riding with my guy friends and racing crosscountry. I was winning all of my races,” she recalls. In 1994, she won Nationals for women’s sport class in mountain biking. It was at this event in Helen, Ga., that she was drawn to new styles of racing: downhill and dual slalom.

EVOLVED, TO PERFECTION Twist-Lock HyperFlow™ Drink Cap

Nicole. In fact, Nicole was so good that she turned pro—her dream—in 1995 and raced on the national and World Cup circuit. She and her then husband moved to Colorado in 1996, and Nicole ranked in the top 10 at the national level year after year.

Nicole credits her years of downhill racing to her skill and speed on the cyclocross course today. “A lot of women come to cyclocross from road bike racing, so they don’t have those off-road riding skills that I developed racing down mountainsides,” she says. And Nicole has no problem whatsoever getting dirty. “The more mud, the better,” she laughs. Cyclocross courses, unlike paved road bike routes, are notorious for their mud pits.

Cyclocross has also been kinder to Nicole’s body. During her downhill years, she was forever nursing injuries: broken neck, fractured vertebrae, blownout knee (twice), broken ankle, fractured pelvis, broken pinkies (numerous times), along with multiple concussions and contusions. “I was so broken and tired; I wasn’t enjoying it as much anymore,” she recalls.

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In between retiring from downhill racing in 2000 and discovering cyclocross in 2007, Nicole completely shifted gears and enrolled in hair school. “I couldn’t have a pause in my life and I needed to make money, but everyone was asking me, ‘A hair stylist?’” Nicole explains that, even though she’d been known as an aggressive athlete, she’s always had a girlie side. “My dad was a big influence athletically and he treated me like a boy, but my mom was really girlie and always wanted to dress me in the cutest outfits.”During that life shift, she also remarried and had two children, a son, Ryder, and a daughter, Carin.

ZACH MAHONE/TEVA MOUNTAIN GAMES

With a schedule that would seem full to most, Nicole found time to add one more activity to her repertoire: stand-up paddle boarding. “Being away from water and having grown up in Florida was so hard. Paddle boarding gave me this new perspective and I fell in love with it,” she says. As with everything she does, Nicole immersed herself in the sport, teaching lessons and competing in downriver races. At last year’s Whitewater Nationals, she placed second.

Now 36, Nicole is competing at the top level as a pro in cyclocross. She’s aiming to make the Worlds team this season, since she missed it by only one spot at last year’s Nationals. “As an older rider, I’m going to have to be at the top and really prove myself and that I’m worth taking,” she says. “If I make this team, it would be an amazing cap to my career.”

For the first time, she is working with a cycling coach, Frank Overton, to achieve this goal. “I’m going to do everything I can do to be the best that I can be,” she says. But that goes beyond racing. Nicole is committed to being the best in all walks of her life. “I appreciate everything I have,” she says. “It’s a really big challenge to balance being a mom, a wife, a hairstylist, plus do things on the side, such as local bike advocacy, working with women’s events like the Venus de Miles ride, and mentoring other women. I have to just stay focused.”

She is on her way. n WAM • FALL | 2011 35

a

Beyond

“I was at the ranch to re-learn what it means to be a cowgirl. And, so far, the landscape alone was working its magic.” screen at the office. Evening hikes and dinner on my front porch bring me back to nature before I go indoors to check my e-mail—again.

Cowgirl Tales The Wild West still is—inherently—a place of adventure and discovery

By Jennifer Olson

W

hen pioneers settled the American west, they ventured into and explored the unknown. They raised families, grew crops, built homes, and nurtured livestock in lonely, inhospitable spaces. These original cowgirls prepared a lifestyle and cultivated communities in places like Kessler Canyon near Grand Junction, Colo., where the land is harsh and the animals are wild. My recent visit to the Kessler Canyon ranch reminded me of days when life was similarly simple.

I enjoyed a safe existence in the same Wild West that treated others harshly. The most traumatic events of my childhood include breaking my wrist while picking peaches, braving the occasional flashflood, and enduring my dad’s battle with cancer. Sure, I emerged from childhood with my fair share of scars and enough quiet toughness to last a lifetime, but I had it easy compared to the early cowgirls. Nevertheless, I identify with these gals. And, just as their example inspired my adventurous spirit then, it inspires me today.

I lived—like those cowgirls—in the stark landscape of a remote corner of New Mexico.

Growing up, my sister and I worked on our family’s fruit orchard, raised chickens, tended to our dogs, and rode our grandparents’ horses. I wore cowgirl boots (usually red lace-up ones) and went to rodeos. My grandpa taught us to shoot, and I blasted holes in wormy apples lined up behind our barn.

These days, instead of picking apples on autumn weekends, I head off to mountain towns and faraway places to ride bikes, explore new trails, and enjoy stillness in the outdoors. Instead of irrigating the orchard, a regular workweek for me starts with checking my e-mail and scrolling through my Twitter timeline. Then I typically escape outside for a brief morning run or bike ride before spending the day behind a glowing computer

36 WAM • FALL | 2011

I was at the ranch to re-learn what it means to be a cowgirl. And, so far, the landscape alone was working its magic. The unadulterated views reminded me of when I was content with a slow pace of life, as undisturbed and un-extravagant— yet as lovely—as the clear blue sky contrasting with the dusty mesas. The sound of rippling water reminded me that I once sought time alone outdoors to just think or quiet my mind. The calm put the world in perspective. I was relishing this change of scenery.

Although new as a guest ranch, Kessler Canyon sits on 23,000 acres brimming with history.

Photographs at the homestead chronicle lives of the area’s first settlers who hunted game, farmed, and thrived in the canyon. The resident chef gardens on site, and the head ranch hands keep horses, but Kessler Canyon is not a working ranch. Guests come to ride horses or ATVS, hunt, fish, mountain bike, and hike. I was there to experience all of the above.

At the skeet range on day one, I felt sick to my stomach during the gun safety talk, and I was worried the kick from the 20-gauge shotgun would knock me on my butt. What if I forgot to put on the safety or accidentally faced the barrel toward a person? Last time I used a gun, I was 10 years old.

Even in the controlled shooting range environment, I felt uneasy. I hit the clay “rabbit” on my first shot, womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESY OF KESSLER CANYON

Nestled among mountain mesas, Kessler Canyon offers up a remote escape from the wired world and into the Wild West.

During my first hour at Kessler Canyon, I circled the lake, walked along the stream, and enjoyed the fresh air. With no cell phone service and no reason to go online, there was uninterrupted time to simply sit on a rock wall—not that handmade wooden rocking chairs weren’t available—and write.

Electronics and wireless connections didn’t distract, but the rugged mesas rising above me on either side did lure my eyes off my notebook occasionally.

though, and my anxiety eased. I had been a good shot even as a kid. My bullets usually hollowed the apples my Grandpa set out for me.

I explored the mesa on a 4-wheeler that afternoon and took in panoramas of undisturbed mountains and desert. I admired abundant wildflowers and spotted mama bear and cub prints in mud surrounding a natural spring. The quiet up there refreshed and reminded me of days when life was all about exploration and discovery outdoors.

T

hanks to limited Internet and no cell service, I kept this lesson to myself instead of immediately bragging about it in the cyber-social realm. Still, clever 140-character dispatches whirled in my mind: Busted some clay targets and cruised a fireroad on—not two wheels—but four today; Reverting to my redneck ways this week; Three truths and a lie: I took pleasure in target practice. I devoured a juicy steak. I roped and branded cattle.

Later, I experienced an intimate moment that’s becoming increasingly rare in my daily life—making special connections with new acquaintances.

These days, it’s common to “friend” someone after a 30-second interaction online, but it’s uncommon to get to know most “friends” more personally. Floating in a canoe on the lake near the homestead, I talked—dare I say, gossiped?—with two women who were also retreating from the bustling, high-tech world to practice being cowgirls. We barely knew each other yet chatted like old friends. Was it the quiet, the stillness, or the isolation causing this connection? Or was it the absence of an infinite network of cyber “friends” befuddling our opportunity to engage with the flesh and blood women right beside us?

BEAVER DAMAGED

LNT.org

Kessler Canyon, secluded deep in a tranquil valley but just minutes off I-70, is only a few hours from my home. Still, I felt like I was a world away and that time was insignificant. We could have spent hours or 10 minutes on the lake, and it wouldn’t have affected the course of our lives either way.

The lesson I learned while riding horseback at the ranch did affect me, though. I realized that the difference between riding a horse and riding a bike is mainly mental. Both require work, strategy, and control. I’m just a lot better at controlling a responsive, physically sound, full-suspension bike than I am at governing a living creature that should naturally have free will. I trusted the 16-year-old horse would not buck me off, but I didn’t trust its strength or ability to carry me. Plus, he was tired and hungry. He stopped to graze often, and I—being a sympathetic passenger—let him snack. Pushing myself to run when I’m weary is emotionally easier for me than pushing an exhausted animal to a trot when I feel sorry for it. And horseback riding revealed a passive tendency left over from my laidback childhood. “I’m going to be a terrible mother,” I told my riding partner. I couldn’t even properly discipline a horse.

Around the dinner table that final night, I and other ranch guests shared highlights from our stay. Everyone touched on the relaxed atmosphere and attention to old-school values. We all needed a refresher course in the joys of being still, the incentives of patience, and the simplicity of carefree days.

I won’t say I didn’t adore the voicemails, text messages, and e-mails I received after leaving the ranch. It’s nice to know far-away friends are thinking of me, but no one got a call immediately. I waited until I was home, where I could sit still on my porch and talk with my friends one by one, devoting all my attention to life in the moment with them. n

We stand for wildlife, thriving pines, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, climbing and camping out. We think that educating people is the key to land protection, and believe that when people know how to take care of their lands, they will forge the path to protect them.

Because when it comes to healthy lands, we’re all in this together.

WAM • FALL | 2011 37

aster

m

40 Climbing

Learn 3 Great Moves

42 Ski & Snowboard Training 46 Parenting 38  WAM • SPR | 2011

Get Ready for the Slopes

Backpacking with Kids

womensadventuremagazine.com

KENNAN HARVEY

Lisa Hathaway makes her way up the first pitch of Fine Jade, a challenging 5.10+ route in The Rectory Mesa outside of Castle Valley, Utah. The climb offers up constant, outstanding views of Castleton Tower and the La Sal Mountains.

WAM • SPR | 2011 39

Climbing

m Skills GEAR

Your Challenge: Set a goal to climb a higher rating.

Timeframe: 3 months

Who’s Done It:

Freya Rasmussen Revelstoke, British Columbia The best way to improve is to find some partners who climb at higher grades than you and throw yourself on routes that are beyond your level. It builds strength and technique as you try to work out the sequences. This of course is best saved for single pitch sport climbing. It feels amazing to just go try out something really hard and actually make it to the top!

Basics

“If it’s safety equipment, don’t buy it on the cheap,” says Nancy Prichard Bouchard, former Rock & Ice editor. “Consider it an investment like insurance. Getting it 80 percent off is not necessarily a good idea.” Show off your individuality instead with items like your chalk bag, which is less crucial to your safety.

Black Diamond Primrose SA, $54.95; blackdiamondequipment.com This all-new women’s-specific harness takes the cake as a comfy, functional all-arounder. The bullhorn-shaped OpenAir waistbelt has a speedadjust buckle combined with four pressure-molded gear loops and a 12kN-rated haul loop. Added bonuses include an adjustable, releasable elastic rear riser and patent-pending trackFIT adjustable leg loops.

Metolius Yosemite Chalk Bag, $17.95; metoliusclimbing.com This classic cylinder-style bag is host to must-have features like a stiff rim for easy access, a brush holder, an easy-clip belt, and a plush fleece lining. Comes in a wide assortment of colors and patterns.

Five Ten Arrowhead, $165; fiveten.com This snug and supple shoe features a downturned toe complemented by a high arch and a heel cup that hugs the foot. A durable, high-friction rubber at the toe rand and Onyxx outsoles add to this fits-like-a-glove shoe’s topnotch performance.

Petzl GRIGRI 2, $95; petzl.com This assistedbraking belay device is 20 percent lighter and 25 percent smaller than its predecessor, which revolutionized belaying when Petzl introduced it 20 years ago. More versatile than ever—it works with single-rope diameters ranging between 8.9 and 11mm—the updated GRIGRI 2 also features a two-stage progressive descent control handle that aids smooth, controlled lowering.

Types of Climbing

Plus Suggested Destinations for Each

F

or help discovering what and where to climb this fall, we asked around. Former Rock & Ice editor Nancy Prichard Bouchard and pro climbers Ally Rainey and Lizzy Scully divulge their favorite stashes and why they frequent each.

Traditional (trad) climbing requires you

practice route finding, carry all the gear you need to protect the route, and secure the rope (i.e., slings, carabiners, and protection pieces), plus make belay anchors at the top of pitches.

Shwangunk Ridge (a.k.a. “The Gunks”) in New Paltz, N.Y., received a unanimous recommendation. But Yosemite’s big cracks, which are perfect for beginner and intermediate climbers, came in a close second. Colorado’s conglomerate sandstone walls at Eldorado Canyon earned honorable mention. Another New England favorite: Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire. For a game of hide-andseek, though, stay out West. “Your whole body fits into the huge wide cracks at Vedauwoo outside Laramie, Wyo.,” Nancy says.

40 WAM • FALL | 2011

Camp USA helmet, $60; camp-usa.com Ideal for mountaineering and rock or ice climbing, this headlamp-compatible brain bucket is sized for a woman but includes all the great features from the men’s version, such as a rotating adjustment wheel, hybrid construction, and a comfy chin strap. Plus, it weighs just 10.9 oz.

Sport climbing is following preset bolts up

a route. “I love sport climbing in the fall because you can really try hard with less sweaty hands,” says Lizzy. “The rock also feels like it has more grip when temps are cooler.” Try it on one of the 1,800 routes at Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park or on sandstone in the southeast. Both Ally and Lizzy recommend the challenging overhanging routes at West Virginia’s New River Gorge and Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.

Bouldering is working on short climbs

without ropes but over a crash pad. “Everyone has boulders in her own backyard,” Nancy says. But when you want to get away, try Hueco Tanks State Park near El

Paso, Texas. Hueco, which means “hollow” in Spanish, denotes the area boulders’ abundant pocket holds. Ally defaults to Cody, Wyo.’s sandstone bouldering, while Nancy’s go-to is Colorado’s Mt. Evans.

Alpine climbing—essentially ultra-light-

weight, self-sufficient mountaineering—is a way to swiftly ascend to a summit carrying only food rations and the bare minimum amount of gear, which actually includes whatever slings, carabiners, crampons, ice axes, and harness the peak requires. “Stick with rock climbing and bouldering in fall,” Nancy says. “You can still bag some Colorado 14ers before snow hits, but places like the Sierras are too snowy.” womensadventuremagazine.com

Skills

FITNESS

Moves

Taking your climbing to the metaphorical next level could be as simple as learning a few moves. Pro Five Ten-sponsored climber Angie Payne— whose competitive climbing resume includes indoor wins, such as three ABS National Championships, and outdoor successes, marked by her first female ascent of a confirmed V13—demonstrates three moves that will up your skill level and take you higher.

A

m

B

Campusing: This requires moving over—or under—ter-

rain using only your hands, without touching your feet to the wall or the rock, so it’s great training for upper body strength. “You rely solely on your arms, like you do on monkey bars,” Angie says. “Try this move when using your feet is impossible or when it is easier to use only your hands.”

A With one arm holding on, use other hand to reach for the next hold.

B Swing from hold to hold using your body’s momentum.

A

B Heel hook: This move is a way to advance up and relieve your

arms of some weight for a moment. Place your heel on a big hold and use it to push you up toward a hold above. “Instead of using the toe of your shoe, you’re using the heel, and that’s why climbing shoes are tight,” Angie explains. “You want them to be tight enough that your shoe doesn’t slip off.”

A With straight arms, swing your foot onto a large hold and hook the crook near your Achilles over it.

B Push yourself with your heel and reach up with the hand on the same side to the next hold.

B A Drop knee: Typically used to move straight up rather than

CASIE ZALUD

sideways, the drop knee enables a climber to reach farther than if facing flat against the wall. “This move really just brings your hip closer to the wall so that side of your body has more length than it would otherwise,” Angie says.

A Face square to the wall with your body parallel to it and your knees bent.

B Bring your hip closer to the wall and point one knee in and down.

“Like an Egyptian figure,” Angie says, “extend and reach up with your arm on the side you’ve twisted toward the wall.”

WAM • FALL | 2011 41

GEAR

Your Challenge:

GEAR

Ski & Boot Fitting Tips

Thoren is a huge proponent of demoing your skis and boots before you buy. “You don’t buy a car without driving it, do you?” she says. These days there are pretty good demo choices for skis at major destination resorts. Boots are another story, though, because it is pretty rare that you can demo them. But there are steps that you can take to find boots to match your feet and your ability. Here are Thoren’s top tips:

1 2

Shop early. The best chance for

the greatest choice is relatively early in the season. Depending on your market, that means mid-October to midDecember.

Best retailer. There are dozens

of boot models in the market. You need a retailer with ample selection (10-15 women’s models). Get a sense of the boot fitter’s ability and experience. Do they make custom insoles? Will they do any shell and liner modifications? Is there any sort of fit guarantee?

3

Budget. Depending on your ability

level and special fitting issues, you will probably need to spend $400– $600 for a good-fitting ski boot. Custom

insoles can range from $125–$200; good generic insoles are $35–$50.

4 5

Make an appointment. Ideally,

the shop or at least their key boot fitter takes appointments. Plan on 60–90 minutes for your session.

Go prepared. Wear loose-fitting

trousers so you can get the cuff up to the knee. Bring the socks you intend to use skiing. They should not contain any cotton and be medium to lightweight and tall enough to come out of the boot.

6

Bring your old boots. It will help you assess the fit and flex of your new boots when you can compare new to old. It will also help the boot fitter to know exactly what you’ve been using.

Visit Jeannie Thoren’s website jeanniethoren.com for a schedule of her boot and ski fit talks as well as ski clinics. If you’re in Vail, stop by Jeannie Thoren’s Women’s Ski Center shop at 520 East Lionshead Circle; (970) 476-3888.

42 WAM • FALL | 2011

“I believe that the weak link in a woman’s skiing is usually her equipment.

Uncomfortable boots and inappropriate equipment cause frustration and seriously limit your ability to get better.”

—Jeannie Thoren

7

Fit the larger foot. People often

have one foot larger than another. I recommend fitting for the larger foot.

Long term, it’s more comfortable snugging up the smaller foot within the shell with shims than trying to gain space for a larger foot in a smaller shell.

8

Upgrade the footbed. Factory in-

soles in ski boots are junk. Minimally, you should plan to upgrade to a quality generic such as Superfeet’s “Trim to Fit” insole. A lot of fit issues can be minimized from the support that a quality insole gives.

9

Try a heelift. Even in women-

specific boots, the lower shell is still dimensionally a men’s shell, thus a woman’s narrower heel doesn’t fill the heel pocket properly. The addition of a heelift (3/8”–1/2”) under the liner will elevate the heel and improve heel retention and reduce shin irritation.

10

Check boot flex. Ski boots

have gotten softer fore and aft and stiffer side to side. Generally, while still indoors, you should be able to flex both boots at the same time far enough forward so that your knees block your view of the boot toe. womensadventuremagazine.com

BETH LOCKHAR

Commit to a program of pre-season ski and snowboard training exercises to get you ready for winter fun on the slopes and get the right gear for you.

Timeframe: 3 months

Goddess

Are you looking to upgrade your gear this season?

We asked Jeannie Thoren for her top tips on buying the right stuff, since she has been spreading the gospel on ski gear for women for more than 30 years. The longtime ski instructor, gear tester, and owner of Jeannie Thoren’s Women’s Ski Center in Vail—a shop devoted exclusively to women’s skis, boots, and accessories—offers her sage advice.

t

Ski & Snowboard Training

m Skills

Skills

m

D N A s r For swkbioearders sno FITNESS

Get in Slope Shape

N

ow is the time to start training your body for skiing and snowboarding, so when the slopes are blanketed in white, you and your body will be ready for a fun—and injury-free—season. We enlisted the help of Jenn Metz, who has been teaching skiing and snowboarding for 35 years, to share some of her favorite pre-season training exercises. Metz currently teaches for Vail Resorts, so we thought it appropriate for her to demonstrate her exercises at the top of Vail Mountain. She is also an independent BeachBody coach, helping people find new and fun ways to achieve their fitness goals.

Push-Ups with Variations • With each of these push-ups, drop your shoulders and roll your upper arms back to engage the upper core.

• Keep hips level, feet flexed, heels down; think of moving as one unit.

1 One-Leg Up Push-Up

2 Moving Plank

• In push-up position, hold up one leg at all times, keeping as straight as possible.

• Walk hands one at a time to right side of mat then back to left.

Reps: 8–10 reps on each leg x 3

Reps: Repeat back and forth for 30 sec. to 1 min.

A full season of skiing or riding takes a toll on the body’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments. According to Metz, in an ideal world, training for the following season should begin the day after lifts close. Metz always takes a threephase approach to her snow sports training: Phase One Recovery. At the end of ski season in May,

Metz incorporates both passive and active rest (e.g., lots of sleep), light workouts, and yoga to stretch and rebalance.

Phase Two Strength/Cardio Base. From June to

August, Metz ups the ante with interval cardio work, mountain biking, and strength training. She is a big proponent of programs like P90X®, Insanity®, RevAbs®, and Turbo Fire.® Phase Three Power, Core, and Agility. September–

JACK AFFLECK/VAIL RESORTS

November Metz works on power training, focusing on whole-body and core strength, along with agility in the form of plyometrics.

The following exercises focus on Phase Three of training for the ski and ride season. Hopefully you’ve been doing some good cardio training all summer so that these won’t “hurt” too much. But as with any program, build up slowly, and don’t overdo it. Incorporate these exercises into your fall routine, and when the slopes at your favorite resort open, you’ll be ready to take them on with gusto.

more >>>> WAM • FALL | 2011 43

m Skills

Ski & Snowboard Training (continued) 3 Push-up to Side Plank

C

• Drop down, push-up to straight arms then roll to one side with other arm up straight. Roll back down and repeat.

4 Twisting Plank Push-Ups • Start in push-up position and swing your left leg under you to the right; don’t touch foot to ground as you lower arms, then push back up. Keep foot off the ground for all reps. Switch to other leg under.

Reps: 8–10 reps on each side x 3

A

Reps: Start with 4 to each side x 2, then build up to x 3

B

5 Jack-Knife

5+Twisting Jack-Knife

• With straight back and legs, lift upper body, arms, and legs into a V. Drop back down and repeat.

• When up in V, add a twist and reach to one side then the other in each rep.

Reps and form: Same as regular Jack-Knife.

Reps: 8–10 reps x 3; build up to 12 reps and you’re a goddess!

“As women, we shy away from things that make us muscular. Hey girls, do your push-ups. They give your whole body power and make your core strong.”

—Jenn Metz 44 WAM • FALL | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

JACK AFFLECK/VAIL RESORTS

Form: Keep back straight in both up and down positions.

Skills

Plyometrics Do the following three exercises as a series with no more than 30 seconds rest between each set. Keep the head up, core engaged, and the upper body as still as possible. Time for each set is 30 sec. – 1 min.; build up to 1.5 min.

6 Foot to Foot • Set up two end points (we used ski poles) about 4 feet apart. Stay in a low skater-type position and hop back and forth between points from one foot to the other; try to touch the ground with one hand lightly on each side. Go slowly with balance.

m

Can you believe Jenn is 50?!

With her active, healthy lifestyle, she proves 50 is the new 40—or 30.

7 4-Square Hop • Cross your poles or draw lines in the dirt to create a 4-square. Hop from square to square with both feet, half of the set clockwise, half in the other direction. Then repeat both directions hopping on one foot.

8 Ladder Hop • Lay two poles top to bottom, or draw a 6-foot long line in the dirt.

Hop from side to side over the poles/line on two feet up the line and then down. Then repeat hopping side to side on one foot, then the other.

In skiing and snowboarding, you want your core to be as strong as your legs. Why? Because a strong core helps you control and effectively move the “platform” (e.g., your skis or board) below you. It’s not all just in the legs. If you’re only doing plyometrics, you can hurt yourself. You need to For ideas on training and how to use homebased fitness programs like P90X®, e-mail Jenn at tjmetz@rkymtnhi.com.

focus on full-body training.

WAM • FALL | 2011 45

By Jen Aist

Parenting

m Skills

Your Challenge:

Take your kids backpacking for a few days and nights.

Who’s Done It:

Kelly Silva Fine | Bass Lake, CA We took our daughter for her first backpacking trip when she was 4. She didn’t carry anything, and I hiked ahead leaving little animal toys on the trail. I would signal my hubby when I put one down so he would go extra slow and make sure my daughter found the toy. It turned into a fun treasure hunt and kept her going!

Shawna Andreasen | Glen Ferry, ID

“Backpacking is the art of knowing what not to take.”

—Sheridan Anderson, Sharon Von Mabel’s Backpacking

Mapping Out the Perfect Trip

TIPS

From newborns on up, kids of all ages can go backpacking. You just have to consider different distances, total days, locations, personalities, and patience with each age.

Here are some recommendations to help you plan your first or, better yet, next trip.

Age group

Terrain

Trail distance/ length of trip

Max. pack weight for the child

0–1 year

Anything goes if you are packing the baby. It’s more about considering if you can handle varying terrain with the added weight and, of course, your baby’s temperament.

Factor in more breaks while hiking to feed/change diapers. If you used to do 10-mile days, try 7 miles to start out. 1–2 nights is a perfect length.

—

1–6 years

Pick a trail with interesting things to look at along the way without much elevation gain. Bridges, beaver dams, and berry bushes all hold lots of excitement. Watch out for narrow trails along cliffs or raging rivers. Smooth trails pose fewer tripping hazards. Avoid river

3 miles/day is about max for most kids. 2 nights is enough for the younger kids. Consider hiking out one day and staying a couple nights in one campsite.

5–10 lbs.

6–12 years

These kids are ready for a challenge, but they can wear out quickly. Avoid major elevation gain—500 ft. total is a good start. Look for campsites with something fun to do, such as a lake to swim in.

5–7 miles/day.

3–4 nights.

10–15 lbs.

12–18 years

Bring it on! 40+ mile multi-day trips are no problem. Loops or through-hikes are more popular than in/out trails.

7–12 miles/day.

3–7 nights, longer for more experienced kids.

15–40 lbs.

46 WAM • FALL | 2011

We took our sons, ages 7 and 9, on their first backpacking trip to Utah. Kronk, the 7-year-old, carried 14 lbs. in his pack; Doober is 9 and carried 24 lbs.

Some gear eventually got transferred to dad’s pack to lighten their load. We set up a camp and then did daypack hikes to get more mileage and enjoy great views. We were probably a bit too zealous and picked a trail with too much elevation gain for the kids, at least for the weight they were carrying. But for a first-time trip, they had a lot of fun. One lesson that came out of the trip: Get dad a pack goat for Father’s Day.

From moms who know:

1 2 3

Ask questions. Talk with other parents who have already hiked the trail. Local information is always the best.

Involve kids in the planning. Let them know just what to expect on the trip.

Don’t overdo it. Better to come home wanting more than to drag your kids midmeltdown back to the car.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Skills

m

Slumber in the Wild

What’s On the Menu?

When you’re away from the comforts of home and regular beds, getting a good night’s sleep in the wild can be a challenge for kids—and adults, too. Here are some tips to help everyone catch some good ZZZs.

Food will make or break your trip, so don’t skimp on meal planning.

Bring along more tasty snacks than you think you will need. Try out recipes at home to make sure your crew will eat it. Freeze-dried meals are expensive and heavy on sodium, and most kids don’t like them very much. Check out the grid below for a sample menu.

Infants: Babies can fit snugly in your adult sleeping bag with a Sweetie Pie Bag Doubler or Expander from Functional Designs

($49–$59; functionaldesign.net). Not a co-sleeper? Consider the Peapod Lite from Kidco. It’s a mini tent weighing just 1.4 lbs. that will fit into your tent and provide babes their own sleeping space ($39.95; kidco.com). An insulated snowsuit will also work great as a sleeping bag.

Just for Babies: If you are formula feeding, consider bringing along

all water from home for mixing formula to ensure a safe water supply.

Breastfeeding moms are good to go. Or try organic dehydrated baby food for the trail from a company like Miles Outside Organic (milesoutsideorganic.com).

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Breakfast

Oatmeal with cinnamon, butter, chopped fruit leather, brown sugar, and almonds (mix at home and put in Ziploc bags).

Whole wheat pancakes with fresh-picked berries or dried fruit stirred in the batter.

Cream of wheat cereal with almonds and maple syrup.

Lunch

Tortilla roll-ups with cream cheese or peanut butter and fruit roll-ups (less messy than bringing jelly).

Hummus on multigrain crackers. Store crackers in a water bottle to keep from crumbling.

Bagels with melted pepper jack cheese.

You must use a nonstick pan to make these.

Dinner

Pesto pasta with parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and pine nuts.

Chicken and rice soup.

Use the rice that comes already cooked to save time, fuel, and water.

Chicken quesadillas with dried bell peppers and grilled onions.

Snacks

Lara bars, LUNA bars

Salty trail mix

Dry cereal

Drinks

Hot cider

Hot chocolate with butter

Hot Emergen C

Toddlers/Preschoolers: Youth sleeping bags are all about 5 feet

long—too long for young kids. So use a belt or a strip of webbing to tie off the bag at your child’s height. This will prevent them from getting lost in the bottom of the bag and keep them warmer at night. Buy a synthetic bag, not down. Chances are high of the bag getting wet from water bottles or potty accidents. Down offers no insulation when wet and takes time to dry. Sierra Design’s Dragonfly 20 sports many kid-friendly features such as fun fabric, a built-in pillow, pockets for special things, and a stuff sack that never gets lost ($99.95; sierradesigns.net).

School-Age Kids: If you’re buying a sleeping bag for the first time, consider an adult bag to get more use out of it. The Ultralamina 32 from Mountain Hardwear is good choice for damp and chilly

environments. At just 1 lb., 15 oz. for the long version, it won’t break your kid’s back to carry ($200; mountainhard wear.com).

From moms who know: TIPS

1

Keep your routines. Toddlers are very sensitive to their routines, so keep routines going even when you are camping. Look at your home bedtime routine and see how you can modify it in the field. For example, if you read a book before bed at home, do it in the tent too. If you use a white noise machine at home, download a white noise app for your iPod and play it in the tent.

2

Set yourself up for success at night. A hungry toddler is generally unpleasant to be around.

Fill them up! Daytime naps are critical to a good night’s sleep. Don’t skip them!

3

When it all falls apart. Worstcase scenario, the kid screams all night. Most parents have survived nights like that at home, and they will survive nights like that in the woods. You can always pack it up and go home. Some kids only sleep well at home—others do fine anywhere.

WAM • FALL | 2011 47

By Heather Hansman

COURTESY OF ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

Every fall, West Virginia’s Gauley River transforms into a Mecca for whitewater rafting junkies. One woman shares her tale of being served plenty of humble pie guiding the notorious “beast of the East.”

T

his is what it feels like to be sucked out of a raft and pulled underwater: First, the shock, and the rug-rippedout-from-under-you feeling of confusion and losing your way. Next, a lung-burning squeeze in your chest as every particle of air is pushed out. Last, usually right before you break the surface, you go limp, giving in to wherever the current is pushing you. It could be up, but it might be down.

That river spin cycle of disorientation is how I felt—regardless of whether I was in my boat or not—pretty much the whole time I was a raft guide on the Gauley River.

The Gauley, West Virginia’s biggest river, only runs in the fall. Six weekends a year, from early September to mid-October, the Army Corps of Engineers releases 2,800 cubic feet per second of water from the Summersville Dam, and the river becomes one of the rowdiest stretches of whitewater in the country.

Names of the rapids are dishonestly mild— Pillow Rock, Sweet’s Falls, Insignificant—but the consequences of navigating the wrong way through them can be serious. The river is one of the oldest in the world. It’s had time to polish down the rock and carve through all the cracks and fissures, transforming the landscape below the surface into a labyrinth of caves and holes that can suck the river—and almost anything floating on it—underwater.

Because of the uneven topography, it’s a pool-drop river: It moves in fits and starts as the terrain dips and rolls, making it a rollercoaster of a raft ride.

The water slows down and then plunges, violent and sharp, over the edge of the rapids. Speaking of rapids, there are more than 100 of them over the 28-mile stretch—split into the class V upper section and the IV-plus lower—between the dam and the final takeout.

I didn’t come to West Virginia green, though.

The summer I was 18, my mother dropped me in a field in northern Maine with a tent and a lifejacket so I could learn to be a raft guide. I fell in love with being on the water. I memorized every riffle and rock on the Kennebec River. I

jumped in at the Harris Station Dam with just a PFD and swam the commercially rafted 12-mile, class IV stretch so I would know it intimately. I jumped into the community of dirt-baggery, oneupmanship, and storytelling. I bragged, drank too many beers, and snuck away from campfires with much older boys.

On the river, I felt self-sufficient and in charge of something. I loved how fast everything happened while guiding. You learn to make decisions quickly, even if they’re not necessarily the right ones. And you start to trust your own voice when you hear it the way other people do, echoing out of the back of a boat.

A lot of guides—especially women—last one season, maybe three at the most, because living in tents and getting paid less than minimum wage for physical labor gets old. The type of gals who stick around longer have a higher tolerance for embracing the guiding lifestyle.

knees shook in the bus on the way to the river and my voice shook when I introduced myself to clients in the parking lot. I had to stop to catch my breath when I talked because of the adrenaline coursing through my chest.

The seasoned West Virginia guides all had nicknames like Redneck, Squirrel, and Squirt.

They kept tobacco and rolling papers in their dry bags and were cool-headed enough to roll cigarettes in the quiet pools between rapids while they told self-deprecating jokes—What’s the state flower of West Virginia? The satellite dish. They had the kinks and bends of the river memorized, so they knew when to flick their butts into the current and casually prep their crew for the next rapid.

I kept my left hand clenched so hard on the T-grip of my paddle that my fingers cramped, and my pack of raft guide jokes—What do you call a raft guide who breaks up with his girlfriend?

Homeless—felt thin quickly. The only stories I knew about the river I’d gleaned from other guides, or overheard on the bus ride to the river. Squirrel was the best to listen to as he’d tell stories right up to the edge of the rapids, where he’d transition into, “OK, a little easy forward, ladies, not too hard now,” as his boat seamlessly split the waves.

When I wasn’t screeching paddle commands in a voice three octaves higher than normal, I tried to fill the slower flat-water sections by asking people about themselves and where they were from. I grew up in Boston, which, in Appalachia, made me an uptight northerner who couldn’t dance. Even worse, I came to West Virginia from Colorado.

By the time I went to the Gauley, I’d guided for three years on the high-volume, big-wave rivers of Maine, as well as for a year in Colorado on the bony, eddy-filled Eagle and the whitewater highway of the Arkansas. Being on the river had become a part of how I defined myself. “I’m a guide,” I told people when they asked what I did, even though I spent the winter scanning ski lift tickets and the off-season waiting tables.

But the Gauley knocked the wind out of me.

The scale of the river, coupled with the carnagehungry, testosterone pit of a guide community, shook my confidence and made me frantic and disorganized. The more I scrambled, the more I screwed up, hitting rocks and missing lines where I shouldn’t have. I was so freaked out it hurt. My

WAM • FALL | 2011 49

yourself out of the Box, a barely boat-wide slot between the rock and the ledgy shore where the video boaters stand hovering, hoping for carnage.

You can’t see any of that from upstream, but as you come around the corner, you can hear the howl of the crowd on shore. You can predict what’s happening below by the tone of the roar.

Some guides fish for carnage because it comes with bragging rights and bigger tips. They run their boats sideways through standing waves or bow first into rocks. If they haven’t swam their guests enough by Sweet’s, there’s a mellow-looking wave below it called Fluffy Box of Kittens that, if you hit it at the right angle, is guaranteed to flip your boat, or at least dump it. Really skilled guides can knock out all of their clients, but still keep themselves in the boat.

The town of Fayetteville is at the heart of Gauley country. It’s equal parts coal mining hub and recreation Mecca and locals call people from Colorado Kool-aids. Just add water and they show up, they say. And it’s true. When the Gauley runs, guides who spend their summers on the Arkansas or the Animas come east in droves to see if they can hack it. It’s an end-of-season meeting place, proving ground, and reunion site for boaters from all over. There’s a pervasive macho oneupmanship, but there’s also a sense of close-to-thebone family and being part of a tribe that I loved.

But that feeling of fitting in slipped away quickly as I started to falter on the river. My confidence drained just as fast. On my first commercial trip as a guide, I fell out of the boat and swam three times. By the time we got on the bus at the end of the day, I couldn’t tell if the ache in my chest was from swallowing water or embarrassment.

My first swim was at Iron Ring, the only manmade rapid on the river. In the early 1900s, loggers blasted through the rock to get wood downstream, so the river drops sharply over jagged, dynamited shale.

I know exactly what that swim looks like, because I’ve seen it, repeatedly and in slow motion, in

50 WAM • FALL | 2011

my mind and on a screen. A video kayaker runs with every commercial trip and gets out to shoot all of the big rapids, so there’s high-definition documentation of every move. I hit a rock called You’re Fired at the top of the rapid. The boat swung backwards in a split second, and we ran over the drop rear first. In the video, I make one futile stroke to turn the boat around, but I catch more air than water. Then the boat tips violently, dump trucking everyone into the water.

I masochistically made Dave, our video boater, burn me a copy, and for a while I showed it to people when they asked about my time on the river. “Isn’t that so funny?” I’d ask. But I cringed every time I watched it.

The video boater’s favorite rapid is Sweet’s Falls, the last class V on the Upper Gauley. The river bends and the gorge forms a natural amphitheater around the rapid. Most of the companies stop there to eat lunch, so there’s always a crowd.

There’s only one way to run it. You have to thread the needle between Dildo Rock, a notorious raft ripper, and Exterminator, a re-circulating hole that’s been known to trap people for hours. Even if you split the difference cleanly, you’re immediately staring down Postage Due, a house-sized rock that mercilessly flips boats. If you run right, you’re in the clear; if you get knocked left, you have to navigate

I didn’t mind swimming myself, but I was flat terrified of flipping a boat full of clients. What if I didn’t get them all back? What if I couldn’t flip it back over? What if I got trapped and my boat went down the river without me? A loop of those thoughts ran through my mind in the pool above every rapid. I got anxious and indecisive. I started to worry about things that hadn’t happened.

When I popped up, gasping, from my swim at Iron Ring, Redneck’s boat was the closest. “Girl, what are you doing? Get to your boat,” he said in the calmest voice I’d ever heard. I swam, breathless, down river to my raft and hauled myself in, shaking.

On the bus ride home, he passed me some of the apple-flavored moonshine he brought along on every trip. “You did OK for your first one,” he said. But I wasn’t on an Upper Gauley trip with him again, and, as the fall went on, I was relegated to more and more Lower Gauley trips.

The Lower Gauley is slightly lower consequence, and a little less Hollywood. The water is still big, and the rocks are still the same time-polished shale and sandstone, undercut and filled with rock sieves.

But this section drops a little less and moves a little slower. Anywhere else in the country it would be the marquee trip, but on the Gauley it’s a tier-down trip for weenies. At least, it is for the guides.

The clients tended to be a tier down, too.

One morning I guided a boat full of Marlboro employees on a company outing, eight grey men with their bellies spilling out from under their lifejackets. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to pull us in if we fall out?” they asked, half joking.

I wasn’t sure. The largest guy sat directly in front of me. When we hit the first big rapid, the boat buckled under his weight and he slipped out like he’d been greased. When I hauled him back in by the lapels of his lifejacket, he was wheezing and his eyes were huge. “I didn’t think a little girl like you could pull me in,” he said.

The thing is, I’m not a little girl. I’m 5’9”, and there’s no reason, aside from a bit of mechanical advantage, that women can’t be just as strong raft guides as men. And often, they’re considered better guides because they tend to think more about things like consequences.

COURTESY OF ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

But it didn’t necessarily feel like that in West Virginia.

More than anywhere else I’d guided, I felt like I had to prove myself as a girl and prove that I was tough enough, especially when I didn’t feel like it.

The women who had been around for a while gave off the kind of nonchalant toughness that I couldn’t fake if I tried. They seemed removed from the tough guy jockeying the guys were involved in, and hardened enough that they could deal with anything. They joked about terrible trips from the past, but didn’t seem fazed; it just made them more confident and less shakable. I had always thought of myself as a tough girl, the kind of person who, within reason, wasn’t scared of anything. Now I couldn’t hang because I was scared.

Sonja, my closest rookie friend, a five-foot nothing, second-year guide whose voice was even squeakier than mine, seemed to pick it up fine.

She never seemed to be hyperventilating on the bus ride, and as the season went on she picked up more and more trips. She started running meaty lines and intentionally knocking customers out of her boat. She could toe up to Squirrel, even though her eyes were about level with his belly, and tell him to stop giving her a hard time.

A big part of me truly loved being there. The overgrown gorges were beautiful in a way my Colorado-adjusted eyes weren’t used to. And, in the short minutes when I stopped worrying, it was exciting.

could hear Merle Haggard in the distance.

We camped on the edge of the New River Gorge, right where the steel arc of the New River Gorge Bridge stitches the sides together. In the morning, fog would rise out of the valley and peel back as we loaded boats and sorted lifejackets.

I left before Bridge Day, the rafting and B.A.S.E. jumping bonanza that happens the last weekend of Gauley season. There were rumors of early snow back in Colorado, and I was physically and mentally exhausted.

Every Monday night, after the river stopped running for the weekend, the restaurant at the company I worked for served cheap wings and beer, and all the guides and locals would come down to suck sauce off their fingers and listen to music. Old guys, and young guys who danced like old guys, would pull me into the circle and try to teach me how to two-step. Our river manager played banjo in a bluegrass band that would pick out Old Crow Medicine Show tunes and twangy covers of Prince songs. When I walked the road back to my tent, I

This isn’t a victory story with a tidy end. I didn’t overcome anything and, truthfully, I got more and more scared before every trip. The pressure built, and I was convinced that the odds of something bad happening were getting worse.

By Wednesday night, though, the pounding would be back in my chest and I’d lie in my sleeping bag wondering why I wanted to be a raft guide.

When people ask me about my time there, I don’t lie, but I tend to exaggerate. “It’s fun there. I want to go back,” I say. And I would. For a weekend.

But, much like a river, I’ve moved through that gorge and I can’t really go back. n

WAM • FALL | 2011 51

A

Around the World in 850 Days With arms and legs like pistons, mental endurance to last a lifetime, and only one weakness (Mars bars), Sarah Outen paddles the world round in memory of her father—but also to prove she can.

s the boat was catapulted through white water and smashed onto the reef, its occupant—crouching in the tiny cabin and fearing for her life—vowed never again. But three years after crash-landing her successful singlehanded crossing of the Indian Ocean, Sarah Outen has once again embarked on a massive expedition.

One that is longer, more arduous, and more risky than a solo row of a huge ocean. Sarah is on a human-powered circumnavigation of the planet.

Sarah has a background in adventure. She is the youngest person and first woman to have rowed solo across the Indian Ocean. It’s a remarkable achievement she dedicated to the memory of her father, who died while she was studying at Oxford University. Aged 23, she spent 124 days at sea, took millions of oar strokes, and in the process raised £31,000 (US$49,500) for charity.

The money was donated to two arthritis charities, helping to tackle the disease that had affected her father throughout his life.

You might think after that effort it was time to hang up your oars and relax. But this now-26year-old has started a bigger and more difficult expedition. So extreme, it is being billed as the most difficult and demanding journey ever attempted by a woman.

By Lynn Morris d: t foo mfor o c ’s Sarah

Mars

bars.

the Indian Ocean—and they laughed. When she added that she was planning to do it in memory of her father and raise money for arthritis charities, though, they clapped.

But could a young woman with no ocean rowing experience paddle solo across the Indian Ocean?

Sarah was the first to admit she had little relevant background. In her book, A Dip in the Ocean: Rowing Solo Across the Indian, she wrote: “Up until this point in my life I had only ever run college rowing teams, and organised charity balls and school expeditions. In principle, planning an ocean row was simply a scaled-up version of one of these.”

inents, over three cont l 20,000 miles . She will peda ats bo o tw d just one bike an journey using rways. complete her s in other wate ile m 0 50 Sarah plans to k ya d ka an , ns ea oc o London, Sarah was busy planning her assault on row across tw

the Indian Ocean.

The expedition, dubbed “London 2 London via the World,” involves cycling thousands of miles and rowing across two oceans, including the mighty and terrifying Pacific. So Sarah is strictly adhering to her self-imposed rules to stay on track during this epic human-powered journey. “I have to be really stubborn about that,” she said. “One time I got to a river and it looked like there was a bridge there, but it was a ferry, so I cycled 40 miles around. Unless there is no other option, I will be true to the spirit of human power.”

“I’ve never wanted that sort of career,” she said of the banking world. “I wanted to don a flying suit rather than a pinstripe one and had an Army scholarship. I wanted to fly helicopters in the Air Corps.”

A knee injury sidelined Sarah’s ambition to pilot helicopters, and she considered a career in teaching. But, prompted by her father’s death, her life took a very different turn. Sarah revealed to friends and family at her father’s funeral that she had told her dad she was planning to row

In practice, though, Sarah had a lot to learn.

Aside from the logistics and fundraising—her budget was £85,000 (US$135,800)—she had never rowed on anything more than the Isis River, which runs through Oxford. In her final year at university, Sarah started with some “pain” training for the London Marathon. She said long muddy runs in Oxford prepared her for the tedium of ocean rowing.

Sarah finished her degree and worked at a boarding school where, for a year, she taught sports and trained for her mammoth row. She completed first aid courses, learned how to navigate at sea and practiced rescuing people from the water (a pointless activity, she admitted, because she would be traveling alone). She fundraised for and supervised the building of her brand new rowing boat called Serendipity, or Dippers for short.

COURTESY SARAH OUTEN; JIM SHANNON

The expedition began on April 1, 2011, also known as April Fool’s Day, an irony not lost on Sarah. She started by kayak and paddled across the English Channel to France. She then hopped on her bike and cycled to the eastern tip of Russia.

This fall, she is kayaking from island to island to Japan, where she will wait out the winter. Then, in spring, the challenge really begins.

Sarah will row solo across the Pacific Ocean, taking a route that only two men and no women have achieved. She will be alone in her boat, named Gulliver, for around five months. When she makes landfall in America, she will be back on the bike to cycle across the Rockies to the East Coast. Then she’ll board Gulliver again for the small matter of rowing the North Atlantic back to the United Kingdom. The entire expedition will take two-and-a-half years; Sarah hopes to complete her adventure by September 2013.

So where did this extreme sense of adventure come from? While her classmates from Oxford were starting well-paid financial services jobs in

WAM • FALL | 2011 53

In March 2009, Sarah finally took to the water and rowed away from the Australian coast. She battled seasickness, giant waves, and hunger, but made it across the Indian Ocean, landing the boat on a reef off Mauritius more than four months later. Shockingly, it was on this hazardous journey that Sarah began planning her next adventure, a human-powered circumnavigation of the world starting and finishing in London.

which comes naturally to this very determined and, by her own admission, highly goal-orientated woman. Running behind schedule wears on her nerves. “I get frustrated when I am not making miles when I want to,” she said. “I have to tell myself there are lots more miles to go and we have already done lots of miles. It is different from the ocean when time does not have implications.”

But the round-the-world trip presented some of its biggest challenges before even beginning. “Just getting to the start was a massive mission,” said Sarah.

“Financially, logistically, physically, emotionally—the whole project was huge in those early stages. I think that’s been the hardest so far.”

Psychotherapist Briony Nicholls works with Sarah on the psychological challenges of undertaking a solo expedition. “For something that is long and unpredictable like Sarah’s expedition (especially the ocean legs), it’s wearisome to set a goal and then not be able to reach it because, for example, the wind is blowing you back across longitude lines,” said Nicholls. So she equipped Sarah with a toolkit of psychological strategies that will help Sarah cope when things get tough.

The expedition has raised about £500,000 (US$799,000) and attracted a lead sponsor in management consultancy firm Accenture. “It helped that I had the Indian Ocean under my belt,” Sarah said of her meetings with Accenture. “They saw me talk, and they saw I could communicate.”

Although she travels alone, Sarah is not managing the whole project solo. She has a team of nine people, some paid but mostly volunteers, to help. Tim Moss, the logistics manager for London 2 London, runs a business that offers advice for people planning expeditions. “It is not just a physical undertaking,” he said. While Sarah concentrates on getting herself from A to B, the nuts and bolts of the expedition are up to him.

“The oceans will

be huge, especially the leaving and the landing…but I try to put that in a box

One of the major challenges is getting Sarah’s kayak and rowing boat to the right places at the right time. Another logistical complication is the kayaking leg from Russia via Sakhalin to Japan.

“This sort of island hop by kayak is complicated because not many people go kayaking around there. You need to get permissions,” explained Moss. Slowly but surely, though, Sarah’s team is helping set the route and getting all of the necessary permissions in place.

and think about it

when it is useful.”

Sarah’s own philosophy is always to accentuate the positive. “I always try to end the day on a happy note. Perhaps wallow for a little bit but then sort it out. I consider what I could do to make it better,” she says. “It’s all about framing things positively and, when needed, letting the emotions or grumbles come out—they all need to happen. It’s just about keeping the balance stacked up with positives.”

But this can be tricky. When she’s solo, Sarah says she experiences everything more intensely—both the good bits and the bad. “If someone else was there, they would give you a hug, so you have to do that for yourself. I try to find something to be happy about. Even if it is the fact that I have just had a Mars bar or found a beautiful place to camp.”

For the most part, Sarah has a good time on the road. “I am enjoying the challenges of cycling, but sometimes I wish I was in a boat,” she said. “There, if you want to have a quick snooze in the middle of the day, your bed is just there. But, here, I can’t really do that.”

NIGEL MILLARD; COURTESY SARAH OUTEN

Logistics and fundraising are less than half the battle. Sarah has to put in the real grind on her own, far from home, and in challenging circumstances,

More people have climbed Mt. Everest than rowed across oceans; Sarah is one of the youngest women to have accomplished the latter.

line

trip time

n Leave Londo elgium, ugh France, Bland ro th le yc C : Po 11 d 20 an A PR ch Republic, ussia Germany, Cze kraine and R U h ug ro th le yc C : 11 M AY 20 hstan rough Kazak : Cycle th BE from JU N E 20 11 M an awarded is h ra Sa : 11 JU N E 20 the Queen rough China : Cycle th Russia JU LY 20 11 rough Eastern : Cycle th Russia AU G 20 11 om fr ycle : Kayak/c 11 20 CT SE PT & O Japan to Japan t the winter in : Wait ou USA D EC 20 11 from Japan to 20 12 : Row or SA U SP R– FA LL : Cycle from –S PR 20 13 FA LL 20 12 ova Scotia c Ocean Canada to N North Atlanti 20 13 : Row G U –A AY M ck in the UK : Arrive ba

A PR 1:

SE PT 20 13

While the cycling legs will be easier mentally vs. rowing in the ocean, Sarah is working with a psychotherapist to handle the long hours and days traveling solo.

Just as Sarah speaks the language of paddling more fluently than she speaks the language of cycling, she has faced comic language difficulties along the way. While she was in Poland, Sarah wrote in her blog: “One chap asked ‘So are you looking for the marriage of your prince?’ and, for a moment, I took this as being some kind of pick up, before I twigged the meaning.”

Sarah had a more legitimate brush with royalty, being made a Member of the British Empire by the Queen for services to rowing, charity, and conservation. Sarah heard the news via satellite phone and described the experience as “surreal but nice.” Although she added: “On consideration, I decided that MBE is rather apt; I think it stands for Mars Bar Eater.” She celebrated by eating two melted Mars bars.

The journey isn’t always a celebration though.

There have, of course, been a few teary moments. Once, she cried when the wheel of her bike broke; another time, she was cold, tired, and unable to fix it herself.

in numbers

28,000 500

BY BIKE : 20,000

BY ROW IN G BOAT: 7,500 D AYS AWAY: 850 MONT H S AT SEA : 11 COUNT RIES: 14 O CEANS: 2 (big ones) CONT INEN TS: 3 MILES TR AV EL ED :

BY K AYA K :

C ALORIES EAT EN / D AY:

6,000–8,000

WORLD RECO RD S SA R A H ALREADY H O L D S: 3

There have also been several “exciting” moments. One morning in Kazakhstan, Sarah was surrounded by a herd of cows while eating watermelon for breakfast. As she chased cows away from her tent, Sarah was horrified to see a three-foot-long snake curling through the spokes and around the frame of her bike. Her screams attracted the attention of the cowherder, who helpfully dissuaded the snake from making a home in her panniers but implied he wanted some sexual favours in return. “At first I didn’t understand what he wanted, but then I saw the gesture. So, just as I had tried to herd the cows off, I tried to herd the cowherder off.

That was a pretty exciting breakfast.”

Kazakhstan aside, she has experienced the kindness and hospitality of strangers welcoming her into their homes for a night, escorting her on bikes, or meeting her at border crossings bearing presents. In Russia, she was greeted by “singing and dancing Cossacks, all dressed in traditional costumes, the men waving swords and a lady holding out the prettiest loaf of bread I have ever seen.” She picked up a police escort to the nearest town for dinner, although she drew a firm line at four vodka shots.

In most countries, Sarah encounters diverse reactions. Describing Ukraine, she said, “I have been chased by snarling dogs and welcomed warmly by local people; I have been scammed and I have been looked after; I have had friendly multi-toots from drivers and have been forced off the road by drivers; I have baked in the sun and have frozen in the cold wind.”

For the moment, Sarah continues on her bike and in her kayak—hoping to make it to Japan before winter. She and her psychotherapist agree that the cycling stages will be the easier bits of the expedition. “Riding the bike is easier than being on the ocean,” Nicholls said. “Sarah can set goals and probably reach them and have some social contact along the way. The biggest challenge of psychological endurance is on the ocean.”

Aside from the solitude of the open sea, the wild water scares Sarah sometimes. “The oceans will be huge, especially the leaving and the landing when you are close to shore,” she said. “But I try to put that in a box and think about it when it is useful.”

With an engine like Sarah and a supportive team helping manage her every move, the expedition has a good chance of success. Sarah has just three goals for the two-and-a-half-year adventure. “Get back to London safely, that is number one,” she says. “Two: I hope to have learned some things along the way that I can share. And, three, I want to inspire people to go on their own expeditions or follow their own dreams. I often hear people say I have a dream to do x, y, or z one day. But one day will never happen unless you commit to it.”

Share the ups and downs of Sarah’s epic solo journey at www.sarahouten.com. n WAM • FALL | 2011 55

Fa l l Ge ar “Winter is an etch ing , sp ring a wate rc olo r, summer an oil pa inting , an d au tumn a mo sa ic of th em all .”

—Stanley Horowitz

Ahhh

autumn. Whe n the weath is a mix of w er ar m temps lin gering from summer an d chillier temps waiting around the corner in win ter. To help stay outdoors you an d active th rough this transitional season, we pu lle d together great reflec tive wear to keep you visi when the da ble ylight gets sh orter, sporty sunglasses to protect your peeps in different lig ht conditions , an d fun insu vests to give late d you that extr a bit of war when you ne mth e d it.

Of course, w e didn’t forg et to inclu de our favorite gear goodie s in Staff Pic because we ks, love to try st uff out an d our experien share ces with you!

r a e G e v i t Re f le c Fall has arrived, and with it comes fewer of those precious daylight hours. But there’s no reason that the dwin dling daylight should cut into your outside play time. Just keep in min d that if you’re heading out in the early morning or after sunset, it’s important to be safe and stay visible to cars, as well as other cyclists, walkers, and runners. Luckily for us active types, there are plenty of options for reflective gear to keep you visible.

One company that helps make technical apparel stan d out in the dark is 3M Scotchlite. “Most people overestimate how visible they are,” says Shari FranklinSmith, the technical service manager for footwear and apparel with 3M Scotchlite reflective taping. “They think if they can see the car headlights that the car can see them.”

Reflec ti v it y tape K ey Are a s fostr pla ces for reflective

e be ds: So where are th at 3M reco mmen parel? Here’s wh an d piping on ap

On a Hat

On a Sh irt or Ja ck

et

the torso, Reflective hits on es are sid d an front, back of a ls ca de be n ideal. Ca ba a nd. On co mpany logo or , as well es ev shirts with sle ty on the ivi ct fle re as jackets, mo vement. sleeve shows ar m s an d irt On long-sleeve sh flectivity re al jackets, addition es as re inc ist on the wr s ar m visibility an d show mo vement.

According to Franklin-Smith, 3M has done extensive research on how best to make people stan d out when it’s dark. “You want reflective material to outline the human body 360 degrees to help others “If you wea r a hat, shirt, and detect that it’s pan ts togeth er, that’s gre at!” says a person vs. something inaniFra nkl in-Smit h. “Yo u’ve ma rke d a as mate, such the bod y, the head, the fee t, and barrel in a conthe wr ists . The min d of a driver struction zone,” can more eas ily con nec t that to she says.

someone in mo tion .”

58 WAM • FALL | 2011

A ring of reflectivity aro und the hea d is optimal, with a compan y logo decal in the front.

But hits on the front, back, and sides also work.

On Sh orts or Pa nts

For shorts, reflectivit y can be in the for m of piping along the sides and a reflective logo on the hems. On pants, reflective hits on the ankles or abo ve the knees show mo vement .

What makes 3M tapes re

flective?

1. Glass Beads: On the tape surface are micron-size glass beads and a metal coating that creates a little mir ror. When a headlight flashes on the tape, the glass ben ds the light, which hits the mirror, goes back through the bead, and back to a dri ver’s eye. Voilà, visibili ty!

According to FranklinSmith, this technology is use d in a lot of road sig ns.

2. Prisms: Tiny, invert ed prisms on the tape surface return light. Fra nklin-Smith says to envision a ball in a racque tball court hitting the wall, the ceiling, the cor ner, then coming back to you. This is what hap pens when light hits the prism: it bounces and hits all three sides and then comes back out, hitting the human eye. According to Frankl in-Smith, higher-en d road signs are all prism atic.

Broo ks Essen tia l Run Ve st

So metimes a vest is jus t what you nee d to take off the chill.

This style is semi-fitte d with venting in the back an d slightly stretchy armholes for adde d comfort when you’re sw ing ing your arms. Reflective hits of 3M tape are on the front an d back, including some cute refl ective flowers. Stash necessit ies in two side-zip pockets, an d carry your iPo d in the mo ist ure-proof inside pocket. ($55; bro oksrunning.c om)

e Ba rr ie r Jack et Pe ar l Iz um i El itjacket is designed ht This ultra-lig rm ith a semi-fo w g in for cycl also t bu , m he l ai fit an d drop-t . It’s ng ki nning or hi works for ru ant, ist es -r d water w in dpro of an s to ff cu d an m c he w ith an elasti ro lc e. A back Ve keep it in plac d all snacks an sm pocket holds ve ti ec fl re Fun 3M a cell phone. e th on d an s wrist sw irls at the ie jacket a girl back give the arlizumi.com) pe ; to uch. ($80

Natha n Spo rts Ru nn ing Sle eve

s

On those in-between tem perature workouts when you don’t quite nee d a jacket, these compression running sleeves will help keep you war m and, most import antly, visible.

The 3M reflective strip fro m top to bottom can be seen up to 1,200 fee t away. A han dy little pocket on one sleeve holds small essentials such as a key or ID. Available in two sizes and several brig ht colors. ($25; nathansports.com)

New Bala nce 360 Degree Jack et and Pant s New Balance designed this jacket and pants of per 3M’s recom mendations to place plenty ions locat t” emen “mov body key on y ctivit refle such as arms, wrists, knees, and ankles so n. drivers can tell that you’re a moving perso p ripsto eight lightw a from Each are made nylon and are wind- and water-resistant.

(Jacket $90; Pants $80; newbalance.com)

Saucony Tran siti on Spo rtop II

This top is a great choice for cool er fall mornings and evenings, with hits of 3M reflective tape on the shoulder and lower back. The bright-colored patt erne d mesh fabric offers up even mor e visibility, with nice next-to-skin comfort and ventilation when you start to sweat.

A little zip pocket in back is goo d for storing a key or ID. ($50; saucony. com)

s e s s a l g Sun ssory. They are a Sunglasses are more than an acce from the sun, as necessity to keep your eyes safe us, frame and lens well as win d and dust. Lucky for and companies are technologies keep getting better, , while outdoorsy taking into account the fact that these ladies also gals nee d to protect their peeps, re is a lot that like shades with a bit of flair. The es, so let us share goes into designing sport sunglass shades. some of the science behind the

lenses hangeable rc te In wear s t you can Lens tint lity so tha ti ns a io rs it d ve n ensure light co different nee ds. r in u o le y y it st o ne s to su se n le on, t u is o h transm si an d switc ase light re c e d h s c it se Sw Dark len nny days. ose on su low light r fo w so use th o ll e y r o , d , re n d clear to orange n ditions, a co t h g li an d or variable tection from win d . ro p r d after ark lenses fo st days or on” a ti rc si n ve o ra n “t dirt o ology in n h c to te in ic m accord g Photochro d lightens n a s n e rk lenses da itions. light con d Lens technology Costs clim b with the degree of technology in sun glass lenses.

Polycarbonate lenses filter out 100% of UV light, and a mirror coa ting decreases the amount of glare. Polarize d lenses provide crisp optical clarity and depth perception. Hydrophobic coa tings she d water and oil.

60 WAM • FALL | 2011

Coverage A mono lens— one long lens that curves across the face rather than a separate lens in front of each eye—offers broad coverage that promotes visibility and is ideal for velocity-driven sports, such as running and cycling. Most sports sunglasses with two lenses also offer up sufficient wrap and protection. Wrap coverage guards against dust and wind, but also provides UV protection for the area around the eyes.

Frame Fit, for the most part, comes down to adjustability at the bridge of the nose and the temples. Many sports sunglasses have an adjustable bridge that you can compress to set the frame either back or forward on your face. Temple tips should be bendable around the ear to gently hug your face.

Buying tips First, consider what you’ll be doing while wearing your shades.

High-velocity sports, like road cycling and running, require wide peripheral visibility and great fit. Mountain bikers and trail runners will sometimes need lenses that adjust with varying light conditions as they cruise through trees. Some lenses have filters designed especially for use on water, while others are interchangeable for all-around athletes. Weight is a factor, but it’s hardly an issue if glasses fit well. When it comes down to it, though, looks matter. If you’ll wear the glasses, you’ll gain the benefit.

If you think they’re unflattering, you won’t wear them.

Revo Guide Listen up, water babies. Revo’s new water

lens boasts high-contrast polarization for color and clarity, especially when it comes to light reflecting off water. A removable leash threade d through the temple tips ensures you won’t lose your shades in case they slip off while you’re zipping through a rapid. ($180; revo.com)

Native Bolder Cushiony comfort, sweat-resistant grip

at the temple tips and on the nose bridge, and fogpreventing frame ventilation all combine in this fashionforward design. Interchangeable polarize d copper lenses offer optical clarity on semi-sunny and super sunny days, while the included Sportflex lenses provide just enough coverage for low-light conditions. ($109; nativeyewear.co m)

Oakley Miss Conduc t Feather-light and essentially

frameless, this sporty style looks good on most face shapes and performs flawlessly during activities ranging from mountain biking to triathlon training to trail running.

Oakley’s Plutonite lens supplies 100-percent UV protection and blocks harmful blue light. This grey tint works best in low to medium light conditions. ($140; oakley.com)

Rudy Project Ability Ideal for endurance types like

cyclists and runners, the 90-ounce Ability is designe d to fit female faces. And, compatible with six lens tint options, it proves a versatile choice. A non-fatiguing metal called copper berylliu m—bend it all you want and it won’t break—at the nose bridge offers infinite adjustability. ($180; rudyprojectusa.com)

Ryders Solace This classic brown tortoise frame has

anything but classic features. The highly flexible, lightweight thermo plastic frame material can take a beating and lots of bending without snapping. The shatterproof brown lens darkens colors and reduces blue hues to increase contrast, but also offers 100-percent UV protection. ($40; ryderseyewear.com)

Optic Nerve Thujone IC This minimalist frame

adjusts easily at the temple tips and nose-bridge to fit narrow or wide faces. Its curved, interchangeable mono lens grants maximu m peripheral visibility and won’t fog thanks to vents on each side. Each pair is available in custom colors. ($79; nerveusa.com) WAM • FALL | 2011 61

s t s e V d e In s u l at re Fall is one of those seasons whe day, One le. fick are s temperature it can feel like summer. The next, there’s a chill in the air. One of our favorite ways to stay cozy on those cooler days is with a lightly insulate d vest.

There’s no reason that an insulated vest needs to make you look like the Miche lin Man. Check out some fun option s with style.

Technically speaking, wearing a vest helps maintain your core temperature. But if your core temperature begins to drop, the to body reduces the flow of bloo d core the p kee to ies the extremit temperature up and protect vital organs. The result: cold fingers and toes. So keeping your han ds and feet war m starts with maintaining your core temperature.

Thus it’s wise to carry a vest as an extra layer when you’re heading out for a hike, run, or s ride on days where temperature t grea a e mak also s Vest can vary. ’re you n whe l shel a er layer und backpacking or skiing.

ISIS Alpeng low Vest While the

Alpenglow is less puffy-lo oking than other styles on these pages, don’t be deceive d. Its polyester insulation, plus microfleece-lined zip side pockets and collar, will keep your core cozy.

Zip it up, or close with several “hidden” magnetic buttons.

Style points: Beautiful quilt stitching on front and back. ($99; isisforwomen.co m)

62 WAM • FALL | 2011

Patago nia Lidia Vest

Leave it to Patagonia to create a vest that’s recycle d inside and out.

The Lidia is made with a 100-percent recycle d polyester ripstop fabric and filled with 90-percent recycle d Thermogreen synthetic insulation. Zip pockets nestled along the side seams are lined with a soft micro-fleece.

Style points: Cute little ruffles along the quilt lines in front and back, elasticized for a flattering fit. ($129; patagonia.com)

Merrell Odessa Vest

An interesting thing about the Odessa: It’s available in a natural, dye-free white version along with several other colors. The OptiWarm synthetic insulation keeps you toasty, while the fleece-lined collar adds extra comfort and warmth on your neck.

Style points: Big button pockets in front and shapeflattering elastic ruching on the sides. ($79; merrell.com)

Lolë Icy 2 Vest This vest has

a green side: It’s made with a 33-percent recycled polyester fabric that is windproof and treated with an ECO waterrepellent coating for drizzly days. The Icy 2 will keep you warm with its synthetic insulation and side pockets lined with soft fleece.

Style points: The funky asymmetrical zip. ($100; lolewomen.com)

Kühl Voyage Vest The lightweight

Voyage is filled with 800 fill down, so it’s easily compressible for stashing in a backpack or suitcase.

The shell fabric is a 100-percent recycle d Eco-Poly Pertex, offering up wind-resistance for added core protection. Store gloves, snacks, and extras in the plethora of pockets: two zip on the outside, two stash on the inside.

Style points: Fun flower stitching on front and along the fold-down micro-fleece neck. ($160; kuhl.com) WAM • FALL | 2011 63

St af f P ic k s

Ga rm in Fo

s O u r te am sh a re av o r ite s ome o f t h e ir f ge a r f o r Fa ll rb s G oo d Li ps Elemen ta ltuHe ral ingredients,

Made with na 12 balms have SPF these organic lip original, e lud inc rs vo protection. Fla rmint. , and cool spea sweet tangerine ells sm e th e : “I lov Why I like them ingredients th wi s, lm ba of these lip wax, mfrey, and bees like lavender, co d soft.” an e nic s lip y m and they keep ($3.50 assistant editor Jennifer Olson, s.com) rb lhe ta en m each; ele

rer un ne r 210 This GPSenabled watch can measu re time, pace, and distance whether you are biking, running, or walking. It is also compat ible with a foot pod for measuring distance and pace indoors.

Why I like it: “It is nice to be able to monitor so many things (heart rate , distance, pace, and tim e) with just one piece of gea r. I also like it because it seems to make it easier to reach mileage goals when I know exactly how much further I have to run.” Laura Binks, editorial intern ($250; garmin.com)

Xe no n So nic Lady Bi bt

igh t Sh ort These bib shorts fea ture a patented system with zippers on eithe r side of the bib that make it easy to slip the shorts down for a bathroom break wit hout having to take off your jersey.

Why I like them: “I rea lly like that the back zippers allow for quick and easy ‘bio-breaks.’

The padding, fit, mater ial, and elastic botto m hem make these the most comfortable cycling shorts I own.”

Lisa Sinclair, ad sales ($240; gorebikewear.c om)

Nath an Trai l M ix 2 Hy

drat ion Be lt This water belt has a snug elasticized waist and is good for runners wh o need hydration on the go but don’t want to lug a heavy, bouncy pack.

Two 10-ounce bottles are set at an easy-to-grab angle on each hip.

Why I like it: “This wa ist pack is the perfect solution on long run s: It’s convenient, do esn’t get in the way, and, mo st importantly, allows me to carry just the right amount of water to stay hydrated.” Laura Brigham, multi-tasker extraordinaire ($45; nathansports.com)

k is great for on-

ac Pack 22L This dayp There Patago ni a Ye rbllaas trips to the coffee shop or the office.ets ,

we d gadg trail activities as t to store gear an ets inside and ou e. are plenty of pock ev sle nts ly padded laptop d the compartme including a light the perfect size an is and ys ck ke pa his ing “T sh it: sta Why I like top zip pocket for e th e e lik I th t. e ou us I t e. are well though et for a cell phon r, accessible pock ray (when I was on sp g that there’s a cleve bu or , en cre bottle, suns 9; patagonia.com) outside for water rin, publisher ($5 esota).” Sue Shee nn Mi in n tio ca va

64 WAM • FALL | 2011

Platyp us Gravit yWork s Water Filter This pump-free

t of fitnessd s Unlike a lo ip S we at y Banadns, Sweaty Bands don’tedslelike b d su ea ft h so e typ ade with a . m ce ’re la ey p th in because keep them e inside to thly sixth on m on c e ri th b r fa fo eir website Check out th ng design options. ti ta ro kinds h pack wit come in all them: “They n mix and match e lik I y h W I ca t. I wear rns so that of fun patte my mood and my outfi d an on , g et dependin y bike helm ga, under m ight out on the them to yo an r fo y cessor chief ($15; as a cute ac n, editor in to ea H ca ec town.” Reb ds.com) sweatyban

filter is easy to use: Fill up to 4 liters of water into the bladder marked “dirty,” then hang it on a tree branch or lay it on a rock. Water passes through a filter into the “clean” reservoir. In less than 3 minutes, you’ve got clean, drinkable water.

Why I like it: “I love the laziness this filter allows. We were camping at Rocky Mountain National Park and got a late start. We were able to set up camp and filter water at the same time—no pumping required!” Rebecca Finkel, art director ($100; cascadedesigns.com)

Vas que Jule This low hiker is built on a women-specific last with a moderate ly lugged outsole to get you through most conditions on the trail.

Why I like them: “Perfect fit and extremely comfortable. Great grip on crushed stone, gravel, and snow. I gave the shoes a good workout at 10,50 0 feet elevation in Colorado through dirt, mud, and snow—in July for pete’s sake.”

Mira Perrizo, copy editor ($95; vasque.co m)

Terr y Le Midi

Terry’s Le Midi combo layers a stylish skirt over a practical pair of padded capris.

Why I like them: “Because the skirt and the capri are two completely separate pieces, the Le Midi is mix-n-match heaven. I can ride with just the capr is if I want, and the skirt can be used with my other cycling shorts as I ride between my town destinations.” Susan Hays e, web director ($99; terrybicycles.com)

Under Armour Mynx ColdGear Capri These

lightweight capris are made from Under Armour’s ColdGear fabric, which helps with temperature control and wicking.

Why I like them: “It’s hard to find capri pants that are long enough and these are great; they are the perfect length and they fit tight and loose in all the right places.

They also come in some fun colors, so they make my morning run more cheerful.” Meghan Maloney, multi-tasker extraordinaire ($55; underarmour.com) WAM • FALL | 2011 65

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Know a girl who could use some adventure?

Fun, creative, inspiring wilderness adventures . . . for girls ages 8–18.

Photo ©2009 Christina Kiffney Photography

Partnerships

Celebrating women in the outdoor industries

Congratulations!

Recipients of this yeaR’s pioneeRing Woman aWaRd

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Learn more about OIWC programs and activities at

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SpeCial thankS to:

Strong girls.

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BlueWater Ropes Bonnie’s Balms Marmot Mountain Hardwear Mountain Khakis The North Face Patagonia Seattle Manufacturing Corporation Sportrock Sterling Rope Company lo n g s P e A K

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A pr o g r Am o f

Five Ten Gear Loop Topos LÄRABAR prAna SNews www.herafoundation.org

www.womenswilderness.org 303-938-9191 Strong Girls. Strong Women. Better World.

We climb. We hike. We fight ovarian cancer one step at a time.

WAM • FALL | 2011 67

Musings

The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

—Eleanor Roosevelt

68 WAM • FALL | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 69

Photography: Gabe Rogel

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Location: Aspen

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Athlete: Darcy Conover

Marmot Freeride Collection Just one way Marmot helps you bond with nature.

If you’re going to take the plunge, make sure it’s with the right one.

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Cannon Mountain New Hampshire, USA. New Earthkeepers® Rudston Boot.

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New Water Resistant Wool Peacoat.

See the collection at womens.timberland.com Also available at Timberland® Specialty Stores.

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, and Go out and be you are trademarks of The Timberland Company. © 2011 The Timberland Company. All rights reserved.