Spring 2011 Women's Adventure Magazine

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SPRING 2011

Energize, Bike Faster, Hike Stronger

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ROLLING HOME

A Family that Knows no Boundaries W H O L E H E A LT H

Live (and Play) Longer: Heart-Rate Training TRY THIS

Is Barefoot Running Right for You? THRIVE IN THE WILD™ $4.99 US $6.99 CAN V9N1

SPRING 2011 Display Until June 1

womensadventuremagazine.com

Women on the Map, Win Gracefully, Bear-Country Living, Backcountry Gourmet, Reach Your Goals, Long Trails, and MORE!

Contents

Table of Contents

Features

48

Imagine That

It’s no small dream: Provide primary education to all of Ethiopia’s children. But 37-year-old Shannon Wilson has a plan to make it work—by 2020. With a big brand, a vocabulary of giving she’s making up herself, and an East African adventure itinerary, she’s hoping to change how we think about our ability to create and inspire change. Creatribution, here she comes. By James Mills

54

Rolling Home

Can riding 17,000 miles change a family’s definition of home?

Nancy Vogel—with her husband, two kids, and three bikes in tow is on a journey that has her questioning her sense of place, but has buoyed her family’s strength. By Melynda Harrison

59 gear Road bikes, trail runners, and sleep systems explained

BAREFOOT PACE GLOVE

is key to Every day brings new adventure. That’s why versatility This innovative, Glove.

Pace Barefoot our Take everything Merrell does. minimalist design gets you closer to the ground to liberate and strengthen your feet. With its traction and minimal cushioning, you’ve got unlimited access to any terrain you choose.

Merrell Barefoot. Let Your Feet Lead You. Find out more at merrell.com/barefoot 2 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

10 On the Map A world of adventure awaits 12 Pin Point Hiking long trails 14 Media Spring reading 15 The Big Idea Bear-country living 16 Trend Hike bright 17 Man Handle Chicking 18 Psychobabble Wayfinding 20 It’s Personal A different view

28

24 I’m Proof Reaching goals 26 Try This Barefoot running 28 Dream Job Gear designer 29 Roar A lesson in living 32 Gourmet The incredible edible 34 Whole Health Heart-rate training 36 Destinations TN, WY, and HI

master

16

aspire

wonder

COVER IMAGE: DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

and examined.

45

40 Mountain Biking One-up your skills 42 Hiking The world on foot 45 Parenting Little adventurers 67 Marketplace 68 Musings

WAM • SPR | 2011 1

Contents

Table of Contents

Features

48

Imagine That

It’s no small dream: Provide primary education to all of Ethiopia’s children. But 37-year-old Shannon Wilson has a plan to make it work—by 2020. With a big brand, a vocabulary of giving she’s making up herself, and an East African adventure itinerary, she’s hoping to change how we think about our ability to create and inspire change. Creatribution, here she comes. By James Mills

54

Rolling Home

Can riding 17,000 miles change a family’s definition of home?

Nancy Vogel—with her husband, two kids, and three bikes in tow is on a journey that has her questioning her sense of place, but has buoyed her family’s strength. By Melynda Harrison

59 gear Road bikes, trail runners, and sleep systems explained

BAREFOOT PACE GLOVE

is key to Every day brings new adventure. That’s why versatility This innovative, Glove.

Pace Barefoot our Take everything Merrell does. minimalist design gets you closer to the ground to liberate and strengthen your feet. With its traction and minimal cushioning, you’ve got unlimited access to any terrain you choose.

Merrell Barefoot. Let Your Feet Lead You. Find out more at merrell.com/barefoot 2 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

10 On the Map A world of adventure awaits 12 Pin Point Hiking long trails 14 Media Spring reading 15 The Big Idea Bear-country living 16 Trend Hike bright 17 Man Handle Chicking 18 Psychobabble Wayfinding 20 It’s Personal A different view

28

24 I’m Proof Reaching goals 26 Try This Barefoot running 28 Dream Job Gear designer 29 Roar A lesson in living 32 Gourmet The incredible edible 34 Whole Health Heart-rate training 36 Destinations TN, WY, and HI

master

16

aspire

wonder

COVER IMAGE: DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

and examined.

45

40 Mountain Biking One-up your skills 42 Hiking The world on foot 45 Parenting Little adventurers 67 Marketplace 68 Musings

WAM • SPR | 2011 1

Jen got her start in the outdoors as a summer camp director in California, but it wasn’t long before the last frontier called her to Alaska where she’s lived since 1993. Seventeen years and four kids later, she still adventures every chance she gets, usually with kids in tow. Though it’s just a matter of time, she says, until they’re towing her—all three of her children are accomplished outdoors-people, having garnered experience and skills helping her research her book, Babes in the Woods: Hiking, Camping, and Boating with Babies & Young Children (Mountaineers Books, 2010). Most of Jen’s backcountry time is spent backpacking, kayaking, and winter camping, but she also volunteers as a dispatcher for Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs. She works as a lactation consultant at the local children’s hospital, and gives presentations all over the Pacific Northwest inspiring families to get outside.

What first-time adventure have you planned for this year?

EDITORIAL It’s in the Grand Canyon: R2R2R or Havasu Falls

Art Director Rebecca Finkel

[

Putting my daughter through college

Cycling Editor/Web Director Susan Hayse Hiking a portion of the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal

An Olympic-distance triathlon—solo

]

Copy Editors Mira Perrizo, Michael Bragg Contributing Editors Jayme Otto, Michelle Theall

Only Pack What You Can Carry: My Path to Inner Strength and True Self-Knowledge

[

Month-long house swap with someone in New Zealand

Assistant Editor Jennifer Olson

]

Chick Lit

Enjoy life in the wild with new spring books from National Geographic.

[

EDITOR IN CHIEF KRISTY HOLLAND

Contributing Web Editor Tara Kusumoto

Discover how outdoor adventure can help you “(en)lighten up” in this charming story of solo travels and life challenges that led author Janice Holly Booth— a self-proclaimed average working woman without a trust fund or any real survival skills—into unchartered territory. Follow her journey as she reveals how courage, solitude, introspection, and commitment became the foundation for her own life.

Contributing Writers Jen Aist, Adam Chase, Bree Kessler, Melissa Gaskill, Melynda Coble Harrison, Sara Lingafelter, James Mills, Abigail Sussman

Adam Chase

Adam Chase is, in many ways, a man’s man. But he’s done some serious time in women’s circles as well: his family is full of strong women, he attended a women’s college, and he was the only male member of the Women’s Law Caucus in law school. The combination of perspectives he’s seen—along with a social network that includes more than 5,000 Facebook friends—makes him well-rounded, self-reflective, and full of fodder for poking fun at men (and mankind) as the columnist for our new department, Man Handle. Adam’s new role with WAM isn’t the only thing that keeps him busy, though: he’s a sponsored ultra-distance trail runner, a tax attorney, trail editor for Running Times, a shoe reviewer for Competitor and Triathlete magazines, and a freelancer at large for other outdoors publications.“I thought I’d done well with a sponsorship from a memory-foam mattress company,” he says, “but I think I hit the jackpot when Women’s Adventure approached me about doing this column.”

Editorial Interns Whitney Medved, Kaley Westhusing

[

Canyoneering in Escalante, Utah

Contributing Photographers Ben Alexandra, Brian Beckstead, Mara Angie Bee, Brittany Bilderback, Dan Campbell-Lloyd, Krisan Christensen, Peter Doucette, Allen Ebens, Bill Mahoney, James Edward Mills, Mirko Nennetz, Matt Outen, Dan Patitucci/PatitucciPhoto, Kim Phillips, Nancy Vogel, Alex Ward, Jacqueline Windh

SUBMISSIONS

Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer

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

Who wears pink boots into the jungle and tracks wild animals like she’s stalking a cheating boyfriend? Dr. Mireya Mayor, primatologist, explorer, and Nat Geo WILD Channel host, who tells all about her most thrilling adventures in the field.

Whether diving with sharks or standing down a gorilla, this compelling and often hilarious memoir reveals her relentless determination, indomitable spirit, and fierce love of animals and her commitment to protecting them.

“Entertaining reading for the intrepid at heart.”—Kirkus

PUBLISHING

PUBLISHER SUE SHEERIN

[

Climbing a fourteener with my kids

Key Accounts Sue Sheerin sue@womensadventuremagazine.com 303 931 6057 Account Manager Lisa Sinclair lisa@womensadventuremagazine.com 970 556 3279

[

Exploring the Maya ruins at Tulum in Mexico

Senior Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Anne Blichfeld anne@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Volcanoes, Fly-Fishing, Campgrounds, Family-Friendly Hikes, Jeep Trips, Winter Sports, Float Trips, Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Elizabeth Melton elizabeth@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Italy—it’s about time

]

Director of Events Joanna Laubsher joanna@womensadventuremagazine.com

S

howcasing america’s best natural playgrounds, this downright inspiring and amusing guide provides hundreds of ideas for travelers planning—or dreaming about—a trip to one of the country’s iconic national parks. leaving no category of national park unturned, from “classic” parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, to national historical parks, national monuments, national battlefields, and national scenic trails, this practical guide is bursting with ten-best lists, insider anecdotes, and expert advice from park rangers. easily organized region, season, theme, or occasion, it will give both avid travelers and armchair explorers the itch for an all-american adventure.

Open the book and find:

N Ten best lodges, hikes, mountain bike rides, horsepacking trips, rock formations, and swimming holes

N Ten best waterfalls, stargazing sites,

picnic spots, whitewater rides, Copyright © 2011 by Big Earth Publishing. All rights reserved. walk-up summits, and scenic drives N Ten best Civil War sites, island retreats, Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is expressly prohibited. sunrises, and places to say “I do”

N And more, from nearly 400 park properties across the U.S.

U.S. $21.95/$25.00 CaN ISBN Printed in China IS B N 978-1-4262-0734-1/ 978-1-4262-0734-1

52195

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

9 781426 207341 travel Please consult your doctor prior to beginning any workout program or sports activity, and seek out a qualified Outfitted Adventures, Ranger Programs, Native American Sites, Urban Escapes, Field Excursions, instructor. Big Earth Publishing will not be held responsible for your decision to thrive in the wild. Have fun!

Introduction by FraN P. MaINella, 16th Director of the National Park Service

Backcountry Lodges, National Battlefields, Rock Formations, Arches, National Preserves, National Monuments, Birding Locales, National Lakeshores, Scenic Drives, National Parks,

]

Fly Fishing Spots, National Historic Sites, Native American Sites, National Monuments,

Run the Rockies Half Marathon

Rock Art and Petroglyphs, Arts and Gardens, Culinary Delights, Three-Day Backpacking,

Melissa Gaskill

Austin-based freelance writer Melissa Gaskill specializes in science, nature, and sustainable outdoor-oriented travel and has been playing the role of “destination expert” for WAM for more than a year. She’s a long-time hiker and camper but more recently took up kayaking and scuba diving—and loves to share all her adventures with her three almost-grown children who are also outdoor enthusiasts. The author of a hiking guide book about her native Texas, Melissa loves state and national parks and loves road-tripping throughout the US and Mexico. One of her favorite recent adventures was a three-day stretch of whale watching, camping, and kayaking in southern Baja California punctuated by a total lunar eclipse. “The more remote and undeveloped the better,” she says of her criteria for a good time.“I love hiking or paddling for hours without seeing another soul—except for wildlife— and camping in places dark enough to see the Milky Way. Those places are getting harder and harder to find.”

2 WAM • SPR | 2011

Adventure

Glaciers, Capital Attractions, Beaches, Wildflower Blooms, Fall Color, Bird-watching Sites,

contributors

Jen Aist

Birding Locales, National Lakeshores, Scenic Drives, National Parks, Epic Hikes, National Rivers,

10 Best of Everything National Parks This entertaining, information-packed guide is a treasure trove of best things to experience at America’s playgrounds. The 800+ picks cover all the parks—classic national parks, monuments, historical parks, scenic trails, and beyond. And the 10 Best lists feature natural wonders, wildlife, attractions, and activities—such as best waterfalls, caves, megafauna, epic hikes, night skies, backcountry lodges, and much more.

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

nationalgeographic.com/books

womensadventuremagazine.com

Jen got her start in the outdoors as a summer camp director in California, but it wasn’t long before the last frontier called her to Alaska where she’s lived since 1993. Seventeen years and four kids later, she still adventures every chance she gets, usually with kids in tow. Though it’s just a matter of time, she says, until they’re towing her—all three of her children are accomplished outdoors-people, having garnered experience and skills helping her research her book, Babes in the Woods: Hiking, Camping, and Boating with Babies & Young Children (Mountaineers Books, 2010). Most of Jen’s backcountry time is spent backpacking, kayaking, and winter camping, but she also volunteers as a dispatcher for Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs. She works as a lactation consultant at the local children’s hospital, and gives presentations all over the Pacific Northwest inspiring families to get outside.

What first-time adventure have you planned for this year?

EDITORIAL It’s in the Grand Canyon: R2R2R or Havasu Falls

Art Director Rebecca Finkel

[

Putting my daughter through college

Cycling Editor/Web Director Susan Hayse Hiking a portion of the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal

An Olympic-distance triathlon—solo

]

Copy Editors Mira Perrizo, Michael Bragg Contributing Editors Jayme Otto, Michelle Theall

Only Pack What You Can Carry: My Path to Inner Strength and True Self-Knowledge

[

Month-long house swap with someone in New Zealand

Assistant Editor Jennifer Olson

]

Chick Lit

Enjoy life in the wild with new spring books from National Geographic.

[

EDITOR IN CHIEF KRISTY HOLLAND

Contributing Web Editor Tara Kusumoto

Discover how outdoor adventure can help you “(en)lighten up” in this charming story of solo travels and life challenges that led author Janice Holly Booth— a self-proclaimed average working woman without a trust fund or any real survival skills—into unchartered territory. Follow her journey as she reveals how courage, solitude, introspection, and commitment became the foundation for her own life.

Contributing Writers Jen Aist, Adam Chase, Bree Kessler, Melissa Gaskill, Melynda Coble Harrison, Sara Lingafelter, James Mills, Abigail Sussman

Adam Chase

Adam Chase is, in many ways, a man’s man. But he’s done some serious time in women’s circles as well: his family is full of strong women, he attended a women’s college, and he was the only male member of the Women’s Law Caucus in law school. The combination of perspectives he’s seen—along with a social network that includes more than 5,000 Facebook friends—makes him well-rounded, self-reflective, and full of fodder for poking fun at men (and mankind) as the columnist for our new department, Man Handle. Adam’s new role with WAM isn’t the only thing that keeps him busy, though: he’s a sponsored ultra-distance trail runner, a tax attorney, trail editor for Running Times, a shoe reviewer for Competitor and Triathlete magazines, and a freelancer at large for other outdoors publications.“I thought I’d done well with a sponsorship from a memory-foam mattress company,” he says, “but I think I hit the jackpot when Women’s Adventure approached me about doing this column.”

Editorial Interns Whitney Medved, Kaley Westhusing

[

Canyoneering in Escalante, Utah

Contributing Photographers Ben Alexandra, Brian Beckstead, Mara Angie Bee, Brittany Bilderback, Dan Campbell-Lloyd, Krisan Christensen, Peter Doucette, Allen Ebens, Bill Mahoney, James Edward Mills, Mirko Nennetz, Matt Outen, Dan Patitucci/PatitucciPhoto, Kim Phillips, Nancy Vogel, Alex Ward, Jacqueline Windh

SUBMISSIONS

Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer

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

Who wears pink boots into the jungle and tracks wild animals like she’s stalking a cheating boyfriend? Dr. Mireya Mayor, primatologist, explorer, and Nat Geo WILD Channel host, who tells all about her most thrilling adventures in the field.

Whether diving with sharks or standing down a gorilla, this compelling and often hilarious memoir reveals her relentless determination, indomitable spirit, and fierce love of animals and her commitment to protecting them.

“Entertaining reading for the intrepid at heart.”—Kirkus

PUBLISHING

PUBLISHER SUE SHEERIN

[

Climbing a fourteener with my kids

Key Accounts Sue Sheerin sue@womensadventuremagazine.com 303 931 6057 Account Manager Lisa Sinclair lisa@womensadventuremagazine.com 970 556 3279

[

Exploring the Maya ruins at Tulum in Mexico

Senior Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Anne Blichfeld anne@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Volcanoes, Fly-Fishing, Campgrounds, Family-Friendly Hikes, Jeep Trips, Winter Sports, Float Trips, Multi-Tasker Extraordinaire Elizabeth Melton elizabeth@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com

Italy—it’s about time

]

Director of Events Joanna Laubsher joanna@womensadventuremagazine.com

S

howcasing america’s best natural playgrounds, this downright inspiring and amusing guide provides hundreds of ideas for travelers planning—or dreaming about—a trip to one of the country’s iconic national parks. leaving no category of national park unturned, from “classic” parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, to national historical parks, national monuments, national battlefields, and national scenic trails, this practical guide is bursting with ten-best lists, insider anecdotes, and expert advice from park rangers. easily organized region, season, theme, or occasion, it will give both avid travelers and armchair explorers the itch for an all-american adventure.

Open the book and find:

N Ten best lodges, hikes, mountain bike rides, horsepacking trips, rock formations, and swimming holes

N Ten best waterfalls, stargazing sites,

picnic spots, whitewater rides, Copyright © 2011 by Big Earth Publishing. All rights reserved. walk-up summits, and scenic drives N Ten best Civil War sites, island retreats, Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is expressly prohibited. sunrises, and places to say “I do”

N And more, from nearly 400 park properties across the U.S.

U.S. $21.95/$25.00 CaN ISBN Printed in China IS B N 978-1-4262-0734-1/ 978-1-4262-0734-1

52195

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

9 781426 207341 travel Please consult your doctor prior to beginning any workout program or sports activity, and seek out a qualified Outfitted Adventures, Ranger Programs, Native American Sites, Urban Escapes, Field Excursions, instructor. Big Earth Publishing will not be held responsible for your decision to thrive in the wild. Have fun!

Introduction by FraN P. MaINella, 16th Director of the National Park Service

Backcountry Lodges, National Battlefields, Rock Formations, Arches, National Preserves, National Monuments, Birding Locales, National Lakeshores, Scenic Drives, National Parks,

]

Fly Fishing Spots, National Historic Sites, Native American Sites, National Monuments,

Run the Rockies Half Marathon

Rock Art and Petroglyphs, Arts and Gardens, Culinary Delights, Three-Day Backpacking,

Melissa Gaskill

Austin-based freelance writer Melissa Gaskill specializes in science, nature, and sustainable outdoor-oriented travel and has been playing the role of “destination expert” for WAM for more than a year. She’s a long-time hiker and camper but more recently took up kayaking and scuba diving—and loves to share all her adventures with her three almost-grown children who are also outdoor enthusiasts. The author of a hiking guide book about her native Texas, Melissa loves state and national parks and loves road-tripping throughout the US and Mexico. One of her favorite recent adventures was a three-day stretch of whale watching, camping, and kayaking in southern Baja California punctuated by a total lunar eclipse. “The more remote and undeveloped the better,” she says of her criteria for a good time.“I love hiking or paddling for hours without seeing another soul—except for wildlife— and camping in places dark enough to see the Milky Way. Those places are getting harder and harder to find.”

2 WAM • SPR | 2011

Adventure

Glaciers, Capital Attractions, Beaches, Wildflower Blooms, Fall Color, Bird-watching Sites,

contributors

Jen Aist

Birding Locales, National Lakeshores, Scenic Drives, National Parks, Epic Hikes, National Rivers,

10 Best of Everything National Parks This entertaining, information-packed guide is a treasure trove of best things to experience at America’s playgrounds. The 800+ picks cover all the parks—classic national parks, monuments, historical parks, scenic trails, and beyond. And the 10 Best lists feature natural wonders, wildlife, attractions, and activities—such as best waterfalls, caves, megafauna, epic hikes, night skies, backcountry lodges, and much more.

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

nationalgeographic.com/books

womensadventuremagazine.com

On the Web

Editor’s Letter

Click your way to adventure.

Tour womensadventuremagazine.com for webexclusive content and multimedia extras including: Q&A:

Only a snippet made the magazine, but bike queen Jenn Dice gave a juicy interview about IMBA’s mission, her favorite trails, and how she started riding in the first place.

N

ewness and opportunity are themes that have been swirling around Women’s Adventure for a long time. Not just because we’ve been testing personal-record-busting road bikes, running in vibrant spring colors, and watching flowers bloom outside our front door. But also because this issue is the debut of a new look, new content, and a new flavor for the magazine that we’ve been working on since last summer.

THE OTHER SIDE: EQUIPPED:

Our new Brooks-Range Mountaineeringsponsored Hiking Toolbox is just in time for hitting your favorite trails. Complete with how-to videos, editors’ tips, destination suggestions, and a reader photo gallery.

Disagree with our take on the bear-in-mybackyard issue? So does Jennifer Churchill of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Read her dissenting opinion, dig into the big picture, and weigh-in with your own thoughts.

While I think we’ve maintained the voice, the narrative, and the inspirational stories you’ve come to expect—and which set us apart from other outdoor magazines—I also think we’re providing more service and better content than ever before. We’ve kept space for features about inspiring women like Shannon Wilson (page 48) and Nancy Vogel (page 54), and we’ve taken a slightly more educational approach to reviewing and understanding women’s gear, which will increase your appreciation for the technologies emerging on your behalf (page 59).

CONTESTS:

Win this from Marmot.

Enter to win yours for free at womensadventuremagazine.com/marmot

by May 31, 2011.

Women’s Angel Fire sleeping bag It’s why we love bedtime in the woods: lofty 600-fill goose down, a women’sspecific fit that snuggles your curves, and a trapezoidal foot box that hugs your heels but allows your toes wiggle room. This three-season bag keeps you warm in temps down to 25-degrees F and weighs only 2 lbs., 1 15 oz. Thanks to its down-filled collar and nautilus 6-baffle hood (like the one in Marmot’s 8000m Parka), you won’t risk losing heat from your head. You’ll also appreciate little extras, like easy-tofeel draw cords, locking zippers, a stash pocket, and the oversized down-filled tube running along the zipper for draft protection.

The winner will be announced June 15, 2011.

4 WAM • SPR | 2011

We also have an entirely new way of organizing our departments. Along with more photos and a dynamic new design, we have divided the magazine’s front half to make the stories we’re presenting more accessible. You’ll find travel and trend content in, “Wonder”; inspiration and advice in the next department, “Aspire”; and tips, beta, skills advice, and detailed service info in a new section we call “Master.” Whether you’re a world champion or a neverever beginner, a kayaker or a car-camper—there’s something for you on every single page of this magazine.

We’re sure that you also have something for us. We’ve created space in our new design to include your stories, share your tips, and celebrate your successes—no matter their scale. From “On the Map” (page 10), to “I’m Proof ” (page 24), to an expanded space for photos of your adventures (page 6), we have more opportunity than ever to include you in the pages of our magazine and we’ll increasingly be asking you to be a part of it.

That’s probably the most exciting thing for me about this spring: the opportunity we’ve created to engage with you. I hope you’ll take this opportunity as an invitation to engage with us. Log in to Facebook, visit our website, share your stories with us, tell us what you think about our new look, and help us to continue to grow as a magazine and as a community.

Yours, BEN ALEXANDRA

free stuff

As always, we’re giving away gear, gifts, and some of our favorite products to help take your adventures to the next level.

Kristy Holland Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. We give prizes away every week.

womensadventuremagazine.com

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• 4-liter water dispensing system.

Scan this code with your smart phone for more information on the pump-free simplicity of the GravityWorks™ filtration system.

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WAM • SPR | 2011 5

On the Web

Editor’s Letter

Click your way to adventure.

Tour womensadventuremagazine.com for webexclusive content and multimedia extras including: Q&A:

Only a snippet made the magazine, but bike queen Jenn Dice gave a juicy interview about IMBA’s mission, her favorite trails, and how she started riding in the first place.

N

ewness and opportunity are themes that have been swirling around Women’s Adventure for a long time. Not just because we’ve been testing personal-record-busting road bikes, running in vibrant spring colors, and watching flowers bloom outside our front door. But also because this issue is the debut of a new look, new content, and a new flavor for the magazine that we’ve been working on since last summer.

THE OTHER SIDE: EQUIPPED:

Our new Brooks-Range Mountaineeringsponsored Hiking Toolbox is just in time for hitting your favorite trails. Complete with how-to videos, editors’ tips, destination suggestions, and a reader photo gallery.

Disagree with our take on the bear-in-mybackyard issue? So does Jennifer Churchill of the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Read her dissenting opinion, dig into the big picture, and weigh-in with your own thoughts.

While I think we’ve maintained the voice, the narrative, and the inspirational stories you’ve come to expect—and which set us apart from other outdoor magazines—I also think we’re providing more service and better content than ever before. We’ve kept space for features about inspiring women like Shannon Wilson (page 48) and Nancy Vogel (page 54), and we’ve taken a slightly more educational approach to reviewing and understanding women’s gear, which will increase your appreciation for the technologies emerging on your behalf (page 59).

CONTESTS:

Win this from Marmot.

Enter to win yours for free at womensadventuremagazine.com/marmot

by May 31, 2011.

Women’s Angel Fire sleeping bag It’s why we love bedtime in the woods: lofty 600-fill goose down, a women’sspecific fit that snuggles your curves, and a trapezoidal foot box that hugs your heels but allows your toes wiggle room. This three-season bag keeps you warm in temps down to 25-degrees F and weighs only 2 lbs., 1 15 oz. Thanks to its down-filled collar and nautilus 6-baffle hood (like the one in Marmot’s 8000m Parka), you won’t risk losing heat from your head. You’ll also appreciate little extras, like easy-tofeel draw cords, locking zippers, a stash pocket, and the oversized down-filled tube running along the zipper for draft protection.

The winner will be announced June 15, 2011.

4 WAM • SPR | 2011

We also have an entirely new way of organizing our departments. Along with more photos and a dynamic new design, we have divided the magazine’s front half to make the stories we’re presenting more accessible. You’ll find travel and trend content in, “Wonder”; inspiration and advice in the next department, “Aspire”; and tips, beta, skills advice, and detailed service info in a new section we call “Master.” Whether you’re a world champion or a neverever beginner, a kayaker or a car-camper—there’s something for you on every single page of this magazine.

We’re sure that you also have something for us. We’ve created space in our new design to include your stories, share your tips, and celebrate your successes—no matter their scale. From “On the Map” (page 10), to “I’m Proof ” (page 24), to an expanded space for photos of your adventures (page 6), we have more opportunity than ever to include you in the pages of our magazine and we’ll increasingly be asking you to be a part of it.

That’s probably the most exciting thing for me about this spring: the opportunity we’ve created to engage with you. I hope you’ll take this opportunity as an invitation to engage with us. Log in to Facebook, visit our website, share your stories with us, tell us what you think about our new look, and help us to continue to grow as a magazine and as a community.

Yours, BEN ALEXANDRA

free stuff

As always, we’re giving away gear, gifts, and some of our favorite products to help take your adventures to the next level.

Kristy Holland Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. We give prizes away every week.

womensadventuremagazine.com

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WAM • SPR | 2011 5

REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE

Your Adventure

REWATERPROOF

™

© 2011 Nikwax Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Patitucci Photo.

u Sarah Reijonen, 26, Spokane, WA One week into their seven-month trip around the world, Chris and Sarah Reijonen pitched their tent in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps. “Our car broke down when we arrived in Paris; we didn’t have much food so we ate goldfish crackers and almonds for dinner. It was a long hike,” says Sarah, emphasizing the word long, “but this was one of the most memorable moments of our entire trip.”

s Annie Keyes, 41, Copper Mountain, CO “I’m an extreme beginner,” says Annie Keyes with a laugh. She’s referring to her yoga skills, not the precarious location in Utah’s Canyonlands where she posed for this picture last fall. While most of her time in the desert is devoted to four-wheeling, hiking, and climbing, Annie likes to wake up with a morning walk and stretch. “You can never get enough of the views,” she says, “and yoga just makes me feel good.”

®

t Lily Leung, 42, New York, NY An Alpine start put Lily Leung about an hour from the summit of Mexico’s 18,490-foot Pico de Orizaba for this sunrise shot. As a native New Yorker, Lily first caught her “adventure bug” in Utah, but these days she squeezes three or four high-altitude trekking trips into every year. “It’s pretty far removed from the concrete jungle where I live,” she says. “My friends all think I’m crazy.”

Nikwax® products extend the life of your gear; saving energy, money and the environment.

Use Nikwax® footwear products to maximize the life and performance of your shoes and boots. s Paula Crago, 42, Portland, OR A mother-daughter trip to Oregon’s Cannon Beach—you can see the town’s landmark Haystack Rock in the background—set the stage for this picture of 8-year-old Emily Crago. “We were experimenting with a new camera, and she really got skimboarding down that day,” says Paula, who skipped her usual kayaking and dune-running routine to lay in the surf for this action angle.

s John Britton, 53, Boulder, CO | When he set up his camera, parked himself in front of the fire pits, and waited for the racers from last year’s Warrior Dash at Copper Mountain to come streaming past, photographer John Britton had his eyes peeled for his wife. He snapped several shots of her—with a caked-on Fu Manchu–style mud mustache—but his favorite shot of the day captured these gals who called themselves the Undie Warriors. “They had great expressions,” he says, “and it was just fun to be in a crowd of people in wacky moods.”

Have an amazing image of an adventure you’d like us to feature? To be considered, e-mail your picture and contact information to edit@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com.

6 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Footwear Cleaning Gel™ is designed

Fabric and Leather Proof™ is a water-

to safely clean all types of footwear.

It prepares footwear for waterproofing treatments while enhancing breathability and performance.

based, fluorocarbon-free waterproofing formula for fabric and leather combination footwear. It adds water-repellency while maintaining breathability.

Learn how to properly care for your footwear!

Visit nikwax.net/shoes or scan the tag with your phone! Get the free app at http://gettag.mobi

REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE

Your Adventure

REWATERPROOF

™

© 2011 Nikwax Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Patitucci Photo.

u Sarah Reijonen, 26, Spokane, WA One week into their seven-month trip around the world, Chris and Sarah Reijonen pitched their tent in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps. “Our car broke down when we arrived in Paris; we didn’t have much food so we ate goldfish crackers and almonds for dinner. It was a long hike,” says Sarah, emphasizing the word long, “but this was one of the most memorable moments of our entire trip.”

s Annie Keyes, 41, Copper Mountain, CO “I’m an extreme beginner,” says Annie Keyes with a laugh. She’s referring to her yoga skills, not the precarious location in Utah’s Canyonlands where she posed for this picture last fall. While most of her time in the desert is devoted to four-wheeling, hiking, and climbing, Annie likes to wake up with a morning walk and stretch. “You can never get enough of the views,” she says, “and yoga just makes me feel good.”

®

t Lily Leung, 42, New York, NY An Alpine start put Lily Leung about an hour from the summit of Mexico’s 18,490-foot Pico de Orizaba for this sunrise shot. As a native New Yorker, Lily first caught her “adventure bug” in Utah, but these days she squeezes three or four high-altitude trekking trips into every year. “It’s pretty far removed from the concrete jungle where I live,” she says. “My friends all think I’m crazy.”

Nikwax® products extend the life of your gear; saving energy, money and the environment.

Use Nikwax® footwear products to maximize the life and performance of your shoes and boots. s Paula Crago, 42, Portland, OR A mother-daughter trip to Oregon’s Cannon Beach—you can see the town’s landmark Haystack Rock in the background—set the stage for this picture of 8-year-old Emily Crago. “We were experimenting with a new camera, and she really got skimboarding down that day,” says Paula, who skipped her usual kayaking and dune-running routine to lay in the surf for this action angle.

s John Britton, 53, Boulder, CO | When he set up his camera, parked himself in front of the fire pits, and waited for the racers from last year’s Warrior Dash at Copper Mountain to come streaming past, photographer John Britton had his eyes peeled for his wife. He snapped several shots of her—with a caked-on Fu Manchu–style mud mustache—but his favorite shot of the day captured these gals who called themselves the Undie Warriors. “They had great expressions,” he says, “and it was just fun to be in a crowd of people in wacky moods.”

Have an amazing image of an adventure you’d like us to feature? To be considered, e-mail your picture and contact information to edit@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com.

6 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Footwear Cleaning Gel™ is designed

Fabric and Leather Proof™ is a water-

to safely clean all types of footwear.

It prepares footwear for waterproofing treatments while enhancing breathability and performance.

based, fluorocarbon-free waterproofing formula for fabric and leather combination footwear. It adds water-repellency while maintaining breathability.

Learn how to properly care for your footwear!

Visit nikwax.net/shoes or scan the tag with your phone! Get the free app at http://gettag.mobi

wonde

m

12 Pin Point L ong Trails 16 Trends

Hike Bright

18 Psychobabble

A Different View

KIM PHILLIPS

20 It’s Personal

Go Your Own Way

8 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 9

wonde

m

12 Pin Point L ong Trails 16 Trends

Hike Bright

18 Psychobabble

A Different View

KIM PHILLIPS

20 It’s Personal

Go Your Own Way

8 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 9

w

On the Map

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

Arizona, USA Joining forces with 30 angels, adventuresses, and survivors, editor Kristy Holland joins the Project Athena Foundation from June 1st thru 5th to take on the 46-mile endurance challenge of hiking rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. projectathena.org

Arizona

Washington, D.C.

Honolulu, Hawaii

England Setting out from London April 1, 25-year-old Sarah Outen begins a two-anda-half-year expedition to power herself around the world by bike and boat.

She’ll travel more than 20,000 miles on her own and document the entire thing as inspiration for others. sarahouten.co.uk

Germany

Washington, D.C., USA D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists heads up National Bike Month each May. Check for bike-to-work events in your area coinciding with National Bike Week, May 1620, or plan your own. bikeleague.org

Beijing, China Steep ascents and 4,000plus stair steps add an element of surprise—and difficulty—to the Great Wall Marathon, about 50 miles northeast of Beijing.

Full and half-marathon distances or a 10k, May 21. great-wall-marathon.com

China

Israel Morocco

India Philippines

Ethiopia Colombia

Argentina Finishing their two-and-a-half-year ride along the Pan-American Highway, the Vogel family (featured on page 54) will reach Ushuaia, Argentina, in mid-April.

From there, they’ll go home, but they haven’t quite decided where that is.

Morocco Speeding over sand dunes and navigating desert hills, more than 200 women drivers from around the world will rally across the Moroccan desert between March 19th and April 2nd in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles.

American driver Emily Miller (featured in WAM last Spring) hopes this third time effort will land her atop the podium this year—for the first time she’ll be racing against two other American teams who’ll be cheering her on. rallyeaichadesgazelles.com

Low on funds, but love to travel? Voluntourism isn’t always cheap, but World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offer room and board in rustic, rural settings all over

womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESEY OF: (GERMANY) ALLEN EBENS, (PHILIPINES) MIRKO NENNETZ, (ETHIOPIA) JAMES EDWARD MILLS, (NEW ZEALAND) ALEX WARD

Colombia Tropical temps and 100-percent humidity have changed how WAM reader Brittany Bilderback, spends time in the outdoors. Since moving to Cartagena, Colombia, last year, the 22-year-old is doing more dancing than trail running, and more swimming than hiking. Read Brittany’s essay about Colombia which, she says, doesn’t deserve it’s mala fama—bad reputation—at womensadventuremagazine.com.

Argentina

10 WAM • SPR | 2011

100 Countries, 5000 Ideas.

This new book from National Geographic is 400-plus pages packed with best-of travel tips and adventure destinations for 100 countries.

Information, inspiration, and infallibility all in one place.

(National Geographic, $27)

Israel Even the mayor will run the first-ever Jerusalem Marathon on March 25th. The course hits every major attraction in the city. Plus, WAM’s own Jayme Otto ran the prelim 2010 event last year. jerusalem-marathon.com

England

COURTESEY OF (TOP TO BOTTOM): MATT OUTEN, JACQUELINE WINDH, BRITTANY BILDERBACK, DAN CAMPBELL-LLOYD, NANCY VOGEL

Hawaii, USA Pro surfer and Patagonia Ambassador Mary Osborne represents surfers at the NOAA Marine Debris Conference from March 17 to 25 in Honolulu.

Pollution prevention and cleanup are part of her mission to keep her sisters (all of you!) on the water. marinedebris.noaa.gov

Germany Most of the world’s top kayakers—including champs Emily Jackson and Canadian Ruth Gordon Ebens—will take to whitewater on the Isar River in Plattling, Germany, on June 20th for the start of the ICF Freestyle World Championships. Whitewater meets finesse, style, and grace at this event where they’ll crown the most explosive— and expressive—world champion kayaker on the water. icf-freestyle.de

India Since 1970, the Earth Day festivities of April 22nd have morphed into the largest set of civic observances in the world—more than 1 billion people celebrate each year.

Along with their newest program launch in India, the Earth Day Network hosts and promotes events with their 22,000 partners in 192 countries. April 22. earthday.org Ethiopia Is she pushing the model of development? It’s hard to say, but Shannon Wilson and Imagine Ethiopia are putting “creatribution” into action and helping educate a nation. Read more about Shannon and Imagine Ethiopia’s 2011 plans in “Imagine That” on page 48.

New Zealand They’ll be the first to thru hike the 2,000-plus mile Te Araroa trail across New Zealand—it officially opened in February —but Canadian Shalane Hopkins and Brit Alex Ward won’t be the last. Read more about thru-hiking on page 12 and start planning your own adventure. missionlivelife.com

Philippines The Kiteboarding4girls Foundation (KB4girls) hosts an advanced skills clinic and kiteboarding competition on Boracay Island near Malay, Philippines, March 8th thru 10th. This first-time event is one of six stops in Kiteboard Tour Asia’s second-ever season. kb4girls.org

New Zealand

the world in exchange for a few daily hours of hard work. Cultivate food, learn about new cultures, and connect with participating farms around the world at wwoof.org.

WAM • SPR | 2011 11

w

On the Map

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

Arizona, USA Joining forces with 30 angels, adventuresses, and survivors, editor Kristy Holland joins the Project Athena Foundation from June 1st thru 5th to take on the 46-mile endurance challenge of hiking rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. projectathena.org

Arizona

Washington, D.C.

Honolulu, Hawaii

England Setting out from London April 1, 25-year-old Sarah Outen begins a two-anda-half-year expedition to power herself around the world by bike and boat.

She’ll travel more than 20,000 miles on her own and document the entire thing as inspiration for others. sarahouten.co.uk

Germany

Washington, D.C., USA D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists heads up National Bike Month each May. Check for bike-to-work events in your area coinciding with National Bike Week, May 1620, or plan your own. bikeleague.org

Beijing, China Steep ascents and 4,000plus stair steps add an element of surprise—and difficulty—to the Great Wall Marathon, about 50 miles northeast of Beijing.

Full and half-marathon distances or a 10k, May 21. great-wall-marathon.com

China

Israel Morocco

India Philippines

Ethiopia Colombia

Argentina Finishing their two-and-a-half-year ride along the Pan-American Highway, the Vogel family (featured on page 54) will reach Ushuaia, Argentina, in mid-April.

From there, they’ll go home, but they haven’t quite decided where that is.

Morocco Speeding over sand dunes and navigating desert hills, more than 200 women drivers from around the world will rally across the Moroccan desert between March 19th and April 2nd in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles.

American driver Emily Miller (featured in WAM last Spring) hopes this third time effort will land her atop the podium this year—for the first time she’ll be racing against two other American teams who’ll be cheering her on. rallyeaichadesgazelles.com

Low on funds, but love to travel? Voluntourism isn’t always cheap, but World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offer room and board in rustic, rural settings all over

womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESEY OF: (GERMANY) ALLEN EBENS, (PHILIPINES) MIRKO NENNETZ, (ETHIOPIA) JAMES EDWARD MILLS, (NEW ZEALAND) ALEX WARD

Colombia Tropical temps and 100-percent humidity have changed how WAM reader Brittany Bilderback, spends time in the outdoors. Since moving to Cartagena, Colombia, last year, the 22-year-old is doing more dancing than trail running, and more swimming than hiking. Read Brittany’s essay about Colombia which, she says, doesn’t deserve it’s mala fama—bad reputation—at womensadventuremagazine.com.

Argentina

10 WAM • SPR | 2011

100 Countries, 5000 Ideas.

This new book from National Geographic is 400-plus pages packed with best-of travel tips and adventure destinations for 100 countries.

Information, inspiration, and infallibility all in one place.

(National Geographic, $27)

Israel Even the mayor will run the first-ever Jerusalem Marathon on March 25th. The course hits every major attraction in the city. Plus, WAM’s own Jayme Otto ran the prelim 2010 event last year. jerusalem-marathon.com

England

COURTESEY OF (TOP TO BOTTOM): MATT OUTEN, JACQUELINE WINDH, BRITTANY BILDERBACK, DAN CAMPBELL-LLOYD, NANCY VOGEL

Hawaii, USA Pro surfer and Patagonia Ambassador Mary Osborne represents surfers at the NOAA Marine Debris Conference from March 17 to 25 in Honolulu.

Pollution prevention and cleanup are part of her mission to keep her sisters (all of you!) on the water. marinedebris.noaa.gov

Germany Most of the world’s top kayakers—including champs Emily Jackson and Canadian Ruth Gordon Ebens—will take to whitewater on the Isar River in Plattling, Germany, on June 20th for the start of the ICF Freestyle World Championships. Whitewater meets finesse, style, and grace at this event where they’ll crown the most explosive— and expressive—world champion kayaker on the water. icf-freestyle.de

India Since 1970, the Earth Day festivities of April 22nd have morphed into the largest set of civic observances in the world—more than 1 billion people celebrate each year.

Along with their newest program launch in India, the Earth Day Network hosts and promotes events with their 22,000 partners in 192 countries. April 22. earthday.org Ethiopia Is she pushing the model of development? It’s hard to say, but Shannon Wilson and Imagine Ethiopia are putting “creatribution” into action and helping educate a nation. Read more about Shannon and Imagine Ethiopia’s 2011 plans in “Imagine That” on page 48.

New Zealand They’ll be the first to thru hike the 2,000-plus mile Te Araroa trail across New Zealand—it officially opened in February —but Canadian Shalane Hopkins and Brit Alex Ward won’t be the last. Read more about thru-hiking on page 12 and start planning your own adventure. missionlivelife.com

Philippines The Kiteboarding4girls Foundation (KB4girls) hosts an advanced skills clinic and kiteboarding competition on Boracay Island near Malay, Philippines, March 8th thru 10th. This first-time event is one of six stops in Kiteboard Tour Asia’s second-ever season. kb4girls.org

New Zealand

the world in exchange for a few daily hours of hard work. Cultivate food, learn about new cultures, and connect with participating farms around the world at wwoof.org.

WAM • SPR | 2011 11

w

Pin Point

YO UR T EA M I S R EA DY.

Long Trails The transformative power of the thousand-mile trek

ARE Y OU?

By Jayme Otto

W

e hike. We backpack. We camp. If we’re lucky, we do these things often enough that they feel comfortable, natural. Out on the trail, we step directly upon the earth, bathe in streams, and rise then slumber with the sun. We slow down, exhale, and let the hardened exterior layers that build up during our time away from the wilderness begin to peel away, revealing a softer, truer self.

Sorrel Wilby and her husband We just don’t typically do these things for Chris trekked 4,000 miles five months straight. But that’s the true across Asia in 1991, and this magic of the long trail—its duration. And spring they’re leading a group through Nepal’s Upper Dolpo— while people are drawn to epic treks for different reasons generated by different life a Tibetan-Buddhist region of western Nepal that was closed circumstances, the expectation is always to foreigners. Read more the same: to take enough time to find about their trek at womens adventuremagazine.com. yourself again.

Te Araroa (The Long Pathway),

Via Alpina

Officially opening this spring, Te Araroa covers the entire length of New Zealand, from the sacred grounds of Cape Reinga at the northern tip of the isolated island, to the oystering port town of Bluff in Southland. Abundant huts and campsites make this D-I-Y trek manageable despite an average of 150 days on a trail through some of the country’s most remote regions.

Europe’s first trans-Alp trail, unveiled in 2005, stretches across eight countries, starting in Slovenia and arcing north and east through Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, and France, before ending near the beaches of Monaco. Local delicacies and comfortable overnight lodges (think: fireside fondue) compete for highlight status with high-mountain scenery—including flowered meadows below 15,782-foot Mt. Blanc.

Resource Research beta from 27-year old Brit Alex Ward and 24-year-old Canadian Shalane Hopkins. They are on-trail now, and if they complete on target in March, they’ll be its first thru-hikers. missionlivelife.com

Europe; 3,100 miles

Resource Via Alpina’s website—translated in five languages—details route descriptions, including directions, points of interest, and trekking tips. via-alpina.org

Great Himalaya Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

The longest and highest alpine walking path in the world, the Great Himalaya Trail winds 2,800 miles from Tibet to Pakistan.

The Nepal segment is the most accessible, but still hits remote territory: snaking around all ten of the country’s 8,000-meter peaks, from the rhododendron forests fringing Mt. Kanchenjunga—the third-highest mountain on earth, through Sherpa villages in the shadow of Mt. Everest, to wildflowercovered passes near the Tibetan border.

The most diverse of America’s footpaths, the Pacific Crest Trail traverses six of North America’s ecozones, crossing 60 major mountain passes from the deserts of Southern California to the dripping rainforests of Washington state. Fewer people have finished a thru-hike of the PCT than have climbed Mt. Everest; most starting at the Mexico border in late April and averaging five to six months for the full thru-hike into Canada.

Resource Join the inaugural 157-day

Resource The Pacific Crest Trail Associa-

Nepal; 1,055 miles

guided trek of the Nepal segment with World Expeditions, or choose one of the seven stages ranging from 18 to 34 days. worldexpeditions.com

United States; 2,650 miles

tion keeps updated conditions, statistics, and information for thru- or day-hikers accessing the trail. pcta.org

Of the 300 to 500 people who attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail each year, 33% are women and about 42% of them—maintaining the 2:1 ratio of men to women—finish.

12 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Women’s Dog Mushing Academy Summer 2011 An exclusive 5 day total immersion into Alaskan Dog Mushing Taught by Iditarod Race Veterans & Iditarod Race Veterinarians.

KIM PHILLIPS

New Zealand; 2,050 miles

Course participants will attend a 3 day Dog Mushing Boot Camp at our Gold Rush Sled Camp prior to flying by helicopter to our Mendenhall Glacier Camp. We will be running dog teams every day of this Academy.

Register online at northernsafetyoperations.com/women-mushing-academy See other courses we offer at northernsafetyoperations.com/courses WAM • SPR | 2011 13

w

Pin Point

YO UR T EA M I S R EA DY.

Long Trails The transformative power of the thousand-mile trek

ARE Y OU?

By Jayme Otto

W

e hike. We backpack. We camp. If we’re lucky, we do these things often enough that they feel comfortable, natural. Out on the trail, we step directly upon the earth, bathe in streams, and rise then slumber with the sun. We slow down, exhale, and let the hardened exterior layers that build up during our time away from the wilderness begin to peel away, revealing a softer, truer self.

Sorrel Wilby and her husband We just don’t typically do these things for Chris trekked 4,000 miles five months straight. But that’s the true across Asia in 1991, and this magic of the long trail—its duration. And spring they’re leading a group through Nepal’s Upper Dolpo— while people are drawn to epic treks for different reasons generated by different life a Tibetan-Buddhist region of western Nepal that was closed circumstances, the expectation is always to foreigners. Read more the same: to take enough time to find about their trek at womens adventuremagazine.com. yourself again.

Te Araroa (The Long Pathway),

Via Alpina

Officially opening this spring, Te Araroa covers the entire length of New Zealand, from the sacred grounds of Cape Reinga at the northern tip of the isolated island, to the oystering port town of Bluff in Southland. Abundant huts and campsites make this D-I-Y trek manageable despite an average of 150 days on a trail through some of the country’s most remote regions.

Europe’s first trans-Alp trail, unveiled in 2005, stretches across eight countries, starting in Slovenia and arcing north and east through Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, and France, before ending near the beaches of Monaco. Local delicacies and comfortable overnight lodges (think: fireside fondue) compete for highlight status with high-mountain scenery—including flowered meadows below 15,782-foot Mt. Blanc.

Resource Research beta from 27-year old Brit Alex Ward and 24-year-old Canadian Shalane Hopkins. They are on-trail now, and if they complete on target in March, they’ll be its first thru-hikers. missionlivelife.com

Europe; 3,100 miles

Resource Via Alpina’s website—translated in five languages—details route descriptions, including directions, points of interest, and trekking tips. via-alpina.org

Great Himalaya Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

The longest and highest alpine walking path in the world, the Great Himalaya Trail winds 2,800 miles from Tibet to Pakistan.

The Nepal segment is the most accessible, but still hits remote territory: snaking around all ten of the country’s 8,000-meter peaks, from the rhododendron forests fringing Mt. Kanchenjunga—the third-highest mountain on earth, through Sherpa villages in the shadow of Mt. Everest, to wildflowercovered passes near the Tibetan border.

The most diverse of America’s footpaths, the Pacific Crest Trail traverses six of North America’s ecozones, crossing 60 major mountain passes from the deserts of Southern California to the dripping rainforests of Washington state. Fewer people have finished a thru-hike of the PCT than have climbed Mt. Everest; most starting at the Mexico border in late April and averaging five to six months for the full thru-hike into Canada.

Resource Join the inaugural 157-day

Resource The Pacific Crest Trail Associa-

Nepal; 1,055 miles

guided trek of the Nepal segment with World Expeditions, or choose one of the seven stages ranging from 18 to 34 days. worldexpeditions.com

United States; 2,650 miles

tion keeps updated conditions, statistics, and information for thru- or day-hikers accessing the trail. pcta.org

Of the 300 to 500 people who attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail each year, 33% are women and about 42% of them—maintaining the 2:1 ratio of men to women—finish.

12 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Women’s Dog Mushing Academy Summer 2011 An exclusive 5 day total immersion into Alaskan Dog Mushing Taught by Iditarod Race Veterans & Iditarod Race Veterinarians.

KIM PHILLIPS

New Zealand; 2,050 miles

Course participants will attend a 3 day Dog Mushing Boot Camp at our Gold Rush Sled Camp prior to flying by helicopter to our Mendenhall Glacier Camp. We will be running dog teams every day of this Academy.

Register online at northernsafetyoperations.com/women-mushing-academy See other courses we offer at northernsafetyoperations.com/courses WAM • SPR | 2011 13

w

Media Review

The Big Picture

Four reads that will make you wish for rainy days this spring.

By Tara Kusumoto

The Source of All Things: A Memoir

S

Ross’ love of the outdoors serves as the narrative’s backbone: The wilderness exposed her as a child, helped her escape as a troubled teen, and now it frees her from the past. From Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, to Alaska’s Denali National Park, to Colorado’s high country—where today she’s settled with her own family—the rugged backdrops of Ross’ life have helped to ground her, while her time spent backpacking, hiking glaciers, and skiing untracked wilderness is what makes her tick.

The Source of All Things rivals Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle in portraying a dysfunctional family with compassion and wit. Ross’ writing is sensitive and sharp, full of raw emotion and painstakingly researched detail. She will win over readers with her story of survival, keen observations of the people

and places surrounding her, and an ability to recognize and capture her conflicting emotions. “The desert killed people who didn’t know how to find shade or water,” she writes, describing her work for a youth program in Utah’s Escalante Desert, before hitting hard with a painful gem of truth: “But it didn’t hate them or prey upon them, the way dads sometimes preyed on their daughters.”

Like Into Thin Air, the first-person account of the 1996 tragedy on Mount Everest that helped cement Jon Krakauer’s writing career, Ross’ reflective first book will likely set her on the path toward becoming the new voice of adventure journalism. She delivers a memoir that’s both a vulnerable portrait of a childhood ripped apart and a liberating adventure story that you won’t want to put down. Long after closing the book, you’ll ponder her pain, her courage, and her strength. (Free Press, $26.00)

Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for

Enchantment in a Modern World By Signe Pike

Y

ou don’t have to believe in faeries to be drawn into the spell of Signe Pike’s frolicking memoir of finding enchantment. Her adventures across England, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Scotland offer a perfect antidote to what Pike calls “emotional deforestation”—the loss of magic and innocence—that, along with the death of her father, inspired her trip. She drops by-the-book research in favor of “faery journalism” and allows herself to find enchanted people and places, which she approaches with equal parts skepticism and childlike wonder. She relays her travel tales (navigating roundabouts and finding ancient faery bridges) with warmth, curiosity, and a sense of humor while also sharing her emotional journey as she copes with her father’s death. This book is a whimsical travel companion in itself, but Pike’s wit, wisdom, and wide-eyed view of the world will help you to develop your own sense of traveler’s whimsy. (Perigee Trade, $24)

ADVENTURES ON THE MOVE: Stand-out stories of travel and adventure

True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-YearOld Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World

By Jessica Watson Unbridled teenage enthusiasm meets world-class sailing acumen in this lightweight travelogue by world-record-holding sailor Jessica Watson. What’s more inspiring than a girl going after her dream—in a 33-foot boat? Not much. (Atria, $16)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race in the World Has Ever Seen By Christopher McDougall Still fueling the barefoot craze years after it took the running world by storm, this WAM favorite is available in paperback in March 2011. (Vintage Books, $16)

What’s it like to bare your soul in a tell-all memoir? Read a Q & A with Tracy Ross about the release, excitement, and fear of her new book at womensadventuremagazine.com/Ross.

14 WAM • SPR | 2011

EVOLVED, TO PERFECTION

My Neighbor, The Bear

Books for Spring

By Tracy Ross he was a toddler who lost her father, then an eight-year-old sexually abused by her stepfather, then a teenager pulled between a family’s love and their corrosive secret. Even as a precocious little girl growing up in Twin Falls, Idaho, author Tracy Ross had guts. She still does, and the former staff editor at Skiing and Backpacker magazines proves it in a chronicle of her own hardcore life lessons delivered with a combination of biting honesty and understated drama.

w

womensadventuremagazine.com

Twist-Lock HyperFlow™ Drink Cap

Move out of their territory, or move over and share?

Bears aren’t the enemy, but increasing conflicts in urban places are reason to re-examine their threats.

100% BPA & Taste-Free

By Michelle Theall

Ultralight, Collapsible, Convenient

O

ur float plane tiptoed into the landing dock on a lake near Alaska’s Katmai National Park and I got few instructions before spending the next eight hours strolling interconnected paths winding through a forest alive with bears. I was unarmed and unescorted, with only a camera to shoot. Before sunset, I’d see 30 grizzlies, including unpredictable sows with cubs. Only a handful of rangers monitor Katmai’s 2,000 brown bears and the 25,000 annual visitors who make the summer pilgrimage to see them, yet only two people (Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend, from the film Grizzly Man) have been killed in the park’s history.

The new Platy SoftBottle™ makes hydration easy with a twist-lock HyperFlow™ drink cap, and a collapsible, taste-and BPA-free design for the ultimate in on-the-go convenience. Discover the next generation of hydration at platy.com.

Back in my home state of Colorado, I read about a bear break-in incident in a neighborhood that straddles the space between rural, Rocky Mountain foothills and downtown Denver. No one was hurt, the bear sauntered off on its own, and the Colorado Department of Wildlife (CDOW) tells the homeowners that they plan to set a trap, tranquilize the bear, and relocate it.

The next day, the CDOW captured and euthanized the bear.

I did some research and find out that in 2009 the CDOW killed almost 90 black bears and in 2010 they put down the cubs of a sow that broke into a home in search of food—statistics not uncommon in other states situated in prime bear habitat. Sadness and outrage propel me to ask the question: Why these bears have been destroyed? Public Information Officer, Jennifer Churchill, tells me that the CDOW must euthanize bears that don’t show fear of humans or habituate to easy human-food access points. But the grizzlies in Katmai weren’t afraid of humans. And there, the bears’ lack of fear and close proximity to people didn’t equate to aggression. Kenneth Wilson, who helped investigate bears for a major study in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, confirms that a similar pattern holds true here in Colorado, too. “Garbage bears in one year are not necessarily always garbage bears,” he says explaining that bears prefer wild berry and oak acorn as long as those sources are available.

It seems to me that if the largest land predators on the planet can live in harmony with humans, we might be able to find a way to co-exist with a few berry-loving, 200-pound black bears. I realize that I live adjacent to prime bear habitat. I assume the risks and The Other Side “Bears are naturally responsibilities of that. I know it’s afraid of humans,” says Jennifer Churchill possible that I may one day find of the CDOW, but she continues,“by a bear destroying my kitchen. I allowing bears to become habituated will open every door. I will let him we place ourselves, our neighbors, leave. And if I am afraid, I won’t and the bears at risk.” Read Churchill’s allow the CDOW to kill him. I’ll take on bear-country co-habitation at pack up my things and move. n womensadventuremagazine.com.

WV_WA1.ai 1 1/31/2011 6:04:11 PM

C

M

Have an adventure while giving something back

Y

CM

MY

7 day projects $299

CY

CMY

K

www.WildernessVolunteers.org

There is no evidence to support the myth that bears are attracted to menstrual odors.

WAM • SPR | 2011 15

w

Media Review

The Big Picture

Four reads that will make you wish for rainy days this spring.

By Tara Kusumoto

The Source of All Things: A Memoir

S

Ross’ love of the outdoors serves as the narrative’s backbone: The wilderness exposed her as a child, helped her escape as a troubled teen, and now it frees her from the past. From Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, to Alaska’s Denali National Park, to Colorado’s high country—where today she’s settled with her own family—the rugged backdrops of Ross’ life have helped to ground her, while her time spent backpacking, hiking glaciers, and skiing untracked wilderness is what makes her tick.

The Source of All Things rivals Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle in portraying a dysfunctional family with compassion and wit. Ross’ writing is sensitive and sharp, full of raw emotion and painstakingly researched detail. She will win over readers with her story of survival, keen observations of the people

and places surrounding her, and an ability to recognize and capture her conflicting emotions. “The desert killed people who didn’t know how to find shade or water,” she writes, describing her work for a youth program in Utah’s Escalante Desert, before hitting hard with a painful gem of truth: “But it didn’t hate them or prey upon them, the way dads sometimes preyed on their daughters.”

Like Into Thin Air, the first-person account of the 1996 tragedy on Mount Everest that helped cement Jon Krakauer’s writing career, Ross’ reflective first book will likely set her on the path toward becoming the new voice of adventure journalism. She delivers a memoir that’s both a vulnerable portrait of a childhood ripped apart and a liberating adventure story that you won’t want to put down. Long after closing the book, you’ll ponder her pain, her courage, and her strength. (Free Press, $26.00)

Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for

Enchantment in a Modern World By Signe Pike

Y

ou don’t have to believe in faeries to be drawn into the spell of Signe Pike’s frolicking memoir of finding enchantment. Her adventures across England, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Scotland offer a perfect antidote to what Pike calls “emotional deforestation”—the loss of magic and innocence—that, along with the death of her father, inspired her trip. She drops by-the-book research in favor of “faery journalism” and allows herself to find enchanted people and places, which she approaches with equal parts skepticism and childlike wonder. She relays her travel tales (navigating roundabouts and finding ancient faery bridges) with warmth, curiosity, and a sense of humor while also sharing her emotional journey as she copes with her father’s death. This book is a whimsical travel companion in itself, but Pike’s wit, wisdom, and wide-eyed view of the world will help you to develop your own sense of traveler’s whimsy. (Perigee Trade, $24)

ADVENTURES ON THE MOVE: Stand-out stories of travel and adventure

True Spirit: The True Story of a 16-YearOld Australian Who Sailed Solo, Nonstop, and Unassisted Around the World

By Jessica Watson Unbridled teenage enthusiasm meets world-class sailing acumen in this lightweight travelogue by world-record-holding sailor Jessica Watson. What’s more inspiring than a girl going after her dream—in a 33-foot boat? Not much. (Atria, $16)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race in the World Has Ever Seen By Christopher McDougall Still fueling the barefoot craze years after it took the running world by storm, this WAM favorite is available in paperback in March 2011. (Vintage Books, $16)

What’s it like to bare your soul in a tell-all memoir? Read a Q & A with Tracy Ross about the release, excitement, and fear of her new book at womensadventuremagazine.com/Ross.

14 WAM • SPR | 2011

EVOLVED, TO PERFECTION

My Neighbor, The Bear

Books for Spring

By Tracy Ross he was a toddler who lost her father, then an eight-year-old sexually abused by her stepfather, then a teenager pulled between a family’s love and their corrosive secret. Even as a precocious little girl growing up in Twin Falls, Idaho, author Tracy Ross had guts. She still does, and the former staff editor at Skiing and Backpacker magazines proves it in a chronicle of her own hardcore life lessons delivered with a combination of biting honesty and understated drama.

w

womensadventuremagazine.com

Twist-Lock HyperFlow™ Drink Cap

Move out of their territory, or move over and share?

Bears aren’t the enemy, but increasing conflicts in urban places are reason to re-examine their threats.

100% BPA & Taste-Free

By Michelle Theall

Ultralight, Collapsible, Convenient

O

ur float plane tiptoed into the landing dock on a lake near Alaska’s Katmai National Park and I got few instructions before spending the next eight hours strolling interconnected paths winding through a forest alive with bears. I was unarmed and unescorted, with only a camera to shoot. Before sunset, I’d see 30 grizzlies, including unpredictable sows with cubs. Only a handful of rangers monitor Katmai’s 2,000 brown bears and the 25,000 annual visitors who make the summer pilgrimage to see them, yet only two people (Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend, from the film Grizzly Man) have been killed in the park’s history.

The new Platy SoftBottle™ makes hydration easy with a twist-lock HyperFlow™ drink cap, and a collapsible, taste-and BPA-free design for the ultimate in on-the-go convenience. Discover the next generation of hydration at platy.com.

Back in my home state of Colorado, I read about a bear break-in incident in a neighborhood that straddles the space between rural, Rocky Mountain foothills and downtown Denver. No one was hurt, the bear sauntered off on its own, and the Colorado Department of Wildlife (CDOW) tells the homeowners that they plan to set a trap, tranquilize the bear, and relocate it.

The next day, the CDOW captured and euthanized the bear.

I did some research and find out that in 2009 the CDOW killed almost 90 black bears and in 2010 they put down the cubs of a sow that broke into a home in search of food—statistics not uncommon in other states situated in prime bear habitat. Sadness and outrage propel me to ask the question: Why these bears have been destroyed? Public Information Officer, Jennifer Churchill, tells me that the CDOW must euthanize bears that don’t show fear of humans or habituate to easy human-food access points. But the grizzlies in Katmai weren’t afraid of humans. And there, the bears’ lack of fear and close proximity to people didn’t equate to aggression. Kenneth Wilson, who helped investigate bears for a major study in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, confirms that a similar pattern holds true here in Colorado, too. “Garbage bears in one year are not necessarily always garbage bears,” he says explaining that bears prefer wild berry and oak acorn as long as those sources are available.

It seems to me that if the largest land predators on the planet can live in harmony with humans, we might be able to find a way to co-exist with a few berry-loving, 200-pound black bears. I realize that I live adjacent to prime bear habitat. I assume the risks and The Other Side “Bears are naturally responsibilities of that. I know it’s afraid of humans,” says Jennifer Churchill possible that I may one day find of the CDOW, but she continues,“by a bear destroying my kitchen. I allowing bears to become habituated will open every door. I will let him we place ourselves, our neighbors, leave. And if I am afraid, I won’t and the bears at risk.” Read Churchill’s allow the CDOW to kill him. I’ll take on bear-country co-habitation at pack up my things and move. n womensadventuremagazine.com.

WV_WA1.ai 1 1/31/2011 6:04:11 PM

C

M

Have an adventure while giving something back

Y

CM

MY

7 day projects $299

CY

CMY

K

www.WildernessVolunteers.org

There is no evidence to support the myth that bears are attracted to menstrual odors.

WAM • SPR | 2011 15

w

Trends

Man Handle

Hike Bright KE

EN P

tic tS on rm Ga

-To wn

, $9

0; k

ee n

footwea r.com

Pick a color, any color. Rainbow-inspired hues elevate the fashion standard for functional hikers and approach shoes. What’s the hottest thing to hit trails this spring? It could be the color of your kicks.

w

Chicking for Beginners

By Adam W. Chase

chick transitive verb \’chik\ 1. to finish ahead of a man, to overcome, defeat, best a male; also: surpass—often used in past tense, e.g., “She chicked him, and he was pissed.”

ky

Bo

r, $ de ul

ga r

m

A

on tu sa .co m

M olo

5; antra, $12

arp

aM

o j it o, $135; s rpa.com ca

m .co o l as o

er M

bo o

As

Sc

ts.c om

14 4;

re ll P ow er

Gl ov e, $

11 0

;m

erre

ll.com

T eG d ga Lowa Rene

XM

S, W id

$2

a low ; 10

pacer’s job in an ultramarathon is to motivate; so motivate I did. As I helped pro runner Nikki Kimball maintain her lead over the other women in the Leadville 100 in 2005, I concocted a scheme that capitalized on her competitive nature—and what she’d perceive as a macho-man attitude of a military friend of mine a few minutes ahead of her. Casually, while I paced her between miles 75 and 80, I mentioned that my pal would be the butt of the joke with his jarhead Special Forces friends if she beat him in the race. Sure enough, she told me later that the thought of “chicking” him helped drive her past him during the last tough miles of that race.

reserves in an attempt to keep you from passing, so my advice is to play with him. Pretend to breathe harder than you need to and slow down just a tad before hammering to put him away. In the unlikely event that he manages to stay ahead, be prepared for him to ask for your “digits” as soon as you clock in behind him.

In fact, my Special Forces friend cheered for Nikki as she passed him, proving that the act of “chicking” can be more about driving a woman’s competitive self than about crushing anyone’s ego. Notice, I used the word can. That’s because there are several categories of male athletes, and, depending on who you’re leaving in the dust, pulling past one can be considered an artful maneuver or an act of war.

Waning Walter’s type describes another 15 percent of the men between start and finish. Thanks to age and experience, he’s a softer, wiser version of Cocky Carl, but he’s had his day in the limelight and will be full of encouragement as you pass him. He’s a wealth of knowledge—about the course, training, and technique—and might offer some helpful information or pacing support, which you’d be wise to welcome.

Knowing what to expect from the men you might pass on a race course can help you avoid an uncomfortable power struggle and can also help you brace for the inevitable—whether it’s attracting an instant admirer or cushioning the fall of a deflated ego. I don’t think women should ever hold back when it comes to chicking, but I’ve put together a cheat-sheet of categories to help you navigate your way to the finish line and steer your approach to overtaking the competition.

Don’t look for Patron Pete—who represents about 5 percent of the men in the field—on the course. You’ll likely finish well before he will so you’re more likely to spot him cheering at the award ceremony. He follows the career of rising stars like you and gets half of his thrills and satisfaction for his sport by supporting its future champions. His enthusiasm for bright lights like you isn’t creepy, it’s generous, and if you’ll allow it he’ll be your pit crew captain or your financial supporter. n

Cocky Carl represents about 15 percent of the guys you might see at a starting line. He’s relatively new to his sport or to racing and has experienced a lot of success, notching wins between his techie training sessions—he’s usually wedded as closely to his watch and heart rate monitor as his Spandex is wedded to him. He doesn’t discriminate when he’s racing—he hates losing to anyone, whether or not they have a penis.

How do you deal? Just ignore him on your fast-track to the finish line.

Misogynist Mike embodies the type you know best and dislike the most.

I estimate they’re 65 percent of the pack. He’s the guy who accelerates as soon as he hears your breathing behind him or when he gets the slightest hint that a girl is about to overtake him. He probably started too fast and hard, but racing often simulates life. He’ll draw on his deepest

Before May 10th, post an action pic of your favorite shoes on our Facebook page (facebook.com/womensadventure) for a chance to win a pair of bright-colored kicks like these.

16 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Bob Africa, husband of ultrarunner and snowshoe racer Darcy Africa, is coining a new term for his performance compared to that of his world-class-athlete of a wife: With great pride, he often claims “I got ‘wifed’ on that one.”

Want a man’s perspective on your own adventure issue? No problem, Adam’s on call to help. E-mail your question to him at info@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com.

WAM • SPR | 2011 17

w

Trends

Man Handle

Hike Bright KE

EN P

tic tS on rm Ga

-To wn

, $9

0; k

ee n

footwea r.com

Pick a color, any color. Rainbow-inspired hues elevate the fashion standard for functional hikers and approach shoes. What’s the hottest thing to hit trails this spring? It could be the color of your kicks.

w

Chicking for Beginners

By Adam W. Chase

chick transitive verb \’chik\ 1. to finish ahead of a man, to overcome, defeat, best a male; also: surpass—often used in past tense, e.g., “She chicked him, and he was pissed.”

ky

Bo

r, $ de ul

ga r

m

A

on tu sa .co m

M olo

5; antra, $12

arp

aM

o j it o, $135; s rpa.com ca

m .co o l as o

er M

bo o

As

Sc

ts.c om

14 4;

re ll P ow er

Gl ov e, $

11 0

;m

erre

ll.com

T eG d ga Lowa Rene

XM

S, W id

$2

a low ; 10

pacer’s job in an ultramarathon is to motivate; so motivate I did. As I helped pro runner Nikki Kimball maintain her lead over the other women in the Leadville 100 in 2005, I concocted a scheme that capitalized on her competitive nature—and what she’d perceive as a macho-man attitude of a military friend of mine a few minutes ahead of her. Casually, while I paced her between miles 75 and 80, I mentioned that my pal would be the butt of the joke with his jarhead Special Forces friends if she beat him in the race. Sure enough, she told me later that the thought of “chicking” him helped drive her past him during the last tough miles of that race.

reserves in an attempt to keep you from passing, so my advice is to play with him. Pretend to breathe harder than you need to and slow down just a tad before hammering to put him away. In the unlikely event that he manages to stay ahead, be prepared for him to ask for your “digits” as soon as you clock in behind him.

In fact, my Special Forces friend cheered for Nikki as she passed him, proving that the act of “chicking” can be more about driving a woman’s competitive self than about crushing anyone’s ego. Notice, I used the word can. That’s because there are several categories of male athletes, and, depending on who you’re leaving in the dust, pulling past one can be considered an artful maneuver or an act of war.

Waning Walter’s type describes another 15 percent of the men between start and finish. Thanks to age and experience, he’s a softer, wiser version of Cocky Carl, but he’s had his day in the limelight and will be full of encouragement as you pass him. He’s a wealth of knowledge—about the course, training, and technique—and might offer some helpful information or pacing support, which you’d be wise to welcome.

Knowing what to expect from the men you might pass on a race course can help you avoid an uncomfortable power struggle and can also help you brace for the inevitable—whether it’s attracting an instant admirer or cushioning the fall of a deflated ego. I don’t think women should ever hold back when it comes to chicking, but I’ve put together a cheat-sheet of categories to help you navigate your way to the finish line and steer your approach to overtaking the competition.

Don’t look for Patron Pete—who represents about 5 percent of the men in the field—on the course. You’ll likely finish well before he will so you’re more likely to spot him cheering at the award ceremony. He follows the career of rising stars like you and gets half of his thrills and satisfaction for his sport by supporting its future champions. His enthusiasm for bright lights like you isn’t creepy, it’s generous, and if you’ll allow it he’ll be your pit crew captain or your financial supporter. n

Cocky Carl represents about 15 percent of the guys you might see at a starting line. He’s relatively new to his sport or to racing and has experienced a lot of success, notching wins between his techie training sessions—he’s usually wedded as closely to his watch and heart rate monitor as his Spandex is wedded to him. He doesn’t discriminate when he’s racing—he hates losing to anyone, whether or not they have a penis.

How do you deal? Just ignore him on your fast-track to the finish line.

Misogynist Mike embodies the type you know best and dislike the most.

I estimate they’re 65 percent of the pack. He’s the guy who accelerates as soon as he hears your breathing behind him or when he gets the slightest hint that a girl is about to overtake him. He probably started too fast and hard, but racing often simulates life. He’ll draw on his deepest

Before May 10th, post an action pic of your favorite shoes on our Facebook page (facebook.com/womensadventure) for a chance to win a pair of bright-colored kicks like these.

16 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

Bob Africa, husband of ultrarunner and snowshoe racer Darcy Africa, is coining a new term for his performance compared to that of his world-class-athlete of a wife: With great pride, he often claims “I got ‘wifed’ on that one.”

Want a man’s perspective on your own adventure issue? No problem, Adam’s on call to help. E-mail your question to him at info@staff.womensadventuremagazine.com.

WAM • SPR | 2011 17

w

Psychobabble

Go Your Own Way

4 Steps to Finding Your Way

M

ental Maps Whether you are driving,

walking through the city, or hiking in the woods put down the step-by-step directions and practice visualizing your route on a map. Mentally mapping familiar locations translates to an improvement in spatial memory and, ultimately, wayfinding ability in foreign locations.

Your direction-finding flaws?

Not an accident of nature, but not a hindrance to your next adventure, either.

A

wareness Before GPS and Google Maps,

ancient Polynesians sailed around the South Pacific using changes in the stars, sun, and ocean swells as cues. Begin looking for trends and features in your comfort zone—a patch of specific trees, vegetation on north-facing slopes, or prevailing winds—some of those patterns will also provide clues in unfamiliar territory.

By Bree Kessler

P

self, practice helps. Test yourself at home by hand-drawing a map of a local trail. Take the map with you next time you’re out and compare your recollections with an official map. How well did you remember the details?

A

t the base of the Peruvian Andes, where they filmed Touching the Void, I was hiking with a friend when we lost the path. I sat on a rock, began hyperventilating, and repeated over and over again: We’re lost. I was experiencing spatial anxiety—a very real and common fear of not knowing where I was. All I could think was that our story would be the next survival blockbuster.

The lodge where we were staying had given us 15-step directions for what they called a “simple” half-day hike. We had made it through the hedge (step 9), the rocky field (step 10), the grassy field (step 11), and then completely lost the path before the big boulder (step 12). It turned out that we weren’t lost at all; if we had walked a few more minutes we would have seen the boulder, but it felt like we had already walked too far. So I panicked, and eventually we turned back the way we came.

Our environment is full of navigational clues and hints of practical ways to use nature—find shade under a tree, walk downhill, cool off in a stream—but not everyone interprets those clues the same way. On that day in Peru’s Andes, the signs I picked up made me feel nervous, lost. I responded differently than someone more familiar with the area would have, and my ability to wayfind—use environmental clues to strategize and plan a route—was definitely out of whack.

While I was clearly anxious about being in unfamiliar territory, I wasn’t experiencing anything unusual when it comes to women and wayfinding.

Psychology Professor Carol Lawton, who has spent the last decade studying spatial awareness, has proven that the navigational strategies employed by most women are different than those employed by men—and that men have an advantage when it comes to avoiding spatial anxiety.

Lawton’s research found that, in general, men are more efficient and accurate in spatial skill tests and have a larger spatial memory, which is useful for large-scale location awareness and navigating unfamiliar spaces. We women have our weaknesses, but we’re better at remembering object locations and noticing when things change within our environments, which is useful for patrolling and navigating our personal, smaller-scale space.

S

afety Net Don’t ignore technology. Bring a

GPS unit and know how to use it. While having the device won’t necessarily keep you from getting lost, even rudimentary GPS units and tracking apps on mobile devices can help you retrace your steps and avoid emergencies and unnecessary panic.

Theories explaining these gendered tendencies range from speculation about prehistoric hunter-gatherer roles, to testosterone levels, to the correlation between inner-ear canal size and the strength of internal directional cues. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, for example, the roles of hunter and gatherer make sense of women’s ability to remember details close to home and of men’s mastery of large-scale spaces, which would have helped them track animals into foreign territory.

In another theory involving brain hemisphere dominance, scientists note that testosterone usually accompanies improved spatial awareness and reasoning. Elizabeth Hampson, professor of psychology at University of Western Ontario, recently discovered that women in the low-estrogen phase of their menstrual cycle showed better spatial reasoning compared to times when they have higher estrogen levels. Her discovery isn’t conclusive, but it implies that the hormone credited for making women more womanly might actually be what makes us worse at giving directions.

Biology aside, women also have different wayfinding strategies than men.

In Lawton’s earlier research, she discovered that men tend to create mental maps of a place and use environmental clues—like the position of the sun or their proximity to a freeway—to place themselves within it. This “orientation strategy” allows for more spontaneous route-finding flexibility in both cities and natural settings.

In contrast, women tend to pre-plan routes and prefer following step-bystep instructions with concrete reference points like “turn right at the red building” or, as was my case in Peru, “pass the big boulder.” These kinds of

According to a 2007 study of search and rescue operations in the national park system, there are an average of 11 search and rescue operations launched daily within US national 18 WAM • SPR | 2011

ractice When it comes to orienting your-

womensadventuremagazine.com

This summer for a 4-day trip in Wyoming’s Snowy Range.

• Mingle with Women’s Adventure editor-inchief • Take home sponsorsupplied gear (valued at over $400) • Camp beside an alpine lake and scale a 12,000foot peak • Learn new tricks and techniques for flyfishing, yoga, and camp cooking • Support the Women’s Wilderness Institute’s mission to get girls outdoors.

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details make navigating easy, but this route-planning strategy doesn’t allow for any deviations from the original plan. If you lose track of one reference point, the remaining instructions become useless.

On my Peruvian hike, we couldn’t identify the big boulder marking step 12 of our step-by-step directions. Without it, all our other reference points were meaningless, so we had to abort our efforts.

Does that mean you’re destined to miss highcountry highlights when you’re most emotionally vulnerable? Or that the directions you dole out from the navigator’s seat will be to blame for your round-about route to the trailhead? Definitely not.

Researchers agree that it’s possible to improve spatial ability and that—when it comes to wayfinding—practice makes perfect and the biological gender gap isn’t set in stone. Playing spatial-awareness games like Pictionary or Tetris, practicing orienteering skills like identifying distances or compass directions in familiar territory, and even studying maps can improve anyone’s spatial awareness. It turns out that even knowing how you’re pre-wired to muddle navigation-heavy adventures can help you prepare so that you’ve got the tools to stay on the right track. n parks at an average cost of more than $895 per operation.

WAM • SPR | 2011 19

w

Psychobabble

Go Your Own Way

4 Steps to Finding Your Way

M

ental Maps Whether you are driving,

walking through the city, or hiking in the woods put down the step-by-step directions and practice visualizing your route on a map. Mentally mapping familiar locations translates to an improvement in spatial memory and, ultimately, wayfinding ability in foreign locations.

Your direction-finding flaws?

Not an accident of nature, but not a hindrance to your next adventure, either.

A

wareness Before GPS and Google Maps,

ancient Polynesians sailed around the South Pacific using changes in the stars, sun, and ocean swells as cues. Begin looking for trends and features in your comfort zone—a patch of specific trees, vegetation on north-facing slopes, or prevailing winds—some of those patterns will also provide clues in unfamiliar territory.

By Bree Kessler

P

self, practice helps. Test yourself at home by hand-drawing a map of a local trail. Take the map with you next time you’re out and compare your recollections with an official map. How well did you remember the details?

A

t the base of the Peruvian Andes, where they filmed Touching the Void, I was hiking with a friend when we lost the path. I sat on a rock, began hyperventilating, and repeated over and over again: We’re lost. I was experiencing spatial anxiety—a very real and common fear of not knowing where I was. All I could think was that our story would be the next survival blockbuster.

The lodge where we were staying had given us 15-step directions for what they called a “simple” half-day hike. We had made it through the hedge (step 9), the rocky field (step 10), the grassy field (step 11), and then completely lost the path before the big boulder (step 12). It turned out that we weren’t lost at all; if we had walked a few more minutes we would have seen the boulder, but it felt like we had already walked too far. So I panicked, and eventually we turned back the way we came.

Our environment is full of navigational clues and hints of practical ways to use nature—find shade under a tree, walk downhill, cool off in a stream—but not everyone interprets those clues the same way. On that day in Peru’s Andes, the signs I picked up made me feel nervous, lost. I responded differently than someone more familiar with the area would have, and my ability to wayfind—use environmental clues to strategize and plan a route—was definitely out of whack.

While I was clearly anxious about being in unfamiliar territory, I wasn’t experiencing anything unusual when it comes to women and wayfinding.

Psychology Professor Carol Lawton, who has spent the last decade studying spatial awareness, has proven that the navigational strategies employed by most women are different than those employed by men—and that men have an advantage when it comes to avoiding spatial anxiety.

Lawton’s research found that, in general, men are more efficient and accurate in spatial skill tests and have a larger spatial memory, which is useful for large-scale location awareness and navigating unfamiliar spaces. We women have our weaknesses, but we’re better at remembering object locations and noticing when things change within our environments, which is useful for patrolling and navigating our personal, smaller-scale space.

S

afety Net Don’t ignore technology. Bring a

GPS unit and know how to use it. While having the device won’t necessarily keep you from getting lost, even rudimentary GPS units and tracking apps on mobile devices can help you retrace your steps and avoid emergencies and unnecessary panic.

Theories explaining these gendered tendencies range from speculation about prehistoric hunter-gatherer roles, to testosterone levels, to the correlation between inner-ear canal size and the strength of internal directional cues. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, for example, the roles of hunter and gatherer make sense of women’s ability to remember details close to home and of men’s mastery of large-scale spaces, which would have helped them track animals into foreign territory.

In another theory involving brain hemisphere dominance, scientists note that testosterone usually accompanies improved spatial awareness and reasoning. Elizabeth Hampson, professor of psychology at University of Western Ontario, recently discovered that women in the low-estrogen phase of their menstrual cycle showed better spatial reasoning compared to times when they have higher estrogen levels. Her discovery isn’t conclusive, but it implies that the hormone credited for making women more womanly might actually be what makes us worse at giving directions.

Biology aside, women also have different wayfinding strategies than men.

In Lawton’s earlier research, she discovered that men tend to create mental maps of a place and use environmental clues—like the position of the sun or their proximity to a freeway—to place themselves within it. This “orientation strategy” allows for more spontaneous route-finding flexibility in both cities and natural settings.

In contrast, women tend to pre-plan routes and prefer following step-bystep instructions with concrete reference points like “turn right at the red building” or, as was my case in Peru, “pass the big boulder.” These kinds of

According to a 2007 study of search and rescue operations in the national park system, there are an average of 11 search and rescue operations launched daily within US national 18 WAM • SPR | 2011

ractice When it comes to orienting your-

womensadventuremagazine.com

This summer for a 4-day trip in Wyoming’s Snowy Range.

• Mingle with Women’s Adventure editor-inchief • Take home sponsorsupplied gear (valued at over $400) • Camp beside an alpine lake and scale a 12,000foot peak • Learn new tricks and techniques for flyfishing, yoga, and camp cooking • Support the Women’s Wilderness Institute’s mission to get girls outdoors.

J O I N

trip

August 18-21 A percentage of profits goes directly to the Women’s Wilderness Institute

For detailed information visit

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details make navigating easy, but this route-planning strategy doesn’t allow for any deviations from the original plan. If you lose track of one reference point, the remaining instructions become useless.

On my Peruvian hike, we couldn’t identify the big boulder marking step 12 of our step-by-step directions. Without it, all our other reference points were meaningless, so we had to abort our efforts.

Does that mean you’re destined to miss highcountry highlights when you’re most emotionally vulnerable? Or that the directions you dole out from the navigator’s seat will be to blame for your round-about route to the trailhead? Definitely not.

Researchers agree that it’s possible to improve spatial ability and that—when it comes to wayfinding—practice makes perfect and the biological gender gap isn’t set in stone. Playing spatial-awareness games like Pictionary or Tetris, practicing orienteering skills like identifying distances or compass directions in familiar territory, and even studying maps can improve anyone’s spatial awareness. It turns out that even knowing how you’re pre-wired to muddle navigation-heavy adventures can help you prepare so that you’ve got the tools to stay on the right track. n parks at an average cost of more than $895 per operation.

WAM • SPR | 2011 19

w

It’s Personal

A Different View

Climbing a mountain to gain perspective Brands like...

By Abigail Sussman

20% off

Take an extra “Falling!” I yell, my feet slipping out from under me. I build speed and careen down the slope, spring snow spraying me in the face. The bits of ice hitting my cheeks are a wake up call. In an instant, I take stock of the situation. My full climbing pack is an anchor, dragging me down the hill towards who-knows-what. All I know is that I can’t see what is below me

your entire purchase

and I am picking up speed.

We are practicing self-arresting at 7,000 feet on the glaciated slopes of Mount Baker, in Washington’s North Cascades. Tomorrow morning, we will wake in the dark and start climbing towards the summit. This quick review of self-arrest and crevasse rescue techniques is not so much to study them but to calm our nerves with the familiar feel of tying figure-eight knots, running the rope through a Z-pulley system, and bouncing down this sun-cupped snowfield.

There are many objective risks of mountaineering—sudden white-outs, unseen crevasses, or falling on a steep slope—and we have the skills to deal with them if they should arise. But sometimes knowledge is not enough; no matter the level of one’s skill, the mountains are always in charge.

The three of us are all adventurous, competent, and determined. All three of us have known someone who died on this mountain. All three of us have looked into a crevasse and seen it’s endless depths extending into the dark.

I have lived in the North Cascades for close to ten years and worked as a wilderness ranger for the local forest service district for half of that time.

My job as a wilderness ranger was to patrol the trails and leave the glaciers to the climbing rangers.

I wasn’t allowed to climb on the job because I wasn’t qualified. Over time, it seemed as if my job description came to explain my life: I lived and worked alone, carried heavy packs, and camped in the backcountry for days at a time, but I never went much higher than tree line.

When you work as a wilderness ranger near a large mountain, you get used to two questions: “How did you get your job?” and “Have you summited?”

At first, I was embarrassed to say that I hadn’t even attempted the climb, but eventually I grew so tired of the question that I stubbornly decided I didn’t need to climb Mount Baker. Though I had never stood on her summit, I knew her details. These intricacies, morning dew dripping from hemlock needles, bear prints on the silty edge of a tarn, the sound of boulders bouncing down the creek in the afternoon, are small, quiet occurrences found in many places but noticed by only a few. I dismissed climbing this mountain because it began to represent a superficial relationship. The thousands of people who slogged up the glaciers every year understood nothing about the small details I grew to know so well. But, that wasn’t the whole truth.

I had not strapped on crampons or gripped an ice axe on these slopes because, despite everything, I wasn’t sure I could.

A year earlier, I had left Mount Baker for another job, and this change jolted me into action.

Though my understanding of this mountain was deep, our relationship was not complete. Not only did I want to gain a new perspective on the landscape I loved by standing on top of Baker’s summit, I wanted to look behind my shoulder and see my footprints disappear—indicating not only how far I had come, but how far I could still go.

All of this weighs on me the evening before our summit attempt. The next morning, the alarm

SierraTradingPost.com/ad SierraTradingPost.com/ wakes us at three o’clock, and I am dressed and out of the tent first. I am glad to have a few minutes alone, just me and this mountain, sizing each other up and reacquainting ourselves. Alone above the marine cloud layer, a starry sky above me, Baker’s icy flanks glimmering in moonlight, it feels as if the magma in the depths of this volcano are flooding my heart, filling it with the heat of both apprehension and exhilaration.

My teammates begin to rustle in our tent, so I fire up the stove for hot coffee and oatmeal.

We eat quickly and then divide the last of the equipment and food, shimmy into climbing harnesses, and walk to the edge of the rock to strap on crampons.

For the next several hours, the view expands just as the distance between us and the summit contracts. Our focus is divided between minutiae and grandeur. We turn to watch daylight glide towards us, and listen to the styrofoam squeak of crampons on snow. An excited wave from Carolyn, upslope from me, catches my attention just as steam from Sherman Crater wafts above the peak.

The jagged edges of the Black Buttes against the brightening sky entirely consume me with awe until I feel a tug in the rope from the others and remember that I am supposed to be walking.

We stop for a break at the edge of the steaming crater. It strikes me that I am climbing this volcano. I am doing something I never was sure I

The best way to self-arrest—stop yourself from sliding off a mountain if you fall—is to avoid falling, according to the American Alpine Institute. But, for more info about self20 WAM • SPR | 2011

and many more!

Use keycode WADVENTURE to receive discount.

womensadventuremagazine.com

could—and now the whole paradigm has shifted.

The clouds have dissipated, and the terrain from this perspective is at once familiar and entirely transformed. I can recognize the ridges I have walked many times, surrounded by other ridges and valleys that I would have never seen had I not climbed to this point. We continue up the Roman Wall, the last pitch before reaching the wide, flat summit cone. As we slowly gain the last thousand feet, I find myself glancing over my shoulder at the world below us—and it is all within my reach.

Four hours after we left camp, we are standing on top of a mountain that I can see from my porch in town. I realize that climbing this mountain is an exercise in groundtruthing. Just as each contour line on a map illustrates a rise in topography, every step that I take on this glacier represents a deeper understanding of myself.

What prevented me from climbing Baker until this moment wasn’t my limiting job description, the physical demands of glacier travel, or even the mountain itself. The only thing standing in the way of me and the summit of Mount Baker— the summit of any mountain—was myself.

See website for more information. Not valid with any other offer.

Some exclusions apply. Offer expires 4/30/11.

Photo ©2009 Christina Kiffney Photography

“Arrest! Arrest!” Carolyn shouts as I struggle to turn over onto my belly. I have practiced self-arresting many times—my body knows this feeling, and my autopilot takes over. There is no time to think. I am acutely aware of the ice axe in my hands and torque my body and dig in with the pick, lifting my hips and driving my knees into the snow. Finally, I stop. Breathless, I look up slope to assess how far I have fallen. Thirty feet in a few seconds that feel like an eternity.

“Your turn,” I holler up to Katie, shaking snow out of my jacket’s hood.

Celebrating women Congratulations!

in the outdoor industries

Recipients of this yeaR’s pioneeRing Woman aWaRd

Sally McCoy, Camelbak Elana Chase, Vail Ski Club bike Ellen Johnson, Pacific Cycle outdoor snow

We pull out cameras and take pictures, nibble on handfuls of almonds, and revel in the warmth of the morning sunshine. I see Mount Shuksan across from me, dramatic with her shark-finned summit. “Let’s climb Shuksan next,” says Katie.

Carolyn nods, and I agree, smiling, knowing not only that I can, but that I will. n

Learn more about OIWC programs and activities at

Recipients of this yeaR’s fiRst ascent aWaRd

Kate Ross, Williamette Riverkeeper Rachel Gitajn, Burton Snowboards bike Tara Moeller, Specialized Bicycles outdoor

www.oiwc.org

snow

SpeCial thankS to:

magazine

arrest techniques check womensadventuremagazine.com.

WAM • SPR | 2011 21

w

It’s Personal

A Different View

Climbing a mountain to gain perspective Brands like...

By Abigail Sussman

20% off

Take an extra “Falling!” I yell, my feet slipping out from under me. I build speed and careen down the slope, spring snow spraying me in the face. The bits of ice hitting my cheeks are a wake up call. In an instant, I take stock of the situation. My full climbing pack is an anchor, dragging me down the hill towards who-knows-what. All I know is that I can’t see what is below me

your entire purchase

and I am picking up speed.

We are practicing self-arresting at 7,000 feet on the glaciated slopes of Mount Baker, in Washington’s North Cascades. Tomorrow morning, we will wake in the dark and start climbing towards the summit. This quick review of self-arrest and crevasse rescue techniques is not so much to study them but to calm our nerves with the familiar feel of tying figure-eight knots, running the rope through a Z-pulley system, and bouncing down this sun-cupped snowfield.

There are many objective risks of mountaineering—sudden white-outs, unseen crevasses, or falling on a steep slope—and we have the skills to deal with them if they should arise. But sometimes knowledge is not enough; no matter the level of one’s skill, the mountains are always in charge.

The three of us are all adventurous, competent, and determined. All three of us have known someone who died on this mountain. All three of us have looked into a crevasse and seen it’s endless depths extending into the dark.

I have lived in the North Cascades for close to ten years and worked as a wilderness ranger for the local forest service district for half of that time.

My job as a wilderness ranger was to patrol the trails and leave the glaciers to the climbing rangers.

I wasn’t allowed to climb on the job because I wasn’t qualified. Over time, it seemed as if my job description came to explain my life: I lived and worked alone, carried heavy packs, and camped in the backcountry for days at a time, but I never went much higher than tree line.

When you work as a wilderness ranger near a large mountain, you get used to two questions: “How did you get your job?” and “Have you summited?”

At first, I was embarrassed to say that I hadn’t even attempted the climb, but eventually I grew so tired of the question that I stubbornly decided I didn’t need to climb Mount Baker. Though I had never stood on her summit, I knew her details. These intricacies, morning dew dripping from hemlock needles, bear prints on the silty edge of a tarn, the sound of boulders bouncing down the creek in the afternoon, are small, quiet occurrences found in many places but noticed by only a few. I dismissed climbing this mountain because it began to represent a superficial relationship. The thousands of people who slogged up the glaciers every year understood nothing about the small details I grew to know so well. But, that wasn’t the whole truth.

I had not strapped on crampons or gripped an ice axe on these slopes because, despite everything, I wasn’t sure I could.

A year earlier, I had left Mount Baker for another job, and this change jolted me into action.

Though my understanding of this mountain was deep, our relationship was not complete. Not only did I want to gain a new perspective on the landscape I loved by standing on top of Baker’s summit, I wanted to look behind my shoulder and see my footprints disappear—indicating not only how far I had come, but how far I could still go.

All of this weighs on me the evening before our summit attempt. The next morning, the alarm

SierraTradingPost.com/ad SierraTradingPost.com/ wakes us at three o’clock, and I am dressed and out of the tent first. I am glad to have a few minutes alone, just me and this mountain, sizing each other up and reacquainting ourselves. Alone above the marine cloud layer, a starry sky above me, Baker’s icy flanks glimmering in moonlight, it feels as if the magma in the depths of this volcano are flooding my heart, filling it with the heat of both apprehension and exhilaration.

My teammates begin to rustle in our tent, so I fire up the stove for hot coffee and oatmeal.

We eat quickly and then divide the last of the equipment and food, shimmy into climbing harnesses, and walk to the edge of the rock to strap on crampons.

For the next several hours, the view expands just as the distance between us and the summit contracts. Our focus is divided between minutiae and grandeur. We turn to watch daylight glide towards us, and listen to the styrofoam squeak of crampons on snow. An excited wave from Carolyn, upslope from me, catches my attention just as steam from Sherman Crater wafts above the peak.

The jagged edges of the Black Buttes against the brightening sky entirely consume me with awe until I feel a tug in the rope from the others and remember that I am supposed to be walking.

We stop for a break at the edge of the steaming crater. It strikes me that I am climbing this volcano. I am doing something I never was sure I

The best way to self-arrest—stop yourself from sliding off a mountain if you fall—is to avoid falling, according to the American Alpine Institute. But, for more info about self20 WAM • SPR | 2011

and many more!

Use keycode WADVENTURE to receive discount.

womensadventuremagazine.com

could—and now the whole paradigm has shifted.

The clouds have dissipated, and the terrain from this perspective is at once familiar and entirely transformed. I can recognize the ridges I have walked many times, surrounded by other ridges and valleys that I would have never seen had I not climbed to this point. We continue up the Roman Wall, the last pitch before reaching the wide, flat summit cone. As we slowly gain the last thousand feet, I find myself glancing over my shoulder at the world below us—and it is all within my reach.

Four hours after we left camp, we are standing on top of a mountain that I can see from my porch in town. I realize that climbing this mountain is an exercise in groundtruthing. Just as each contour line on a map illustrates a rise in topography, every step that I take on this glacier represents a deeper understanding of myself.

What prevented me from climbing Baker until this moment wasn’t my limiting job description, the physical demands of glacier travel, or even the mountain itself. The only thing standing in the way of me and the summit of Mount Baker— the summit of any mountain—was myself.

See website for more information. Not valid with any other offer.

Some exclusions apply. Offer expires 4/30/11.

Photo ©2009 Christina Kiffney Photography

“Arrest! Arrest!” Carolyn shouts as I struggle to turn over onto my belly. I have practiced self-arresting many times—my body knows this feeling, and my autopilot takes over. There is no time to think. I am acutely aware of the ice axe in my hands and torque my body and dig in with the pick, lifting my hips and driving my knees into the snow. Finally, I stop. Breathless, I look up slope to assess how far I have fallen. Thirty feet in a few seconds that feel like an eternity.

“Your turn,” I holler up to Katie, shaking snow out of my jacket’s hood.

Celebrating women Congratulations!

in the outdoor industries

Recipients of this yeaR’s pioneeRing Woman aWaRd

Sally McCoy, Camelbak Elana Chase, Vail Ski Club bike Ellen Johnson, Pacific Cycle outdoor snow

We pull out cameras and take pictures, nibble on handfuls of almonds, and revel in the warmth of the morning sunshine. I see Mount Shuksan across from me, dramatic with her shark-finned summit. “Let’s climb Shuksan next,” says Katie.

Carolyn nods, and I agree, smiling, knowing not only that I can, but that I will. n

Learn more about OIWC programs and activities at

Recipients of this yeaR’s fiRst ascent aWaRd

Kate Ross, Williamette Riverkeeper Rachel Gitajn, Burton Snowboards bike Tara Moeller, Specialized Bicycles outdoor

www.oiwc.org

snow

SpeCial thankS to:

magazine

arrest techniques check womensadventuremagazine.com.

WAM • SPR | 2011 21

Tara in Training

34 Whole Health 36 Destinations

Listen to Your Heart

TN, WY, and HI

DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

spire

29 Roar

Tara in Training

34 Whole Health 36 Destinations

Listen to Your Heart

TN, WY, and HI

DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

spire

29 Roar

a

I’m Proof That...

I’m Proof That…

I’m Proof That…

You never forget how to ride a bike.

AG E :

Bonnie Osborn

30

Booking agent for photographers and stylists JO B:

H O BB Y:

Racing bikes

Stay “with the pack” for a whole racing season.

C YC LI N G G OA L:

FAVO R I T E WO R KO UT RO UT I NE :

Warming up pre-race with 45-minute interval routines created by Velo Girls coach, Lorri. A must!

My dad, who raced bikes in the 1970s M Y I N SP I R AT I ON:

PRO U D E S T CYC LI NG MO ME NT:

Telling my father I was going to follow in his footsteps.

I always use the same safety pins for my race number; they’re my lucky charms.

OT H E R :

BA D H A BI T:

Biting my nails

Strawberry Clif Shot Bloks—They’re like candy!

FAVO R I T E R I DI NG S NAC K :

“Keep cycling fun.” My dad Charles always said that.

He was a racer, but he just loved to ride his bike.

M Y FAVO R I TE Q UOT E :

The jump between beauty queen and ultra-runner is smaller than you think.

F

riends from my Las Vegas childhood would never guess it, but, at age 30, I’m an athlete and I race bicycles.

Riding was always pretty independent for me, then a friend recommended a local riding group, Velo Girls. I rode with them every weekend for 6 months. When I graduated to a “real” road bike, Velo Girls founder and coach Lorri Lee Lown invited me to join the racing team. Racing? I’d never really considered it, but it spoke to my competitive nature, so I joined the team last spring.

The toughest aspect of competing is making time to train.

New professional ventures filled my schedule, so I rode to the office and trained before and after work. Even with all the effort, I fell behind the pack in every race and thought I’d never be as fit as other Cat-4 racers.

My goal in the Timpani Criterium last August was just to keep up with the group for at least three laps.

I did—until a crash brought me down. I ignored the post-crash pain and finished in seventh place.

Later, I discovered I had a chain-ring puncture in my shoulder, but that race was the highlight of the season for me.

Stay Upright,

n Sophia age 13

Ran half a mile in middle school PE and a full mile in high school after the summer.

n Bonnie age 10

I mostly ran from boys, and I learned to swim.

Pedaled alongside my dad while he trained.

1970s

24 WAM • SPR | 2011

Bonnie

JOB:

Territory Manager for Mizuno USA

n Bonnie age 16 Stayed away

from sports and made art, went to school, and worked instead.

H O B B Y : Trail running RU N N IN G G OAL : Complete a 100 miler FAVO R IT E WO R KO U T RO U T IN E :

Running 20+ miles in the woods followed by a microbrew with my fiancé or coffee with the MudBabes.

Braden Hofen, a 6-year-old with neuroblastoma who fights and succeeds against the odds.

M Y IN S P IR AT IO N :

P RO U DE S T RU N N IN G M O M E N T:

Running through the finish line of my last 50-miler at an 8:30 pace.

My musical background benefits me as a runner; having good rhythm makes me steadier and less likely to bonk.

OT H E R :

Bonnie and Mel Waves

I ignored the post-crash pain and finished in seventh place. Later, I discovered I had a chain-ring puncture in my shoulder, but that race was the highlight of the season for me.

First career change (from musician to news anchor). I exercised inconsistently but ran 5k races, took spin classes, and learned how to lift weights. age 24

Rode for the first time in 15 years.

n Sophia age 35

Got hooked on distance running and completed my first marathon.

fun and upping the ante as a Cat-4 racer for the Velo Girls.

I want to get fitter, be faster, and have even more fun next year.

40s Make more money so I can buy lighter gear and hopefully be as fast as I was in my 30s.

Half Marathon & 10K Adventure

n my 1980 middle school gym class, I was chosen last for a team—again. It seems a strange start for a person who now excels at ultra-running, nevertheless, it is my story.

I started running to look fit for beauty pageants, but despite my talent with a fiddle, I never actually won the title of a beauty queen. As a 20-something with a master’s degree in music, I made money playing gigs with local orchestras and only exercised sporadically. When music stopped being fun, I worked as a broadcast reporter until my passion for news died too. Finally, I traded in my microphone for a pair of running shoes.

I got hooked in 2004 when a friend said, “If you can run 8 miles, you can run 10. If you can run 10, you can do a marathon.” I could run 8, so I tried a half marathon that summer and a year later I finished the NYC Marathon. I’ve since completed ten marathons and five ultra-marathons.

Now, I direct races, do trail maintenance, and work as a sales rep for a sporting goods company that makes running gear.

The highlight of my job: encouraging people like me to let running transform their lives. I’m off to a good start with that already. The all-female running group I started, MudBabe Mondays, is so popular that men beg to join. We let them run— but they do the course in the opposite direction so that we have a relaxed environment where women can chat and keep a comfortable pace.

Muddy hugs,

Learn to build my own bikes and make them for my family, like my dad did for me.

n Bonnie in her 60s

Continue riding and add swimming to my workouts, I hear it’s easy on the joints.

n Sophia in

her 70s Teach my grand kids to ride.

n Sophia in her 50s

Run faster 100 milers and continue directing Braden’s Miracle Mile and 5k to raise money for neuroblastoma.

Galapagos Marathon Tour May 6-17 2011 Air from Miami • Most Meals, Island Tours, Snorkeling, Private Boat Tour to Islets 4N Quito & 7N San Cristobal/Isabela Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee & Event Entry $4790 Air & Land

Machu Picchu Extension • May 17-27 2011 Hotel Accommodations Lima, Cusco & Aguas Calientes Tour of Machu Picchu & Various Incan Ruins Hike a portion of the Inca Trail from Machu Picchu to Sun Gate Express Vistadome Train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco Optional River Rafting or Horse Back Riding $2700 Air & Land

Great Wall Half Marathon & 10K

May 15-23, 2011 • Beijing BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: Air Fare from San Francisco or Chicago Stay in 1st Class Capital Hotel in Beijing • Run Site Inspection Day Registration Fee for the OFFICIAL Run Optional 2Day Xian Extension Tour Optional 2Day Xian/3Day Shanghai Extension Optional 2Day Xian/3Day Tibet/3Day Shanghai Extension From: $2790 (double occupancy) on American Airlines from Chicago (other U.S. cities available on request)

Victoria Falls Half Marathon & 5K

Sophia

n Bonnie in her 50s

n Bonnie in her n Bonnie NOW Riding for

Galapagos

I

Last spring, my fiancé and I directed Braden’s Race for Life and Miracle Mile, an event benefitting Braden Hofen, a 6-year-old with neuroblastoma. We saw 1,600 participants raise $42,000.

This year, it is called Braden’s Miracle Mile and 5k, and we aim to increase our support. When I see people about to bonk during a race I’m directing, I often tell them that, if Braden Hofen can fight and smile and laugh, they can surely run another 20 miles! n Sophia NOW I’m training for my first 100-mile race, and I’m helping to grow the Trail Nerds and MudBabes race series in Kansas City.

n Sophia

n Bonnie age 26

Sophia Wharton

AG E : 40

I’ve always ridden bikes. In my adolescence, I rode a 10-speed Huffy behind my dad while he ran; and 15 years later he built an old hybrid which I rode through the streets of New York City to my entry-level advertising job. I moved to San Francisco during the recession and passed my time exploring on that hybrid until I got a new job and started commuting by bike.

Now, when I’m overwhelmed juggling work and training, my chain-ring scar is proof that I’m tough enough to keep racing my bike.

n Sophia age 4

N AM E :

COURTESY OF: BONNIE OSBORN AND SOPHIA WHARTON

NAME:

Running Tours for Adventurous Women!

n Sophia in her 60s

Retire in the mountains, where I can run, play, and continue race directing.

n Bonnie

in her 70s Make sure I look like I’m still 50.

Victoria Falls, Africa August 19-31, 2011 BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: 14 Nights - Johannesburg & Victoria Falls Air on SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS, Including All Air Within S. Africa Victoria Falls, Zambezi River Cruise, Daily Safari Game Drives, Park Fees, Tips & Most Meals • Official Run Entry Fee From $ 5790.00 (double occupancy) from Washington Dulles (other US cities available) Optional 3 Night Extension to Cape Town PLEASE CONTACT:

Kathy Loper Events • 619-298-7400 www.kathyloperevents.com

2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

2050s

WAM • SPR | 2011 25

a

I’m Proof That...

I’m Proof That…

I’m Proof That…

You never forget how to ride a bike.

AG E :

Bonnie Osborn

30

Booking agent for photographers and stylists JO B:

H O BB Y:

Racing bikes

Stay “with the pack” for a whole racing season.

C YC LI N G G OA L:

FAVO R I T E WO R KO UT RO UT I NE :

Warming up pre-race with 45-minute interval routines created by Velo Girls coach, Lorri. A must!

My dad, who raced bikes in the 1970s M Y I N SP I R AT I ON:

PRO U D E S T CYC LI NG MO ME NT:

Telling my father I was going to follow in his footsteps.

I always use the same safety pins for my race number; they’re my lucky charms.

OT H E R :

BA D H A BI T:

Biting my nails

Strawberry Clif Shot Bloks—They’re like candy!

FAVO R I T E R I DI NG S NAC K :

“Keep cycling fun.” My dad Charles always said that.

He was a racer, but he just loved to ride his bike.

M Y FAVO R I TE Q UOT E :

The jump between beauty queen and ultra-runner is smaller than you think.

F

riends from my Las Vegas childhood would never guess it, but, at age 30, I’m an athlete and I race bicycles.

Riding was always pretty independent for me, then a friend recommended a local riding group, Velo Girls. I rode with them every weekend for 6 months. When I graduated to a “real” road bike, Velo Girls founder and coach Lorri Lee Lown invited me to join the racing team. Racing? I’d never really considered it, but it spoke to my competitive nature, so I joined the team last spring.

The toughest aspect of competing is making time to train.

New professional ventures filled my schedule, so I rode to the office and trained before and after work. Even with all the effort, I fell behind the pack in every race and thought I’d never be as fit as other Cat-4 racers.

My goal in the Timpani Criterium last August was just to keep up with the group for at least three laps.

I did—until a crash brought me down. I ignored the post-crash pain and finished in seventh place.

Later, I discovered I had a chain-ring puncture in my shoulder, but that race was the highlight of the season for me.

Stay Upright,

n Sophia age 13

Ran half a mile in middle school PE and a full mile in high school after the summer.

n Bonnie age 10

I mostly ran from boys, and I learned to swim.

Pedaled alongside my dad while he trained.

1970s

24 WAM • SPR | 2011

Bonnie

JOB:

Territory Manager for Mizuno USA

n Bonnie age 16 Stayed away

from sports and made art, went to school, and worked instead.

H O B B Y : Trail running RU N N IN G G OAL : Complete a 100 miler FAVO R IT E WO R KO U T RO U T IN E :

Running 20+ miles in the woods followed by a microbrew with my fiancé or coffee with the MudBabes.

Braden Hofen, a 6-year-old with neuroblastoma who fights and succeeds against the odds.

M Y IN S P IR AT IO N :

P RO U DE S T RU N N IN G M O M E N T:

Running through the finish line of my last 50-miler at an 8:30 pace.

My musical background benefits me as a runner; having good rhythm makes me steadier and less likely to bonk.

OT H E R :

Bonnie and Mel Waves

I ignored the post-crash pain and finished in seventh place. Later, I discovered I had a chain-ring puncture in my shoulder, but that race was the highlight of the season for me.

First career change (from musician to news anchor). I exercised inconsistently but ran 5k races, took spin classes, and learned how to lift weights. age 24

Rode for the first time in 15 years.

n Sophia age 35

Got hooked on distance running and completed my first marathon.

fun and upping the ante as a Cat-4 racer for the Velo Girls.

I want to get fitter, be faster, and have even more fun next year.

40s Make more money so I can buy lighter gear and hopefully be as fast as I was in my 30s.

Half Marathon & 10K Adventure

n my 1980 middle school gym class, I was chosen last for a team—again. It seems a strange start for a person who now excels at ultra-running, nevertheless, it is my story.

I started running to look fit for beauty pageants, but despite my talent with a fiddle, I never actually won the title of a beauty queen. As a 20-something with a master’s degree in music, I made money playing gigs with local orchestras and only exercised sporadically. When music stopped being fun, I worked as a broadcast reporter until my passion for news died too. Finally, I traded in my microphone for a pair of running shoes.

I got hooked in 2004 when a friend said, “If you can run 8 miles, you can run 10. If you can run 10, you can do a marathon.” I could run 8, so I tried a half marathon that summer and a year later I finished the NYC Marathon. I’ve since completed ten marathons and five ultra-marathons.

Now, I direct races, do trail maintenance, and work as a sales rep for a sporting goods company that makes running gear.

The highlight of my job: encouraging people like me to let running transform their lives. I’m off to a good start with that already. The all-female running group I started, MudBabe Mondays, is so popular that men beg to join. We let them run— but they do the course in the opposite direction so that we have a relaxed environment where women can chat and keep a comfortable pace.

Muddy hugs,

Learn to build my own bikes and make them for my family, like my dad did for me.

n Bonnie in her 60s

Continue riding and add swimming to my workouts, I hear it’s easy on the joints.

n Sophia in

her 70s Teach my grand kids to ride.

n Sophia in her 50s

Run faster 100 milers and continue directing Braden’s Miracle Mile and 5k to raise money for neuroblastoma.

Galapagos Marathon Tour May 6-17 2011 Air from Miami • Most Meals, Island Tours, Snorkeling, Private Boat Tour to Islets 4N Quito & 7N San Cristobal/Isabela Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee & Event Entry $4790 Air & Land

Machu Picchu Extension • May 17-27 2011 Hotel Accommodations Lima, Cusco & Aguas Calientes Tour of Machu Picchu & Various Incan Ruins Hike a portion of the Inca Trail from Machu Picchu to Sun Gate Express Vistadome Train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco Optional River Rafting or Horse Back Riding $2700 Air & Land

Great Wall Half Marathon & 10K

May 15-23, 2011 • Beijing BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: Air Fare from San Francisco or Chicago Stay in 1st Class Capital Hotel in Beijing • Run Site Inspection Day Registration Fee for the OFFICIAL Run Optional 2Day Xian Extension Tour Optional 2Day Xian/3Day Shanghai Extension Optional 2Day Xian/3Day Tibet/3Day Shanghai Extension From: $2790 (double occupancy) on American Airlines from Chicago (other U.S. cities available on request)

Victoria Falls Half Marathon & 5K

Sophia

n Bonnie in her 50s

n Bonnie in her n Bonnie NOW Riding for

Galapagos

I

Last spring, my fiancé and I directed Braden’s Race for Life and Miracle Mile, an event benefitting Braden Hofen, a 6-year-old with neuroblastoma. We saw 1,600 participants raise $42,000.

This year, it is called Braden’s Miracle Mile and 5k, and we aim to increase our support. When I see people about to bonk during a race I’m directing, I often tell them that, if Braden Hofen can fight and smile and laugh, they can surely run another 20 miles! n Sophia NOW I’m training for my first 100-mile race, and I’m helping to grow the Trail Nerds and MudBabes race series in Kansas City.

n Sophia

n Bonnie age 26

Sophia Wharton

AG E : 40

I’ve always ridden bikes. In my adolescence, I rode a 10-speed Huffy behind my dad while he ran; and 15 years later he built an old hybrid which I rode through the streets of New York City to my entry-level advertising job. I moved to San Francisco during the recession and passed my time exploring on that hybrid until I got a new job and started commuting by bike.

Now, when I’m overwhelmed juggling work and training, my chain-ring scar is proof that I’m tough enough to keep racing my bike.

n Sophia age 4

N AM E :

COURTESY OF: BONNIE OSBORN AND SOPHIA WHARTON

NAME:

Running Tours for Adventurous Women!

n Sophia in her 60s

Retire in the mountains, where I can run, play, and continue race directing.

n Bonnie

in her 70s Make sure I look like I’m still 50.

Victoria Falls, Africa August 19-31, 2011 BASIC TOUR INCLUDES: 14 Nights - Johannesburg & Victoria Falls Air on SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS, Including All Air Within S. Africa Victoria Falls, Zambezi River Cruise, Daily Safari Game Drives, Park Fees, Tips & Most Meals • Official Run Entry Fee From $ 5790.00 (double occupancy) from Washington Dulles (other US cities available) Optional 3 Night Extension to Cape Town PLEASE CONTACT:

Kathy Loper Events • 619-298-7400 www.kathyloperevents.com

2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

2050s

WAM • SPR | 2011 25

Try This

Improve posture, form, and strength

By Jennifer Olson

I

t feels like you’re doing something naughty at first, like you’re running around naked,” said Tamara Gerken, President and CoFounder of the 16,050-member-strong Barefoot Runners Society, when we asked her about the minimalist shoe trends hitting running store shelves this spring. With her calloused feet already well-tuned to barefoot running, Gerken makes sense of the buzz and offers tips for runners who want to try running au naturel.

Barefoot running’s key benefits: more efficient form, plus strengthened and lengthened muscles.

According to Gerken, and most barefoot running enthusiasts, we’re born with good running technique but adopt poor posture and bad habits as a result of wearing cushioned and rigid shoes that decrease running efficiency and contribute to injury. “Even a 2-centimeter heel—like that on most trainers—tilts your body forward, altering your weight bearing joints and, in the long run, damaging ligaments and joints through weakened muscles,” said Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a probarefoot-activity podiatrist. Without slight heels, he says, you’re more apt to have good posture and land on your midfoot, propelling you forward rather than slowing you down.

While it’s not for everyone, namely runners with diabetes or neuropathy who have decreased feeling in their feet, for most runners barefoot activity strengthens the weaknesses that overbuilt shoes have allowed. “Use common sense about where you go barefoot,” says Dr. Nirenberg, “but the more you use your feet and muscles, the healthier they’ll be in the long run.” n

Break into barefoot running slowly, warns Gerken, as transitioning too fast between cushioned and minimalist styles may lead to injury. To start, begin or end your standard run with short stretches—quarter- to half-mile lengths—barefoot or with minimalist shoes.

Carry your running shoes (one in each hand) to maintain balance and good form until you’re able to manage your entire run without them.

Sof Sole Airr® insoles utilize air chambers in the arch and heel to convert impact into kinetic energy that propels you through every foot strike.

do

• Go barefoot at home and on walks before attempting short runs.

• Absorbs impact forces while maintaining propulsion and efficiency.

• Gradually decrease the amount of cushion and padding your feet need. “Simply remove the insoles from your current shoes for a couple hours each day,” Dr. Nirenberg suggests.

• 7% more energy return than PU & EVA Foams.

• Maintain a slow pace to adjust to your improved gait. Strive for a mid-foot landing and avoid landing too far on the ball of the foot— unless you’re a sprinter. Most importantly, listen to your feet.

[ ]don’t

• Gel reduces shear within shoe.

• Rest if you get injured. Gerken suggests thinking about what you did wrong so you can correct your form.

• Lightweight design with Coolmax® cover maximizes breathability.

otic

• If you have blisters, keep the skin clean and trimmed closely.

rth

• Ease soreness with dynamic stretches and cool downs, a foam roller, and compression socks.

Air rO

It feels like you’re doing something naughty, at first, like you’re running around naked.

GEAR Barely-there runners for road and trail are all the rage this spring. Four to try:

Merrell Pace Glove

New Balance Minimus

($100; merrell.com)

($100; newbalance.com)

Terra Plana EVO II

Vibram Komodo Sport

($120; terraplana.com)

($100; vibramfivefingers.com)

• Transition on grass or sand. Starting to run barefoot in solid, even surfaces teaches runners where to place their weight, while soft surfaces hide debris and holes. “You cannot learn a lesson where the answer changes with each footfall,” says Gerken.

• Run too much too soon. “If you’re a seasoned runner, you cannot go in with the mindset that you can go as fast or far as you did in traditional running shoes. You will be injured,” Gerken warns. The danger: tearing tissue that’s been shortened by the elevated heel of most running shoes.

Barefoot runner (and blogger) Angie Bee says: “The shorter your steps, the better. And don’t reach with your feet. Take more steps.” Aim for a cadence of 180 steps-per-minute.

26 WAM • SPR | 2011

Introducing the Sof Sole Airr® family of insoles.

Th e

In addition to efficiency, a midfoot landing (as opposed to a heel strike) distributes shock more gently. With a typical shoe, all the impact of running—three to seven times your body weight with every step—transfers from the heel, through the knees, and all the way up to the spine. But without a cushioned shoe, your body naturally adapts to different surfaces to minimize the force of impact to weight bearing joints. According to Dr. Nirenberg, barefoot runners or runners in minimalist shoes also get better sensory feedback and can more easily determine how and where to distribute weight in their next step.

How to

Inso le

Barefoot Running

Performance Runs In Our Family

womensadventuremagazine.com

MARA ANGIE BEE

a

Airr Insole Orthotic

Arch

Cup

sofsole.com/Airr

WAM • SPR | 2011 The Sole of Performance ™

27

Try This

Improve posture, form, and strength

By Jennifer Olson

I

t feels like you’re doing something naughty at first, like you’re running around naked,” said Tamara Gerken, President and CoFounder of the 16,050-member-strong Barefoot Runners Society, when we asked her about the minimalist shoe trends hitting running store shelves this spring. With her calloused feet already well-tuned to barefoot running, Gerken makes sense of the buzz and offers tips for runners who want to try running au naturel.

Barefoot running’s key benefits: more efficient form, plus strengthened and lengthened muscles.

According to Gerken, and most barefoot running enthusiasts, we’re born with good running technique but adopt poor posture and bad habits as a result of wearing cushioned and rigid shoes that decrease running efficiency and contribute to injury. “Even a 2-centimeter heel—like that on most trainers—tilts your body forward, altering your weight bearing joints and, in the long run, damaging ligaments and joints through weakened muscles,” said Dr. Michael Nirenberg, a probarefoot-activity podiatrist. Without slight heels, he says, you’re more apt to have good posture and land on your midfoot, propelling you forward rather than slowing you down.

While it’s not for everyone, namely runners with diabetes or neuropathy who have decreased feeling in their feet, for most runners barefoot activity strengthens the weaknesses that overbuilt shoes have allowed. “Use common sense about where you go barefoot,” says Dr. Nirenberg, “but the more you use your feet and muscles, the healthier they’ll be in the long run.” n

Break into barefoot running slowly, warns Gerken, as transitioning too fast between cushioned and minimalist styles may lead to injury. To start, begin or end your standard run with short stretches—quarter- to half-mile lengths—barefoot or with minimalist shoes.

Carry your running shoes (one in each hand) to maintain balance and good form until you’re able to manage your entire run without them.

Sof Sole Airr® insoles utilize air chambers in the arch and heel to convert impact into kinetic energy that propels you through every foot strike.

do

• Go barefoot at home and on walks before attempting short runs.

• Absorbs impact forces while maintaining propulsion and efficiency.

• Gradually decrease the amount of cushion and padding your feet need. “Simply remove the insoles from your current shoes for a couple hours each day,” Dr. Nirenberg suggests.

• 7% more energy return than PU & EVA Foams.

• Maintain a slow pace to adjust to your improved gait. Strive for a mid-foot landing and avoid landing too far on the ball of the foot— unless you’re a sprinter. Most importantly, listen to your feet.

[ ]don’t

• Gel reduces shear within shoe.

• Rest if you get injured. Gerken suggests thinking about what you did wrong so you can correct your form.

• Lightweight design with Coolmax® cover maximizes breathability.

otic

• If you have blisters, keep the skin clean and trimmed closely.

rth

• Ease soreness with dynamic stretches and cool downs, a foam roller, and compression socks.

Air rO

It feels like you’re doing something naughty, at first, like you’re running around naked.

GEAR Barely-there runners for road and trail are all the rage this spring. Four to try:

Merrell Pace Glove

New Balance Minimus

($100; merrell.com)

($100; newbalance.com)

Terra Plana EVO II

Vibram Komodo Sport

($120; terraplana.com)

($100; vibramfivefingers.com)

• Transition on grass or sand. Starting to run barefoot in solid, even surfaces teaches runners where to place their weight, while soft surfaces hide debris and holes. “You cannot learn a lesson where the answer changes with each footfall,” says Gerken.

• Run too much too soon. “If you’re a seasoned runner, you cannot go in with the mindset that you can go as fast or far as you did in traditional running shoes. You will be injured,” Gerken warns. The danger: tearing tissue that’s been shortened by the elevated heel of most running shoes.

Barefoot runner (and blogger) Angie Bee says: “The shorter your steps, the better. And don’t reach with your feet. Take more steps.” Aim for a cadence of 180 steps-per-minute.

26 WAM • SPR | 2011

Introducing the Sof Sole Airr® family of insoles.

Th e

In addition to efficiency, a midfoot landing (as opposed to a heel strike) distributes shock more gently. With a typical shoe, all the impact of running—three to seven times your body weight with every step—transfers from the heel, through the knees, and all the way up to the spine. But without a cushioned shoe, your body naturally adapts to different surfaces to minimize the force of impact to weight bearing joints. According to Dr. Nirenberg, barefoot runners or runners in minimalist shoes also get better sensory feedback and can more easily determine how and where to distribute weight in their next step.

How to

Inso le

Barefoot Running

Performance Runs In Our Family

womensadventuremagazine.com

MARA ANGIE BEE

a

Airr Insole Orthotic

Arch

Cup

sofsole.com/Airr

WAM • SPR | 2011 The Sole of Performance ™

27

a

Roar

Dream Job

meet

Genny Turechek

a

Tara in Training Body image be damned. A recovering anorexic hopes to make purpose-driven exercise part of healthy eating-disorder recovery.

Genny Turechek landed a product development position with GoLite, where she turns designers’ dreams into functional gear—and combines her love of sewing with an active outdoor lifestyle. Her project resume ranges from trail running tights to down-filled jackets, and she thrives in her role as a problem solver. Genny stepped away from her sewing machine just long enough to share her story.

By Jennifer Olson

BRIAN BECKSTEAD

T

ara Tully wasn’t always a healthy ultramarathon runner and competitive Muay Thai boxer. For fifteen years, she struggled with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that affects as many as three percent of teens, 90 percent of them female. Tully’s competitive spirit may have originally contributed to her affliction, but it also ultimately helped her overcome it.

Staying fit so that her performance as an athlete didn’t suffer was a major motivating factor in her recovery, and it’s still a major factor in her healthy lifestyle. This year, as an exclamation point to her

personal success, she is launching REALme Life Training, a treatment program that offers eatingdisorder therapy and treatment programs for girls who walk the line between athlete and anorexic.

Girls who, like Tully, want to come out winning.

“My own journey with eating disorder recovery led me to get involved developing a recovery process that’s more holistic,” says Tully. In her case, a sporty lifestyle actually aided her recovery, but standard eating-disorder treatments discourage physical activity because compulsive exercise is often (continued on next page)

Eating Disorders Anonymous groups meet to support people with eating disorders and their friends and family. Look for a group in your area at eatingdisordersanonymous.org

53

S TOMPING GROUND: JOB:

W

hat sparked your interest in developing apparel for the outdoor market?

I’ve been interested in sewing since I was a little girl, and as a stayat-home mom while my children were growing up, I stayed creative by taking in sewing projects. I had an “aha moment” just after redesigning some clothing for an elderly woman with arthritis who was having trouble dressing herself.

I went back to school to work in the fashion industry and when we moved to Colorado four years ago I rediscovered the outdoors. This is, after all, a place where one can climb a Fourteener on a whim.

What inspires you about your job at GoLite?

The fact that I’ve been successful at making a career out of something

I truly love. There’s nothing better than that. I also love the challenge of diagnosing a fit problem, and working with the factory to really nail a product.

What’s a typical day on the job like for you?

It’s different every day. I’d say my primary responsibility is taking a designer’s two-dimensional sketch and turning it into a functional, three-dimensional product. I wear a lot of different hats, and my work with the designer and the merchandisers is cyclical as we determine if the garment is actually manufacture-able and costeffective. I call my job “the dream killer” as a joke, because sometimes I have to take a great concept and say, yeah that’s cool, but it’s not going to work in reality.

Boulder, Colorado

Senior Product Developer at GoLite

Hiking, road biking, snowshoeing, gardening, and quilting—I particularly enjoy the artistic aspect of quilting.

a beginner’s rock climbing course last fall, and after just one day on the wall I realized I needed stretch in the fabric, I needed a gusset in my pants, and I needed longer arms in my shirt.

What challenges you about your work?

What is the most surprising thing for you about your career?

Working in apparel development for the outdoor industry, our products have to really function, beyond a regular shirt or pair of pants. This was new for me coming from traditional fashion.

As a four-foot, eleven-inch woman who considers Mt. Evans her Everest, I also have to work hard to understand the full spectrum of what this clothing should really do. I ask a lot of questions, listen to a lot of people, and try as many activities as I can. I took

The fact that people don’t even realize my job exists. They think that a hoodie goes from the designer, to the factory, to the store, but there is so much more in between. It’s kind of like dinner: It doesn’t just go from boxes on the grocery-store shelves to a meal on your dinner table. In reality, someone has to shop and someone has to cook. Just like someone has to figure out that a shirt’s neck opening is too small, or that a zipper is too short.

What do you do to clear your head outside of work?

KIM PHILLIPS

AGE:

WWW.OSPREYPACKS.COM

special edition

Genny also volunteers for the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition, an organization that supports women professionals in the outdoor industry. Learn more at oiwc.org.

28 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 29

a

Roar

Dream Job

meet

Genny Turechek

a

Tara in Training Body image be damned. A recovering anorexic hopes to make purpose-driven exercise part of healthy eating-disorder recovery.

Genny Turechek landed a product development position with GoLite, where she turns designers’ dreams into functional gear—and combines her love of sewing with an active outdoor lifestyle. Her project resume ranges from trail running tights to down-filled jackets, and she thrives in her role as a problem solver. Genny stepped away from her sewing machine just long enough to share her story.

By Jennifer Olson

BRIAN BECKSTEAD

T

ara Tully wasn’t always a healthy ultramarathon runner and competitive Muay Thai boxer. For fifteen years, she struggled with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that affects as many as three percent of teens, 90 percent of them female. Tully’s competitive spirit may have originally contributed to her affliction, but it also ultimately helped her overcome it.

Staying fit so that her performance as an athlete didn’t suffer was a major motivating factor in her recovery, and it’s still a major factor in her healthy lifestyle. This year, as an exclamation point to her

personal success, she is launching REALme Life Training, a treatment program that offers eatingdisorder therapy and treatment programs for girls who walk the line between athlete and anorexic.

Girls who, like Tully, want to come out winning.

“My own journey with eating disorder recovery led me to get involved developing a recovery process that’s more holistic,” says Tully. In her case, a sporty lifestyle actually aided her recovery, but standard eating-disorder treatments discourage physical activity because compulsive exercise is often (continued on next page)

Eating Disorders Anonymous groups meet to support people with eating disorders and their friends and family. Look for a group in your area at eatingdisordersanonymous.org

53

S TOMPING GROUND: JOB:

W

hat sparked your interest in developing apparel for the outdoor market?

I’ve been interested in sewing since I was a little girl, and as a stayat-home mom while my children were growing up, I stayed creative by taking in sewing projects. I had an “aha moment” just after redesigning some clothing for an elderly woman with arthritis who was having trouble dressing herself.

I went back to school to work in the fashion industry and when we moved to Colorado four years ago I rediscovered the outdoors. This is, after all, a place where one can climb a Fourteener on a whim.

What inspires you about your job at GoLite?

The fact that I’ve been successful at making a career out of something

I truly love. There’s nothing better than that. I also love the challenge of diagnosing a fit problem, and working with the factory to really nail a product.

What’s a typical day on the job like for you?

It’s different every day. I’d say my primary responsibility is taking a designer’s two-dimensional sketch and turning it into a functional, three-dimensional product. I wear a lot of different hats, and my work with the designer and the merchandisers is cyclical as we determine if the garment is actually manufacture-able and costeffective. I call my job “the dream killer” as a joke, because sometimes I have to take a great concept and say, yeah that’s cool, but it’s not going to work in reality.

Boulder, Colorado

Senior Product Developer at GoLite

Hiking, road biking, snowshoeing, gardening, and quilting—I particularly enjoy the artistic aspect of quilting.

a beginner’s rock climbing course last fall, and after just one day on the wall I realized I needed stretch in the fabric, I needed a gusset in my pants, and I needed longer arms in my shirt.

What challenges you about your work?

What is the most surprising thing for you about your career?

Working in apparel development for the outdoor industry, our products have to really function, beyond a regular shirt or pair of pants. This was new for me coming from traditional fashion.

As a four-foot, eleven-inch woman who considers Mt. Evans her Everest, I also have to work hard to understand the full spectrum of what this clothing should really do. I ask a lot of questions, listen to a lot of people, and try as many activities as I can. I took

The fact that people don’t even realize my job exists. They think that a hoodie goes from the designer, to the factory, to the store, but there is so much more in between. It’s kind of like dinner: It doesn’t just go from boxes on the grocery-store shelves to a meal on your dinner table. In reality, someone has to shop and someone has to cook. Just like someone has to figure out that a shirt’s neck opening is too small, or that a zipper is too short.

What do you do to clear your head outside of work?

KIM PHILLIPS

AGE:

WWW.OSPREYPACKS.COM

special edition

Genny also volunteers for the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition, an organization that supports women professionals in the outdoor industry. Learn more at oiwc.org.

28 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 29

a

Roar

part of the disease. “Exercise is used as a purge and it is part of the disorder itself,” explains Therese Ida, a registered dietitian from a Colorado-based treatment facility. “The harder it is to give it up, the more likely it is that it’s part of the eating disorder.”

As Tully’s strength grew her disorder behaviors faded, her eating habits improved, and she’s stronger than ever: she has finished 10 marathons and 11 ultra-marathons, and her goal for this year is to complete seven ultra runs.

“I’ve learned to take things as they come and be unafraid to move forward with ideas,” she said, a leap she’s taken to a new level with REALme Life Training—which is well on its way to taking off.

Another concern that keeps most therapists from incorporating sports during eating-disorder recovery: hyper-metabolism. When an underweight person starts eating, her body burns up everything. “For most people in treatment for eating disorders, it’s difficult to get ahead of caloric requirements necessary to gain weight.”

The program’s objective is to combine movement with traditional psychotherapy and help women with eating disorders redefine beautiful and normal, and let go of identifying personal worth in terms of “fat” or “thin.”

Tully believes treatment providers can better empower people suffering from anorexia and bulimia to change by evaluating their contexts, approaching treatment holistically, and eliminating body size as a measure of social value.

(continued from previous page)

Always athletic, Tully balked at treatments that restricted her training. In her case, and in the case of others she’s hoping to help through REALme, Tully’s identity as an athlete was one of the healthiest aspects of her life, a stress-reliever that made her feel strong, powerful, and healthy. That wasn’t something she wanted to give up on her road to recovery.

Tully realized that in order to perform and reach her goals—like her first marathon in 2006—she’d have to give her body the fuel that it needed.

“That was a pivotal realization for me,” she says. She worked with therapists who researched sports as healthy alternatives to eating-disordered behavior and who eventually allowed activity. Exercise advanced her objective from weight loss to wellness and the positive body image that reversed her eatingdisordered perspective.

At the base of her program is an eating disorder treatment model that includes a medical support team (a dietitian, a therapist, and a doctor) along with a

Tara’s identity as an athlete was one of the healthiest aspects of her life, a stress-reliever that made her feel strong, powerful, and healthy.

Fighting depression is one way to stave-off the onset of an eating disorder: according to the American Journal of Psychiatry, almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the

structured community for developing coping skills necessary to overcome the challenges of recovery. Tully’s model also focuses on education and integrating skills like learning about healthy interactions and relationships, but without the price tag of an inpatient facility which might run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to Ida, the benefits of inpatient treatment are valid and resting in an inpatient facility allows anorexics to regain muscle mass. “Someone who weighs 70–80 percent of her ideal body weight will metabolize her own muscle mass if she exercises,” she says. Ida qualifies that standard by adding that, if a patient weighs 90 percent of their ideal body weight and has motivations to exercise that don’t involve weight control, moderate exercise can be part of a healthy lifestyle. “If you can get ahead of the eating-disordered way of thinking,” says Ida, “then exercise can be healthy.”

Tully’s hope is to illuminate the distinguishing differences between purposeful and compulsive physical activity. “If exercise helps increase the patient’s awareness, build healthy muscle, and advance her recovery, then it can be healthy,” Tully says, and Ida agrees.

Tully’s own recovery will always be a work in progress, but shes been able to separate her running from her eating disorder. “In my case, being able to continue my sport was more important than continuing with my eatingdisordered behavior,” she said. Ultimately, Tully hopes REALme Life Training will provide women like her with effective, affordable, and maintained support saying: “You fall down a lot in recovery, but if you fall 999 times and get up 1000 times, you’re still winning.” n

How you can help in… …1 Hour

Educate yourself to recognize signs and symptoms of eating disorders among your friends and family. Gürze Books specializes in resources and information for awareness and recovery of a wide range of eating and other body-image disorders. bulimia.com

…1 Day

April 12, 2011 is the first-ever Lobbying Day for the Eating Disorders Coalition. Show your support leading up to the event with a letterwriting and phone call campaign targeted at your Congressional representatives. Encourage them to consider the Federal Response to Eliminating Eating Disorders Act. eatingdisorderscoalition.org

…1 Week

Participate in a National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) walk. A week’s worth of fund raising will put you among the top contributors and on the day-of, you’ll mingle with others from the community of survivors and supporters. Upcoming walks are scheduled in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, and California. nationaleatingdisorders.org

…1 Year

Host a Dressing Room Project workshop for girls in your city. In a partnership with the Emerging Women Projects, you can help redefine teenage girls’ definitions of beautiful. At the workshop, participants create stickers with positive body-image messages to post in public restrooms and changing rooms. thedressingroomproject.org

criteria for that disease. Fight back with these depression-fighting habits: Eat right, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, build a support network, and seek professional help.

a

Roar

part of the disease. “Exercise is used as a purge and it is part of the disorder itself,” explains Therese Ida, a registered dietitian from a Colorado-based treatment facility. “The harder it is to give it up, the more likely it is that it’s part of the eating disorder.”

As Tully’s strength grew her disorder behaviors faded, her eating habits improved, and she’s stronger than ever: she has finished 10 marathons and 11 ultra-marathons, and her goal for this year is to complete seven ultra runs.

“I’ve learned to take things as they come and be unafraid to move forward with ideas,” she said, a leap she’s taken to a new level with REALme Life Training—which is well on its way to taking off.

Another concern that keeps most therapists from incorporating sports during eating-disorder recovery: hyper-metabolism. When an underweight person starts eating, her body burns up everything. “For most people in treatment for eating disorders, it’s difficult to get ahead of caloric requirements necessary to gain weight.”

The program’s objective is to combine movement with traditional psychotherapy and help women with eating disorders redefine beautiful and normal, and let go of identifying personal worth in terms of “fat” or “thin.”

Tully believes treatment providers can better empower people suffering from anorexia and bulimia to change by evaluating their contexts, approaching treatment holistically, and eliminating body size as a measure of social value.

(continued from previous page)

Always athletic, Tully balked at treatments that restricted her training. In her case, and in the case of others she’s hoping to help through REALme, Tully’s identity as an athlete was one of the healthiest aspects of her life, a stress-reliever that made her feel strong, powerful, and healthy. That wasn’t something she wanted to give up on her road to recovery.

Tully realized that in order to perform and reach her goals—like her first marathon in 2006—she’d have to give her body the fuel that it needed.

“That was a pivotal realization for me,” she says. She worked with therapists who researched sports as healthy alternatives to eating-disordered behavior and who eventually allowed activity. Exercise advanced her objective from weight loss to wellness and the positive body image that reversed her eatingdisordered perspective.

At the base of her program is an eating disorder treatment model that includes a medical support team (a dietitian, a therapist, and a doctor) along with a

Tara’s identity as an athlete was one of the healthiest aspects of her life, a stress-reliever that made her feel strong, powerful, and healthy.

Fighting depression is one way to stave-off the onset of an eating disorder: according to the American Journal of Psychiatry, almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the

structured community for developing coping skills necessary to overcome the challenges of recovery. Tully’s model also focuses on education and integrating skills like learning about healthy interactions and relationships, but without the price tag of an inpatient facility which might run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to Ida, the benefits of inpatient treatment are valid and resting in an inpatient facility allows anorexics to regain muscle mass. “Someone who weighs 70–80 percent of her ideal body weight will metabolize her own muscle mass if she exercises,” she says. Ida qualifies that standard by adding that, if a patient weighs 90 percent of their ideal body weight and has motivations to exercise that don’t involve weight control, moderate exercise can be part of a healthy lifestyle. “If you can get ahead of the eating-disordered way of thinking,” says Ida, “then exercise can be healthy.”

Tully’s hope is to illuminate the distinguishing differences between purposeful and compulsive physical activity. “If exercise helps increase the patient’s awareness, build healthy muscle, and advance her recovery, then it can be healthy,” Tully says, and Ida agrees.

Tully’s own recovery will always be a work in progress, but shes been able to separate her running from her eating disorder. “In my case, being able to continue my sport was more important than continuing with my eatingdisordered behavior,” she said. Ultimately, Tully hopes REALme Life Training will provide women like her with effective, affordable, and maintained support saying: “You fall down a lot in recovery, but if you fall 999 times and get up 1000 times, you’re still winning.” n

How you can help in… …1 Hour

Educate yourself to recognize signs and symptoms of eating disorders among your friends and family. Gürze Books specializes in resources and information for awareness and recovery of a wide range of eating and other body-image disorders. bulimia.com

…1 Day

April 12, 2011 is the first-ever Lobbying Day for the Eating Disorders Coalition. Show your support leading up to the event with a letterwriting and phone call campaign targeted at your Congressional representatives. Encourage them to consider the Federal Response to Eliminating Eating Disorders Act. eatingdisorderscoalition.org

…1 Week

Participate in a National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) walk. A week’s worth of fund raising will put you among the top contributors and on the day-of, you’ll mingle with others from the community of survivors and supporters. Upcoming walks are scheduled in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, and California. nationaleatingdisorders.org

…1 Year

Host a Dressing Room Project workshop for girls in your city. In a partnership with the Emerging Women Projects, you can help redefine teenage girls’ definitions of beautiful. At the workshop, participants create stickers with positive body-image messages to post in public restrooms and changing rooms. thedressingroomproject.org

criteria for that disease. Fight back with these depression-fighting habits: Eat right, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, build a support network, and seek professional help.

a

Backcountry Gourmet ®

The Incredible (Backcountry) Edible Don’t let shell shock keep you from experimenting with eggs in the outdoors. “They’re backcountry exotic but easy,” says Claudia Pearson, author of a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) cookbook. Take these tips and recipes on your next overnighter for an egg-stra good meal.

Quiche Moraine

A cheesy, veggie-filled entrée that will work for any meal, this easy quiche recipe is an upgrade to more traditional protein-carb combos you crave after— or before—a day on the trail.

Tools: Non-stick frying pan with lid, whisk, utensils, camp stove, small sticks for a 30-minute twiggy fire Crust: 1¼ cups flour ½ tsp salt

¹/³ cup butter 3 Tbs water

ing st Pudd Breakfa chefLS NO by r WAM

Created fo ithson, this ire Janet Sm eded extraordina ds much-ne ad at ast tre -only rb ca sweet breakf lly na a traditio substance to l. morning mea

wl, utensils Tools: Pan, bo

3 cups water real of Wheat ce m ea Cr p cu ½ r n suga ¼ cup brow red egg 3 Tbs powde red milk de w po s 3 Tb on am 1 tsp cinn lla ni va p ts 1½ pinch of salt t for garnish ts and/or frui chopped nu ly add For crust: Mix flour and salt together. Cut in butter boil. Gradual of water to a ps. Add m lu d and mix in water to form dough. Press dough into the oi Bring 2 cups av at, stirring to heat bottom of the frying pan using your hands or the base Cream of Whe aining high often, maint ir st d imately ox of a water bottle. pr sugar an ap , ns ture thicke heat. In a until the mix For filling: Layer cheese over the uncooked crust. Mix . Remove from es ut in m 5 ilk and m 2 to e th ne dry milk and eggs (or egg powder) in a bowl. Slowly add wl, combi cup of water ng separate bo ni water, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Stir in g with remai ed eg d re de w po ixture to cook vegetables and seasonings. Pour into crust; cover and l. Add milk m amon, nn ci d and mix wel Ad . ly ns bake, using a twiggy fire (see sidebar) 30 minutes or g constant until it thicke cereal, stirrin Cook mixture until crust pulls away from side of pan and filling is set. with lt. sh sa ni d ar an G . lla re vani peratu Top with hot sauce. Serves four hungry hikers. desired tem seeds. then cool to its, and nut or fru sh fre or d ie dr d, pe op ch Filling: 1½ cups crumbled, shredded or diced cheese 1½ cup powdered milk 8 eggs (or equivalent powdered eggs) 1½ cups water (more if using powdered eggs) 2 Tbs dried onion ¹/8 to ¼ tsp hot sauce 2 Tbs dried green and red peppers or other dried vegetables salt and pepper to taste

tips

• When temps are below 70-degrees, frozen eggs will keep cold long enough to stay fresh overnight. Pearson suggests freezing beaten eggs in muffin tins for portionsized rations you can bag and carry. In warm weather, keep eggs whole but carry them in a hard-plastic egg-case, or in their original carton cut to fit inside a plastic food-storage container. Be sure to cook the entire egg thoroughly.

• If you’re squeamish about food safety (aren’t we all?), pregnant, cooking for kids, or meal-planning for several days consider powdered eggs—an easy alternative that exponentially increases your backcountry cooking repertoire. Pearson recommends Adventure Egg’s pasteurized powder that comes in six-pack sizes, can replace eggs in any recipe, and all but eliminates potential for food-borne illness. adventureegg.com

skill

• Twiggy Fire: Cooking quiche—or cookies or cupcakes—in the backcountry requires all-around heat you can’t get from a bottom-up flame. To generate the eggsetting temps you’ll need for our recipe, use your stove and build a twiggy fire on your pot’s lid—be prepared for the permanent soot stain you’ll create. How to: Use pencilsized or smaller twigs and build a small, pyramid-shaped fire on top of your pot›s lid.

Steadily feed the flames while baking.

Quick Drying

Odor Resistant

Lightweight

For another fun outdoor-oriented egg recipe, see a video demonstration by assistant editor Jennifer Olson (a.k.a. the Backcountry Gourmet) at womensadventuremagazine.com.

32 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 33

a

Backcountry Gourmet ®

The Incredible (Backcountry) Edible Don’t let shell shock keep you from experimenting with eggs in the outdoors. “They’re backcountry exotic but easy,” says Claudia Pearson, author of a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) cookbook. Take these tips and recipes on your next overnighter for an egg-stra good meal.

Quiche Moraine

A cheesy, veggie-filled entrée that will work for any meal, this easy quiche recipe is an upgrade to more traditional protein-carb combos you crave after— or before—a day on the trail.

Tools: Non-stick frying pan with lid, whisk, utensils, camp stove, small sticks for a 30-minute twiggy fire Crust: 1¼ cups flour ½ tsp salt

¹/³ cup butter 3 Tbs water

ing st Pudd Breakfa chefLS NO by r WAM

Created fo ithson, this ire Janet Sm eded extraordina ds much-ne ad at ast tre -only rb ca sweet breakf lly na a traditio substance to l. morning mea

wl, utensils Tools: Pan, bo

3 cups water real of Wheat ce m ea Cr p cu ½ r n suga ¼ cup brow red egg 3 Tbs powde red milk de w po s 3 Tb on am 1 tsp cinn lla ni va p ts 1½ pinch of salt t for garnish ts and/or frui chopped nu ly add For crust: Mix flour and salt together. Cut in butter boil. Gradual of water to a ps. Add m lu d and mix in water to form dough. Press dough into the oi Bring 2 cups av at, stirring to heat bottom of the frying pan using your hands or the base Cream of Whe aining high often, maint ir st d imately ox of a water bottle. pr sugar an ap , ns ture thicke heat. In a until the mix For filling: Layer cheese over the uncooked crust. Mix . Remove from es ut in m 5 ilk and m 2 to e th ne dry milk and eggs (or egg powder) in a bowl. Slowly add wl, combi cup of water ng separate bo ni water, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Stir in g with remai ed eg d re de w po ixture to cook vegetables and seasonings. Pour into crust; cover and l. Add milk m amon, nn ci d and mix wel Ad . ly ns bake, using a twiggy fire (see sidebar) 30 minutes or g constant until it thicke cereal, stirrin Cook mixture until crust pulls away from side of pan and filling is set. with lt. sh sa ni d ar an G . lla re vani peratu Top with hot sauce. Serves four hungry hikers. desired tem seeds. then cool to its, and nut or fru sh fre or d ie dr d, pe op ch Filling: 1½ cups crumbled, shredded or diced cheese 1½ cup powdered milk 8 eggs (or equivalent powdered eggs) 1½ cups water (more if using powdered eggs) 2 Tbs dried onion ¹/8 to ¼ tsp hot sauce 2 Tbs dried green and red peppers or other dried vegetables salt and pepper to taste

tips

• When temps are below 70-degrees, frozen eggs will keep cold long enough to stay fresh overnight. Pearson suggests freezing beaten eggs in muffin tins for portionsized rations you can bag and carry. In warm weather, keep eggs whole but carry them in a hard-plastic egg-case, or in their original carton cut to fit inside a plastic food-storage container. Be sure to cook the entire egg thoroughly.

• If you’re squeamish about food safety (aren’t we all?), pregnant, cooking for kids, or meal-planning for several days consider powdered eggs—an easy alternative that exponentially increases your backcountry cooking repertoire. Pearson recommends Adventure Egg’s pasteurized powder that comes in six-pack sizes, can replace eggs in any recipe, and all but eliminates potential for food-borne illness. adventureegg.com

skill

• Twiggy Fire: Cooking quiche—or cookies or cupcakes—in the backcountry requires all-around heat you can’t get from a bottom-up flame. To generate the eggsetting temps you’ll need for our recipe, use your stove and build a twiggy fire on your pot’s lid—be prepared for the permanent soot stain you’ll create. How to: Use pencilsized or smaller twigs and build a small, pyramid-shaped fire on top of your pot›s lid.

Steadily feed the flames while baking.

Quick Drying

Odor Resistant

Lightweight

For another fun outdoor-oriented egg recipe, see a video demonstration by assistant editor Jennifer Olson (a.k.a. the Backcountry Gourmet) at womensadventuremagazine.com.

32 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 33

a

Whole Health

Listen to Your Heart

past. “If you’re traveling the same route, going the same pace you normally do, and your heart rate is ten points higher than usual, then you know something is wrong,” says Dr. Cooper. She explains that dehydration and under fueling are both common causes of an otherwise-unexplained heartrate increase—something that can wreak havoc on women’s systems in the long term. “If you go into a workout under-fueled, over time you’re going to wind up losing muscle and increasing the risk of injury, bone density problems, and fertility issues,” she says.

According to Dr. Cooper, when left to our own instincts, most people will train at a higher intensity than is actually most beneficial for their goals.

“Instinctively, most people train in a tempo zone, just below our anaerobic thresholds, because it’s the highest intensity zone before you start losing your ability to sustain.” The downside to always training in that zone, she says, is that athletes “end up losing their gears.” She advises training with a mix of tempos, pointing out that high intensity workouts help make sure you can kick things into a shorter, faster gear when you need to. “But it’s really the lower to moderate endurance zones that are the most beneficial in alleviating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes symptoms, and working on weight issues,” she says.

Pay attention; your heart rate holds the secret to boosting training efficiency.

By Sara Lingafelter

In fewer than six years, I had transitioned from a mostly sedentary novice climber to a baby mountaineer with my sights set on Mount Rainier, a glacial peak looming out beyond Seattle’s skyline.

The nearly 10,000-foot climb between the Paradise visitor’s center and the summit would test my fitness—aerobic, anaerobic, and endurance. But when I started spending more time carrying heavy loads up mountains in the name of training, my asthma flared up. I wondered if I was cut out for the level of physical activity it would take to get fit.

Enter heart rate training. I’m an average Jane with my approach to fitness—I don’t upload my workout data to my computer and I don’t pour over my logs. My moderate performance goals didn’t set the bar high enough to need techheavy training tools. Or so I thought. Dr. Emily Cooper, medical director and founder of Seattle Performance Medicine disagreed. “Heart rate training creates a self-awareness that lets people get used to their own personal heart rate response so that they can monitor improvement over time. That’s important for all athletes, not just competitive ones.” It turns out, she told me, that increasing my heart-rate would ultimately help me summit Washington state’s highest peak.

Whether your goal is weight loss, weight maintenance, building cardiovascular fitness, or building your peak capacity for high-output

workouts, knowing your body’s heart rate zones will help. “We all have different baselines, based on our history and genetics,” says Dr. Cooper. “No two people are going to respond the same way to the same training, and that’s why training according to your heart rate is so important,” she says.

Marcia Horn Noyes of Golden, Colorado, is using heart rate training in her efforts to qualify for the Boston marathon. Her goal is to improve her speed, and 12 years after her initial experiments with a heart rate monitor, she’s adopted a training regime that keeps her heart rate lower than what she expected. “Training in the lower zones has helped me develop more speed and avoid injuries, illness, and overtraining,” she says. Under the advice of her coach, former world record–holder Steve Jones, she’s placed new importance on listening to her body. “A heart rate monitor is invaluable to know your body and to know what it feels like when my heart’s pumping 120, 130, 140, or a windsucking 150 beats-per-minute.”

Heart Rate Zones Find your anaerobic threshold

Tailor your workouts to your body and find the heart rate zones to achieve your goals. Your Anaerobic Threshold (AT) determines your heart rate training zones, so Dr. Cooper recommends taking this test to discover your threshold: To perform the test: 1. Warm up at an easy pace for 3 mins.

2. Take 5 mins to find a pace that you’d describe as a “light” level of exertion.

3. Maintain that pace on a level treadmill (incline 0) for 3 to 4 mins.

4. During the 4th min, record your HR and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

5. Increase the treadmill incline to 2.5% and maintain that pace for 3-4 mins.

6. During the 4th min, record your HR and RPE. 7. Continue to increase the incline while maintaining your pace for 3 to 4-min stages until your RPE is Heavy. Note your HR and consider that your “Anaerobic Threshold HR” or “AT HR.” 8. Cool down at a comfortable pace until your heart rate drops to its warm-up level.

In my case, preparing for Mount Rainier, I needed to maintain my weight but still put in long hours to improve my endurance. It turns out that, instead of training at the break-neck (and asthma-inducing) pace that felt like an endurance-pushing workout, maintaining a slower pace and a lower heart rate was actually better for increasing my stamina for the two-day trip. In addition to optimizing my endurance, my increased awareness about my heart rate has had the pleasant side effect of helping me get my asthma under control—it’s been more than 18 months since I’ve had an attack.

While even casual heart-rate awareness can help you achieve your fitness goals, it can be equally important for avoiding training pitfalls—in my case, those track-stopping asthma attacks of my

Human heart rates average around 72 beats per minute (bpm). Here’s how we stack up to other animals: Hamster - 450 bpm • Hummingbird - 250 bpm • Gorilla - 170 bpm • 34 WAM • SPR | 2011

Thanks to my new understanding of my own zones, and with the baseline of fitness that took me to Mount Rainier’s summit last summer, I’m a heart-rate training convert. This year I’m aiming to up my speed in the mountains— instead of reaching new heights. Though it’s unlikely I’ll start uploading my workout stats anytime soon, wearing a heart-rate monitor has put me on the fast-track to pushing past my status as an average Jane after all. n

womensadventuremagazine.com

Tools needed: 1. A treadmill 2. A HR monitor 3. Pen and paper to record results 4. A coach/trainer/friend to observe and record your HR and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

Rate of Perceived Exertion scale: 1. No exertion at all 2. Extremely light 3. Very light 4. Light 5. Moderate 6. Somewhat heavy 7. Heavy 8. Very heavy 9. Extremely heavy 10. Maximum exertion

Calculate your heart rate zones by subtracting from your AT HR:

KIM PHILLIPS

C

omfort” wasn’t the only zone I’d stepped out of. Weighted down with a heavy pack and climbing up a rocky mountainside, I’d pushed past my anaerobic threshold—a training zone where, in theory, I’d up my power and sprint capacity. Between trailhead and treeline it felt like a great workout, but as I approached my endurance limitations (and the peak), I’d turned the day’s training hike into an exercise-induced asthma attack.

Zone 1

AT HR -59 to -49 Warm up & cool down. Train the body to burn fat.

Zone 2

AT HR -48 to -29 Extensive endurance zone. Maintain your aerobic base.

Zone 3a

AT HR -28 to -18 Aerobic threshold zone. Improve your V02 max.

Zone 3b AT HR -17 to -7

Intensive endurance zone. Boost aerobic power.

Zone 4a

Tempo zone. Maximize your endurance just below the AT.

AT HR -6 to -1

Zone 4b AT HR to +5

Threshold zone. Improve your speed and power at the AT.

Zone 5

Maximum zone. Increase your sprint capacity and speed.

AT HR + > 6

Large adult dog - 70 bpm • Cow - 65 bpm • Elephant - 30 bpm • Blue whale - 7 bpm.

WAM • SPR | 2011 35

a

Whole Health

Listen to Your Heart

past. “If you’re traveling the same route, going the same pace you normally do, and your heart rate is ten points higher than usual, then you know something is wrong,” says Dr. Cooper. She explains that dehydration and under fueling are both common causes of an otherwise-unexplained heartrate increase—something that can wreak havoc on women’s systems in the long term. “If you go into a workout under-fueled, over time you’re going to wind up losing muscle and increasing the risk of injury, bone density problems, and fertility issues,” she says.

According to Dr. Cooper, when left to our own instincts, most people will train at a higher intensity than is actually most beneficial for their goals.

“Instinctively, most people train in a tempo zone, just below our anaerobic thresholds, because it’s the highest intensity zone before you start losing your ability to sustain.” The downside to always training in that zone, she says, is that athletes “end up losing their gears.” She advises training with a mix of tempos, pointing out that high intensity workouts help make sure you can kick things into a shorter, faster gear when you need to. “But it’s really the lower to moderate endurance zones that are the most beneficial in alleviating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes symptoms, and working on weight issues,” she says.

Pay attention; your heart rate holds the secret to boosting training efficiency.

By Sara Lingafelter

In fewer than six years, I had transitioned from a mostly sedentary novice climber to a baby mountaineer with my sights set on Mount Rainier, a glacial peak looming out beyond Seattle’s skyline.

The nearly 10,000-foot climb between the Paradise visitor’s center and the summit would test my fitness—aerobic, anaerobic, and endurance. But when I started spending more time carrying heavy loads up mountains in the name of training, my asthma flared up. I wondered if I was cut out for the level of physical activity it would take to get fit.

Enter heart rate training. I’m an average Jane with my approach to fitness—I don’t upload my workout data to my computer and I don’t pour over my logs. My moderate performance goals didn’t set the bar high enough to need techheavy training tools. Or so I thought. Dr. Emily Cooper, medical director and founder of Seattle Performance Medicine disagreed. “Heart rate training creates a self-awareness that lets people get used to their own personal heart rate response so that they can monitor improvement over time. That’s important for all athletes, not just competitive ones.” It turns out, she told me, that increasing my heart-rate would ultimately help me summit Washington state’s highest peak.

Whether your goal is weight loss, weight maintenance, building cardiovascular fitness, or building your peak capacity for high-output

workouts, knowing your body’s heart rate zones will help. “We all have different baselines, based on our history and genetics,” says Dr. Cooper. “No two people are going to respond the same way to the same training, and that’s why training according to your heart rate is so important,” she says.

Marcia Horn Noyes of Golden, Colorado, is using heart rate training in her efforts to qualify for the Boston marathon. Her goal is to improve her speed, and 12 years after her initial experiments with a heart rate monitor, she’s adopted a training regime that keeps her heart rate lower than what she expected. “Training in the lower zones has helped me develop more speed and avoid injuries, illness, and overtraining,” she says. Under the advice of her coach, former world record–holder Steve Jones, she’s placed new importance on listening to her body. “A heart rate monitor is invaluable to know your body and to know what it feels like when my heart’s pumping 120, 130, 140, or a windsucking 150 beats-per-minute.”

Heart Rate Zones Find your anaerobic threshold

Tailor your workouts to your body and find the heart rate zones to achieve your goals. Your Anaerobic Threshold (AT) determines your heart rate training zones, so Dr. Cooper recommends taking this test to discover your threshold: To perform the test: 1. Warm up at an easy pace for 3 mins.

2. Take 5 mins to find a pace that you’d describe as a “light” level of exertion.

3. Maintain that pace on a level treadmill (incline 0) for 3 to 4 mins.

4. During the 4th min, record your HR and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

5. Increase the treadmill incline to 2.5% and maintain that pace for 3-4 mins.

6. During the 4th min, record your HR and RPE. 7. Continue to increase the incline while maintaining your pace for 3 to 4-min stages until your RPE is Heavy. Note your HR and consider that your “Anaerobic Threshold HR” or “AT HR.” 8. Cool down at a comfortable pace until your heart rate drops to its warm-up level.

In my case, preparing for Mount Rainier, I needed to maintain my weight but still put in long hours to improve my endurance. It turns out that, instead of training at the break-neck (and asthma-inducing) pace that felt like an endurance-pushing workout, maintaining a slower pace and a lower heart rate was actually better for increasing my stamina for the two-day trip. In addition to optimizing my endurance, my increased awareness about my heart rate has had the pleasant side effect of helping me get my asthma under control—it’s been more than 18 months since I’ve had an attack.

While even casual heart-rate awareness can help you achieve your fitness goals, it can be equally important for avoiding training pitfalls—in my case, those track-stopping asthma attacks of my

Human heart rates average around 72 beats per minute (bpm). Here’s how we stack up to other animals: Hamster - 450 bpm • Hummingbird - 250 bpm • Gorilla - 170 bpm • 34 WAM • SPR | 2011

Thanks to my new understanding of my own zones, and with the baseline of fitness that took me to Mount Rainier’s summit last summer, I’m a heart-rate training convert. This year I’m aiming to up my speed in the mountains— instead of reaching new heights. Though it’s unlikely I’ll start uploading my workout stats anytime soon, wearing a heart-rate monitor has put me on the fast-track to pushing past my status as an average Jane after all. n

womensadventuremagazine.com

Tools needed: 1. A treadmill 2. A HR monitor 3. Pen and paper to record results 4. A coach/trainer/friend to observe and record your HR and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

Rate of Perceived Exertion scale: 1. No exertion at all 2. Extremely light 3. Very light 4. Light 5. Moderate 6. Somewhat heavy 7. Heavy 8. Very heavy 9. Extremely heavy 10. Maximum exertion

Calculate your heart rate zones by subtracting from your AT HR:

KIM PHILLIPS

C

omfort” wasn’t the only zone I’d stepped out of. Weighted down with a heavy pack and climbing up a rocky mountainside, I’d pushed past my anaerobic threshold—a training zone where, in theory, I’d up my power and sprint capacity. Between trailhead and treeline it felt like a great workout, but as I approached my endurance limitations (and the peak), I’d turned the day’s training hike into an exercise-induced asthma attack.

Zone 1

AT HR -59 to -49 Warm up & cool down. Train the body to burn fat.

Zone 2

AT HR -48 to -29 Extensive endurance zone. Maintain your aerobic base.

Zone 3a

AT HR -28 to -18 Aerobic threshold zone. Improve your V02 max.

Zone 3b AT HR -17 to -7

Intensive endurance zone. Boost aerobic power.

Zone 4a

Tempo zone. Maximize your endurance just below the AT.

AT HR -6 to -1

Zone 4b AT HR to +5

Threshold zone. Improve your speed and power at the AT.

Zone 5

Maximum zone. Increase your sprint capacity and speed.

AT HR + > 6

Large adult dog - 70 bpm • Cow - 65 bpm • Elephant - 30 bpm • Blue whale - 7 bpm.

WAM • SPR | 2011 35

a

Destination

money:

Yellowstone National Park, MT

Spring in the crowd-free kickoff in this untrammeled corner of wild America. Go guided with the Yellowstone Association’s hands-on programs or take to this bison and bear country on your own terms.

$149/12-20 mins

Don’t settle for views from Lookout Mountain. Take to the sky for a peek into the heart of the Scenic City. A plane tows your hang-glider to above 2,000 feet where you’ll soar on thermal updrafts, circling above the Lookout Valley for up to 20 thrilling minutes.

Go on your own or in tandem with an instructor from Lookout Mountain Flight Park, the country’s largest hang gliding school. hanglide.com

money:

time:

3 days

Other fun EXPLORE

EAT

DRINK

PL AY

REPEAT

Information Wander 300-plus vendor booths at the weekly Chattanooga Market for one-of-a-kind crafts, artisan snacks, and music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Skip the sauce, and pair Sugar’s Ribs red-oak smoked ribs with a side of vinegar slaw and wood-grilled okra.

Refresh under the Terminal Brewhouse’s hops trellis with the fruity, wheat-y Belgian-style White Shadow brewed on site.

Sate a singletrack craving with big climbs and rock garden rolls on a 21.5-mile loop, or an easy 8-miler overlooking the city.

Come back to see autumn colors along the Tennesee River which peak during the U.S.’s 2nd largest row-fest, Head of the Hooch.

DREAM adventure:

Nov. 5 & 6; headofthehooch.org

R E P EAT

2,228 calories*

Trace Lamar Valley’s southern edge on the Specimen Ridge Trail. Panoramic park vistas and wildlife sightings are common, so keep a lookout along all 12 miles of this out-and-back that also cruises the world’s highest concentration of petrified trees—some five feet tall.

Starting 1.25 miles east of Roosevelt Lodge. nps.gov/yell

Information

Address

Choose from 46 beers on tap—or stick with the Bozeman Brewing Company’s Plumb Street Porter—at Montana Ale Works in historic downtown Bozeman.

611 E. Main St., Bozeman; montanaaleworks.com

Hire gourmet Zac’s Montana Kitchen to fire-up your rental cabin’s kitchen and grill grass-fed Montana beef while you chill.

(406) 222-4892; cookingontherange.com

Snowdrifts transform the park—and capture wolf and lynx prints. Learn the art of tracking with a Yellowstone Association winter field seminar.

Nov. - Mar. $100-$500; yellowstoneassociation.org

Strong girls.

Strong women.

Better world.

Remote, stunning, and laced with legends, the 10,023-foot peak erupting from Maui’s center plays host to horse trails, wilderness cabins, and one of the world’s most difficult road-bike climbs.

5,940 calories*

No. 614th St.; terminalbrewhouse.com Raccoon Mountain; sorbachattanooga.org

EAT

energy:

2450 15th Ave.; (423) 826-1199; sugarsribs.com

1829 Carter St.; chattanoogamarket.com

D R I NK

energy:

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

Haleakala National Park, HI

Three huff-and-puff climbs, more than 103 miles, and long river-side stretches make the 3-State 3-Mountain Challenge one of the best century rides in the South. Two-thousand riders start a counterclockwise loop downtown and head north on gentle climbs up Suck Creek and Signal Mountains.

Switchbacking descents and tree-lined country roads criss-cross state lines, but the crux comes near mile 85 where 18–20 percent grades climb Lookout Mountain. May 7. chattbike.com

Address

Other Fun

$395/day

Cast your fly on one of the best dry-fly rivers in the eastern U.S. and you could land one of the Hiwassee River’s trophy trout. southeasternanglers.com

time:

4 days, 3 nights

Traverse Pele’s Playground—the central crater itself—for rainforested cliffs and hundred-mile Pacific views from its east side. Start a three-night loop with a 5.6-mile trek to the cabin at Kapalaoa. Spend the next two days trekking 10.5 miles to Paliku and Holua cabins before the stiff 3.7mile climb out of the crater on day four. nps.gov/hale

money:

energy:

$182/4 hours

Horses make easy work of the 2,500-foot descent (and return-trip climb) from Haleakala’s summit ridge into the heart of its cinder-cone-dotted crater. A guided picnic-lunch day trip on horseback is a relaxing 7.5 mile out-and-back. ponyexpresstours.com

BILL MAHONEY

Early spring turns Chattanooga into a southern playground where locals float the dogwood-lined Tennessee River, hang gliders grace the skies, and miles of singletrack turn the Cumberland Mountains into a roller-coaster riding zone.

—Melissa Gaskill & Susan Hayse

Paddle 45 miles of the gently flowing Tennessee River between the Chicamauga and Nickajack Dams. Plan to cruise between 2,300-foot bluffs in the River Canyon Gorge, pit stop at the Williams Island State Archaeological Park, and overnight at Lookout Creek Camp Treehouse at the Chattanooga Nature Center. Keep an eye out for river otter, too. Bring your own boat or hop on a multi-day guided trip with Outdoor Chattanooga. outdoorchattanooga.com

CHATTANOOGA AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

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

21 days

You could spend a lifetime bagging all 300-plus geysers around the caldera, but with good weather, good boots, and about three weeks of backpacking and basecamping, you could criss-cross the hot-spots to see 114 spouting fountains in Upper Geyser, 87 in Lower Geyser, 36 in Norris, and 21 in West Thumb. geyserstudy.org

time:

Chattanooga, TN

$495/day

Yearning to spot a grizzly? Circumnavigate the 2.2million acre park? Snap close-ups of spouting geysers?

A Yellowstone Association private tour includes experienced naturalists guides, in-park transportation, spotting scopes and a 100-percent you-pick-it itinerary. yellowstoneassociation.org

Know a girl who could use some adventure?

4,436 calories*

Pace yourself for the thigh-burning 36-mile ride from Maui’s north shore town of Paia to the top of Haleakala.

You’ll cruise a kaleidoscope of changing landscapes on the paved road—with an average 5.5-percent grade and more than 30 switchbacks. On a standard road bike, plan for four to five hours for the climb—and another two for photo ops and the hair-raising descent. bikemaui.com

Other Fun

Information

EXPLORE

Hike deep into a cloud forest wao akua (a “realm of the gods”) in the 5,230-acre Waikamoi Preserve. Seventy-six rare or endangered species live here.

(808) 572-4459; nps.gov/hale

EAT

Catch sunset—and a sparkling Maui view—while enjoying a wood-fired pizza at the Kula Lodge, 45 minutes down-mountain from the park.

15200 Haleakala Hwy; kulalodge.com

A lunar-eclipse December 10th will make your pre-holiday Haleakala stargazing trip even better—you’ll catch 45 minutes of totality.

Dec. 10, 2011; 4:10 a.m. bishopmuseum.org

R EP E AT

Address

A PROGRAM OF

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

To calculate the energy estimates for this story we used healthstatus.com’s calorie calculator and factored time and intensity estimates for each of the activities (7.5 hours of cycling in Chattanooga, 36 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

5 hours of hiking in Yellowstone, and 7 hours of cycling in Haleakala) with the weight of the average American woman (165 lbs).

WAM • SPR | 2011 37

a

Destination

money:

Yellowstone National Park, MT

Spring in the crowd-free kickoff in this untrammeled corner of wild America. Go guided with the Yellowstone Association’s hands-on programs or take to this bison and bear country on your own terms.

$149/12-20 mins

Don’t settle for views from Lookout Mountain. Take to the sky for a peek into the heart of the Scenic City. A plane tows your hang-glider to above 2,000 feet where you’ll soar on thermal updrafts, circling above the Lookout Valley for up to 20 thrilling minutes.

Go on your own or in tandem with an instructor from Lookout Mountain Flight Park, the country’s largest hang gliding school. hanglide.com

money:

time:

3 days

Other fun EXPLORE

EAT

DRINK

PL AY

REPEAT

Information Wander 300-plus vendor booths at the weekly Chattanooga Market for one-of-a-kind crafts, artisan snacks, and music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Skip the sauce, and pair Sugar’s Ribs red-oak smoked ribs with a side of vinegar slaw and wood-grilled okra.

Refresh under the Terminal Brewhouse’s hops trellis with the fruity, wheat-y Belgian-style White Shadow brewed on site.

Sate a singletrack craving with big climbs and rock garden rolls on a 21.5-mile loop, or an easy 8-miler overlooking the city.

Come back to see autumn colors along the Tennesee River which peak during the U.S.’s 2nd largest row-fest, Head of the Hooch.

DREAM adventure:

Nov. 5 & 6; headofthehooch.org

R E P EAT

2,228 calories*

Trace Lamar Valley’s southern edge on the Specimen Ridge Trail. Panoramic park vistas and wildlife sightings are common, so keep a lookout along all 12 miles of this out-and-back that also cruises the world’s highest concentration of petrified trees—some five feet tall.

Starting 1.25 miles east of Roosevelt Lodge. nps.gov/yell

Information

Address

Choose from 46 beers on tap—or stick with the Bozeman Brewing Company’s Plumb Street Porter—at Montana Ale Works in historic downtown Bozeman.

611 E. Main St., Bozeman; montanaaleworks.com

Hire gourmet Zac’s Montana Kitchen to fire-up your rental cabin’s kitchen and grill grass-fed Montana beef while you chill.

(406) 222-4892; cookingontherange.com

Snowdrifts transform the park—and capture wolf and lynx prints. Learn the art of tracking with a Yellowstone Association winter field seminar.

Nov. - Mar. $100-$500; yellowstoneassociation.org

Strong girls.

Strong women.

Better world.

Remote, stunning, and laced with legends, the 10,023-foot peak erupting from Maui’s center plays host to horse trails, wilderness cabins, and one of the world’s most difficult road-bike climbs.

5,940 calories*

No. 614th St.; terminalbrewhouse.com Raccoon Mountain; sorbachattanooga.org

EAT

energy:

2450 15th Ave.; (423) 826-1199; sugarsribs.com

1829 Carter St.; chattanoogamarket.com

D R I NK

energy:

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

Haleakala National Park, HI

Three huff-and-puff climbs, more than 103 miles, and long river-side stretches make the 3-State 3-Mountain Challenge one of the best century rides in the South. Two-thousand riders start a counterclockwise loop downtown and head north on gentle climbs up Suck Creek and Signal Mountains.

Switchbacking descents and tree-lined country roads criss-cross state lines, but the crux comes near mile 85 where 18–20 percent grades climb Lookout Mountain. May 7. chattbike.com

Address

Other Fun

$395/day

Cast your fly on one of the best dry-fly rivers in the eastern U.S. and you could land one of the Hiwassee River’s trophy trout. southeasternanglers.com

time:

4 days, 3 nights

Traverse Pele’s Playground—the central crater itself—for rainforested cliffs and hundred-mile Pacific views from its east side. Start a three-night loop with a 5.6-mile trek to the cabin at Kapalaoa. Spend the next two days trekking 10.5 miles to Paliku and Holua cabins before the stiff 3.7mile climb out of the crater on day four. nps.gov/hale

money:

energy:

$182/4 hours

Horses make easy work of the 2,500-foot descent (and return-trip climb) from Haleakala’s summit ridge into the heart of its cinder-cone-dotted crater. A guided picnic-lunch day trip on horseback is a relaxing 7.5 mile out-and-back. ponyexpresstours.com

BILL MAHONEY

Early spring turns Chattanooga into a southern playground where locals float the dogwood-lined Tennessee River, hang gliders grace the skies, and miles of singletrack turn the Cumberland Mountains into a roller-coaster riding zone.

—Melissa Gaskill & Susan Hayse

Paddle 45 miles of the gently flowing Tennessee River between the Chicamauga and Nickajack Dams. Plan to cruise between 2,300-foot bluffs in the River Canyon Gorge, pit stop at the Williams Island State Archaeological Park, and overnight at Lookout Creek Camp Treehouse at the Chattanooga Nature Center. Keep an eye out for river otter, too. Bring your own boat or hop on a multi-day guided trip with Outdoor Chattanooga. outdoorchattanooga.com

CHATTANOOGA AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

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

21 days

You could spend a lifetime bagging all 300-plus geysers around the caldera, but with good weather, good boots, and about three weeks of backpacking and basecamping, you could criss-cross the hot-spots to see 114 spouting fountains in Upper Geyser, 87 in Lower Geyser, 36 in Norris, and 21 in West Thumb. geyserstudy.org

time:

Chattanooga, TN

$495/day

Yearning to spot a grizzly? Circumnavigate the 2.2million acre park? Snap close-ups of spouting geysers?

A Yellowstone Association private tour includes experienced naturalists guides, in-park transportation, spotting scopes and a 100-percent you-pick-it itinerary. yellowstoneassociation.org

Know a girl who could use some adventure?

4,436 calories*

Pace yourself for the thigh-burning 36-mile ride from Maui’s north shore town of Paia to the top of Haleakala.

You’ll cruise a kaleidoscope of changing landscapes on the paved road—with an average 5.5-percent grade and more than 30 switchbacks. On a standard road bike, plan for four to five hours for the climb—and another two for photo ops and the hair-raising descent. bikemaui.com

Other Fun

Information

EXPLORE

Hike deep into a cloud forest wao akua (a “realm of the gods”) in the 5,230-acre Waikamoi Preserve. Seventy-six rare or endangered species live here.

(808) 572-4459; nps.gov/hale

EAT

Catch sunset—and a sparkling Maui view—while enjoying a wood-fired pizza at the Kula Lodge, 45 minutes down-mountain from the park.

15200 Haleakala Hwy; kulalodge.com

A lunar-eclipse December 10th will make your pre-holiday Haleakala stargazing trip even better—you’ll catch 45 minutes of totality.

Dec. 10, 2011; 4:10 a.m. bishopmuseum.org

R EP E AT

Address

A PROGRAM OF

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

To calculate the energy estimates for this story we used healthstatus.com’s calorie calculator and factored time and intensity estimates for each of the activities (7.5 hours of cycling in Chattanooga, 36 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

5 hours of hiking in Yellowstone, and 7 hours of cycling in Haleakala) with the weight of the average American woman (165 lbs).

WAM • SPR | 2011 37

aster

m

40 Mountain Biking DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

42 Hiking 45 Parenting

38 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 39

aster

m

40 Mountain Biking DAN PATITUCCI/PATITUCCIPHOTO

42 Hiking 45 Parenting

38 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 39

m Skills

Participation Rate**

Where the Action Is

Tools of the Trade

Your Challenge: Clear an obstacle that’s always caused you to dismount before.

Timeframe: 3 months

Who’s Done it:

Erin Savarese | 42, Lafayette Hill, PA “It took me a long time to conquer The Mother—a big, tricky climb—for the first time. Now, even though I don’t always make it up the hill, when I do, I know it’s going to be a good ride.”

Christina Faust | 36, Greensbouro, NC “I fell just walking down a 12-foot steep on the course of my first downhill race. I still can’t believe I rode it, but people made it look easy and I finally learned to trust in my bike.”

April 28-May 1 - A beer and singletrack extravaganza, this 3-day event draws thousands of riders to the 500-plus miles of trails in Colorado’s Grand Valley. Bonus: Live bands, good beer, and bone-tired riders whoop it up for a fun Saturday night blow-out. fruitamountainbike.com

On the Trail: • Hand pump or inflator • Spare tube(s) • Patch kit • Multi-tool that includes tire levers and a chain breaker • Mini pocket knife

Sea Otter Classic

[

April 14-17 - This family-friendly fest near Monterey, CA, brings enthusiasts and pros together in one of the largest road and mountain bike race events in the country. Bonus: The expo doubles as the launch pad for new products, look sharp for innovation sneak peeks. seaotterclassic.com

length (in mins) of the average adult ride

What we love about mountain biking?*

May 14 - The highlight of this downhome mountain-bike weekend near Fayetteville, Tennessee, is a 12-hour endurance race and a post-ride party.

Bonus: Pro podium finishers of both sexes take home the same purse— do we hear equality of the sexes? dirtsweatandgears.com

Jenn Dice

Jenn Dice might be the dirtiest girl in Washington, D.C.— at least, when it comes to biking. Her politics? Relatively clean, she claims. As the government affairs director for the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Jenn’s agenda is crystal clear: “We’re trying to make sure you have a great place to ride close to home,” says the 38-yearold who’s been riding knobby tires since 1998. Why does she work so hard so you can ride? Read on:

Speed & Adrenaline 29.6%

If it was cheaper 17.2% Being invited to ride by a gal pal 56.1%

What does IMBA actually do?

In addition to lobbying local and national policy makers, we’ve been successful building literally hundreds of miles of trails all over the U.S. that are open to mountain bikes. We’re a great partner with land managers: raising money, building community support, and bringing the expertise and manpower required to build sustainable and fun trails. average days/ year a MTBer Why is advocacy important? hits the trail Especially with mountain biking, it’s exciting to be part of a movement or campaign that’s bigger than yourself and your individual ride. As cyclists, our power is in our political clout and numbers. That’s what I take to elected officials: How many people does IMBA represent in their district? If I can show that I represent big numbers of cyclists, we have the numbers to really affect change. n

35.7

[Go to womensadventuremagazine.com/cycling/IMBA to read the rest of our conversation with Jenn.]

Nature, it’s hiking on a bike 40.4%

What would get you riding more?*

Women skills camps and events 36.5% An MTB awareness campaign 42.9%

Gear What keeps us off the

saddle?*

It’s expensive 9.7% Not enough women’s only options 17.1%

We’re too busy 25.7%

It’s too hard core 60.6%

No info about MTBing or where to ride 38.4%

Osprey’s new Verve Hydraulics Series is dripping with hydration innovations: a magnetized hose keeper, a slosh-minimizing compression system, and an easy-loading reservoir. But, the real beauty of these packs is their on-trail performance: a stay-put fit, ventilated back, and interior pockets in each of the series’ sizes (four to 13 liters). ospreypacks.com; $64-$94

Ride your bike: Live longer and healthier. Adult cyclists typically have a fitness level equivalent to someone 10 years younger and a life expectancy two years above the average.

40 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

45–54 17%

percent of bike trips made by women

25–34 20%

]

Shock maintenance is simpler than you think, and a blown suspension fork could turn a pebbly descent into a buck-wild downhill. Improve your ride, impress your friends, and optimize your bunny hopping potential by knowing the key components of your front suspension system and how to adjust them. Follow these preventive maintenance tips from Nick DeLauder of Fox Racing Shox who sag warns, “Don’t be the person who rides compression until something breaks.”

71

percentage of Americans who want to ride more

GET STRONG

Split Jumps

T

he ultimate tool for cycling success: quads of steel. But, according to Ben Ollett, who’s helped coach pro mountain biker Heather Irmiger to her third National Championship win, “Balance is also key for better bike handling and quicker reaction time.” He recommends rapid-fire split jumps as an off-the-saddle way to build balance, strengthen your leg’s major muscle groups, and get fit for the explosive pedal-pushes it takes to clear tough trail sections.

stanchion

• Balance rebound damping to enhance comfort and efficiency with quick extension (to prep for the next bump) and restricted return speed (to prevent bucking).

• Adjust compression damping while you ride. “Lock out” mode prevents wear and improves efficiency while “open” mode boosts traction, comfort, and handling.

35

18–24 11%

35–44 20%

—Rebecca Rusch, two-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100

• Set the sag—how much your shock compresses under body-weight stress—to use 25 percent of your shock’s total travel.

Cornering

6–17 26%

Suspension Fork

Community & Friendships 11.9%

A D V O C AT E

In the Garage: • Floor pump • Cleaning rags • Allen wrenches (2-8mm) • Chain lube • Bike repair stand • Duct tape

SKILL

Men 73%

55–64 6%

M A I N TA I N

Competition 3.1%

Fitness 14.9%

Age**

“I look at all aspects of cycling to see what I can work on: technical skills, pedal stroke, nutrition, time management, and motivation. There’s always room for improvement.”

Dirt, Sweat & Gears

40

Women 27%

Don’t get caught—on the trail or at home— without the right tools to tune things up.

Fruita Fat Tire Festival

* Sacred Rides and IMBA, 2010; sacredrides.com; **Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assoc.; 2010 Sports Participation In America; sgma.com

Mountain Biking

EVENTS

1

Start from a lunge position: right leg forward at a 90-degree angle with your knee directly above your ankle and your left leg extended back.

rebound

• Even tiny scratches on seals and stanchions lead to leaks and blowouts. Clean your fork: dry dust after each ride and wipe down with soapy water every five.

Inspect after every ride, check settings every 80 hours of use, and schedule a full service after 160 hours on your front fork or midseason to replenish lubricants and clear contaminants. n [Watch how-to videos of these maintenance tips online at womensadventure.com/cycling]

2

Bend your arms and extend them opposite your legs (i.e. if your left leg is back, then your left arm is forward). All limbs should start and finish at 90 degrees.

3

Spring into the air, switch arms and legs, and control your landing—think “light” and land softly on the balls of your feet. Repeat.

The key to cornering, according to National Mountain Bike Champion, Catharine Pendrel, is confidence.

“The steeper and tighter the curve, the more you have to trust your bike,” she says,“as long as you look ahead and commit, your bike wants to go through it.” What’s the best thing about good technique?

“Faster rides with liquid-like flow,” says Catherine, who suggests these tips that anyone can apply to build their skill.

Slow Down Control your speed before the corner.

Braking once you’ve started the turn zaps momentum for completing it, may cause skidding and loss of control, and necessitates pedaling— which reduces your flow—to pull out of the curve.

Change gears Before you enter the curve—if you don’t have to pedal to get through it—shift into the gear you’ll need on the other side so you’ll be able to efficiently regain speed.

Look ahead Having your eyes up and ahead once you’re into the corner makes it easier to let go of your brakes and sail through.

Glancing down is okay, but a cardinal mountain-biking rule is to look up and where you want to go.

Position your body The better you get as a rider, the more steering you’ll do with your body, says Pendrel.

Point your hips and inside knee into the turn and keep your position over the top of the bike centered to help maintain control of the front wheel.

How Much? Start with 3 sets of 8 (count each jump as one) and progress to 3 sets of 20.

Sixty percent of car trips in the U.S. are for distances less than 5 miles and you can reap all the health rewards of cycling by riding just 60 miles per week.

WAM • SPR | 2011 41

m Skills

Participation Rate**

Where the Action Is

Tools of the Trade

Your Challenge: Clear an obstacle that’s always caused you to dismount before.

Timeframe: 3 months

Who’s Done it:

Erin Savarese | 42, Lafayette Hill, PA “It took me a long time to conquer The Mother—a big, tricky climb—for the first time. Now, even though I don’t always make it up the hill, when I do, I know it’s going to be a good ride.”

Christina Faust | 36, Greensbouro, NC “I fell just walking down a 12-foot steep on the course of my first downhill race. I still can’t believe I rode it, but people made it look easy and I finally learned to trust in my bike.”

April 28-May 1 - A beer and singletrack extravaganza, this 3-day event draws thousands of riders to the 500-plus miles of trails in Colorado’s Grand Valley. Bonus: Live bands, good beer, and bone-tired riders whoop it up for a fun Saturday night blow-out. fruitamountainbike.com

On the Trail: • Hand pump or inflator • Spare tube(s) • Patch kit • Multi-tool that includes tire levers and a chain breaker • Mini pocket knife

Sea Otter Classic

[

April 14-17 - This family-friendly fest near Monterey, CA, brings enthusiasts and pros together in one of the largest road and mountain bike race events in the country. Bonus: The expo doubles as the launch pad for new products, look sharp for innovation sneak peeks. seaotterclassic.com

length (in mins) of the average adult ride

What we love about mountain biking?*

May 14 - The highlight of this downhome mountain-bike weekend near Fayetteville, Tennessee, is a 12-hour endurance race and a post-ride party.

Bonus: Pro podium finishers of both sexes take home the same purse— do we hear equality of the sexes? dirtsweatandgears.com

Jenn Dice

Jenn Dice might be the dirtiest girl in Washington, D.C.— at least, when it comes to biking. Her politics? Relatively clean, she claims. As the government affairs director for the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Jenn’s agenda is crystal clear: “We’re trying to make sure you have a great place to ride close to home,” says the 38-yearold who’s been riding knobby tires since 1998. Why does she work so hard so you can ride? Read on:

Speed & Adrenaline 29.6%

If it was cheaper 17.2% Being invited to ride by a gal pal 56.1%

What does IMBA actually do?

In addition to lobbying local and national policy makers, we’ve been successful building literally hundreds of miles of trails all over the U.S. that are open to mountain bikes. We’re a great partner with land managers: raising money, building community support, and bringing the expertise and manpower required to build sustainable and fun trails. average days/ year a MTBer Why is advocacy important? hits the trail Especially with mountain biking, it’s exciting to be part of a movement or campaign that’s bigger than yourself and your individual ride. As cyclists, our power is in our political clout and numbers. That’s what I take to elected officials: How many people does IMBA represent in their district? If I can show that I represent big numbers of cyclists, we have the numbers to really affect change. n

35.7

[Go to womensadventuremagazine.com/cycling/IMBA to read the rest of our conversation with Jenn.]

Nature, it’s hiking on a bike 40.4%

What would get you riding more?*

Women skills camps and events 36.5% An MTB awareness campaign 42.9%

Gear What keeps us off the

saddle?*

It’s expensive 9.7% Not enough women’s only options 17.1%

We’re too busy 25.7%

It’s too hard core 60.6%

No info about MTBing or where to ride 38.4%

Osprey’s new Verve Hydraulics Series is dripping with hydration innovations: a magnetized hose keeper, a slosh-minimizing compression system, and an easy-loading reservoir. But, the real beauty of these packs is their on-trail performance: a stay-put fit, ventilated back, and interior pockets in each of the series’ sizes (four to 13 liters). ospreypacks.com; $64-$94

Ride your bike: Live longer and healthier. Adult cyclists typically have a fitness level equivalent to someone 10 years younger and a life expectancy two years above the average.

40 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

45–54 17%

percent of bike trips made by women

25–34 20%

]

Shock maintenance is simpler than you think, and a blown suspension fork could turn a pebbly descent into a buck-wild downhill. Improve your ride, impress your friends, and optimize your bunny hopping potential by knowing the key components of your front suspension system and how to adjust them. Follow these preventive maintenance tips from Nick DeLauder of Fox Racing Shox who sag warns, “Don’t be the person who rides compression until something breaks.”

71

percentage of Americans who want to ride more

GET STRONG

Split Jumps

T

he ultimate tool for cycling success: quads of steel. But, according to Ben Ollett, who’s helped coach pro mountain biker Heather Irmiger to her third National Championship win, “Balance is also key for better bike handling and quicker reaction time.” He recommends rapid-fire split jumps as an off-the-saddle way to build balance, strengthen your leg’s major muscle groups, and get fit for the explosive pedal-pushes it takes to clear tough trail sections.

stanchion

• Balance rebound damping to enhance comfort and efficiency with quick extension (to prep for the next bump) and restricted return speed (to prevent bucking).

• Adjust compression damping while you ride. “Lock out” mode prevents wear and improves efficiency while “open” mode boosts traction, comfort, and handling.

35

18–24 11%

35–44 20%

—Rebecca Rusch, two-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100

• Set the sag—how much your shock compresses under body-weight stress—to use 25 percent of your shock’s total travel.

Cornering

6–17 26%

Suspension Fork

Community & Friendships 11.9%

A D V O C AT E

In the Garage: • Floor pump • Cleaning rags • Allen wrenches (2-8mm) • Chain lube • Bike repair stand • Duct tape

SKILL

Men 73%

55–64 6%

M A I N TA I N

Competition 3.1%

Fitness 14.9%

Age**

“I look at all aspects of cycling to see what I can work on: technical skills, pedal stroke, nutrition, time management, and motivation. There’s always room for improvement.”

Dirt, Sweat & Gears

40

Women 27%

Don’t get caught—on the trail or at home— without the right tools to tune things up.

Fruita Fat Tire Festival

* Sacred Rides and IMBA, 2010; sacredrides.com; **Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assoc.; 2010 Sports Participation In America; sgma.com

Mountain Biking

EVENTS

1

Start from a lunge position: right leg forward at a 90-degree angle with your knee directly above your ankle and your left leg extended back.

rebound

• Even tiny scratches on seals and stanchions lead to leaks and blowouts. Clean your fork: dry dust after each ride and wipe down with soapy water every five.

Inspect after every ride, check settings every 80 hours of use, and schedule a full service after 160 hours on your front fork or midseason to replenish lubricants and clear contaminants. n [Watch how-to videos of these maintenance tips online at womensadventure.com/cycling]

2

Bend your arms and extend them opposite your legs (i.e. if your left leg is back, then your left arm is forward). All limbs should start and finish at 90 degrees.

3

Spring into the air, switch arms and legs, and control your landing—think “light” and land softly on the balls of your feet. Repeat.

The key to cornering, according to National Mountain Bike Champion, Catharine Pendrel, is confidence.

“The steeper and tighter the curve, the more you have to trust your bike,” she says,“as long as you look ahead and commit, your bike wants to go through it.” What’s the best thing about good technique?

“Faster rides with liquid-like flow,” says Catherine, who suggests these tips that anyone can apply to build their skill.

Slow Down Control your speed before the corner.

Braking once you’ve started the turn zaps momentum for completing it, may cause skidding and loss of control, and necessitates pedaling— which reduces your flow—to pull out of the curve.

Change gears Before you enter the curve—if you don’t have to pedal to get through it—shift into the gear you’ll need on the other side so you’ll be able to efficiently regain speed.

Look ahead Having your eyes up and ahead once you’re into the corner makes it easier to let go of your brakes and sail through.

Glancing down is okay, but a cardinal mountain-biking rule is to look up and where you want to go.

Position your body The better you get as a rider, the more steering you’ll do with your body, says Pendrel.

Point your hips and inside knee into the turn and keep your position over the top of the bike centered to help maintain control of the front wheel.

How Much? Start with 3 sets of 8 (count each jump as one) and progress to 3 sets of 20.

Sixty percent of car trips in the U.S. are for distances less than 5 miles and you can reap all the health rewards of cycling by riding just 60 miles per week.

WAM • SPR | 2011 41

Hiking

m Skills TRAILS

Where the Action Is

Your Challenge: Hike 5 new trails this spring.

Hiker-Type Glossary

Who’s Done it:

Marijka Walker | 47, Mt Sterling, KY “I have a list of every trail in Kentucky that I check

Timeframe: 3 months off as I hike and camp. I want to be on the AT

when I’m 50, so I work toward that goal one trail at a time. I’m able to relax on the trail because I plan and prepare—I always pack as if I’ll be caught out overnight.”

Cherie Medel Scillia | 51, Witchita, KS “My first hiking experience was bushwhacking in Nigeria—just a walk into the jungle—but it’s good for the soul. Just in case, I always carry twice as much water as I think I’ll need, and I’m hoping to backpack near Bandelier National Monument this summer.”

Advocate “The land that we hike and enjoy daily is fragile.” says Libby S. Wile, Volunteer Programs Manager for the American Hiking Society (AHS), an organization that will offer more than 70 trail-building and maintenance events this year.

“We offer many projects that don’t require experience or trail knowledge—just a love of the outdoors and the desire to give back,” says Wile. Lace up your boots, put down your pack, and pick up a shovel. Here’s how: • Volunteer Vacations. Week-long work parties with easy or strenuous loads, the AHS’s volunteer vacations program allows you to help understaffed, underfunded agencies in 30 states keep trails open, safe, and enjoyable.

• National Trails Day, June 4.

Thousands of organizations, community groups, and individuals take to the dirt for this national day of team trailbuilding. Adopt a trail, plan a maintenance event for your community, or team up with the AHS to sponsor a project in your area and learn trail maintenance techniques.

• Alternative Break. Instead of hitting the beach, college students can join AHS trail building and stewardship trips.

Groups of 6-15 take to the backcountry for a fun, but fruitful, week of giving back. n For more information visit americanhiking.org

Blue-blazing Using shortcuts, connector trails, and alternative route options on thru-hikes.

Bushwhacking Going off of an established trail in search of shortcuts or nearby, off-trail destination payoffs.

Freehiking Hiking off of established trails, as part of a quest for freedom from constraints.

Speedhiking Running the length of a hiking trail in order to best our personal record time—or challenge someone else’s.

44

percentage of hikers that are women

Clueless when it comes to your hiking style? Take a cue from this glossary of hiker handles and define your own approach to hitting the trail.

32.5

number (in millions) of hikers in America

Thru-hiking Hiking end to end along a long trail, such as the Appalachian or John Muir trails.

White-blazing Following only the official route, without deviation, to complete thru-hikes “by the book.”

GPS Features

Visit some of America’s lowestlatitude alpine terrain atop this snow-capped peak, the tallest in New Mexico’s White Mountains. From the trailhead at 9,820 feet, it’s a 9-mile round-trip over Lookout Mountain, through the Apache Ski Area, and across a saddle to the summit with 100-mile views across the Tularosa Basin.

Mount Columbia, Colorado One of a string of “fourteeners” in Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks, Mount Columbia puts you at the center of high-country heaven. The summit path rises through pine forests, into tundra along the mountain’s southwest ridgeline and gains 4,250 feet in 6 miles—including some rock-hopping at higher elevations. Consider adding Mount Harvard’s summit (and 4 miles) for a double-summit loop.

Illilouette Falls, California To get to this sometimes-overlooked 370-foot waterfall in Yosemite National Park, hike two miles (and 1,400 feet downhill) from Glacier Point. Don’t expect to have trouble with the crowds: the return-trip elevation scares off casual hikers, and there are so many viewpoints along the trail, many people never make it as far as the falls.

SKILL

Oh, the places you’ll go... but only if you can find them! Get to know these five GPS features, and you’ll have a better grasp on your bearings from now on.

What Where Why Mark a waypoint

At landmarks like trailheads or water sources

Marking the map enables you to “backtrack” to that point of reference.

Multimedia playback

At beautiful places: waterfalls, overlooks, wildlife viewpoints

Take geo-tagged photographs, videos, or audio recordings for easy uploading onto maps.

Create a route

On the trail when visibility or navigational ability is compromised, pre-trip at home

Provides general guidelines and distance and elevation estimates to use as a pre-trip planning tool and as an on-trail guide.

Preload maps

Pre-trip at home

Provides detailed topographic information essential for off-trail travel and planning for campsites and water crossings.

Customize data fields

Displays your most-used navigation At camp, during trip downtools on the GPS dashboard and time, pre-trip at home eases usability.

Get it: High-quality GPS technology gets a user- and budgetfriendly makeover with the newest addition to Magellan’s Outdoor line of handheld GPSs: the eXplorist 310. A 2.2-inch touch screen, waterproof housing, multimedia capability, and even a built-in geocaching feature make it a great first-time unit. ($200; magellangps.com)

Over the course of 20 years, Michigan-native Joan Young “segment hiked” all 4,400 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail and became the first to cover its entire length.

42 WAM • SPR | 2011

Sierra Blanca, New Mexico

Hike Off-Trail

There are hundreds of thousands of miles of trail, but there isn’t always a well-trod path to your goal de jour. Scree fields, boulder-strewn lakeshores, braided rivers, and late-spring snowfields can all merit off-trail time when they come between Point A and Point B. Navigate with care, use good judgment, and follow these tips to find your way.

do

• Plan The key to safe off-trail travel is staying oriented. Use your map to create a plan, familiarize with the terrain, and plan trail entry and exit points.

• Set a good example Cutting corners, treading on meadows, and skirting an untrackable obstacle isn’t okay in high-traffic areas or when trailblazing can add to erosion. Limit your off-trail travel to places where crowds won’t be tempted to follow your path.

• Follow land clues Use your map’s contour lines and a keen eye to identify land features that make off-trail travel easier (shorelines, ridgelines, flats, and land above-treeline).

Expect your off-trail pace to drop to 1.5 miles per hour.

Twin Falls, Washington Hike three miles through rainforests, 35-miles west of Seattle, to a bridge perched amid a gushing stair stepper in Twin Falls State Park. Start at the west trailhead and cruise alongside the South Forth Snoqualmie River before the trail turns uphill near mile one. You’ll climb steadily for the next 1.3 miles to the bridge turnaround, but be sure to detour down the 106-step spur at 0.3 miles from the top for a worthwhile view of the lower falls, too.

Collier–Seminole Hiking Trail, Florida This Everglades intro starts 17 miles east of Naples, Florida, and loops six miles into the swampy South-Florida wilderness teeming with wading shorebirds. Be prepared to get wet while scoping turtles egrets and herons amid one of the state’s most beautiful old-growth Cypress forests.

Grand Beach Hill, Cape Cod, Massachusetts Circle seven miles around one of Cape Cod’s most remote stretches of sandy beach.

Marshy wetlands mingle with pine forests and lead to sloping dunes that top out at 75feet on Great Beach Hill, where Atlantic views extend to the horizon. After beachcombing by day, treat yourself to classic Cape seafood specials for dinner.

“The biggest prize of hiking is the gift of time. To look. To think. To feel. You don’t solve all of your problems, but you come to understand yourself.”

Why will you Ride?

“To start a new tradition with my best girls.”

Every Venus de Miles rider has her own reason. But they all share one thing – an unforgettable experience that thousands of women have become fiercely passionate about.

The ride, festival, sisterhood, and fun are back for a fourth, and even bigger, year.

Your participation helps Greenhouse Scholars support Colorado’s most deserving and promising young students through college and beyond.

Join us – and be inspired.

—Cindy Ross, author of Journey on the Crest

Cairn noun \’kern\

August 28, 2011

1. A heap or pile of stones used to mark trails across slickrock, above treeline, or in untrackable terrain. Usually easier than blazes to spot in low visibility.

BOULDER COUNTY

venusdemiles.com

The North Country Trail, designated in 1980 but still considered incomplete, is one of 11 National Scenic Trails in the US.

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 43 VDM Cometitor 12-30.indd 1

12/30/10 4:28:35 PM

Hiking

m Skills TRAILS

Where the Action Is

Your Challenge: Hike 5 new trails this spring.

Hiker-Type Glossary

Who’s Done it:

Marijka Walker | 47, Mt Sterling, KY “I have a list of every trail in Kentucky that I check

Timeframe: 3 months off as I hike and camp. I want to be on the AT

when I’m 50, so I work toward that goal one trail at a time. I’m able to relax on the trail because I plan and prepare—I always pack as if I’ll be caught out overnight.”

Cherie Medel Scillia | 51, Witchita, KS “My first hiking experience was bushwhacking in Nigeria—just a walk into the jungle—but it’s good for the soul. Just in case, I always carry twice as much water as I think I’ll need, and I’m hoping to backpack near Bandelier National Monument this summer.”

Advocate “The land that we hike and enjoy daily is fragile.” says Libby S. Wile, Volunteer Programs Manager for the American Hiking Society (AHS), an organization that will offer more than 70 trail-building and maintenance events this year.

“We offer many projects that don’t require experience or trail knowledge—just a love of the outdoors and the desire to give back,” says Wile. Lace up your boots, put down your pack, and pick up a shovel. Here’s how: • Volunteer Vacations. Week-long work parties with easy or strenuous loads, the AHS’s volunteer vacations program allows you to help understaffed, underfunded agencies in 30 states keep trails open, safe, and enjoyable.

• National Trails Day, June 4.

Thousands of organizations, community groups, and individuals take to the dirt for this national day of team trailbuilding. Adopt a trail, plan a maintenance event for your community, or team up with the AHS to sponsor a project in your area and learn trail maintenance techniques.

• Alternative Break. Instead of hitting the beach, college students can join AHS trail building and stewardship trips.

Groups of 6-15 take to the backcountry for a fun, but fruitful, week of giving back. n For more information visit americanhiking.org

Blue-blazing Using shortcuts, connector trails, and alternative route options on thru-hikes.

Bushwhacking Going off of an established trail in search of shortcuts or nearby, off-trail destination payoffs.

Freehiking Hiking off of established trails, as part of a quest for freedom from constraints.

Speedhiking Running the length of a hiking trail in order to best our personal record time—or challenge someone else’s.

44

percentage of hikers that are women

Clueless when it comes to your hiking style? Take a cue from this glossary of hiker handles and define your own approach to hitting the trail.

32.5

number (in millions) of hikers in America

Thru-hiking Hiking end to end along a long trail, such as the Appalachian or John Muir trails.

White-blazing Following only the official route, without deviation, to complete thru-hikes “by the book.”

GPS Features

Visit some of America’s lowestlatitude alpine terrain atop this snow-capped peak, the tallest in New Mexico’s White Mountains. From the trailhead at 9,820 feet, it’s a 9-mile round-trip over Lookout Mountain, through the Apache Ski Area, and across a saddle to the summit with 100-mile views across the Tularosa Basin.

Mount Columbia, Colorado One of a string of “fourteeners” in Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks, Mount Columbia puts you at the center of high-country heaven. The summit path rises through pine forests, into tundra along the mountain’s southwest ridgeline and gains 4,250 feet in 6 miles—including some rock-hopping at higher elevations. Consider adding Mount Harvard’s summit (and 4 miles) for a double-summit loop.

Illilouette Falls, California To get to this sometimes-overlooked 370-foot waterfall in Yosemite National Park, hike two miles (and 1,400 feet downhill) from Glacier Point. Don’t expect to have trouble with the crowds: the return-trip elevation scares off casual hikers, and there are so many viewpoints along the trail, many people never make it as far as the falls.

SKILL

Oh, the places you’ll go... but only if you can find them! Get to know these five GPS features, and you’ll have a better grasp on your bearings from now on.

What Where Why Mark a waypoint

At landmarks like trailheads or water sources

Marking the map enables you to “backtrack” to that point of reference.

Multimedia playback

At beautiful places: waterfalls, overlooks, wildlife viewpoints

Take geo-tagged photographs, videos, or audio recordings for easy uploading onto maps.

Create a route

On the trail when visibility or navigational ability is compromised, pre-trip at home

Provides general guidelines and distance and elevation estimates to use as a pre-trip planning tool and as an on-trail guide.

Preload maps

Pre-trip at home

Provides detailed topographic information essential for off-trail travel and planning for campsites and water crossings.

Customize data fields

Displays your most-used navigation At camp, during trip downtools on the GPS dashboard and time, pre-trip at home eases usability.

Get it: High-quality GPS technology gets a user- and budgetfriendly makeover with the newest addition to Magellan’s Outdoor line of handheld GPSs: the eXplorist 310. A 2.2-inch touch screen, waterproof housing, multimedia capability, and even a built-in geocaching feature make it a great first-time unit. ($200; magellangps.com)

Over the course of 20 years, Michigan-native Joan Young “segment hiked” all 4,400 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail and became the first to cover its entire length.

42 WAM • SPR | 2011

Sierra Blanca, New Mexico

Hike Off-Trail

There are hundreds of thousands of miles of trail, but there isn’t always a well-trod path to your goal de jour. Scree fields, boulder-strewn lakeshores, braided rivers, and late-spring snowfields can all merit off-trail time when they come between Point A and Point B. Navigate with care, use good judgment, and follow these tips to find your way.

do

• Plan The key to safe off-trail travel is staying oriented. Use your map to create a plan, familiarize with the terrain, and plan trail entry and exit points.

• Set a good example Cutting corners, treading on meadows, and skirting an untrackable obstacle isn’t okay in high-traffic areas or when trailblazing can add to erosion. Limit your off-trail travel to places where crowds won’t be tempted to follow your path.

• Follow land clues Use your map’s contour lines and a keen eye to identify land features that make off-trail travel easier (shorelines, ridgelines, flats, and land above-treeline).

Expect your off-trail pace to drop to 1.5 miles per hour.

Twin Falls, Washington Hike three miles through rainforests, 35-miles west of Seattle, to a bridge perched amid a gushing stair stepper in Twin Falls State Park. Start at the west trailhead and cruise alongside the South Forth Snoqualmie River before the trail turns uphill near mile one. You’ll climb steadily for the next 1.3 miles to the bridge turnaround, but be sure to detour down the 106-step spur at 0.3 miles from the top for a worthwhile view of the lower falls, too.

Collier–Seminole Hiking Trail, Florida This Everglades intro starts 17 miles east of Naples, Florida, and loops six miles into the swampy South-Florida wilderness teeming with wading shorebirds. Be prepared to get wet while scoping turtles egrets and herons amid one of the state’s most beautiful old-growth Cypress forests.

Grand Beach Hill, Cape Cod, Massachusetts Circle seven miles around one of Cape Cod’s most remote stretches of sandy beach.

Marshy wetlands mingle with pine forests and lead to sloping dunes that top out at 75feet on Great Beach Hill, where Atlantic views extend to the horizon. After beachcombing by day, treat yourself to classic Cape seafood specials for dinner.

“The biggest prize of hiking is the gift of time. To look. To think. To feel. You don’t solve all of your problems, but you come to understand yourself.”

Why will you Ride?

“To start a new tradition with my best girls.”

Every Venus de Miles rider has her own reason. But they all share one thing – an unforgettable experience that thousands of women have become fiercely passionate about.

The ride, festival, sisterhood, and fun are back for a fourth, and even bigger, year.

Your participation helps Greenhouse Scholars support Colorado’s most deserving and promising young students through college and beyond.

Join us – and be inspired.

—Cindy Ross, author of Journey on the Crest

Cairn noun \’kern\

August 28, 2011

1. A heap or pile of stones used to mark trails across slickrock, above treeline, or in untrackable terrain. Usually easier than blazes to spot in low visibility.

BOULDER COUNTY

venusdemiles.com

The North Country Trail, designated in 1980 but still considered incomplete, is one of 11 National Scenic Trails in the US.

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 43 VDM Cometitor 12-30.indd 1

12/30/10 4:28:35 PM

m Skills

Footprints

No two trails, or shoes, are created equal. “What you need on a soft dirt trail is different than what you need on a hard-packed trail,” says Doug Clark, CEO of GoLite Footwear who schooled us on the language of tread and illuminated the things to look for when choosing a trail-worthy shoe.

Lugs Traction is linked to lugs—the knobby protrusions and ridges on a shoe’s sole—and standard boots have 12-14 of them per foot. On soft terrain, traction comes from their size and shallow depth, and, on hard terrain, it’s their edges that provide extra stick. A sole with lots of lugs will handle varied terrain, but if the lugs are little—like those on road running shoes or minimalist shoes—they’ll dig in less on loamy trails.

SKILLS

A

knee-bashing descent or a one-time heavy load can put casual hikers out of commission after just a few miles. But according to Jayah Faye Paley a trekking pole educator and founder of Poles For Mobility, a website with how-to advice for using poles, “Trekking poles can save your knees, and optimal use can help improve your endurance, confidence, and power on the trail.” Even your upper body muscles go to work, says Paley, and play a part in preserving your joints and expanding your hiking horizons. Next time you’re headed for a tough trail, try taking along some extra support.

Midsole Cushion Most shoes boast that cushy midsoles absorb impact and create better support, but a soft landing can also contribute to pronation problems and cause instability for some hikers on uneven surfaces. A cushy midsole is the industry norm, but if stability’s your issue, consider if it’s right for you.

Outsole Tread patterns and the softness of a shoe’s outsole— the part in direct contact with the ground—contribute to longevity, grip, and the way your foot rolls across the ground.

Rounded heels and sticky rubber are two common variations that you might look for.

• Adjust your poles to the optimal length for the trail’s slope—which is sometimes different for poles in each hand. If you find yourself straining to stay balanced, take the time to stop and adjust.

Flexibity Super-stiff shoes went out of vogue alongside expedition-weight gear—few people take to the trails these days with 70-pound packs. Modern hikers are more likely to fast pack and peak-bag so optimal shoes offer protection, but also allow for a more natural gait. Industry-wide, the move is toward shoes that provide protection and traction but also offer flexibility.

• Wrist straps aren’t just for keeping your pole from flying downhill if you lose your grip. They can help you avoid a whiteknuckle grip—which causes hand fatigue. If the straps are adjusted properly, they may also help support your weight and add power to your push-off.

Width A wide forefoot (or toebox) allows your foot to spread out and provide a stable base, as does a sole that’s wider than the shoe itself. Expect most shoes to be narrow across the arch which improves flexibility and contributes to a natural stride.

Thru Trails How America‘s longest trails stack up 13,153 ft.

Forester Pass, CA 14,505 ft.

Mt. Whitney

13 12 11

7

211 miles

1

1,951 ft.

Timm’s Hill Ice Age Trail, WI

0 Trail Length (miles)

500

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1,200 miles 1,000

• Going uphill, don’t keep your poles way in front you; you’re not trying to pull yourself uphill.

Instead, place the poles only slightly ahead (and slightly to your sides), and use them to push off of the ground as you move past them.

GEAR Pushing off, preventing slips, and powering across slippery creeks: the obvious advantages to carrying a set of trekking poles. The disadvantages?

There aren’t any now that there’s an ergonomic small-grip, lightweight trekking pole with a shock-absorbing base.

Leki’s Diva Aergon Antishock Poles hold up to tough trails and collapse for easy carrying when the terrain is easy. They also weigh in at fewer than 14 ounces. ($140; leki.com)

Co nti n

u yd Ha

10

11,419 ft.

Mt. Ellen, S. Summit, UT

• Going downhill, keep your poles in front of you to ease the burden of impact on your knees. Placing poles ahead of you can also provide balance and help you with foot placement when descents are rocky or loose.

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,100

About 12 percent of Americans consider themselves hikers, making it this country’s fifth most-popular outdoor activity (behind fishing, running, camping, and cycling).

44 WAM • SPR | 2011

Increase your outside family time by 10 percent.

Timeframe: 3 months

womensadventuremagazine.com

Who’s Done it:

Harmony Roll | 32, Anchorage, AK “We do more outside with our little one than we did pre-baby. We keep a bag with essentials ready to go by the door and one in the car with duplicates in case we forget to restock the hand warmers or socks.”

Heather Smith | 26, Los Altos, CA “Sometimes it seems like so much work to go anywhere with a baby. But I made a commitment to get out and hike once a week and it is totally worth it. I always feel so good afterward and my little girl loves it too.”

Dress For Success Spring means stashing down coats and big boots for lighter gear, but tough conditions can still come into play—and ruin outdoor playtime. Layer your little ones properly and the whole family will thank you.

Motivating Moms Reluctant campers? Get your crew fired up with these five tips that’ll motivate your kids to get moving:

1

Involve them in planning. Look at maps together, write out goals for the year and for each trip, and ask for their help picking destinations.

2

Make it fun. Roast s’mores, bring friends, and tote outdoor friendly toys—slacklines, kites, or inflatable floats—along.

3

Set kid-friendly limits. That 10-mile day is a thing of the past.

Most kids fare better with shorter distances aimed toward playful destinations like beaches, waterfalls, or bouldering problems.

4

Develop their hobby. If your kid identifies as an angler, a climber, a budding astronomer, or arborist, they’ll be less likely to scoff at the “getting there” trip details.

5

Focus on comfort. No one likes to be cold, wet, or hungry. Bring lots of layers and snacks to help keep spirits high.

14,270 ft.

Gray’s Peak, CO

6,643 ft.

Clingmans Dome, TN

14

John Mui

Highest and Lowest Trail Points (1,000 feet)

15

Trekking Poles

m

Your Challenge:

By Jen Aist

Hiking (continued)

Parenting

Skills

Start with a thin baselayer of wool, silk, or polypro, such as REI’s Midweight MTS Crew Shirt and Long Underwear Bottoms for Kids ($20 each; rei.com).

Avoid cotton: it doesn’t insulate when wet.

Add an insulating layer like The North Face’s Toddler Boy’s Glacier Full Zip Hoodie ($35; thenorthface.com).

Even if it’s warm when you set out, this versatile layer is worth toting on every adventure.

Top off layers with a waterproof shell. Keep older kids dry in Sierra Design’s Hurricane Accelerator Jacket ($69; sierradesigns.com). Pre potty training opt for a one piece such as Outdoor Adventure Kids Company’s One Piece Rain/Boating Suit ($50; oakiwear. com). Tip: A brimmed cap under a jacket’s hood keeps the hood—and drips—out of kids’ faces.

Expect wet feet—rain boots block puddles, but don’t breathe. Combat chills with insulating, woolblend socks such as Bridgedale’s Junior Trekker ($11; bridgedale.com). On cold mornings, layer them with Little Injinji’s Eco Performance Toe Socks ($10; injinji.com).

Participation rates for outdoor recreation in kids aged 6 to 12 dropped from 78% in 2006 to 62% in 2009.

WAM • SPR | 2011 45

m Skills

Footprints

No two trails, or shoes, are created equal. “What you need on a soft dirt trail is different than what you need on a hard-packed trail,” says Doug Clark, CEO of GoLite Footwear who schooled us on the language of tread and illuminated the things to look for when choosing a trail-worthy shoe.

Lugs Traction is linked to lugs—the knobby protrusions and ridges on a shoe’s sole—and standard boots have 12-14 of them per foot. On soft terrain, traction comes from their size and shallow depth, and, on hard terrain, it’s their edges that provide extra stick. A sole with lots of lugs will handle varied terrain, but if the lugs are little—like those on road running shoes or minimalist shoes—they’ll dig in less on loamy trails.

SKILLS

A

knee-bashing descent or a one-time heavy load can put casual hikers out of commission after just a few miles. But according to Jayah Faye Paley a trekking pole educator and founder of Poles For Mobility, a website with how-to advice for using poles, “Trekking poles can save your knees, and optimal use can help improve your endurance, confidence, and power on the trail.” Even your upper body muscles go to work, says Paley, and play a part in preserving your joints and expanding your hiking horizons. Next time you’re headed for a tough trail, try taking along some extra support.

Midsole Cushion Most shoes boast that cushy midsoles absorb impact and create better support, but a soft landing can also contribute to pronation problems and cause instability for some hikers on uneven surfaces. A cushy midsole is the industry norm, but if stability’s your issue, consider if it’s right for you.

Outsole Tread patterns and the softness of a shoe’s outsole— the part in direct contact with the ground—contribute to longevity, grip, and the way your foot rolls across the ground.

Rounded heels and sticky rubber are two common variations that you might look for.

• Adjust your poles to the optimal length for the trail’s slope—which is sometimes different for poles in each hand. If you find yourself straining to stay balanced, take the time to stop and adjust.

Flexibity Super-stiff shoes went out of vogue alongside expedition-weight gear—few people take to the trails these days with 70-pound packs. Modern hikers are more likely to fast pack and peak-bag so optimal shoes offer protection, but also allow for a more natural gait. Industry-wide, the move is toward shoes that provide protection and traction but also offer flexibility.

• Wrist straps aren’t just for keeping your pole from flying downhill if you lose your grip. They can help you avoid a whiteknuckle grip—which causes hand fatigue. If the straps are adjusted properly, they may also help support your weight and add power to your push-off.

Width A wide forefoot (or toebox) allows your foot to spread out and provide a stable base, as does a sole that’s wider than the shoe itself. Expect most shoes to be narrow across the arch which improves flexibility and contributes to a natural stride.

Thru Trails How America‘s longest trails stack up 13,153 ft.

Forester Pass, CA 14,505 ft.

Mt. Whitney

13 12 11

7

211 miles

1

1,951 ft.

Timm’s Hill Ice Age Trail, WI

0 Trail Length (miles)

500

ian

Tra il,

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–M

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A–

Tra il

M

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3,1

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2,17

2,6

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3

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5

ifi

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6

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9

iles

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1,200 miles 1,000

• Going uphill, don’t keep your poles way in front you; you’re not trying to pull yourself uphill.

Instead, place the poles only slightly ahead (and slightly to your sides), and use them to push off of the ground as you move past them.

GEAR Pushing off, preventing slips, and powering across slippery creeks: the obvious advantages to carrying a set of trekking poles. The disadvantages?

There aren’t any now that there’s an ergonomic small-grip, lightweight trekking pole with a shock-absorbing base.

Leki’s Diva Aergon Antishock Poles hold up to tough trails and collapse for easy carrying when the terrain is easy. They also weigh in at fewer than 14 ounces. ($140; leki.com)

Co nti n

u yd Ha

10

11,419 ft.

Mt. Ellen, S. Summit, UT

• Going downhill, keep your poles in front of you to ease the burden of impact on your knees. Placing poles ahead of you can also provide balance and help you with foot placement when descents are rocky or loose.

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,100

About 12 percent of Americans consider themselves hikers, making it this country’s fifth most-popular outdoor activity (behind fishing, running, camping, and cycling).

44 WAM • SPR | 2011

Increase your outside family time by 10 percent.

Timeframe: 3 months

womensadventuremagazine.com

Who’s Done it:

Harmony Roll | 32, Anchorage, AK “We do more outside with our little one than we did pre-baby. We keep a bag with essentials ready to go by the door and one in the car with duplicates in case we forget to restock the hand warmers or socks.”

Heather Smith | 26, Los Altos, CA “Sometimes it seems like so much work to go anywhere with a baby. But I made a commitment to get out and hike once a week and it is totally worth it. I always feel so good afterward and my little girl loves it too.”

Dress For Success Spring means stashing down coats and big boots for lighter gear, but tough conditions can still come into play—and ruin outdoor playtime. Layer your little ones properly and the whole family will thank you.

Motivating Moms Reluctant campers? Get your crew fired up with these five tips that’ll motivate your kids to get moving:

1

Involve them in planning. Look at maps together, write out goals for the year and for each trip, and ask for their help picking destinations.

2

Make it fun. Roast s’mores, bring friends, and tote outdoor friendly toys—slacklines, kites, or inflatable floats—along.

3

Set kid-friendly limits. That 10-mile day is a thing of the past.

Most kids fare better with shorter distances aimed toward playful destinations like beaches, waterfalls, or bouldering problems.

4

Develop their hobby. If your kid identifies as an angler, a climber, a budding astronomer, or arborist, they’ll be less likely to scoff at the “getting there” trip details.

5

Focus on comfort. No one likes to be cold, wet, or hungry. Bring lots of layers and snacks to help keep spirits high.

14,270 ft.

Gray’s Peak, CO

6,643 ft.

Clingmans Dome, TN

14

John Mui

Highest and Lowest Trail Points (1,000 feet)

15

Trekking Poles

m

Your Challenge:

By Jen Aist

Hiking (continued)

Parenting

Skills

Start with a thin baselayer of wool, silk, or polypro, such as REI’s Midweight MTS Crew Shirt and Long Underwear Bottoms for Kids ($20 each; rei.com).

Avoid cotton: it doesn’t insulate when wet.

Add an insulating layer like The North Face’s Toddler Boy’s Glacier Full Zip Hoodie ($35; thenorthface.com).

Even if it’s warm when you set out, this versatile layer is worth toting on every adventure.

Top off layers with a waterproof shell. Keep older kids dry in Sierra Design’s Hurricane Accelerator Jacket ($69; sierradesigns.com). Pre potty training opt for a one piece such as Outdoor Adventure Kids Company’s One Piece Rain/Boating Suit ($50; oakiwear. com). Tip: A brimmed cap under a jacket’s hood keeps the hood—and drips—out of kids’ faces.

Expect wet feet—rain boots block puddles, but don’t breathe. Combat chills with insulating, woolblend socks such as Bridgedale’s Junior Trekker ($11; bridgedale.com). On cold mornings, layer them with Little Injinji’s Eco Performance Toe Socks ($10; injinji.com).

Participation rates for outdoor recreation in kids aged 6 to 12 dropped from 78% in 2006 to 62% in 2009.

WAM • SPR | 2011 45

m Skills First Aid

Parenting

SKILL

(continued)

Tarp Art

On your own, it’s a luxury. With kids, it’s a near necessity. Hanging a tarp is an easy way to maximize comfort during condition extremes. Downpour? Scorching sunshine?

Whipping wind? No problem. These tarp set-up hints can (almost) guarantee a group of happy campers.

Destinations

B

eat the crowds (and heat) of summer at these kid-friendly adventure hot spots that start warming up early in spring.

hour per day kids should spend outdoors playing

2

average hours per days kids under 6 spend watching TV

Big Bend National Park, Texas, hosts nature trails, hot springs, river rides, sand dunes, and did we mention the fossils? Along with the largest number of reptile species (57) in all of the National Parks, this one’s a surefire favorite for budding paleontologists.

Choose wisely. A good tarp will be lightweight, loaded with reinforced attachment points, and be a cinch to pack. Your group size and camping style will determine an ideal size, but for backcountry trips with two kids in tow, try Brooks-Range Mountaineering’s 10-foot by 10-foot Ultralight Guide+ Tarp which weighs less than one pound. ($179; brooks-range.com)

Yosemite National Park, California, is a safe bet for families. The village has every amenity—from groceries to laundry to gear rental— while nature programs and iconic hikes are abundant. Perfect for first-time campers craving adventure—and first-time parents nervous to stray too far from comfort. n

Consider location. Look for good tie-off points: a group of trees, a rock outcropping, a piece of driftwood, or a loaded kayak. Protection from prevailing winds or built-in sitting areas add value, but solid anchors and height (enough to sit under) are key.

Just Joking One sure-fire way to make the outdoors fun for kids? Punchlines they’ll love sharing on the trail.

What is a tree’s favorite drink?

Rootbeer How do trees get on the internet?

They “log” in.

What kind of brush do you use to comb a bee’s hair? A honey comb What is a caterpillar afraid of?

A dogerpillar.

What do wolves say when they are introduced? Howl do you do?

“If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”

—Rachel Carson, conservationist and environmentalist

Don’t take chances, fight back with one of these techniques to make backcountry water safe. hat crystal clear stream may look T safe, but bacteria and viruses such as Giardia and E.Coli lurking under-

water can cause serious sicknesses.

Young children are even more susceptible, and dehydration is a serious side effect when symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting set in.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, has a fun Jr. Ranger Program, hiking trails and cool cliff dwellings that require some playground-like climbing to access; they also have baby-jogger friendly trails.

1

Water Wars

Angle up. Draining water and catching wind can sour otherwise sweet tarp setups. Position your tarp’s high side so that it drains downhill and away from the shelter.

Position the low side to deflect wind. Tie guy lines tight and expect to adjust and readjust as conditions change.

Know your knots. Pack 10-20 feet of parachute cord or 3 mm perlon (available at outdoor stores) per guy line along with 50 feet of extra to control flapping or to add strength in heavy winds. Use the tautline hitch—which can be loosened or tightened under pressure—for adjusting on the fly. Learn how to tie it at womensadventuremagazine.com/camping. n

Cuts and bruises? Scrapes and stings? Minor injuries are part of an active out door excursion —especially for first-time explorers. By teaching kids how to deal with their own mis-adventures you’ll give them some confidence when it comes to venturing out on their own. Teach kids that big injuries—broken bones, big hits, or lots of blood—require your help, but that there are first-aid items they can handle on their own. Take a tour of your first-aid kit with your kids and role-play these scenarios.

Scenario 1: A skinned knee • Wash hands with soap and water and run cool water over the wound.

• Clean dirt out of cut (start in the center and work out) with a cotton ball.

• Air-dry the wound and apply antibiotic ointment.

• Dress the cut with gauze or a large bandage.

FILTER Ideal for families, Katadyn’s Basecamp Filter holds up to 2.5 gallons of water and uses gravity to remove bacteria and protozoa at a rate of about one liter per minute. Like most filters, this one doesn’t remove viruses, so if you’re extra-cautious consider a backup treatment plan too. ($70; katadyn.com)

Get help if: • Bone or deep tissue is visible • Blood continues flowing for more than 5 minutes

PURIFY For quick, liter-at-a-time purification—like prepping a bottle of formula—UV light is easy and effective. SteriPEN’s new Sidewinder requires 90 seconds of hand-cranking, but it’ll purify 8,000 liters of water and doesn’t require batteries. ($100; steripen.com)

Get help if: • Someone’s been stung in or near the throat, nose, mouth, or eyes • The person is allergic or swelling is fast

TREAT Chemical treatments such as Aquamira are the lowest-weight option—less than an ounce to carry for several days-worth—and most effective against all of the major water concerns: viruses, bacteria, and cryptosporidium. They’re easy to use, but can take up to four hours to completely kill cryptos. Chemical treatments aren’t recommended for pregnant women, so if you’re carrying, consider filtering and/or purifying instead. ($8; aquamira.com) n

Scenario 2: An insect bite or sting • Remove the stinger by its base with tweezers—avoid squeezing the sac at its top.

• Apply cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.

• If the bite is bleeding, apply a bandage and direct pressure until it stops.

Read All About It Jordan Romero has a message for kids: Find your own Everest.

Last year, after becoming the youngest person to summit the 29,035-foot peak—and the youngest person to have climbed the highest peak on each continent—Jordan teamed up with writer Katherine Blanc to tell his story and inspire other kids. Their scrap-book-style write-up, The Boy Who Conquered Everest: The Jordan Romero Story, is a kid-friendly trip report that sets up Jordan’s success story and offers practical tips for achieving adventure goals on any scale.

(Balboa Press, $10)

Lighten Up

Swapping old gear with new can shave 10 pounds or more off your pack, making it easy to carry your kid (and their teddy bear) to the trail. See how swapping traditional for ultralight gear lightens your load:

Must Haves Mountain Mama’s line of technical pregnancy apparel is expanding as fast as their clientele’s bellies. New for spring is the Crossfront Orcas Tee, the lightly waffled nylon-knit fits through month nine, but maintains trail-worthy fit and function for post-pregnancy wear, too. Plus: the full-coverage Crossfront pulls down for easy nursing. ($44; mountain-mama.com)

A stable seat that keeps kids too busy to crawl through the mud (or sand)?

Yes. Pop-a-Tot’s Portable Activity Center folds easily into a compact package the size of a camp chair. ($50; popatot.com)

BOB has updated its whole line of baby joggers for the first time in several years. New for 2011 are fresh new colors, more robust suspension, easier fold-lock mechanism, integrated accessory adapter and improved seat and safety harness. The Sport Utility Stroller is perfect for the trail. ($329; www.bobgear.com )

How do kids get interested in the outdoors? According to an Outdoor Industry Association study, key influencers of outdoor participation for kids ages 6 and 12 include: 46 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

All weights in ounces:

Product

Traditional Weight

Tent Full Size Pack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Cook Set Water Filter Trekking Poles Totals

Ultralight

Weight Saved

128 71 57 60 27 33 53 31 22 32 13 19 31 18 13 19 9 10 20 14 6 343 183 160

29,952 weekend hours in 12 years

13,752 school-day hours in 12 years

Parents (75%), siblings (36%), friends (33%), community programs (13%), school programs (12%), and TV or media (5%).

WAM • SPR | 2011 47

m Skills First Aid

Parenting

SKILL

(continued)

Tarp Art

On your own, it’s a luxury. With kids, it’s a near necessity. Hanging a tarp is an easy way to maximize comfort during condition extremes. Downpour? Scorching sunshine?

Whipping wind? No problem. These tarp set-up hints can (almost) guarantee a group of happy campers.

Destinations

B

eat the crowds (and heat) of summer at these kid-friendly adventure hot spots that start warming up early in spring.

hour per day kids should spend outdoors playing

2

average hours per days kids under 6 spend watching TV

Big Bend National Park, Texas, hosts nature trails, hot springs, river rides, sand dunes, and did we mention the fossils? Along with the largest number of reptile species (57) in all of the National Parks, this one’s a surefire favorite for budding paleontologists.

Choose wisely. A good tarp will be lightweight, loaded with reinforced attachment points, and be a cinch to pack. Your group size and camping style will determine an ideal size, but for backcountry trips with two kids in tow, try Brooks-Range Mountaineering’s 10-foot by 10-foot Ultralight Guide+ Tarp which weighs less than one pound. ($179; brooks-range.com)

Yosemite National Park, California, is a safe bet for families. The village has every amenity—from groceries to laundry to gear rental— while nature programs and iconic hikes are abundant. Perfect for first-time campers craving adventure—and first-time parents nervous to stray too far from comfort. n

Consider location. Look for good tie-off points: a group of trees, a rock outcropping, a piece of driftwood, or a loaded kayak. Protection from prevailing winds or built-in sitting areas add value, but solid anchors and height (enough to sit under) are key.

Just Joking One sure-fire way to make the outdoors fun for kids? Punchlines they’ll love sharing on the trail.

What is a tree’s favorite drink?

Rootbeer How do trees get on the internet?

They “log” in.

What kind of brush do you use to comb a bee’s hair? A honey comb What is a caterpillar afraid of?

A dogerpillar.

What do wolves say when they are introduced? Howl do you do?

“If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”

—Rachel Carson, conservationist and environmentalist

Don’t take chances, fight back with one of these techniques to make backcountry water safe. hat crystal clear stream may look T safe, but bacteria and viruses such as Giardia and E.Coli lurking under-

water can cause serious sicknesses.

Young children are even more susceptible, and dehydration is a serious side effect when symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting set in.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, has a fun Jr. Ranger Program, hiking trails and cool cliff dwellings that require some playground-like climbing to access; they also have baby-jogger friendly trails.

1

Water Wars

Angle up. Draining water and catching wind can sour otherwise sweet tarp setups. Position your tarp’s high side so that it drains downhill and away from the shelter.

Position the low side to deflect wind. Tie guy lines tight and expect to adjust and readjust as conditions change.

Know your knots. Pack 10-20 feet of parachute cord or 3 mm perlon (available at outdoor stores) per guy line along with 50 feet of extra to control flapping or to add strength in heavy winds. Use the tautline hitch—which can be loosened or tightened under pressure—for adjusting on the fly. Learn how to tie it at womensadventuremagazine.com/camping. n

Cuts and bruises? Scrapes and stings? Minor injuries are part of an active out door excursion —especially for first-time explorers. By teaching kids how to deal with their own mis-adventures you’ll give them some confidence when it comes to venturing out on their own. Teach kids that big injuries—broken bones, big hits, or lots of blood—require your help, but that there are first-aid items they can handle on their own. Take a tour of your first-aid kit with your kids and role-play these scenarios.

Scenario 1: A skinned knee • Wash hands with soap and water and run cool water over the wound.

• Clean dirt out of cut (start in the center and work out) with a cotton ball.

• Air-dry the wound and apply antibiotic ointment.

• Dress the cut with gauze or a large bandage.

FILTER Ideal for families, Katadyn’s Basecamp Filter holds up to 2.5 gallons of water and uses gravity to remove bacteria and protozoa at a rate of about one liter per minute. Like most filters, this one doesn’t remove viruses, so if you’re extra-cautious consider a backup treatment plan too. ($70; katadyn.com)

Get help if: • Bone or deep tissue is visible • Blood continues flowing for more than 5 minutes

PURIFY For quick, liter-at-a-time purification—like prepping a bottle of formula—UV light is easy and effective. SteriPEN’s new Sidewinder requires 90 seconds of hand-cranking, but it’ll purify 8,000 liters of water and doesn’t require batteries. ($100; steripen.com)

Get help if: • Someone’s been stung in or near the throat, nose, mouth, or eyes • The person is allergic or swelling is fast

TREAT Chemical treatments such as Aquamira are the lowest-weight option—less than an ounce to carry for several days-worth—and most effective against all of the major water concerns: viruses, bacteria, and cryptosporidium. They’re easy to use, but can take up to four hours to completely kill cryptos. Chemical treatments aren’t recommended for pregnant women, so if you’re carrying, consider filtering and/or purifying instead. ($8; aquamira.com) n

Scenario 2: An insect bite or sting • Remove the stinger by its base with tweezers—avoid squeezing the sac at its top.

• Apply cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.

• If the bite is bleeding, apply a bandage and direct pressure until it stops.

Read All About It Jordan Romero has a message for kids: Find your own Everest.

Last year, after becoming the youngest person to summit the 29,035-foot peak—and the youngest person to have climbed the highest peak on each continent—Jordan teamed up with writer Katherine Blanc to tell his story and inspire other kids. Their scrap-book-style write-up, The Boy Who Conquered Everest: The Jordan Romero Story, is a kid-friendly trip report that sets up Jordan’s success story and offers practical tips for achieving adventure goals on any scale.

(Balboa Press, $10)

Lighten Up

Swapping old gear with new can shave 10 pounds or more off your pack, making it easy to carry your kid (and their teddy bear) to the trail. See how swapping traditional for ultralight gear lightens your load:

Must Haves Mountain Mama’s line of technical pregnancy apparel is expanding as fast as their clientele’s bellies. New for spring is the Crossfront Orcas Tee, the lightly waffled nylon-knit fits through month nine, but maintains trail-worthy fit and function for post-pregnancy wear, too. Plus: the full-coverage Crossfront pulls down for easy nursing. ($44; mountain-mama.com)

A stable seat that keeps kids too busy to crawl through the mud (or sand)?

Yes. Pop-a-Tot’s Portable Activity Center folds easily into a compact package the size of a camp chair. ($50; popatot.com)

BOB has updated its whole line of baby joggers for the first time in several years. New for 2011 are fresh new colors, more robust suspension, easier fold-lock mechanism, integrated accessory adapter and improved seat and safety harness. The Sport Utility Stroller is perfect for the trail. ($329; www.bobgear.com )

How do kids get interested in the outdoors? According to an Outdoor Industry Association study, key influencers of outdoor participation for kids ages 6 and 12 include: 46 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

All weights in ounces:

Product

Traditional Weight

Tent Full Size Pack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Cook Set Water Filter Trekking Poles Totals

Ultralight

Weight Saved

128 71 57 60 27 33 53 31 22 32 13 19 31 18 13 19 9 10 20 14 6 343 183 160

29,952 weekend hours in 12 years

13,752 school-day hours in 12 years

Parents (75%), siblings (36%), friends (33%), community programs (13%), school programs (12%), and TV or media (5%).

WAM • SPR | 2011 47

A

caravan of five Land Cruisers bounces along a rocky path. Five hundred miles north of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, the village of Atsemba is only accessible by a dirt road, and the nearest town is over an hour away.

The passage is not so much a road as it is simply the clearest line of travel across a dusty landscape scattered with stones and scrub grass. In this remote region of East Africa, donkeys are more common than cars. And the arrival of so many sport utility vehicles in this austere community of 3,200 draws an excitable crowd Laughing voices rise with the sound of beating drums. Ululations and cheers from the growing throng are jubilant, welcoming. People of the village and the surrounding community come running to meet honored guests—17 tired travelers. Their white skin and pristine sportswear are a stark contrast against the dark complexions and second-hand cotton clothing of the villagers. But everyone shares broad smiles and eyes that shine bright with excitement. The visitors, from North America and Australia, are eager to see their vision of foreign aid brought to life in the shape of a four-room schoolhouse they helped to fund here. The people of Atsemba are just as anxious to show them.

Imagine That

PETER DOUCETTE, JAMES EDWARD MILLS

By James Edward Mills

womensadventuremagazine.com

Primary School she has very few words. “We hope that your children will envision a brighter future for themselves.”

W

ilson’s goal is that all of Ethiopia’s children will have brighter futures, and she’s working hard to help them get there. The 37-year-old founded Imagine1day, a non-governmental organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2007; and despite a busy schedule managing a career and five kids, Wilson is vibrant when it comes to the organization’s mission: to bring education to all the children of Ethiopia by 2020.

“Right now we work in the Tigray region, where we’re currently developing schools for gradelevels one through four. Where there is enough attendance, we can then carry on to grades five through eight.”

Fewer than 45 percent of Ethiopia’s 16.5 million children attend primary school, and Wilson knows it’s an uphill battle to get more of them into classrooms. But she’s not deterred by the ambitious nature of her goal. If there’s one thing Wilson is capable of, it’s helping people reach beyond the limits they set for themselves and bringing ambitious plans to life.

Children are quick to take the strangers’ hands as they enter the heart of the village. The new arrivals exchange greetings with village elders, some offering handshakes, others offering hugs.

It’s a boisterous and happy parade of strangers, one of which—a tall, athletic blonde woman— tries to go unnoticed. She’s hard to miss, and, as she’d visited Atsemba before, a few of the villagers recognize her as the catalyst for the occasion. She smiles warmly, but Shannon Wilson tries not to draw anyone’s attention. It’s clear she doesn’t want today’s celebration to be about her.

Wilson’s approach to education in Ethiopia follows the same model as the one she and her husband Chip applied to the business they started together—the super-successful clothing brand, Lululemon Athletica. The Wilsons applied a philosophy to Lululemon that’s all about encouraging people to reach beyond their vision. “It is a functional athletic clothing company,” she says, “but the key to our success is our larger mission—to take people from mediocrity to greatness.”

Even as she cuts a bright pink ribbon to dedicate the new building at the Atsemba Community

Based in Vancouver and founded in 1998, Lululemon exploded onto the active apparel

market and opened more than 100 stores between 2000 and 2010. Their salespeople, called “educators,” receive fashion training along with a form of life coaching based on techniques taught through the Landmark Forum. The “Forum” is a leadership development program that teaches integrity, self-reflection, and goalsetting transformation with an intensity that some people liken to that of a religious cult. In the case of Lululemon, the philosophy manifests as a work environment where educators and customers are encouraged to maximize their personal potential.

“We have something incredible going on in our stores,” says Wilson. “Our educators have access to generating a future for themselves that’s exciting and challenging. When you have those kinds of people interacting with customers, it creates a conversation and an environment that people want to be a part of.”

It’s the goal-setting aspect of Lululemon’s culture that Wilson brought to Imagine1day. And it’s that same goal-setting strategy that makes her confident about taking on a challenge of such monumental scale that, to the rest of us, it seems impossible—like educating an entire country’s youth to envision a brighter future.

“I’ve always believed that it’s important to look out for those around us,” Wilson says. “If I can help just one other person, I feel like I’ve done

WAM • SPR | 2011 49

A

caravan of five Land Cruisers bounces along a rocky path. Five hundred miles north of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, the village of Atsemba is only accessible by a dirt road, and the nearest town is over an hour away.

The passage is not so much a road as it is simply the clearest line of travel across a dusty landscape scattered with stones and scrub grass. In this remote region of East Africa, donkeys are more common than cars. And the arrival of so many sport utility vehicles in this austere community of 3,200 draws an excitable crowd Laughing voices rise with the sound of beating drums. Ululations and cheers from the growing throng are jubilant, welcoming. People of the village and the surrounding community come running to meet honored guests—17 tired travelers. Their white skin and pristine sportswear are a stark contrast against the dark complexions and second-hand cotton clothing of the villagers. But everyone shares broad smiles and eyes that shine bright with excitement. The visitors, from North America and Australia, are eager to see their vision of foreign aid brought to life in the shape of a four-room schoolhouse they helped to fund here. The people of Atsemba are just as anxious to show them.

Imagine That

PETER DOUCETTE, JAMES EDWARD MILLS

By James Edward Mills

womensadventuremagazine.com

Primary School she has very few words. “We hope that your children will envision a brighter future for themselves.”

W

ilson’s goal is that all of Ethiopia’s children will have brighter futures, and she’s working hard to help them get there. The 37-year-old founded Imagine1day, a non-governmental organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2007; and despite a busy schedule managing a career and five kids, Wilson is vibrant when it comes to the organization’s mission: to bring education to all the children of Ethiopia by 2020.

“Right now we work in the Tigray region, where we’re currently developing schools for gradelevels one through four. Where there is enough attendance, we can then carry on to grades five through eight.”

Fewer than 45 percent of Ethiopia’s 16.5 million children attend primary school, and Wilson knows it’s an uphill battle to get more of them into classrooms. But she’s not deterred by the ambitious nature of her goal. If there’s one thing Wilson is capable of, it’s helping people reach beyond the limits they set for themselves and bringing ambitious plans to life.

Children are quick to take the strangers’ hands as they enter the heart of the village. The new arrivals exchange greetings with village elders, some offering handshakes, others offering hugs.

It’s a boisterous and happy parade of strangers, one of which—a tall, athletic blonde woman— tries to go unnoticed. She’s hard to miss, and, as she’d visited Atsemba before, a few of the villagers recognize her as the catalyst for the occasion. She smiles warmly, but Shannon Wilson tries not to draw anyone’s attention. It’s clear she doesn’t want today’s celebration to be about her.

Wilson’s approach to education in Ethiopia follows the same model as the one she and her husband Chip applied to the business they started together—the super-successful clothing brand, Lululemon Athletica. The Wilsons applied a philosophy to Lululemon that’s all about encouraging people to reach beyond their vision. “It is a functional athletic clothing company,” she says, “but the key to our success is our larger mission—to take people from mediocrity to greatness.”

Even as she cuts a bright pink ribbon to dedicate the new building at the Atsemba Community

Based in Vancouver and founded in 1998, Lululemon exploded onto the active apparel

market and opened more than 100 stores between 2000 and 2010. Their salespeople, called “educators,” receive fashion training along with a form of life coaching based on techniques taught through the Landmark Forum. The “Forum” is a leadership development program that teaches integrity, self-reflection, and goalsetting transformation with an intensity that some people liken to that of a religious cult. In the case of Lululemon, the philosophy manifests as a work environment where educators and customers are encouraged to maximize their personal potential.

“We have something incredible going on in our stores,” says Wilson. “Our educators have access to generating a future for themselves that’s exciting and challenging. When you have those kinds of people interacting with customers, it creates a conversation and an environment that people want to be a part of.”

It’s the goal-setting aspect of Lululemon’s culture that Wilson brought to Imagine1day. And it’s that same goal-setting strategy that makes her confident about taking on a challenge of such monumental scale that, to the rest of us, it seems impossible—like educating an entire country’s youth to envision a brighter future.

“I’ve always believed that it’s important to look out for those around us,” Wilson says. “If I can help just one other person, I feel like I’ve done

WAM • SPR | 2011 49

B

ack in Atsemba, that strategy’s proving to be a success. The 17 foreigners gathered around the schoolhouse are the proof—they’re the first group of donor-travelers on Imagine1day’s inaugural three-week tour dubbed “Imagine Ethiopia.”

Their trip is an experiment to test Wilson’s vision for bringing together her donor community and the organization’s on-the-ground efforts.

Together, the group, including an investment banker, a green energy consultant, and a personal trainer, raised more than $100,000 to cover the full cost of constructing a primary school in the village of Laley Wukro, three hours north of Atsemba in Tigray.

“We wanted to find a way to take someone’s passion, something they’re willing to do without getting paid, and turn it into a contribution,” Wilson says about the $7,000-plus that each of the participants raised to earn the right to participate in the trip last fall. “Whether it’s cooking or painting or public speaking, every single person has a creative genius in them, that thing they love that they can use to give back. We call it ‘creatribution.’”

Creatribution—using talent and creativity to make a contribution—is the driving force behind Wilson’s efforts in Ethiopia. With a growing track record of success establishing schools like the ones in Atsemba and Laley

50 WAM • SPR | 2011

Wukro, Imagine1day is building momentum and organizing another trip to Ethiopia next fall, one for ordinary people with the ambition to muster their talent and bring education to the children of Africa.

The trip is for donors who are eager to make that connection—a creatribution—of their own.

M

ajka Burhardt’s first trip to Ethiopia had nothing to do with creatribution. The 34-year-old climber and writer first learned about Ethiopia in 1984, when she wrote a song about the famine as a school project. Growing up, she’d mostly forgotten about it, spending her teens and 20s pursuing a career as a professional climbing guide and earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. Her first visit to the East African country in 2006 wasn’t a humanitarian mission at all; she was there as a journalist on an expedition to research coffee.

When the research was finished, she stayed to put up first-ascents of sandstone towers in Ethiopia’s northern high deserts. Two books later—Vertical Ethiopia, and Coffee Story: Ethiopia, just hitting bookstores this summer—Burhardt’s passion for climbing and her ability to give back to Ethiopia through writing make her a shining example of Wilson’s ideal for creatribution. She was also the perfect addition to Imagine Ethiopia’s leadership team so she traveled with the group last fall. “We wanted to add an adventure component to the trip,” Wilson said, “to make it fun and exciting.”

Roped climbs up sandstone rock walls paired with mountain bike rides and village visits took the multi-dimensional learning experience of Imagine Ethiopia to another level of self

discovery for the group of (mostly) women.

Burhardt established a new, safe, top-rope area for the region, where trip participants could push their limits. Even the climbing itself is an apt metaphor of the motivating purpose and methodology behind Imagine1day. Just as the climbers/fund-raisers trusted a guide and worked together to reach new heights, they’re offering the same guidance—and hoping to garner the trust of villages like Atsemba—to help people there lift themselves out of poverty. “We really got to be a part of the culture,” says Chelsea Wheeler, a regional manager for Lululemon Athletica in Sydney and a fit and exuberant addition to the team. “Being part of Imagine1day allows us to achieve and give back in a way that we couldn’t do by ourselves.”

I

t is true that no one person or solution could solve Ethiopia’s problems. The country of 80 million, ravaged by drought, famine, and war, is one of the poorest on the planet.

The average adult life expectancy is 55 years, and almost 40 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line, earning less than $1.25 per day. “Education,” says Wilson, “especially the education of girls, is what transforms any society.” That’s why Imagine1day focuses on building schools as a way to address Ethiopia’s broader social problems and to strengthen the country’s human infrastructure with an eye toward self-improvement.

“Education lowers the birth rate, it increases the age of marriage, and it decreases the age of mortality,” says Wilson, “If we’re going to do any

womensadventuremagazine.com

JAMES EDWARD MILLS, PETER DOUCETTE

something worthwhile.” But her goal isn’t to help just one, so she’s enlisted Lululemon’s philosophy of empowerment through passion to help others get involved too.

WAM • SPR | 2011 51

B

ack in Atsemba, that strategy’s proving to be a success. The 17 foreigners gathered around the schoolhouse are the proof—they’re the first group of donor-travelers on Imagine1day’s inaugural three-week tour dubbed “Imagine Ethiopia.”

Their trip is an experiment to test Wilson’s vision for bringing together her donor community and the organization’s on-the-ground efforts.

Together, the group, including an investment banker, a green energy consultant, and a personal trainer, raised more than $100,000 to cover the full cost of constructing a primary school in the village of Laley Wukro, three hours north of Atsemba in Tigray.

“We wanted to find a way to take someone’s passion, something they’re willing to do without getting paid, and turn it into a contribution,” Wilson says about the $7,000-plus that each of the participants raised to earn the right to participate in the trip last fall. “Whether it’s cooking or painting or public speaking, every single person has a creative genius in them, that thing they love that they can use to give back. We call it ‘creatribution.’”

Creatribution—using talent and creativity to make a contribution—is the driving force behind Wilson’s efforts in Ethiopia. With a growing track record of success establishing schools like the ones in Atsemba and Laley

50 WAM • SPR | 2011

Wukro, Imagine1day is building momentum and organizing another trip to Ethiopia next fall, one for ordinary people with the ambition to muster their talent and bring education to the children of Africa.

The trip is for donors who are eager to make that connection—a creatribution—of their own.

M

ajka Burhardt’s first trip to Ethiopia had nothing to do with creatribution. The 34-year-old climber and writer first learned about Ethiopia in 1984, when she wrote a song about the famine as a school project. Growing up, she’d mostly forgotten about it, spending her teens and 20s pursuing a career as a professional climbing guide and earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. Her first visit to the East African country in 2006 wasn’t a humanitarian mission at all; she was there as a journalist on an expedition to research coffee.

When the research was finished, she stayed to put up first-ascents of sandstone towers in Ethiopia’s northern high deserts. Two books later—Vertical Ethiopia, and Coffee Story: Ethiopia, just hitting bookstores this summer—Burhardt’s passion for climbing and her ability to give back to Ethiopia through writing make her a shining example of Wilson’s ideal for creatribution. She was also the perfect addition to Imagine Ethiopia’s leadership team so she traveled with the group last fall. “We wanted to add an adventure component to the trip,” Wilson said, “to make it fun and exciting.”

Roped climbs up sandstone rock walls paired with mountain bike rides and village visits took the multi-dimensional learning experience of Imagine Ethiopia to another level of self

discovery for the group of (mostly) women.

Burhardt established a new, safe, top-rope area for the region, where trip participants could push their limits. Even the climbing itself is an apt metaphor of the motivating purpose and methodology behind Imagine1day. Just as the climbers/fund-raisers trusted a guide and worked together to reach new heights, they’re offering the same guidance—and hoping to garner the trust of villages like Atsemba—to help people there lift themselves out of poverty. “We really got to be a part of the culture,” says Chelsea Wheeler, a regional manager for Lululemon Athletica in Sydney and a fit and exuberant addition to the team. “Being part of Imagine1day allows us to achieve and give back in a way that we couldn’t do by ourselves.”

I

t is true that no one person or solution could solve Ethiopia’s problems. The country of 80 million, ravaged by drought, famine, and war, is one of the poorest on the planet.

The average adult life expectancy is 55 years, and almost 40 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line, earning less than $1.25 per day. “Education,” says Wilson, “especially the education of girls, is what transforms any society.” That’s why Imagine1day focuses on building schools as a way to address Ethiopia’s broader social problems and to strengthen the country’s human infrastructure with an eye toward self-improvement.

“Education lowers the birth rate, it increases the age of marriage, and it decreases the age of mortality,” says Wilson, “If we’re going to do any

womensadventuremagazine.com

JAMES EDWARD MILLS, PETER DOUCETTE

something worthwhile.” But her goal isn’t to help just one, so she’s enlisted Lululemon’s philosophy of empowerment through passion to help others get involved too.

WAM • SPR | 2011 51

The Other Ethiopia

By Majka Burhardt

E

A

great procession of village men carry canes and long-handled scythes, dancing before the train of departing Land Cruisers. Chanting and singing fill the air, and a gaggle of children wave goodbye as the entire village of Atsemba escorts the procession along a narrow path at the edge of the settlement. Their school has been built. And the villagers now have a new vision and a path toward that brighter future, a course of progress that may well lead them out of poverty.

The hope is that the sturdy stone buildings will provide a safe and comfortable place for learning, one that’s close to home and may reduce instances of rape and abduction. Similarly, new wells provide drinking water and support a system of micro irrigation, and the school’s latrine offers sanitary hygiene and waste disposal, reducing disease and providing village girls with a private place to manage their menstrual cycles.

By making small but meaningful investments, Imagine1day is able to help establish a sustainable social infrastructure for flourishing communities that, in time, become self-

52 WAM • SPR | 2011

While raising money for infrastructure and building schools is the foundation of its efforts, Imagine1day also helps mediate partnerships with the Ethiopian government to fund roadbuilding, pay teacher salaries, and purchase school supplies. The organization also helps plant thousands of fruit trees, provides micro-loans for income-generating livestock, and tries to bolster the community’s ability to support itself moving forward. A partnership with Imagine1day equates to accountability, and eventually the community has got to be able to support itself—it is getting a hand up, not a handout.

For decades, much of western relief work in Africa has taken the form of straight giving: providing food and the financial resources to build infrastructure. But Imagine1day instead follows a principle that encourages people to provide for themselves. One of last fall’s Imagine Ethiopia participants, and a fund-

raising professional in Toronto, Sarah Shaw was surprised that her own vision of charity and giving changed by witnessing Imagine1day’s model. “From the very start, [Imagine1day] makes it known that this is not aid, it is a partnership,” Shaw says. “With our help, they’ve seen incredible results in academic achievement and income generation, but in a couple of years [the villages and schools] want to be totally selfsufficient.”

Motivated out of a deep desire to do good, Shannon Wilson founded Imagine1day following a model that had served her well in business and which is helping to re-shape people’s ideas about aid, giving, and their own ability to participate in that process. “I really can’t say that this is the best way to do what we’re doing,” she says with a chuckle, “but it seems to be working.” By giving of themselves, their skills and talents, Wilson says anyone can help to bring about positive change.

And whether they work toward educating children in Africa, or some other worthy cause, anyone can aspire to make a difference in the world. “I just really believe that if someone wants to do something, there’s something they can do.” n

The Ethiopia-based staff of support professionals allows Imagine1day to make regular visits to each of the communities it serves and to provide ongoing training to teachers who help to raise the performance expectations of the village as a whole. Teachers are the ones who help to define a line of development, a clear path toward social renewal and out of poverty.

It’s a form of community investment, and the focus on promoting self-sufficiency makes Imagine1day an organization the travelersturned-contributors want to support. “I believe their model of charity is more sustainable. It’s more impactful because they’re not only giving tools that the community needs but they give knowledge, training,” says Wheeler.

womensadventuremagazine.com

PETER DOUCETTE

Over the past four years, Imagine1day has built or helped to fund 32 schools in villages throughout Tigray. Operating from a central office in the town of Mekele, about 400 miles north of Addis Ababa, a group of eight local staffers provides resources and training to local teachers, encouraging them to not only educate children but to build the school into a focal point of community engagement that will improve the quality of life for everyone in the village.

sustaining. “Sustainability was a really important consideration as we set goals for Imagine1day,” Wilson says. “Billions of dollars in aid has been dumped into Africa. We thought, ‘If we’re going to get involved here, we need to know that it is going to work and, most of all, last.’”

JAMES EDWARD MILLS

kind of charitable work, it makes sense to get behind education.”

Creating sustainable partnerships, Imagine1day is bringing people together—villagers, teachers, guides, climbers, fundraisers, and farmers—into a network focused on achieving new heights and changing their own definitions of success. In the same spirit of team work that encourages each climber to the summit of a high mountain peak, the people of Atsemba are getting the support they need to succeed under their own power, to set and achieve attainable goals. And just like climbing, with time and practice they will continue to ascend to higher goals, gaining strength, confidence and new partners with each attempt.

thiopia is an unlikely climbing destination: much of the rock is soft; it’s more in want of a viable economy than an identity as a tourist hotspot; and it’s been virtually off the adventure map for the past five decades. But none of that stopped me from tossing my climbing shoes into my luggage on my first trip there, in 2006. Rock, I knew, was everywhere. Why should the Cradle of Humanity be any different?

On that first trip, I was part of a larger group on a mission to understand Ethiopia’s coffee story— but I got a sore neck from cranking to scope the vertical mounds and sandstone faces we passed.

I carted those shoes around southern Ethiopia for an entire month and, though I climbed zero rock on that trip, I saw possibility. That possibility, I now know, wasn’t just a desire to climb in Ethiopia, but to know Ethiopia through climbing.

Four years later, as the adventure guide for Imagine Ethiopia, I helped bring 17 people to this country for their first time. I also took many of them climbing for their first time on its sanguine, orange-tinted vertical faces. I’d spent the previous years climbing in, and writing about, Ethiopia. But this was the first time I’d said yes to a group when they asked if I would take part in a larger project there. We were going to Ethiopia, in part, to build a school. We were going there, in part, to climb. We were going there in part for it, and in part for ourselves.

The world wants to help Ethiopia. I’ve wanted to, as well—ever since I was eight and plastered myself to the television during the coverage of

the 1984 famine. But what we sometimes forget is that Ethiopia wants to help us, too. And it will, if we let it.

For me, that happens when I allow myself to be myself within its borders. It happens when I adventure.

I often tell non-climbers that they are right-on in their basic assumption about climbing: it’s dirty. Perching on, torquing into, and grabbing a hold of rock is not a tidy business. But that gritty contact is part of why I like it. I want to experience the rock and land, the way it is, up close. I want to absorb it at a pace that is human-propelled. I want to smell the earth— vertically. Imagine Ethiopia 2010 allowed me to bring that same opportunity to a group of others.

And so we went climbing. We top-roped new routes on the side of a 2,000-foot sandstone massif. We climbed to thirteenth-century churches carved into sandstone towers. And we biked and hiked and walked, and did it all over again during a span of almost three weeks. In between those activities, we visited communities with new schools, as well as communities about to get a school because of the fund raising work of our group and the work commitments of the community itself. You could say that either activity—climbing and community development—was the balance for the other. But together they created a singular experience.

To travel in Ethiopia is to open yourself up to extreme emotions. Abject poverty and utter beauty exist here side by side, and destitution and opportunity are forever paired. To help Ethiopia—and allow it to help you—you have to be open to both. The secret to opening up and truly knowing the place might be pacing and exploration. Vertical or horizontal, the gritty closeness we’ll develop lets us begin to find our own place within its unlikely story. n

Think you can put a creatribution into action?

Participant sign-ups for Imagine Ethiopia 2011 (October 23–November 5) are open now.

For more information, visit: imagine1day.orgethiopia2011

WAM • SPR | 2011 53

The Other Ethiopia

By Majka Burhardt

E

A

great procession of village men carry canes and long-handled scythes, dancing before the train of departing Land Cruisers. Chanting and singing fill the air, and a gaggle of children wave goodbye as the entire village of Atsemba escorts the procession along a narrow path at the edge of the settlement. Their school has been built. And the villagers now have a new vision and a path toward that brighter future, a course of progress that may well lead them out of poverty.

The hope is that the sturdy stone buildings will provide a safe and comfortable place for learning, one that’s close to home and may reduce instances of rape and abduction. Similarly, new wells provide drinking water and support a system of micro irrigation, and the school’s latrine offers sanitary hygiene and waste disposal, reducing disease and providing village girls with a private place to manage their menstrual cycles.

By making small but meaningful investments, Imagine1day is able to help establish a sustainable social infrastructure for flourishing communities that, in time, become self-

52 WAM • SPR | 2011

While raising money for infrastructure and building schools is the foundation of its efforts, Imagine1day also helps mediate partnerships with the Ethiopian government to fund roadbuilding, pay teacher salaries, and purchase school supplies. The organization also helps plant thousands of fruit trees, provides micro-loans for income-generating livestock, and tries to bolster the community’s ability to support itself moving forward. A partnership with Imagine1day equates to accountability, and eventually the community has got to be able to support itself—it is getting a hand up, not a handout.

For decades, much of western relief work in Africa has taken the form of straight giving: providing food and the financial resources to build infrastructure. But Imagine1day instead follows a principle that encourages people to provide for themselves. One of last fall’s Imagine Ethiopia participants, and a fund-

raising professional in Toronto, Sarah Shaw was surprised that her own vision of charity and giving changed by witnessing Imagine1day’s model. “From the very start, [Imagine1day] makes it known that this is not aid, it is a partnership,” Shaw says. “With our help, they’ve seen incredible results in academic achievement and income generation, but in a couple of years [the villages and schools] want to be totally selfsufficient.”

Motivated out of a deep desire to do good, Shannon Wilson founded Imagine1day following a model that had served her well in business and which is helping to re-shape people’s ideas about aid, giving, and their own ability to participate in that process. “I really can’t say that this is the best way to do what we’re doing,” she says with a chuckle, “but it seems to be working.” By giving of themselves, their skills and talents, Wilson says anyone can help to bring about positive change.

And whether they work toward educating children in Africa, or some other worthy cause, anyone can aspire to make a difference in the world. “I just really believe that if someone wants to do something, there’s something they can do.” n

The Ethiopia-based staff of support professionals allows Imagine1day to make regular visits to each of the communities it serves and to provide ongoing training to teachers who help to raise the performance expectations of the village as a whole. Teachers are the ones who help to define a line of development, a clear path toward social renewal and out of poverty.

It’s a form of community investment, and the focus on promoting self-sufficiency makes Imagine1day an organization the travelersturned-contributors want to support. “I believe their model of charity is more sustainable. It’s more impactful because they’re not only giving tools that the community needs but they give knowledge, training,” says Wheeler.

womensadventuremagazine.com

PETER DOUCETTE

Over the past four years, Imagine1day has built or helped to fund 32 schools in villages throughout Tigray. Operating from a central office in the town of Mekele, about 400 miles north of Addis Ababa, a group of eight local staffers provides resources and training to local teachers, encouraging them to not only educate children but to build the school into a focal point of community engagement that will improve the quality of life for everyone in the village.

sustaining. “Sustainability was a really important consideration as we set goals for Imagine1day,” Wilson says. “Billions of dollars in aid has been dumped into Africa. We thought, ‘If we’re going to get involved here, we need to know that it is going to work and, most of all, last.’”

JAMES EDWARD MILLS

kind of charitable work, it makes sense to get behind education.”

Creating sustainable partnerships, Imagine1day is bringing people together—villagers, teachers, guides, climbers, fundraisers, and farmers—into a network focused on achieving new heights and changing their own definitions of success. In the same spirit of team work that encourages each climber to the summit of a high mountain peak, the people of Atsemba are getting the support they need to succeed under their own power, to set and achieve attainable goals. And just like climbing, with time and practice they will continue to ascend to higher goals, gaining strength, confidence and new partners with each attempt.

thiopia is an unlikely climbing destination: much of the rock is soft; it’s more in want of a viable economy than an identity as a tourist hotspot; and it’s been virtually off the adventure map for the past five decades. But none of that stopped me from tossing my climbing shoes into my luggage on my first trip there, in 2006. Rock, I knew, was everywhere. Why should the Cradle of Humanity be any different?

On that first trip, I was part of a larger group on a mission to understand Ethiopia’s coffee story— but I got a sore neck from cranking to scope the vertical mounds and sandstone faces we passed.

I carted those shoes around southern Ethiopia for an entire month and, though I climbed zero rock on that trip, I saw possibility. That possibility, I now know, wasn’t just a desire to climb in Ethiopia, but to know Ethiopia through climbing.

Four years later, as the adventure guide for Imagine Ethiopia, I helped bring 17 people to this country for their first time. I also took many of them climbing for their first time on its sanguine, orange-tinted vertical faces. I’d spent the previous years climbing in, and writing about, Ethiopia. But this was the first time I’d said yes to a group when they asked if I would take part in a larger project there. We were going to Ethiopia, in part, to build a school. We were going there, in part, to climb. We were going there in part for it, and in part for ourselves.

The world wants to help Ethiopia. I’ve wanted to, as well—ever since I was eight and plastered myself to the television during the coverage of

the 1984 famine. But what we sometimes forget is that Ethiopia wants to help us, too. And it will, if we let it.

For me, that happens when I allow myself to be myself within its borders. It happens when I adventure.

I often tell non-climbers that they are right-on in their basic assumption about climbing: it’s dirty. Perching on, torquing into, and grabbing a hold of rock is not a tidy business. But that gritty contact is part of why I like it. I want to experience the rock and land, the way it is, up close. I want to absorb it at a pace that is human-propelled. I want to smell the earth— vertically. Imagine Ethiopia 2010 allowed me to bring that same opportunity to a group of others.

And so we went climbing. We top-roped new routes on the side of a 2,000-foot sandstone massif. We climbed to thirteenth-century churches carved into sandstone towers. And we biked and hiked and walked, and did it all over again during a span of almost three weeks. In between those activities, we visited communities with new schools, as well as communities about to get a school because of the fund raising work of our group and the work commitments of the community itself. You could say that either activity—climbing and community development—was the balance for the other. But together they created a singular experience.

To travel in Ethiopia is to open yourself up to extreme emotions. Abject poverty and utter beauty exist here side by side, and destitution and opportunity are forever paired. To help Ethiopia—and allow it to help you—you have to be open to both. The secret to opening up and truly knowing the place might be pacing and exploration. Vertical or horizontal, the gritty closeness we’ll develop lets us begin to find our own place within its unlikely story. n

Think you can put a creatribution into action?

Participant sign-ups for Imagine Ethiopia 2011 (October 23–November 5) are open now.

For more information, visit: imagine1day.orgethiopia2011

WAM • SPR | 2011 53

Rolling Home

N

ancy Vogel unfolded her map. Smoothing out the creases, wrestling with the folds, putting Mexico behind her, and seeing the small Honduran town of Choluteca on the map for the first time. After almost a year, Nancy, along with husband John and twin 10-year-olds Davy and Daryl, were just a few hundred miles—one length of folded map—from a place she considered home. “Holy cow,” she recalls, “it was on the map.”

They weren’t anywhere near the United States or their house in Boise, Idaho. But, about one-third of the way into the 18,000-mile journey that would take Nancy and her family the entire length of the Pan-American Highway, this sun-tanned 48-year-old mother of two was excited to arrive at a familiar place. It was one of only a handful of familiar places she’d see during the next two years, and one that—two decades after a Peace Corps stint in Honduras—still felt like home.

Can riding 18,000 miles change one family’s definition of home?

Nancy Vogel’s journey—complete with husband, two kids, and three bikes—has her questioning her sense of place, but has buoyed the strength of her family.

“I left a part of my heart there,” she recalls, “and I’d finally come back to find it again.” During the next two weeks, she did just that, relaxing with her children among members of her one-time host family, visiting the school where she launched her teaching career nearly 24 years ago, splashing in Pacific waves, and settling into a routine of family-and-friendfilled events that reminded her of the community she’d left behind.

Nancy had developed a sense of isolation during the long ride south from the Arctic Circle that left her longing for a community of friends and family. That familiar stop in Choluteca was one of her favorites in a journey filled with new and foreign destinations and, when the time came to refold the map—yet again—and continue south, it was almost as hard as it had been to leave home.

By Melynda Harrison

“We respect each other’s strengths and we’ve learned how to utilize them.”

—Nancy Vogel

A

Top to bottom: Nancy comforts a baby in a hospital in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Daryl models local hats with some of the family’s South American hosts. All four members of the Vogel family on the Bolivian altiplano (high plains).

54 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE VOGEL FAMILY

fter all, she says, family is the reason she and her husband John started batting around the idea of a bike trip through the Americas in the first place. They’d already experienced the powerful bonds created by long-distance cycling. Nancy and John had gotten engaged while cycling through Asia for a year. And the family completed a 9,300mile bicycle tour of the United States before deciding to take on the PanAmerican Highway.

“I was scared spitless, though,” says Nancy. The entire family was excited about the long-distance ride. But 10-year-olds Davy and Daryl insisted that the family ride the northernmost stretch of the Pan-American Highway—a lonely 400-mile cut between the Arctic Ocean and Fairbanks, Alaska, called the Dalton Highway—for their chance to set a Guinness World Record as the youngest people to cycle from the Arctic to Patagonia. No rescue crews, no place to re-supply in emergencies, and famously difficult terrain had Nancy wondering: Am I crazy to put my kids in this kind of danger?

The thing she did know was that, no matter what happened in Alaska, or anywhere else for that matter, this trip would strengthen all the members of the family, and the family as a whole, by extension. By the time they pulled their dirty bikes into Fairbanks, in late June of 2009, they’d covered one of the journey’s most difficult stretches. Finishing that first leg of their trip bolstered their confidence and gave them a chance to adjust to life in the saddle. Within a few weeks, the Vogel crew was already transforming from parents and children, teachers and students, into a team. “We respect each

Davy and Nancy approaching the highest pass on the Pan-American Highway: 14,856 feet.

WAM • SPR | 2011 55

Rolling Home

N

ancy Vogel unfolded her map. Smoothing out the creases, wrestling with the folds, putting Mexico behind her, and seeing the small Honduran town of Choluteca on the map for the first time. After almost a year, Nancy, along with husband John and twin 10-year-olds Davy and Daryl, were just a few hundred miles—one length of folded map—from a place she considered home. “Holy cow,” she recalls, “it was on the map.”

They weren’t anywhere near the United States or their house in Boise, Idaho. But, about one-third of the way into the 18,000-mile journey that would take Nancy and her family the entire length of the Pan-American Highway, this sun-tanned 48-year-old mother of two was excited to arrive at a familiar place. It was one of only a handful of familiar places she’d see during the next two years, and one that—two decades after a Peace Corps stint in Honduras—still felt like home.

Can riding 18,000 miles change one family’s definition of home?

Nancy Vogel’s journey—complete with husband, two kids, and three bikes—has her questioning her sense of place, but has buoyed the strength of her family.

“I left a part of my heart there,” she recalls, “and I’d finally come back to find it again.” During the next two weeks, she did just that, relaxing with her children among members of her one-time host family, visiting the school where she launched her teaching career nearly 24 years ago, splashing in Pacific waves, and settling into a routine of family-and-friendfilled events that reminded her of the community she’d left behind.

Nancy had developed a sense of isolation during the long ride south from the Arctic Circle that left her longing for a community of friends and family. That familiar stop in Choluteca was one of her favorites in a journey filled with new and foreign destinations and, when the time came to refold the map—yet again—and continue south, it was almost as hard as it had been to leave home.

By Melynda Harrison

“We respect each other’s strengths and we’ve learned how to utilize them.”

—Nancy Vogel

A

Top to bottom: Nancy comforts a baby in a hospital in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Daryl models local hats with some of the family’s South American hosts. All four members of the Vogel family on the Bolivian altiplano (high plains).

54 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE VOGEL FAMILY

fter all, she says, family is the reason she and her husband John started batting around the idea of a bike trip through the Americas in the first place. They’d already experienced the powerful bonds created by long-distance cycling. Nancy and John had gotten engaged while cycling through Asia for a year. And the family completed a 9,300mile bicycle tour of the United States before deciding to take on the PanAmerican Highway.

“I was scared spitless, though,” says Nancy. The entire family was excited about the long-distance ride. But 10-year-olds Davy and Daryl insisted that the family ride the northernmost stretch of the Pan-American Highway—a lonely 400-mile cut between the Arctic Ocean and Fairbanks, Alaska, called the Dalton Highway—for their chance to set a Guinness World Record as the youngest people to cycle from the Arctic to Patagonia. No rescue crews, no place to re-supply in emergencies, and famously difficult terrain had Nancy wondering: Am I crazy to put my kids in this kind of danger?

The thing she did know was that, no matter what happened in Alaska, or anywhere else for that matter, this trip would strengthen all the members of the family, and the family as a whole, by extension. By the time they pulled their dirty bikes into Fairbanks, in late June of 2009, they’d covered one of the journey’s most difficult stretches. Finishing that first leg of their trip bolstered their confidence and gave them a chance to adjust to life in the saddle. Within a few weeks, the Vogel crew was already transforming from parents and children, teachers and students, into a team. “We respect each

Davy and Nancy approaching the highest pass on the Pan-American Highway: 14,856 feet.

WAM • SPR | 2011 55

other’s strengths and know how to utilize them,” says Nancy, “but we also recognize each other’s weaknesses and know how to cover for them.”

I

t’s true, says Nancy, that a lot of people talk the talk when it comes to extended journeys as a family. But she’s disappointed how few actually walk the walk, “I really wish more people would do it,” she says. “I wish more people would head out to see the world with children in tow. There’s just so much to learn out there.”

As school teachers, Nancy and John have the tools to capitalize on the learning opportunities they encounter on their journey: history lessons at Mayan ruins, Spanish immersion, and geography lessons along mountain ranges and fault lines. Nancy recounts her own surprise when, during a side-trip to the Galapagos Islands, the boys explained to her Darwin’s theory of natural selection. “I sat there in disbelief,” she says. “Our tour guide had explained it during the day, but I didn’t realize they were listening. It’s just one example of how they learn by osmosis; they go to a place and the collective wisdom behind it goes into their brains.”

“Davy and Daryl have learned more in these years on the road than in a whole school career back home,” she says with pride. “They’ve learned about themselves and others, they’ve learned about the world they live in and life lessons that will carry them into adulthood and beyond.”

Much to her surprise, Nancy’s perspective about the family’s trip isn’t universal. A small but vocal group of critics has attacked the family’s motives and chastised Nancy and John for dragging their children away from “normal” life. “I was devastated,” Nancy says, remembering the first time she heard the opposition. But the criticism forced them, as a family, to reevaluate their motives and ask questions: Why are we doing this trip?

Is it good for the kids?

More than two and a half years into the trip, as they near the finish line, Nancy’s reflections are cautiously affirmative. “There are good and bad things, advantages and disadvantages to any lifestyle,” she says, weighing the activity options the boys would have had in Boise against the ones they’ve had on the road. Football practice or swimming with sea lions; student government or flying over the famous Nazca Lines; Burger King or tasting authentic asada in Argentina. “One’s not necessarily better or worse; they’re just different. As parents, we make those decisions for our families,” she says, “but in our case, our kids have a huge voice.”

There were plenty of tough times during the trip—low points during their wind-blown ride across Peru’s high deserts, or a long slog through Argentina’s lake district. Those struggles gave Nancy an opportunity to see the boys’ own willingness to do the trip. “Even with an extreme internal desire to reach Ushuaia, sometimes it’s hard enough to force myself to continue riding,” she says. “I could never have forced my children to do this.”

Nor, she admits, could she have anticipated the pride she feels for their perseverance and strength, both mental and physical. Though both relatively strong and independent as 10-year-olds, Davy and Daryl have blurred the line between provider and dependent in the Vogel family.

With maturity, they’ve developed strength, judgment, and experience that comforts Nancy when her own strength and determination wane—like last fall when she fell sick with pneumonia.

Top to bottom: Approaching Quebrada de las Conchas in northwest Argentina.

Resting in the Andes near Lake Titicaca, Peru. Checking into the Andes Hostel after a solid week of camping.

56 WAM • SPR | 2011

Nancy was feverish, barely able to stay on her bike, when Davy offered to switch his lightly-loaded single bicycle for her heavily weighed-down one.

womensadventuremagazine.com

“We’re in a position where we could, literally, do anything.”

—Nancy Vogel

Forty miles from the next town, she decided to take him up on the offer. “I rebelled against it a little bit. I felt like I needed to be the strong one, and it was a huge thing for me to relinquish the bike,” she says, noting that as she and John, now 50 and 56 respectively, are visibly aging and losing strength, the boys are visibly gaining it. “I realized that our roles were switching, and I burst into tears. I felt so much pride,” she says. “For the boys, this lifestyle and our progress is normal. But they don’t know how incredibly remarkable it really is.”

L

ast January, Nancy unfolded a worn map she’d been cursing for the last several hundred miles. Weary from its inaccurate distances, false leads about water sources, scattered villages, and indirect routes that pit rolling hills against out-of-the-way highways as route options, this was a stretch of riding she was glad to put behind them. Coupled with her recent bout of pneumonia and a couple of perpetually broken tire spokes she’d be nursing until replacements arrived from the U.S., the family’s recent progress was slower and more difficult than they’d imagined. But, as Nancy carefully re-creased the map, their final destination finally appeared along its worn southern edge. The distance between them and their goal—the southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway, the city of Ushuaia—was just a fraction of the distance they’d already covered.

Top to bottom: Nancy and Davy riding through a sandstorm in the Peruvian coastal desert.

John and Daryl enjoy a game of cards in the tent. Nancy sporting a traditional Bolivian hat and a big smile. Daryl takes a break in the only patch of desert shade.

Follow the Vogels online at familyonbikes.org

She’d known it was coming, but the appearance of the worlds southernmost town on the last map opened her eyes again to the accomplishments of the family over the last two and a half years, the growth she’s seen in the boys and the possibilities for the future. The last of which is weighing heavily on the minds of everyone in the family. “On the one hand, I’ll be so excited and elated that we made it,” says Nancy, “and on the other hand, I could be really depressed because we’ve finally finished this thing we’ve been focused on for so many years. We’re in a position where we could, literally, do anything.”

Along with that possibility, and the pace and style that Nancy and John have established as “normal” for the boys, comes a lot of questions about what everyone wants. In the same sentence in which she mentions her age and ailing body, she mentions the possibility of touring the world, riding around Australia, or across Asia. The boys, she says, are of two minds— curious about a life as typical teenagers back in Idaho and also excited by the prospect of carrying on to see more of the world. “They’re so flexible; that’s the way kids are,” says Nancy, “As for going home, it may turn out that we get back on our bikes to feel like we’re there.” n

WAM • SPR | 2011 57

other’s strengths and know how to utilize them,” says Nancy, “but we also recognize each other’s weaknesses and know how to cover for them.”

I

t’s true, says Nancy, that a lot of people talk the talk when it comes to extended journeys as a family. But she’s disappointed how few actually walk the walk, “I really wish more people would do it,” she says. “I wish more people would head out to see the world with children in tow. There’s just so much to learn out there.”

As school teachers, Nancy and John have the tools to capitalize on the learning opportunities they encounter on their journey: history lessons at Mayan ruins, Spanish immersion, and geography lessons along mountain ranges and fault lines. Nancy recounts her own surprise when, during a side-trip to the Galapagos Islands, the boys explained to her Darwin’s theory of natural selection. “I sat there in disbelief,” she says. “Our tour guide had explained it during the day, but I didn’t realize they were listening. It’s just one example of how they learn by osmosis; they go to a place and the collective wisdom behind it goes into their brains.”

“Davy and Daryl have learned more in these years on the road than in a whole school career back home,” she says with pride. “They’ve learned about themselves and others, they’ve learned about the world they live in and life lessons that will carry them into adulthood and beyond.”

Much to her surprise, Nancy’s perspective about the family’s trip isn’t universal. A small but vocal group of critics has attacked the family’s motives and chastised Nancy and John for dragging their children away from “normal” life. “I was devastated,” Nancy says, remembering the first time she heard the opposition. But the criticism forced them, as a family, to reevaluate their motives and ask questions: Why are we doing this trip?

Is it good for the kids?

More than two and a half years into the trip, as they near the finish line, Nancy’s reflections are cautiously affirmative. “There are good and bad things, advantages and disadvantages to any lifestyle,” she says, weighing the activity options the boys would have had in Boise against the ones they’ve had on the road. Football practice or swimming with sea lions; student government or flying over the famous Nazca Lines; Burger King or tasting authentic asada in Argentina. “One’s not necessarily better or worse; they’re just different. As parents, we make those decisions for our families,” she says, “but in our case, our kids have a huge voice.”

There were plenty of tough times during the trip—low points during their wind-blown ride across Peru’s high deserts, or a long slog through Argentina’s lake district. Those struggles gave Nancy an opportunity to see the boys’ own willingness to do the trip. “Even with an extreme internal desire to reach Ushuaia, sometimes it’s hard enough to force myself to continue riding,” she says. “I could never have forced my children to do this.”

Nor, she admits, could she have anticipated the pride she feels for their perseverance and strength, both mental and physical. Though both relatively strong and independent as 10-year-olds, Davy and Daryl have blurred the line between provider and dependent in the Vogel family.

With maturity, they’ve developed strength, judgment, and experience that comforts Nancy when her own strength and determination wane—like last fall when she fell sick with pneumonia.

Top to bottom: Approaching Quebrada de las Conchas in northwest Argentina.

Resting in the Andes near Lake Titicaca, Peru. Checking into the Andes Hostel after a solid week of camping.

56 WAM • SPR | 2011

Nancy was feverish, barely able to stay on her bike, when Davy offered to switch his lightly-loaded single bicycle for her heavily weighed-down one.

womensadventuremagazine.com

“We’re in a position where we could, literally, do anything.”

—Nancy Vogel

Forty miles from the next town, she decided to take him up on the offer. “I rebelled against it a little bit. I felt like I needed to be the strong one, and it was a huge thing for me to relinquish the bike,” she says, noting that as she and John, now 50 and 56 respectively, are visibly aging and losing strength, the boys are visibly gaining it. “I realized that our roles were switching, and I burst into tears. I felt so much pride,” she says. “For the boys, this lifestyle and our progress is normal. But they don’t know how incredibly remarkable it really is.”

L

ast January, Nancy unfolded a worn map she’d been cursing for the last several hundred miles. Weary from its inaccurate distances, false leads about water sources, scattered villages, and indirect routes that pit rolling hills against out-of-the-way highways as route options, this was a stretch of riding she was glad to put behind them. Coupled with her recent bout of pneumonia and a couple of perpetually broken tire spokes she’d be nursing until replacements arrived from the U.S., the family’s recent progress was slower and more difficult than they’d imagined. But, as Nancy carefully re-creased the map, their final destination finally appeared along its worn southern edge. The distance between them and their goal—the southern terminus of the Pan-American Highway, the city of Ushuaia—was just a fraction of the distance they’d already covered.

Top to bottom: Nancy and Davy riding through a sandstorm in the Peruvian coastal desert.

John and Daryl enjoy a game of cards in the tent. Nancy sporting a traditional Bolivian hat and a big smile. Daryl takes a break in the only patch of desert shade.

Follow the Vogels online at familyonbikes.org

She’d known it was coming, but the appearance of the worlds southernmost town on the last map opened her eyes again to the accomplishments of the family over the last two and a half years, the growth she’s seen in the boys and the possibilities for the future. The last of which is weighing heavily on the minds of everyone in the family. “On the one hand, I’ll be so excited and elated that we made it,” says Nancy, “and on the other hand, I could be really depressed because we’ve finally finished this thing we’ve been focused on for so many years. We’re in a position where we could, literally, do anything.”

Along with that possibility, and the pace and style that Nancy and John have established as “normal” for the boys, comes a lot of questions about what everyone wants. In the same sentence in which she mentions her age and ailing body, she mentions the possibility of touring the world, riding around Australia, or across Asia. The boys, she says, are of two minds— curious about a life as typical teenagers back in Idaho and also excited by the prospect of carrying on to see more of the world. “They’re so flexible; that’s the way kids are,” says Nancy, “As for going home, it may turn out that we get back on our bikes to feel like we’re there.” n

WAM • SPR | 2011 57

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58 WAM • SPR | 2011

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WAM • SPR | 2011 59

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58 WAM • SPR | 2011

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WAM • SPR | 2011 59

sleep systems Whether you’re taking a siesta or snoozing all night, your sleep system can make or break an extended foray into the outdoors. Warmth, versatility, comfort, ease-of-use, and overall functionality requirements will be different for base-camping in the mountains or breaking camp in the tropics, but examining some extreme options might help you find a system that covers all those bases.

Questions to ask before you buy:

How important is your system’s weight? a) not b) moderately c) very In how many seasons do you want to use this system? a) all of them b) three c) two Are you typically hot or cold while sleeping? a) cold b) neither c) hot

ENO OneLink DoubleNest Sleeping System

Fit for two, this 4 lb., 8 oz., bug- and rain-proof swinging system includes a woven nylon hammock, a rip-stop rain-proof DryFly, and a no-see-umproof bug net for a sleep system that’s made for tropical temps and soggy campsites. Add-on options include a below-the net quilt that, along with your own sleeping bag, make this system appropriate for cooler temps, too.

Trees not included. ($210; eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com)

Versatility

There’s no such thing as an all-arounder when it comes to sleep systems, but you can add or remove made-to-match options such as liners, sleeping pads, bivy sacs, and even sheets or pillows to optimize weight or warmth for conditions as varied as a tropical night or a mid-winter Alaskan dawn. Some systems that require matching pieces can add unnecessarily repetitive features and weight‑or demand higher prices for proprietary replacement parts‑so consider accessories and upgrade options along with pricepoint and versatility as you shop.

Therm-a-Rest Alpine 2°C (35°F) Down Fitted Sheet, and Mattress Blanket Therm-a-rest merges their proven sleeping pads with a system of

sheets and blankets that drops unnecessary weight due to zippers and under-you insulation, and takes advantage of your sleeping pad’s inherent warmth and the footloose comfort of a blanket-style bed. The combo 700-fill goose down blanket, 1 lb., 5 oz.; polyester sheet, 6 oz.; and compatible mattresses ranging from ultralight to ultra-luxe, offer 3-season warmth and 5-star sleeping comfort. (from $200; cascadedesigns.com)

Mountain Hardwear MegaFlip 35°/50°

Fill

There’s room for two in this semi-rectangular doublewide sleepsack that flips over to offer insulated coverage for variable conditions-one side is rated for 35-degree temps and the other, for 45. Full-length zippers allow for opposite side venting, two interior chest pockets store accessories, and super-compressible synthetic fill packs this two-in-one bag into a relatively compact 9-inch, 5 lb., 3 oz., package. ($175; mountainhardwear.com)

Down vs. synthetic is one of the first considerations for picking a sleeping bag, but, with advantages and disadvantages to both, it’s not always an easy choice.

Down tends to be lighter and pack tighter, but also costs more and doesn’t insulate if it gets wet. Synthetic bags-normally high-lofting polyester-blended fibers-are much more affordable and easier to care for than down bags. They will insulate when wet, but are typically heavier, and their insulating ability breaks down over time.

Fit

Beyond

the standard options‑rectangular or mummy‑when it comes to shape, women’sspecific sleeping bags are often shorter in length, wider through the hip, and narrower through the shoulder than unisex or standard bags. A closer fit means less bag to carry and also less air to warm inside the bag itself, but, especially when car camping makes weight-savings passe, some campers prefer a roomier bag or even a bag that sleeps two soundly.

Innovation

Brooks-Range Mountaineering Elephant Foot Temperature rating

draft protection, size, insulation material, and density all play a part in the expected temperatures in which a sleep system will be comfortable. Warmth usually equates to increased weight and cost, so narrowing down the conditions in which you realistically expect to camp can help you choose the right bag for your needs.

Keep in mind that temperature ratings aren’t standard and that liners, layering, your bag’s age, how you store it, and even your metabolism play a part in a warm night’s sleep.

Fit,

As sleep system technology advances, innovative cribs have gained credibility. Where all-weather hammocks and double-wide bags once elicited curious stares, they’ve created niches. And, as the camping public continues to grow, so too will options and design specs that add versatility, style, and comfort.

60 WAM • SPR | 2011

The key to saving weight is carrying multi-purpose gear, right? That’s the theory behind this 3/4-length bottom-half bag system that pairs with your upper-body insulating layer‑like a down jacket or anorak‑for full-body insulation.

High-quality goose down is light (15 oz.), compressible, and rated to alpine temps down to 15 degrees. ($250; brooks-range.com)

Big Agnes Slavonia 30° bag and Dual Core sleeping pad

The shtick: Your insulated pad slips into the bottom pocket of any Big Agnes bag, ensuring you won’t roll off your mat and also eliminating weight by foregoing unnecessary fill between you and the mat. The real news: a 97-percent-recycled fill insulates every Big Agnes Classic Women’s Series synthetic bag. ($130, $90; bigagnes.com)

sleep systems Whether you’re taking a siesta or snoozing all night, your sleep system can make or break an extended foray into the outdoors. Warmth, versatility, comfort, ease-of-use, and overall functionality requirements will be different for base-camping in the mountains or breaking camp in the tropics, but examining some extreme options might help you find a system that covers all those bases.

Questions to ask before you buy:

How important is your system’s weight? a) not b) moderately c) very In how many seasons do you want to use this system? a) all of them b) three c) two Are you typically hot or cold while sleeping? a) cold b) neither c) hot

ENO OneLink DoubleNest Sleeping System

Fit for two, this 4 lb., 8 oz., bug- and rain-proof swinging system includes a woven nylon hammock, a rip-stop rain-proof DryFly, and a no-see-umproof bug net for a sleep system that’s made for tropical temps and soggy campsites. Add-on options include a below-the net quilt that, along with your own sleeping bag, make this system appropriate for cooler temps, too.

Trees not included. ($210; eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com)

Versatility

There’s no such thing as an all-arounder when it comes to sleep systems, but you can add or remove made-to-match options such as liners, sleeping pads, bivy sacs, and even sheets or pillows to optimize weight or warmth for conditions as varied as a tropical night or a mid-winter Alaskan dawn. Some systems that require matching pieces can add unnecessarily repetitive features and weight‑or demand higher prices for proprietary replacement parts‑so consider accessories and upgrade options along with pricepoint and versatility as you shop.

Therm-a-Rest Alpine 2°C (35°F) Down Fitted Sheet, and Mattress Blanket Therm-a-rest merges their proven sleeping pads with a system of

sheets and blankets that drops unnecessary weight due to zippers and under-you insulation, and takes advantage of your sleeping pad’s inherent warmth and the footloose comfort of a blanket-style bed. The combo 700-fill goose down blanket, 1 lb., 5 oz.; polyester sheet, 6 oz.; and compatible mattresses ranging from ultralight to ultra-luxe, offer 3-season warmth and 5-star sleeping comfort. (from $200; cascadedesigns.com)

Mountain Hardwear MegaFlip 35°/50°

Fill

There’s room for two in this semi-rectangular doublewide sleepsack that flips over to offer insulated coverage for variable conditions-one side is rated for 35-degree temps and the other, for 45. Full-length zippers allow for opposite side venting, two interior chest pockets store accessories, and super-compressible synthetic fill packs this two-in-one bag into a relatively compact 9-inch, 5 lb., 3 oz., package. ($175; mountainhardwear.com)

Down vs. synthetic is one of the first considerations for picking a sleeping bag, but, with advantages and disadvantages to both, it’s not always an easy choice.

Down tends to be lighter and pack tighter, but also costs more and doesn’t insulate if it gets wet. Synthetic bags-normally high-lofting polyester-blended fibers-are much more affordable and easier to care for than down bags. They will insulate when wet, but are typically heavier, and their insulating ability breaks down over time.

Fit

Beyond

the standard options‑rectangular or mummy‑when it comes to shape, women’sspecific sleeping bags are often shorter in length, wider through the hip, and narrower through the shoulder than unisex or standard bags. A closer fit means less bag to carry and also less air to warm inside the bag itself, but, especially when car camping makes weight-savings passe, some campers prefer a roomier bag or even a bag that sleeps two soundly.

Innovation

Brooks-Range Mountaineering Elephant Foot Temperature rating

draft protection, size, insulation material, and density all play a part in the expected temperatures in which a sleep system will be comfortable. Warmth usually equates to increased weight and cost, so narrowing down the conditions in which you realistically expect to camp can help you choose the right bag for your needs.

Keep in mind that temperature ratings aren’t standard and that liners, layering, your bag’s age, how you store it, and even your metabolism play a part in a warm night’s sleep.

Fit,

As sleep system technology advances, innovative cribs have gained credibility. Where all-weather hammocks and double-wide bags once elicited curious stares, they’ve created niches. And, as the camping public continues to grow, so too will options and design specs that add versatility, style, and comfort.

60 WAM • SPR | 2011

The key to saving weight is carrying multi-purpose gear, right? That’s the theory behind this 3/4-length bottom-half bag system that pairs with your upper-body insulating layer‑like a down jacket or anorak‑for full-body insulation.

High-quality goose down is light (15 oz.), compressible, and rated to alpine temps down to 15 degrees. ($250; brooks-range.com)

Big Agnes Slavonia 30° bag and Dual Core sleeping pad

The shtick: Your insulated pad slips into the bottom pocket of any Big Agnes bag, ensuring you won’t roll off your mat and also eliminating weight by foregoing unnecessary fill between you and the mat. The real news: a 97-percent-recycled fill insulates every Big Agnes Classic Women’s Series synthetic bag. ($130, $90; bigagnes.com)

Cannondale Supersix Women’s 3 Ultegra

road bikes

Stiffness

While a desire to ride faster and more competitively usually spurs the decision to buy a new road bike, comfort and budget are also key. What you gain by choosing aggressive angles and shaving weight, might not balance with your riding style or pocketbook. We hope this lowdown on how features affect performance will give you some tools for making the ultimate decision and finding your perfect ride.

Questions to ask yourself before you shop:

What sort of riding am I going to do? a) racing b) club rides What’s more important? a) performance b) comfort What’s my budget? a) $2000+ b) under $2000

c) leisure rides c) both! c) under

geometry Road

bike geometries range from aggressive and racy to relaxed and comfortable, with a lot of variations in between. Women’s-specific designs have, until recently, been heavily skewed toward comfort; offering cushy rides with longer wheel-bases, extended chainstays, and reclined seattube angles‑all of which can compromise responsiveness.

Increasingly, race and performance-oriented women’sspecific bikes are emerging that balance more aggressive, but still comfortable, geometry scaled for women, and bottombracket designs that improve stiffness and efficiency.

$1000

top tube head tube

and tortional rigidity‑enhanced by the oversized bottom bracket configuration and a wide-radius head-tube‑mean that this carbon frame transfers every watt of your energy into forward-pushing power. Ride feel and control-focused handling aren’t compromised by weight-saving construction complemented by lightweight Shimano Ultegra components. ($3,199; cannondale.com)

Specialized Amira Comp 105 A

wholly-equipped training and racing bike, this full-carbon frame comes outfitted with lightweight Shimano 105 components and a flat-spoked wheel set that saves nearly 5-ounces. Women’s specific geometry carries from shallow drop bars‑which ease the transition between relaxed and hammer-fest riding stretches‑to a body-geometry designed saddle. Responsive steering is enhanced by the tapered headset while shock-absorbing inserts in the chainstays, fork, and seat post dampen road vibrations. ($2,700; specialized.com)

seat stays

standover height

seat tube

head tube

seat tube

angle

angle

chain stays wheel base

ground

Bianchi Infinito Dama 105

Bridging the gap between performance and comfort, this carbon frame has an extended wheel-base and a relatively slack seat angle‑but maintains a rider’s even weight distribution over the bike. The result? Responsive, confidence-inspiring handling and century-ride-worthy comfort on a frame that’s also a contender as a race machine. ($2,699; bianchiusa.com)

wheels The

wheels that come with a bike might be burlier than what you need, particularly if you’re buying a unisex bike. Because wheel weight corresponds directly to the energy you’ll spend, reducing it is an easy speed-enhancing change. When bike shopping, ask about upgrades and wheel sets, which is where some manufacturers scrimp to save money.

REI Novara Carema Pro 105

It’s the entry-level price-point that might attract you to this aluminumframe bike, but its versatility, comfort, and performance that will keep you on it as your riding skills progress. Touring and commuter-friendly accommodations (fender-compatible brakes, and rack brackets) paired with Shimano 105 components mean this bike is versatile enough for your first tri, commuting around town, and casual club rides. ($1,099; rei.com)

components Some cyclists spend big money to shave ounces of weight, and the quality of a bike’s component kit can improve ride performance‑and more than double a bike’s price. While top-tier components (including derailleurs, cranksets, shifting levers, and brake calipers) usually compare in terms of performance, the same isn’t true for lower-end kits which will weigh you down, wear more quickly, and will be less smooth. When considering componentry options on frame-sets, consider if you’d get more out of a best-of-the-best ready-build or a budget-friendlier intro kit that you’ll opt to upgrade one piece at a time. One thing worth noting: Pedals are an upgrade option that provide a huge efficiency boost.

62 WAM • SPR | 2011

frame material Design

and construction contribute to a bike’s strength and stiffness, but frame material is key to your ride’s feel and longevity. Lightweight carbon is stiff but expensive and prone to damage and inconsistencies based on manufacturing. Aluminum is lightweight, stiff, and less expensive than carbon.

Titanium is expensive but balances light weight with a combo of carbon-like stiffness and steel-like flex. Steel is common and affordable, but its heft and spongy feel make it less appropriate for performance-oriented riding.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Trek Madone 3.1 WSD 105

A stand-by favorite for Women’s Adventure testers Trek’s Madone WSD series ups the ante for price-point bikes with this new edition for 2011. The 3.1 WSD feels like a performance racer in terms of handling, feels like a touring bike in terms of comfort, and maintains the Madone’s reputation for fast-reacting power transfer with its stiff bottom bracket. ($1,800; trekbikes.com) WAM • SPR | 2011 63

Cannondale Supersix Women’s 3 Ultegra

road bikes

Stiffness

While a desire to ride faster and more competitively usually spurs the decision to buy a new road bike, comfort and budget are also key. What you gain by choosing aggressive angles and shaving weight, might not balance with your riding style or pocketbook. We hope this lowdown on how features affect performance will give you some tools for making the ultimate decision and finding your perfect ride.

Questions to ask yourself before you shop:

What sort of riding am I going to do? a) racing b) club rides What’s more important? a) performance b) comfort What’s my budget? a) $2000+ b) under $2000

c) leisure rides c) both! c) under

geometry Road

bike geometries range from aggressive and racy to relaxed and comfortable, with a lot of variations in between. Women’s-specific designs have, until recently, been heavily skewed toward comfort; offering cushy rides with longer wheel-bases, extended chainstays, and reclined seattube angles‑all of which can compromise responsiveness.

Increasingly, race and performance-oriented women’sspecific bikes are emerging that balance more aggressive, but still comfortable, geometry scaled for women, and bottombracket designs that improve stiffness and efficiency.

$1000

top tube head tube

and tortional rigidity‑enhanced by the oversized bottom bracket configuration and a wide-radius head-tube‑mean that this carbon frame transfers every watt of your energy into forward-pushing power. Ride feel and control-focused handling aren’t compromised by weight-saving construction complemented by lightweight Shimano Ultegra components. ($3,199; cannondale.com)

Specialized Amira Comp 105 A

wholly-equipped training and racing bike, this full-carbon frame comes outfitted with lightweight Shimano 105 components and a flat-spoked wheel set that saves nearly 5-ounces. Women’s specific geometry carries from shallow drop bars‑which ease the transition between relaxed and hammer-fest riding stretches‑to a body-geometry designed saddle. Responsive steering is enhanced by the tapered headset while shock-absorbing inserts in the chainstays, fork, and seat post dampen road vibrations. ($2,700; specialized.com)

seat stays

standover height

seat tube

head tube

seat tube

angle

angle

chain stays wheel base

ground

Bianchi Infinito Dama 105

Bridging the gap between performance and comfort, this carbon frame has an extended wheel-base and a relatively slack seat angle‑but maintains a rider’s even weight distribution over the bike. The result? Responsive, confidence-inspiring handling and century-ride-worthy comfort on a frame that’s also a contender as a race machine. ($2,699; bianchiusa.com)

wheels The

wheels that come with a bike might be burlier than what you need, particularly if you’re buying a unisex bike. Because wheel weight corresponds directly to the energy you’ll spend, reducing it is an easy speed-enhancing change. When bike shopping, ask about upgrades and wheel sets, which is where some manufacturers scrimp to save money.

REI Novara Carema Pro 105

It’s the entry-level price-point that might attract you to this aluminumframe bike, but its versatility, comfort, and performance that will keep you on it as your riding skills progress. Touring and commuter-friendly accommodations (fender-compatible brakes, and rack brackets) paired with Shimano 105 components mean this bike is versatile enough for your first tri, commuting around town, and casual club rides. ($1,099; rei.com)

components Some cyclists spend big money to shave ounces of weight, and the quality of a bike’s component kit can improve ride performance‑and more than double a bike’s price. While top-tier components (including derailleurs, cranksets, shifting levers, and brake calipers) usually compare in terms of performance, the same isn’t true for lower-end kits which will weigh you down, wear more quickly, and will be less smooth. When considering componentry options on frame-sets, consider if you’d get more out of a best-of-the-best ready-build or a budget-friendlier intro kit that you’ll opt to upgrade one piece at a time. One thing worth noting: Pedals are an upgrade option that provide a huge efficiency boost.

62 WAM • SPR | 2011

frame material Design

and construction contribute to a bike’s strength and stiffness, but frame material is key to your ride’s feel and longevity. Lightweight carbon is stiff but expensive and prone to damage and inconsistencies based on manufacturing. Aluminum is lightweight, stiff, and less expensive than carbon.

Titanium is expensive but balances light weight with a combo of carbon-like stiffness and steel-like flex. Steel is common and affordable, but its heft and spongy feel make it less appropriate for performance-oriented riding.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Trek Madone 3.1 WSD 105

A stand-by favorite for Women’s Adventure testers Trek’s Madone WSD series ups the ante for price-point bikes with this new edition for 2011. The 3.1 WSD feels like a performance racer in terms of handling, feels like a touring bike in terms of comfort, and maintains the Madone’s reputation for fast-reacting power transfer with its stiff bottom bracket. ($1,800; trekbikes.com) WAM • SPR | 2011 63

trail shoes A solid shoe is a must for trail running where balance, stability, traction, and propulsion play a role in how fun-and how safe-you’ll be on the trail. While your individual needs for fit and support will play a huge role in your ideal shoe selection, identifying your needs when it comes to terrain, trail conditions, running style and performance expectations will help you sift through a mountain of tech-savvy options.

Questions to ask before you buy:

On what kind of trails do you run? a) technical b) easy What kind of gait do you have? a) neutral b) mild pronation What’s more important to you? a) low weight b) foot protection

c)

eyelet

c) severe pronation c) support

tongue lasting

heel counter

fit is a major factor in performance: hotspots, pressure, or a sloppy-feeling fit are all sure-fire ways to ruin a run. You should feel cradled, supported, balanced, and secure, but beware of pressure, especially across your foot’s widest point; pinching; and interior seams. It’s worth trying on shoes from several brands or product lines: different lasts-the foot shaped forms that shoes are built around-create different fits.

Salomon XR Crossmax Neutral

Driving to the trailhead is so last year. Salomon’s high-mileage trail runner is lightweight and impact-absorbing enough to transition smoothly between en-route roads and technical trails. The quick-draw lacing system snugs comfortably around feet of varying widths, and the wide outsole make for a secure, stable feel while running. The seamless, taped exterior is both flashy-looking and flash-flood protective-repelling wetness from the outside. ($130; salomon.com)

A combo with roads

upper heel collar

fit Shoe

Logging

protection

lots of miles on rocky trails will inevitably land you with a stubbed toe or nervetingling run-in with a pointy rock. Toe-guards, over-sized lugs, and rockplates-flexible plastic plates built into a shoe’s outsole-are all options to help protect your feet. Extremes range from barely-there soles to tank-like protection.

Your local trails and running style will dictate your needs, but consider the trade-offs (namely, weight and reduced flexibility) as you decide.

New Balance NB 915

Part of New Balance’s re-vamped trail performance line, this shoe marries minimalist trends with tried-and-true performance features including a smooth-transitioning midsole-support system, full-length shock absorption, an imbedded rock-plate, aggressive yet simple lugs, and debris-free tongue construction. The slimmed-down trail shoe provides some stability but allows for ground-feel that translates to solid running. ($125; newbalance.com)

sockliner

outsole Protecting midsole

medial post

gel cushioning

upper Trail

running can be dirty business: made all the better by muddy trails and wet streams. Shoes are either designed to drain muck quickly via open-weave meshes and permeable uppers, or repel wetness with water-proof membranes and tight fabrics that stop water before it soaks in.

outsole

your foot, providing traction and stability, and helping you transfer power efficiently are the primary jobs of the outsole. Whether you prefer lugs or sticky rubber will depend on where you’re runninglugs for muddy fields, sticky rubber for slickrock, and some combination in variable terrain-but also consider flexibility. The outsole shouldn’t hinder your foot’s natural movement.

The North Face Women’s Double-Track A

cradle support system corrects over-pronation and a cushioned midsole offers shock-absorption that combine in this lightweight trail running shoe meant for rough and rocky terrain. The chunky outsole grips rugged surfaceshexagonal and triangular lugs add traction-and it’s got a cushy interior and midsole that make it a great crossover shoe for trail-runs that start on roads. ($110; thenorthface.com)

Montrail Fairhaven The Fairhaven’s

sticky multi-surface Gryptonite outsole catches on uneven terrain and its stiff sole offers protection and makes for efficient powertransfer as you push off the ground. The seamless support frame and compression-molded midsole are comfortable and add a stabilizing feel without sacrificing performance. The tight-mesh weaves breathe well while offering some protection from morning dew. ($110; montrail.com)

Somnio Westridge 2.0

The Westridge 2.0 is the trail-ready neutral chassis for Somnio’s first-of-its-kind fit and stability system—a custom combination of wedges, cushions and insoles adjustable for each shoe. The result of a custom fit-session is alignment and pronation control specific to your biomechanics and a built-for-you shoe that feels natural on trails and—due to low-profile lugs and a flexible forefoot and upper—on the road, too. ($120; somniorunning.com) 64 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 65

trail shoes A solid shoe is a must for trail running where balance, stability, traction, and propulsion play a role in how fun-and how safe-you’ll be on the trail. While your individual needs for fit and support will play a huge role in your ideal shoe selection, identifying your needs when it comes to terrain, trail conditions, running style and performance expectations will help you sift through a mountain of tech-savvy options.

Questions to ask before you buy:

On what kind of trails do you run? a) technical b) easy What kind of gait do you have? a) neutral b) mild pronation What’s more important to you? a) low weight b) foot protection

c)

eyelet

c) severe pronation c) support

tongue lasting

heel counter

fit is a major factor in performance: hotspots, pressure, or a sloppy-feeling fit are all sure-fire ways to ruin a run. You should feel cradled, supported, balanced, and secure, but beware of pressure, especially across your foot’s widest point; pinching; and interior seams. It’s worth trying on shoes from several brands or product lines: different lasts-the foot shaped forms that shoes are built around-create different fits.

Salomon XR Crossmax Neutral

Driving to the trailhead is so last year. Salomon’s high-mileage trail runner is lightweight and impact-absorbing enough to transition smoothly between en-route roads and technical trails. The quick-draw lacing system snugs comfortably around feet of varying widths, and the wide outsole make for a secure, stable feel while running. The seamless, taped exterior is both flashy-looking and flash-flood protective-repelling wetness from the outside. ($130; salomon.com)

A combo with roads

upper heel collar

fit Shoe

Logging

protection

lots of miles on rocky trails will inevitably land you with a stubbed toe or nervetingling run-in with a pointy rock. Toe-guards, over-sized lugs, and rockplates-flexible plastic plates built into a shoe’s outsole-are all options to help protect your feet. Extremes range from barely-there soles to tank-like protection.

Your local trails and running style will dictate your needs, but consider the trade-offs (namely, weight and reduced flexibility) as you decide.

New Balance NB 915

Part of New Balance’s re-vamped trail performance line, this shoe marries minimalist trends with tried-and-true performance features including a smooth-transitioning midsole-support system, full-length shock absorption, an imbedded rock-plate, aggressive yet simple lugs, and debris-free tongue construction. The slimmed-down trail shoe provides some stability but allows for ground-feel that translates to solid running. ($125; newbalance.com)

sockliner

outsole Protecting midsole

medial post

gel cushioning

upper Trail

running can be dirty business: made all the better by muddy trails and wet streams. Shoes are either designed to drain muck quickly via open-weave meshes and permeable uppers, or repel wetness with water-proof membranes and tight fabrics that stop water before it soaks in.

outsole

your foot, providing traction and stability, and helping you transfer power efficiently are the primary jobs of the outsole. Whether you prefer lugs or sticky rubber will depend on where you’re runninglugs for muddy fields, sticky rubber for slickrock, and some combination in variable terrain-but also consider flexibility. The outsole shouldn’t hinder your foot’s natural movement.

The North Face Women’s Double-Track A

cradle support system corrects over-pronation and a cushioned midsole offers shock-absorption that combine in this lightweight trail running shoe meant for rough and rocky terrain. The chunky outsole grips rugged surfaceshexagonal and triangular lugs add traction-and it’s got a cushy interior and midsole that make it a great crossover shoe for trail-runs that start on roads. ($110; thenorthface.com)

Montrail Fairhaven The Fairhaven’s

sticky multi-surface Gryptonite outsole catches on uneven terrain and its stiff sole offers protection and makes for efficient powertransfer as you push off the ground. The seamless support frame and compression-molded midsole are comfortable and add a stabilizing feel without sacrificing performance. The tight-mesh weaves breathe well while offering some protection from morning dew. ($110; montrail.com)

Somnio Westridge 2.0

The Westridge 2.0 is the trail-ready neutral chassis for Somnio’s first-of-its-kind fit and stability system—a custom combination of wedges, cushions and insoles adjustable for each shoe. The result of a custom fit-session is alignment and pronation control specific to your biomechanics and a built-for-you shoe that feels natural on trails and—due to low-profile lugs and a flexible forefoot and upper—on the road, too. ($120; somniorunning.com) 64 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 65

staff picks

Marketplace HillebergAd-WmnsAdvntr0210-SmllHoriz-Akto2-4.825x3.pdf

Trail Running

Gadgets, gear, and gotta-have-it stuff that our staff fell in love with for Spring.

1

2/11/10

17:09

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HILLEBERG TENTS

Brooks Running Versatile EZ LS

STRONG. LIGHT. DEPENDABLE.

Subtle feminine details-a print along the rear neckline and flattering princess seams-combined with an antimicrobial and moisture-transferring polyester made this running top a stand-out among the running shirts we tried. Man-stink protection in a ladylike top that transfers moisture and controls temps on variable days when you’re warming up and cooling off in one run. ($32; brooksrunning.com)

Jolanda Linschooten

New Balance 2 in 1 Woven Short

These moisture-wicking, figure-flattering shorts and inner compression briefs offer full coverage that doesn’t ride up, plus reflective detailing, a 4-inch inseam, and an emergency ID tag sewn into the iPod-ready zippered back pocket. “I feel exposed in other running shorts,” says assistant editor Jennifer Olson, “but I’ll even do yoga in these.” ($45; shopnewbalance.com)

Bontrager Commuting Wool WSD Top

W W W. H I L L E B E R G .CO M • To l l F r e e : 8 6 6 - 8 4 8 - 8 3 6 8 •

LNT.org

Though it’s not a strictly performance-oriented topwe sweat, but didn’t hammer in it-this 100-percent merino polo-style 3/4-sleeve-length shirt is our top pick for commuter wear. The subtle reflective details and merino’s wicking-warmth performance won points for functionality but we credit the offset buttons for pushing it into our top picks in the cuteness department. ($80; bontrager.com)

Light & Motion Vis 360

P A T E N T E D

Cycling editor Susan Hayse calls it the “Geek Factor Award,” and insisted it go to Light & Motion’s Vis 360, a new helmet-mount

light that let her extend test rides without sacrificing visibility. The 110-lumen front spotlight, side-facing amber accents, and rear blinky come in a 4.5-ounce package that mounts easily onto any helmet, re-charges via USB, and warns you of expected battery life with a color-coded flashing indicator light. ($169; bikelights.com)

SWEAT BLOCK S E A L

Perfect for: Running, Cycling, Walking, Tennis, Hiking, Yoga or anytime you sweat!

Soft antimicrobial Dryline fabric

WATER FOWLED

Fits comfortably under Hats, Visors and Bike helmets

Made in the USA

Cycling

Limited Time Free Shipping Checkout Coupon Code: HALOSHIP

www.haloheadband.com

Packit Gourmet Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes and Baking Set Camping

Nothing says comfort like a couple of steaming cupcakes and a new appreciation for what’s possible when it comes to camp cooking. Packit Gourmet’s baking set includes six silicone baking cups and a steamer that turned gooey chocolate batter-and chilly sleep system testing nightsinto our new favorite wilderness treats. ($6 and $20; packitgourmet.com)

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.

Shimano SH-WR81

With a foot-warming custom fit at your local dealer, these race-ready bike shoes make the jump from off-the-shelf to one-of-a-kind. The fit after the vacuum-sealing session is, according to editor Kristy Holland, “more like underwear than footwear.” Carbon soles are lightweight (Kristy’s size 41s weighed in at 10 ounces each) but stiff for efficient power and stable riding. ($300; bike.shimano.com) 66 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 67

staff picks

Marketplace HillebergAd-WmnsAdvntr0210-SmllHoriz-Akto2-4.825x3.pdf

Trail Running

Gadgets, gear, and gotta-have-it stuff that our staff fell in love with for Spring.

1

2/11/10

17:09

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HILLEBERG TENTS

Brooks Running Versatile EZ LS

STRONG. LIGHT. DEPENDABLE.

Subtle feminine details-a print along the rear neckline and flattering princess seams-combined with an antimicrobial and moisture-transferring polyester made this running top a stand-out among the running shirts we tried. Man-stink protection in a ladylike top that transfers moisture and controls temps on variable days when you’re warming up and cooling off in one run. ($32; brooksrunning.com)

Jolanda Linschooten

New Balance 2 in 1 Woven Short

These moisture-wicking, figure-flattering shorts and inner compression briefs offer full coverage that doesn’t ride up, plus reflective detailing, a 4-inch inseam, and an emergency ID tag sewn into the iPod-ready zippered back pocket. “I feel exposed in other running shorts,” says assistant editor Jennifer Olson, “but I’ll even do yoga in these.” ($45; shopnewbalance.com)

Bontrager Commuting Wool WSD Top

W W W. H I L L E B E R G .CO M • To l l F r e e : 8 6 6 - 8 4 8 - 8 3 6 8 •

LNT.org

Though it’s not a strictly performance-oriented topwe sweat, but didn’t hammer in it-this 100-percent merino polo-style 3/4-sleeve-length shirt is our top pick for commuter wear. The subtle reflective details and merino’s wicking-warmth performance won points for functionality but we credit the offset buttons for pushing it into our top picks in the cuteness department. ($80; bontrager.com)

Light & Motion Vis 360

P A T E N T E D

Cycling editor Susan Hayse calls it the “Geek Factor Award,” and insisted it go to Light & Motion’s Vis 360, a new helmet-mount

light that let her extend test rides without sacrificing visibility. The 110-lumen front spotlight, side-facing amber accents, and rear blinky come in a 4.5-ounce package that mounts easily onto any helmet, re-charges via USB, and warns you of expected battery life with a color-coded flashing indicator light. ($169; bikelights.com)

SWEAT BLOCK S E A L

Perfect for: Running, Cycling, Walking, Tennis, Hiking, Yoga or anytime you sweat!

Soft antimicrobial Dryline fabric

WATER FOWLED

Fits comfortably under Hats, Visors and Bike helmets

Made in the USA

Cycling

Limited Time Free Shipping Checkout Coupon Code: HALOSHIP

www.haloheadband.com

Packit Gourmet Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes and Baking Set Camping

Nothing says comfort like a couple of steaming cupcakes and a new appreciation for what’s possible when it comes to camp cooking. Packit Gourmet’s baking set includes six silicone baking cups and a steamer that turned gooey chocolate batter-and chilly sleep system testing nightsinto our new favorite wilderness treats. ($6 and $20; packitgourmet.com)

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.

Shimano SH-WR81

With a foot-warming custom fit at your local dealer, these race-ready bike shoes make the jump from off-the-shelf to one-of-a-kind. The fit after the vacuum-sealing session is, according to editor Kristy Holland, “more like underwear than footwear.” Carbon soles are lightweight (Kristy’s size 41s weighed in at 10 ounces each) but stiff for efficient power and stable riding. ($300; bike.shimano.com) 66 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 67

YOU ARE NOT A

Chicking I see my path,for Beginners

LIGHTWEIGHT (BUT IT’S OK IF YOUR JACKET IS)

Needs a de somekinger

but know

By AdamIW.don’t Chase where it leads.

Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.

—Rosalia de Castro

Our Cirro jacket, pullover and hoody are all super light and ultra compactable. Their Primaloft One ® insulation keeps you warm like down and their Pertex™ shell fabric is comfortable, easy to move in and water resistant.

Perfect for layering. Perfect for in-between days. Stuff one in your backpack anywhere you’re headed.

brooks-range.com

68 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 69

YOU ARE NOT A

Chicking I see my path,for Beginners

LIGHTWEIGHT (BUT IT’S OK IF YOUR JACKET IS)

Needs a de somekinger

but know

By AdamIW.don’t Chase where it leads.

Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.

—Rosalia de Castro

Our Cirro jacket, pullover and hoody are all super light and ultra compactable. Their Primaloft One ® insulation keeps you warm like down and their Pertex™ shell fabric is comfortable, easy to move in and water resistant.

Perfect for layering. Perfect for in-between days. Stuff one in your backpack anywhere you’re headed.

brooks-range.com

68 WAM • SPR | 2011

womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM • SPR | 2011 69

Beautiful and Smart The Momentum collection is where intelligent fabrics meet beautiful design.

This line of performance actionwear is weather resistant, breathable and stylish, perfect for adventures out on the trail or out on the town.

For thirty-seven years we’ve designed innovative technical clothing for the world’s best athletes, with clever details like UPF protection, tagless necklines and recycled polyester. Now we’ve combined high tech with high fashion to create next-generation sports apparel that’s as beautiful as it is smart. marmot.com Athlete: Kami Hardcastle Location: City of Rocks, ID Photo: Ace Kvale

P E O P L E / P R O D U C T / P L A N E T™