October 2009 Women's Adventure by Women's Adventure Magazine

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH COURAGEOUS ATHLETES EPIC BIKE RIDES TRAIL RUNNING SHOE REVIEW GREAT FALL ESCAPES FEAR FACTOR: HOW SCARED ARE YOU? (TAKE OUR QUIZ) THRIVE IN THE WILD™ $4.99 US $6.99 CAN V7N5

PLUS:

October 2009 Display Until November 15 WOMENSADVENTUREMAGAZINE.COM

GEAR THAT GIVES BACK, SLACKLINING, FASTPACKING, NUT BUTTERS, DARYL HANNAH, AND MORE!

OOCTOBER’2009”

Features Departments

48. Brushes With Death There’s nothing like a near-death

[ THE DIRT ]

52. Uncommon Courage Five women defy stereotypical roles to

drive, kick, buck, punch, and race their way through gender barriers in sport. By Shauna Stephenson But I’m a Cheerleader 58. Epic rides make or break you— and sometimes they help change how you label yourself entirely. By Jayme Otto

[ LOVE ON THE ROCKS ]

32. Love is Blind

Has love made you a lemming? [ PSYCHOBABBLE ]

34. Naturing Today’s Children

Could your kids suffer from nature-deficit disorder? [ TRY THIS ]

36. Slacklining, Is It For You? COVER IMAGE: SCOtt MARkEwItz / AuRORA PhOtOS; JACk RuSAk

experience to change your life forever. By Corrine Garcia

8. People, Places, and Things from Our Outdoor World

[ WHOLE HEALTH ]

38. Freeze Game

Why women are always colder than men. p. 52 p. 48

Try these less orthodox butters as alternatives to the classic sandwich spread.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH

p. 46

COURAGEOUS ATHLETES EPIC BIKE RIDES TRAIL RUNNING SHOE REVIEW

p. 18

A tennis mom mourns an unfinished friendship.

p. 22

THRIVE IN THE WILD™ $4.99 US $6.99 CAN V7N5

[ IT’S PERSONAL ]

42. Remembering Lisa

GREAT FALL ESCAPES FEAR FACTOR: HOW SCARED ARE YOU? (TAKE OUR QUIZ)

[ FULL ]

40. Brave New Butters

PLUS:

GEAR THAT GIVES BACK, SLACKLINING, FASTPACKING, NUT BUTTERS, DARYL HANNAH, AND MORE!

October 2009 Display Until November 15 .

p. 40 [ GEAR ROOM ]

46. Trail Running Shoes Reviewed

62. Musings 2

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

63. Buyer’s Guide/Events 64. Editorial womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

OOCTOBER’2009”

Editor’s Letter

In my 42 years, I’ve had plenty of near-death (or so they seemed to me) experiences. I’ve been knocked to my knees by a lightning strike on a 14er, carjacked at gunpoint in Albequerque, trampled unconscious by my own horse, and assaulted in a train station in Italy. I’ve had acute hypothermia, met a fullgrown grizzly on a trail in Alaska, and ridden a 747 that came within feet of landing on top of another plane. All that said, I’ve never broken a bone. I don’t think of myself as a reckless person. But I do consider myself extremely fortunate. I don’t regret the circumstances and decisions that led to the aforementioned situations. I think clarity and a growing base of knowledge come from such types of events—for example, I’ll likely never own a horse again or begin the ascent of a peak above tree line after 11 a.m. Still, there is a huge difference between deciding that you will never do something again and wishing you’d never done it in the first place. It’s an important distinction to make and one that the women in our feature “Uncommon Courage” on page 52 illustrate perfectly. These women who truly defied death seem buoyed by the insights they gained—axioms stretching well beyond clichés such as “life is short” and “seize the day.” Yes, sometimes adventures come with a price tag. But the women in this issue remind me that the cost is never greater than the reward. Cheers, Michelle Theall

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

Contributors

Corinne Garcia Corinne Garcia’s brushes with death include a scorpion bite in the Grand Canyon and a hearty moose chase in the Montana backcountry. But after writing about near-death experiences for this month’s feature, “Brushes With Death” on page 48, Corinne says she’s happy to leave those close calls to somebody else. “I don’t consider myself much of a badass,” she says, “but I love to live and learn vicariously through others.” Corinne feels lucky to still be alive to enjoy the great outdoors. When she’s not dreaming of another season on the slopes, she dabbles in other outdoor adventures with her husband and two young sons in her Bozeman, Montana, backyard. Corrine is a freelance writer and editor; her work appears in Northwest Travel, Via Mountain West Magazine, Pregnancy, and The Christian Science Monitor, among others. She is also the editor of Edible Bozeman, a publication centered on local food.

Matthew Kadey Matthew Kadey is a Canada-based dietitian and freelance writer who studied up on the advantages of alternative nut and seed butters for this month’s “Full” on page 40. Mathew recently cycled all the way across Cuba before finding a jar of peanut butter—for which he gladly overpaid. In addition to his adventures in Cuba, he has completed cycling trips in far-flung destinations such as Laos, Jordan, New Zealand, Belize, Ethiopia, Ireland, Syria, Portugal, and Thailand. When not indulging in gastronomic delights overseas, he scribbles for publications such as Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Delicious Living, Runner’s World, and Natural Health. Find him at www.wellfedman.com or www.mattkadey.ca.

Rebecca Rice

Rebecca Rice writes a blog thebluehoursofmiddlelife.blogspot.com. She is the author of A Time to Mourn, which has been referenced in several studies on memoir and grieving. She has also written for The New York Times, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan. She currently plays in a USTA 4.0 women’s tennis league in Western Massachusetts. Her son, Oliver Smith, is ranked in the 16-and-under division in USTA New England. Lisa’s son, James, and Oliver continue to take tennis lessons together at Amherst College.

Amy Waeschle Amy Waeschle’s passion for surfing started with a botched surf lesson from her boyfriend. But her determination to hang ten eventually landed her on the frigid shores of Tofino’s Chesterman Beach, side by side with Jenny Stewart, the subject of this month’s “Roar” on page 28. “It was an honor to interview Jenny for this story,” says Amy, who has stayed in touch with the surfing superstar since taking lessons at Surf Sister in 2004. “She has contributed so much to women’s surfing, and her passion and confidence continue to inspire me!” Amy is the author of the book Chasing Waves: A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering; her stories have appeared in Surfer and Surf Life for Women magazines, The Seattle Times, and The Bellingham Herald. Her essay “Making a Pie with Grandma” was a finalist for the 2005 Zola Award. She lives in Poulsbo, Washington, with her husband and daughter. Visit her at www.amywaeschle.com.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Brushes with Death

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEf/ CREATIvE DIRECTOR Art Director

MIChEllE thEAll Krisan Christensen

Cycling Editor/Web Director

Susan hayse

Associate Editor

Kristy Holland

Copy Editor

Melaina Juntti

Contributing Editor Contributors A flesh-eating ant attack in Tanzania last July

Edit Intern Design Intern

A bus crash on a mountain road in India

Jayme Otto Whitney Boland, Barbara Edwards, Corinne Garcia, Matthew G. Kadey, Rebecca Kane, Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Rebecca Rice, MacKenzie Ryan, Alexa Schirtzinger, Shelby Stanger, Amy waeschle Tara Kusumoto Jessica Damato

Lost in a Utah Canyon

SUBMISSIONS

For contributor’s guidelines, visit www.womensadventuremagazine.com/features/contributors-guidelines. Editorial queries or submissions should be sent to edit@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 1637 Pearl Street, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80302-5447

PUBLISHING PUBLISHER East/Midwest Ad Rep Sales Director

Rockies Sales Director

Advertising Interns Burried under 800 lbs. of plywood

SUSAN SHEERIN Susan Sheerin sue@womensadventuremagazine.com 303 931 6057 Theresa Ellbogen theresa@womensadventuremagazine.com 303 641 5525 Brittany Bilderback, Autumn Guerrieri, Marilyn Narula, Nicole Nguyen, Jenn Tadich

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If you would like to carry Women’s Adventure or explore a distribution partnership, please e-mail us at michelle@womensadventuremagazine.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

For magazine subscriptions, change of address, or missed issues, please contact Kable Fulfillment ddln@kable.com / 800 746 3910 or visit womensadventuremagazine.com/subscribe The opinions and advice expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and are not representative of the publishing company or its members. Copyright © 2009 by Big Earth Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is expressly prohibited. Women’s Adventure makes a portion of its mailing list available from time to time to third parties. If you want to request exclusion from our promotional list, please contact us at ddln@kable.com Outdoor activities are inherently risky and participation can cause injury or loss of life. Please consult your doctor prior to beginning and workout program or sports activity, and seek out a qualified instructor. Big Earth Publishing will not be held responsible for your decision to thrive in the wild. Have fun!

Read other Burshes With Death on page 48.

OOCTOBER’2009” Reader’s Letters SPECIAL SECTION: ROAD TRIPPIN’

Tune Your

Bike

All ge the needar you

to GO Sho . NO p W!

AUGUST 2009

TIPS TO A SMOOTH RIDE Ultra-Athlete Secrets

MEET WOMEN WHO

GO THE DISTANCE Get Blown Away LEARN TO KITEBOARD Your First Marathon

EXCLUSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: SAVING THE LEATHERBACK TURTLE LESSONS FROM ADVENTURE RACING

EATING RIGHT? TEST YOUR NUTRITION I.Q. THRIVE IN THE WILD™

PLUS:

PORTRAIT OF AN AID WORKER, HOUSEBOATING, HIKING MAKEOVER, KEN BURNS NEW DOCUMENTARY, AVOIDING BUG-BORNE ILLNESS, FABRIC TECHNOLOGY, AND LEARNING HOW TO LOSE

The new documentary from Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan about our national parks promises to be an inspiring film about the creation of the National Park System and the individual Americans who worked to protect our national heritage. Yet as Ken Burns points out in your interview, the challenges confronting our national parks years ago are many of the same threats to our national parks today. Chronic federal funding shortfalls, air pollution, and inappropriate development, as well as climate change, are taking a toll on national parks such as Biscayne Bay and the Everglades that notable women like Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Juanita Greene fought so hard to protect. Fortunately, there are steps each of us, including Congress and the White House, can take to restore our parks in time for their 100th anniversary in 2016. To learn how you can help to protect our national treasures for our children and grandchildren, visit www.npca.org. Theresa Pierno Executive Vice President National Parks Conservation Association Your magazine is so fantastically empowering! Even for working moms in cold climates with little time... it gives me horizons to shoot for in the long term with little triumphs in the short term. I have recently discovered it personally, and then realized that 6

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

my day job had some information that might be of use to you. I would love to see more women on the Maah Daah Hey Trail here in North Dakota and the trail has been expanded now. Here’s the scoop: Beginning in October, the award-winning Maah Daah Hey trail will open another 45 miles of single track pathway across soaring buttes, rolling grasslands and challenging downhills all looking over prehistoric river beds dotted with wildflowers, wildlife and the stunning North Dakota Badlands near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Named an IMBA EPIC Ride, the MDH has attracted bikers from around the world since it opened in 1999. The new section of the trail adds 45 miles of trail past the former end of the line – the recently improved rustic Burning Coal Vein Campground. The first 96 miles of the trail runs loops from Burning Coal Vein Campground to Sully Creek State Recreation Area campground south of the old west town of Medora. Open mid-March to midNovember, the Maah Daah Hey Trail is a legendary ride in a great place. North Dakota was named most affordable (AAA) and friendliest (Cambridge University) in 2008. For more information on the Maah Daah Hey Trail please feel free to contact me or visit: North Dakota Tourism at www.ndtourism.com; U.S. Forest Service at www.fs.fed. us/r1/dakotaprairie/; or Dakota Cyclery at www.dakotacyclery.com Marnie Piehl on behalf of North Dakota Tourism Send your letters to the Editor at:

Your Adventure

“

Kayaker: Melissa Grover Photographer: Mike Manger (Melissa’s husband) Location: Sturgeon Falls, Winnipeg River, Manitoba

“

To see your photos published here send images from your own adventures. edit@womensadventuremagazine.com

Poll How important is it that your partner share your love of the outdoors? 38% Critical - it’s make or break 45% Pretty important 9% Nice but not essential 9% I like doing my own thing - he/she just needs to be there when I get home

edit@womensadventuremagazine.com

womensadventuremagazine.com

Free Stuff Win this from Marmot! Women’s Trestles 30 With a women-specific design and synthetic insulation the full-featured Women’s Trestles 30 is designed for sustained cool, wet weather while backpacking, mountaineering, and river rafting. EN Tested to guarantee temperature.

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Enter to win yours for free by going to womensadventuremagazine.com/marmot by October 30. The winner will be announced November 16. Click your way to adventure

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WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

TRAVEL

EDWARD KAPROV / RUSSIAN LOOK / AURORA PHOTOS

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womensadventuremagazine.com

[ FAR FLUNG ]

Tight Squeeze A woman explores Malham cave in the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel. As the largest natural salt cave in the world, Malham stretches over 5,500 meters beneath Mount Sedom. Separations of salt layers give researchers hints regarding the affects of climate change over the last 10,000 years.

WAM OOCTOBERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;2009â&#x20AC;?

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TRAVEL

[ BUDGET TRAVEL ]

Colorful Camping Without the Crowds Back-to-school and the arrival of cooler temperatures signal the exodus of crowds from favorite camping spots. From late August through November, you won’t need a permit or reservation to pitch your tent in most wilderness areas—and fall’s flora and fauna can’t be beat. A few more autumn advantages: High-alpine afternoon storms and pesky bugs have all but disappeared.

Indian Peaks Wilderness Area West of Eldora, Colorado It’s elk rutting season in Colorado, so you’ll likely hear the lowing bugles of bucks protecting their harem from other, not-so-fortunate bucks. Aspens turn bright gold in September and peak around the first week of October. Try Lake Dorothy, 3.1 miles from the Fourth of July trailhead, for great camping by an alpine lake with 360-degree views.

Trinity Alps Wilderness 50 miles west of Redding, California Over 830 miles of trails and opportunities for complete solitude await fall backpackers, along with 55 lakes and two Wild and Scenic–designated rivers, Trinity and Salmon. Stick to the west side (Green Trinities) to escape other campers, or head to the dramatic scenery of the east side (White Trinities) if you’re willing to risk a little company. Bigleaf maples turn deep red throughout September.

High Peaks Wilderness Area Adirondack Park, northern New York Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York at 5,343 feet, towers over the landscape among other lesser Adirondack mountains nearby. In this wilderness area, you’ll find over 112 lakes and almost 240 miles of hiking trails. Fall colors peak around the last two weeks of September.

For a slideshow of fall-color photos from readers, visit: womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

womensadventuremagazine.com

[ TRAVEL TREND ]

Be There in a Flash Grown-up and geared-up for adventure

re you a flashpacker? If you fall into the affluent backpacking set—folks who take adventure sabbaticals, lodge in economical comfort, and tote an iPod, laptop, and GPS—you may just be one. The term “flashpacker” was likely coined somewhere in Europe, but hostels and adventure-travel companies worldwide are expanding their offerings to appeal to this business-class group. Flashpackers are typically older than 30 with disposable incomes and well-padded vacation budgets. They spend the bulk of their dollars on gadgets, gear, and adventure experiences— rather than on five-star hotels or sterilized chain lodging. That said, they’ve outgrown hitchhiking and traditional youth hostels with community showers and drunken revelry. Bed-and-breakfasts, hostels, and wilderness lodges with free wireless Internet, cable, and private baths, coupled with access to local food, art, and culture, make flashpackers happy. Here are some top flashpacker-friendly picks in a few must-visit locales:

Barcelona, Spain: Mambo Tango

Is a good step above a traditional backpacker’s hostel with its air-conditioned rooms and absence of spring-breaker types. Since it’s centrally located in the heart of the city, flashpackers can use their energy to explore and then retreat to watch movies, surf the Net, and get a solid night’s sleep at the hotel. Shared rooms start at $45. www.hostelmambotango.com 2

Prague, Czech Republic: Czech Inn

Boasts luxury and atmosphere with its renovated 19th century abode. See Prague sights like Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and Prague Castle during the day. At night, rent a dorm room or apartment, and enjoy the café and company of other world travelers. Private rooms start at $85. www.czech-inn.com 3

Melbourne, Australia: Nomads Industry Offers clean rooms, free dinner, and a happening locale (centrally located for day trips). Enjoy the rooftop deck and views while congratulating yourself for being thrifty and stylish at the same time. Private rooms start at $85. www.nomadshostels.com

[ LUNCHTIME ADVENTURE ]

Change the World

No longer a hobby just for hobos and skinflints, collecting pennies is gaining popularity during this recession. Once a week, use part of your lunch hour to scour the streets for change. Fill a gallon jug and you’ll likely net around $300.

Find an empty milk or wine jug.

Keep your eyes open for loose change.

Donate half of your found cash to a favorite charity.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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TRAVEL Canada New York

Population: 12,830 Elevation: 236 feet Exit sign reads: Gateway to the Hudson Valley Access: Take I-87 80 miles north from New York City

is D

urc hS

Pro spe ct St

Sta

3 . Eat here: Mexicali Blue On the run—or the recovery—the $5 blue tortilla–wrapped fish taco at this one-room Southwest takeout spot (with six stools) will have you smiling bigger than the skeleton in the restaurant’s logo.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

ute

S Ma

nhelm

Blvd

hes SC

tnu

t St

ve ill A

tek

Open late, this locals’ coffee joint packs the dance floor with six string–loving folkies. For a quieter, quainter alternative, step into 60 Main—it’s literally right next door.

Connecticut

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Pennsylvania

nry

5 . Climb: The Trapps Bolts are banned in the Gunks, so pack your top rope for pitches on this 1.5mile stretch of Shawangunk cliffs. White-rock routes start at 5.2, so even beginners can conquer these 200-foot cliffs.

1 . Counter Culture: The Muddy Cup Coffeehouse

Massachusetts

New York He

t Pla

New Paltz and the Shawangunk Ridge have a cultlike following among climbers, with over 50,000 people visiting the Gunks’ 12,000 documented routes each year. But the progressive, quirky town of New Paltz, just 80 miles north of New York City, boasts more than worldclass climbing: Ridgeline doubletracks, scramble-laden hiking trails, and easygoing paddling routes are all within minutes of downtown. Plus, this Hudson Valley outpost has just as many funky coffee shops, healthy restaurants, and colorful personalities as it does trailheads. —MacKenzie Ryan

New York

New Paltz, NY

Vermont

[ TOWN SPOTLIGHT ]

2 . Ride on: Wallkill Valley Sample all of the area’s terrain: rolling farmland, wideopen fields, woodlands, and mountains on this mellow 12-mile cyclo-cross or easy mountain-bike cruise.

4 . Paddle: Wallkill River Launch the kayaks where the northbound Wallkill wraps around the Ulster County Fairgrounds. This lazy-river-style escape shows off the ridge nearby before skirting the west side of town.

womensadventuremagazine.com

[ URBAN ESCAPE ]

Las Vegas, Nevada More bang for your buck By Whitney Boland What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but when it comes to adventure, there are no secrets. Backed up to the Spring Mountains, there are as many women biking, climbing, and exploring outside Vegas as there are cruising the mall. The land of going hard or going bust doesn’t just pertain to money: There are even more betting opportunities to be had outside the city.

COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY

Just 20 miles from downtown Las Vegas on Highway 159, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is infamous as year-round climbing mecca. Get roped up on moderate sport climbs at the Black Corridor, or show your partner who’s boss on the 8-pitch megaclassic, Solar Slab (5.6). Some climbs may require overnight stays, so secure a bivy permit. www.redrockcanyonlv.org

A few miles down Highway 159, hit the brakes at Blue Diamond for stellar desert singletrack. With 120 to 140 miles of mountain-biking trails, Blue Diamond runs the gamut: beginner to advanced, causal cruising to extreme biking with big drops. For intermediate trails, Kurt Horack of Las Vegas Cyclery, recommends Dead Horse Loop or Black Velvet. Looking for something sportier? Head to the Cowboy Trails, directly across from Red Rock, and bomb Bon Voyage or Boneshaker. www.lasvegascyclery.com.

Drop The Strip and let it rip. At 11,918 feet, Mount Charleston is just 35 miles from Las Vegas. Charleston is Nevada’s third highest peak, and with 11 ski trails and a $50 day pass, it makes for a fabulous one-day getaway on the cheap. To get there, take Highway 95 to Highway 156. www.skilasvegas.com

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PLANET EARTH

[ PRO/CON ]

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral Should you become a vegetarian?

YES

If you love animals, you shouldn’t eat them. The human body can function quite well without meat or animal by-products— although, moral consciousness aside, most of us don’t get enough fruits or vegetables in our diets. Red meat is high in saturated fat, difficult to digest, and often filled with antibiotics and hormones. We choose what we put into our bodies and how we procure it. No living thing wants its life ended.

Biologically speaking, humans are omnivores with teeth that can grind vegetation and tear meat. We have one stomach like carnivores but folded colons like herbivores. Our physiology allows us to survive and adapt regardless of changes in our environment. Human beings need iron and protein to thrive, and the best sources for these are the meat we consume. As far as conscience goes, cows would no longer exist if they weren’t raised for the meat industry.

[ GANNETT’S GREEN TIP ]

Stay Warm, Save Cash As fall rolls in, you’re likely bracing for doorjamb drafts and skyrocketing utility bills. But with a few quick home improvement projects you can stay more comfortable, save money, and help save the planet. Some easy ideas:

• • • •

Turn off lights, TV, stereos and computers. Just flipping a switch could save $8 billion a year. Unplug appliances when they’re not in use. Hidden loads make up 5 to 15 percent of utility bills. Turn thermostats down 2 degrees (or install a setback thermostat) to save as much as 25 percent on heating and cooling bills. Request an energy audit from your electric company, and find a local insulation contractor to do a low- or no-cost infrared thermographic scan.

Matschie’s tree kangaroo is an endangered species living in the Huon Peninsula of northeastern Papua New Guinea. It can jump over 60 feet high and spends most of its time in the trees of mountainous areas above 6,000 feet. Logging, hunting, and oil and mineral resource exploration threaten to make this animal extinct.

Environmental consultant and World Champion skier Alison Gannett is WAM’s green guru. 14

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womensadventuremagazine.com

CORRYNN COCHRAN

Got an opinion? Weigh in on the debate at the womensadventuremagazine.com forum pages.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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PLANET EARTH

[ AROUND THE WORLD ]

Sofia Mulanovich on the crest of a trend

South American Superstars

In machismo Peru, football rules. But two female athletes, a boxer and a surfer, have become the latest athletic superstars.

Just five years ago, neither boxing nor surfing garnered the attention of media or fans, but by now these national heroes have become two of the biggest names in Peruvian sporting history. Kina, 29, and Sofia, 26, both hail from the same small beach town of Punta Hermosa in southern Lima, and both excel at traditionally male-dominated sports. With Peru’s lackluster performances in the international sporting arena—the country has only four Olympic medals and hasn’t qualified for the World Cup in soccer since 1982—the attention these women have earned is spawning enthusiasm and energy in this nation of 29.5 million that was riddled with terrorism and corruption throughout the 1980s and ’90s. “Kina and Sofia made us believe in our athletes again,” says Talia Echecopar, who is writing a book about Sofia’s surfing stardom. In 2004, Sofia, then 21, became the first Latin American—man or woman—to win the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship title, and at press time she ranked third in this year’s ASP tour standings and in career earnings.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

Before Sofia became the world champ, there were only four surf schools in Peru and hardly any other women surfed. But now surfing makes the news almost every day, and there are over 60 surf schools in operation, mostly filled with female students. “We call it the ‘Sofia Fenomeno,’” says Jose de Col, a two-time Peruvian surfing champion. The “Kina Fenomeno” is also in the midst of a boom. Kina’s defending fight for the Super Featherweight World Championship against Brazilian Halana Dos Santos in June attracted the largest single TV audience in Peru’s viewing history. “There are few countries in the world where the most respected athletes, the role models, all happen to be women,” Gabriela Perez de Solar, a Peruvian congresswoman and former Olympic volleyball player, told Time magazine. “It goes beyond surfing and boxing,” Echecopar adds. “The women’s volleyball team is on a winning streak, and a female cinematographer, Claudia Llosa, just won the Golden Bear [a prestigious international film award]. “Peruvians are so passionate to victories,” Echecopar continues. “When Sofía competes in Peru or Kina fights here, Peru becomes all one. It’s really beautiful. We are such a multiracial country that we need those things to unify our differences.” —Shelby Stanger womensadventuremagazine.com

KIRSTIN SCHOLTZ/AURORA

he crowds go wild. Super featherweight boxer Kina Malpartida Dyson and sun-kissed surfer Sofia Mulanovich can’t go anywhere in Peru without getting hoarded.

[ ACTION ]

Healing Waters

Casting For Recovery Offers a Lifeline for Breast Cancer Survivors

DOug BERRy/TElluRiDESTOCK.COm

asting For Recovery (CFR) is not your typical fishing retreat. The national nonprofit provides an all-expense-paid weekend of fly-fishing instruction, as well as support and pampering, to female breast cancer survivors.

queen for the weekend. Each retreat is a little bit different, but every one teaches fly casting, knot tying, and entomology. CFR offers a unique bonding atmosphere. According to Kate Fox, the program’s director of communications and development, about 65 percent of participants have never joined a support group. “One of the great things about CFR,” she explains, “is that it’s providing a supportive environment that doesn’t have the feeling of a usual kind of support group. And the fact that about 40 percent of our referrals comes from the medical and breast cancer communities shows how we are bringing a needed dimension to breast cancer recovery.”

The fishing instructors are specially trained for the CFR program to address the unique needs of survivors in various stages of physical ability. The casting motion is very similar to exercises prescribed after breast surgery, with gentle stretching that keeps scar tissue flexible and enhances range of motion. Among Colorado participants, less than half have ever fished before attending, according to Kris Tita, the state’s CFR coordinator. But ~ participant quote many get hooked provided by CFR after the retreat.

“It was the most healing experience I have had in the two years of my journey with breast cancer and lymphedema. I came home with a new sense of strength and hope.”

The tranquil outdoor venues offer a chance for survivors to escape “cancer world” for a weekend and to connect with the natural world in a way that most have never experienced. Participants describe the retreats as incredibly healing: from the sharing of common experiences to the adventure of being on the rivers. Women make new friends, gain new skills, and many say they feel like a

All breast cancer survivors are eligible to apply, regardless of age, level of treatment, or recovery (a physician’s release is required). Selection is based on a lottery system and demand always exceeds available spots. Applicants not selected the first time are automatically entered for the next year’s retreat. —Barbara Edwards For more information, go to www.castingforrecovery.org. WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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FUN STUFF

What’s Your Level of Extreme?

Take this quiz to find out where you fall on the spectrum of extreme adventure.

When it comes to spinning two wheels, you’ve conquered:

What does “adventure tourism” mean to you?

a) A self-supported week touring the Irish countryside. b) The commute to work in the rain. c) Your friends’ resolve to get you on a bike.

a) Solo hike on the Inca Trail b) Disneyland’s It’s a Small World ride c) Group tour to Tanzania

It’s date night and your turn to make plans. You lovebirds will likely:

1 When you’re ready for a

relaxing day of fishing you:

a) Hit the trail with your fly rod. b) Gear up in camouflage neoprene and grab your spear gun. c) Cast bobbers at the stock pond.

2 Which type of hike best

suits your style?

a) A stroll through the Eddie Bauer outlet b) One with plenty of fall colors and a couple big climbs c) One with alpine starts— bring the bivy just in case

3 At your last camp cookout,

you chomped on:

a) Undercooked macaroni. Gotta love the Kraft crunch! b) Fried scorpion and chocolate-covered ants. c) Crispy quesadillas and hibiscus punch.

You landed a spot on a reality Tv show. Can’t wait to hit the beach on:

a) The Bachelor. b) The Amazing Race. c) Survivor.

for you, a night sleeping under the stars includes:

a) A sleeping bag and 50 miles of trail between you and the nearest town. b) A campfire and an RV— comfort only compromises a few stars. c) A third-floor suite at the Standard on Sunset Boulevard.

To stay motivated throughout winter training, you signed up for:

a) The Women’s Adventure for clinics, gear tests, and a shot at winging that kayak raffle. b) A 10 K fun run next spring. c) Primal Quest—just need to finish that wilderness firstresponder certification.

a) Slurp sodas at the movie theater. b) Cannonball off an oceanside cliff. c) Hunt down a geocache or two between dinner and drinks.

Taking a dip is only in the plans if:

a) The whitewater isn’t too bad. But that’s what life jackets are for, right? b) The underwater cave is previously unexplored. c) Margaritas and palm trees line the gentle, balmy surf.

If you scored: 10-17:

What’s holding you back from taking a more adventurous approach to life? We give you props for grabbing opportunities to engage in the outdoors, but a few poolside martinis don’t make you an adventuress. Pushing toward a less-beaten path may soil your Ann Taylor capris, but what you’ll loose time-wise doing laundry, you’ll gain in life experience and appreciation for the environment.

18-24:

Pushing extreme limits isn’t for everyone, and you’ve found a way to enjoy climbing mountains and scouring the globe without sacrificing quality of life—or sleep. Whether it’s a physical, emotional, or cultural challenge you seek, you likely find it—and tackle it. Spacing challenges out and varying the focus of each will help ensure you have enough enthusiasm, energy, and support for a lifetime of them.

25-30:

Your adventure style puts you on par with Amelia Earhart. Extreme adventure gives you an immediate rush and a sense of accomplishment, for sure. But it can be tough balancing training, preparation, and—dare we say—expensive gear with life’s other rewards. Consider scaling down and focusing on an expedition (or two) that lets you explore, adventure, and also build a sense of community for yourself or someone else.

Add up your points: 1) a. 2, b. 3, c. 1; 2) a. 1, b. 2, c. 3; 3) a. 1, b. 3, c. 2; 4) a. 1, b. 2, c. 3; 5) a. 3, b. 2, c. 1; 6) a. 2, b. 1, c. 3; 7) a. 3, b. 2, c. 1; 8) a. 1, b. 3, c. 2; 9) a. 3, b. 1, c. 2; 10) a. 2, b. 3, c. 1.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

womensadventuremagazine.com

[ MEDIA ROOM ]

Get Prepared Before You Hit the Slopes

9RONO $WWLYD )XHJR

its unlikely heroine. Carrie is tough, smart, and on the run from her past. When murder happens in her jurisdiction on The Ice, she’ll test her survival in the man’s world of the uninhabitable frozen tundra and race against time to solve the brutal crime before six months of darkness and winter close off the continent from any departures— and strand them all with a killer. The unique setting, characters, and plot make the series a highly entertaining read. And if you’re not into comic books, check out the movie adaptation starring Kate Beckinsale slated for release this month. Oni Press, 2007; $14

www.whiteoutmovie.com

KRiSAn ChRiSTEnSEn

Blue Zones

by Dan Buettner There may not be a fountain of youth, but there are notable similarities among the centenarians living in the “blue zones”—areas where a large percentage of the population lives to be at least 100 years old. Buettner utilizes the National Institute on Aging and top researchers in the field of longevity to identify common denominators that lead to longer and fuller lives. Secrets from four blue zones—Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica—reveal that aging well is as much due to a person’s state of mind, attitude, and outlook as it is healthy diet and exercise. Peppered with groundbreaking research and inspiring interviews, Blue Zones is an intriguing page-turner with a new prescription for living well. National Geographic Society, 2009; $15

Whiteout

by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber This graphic novel series takes place at the bottom of the earth—Antarctica—and features a female protagonist, U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko, as

Chasing Waves: A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering

by Amy Waeschle From Sicily to Fiji, Waeschle takes readers along on surfing adventures all over the globe, giving firsthand accounts of small villages, local fare, and, of course, waves. Waeschle grows into her sport, going from newbie surfer to skilled rider, and takes tremendous emotional leaps, transitioning from wanderlust chick with surfer-dude boyfriend to commitment and motherhood. The Mountaineers Books, 2009; $17

Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa

by Mark Seal This much-lauded release chronicles the extraordinary life and mysterious events leading up to the unsolved murder of Joan Root, one of the world’s most accomplished wildlife filmmakers. Set in Kenya on the shores of Lake Naivasha, Seal reveals Root’s innate, unique, and inspired connection to the raw, savage beauty of the land and its animals—and her willingness to risk her life for everything she loves. Random House, 2009; $26

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our new store! WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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FUN STUFF

[ WORDSWORTH ]

[ KIDS CORNER ]

Give Your Kids a Lift

Surfing Jargon Bunny hop │ Washboard

bunny hop (‘b -nē häp) 1. noun. a novelty dance of the early 1950s. 2. verb. the forward movement of any one of several members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha. 3. verb. a riding maneuver that allows one to clear obstacles without stopping. e

crank (’kraŋk) 1. adjective. being a cranky person. 2. verb. to gain speed, momentum, or intensity, as in: crank up. 3. noun. the lever where pedals attach to transfer pedaling power to the chain. endo (‘en-dō) 1. prefix. within or inside. 2. noun. a Miami-based heavy metal band that played from 1998 to 2007. 3. noun. a crash in which the rear tire (and rider) go over the handlebars. washboard (‘wo˙sh‘bo˙rd) 1. adjective. muscular and very strong abdominal muscles. 2. noun. a corrugated rectangular surface used for scrubbing clothes. 3. noun. small, regular undulations of the soil surface making a rough ride.

ă pat/ā pay/âr care/ä father/b bib/ ch church/d deed/ĕ pet/ē be/f fife/g gag/ hat/

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

Weight-training’s not just for grown-ups anymore

umping iron isn’t usually thought of as a kid-friendly activity. However, the strength gained from lifting weights can enhance (or make worse, from a parent’s perspective) most any childhood endeavor, be it climbing a tree or tormenting siblings. Still the debate over whether traditional heavy lifting is good for kids rages on, and some experts claim that resistance training stunts development and damages children’s delicate growth plates. But new research suggests this argument is outdated. According to Avery D. Faigenbaum, EdD, CSCS, professor of health and exercise science at The College of New Jersey and coauthor of Youth Strength Training (Human Kinetics, 2009), resistance training is not only safe for kids—it provides multiple benefits, such as fewer sports-related injuries, increased bone density, and improved confidence. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, and National Strength and Conditioning Association all endorse strength training for kids as part of a healthy, active lifestyle that includes traditional aerobic activities like swimming, dancing, and running. “People need to recognize that strength training doesn’t just mean dumbbells and bench presses,” says Faigenbaum. “The majority of activities kids do at playgrounds—pushing, pulling, and twisting—are all muscle-building actions that use the child’s own body weight.” That said, Faigenbaum maintains that it’s important to wait until a child turns 7 or 8—when kids typically demonstrate the maturity to accept and follow instructions—to let them begin more formal resistance training. He also offers these recommendations for musclehungry kids: •

Ensure qualified supervision. You wouldn’t hand your kid a pair of rollerblades and send her out the door, right? Same goes for strength training. An adult regime is drastically different from a child’s, and what adults do in the gym doesn’t translate to youngsters. If a coach or after-school program is in charge, take some time to get to know his or its philosophy, and make sure resistance training is age appropriate and weight-load appropriate.

•

Make lifting weights fun. “When you take the fun out of physical activity, you take the children out of physical activity,” says Faigenbaum. Outside of gym class and sports teams, fitness centers with supervised child-specific programs are fun places for kids to get involved with strength training. Try your local YMCA or indoor rock-climbing gym.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Say an Om Shanti While Shopping

PrAna Reversible Headband

I’m at the edge of civilization, and that’s just where I feel comfortable.

PrAna Sabin Racer Top

—Actress and activist Daryl Hannah, 48, on her one-room cabin in Colorado, where she grows her own food, keeps bees, and drives a car fueled by leftover grease from fast-food restaurants.

[ WHAT IN THE WORLD? ] Test yourself by identifying the image below.

PrAna Lolita Pant

SCOTT gRiES

Ommm.... Papilionidae, The Swallowtails and Birdwing from indonesia

[ GET OUT OF WORK EXCUSE ]

Need a little time off? We’ve got you covered. One hour: got lost on the morning run—but discovered a great new training route. Half day: helped the neighbors track down their lost dog. All day: Kidnapped by my significant other for a surprise anniversary adventure on the trail where we met.

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FUN STUFF

[ GOTTA HAVE ]

Pretty in Pink Despite the popularity of pink-ribbon activism, the need for dollars to fund breast cancer research and spread awareness for early detection remains strong. Outdoor adventure girls can support the cause in style with a few of our top picks this fall.

New Balance 993 Limited Edition Running Shoe If a survivor you know motivates you to run, you’ll love the chance to have her name embroidered in pink on these performance shoes. The New Balance 993 is a stability running shoe designed to provide maximum cushioning and a smooth transition through each step. It’s the perfect choice for your next Race for the Cure event—plus, New Balance donates an estimated $1 million back to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. $150; www.newbalance.com

P O H S Oakley Enduring

Pace Breast Cancer Awareness Edition Purchase these high-tech sport sunglasses and be assured that a whopping $20 of the sale will go straight to Young Survival Coalition (YSC), an organization that exists to improve quality of life for the nearly 250,000 women under 40 who have breast cancer. The women’s-specific frame of the Enduring Pace provides interchangeable lenses, a customizable fit, and lightweight performance. Run or ride fast—and know you’re doing good along the way. $165. www.oakley.com

P O H S K2 EcoPop This women’s-specific board takes all-terrain performance to a whole new level. Inspired by pro rider Gretchen Bleiler and created with Mother Earth in mind, the EcoPop is a top-of-the-line, good-Karma-inspiring ride. Proceeds from the sales of all K2 women’s snowboards go to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. $500; www.k2snowboards.com

SH OP

Look for these items in our store at womensadventuremagazine.com

[ HAHA, LOL, ROTFL ]

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

[ DREAM JOB ]

Meet Terry Tempest Williams Meet Age: 54 Stomping grounds: Castle Valley, Utah Job: Environmental activist and author

Christine TKTK

Where are you from and how did it shape you? I am a native of Utah, shaped by the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau. I need wideopen spaces to remind me who I am and who I am not. My community matters to me, and I think that comes from the tenets of being raised within the Mormon Church. I think it is really important to remember where you come from and to whom you belong, even as you step outside those cultural and religious bounds. What were you like as a child? It began and ended with birds. My grandmother gave me a Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds when I was 5. At night I would lay under the covers with a flashlight and read about these long-legged creatures before I had ever even seen them. Going out to Salt Lake as a child, suddenly these birds I had always dreamed about were right there in the sparkling wetlands. When did you start writing? Growing up in a traditional Mormon family, I learned what I thought by writing in my journal. It was a place where I could be safe and have a dialogue with myself without reproach. Also, my father was a great storyteller. 24

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

You became outraged somewhere along the line, enough so to act. When was this? My outrage was clearly defined by the fact that nine women in my family have had mastectomies and some have died. I belong to a clan of one-breasted women. I was at dinner with my father one night after my mother had died and he asked, “How are you?” I said, “I keep having this dream, this nightmare of this flash of light in the desert.” My father said, “Well, you saw it. It was a common occurrence. You were sitting on your mom’s lap. She was pregnant with your brother. All of a sudden there was this explosion rising from the desert floor with this golden-stemmed mushroom cloud.” It was at that moment I realized the deceit we had been living with as children, growing up in the American Southwest, drinking contaminated milk from contaminated cows. So what did you do? I made the decision to commit civil disobedience at the Nevada test site. We were arrested. I remember when a female officer frisked my body. She got down to my boots, raised my pant leg, and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. “What are these?” she asked. “Weapons,” I responded. It just came out.

What are the biggest threats to the environment right now? Our biggest concern is that many are not engaged. If more women made the choice, the commitment, to be engaged in issues regarding the health of our public lands, we would have different policies. But women are barely upright. Women are raising their children and working and trying to keep their families together. Concern for the environment is just one more thing. But we don’t have take on the whole burden—we can take on a slice of it and do it together. For me, it’s like the metaphor of mosaic: Each of us can carry a piece of it. Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find.

“ I think it is really important to remember where you come from and to whom you belong”

womensadventuremagazine.com

TED C. BRUMMOND; CHERYL HIMMELSTEIN

A scholar in environmental humanities at the University of Utah and author of 10 books, Terry entered the literary spotlight in 1992 with Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place (Vintage, 1992). The book is a painful account of her mother’s battle with ovarian cancer—presumably the result of living downwind of a nuclear test site in Nevada in the 1950s—and the simultaneous disappearance of the northern Utah wetlands and migratory birds they host. Terry has since become a champion of women’s health and the environment, traveling as far away as Alaska and Rwanda for research and speaking out against everything from oil and gas drilling in the West to genocide in Africa. —Lisa Marshall

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INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

[ RED CARPET ]

10-minute Sports Makeover Always surrounded by climbers, the American Alpine Club’s Dana Richardson has seen it all when it comes to gear. “I borrowed this rope from my boss. And this harness? I think it came out of a garage somewhere,” she laughs. Dana is organizing the second annual Craggin’ Classic, a climbing festival near Salt Lake City October 9–11, so we felt she deserved an equipment upgrade to prep her for tackling hundreds of new routes in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Bridgid Lupetin, a clothing specialist for Neptune Mountaineering, a Boulder—Colorado, climbing standby—helped put together this new look.

No brain-saving helmet to protect her from falling rocks Baggy cotton T-shirt: good for range of motion—and for getting caught in gear Harness without leg loops and degraded nylon (she’s not double backed) Gear sling gets in the way both hiking and climbing. Missing parts on these old aluminum quickdraws Heavy leather shoes are overkill for the approach and not good for climbing. Too-small pack with outside straps, mesh, and clips that snag on haul-ups

Ibex Outback 100 percent merino long-sleeve is stretchy, provides sun coverage, and will stay stink-free. Petzl Meteor helmet is ultralight, easily adjustable, and headlamp- and ponytailcompatible; there’s a notch on the back to make room for her ’do. With two-way stretch, the prAna Bliss Capri fits close but leaves room for awkward angles. Good combo for a safe belay: the Petzl Reverso and DMM’s 11 mm screwgate carabiner, the Zodiak. the Arc’teryx R280 harness comes in five women’s-specific sizes (with adjustable or nonadjustable leg loops) and it’s supertough despite its ultralight feel. Oboz suede-upper Teton is rugged enough for off-trail approaches yet lightweight and versatile.

2,000 square inches bound by burly vinyl, the Metolius Shield will last for—and up— the long haul. La Sportiva’s Miura shoe is for all-around climbing and built on a women’s-specific last for a narrower fit in the heel. To enter to win your own sports makeover, go to: womensadventuremagazine.com

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

womensadventuremagazine.com

KRISTY HOLLAND

the Millet Diamax Triaxial’s core provides a stable shape and just the right amount of give— one of the toughest ropes around.

[ NEWS ]

Supplemental Information Is Your Pet Getting the Short End of the Stick When it Comes to Supplements?

If you’re one of the many pet guardians using glucosamine/chondroitin products to help your best friend fight arthritis, know that almost 87 percent of the joint-health products tested by ConsumerLabs.com lacked the amount of ingredients claimed on the label. Since pet supplements receive even less regulation than human ones, they typically fly under the radar of public scrutiny. And your pets can’t tell you that a product isn’t working. What you can do: Check labels for independent lab seals of approval. Never double up doses. Watch your pet’s mobility for positive or negative changes.

Water Wars

FINA Bans Performance-Enhancing Swimsuits Michael Phelps recently lost his first individual race in almost four years. Blame it on the suit: His was a Speedo LZR Racer; his competitor wore an Arena X-Glide full-body number. Designed by folks with ties to NASA, both suits seem to enable swimmers to go beyond their natural abilities, resulting in a spate of world record– breaking times. FINA, swimming’s international governing body, has stepped in to ban the full-body suits, but as of press time, the new records will stand and the ban won’t begin until January. This leaves plenty of room for times to keep dropping, creating records that might be hard to break once the ban takes effect. What this means: Innovators will have to go back to the table to design suits that meet FINA’s revamped regulations. WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

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INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

[ ROAR ]

during their first lesson. “Some surf schools advertise a three-hour lesson. No beginner will have fun for three hours. It’s crazy. It’s also dangerous. Accidents happen when people get tired.” Jenny’s mandates worked, and Surf Sister doubled its sales in the first three years and has enjoyed increases every year since. Her success landed her a Billabong sponsorship, paving the way for sponsorships of other surf schools in years to come.

Making surfing safe for all with Surf Sister Surf School

enny Stewart grew up surfing the cold, pristine waves near her home in Tofino, a tiny village on the west coast of Vancouver Island. After working as a kayak guide, a job that left her too exhausted to surf at the end of the day, she decided to start a business based on her passion for the waves. “I knew Tofino had potential for a surf school,” says Jenny, who had spent her high school summers working in a surf shop. “Parents would come in to rent gear for their kids who wanted to try surfing. But they didn’t want their kids going into the water alone.” In 1992, Jenny began advertising her lessons with hand-drawn posters, and she chose to focus on women-only instruction. “There were always so many guys in the water, it was ridiculous!” she says. “My goal was to even out the numbers. I’d traveled all over, to Hawaii, to Brazil, and there were lots of girls in the water. Why not Tofino?” After officially creating Surf Sister Surf School in 1999, Jenny taught lessons year-round, using her Toyota pickup truck as her mobile office,

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

the roof stacked sky high with the soft-top boards used by beginners. “I had this rusty hand-crank Visa machine that snapped people’s cards in half because of all the sand in it!” says Jenny. At that time, Canada had no standards for instructor training, water safety, or gear, and no guidelines for teaching people how to surf in cold water. And would people really come all the way to tiny, hard-toreach Tofino to learn to surf? They certainly did. But Jenny had to build it all from the ground up. Which was no easy task. Many Tofino locals didn’t think Jenny would be successful. Some openly discouraged her, wanting to keep their plentiful waves and pristine beaches to themselves. Others— including some who’ve since created their own surf schools— sabotaged her business by removing advertisements or stealing promotional materials. But Jenny prevailed. “I really focused on safety,” says Jenny, who stresses that beginners should not spend more than one hour in the water

Jenny also invests in her staff: Surf Sister’s all-female instructor core has a 95 percent retention rate, a feat Jenny credits to perks like highquality training, all-expense-paid trips to places like Nicaragua, and a lesson format that’s fun for both instructors and students, letting each instructor’s passion and love for the sport shine through. Jenny’s future goals include finding more time to surf. In a recent contest of over 200 women surfers held in Waikiki, she placed fourth in her age group in the short-board category. Jenny would also like to spend more time with her 4-yearold son, Mason. “They say after 10 years it’s time to move on,” says Jenny, who celebrated Surf Sister’s 10-year anniversary this summer. “Bring it on. I’m ready!” —Amy Waeschle For details or inquiries about Surf Sister, please visit www.surfsister.com.

womensadventuremagazine.com

AMY WAESCHLE

Jenny Stewart

With Jenny’s guidance, nearby Pacific Rim National Park Reserve formulated standards for other surf schools operating within its boundaries, mandating proper equipment such as soft-top boards with rubber fins for beginners and skill and training levels for instructors. Helping to develop those standards inspired Jenny to create the British Columbia Association of Surf Instructors (BCASI), an organization dedicated to training instructors for the Canadian surf industry.

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INSPIRATION AND INFORMATION

[ LESSONS FROM THE FIELD ]

[ BY THE NUMBERS ]

GIRL POWER

31 In 1970 1 out of 27 girls played varsity sport. Today it’s

million high school girls play team sports.

25 out of

928%

Girls’ participation in sports has increased

since 1972 compared to a 15 percent increase on the boys’ side.

170,000

Running as Therapy Outrun trauma at a fast pace

f you generally feel better after a run, it may have something to do with a psychotherapy technique called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR was first used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in war veterans. The basic premise of EMDR is that traumatic memories are so heavily charged with adrenaline that they’re not stored in the parts of the brain that house logical daily memories. This explains why veterans might hear a car backfire and have the exact same physical and mental reactions as they would if still in a war zone. Using bilateral stimulus, such as tapping the right and then the left foot or alternating sounds from right ear to left while recalling traumatic memories, the patient begins to reprocess past experiences as logical memory—and becomes able to live more fully in the present. So the next time you’re out for a run or playing another sport with steady rhythmic bilateral movement, try recalling memories that hinder you from feeling and being your best. Focus on past experiences that have gotten you stuck in some way. By the time you finish a week’s worth of runs, you could find yourself in a much better mental place. For more on traditional EMDR therapy go to: www.EMDR.com

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

Over women are college athletes—a 470% increase since 1972. At the college level, male athletes still receive over

$133

million

more scholarship dollars than female athletes.

percent of all nature/adventure travelers are women.

million women participate in outdoor sports.

womensadventuremagazine.com

Make New Friends! Head online to www.womensadventuremagazine.com and join our forums and contests. We’re working hard to add new features to our site so we continue to be your source for fun, community, and connection. Be sure to subscribe to our E-Newsletter so you’ll know what we’ve got going on in the virtual world of Women’s Adventure.

LOVE ON THE ROCKS 0

1/2

replied, pointing to the guide. “Check out this picture,” he coaxed. “Isn’t that scenery amazing?” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This is a guy who jumped off an 85-foot cliff into a Colorado swimming hole, just to say he’d done it. Never mind that the force of the fall left him with a giant bruise on his butt and hamstrings that looked like a “giant, toothless shark tried to bite me in half.” (He maintains it was worth it.) It’s hard enough when someone you care about is out doing something you think is insanely risky. How about when he or she is gung ho about doing that something … with you? It’s one thing to cross your fingers and worry about him; it’s quite another to be curling your toes over the edge of a cliff as he beckons you to jump.

Love is blind If your beloved jumps off a cliff, how tempted are you to follow? By Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

here are all kinds of worldclass hiking treks in the Peruvian Andes—really spectacular, high-elevation trails that skirt jagged 20,000-foot peaks. Only one of them, the Huayhuash Circuit, comes with a warning to watch out for roving bands of murderous bandits. It’s a nobrainer to skip that one. Right? “Well…let’s not be too hasty,” my boyfriend said as we scanned the guidebooks. “That’s the best one.” “But it says you have to be prepared to drag your frozen, bloody feet back to town after bandits steal your boots,” I 32

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Most worthwhile outdoor pursuits involve some level of risk, of course. But the line dividing acceptable risk and outright stupidity is notoriously slippery. And get ready: If you and your partner are out and about in the outdoors, there’s no escaping this predicament. I don’t want to put too much pressure on the situation, but the way it plays out could very well make or break the relationship. There are all kinds of insightful psychobabble to throw around here—about communication, trust, and willingness to step outside of your comfort zone. That’s all well and good. But at base level, if the less fearful one doesn’t handle it well, it’s not meant to be. My friend Kristin, a serious climber, has seen this play out on the rock many times. “The girl—it’s usually the girl, anyway—will be halfway up the route, doing something hard, and she’ll ask her partner to let her down,” she told me. Sometimes the guy will refuse (“C’mon babe, you can do it!”), and she’ll be pissed because he didn’t listen. Or sometimes the guy will let her down right away—and she’ll be pissed because he didn’t encourage her. Hold the women-can’t-live-with-’em jokes, please; that’s not the point. “You want to be pushed, but you don’t want to be pushed too much,” Kristin said.

How do you find that line? It’s simple. Listen to that sensation in your stomach—you know the difference between nervous excitement and soul-sinking dread. It doesn’t even matter how dangerous the situation really is. If you’re terrified on a climb, or a paddle, or a bike ride, he’s gotta back off. (Or vice versa, of course. Fearless ladies can be just as bad—but that’s a whole other column.) High above tree line last summer in the Rockies, the guy I had been dating and I smacked into that crux point. It was getting uncomfortably close to thunderstorm time, and we still had a ways to go to reach our summit. He wanted to press on, tackling the ridgeline to the right—but suddenly, I was exhausted. And nervous about lightning. And leery of the very steep-looking ridge he had insisted we should take down from the peak. Suddenly, just shy of the summit was close enough for me. “Here, you go ahead. I’ll go around that pass right there and meet you on the way down,” I said. He reluctantly went right while I headed left over a gentle slope and swung around the other side of the ridge. He should have come back into view after a few minutes—but when I still couldn’t see him after about 20, I knew we had seriously underestimated the distance to the summit. Finally, he popped over the ridge, caught sight of me, and bombed down the slope to meet me—none too happy for having missed the summit because he wanted to catch up. A few weeks later, as we were saying goodbye for good, he shook his head and remembered that moment. “I should’ve known,” he said. “I wanted to go right. But you went left.” Maybe he’s right. I did go left. Maybe that’s all you really need to know. And the Huayhuash? My boyfriend swears he’s fine with substituting one of the other spectacular Andean trails— anything to make me feel comfortable. It’s the sort of thing that makes me want to go the way he’s going. Who knows? Maybe even off a cliff.

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ADVERTORIAL

Sunny Feet, Guaranteed.

Bring on the snow, sleet, and rain. In Gore-tex® footwear, you’re feet stay dry and comfortable.

othing can ruin a day on the mountain like being soggy, wet, and cold. Fortunately, Gore-tex® footwear makes traversing trails and kicking up snow a joyful romp with totally waterproof, breathable technology. While they can’t control the weather, Gore-tex® products won’t let the weather control you—or your ability to get out and enjoy a hike, bike, or run regardless of the elements. So forget the forecast, because it’s always sunny and dry inside a Gore-tex® shoe.

La Sportiva Wildcat

Sink into comfort with one of the most wellcushioned Gore-tex® shoes designed for trails on the market. If you like feeling the wind in your face, but not the stones beneath your feet or the elements in your socks, the Wildcat has you covered. www.sportiva.com

Asics Gel Trabuco 12 GTX

Nike Zoom Structure Traix+ 12

New Balance 910

Salomon XT Wings GTX

extreme performance and protection make the trabuco the perfect choice for trail running across mud, scree, and even slick rock. the Gore-tex® upper keeps you dry while the reverse lugs keep you steady on your feet, even on steep downhill. www.asicsamerica.com

this Gore-tex® extended Comfort shoe enables runners to put in high mileage in all types of inclement weather and ground conditions. Layered with features, including rock Stop to prevent toe jams and stone bruises, the 910 takes trail running performance to a whole new level. www.newbalance.com

Nike aficionados rejoice! This is a weatherized version of the well known Structure triax franchise, so cold, wet runs have met their match. Plus, the women’s specific QE-17 last creates a perfect fit for comfort and support. www.nike.com

Winner of the Women’s Adventure editor’s Choice Award, the xt Wings is all-terrain gear for your feet. the Gore-tex® wrapped upper, quick-drying and stylish breathable mesh, and single pull lacing system give runners all the bells and whistles for agility, speed, and all-weather comfort. www.salomonsports.com

PSYCHOBABBLE

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Naturing Today’s Children

There is growing proof that the condition we associate with homebound shut-ins is turning into the next epidemic among American youth. Are your kids suffering from nature-deficit disorder? By Rebecca Kane

n a rainy day, you might experience cabin fever: glancing repeatedly through the window, pacing around the room, snapping at loved ones. But kids today spend all year indoors, plugged into iPods, computers, cell phones, and televisions. According to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods (Algonquin Books, 2008), the disconnect between children and nature has accelerated rapidly in the past three decades, and there’s a high cost to

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that growing divide: a condition he refers to as nature-deficit disorder (NDD). Louv describes the condition as a diminished ability to use the senses, shorter attention span, greater tendency of physical illnesses, and increase in emotional problems. Also at risk are children’s imaginations, creative drives, problem-solving abilities, and self-confidence. “By weighing the consequences of the disorder,” he writes, “we can also become more aware of how blessed our children

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can be—biologically, cognitively, and spiritually—through a positive physical connection to nature.” Some attribute NDD to the No Child Left Behind Act and the increases in standardized testing it has mandated. Ultimately, critics claim, the heavy focus on test scores distorts teaching—and learning—and schools are cutting art and gym classes in favor of test-centric reading, writing, and arithmetic lessons. Louv notes that in the 1990s, annual spending on technology for schools tripled while more than one-third of the nation’s public-school art and environmental programs were dropped. “Suddenly, the children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems were being kept indoors at recess and lunchtime for additional instruction and testing. And these were the children who benefited most from a recess break,” recalls Sally McCracken, who worked in public education for 45 years. Overregulation of children, coupled with parental anxiety, also contributes to NDD, says Louv. The same ravines and fields where you spent childhood days building tree houses and catching caterpillars have likely been mowed over and turned into soccer fields or become regulated by homeowners’ associations. Climbing trees, an unstructured activity that makes many modern parents shudder, is one that develops confidence and creativity in kids. After struggling to climb to a leafy treetop comes the challenge of figuring out how to get back down. How can a child trust her own instinct and problem-solving skills if she never takes chances or has opportunities to try new and difficult things? Children develop their executive function—that inner voice that tells them not to follow a crowd off a cliff—at a very young age through independent, make-believe play. Supersafe park designs and superhighway-like nature trails limit children’s opportunities to explore and solve problems, further limiting creativity. By overregulating kids, parents may be unintentionally sabotaging their children’s imaginations and futures.

In a Wall Street Journal article, Google representative Alan Eustace highlighted a growing trend in corporate hiring: “We definitely hire for creativity, since creative people look at problems in a different way and come up with the most interesting solutions.” But it isn’t just future careers at stake, says Louv. While most of today’s youth are aware of climate change, Louv worries that, without a direct connection to the outdoors, the future leaders of the environmental movement won’t have had hands-on experience with the wilderness they’re charged to protect. “There will always be conservationists,” he says, “but if we are not careful, they will be carrying nature in their briefcases, not in their hearts. And that is a very different relationship—not very sustainable.” It’s encouraging to note that since the publication of Louv’s book, NDD has garnered increasing attention. And although it isn’t likely a direct causeand-effect result, the trend to develop urban green space continues to grow. Playgrounds are being naturalized, and parks are replacing asphalt jungles. Nature centers, nature preserves, and wildlife sanctuaries are popping up, even in inner cities. Another piece of good news: Parents may be the most powerful force in the struggle to bring children back to nature. And “naturalizing” a child doesn’t necessarily mean taking a full-fledged trip to Yellowstone. In the purest sense, nature can mean a pond, a field of grass, a backyard tree, or even a dirt lot. Have him sit in the tall grass and watch the bugs, lie back and study the clouds, throw rocks in the water, take off his shoes and wiggle his toes in the dirt, and camp out under the stars—his peace of mind, self-confidence, and creativity will be the better for it.

De-organize, Try Free Range Play Some argue that kids get plenty of exercise and outdoor play through team sports. Soccer, for example, has become a nationwide phenomenon: The U.S. Youth Soccer Association has more than 3.2 million members between the ages of 5 and 19. While sports teach sharing, teamwork, and strategy, play is highly structured by regulations and adult supervision. There is little room for imagination and self-expression. The irony, as Richard Louv notes, is that as enrollment in organized sports increases, so do cases of obesity. “This doesn’t mean, of course, that organized sports contribute to obesity,” he notes. “But an overscheduled, overorganized childhood may.” Soccer, he says, is not a solution. Lenore Skenazy, columnist and author of both the book and blog Free Range Kids (Jossey-Bass, 2009), offers alternative suggestions for getting your kids outside, thinking creatively, and hot on the heels of independence and good decision-making skills. Check out her blog’s occasional “Free Range Challenge,” which suggests and documents parental experiences encouraging their kids to pursue safe and independent activities. Consider taking a Free Range Challenge for yourself— and your kids.

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TRY THIS

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Check out our Jackess footage on the slackline and see how to set up your own. womensadventuremagazine.com

Taking Up the Slack

A climbing community standby, slacklining is going mainstream. Simple setups are opening up the fun, making this core-strengthening sport accessible to everyone. By Kristy Holland

or most of us, there’s nothing hard about walking. Left, right, left, right: Placing one foot in front of the other is something we’ve been doing since we were toddlers. By now walking has likely taken you to some far-off corner of the planet, or at least down some less-traveled paths close to home. And even if you’ve already taken walking to the next level— from transportation to recreation—it’s less likely you’ve taken it that much further. Enter slacklining. Although the settings are diverse, the premise of slacklining—balancing on a suspended length of dynamic nylon webbing, usually between 1 and 5 inches wide—is pretty basic.

The sport, which some consider a meditation, was born in Yosemite Valley in the late 1970s when some climbers, after a long day on the ropes, started messing around on parking chains, fences, and eventually their own climbing ropes suspended between trees. Many nod their heads to Adam Grosowsky, Jeff Ellington, and a handful of other climbers as early pioneers, but big-name climber Dean Potter drew media attention to the sport with his 55foot crossing from the Lost Arrow Spire in Yosemite Valley in 1995. Potter’s was the first leashless “highline” over the 2,890-foot gap, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s most exposed and difficult. But since then slackliners have

Getting started: Where do you set up? How do you hop on? And what’s the best way to balance? Not everyone can have a one-on-one lesson with Jan Kaeding, co-founder of Gibbon Slacklines, which introduced its bouncy, new Jib Line this fall. In the diagram below, Kaeding shares the tips and tricks he’s gathered for the art of slackline setup—and the balancing act itself.

The length of a slackline affects its movement: The shorter the distance, the less give in the line. Typical setups range from 20 to 50 feet.

pushed the boundaries of the sport: lengthening lines, holding yoga poses while balancing, bounding between parallel setups, and even landing flips on the 1-inch webbing. The raising bar—or line—for the sport is due in part to kits that allow easy setup and make slacklining available to the masses. But its growing popularity is also because the tighter core, stronger legs, and balance you develop from slacklining transfers to other outdoor sports, such as mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, and skiing. Plus, there’s no better way to clear the clutter of your mind than to focus on one small task: placing one foot in front of the other.

Keep arms overhead where smaller adjustments shift weight more precisely. Transfer all your weight at once, lifting your opposite foot after each step.

Gaze at a fixed point straight ahead. Don’t look down or at the disorienting, bouncing line.

Bend knees slightly to keep weight distributed over your entire foot.

A good anchor height for beginners is one to two feet off the ground, but more height is required for advanced tricks.

Place feet parallel to the line (not angled); larger foot contact area increases tension, and toe-to-heel contact will prevent the line from folding under arches.

Anticipate and prepare for the inevitable fall. Injuries are more likely when you overcorrect or go too fast

Tension is key. Begin with lots of tension and decrease tension to experiment as you gain balance and skill. Expect to re-tension occasionally as the line stretches. Set up over flat ground clear of obstacles or ankle-twist hazards such as roots and rocks.

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WHOLE HEALTH

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“It is possible that women get colder than men,” confirms Chris Eschbach, director of the human performance lab at Meredith College and head of the school’s Health, Exercise and Sports Science department. “This is most likely related to body size. Women tend to have a smaller body size than men and therefore have a [smaller] body mass to body surface ratio.” This ratio is important, Eschbach adds, because it means more relative surface area to release heat and less relative body mass to generate it, leaving women feeling generally colder than men. “On the flip side,” Eschbach says, “[women] can also perform in warm environments more efficiently.” While most women have a higher percentage of insulating body fat than men, female athletes are often the exception to this rule, says Ryszard Grucza of the Polish Institute of Sport, also the author of several papers on comparative physiology. Although more muscle means a better capacity for heat generation, what female athletes gain in muscle “is still lower than men and is not able to compensate” for the insulating fat lost, says Grucza.

Freeze Game

Why do women always feel colder than men? by Alexa Schirtzinger Part of what I love about my boyfriend is that we enjoy all the same outdoor activities: skiing, climbing, whitewater rafting, scuba diving, and so on. He’s better at rafting, and I’m a faster hiker, but otherwise we’re pretty equally matched—except for one glaring exception: body temperature. On the slopes he wears little more than a shell, while I’ve been known to ski in two sweaters and a down jacket. Scuba diving, he frolics sans wetsuit while I wear two, and I don fleece and wool to keep warm between dives. We can’t spend more than five minutes admiring a summit view together, before I’m running in circles to stay warm. Is it him? Is it me? Or are men and women around the world engaged in thermostat wars because of some fundamental and physiological difference in how we deal with heat and cold?

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I know where I stand—not fat enough to be warm, and not muscular enough to generate enough of my own heat—but what about female athletes at the top of their game? “This happens to me all the time,” admits big-mountain skier Lynn Kennen. “I seem to always be colder than the guys I am skiing with, especially my hands. They are always the first thing to freeze.” Lynn recalls a day on a peak in Haines, Alaska, when 40-mileper-hour winds and temperatures hovering around 15 degrees below zero made staying warm a safety issue. “We needed to take our time and do some snow stability tests before we could just drop in off the cold, windy ridge,” Lynn explains in an e-mail. “I was so cold I was starting to lose feeling in my hands and feet. Not the best way to drop into a supersteep technical line with questionable stability.” So Lynn launched into a routine familiar to all alpinists: She

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did jumping jacks and swung her arms in wide circles to force blood to her extremities. With this simple exercise, “I started to feel a little tingling in my hands and feet,” Lynn writes. The blood flow was enough to keep her from freezing and compromising her safety and performance on the slopes. She may not have realized it at the time, but Lynn had hit upon one of the other big arguments for why women often feel colder than men. Researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine discovered that, while women’s core body temperatures were on the whole slightly higher than men’s, their hands were almost three degrees colder. Eschbach attributes this to different vasoconstriction thresholds—the temperature at which blood vessels contract in order to limit blood flow to the extremities and keep the body core warm. One theory is that women have higher vasoconstriction thresholds, “meaning that women’s bodies shunt blood to their core at higher temperatures than men, which makes them—or at least their extremities—feel colder,” Eschbach explains. In other words, if my body starts conserving heat and reducing blood flow to my hands and feet at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and my boyfriend’s body doesn’t go into heat-conservation mode until the temperature drops to 30, I’ll feel a lot colder at 35 degrees than he will— even though our core temperatures will be about the same. But the idea that vasoconstriction thresholds are determined by gender rather than by genderneutral body characteristics (body fat, fitness) hasn’t been confirmed, Eschbach says. Instead, the prevailing opinion suggests that how cold- or hot-blooded we are depends less on a fundamental gender difference than on body fat percentage and the ratio of mass to surface area. While PADI scuba diving instructor Stephanie Frewer admits she usually wears one more layer than her boyfriend (also a dive instructor) while diving, she doesn’t see consistent trends among her students. “Generally, [stay-

ing warm] doesn’t depend so much on gender but on how big people are,” Stephanie says. Women’s body temperatures dip during the first 14 days of the menstrual cycle, and post-menopausal women may have trouble keeping warm. But to Stephanie, it’s simple: People with more fat on their bodies stay warmer under water, regardless of whether they’re male or female. So concludes one of the definitive studies on the men-versus-women temperature issue, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. In that study, 11 women were immersed in cold water for up to 90 minutes to measure their body’s responses (a group of men had been similarly tested in a previous study). The team of Canadian researchers found that, once body fat and the ratio of body surface area to size were taken into account, there were “no significant gender differences” in body cooling, energy metabolism, or fat oxidation. In other words, take a man and a woman, give them the exact same percentage of body fat and body surface area-to-size ratio, and they’ll need the same amount of insulation to keep warm. But with women averaging 17 percent less body mass and 25 percent less muscle than men, keeping warm is almost always a bigger concern for women than men. But not only in terms of comfort and survival. Last year, two separate studies found that feeling cold also influences your outlook. “We were all getting really mad and angry at each other,” Lynn recalls of her day on the ridge in Alaska. “It’s weird how being that cold really affects your mood and attitude.” Attitude is almost as crucial to performance as having feeling in your fingertips. Maybe these feelings—hot, cold, and even cranky—aren’t gender specific. But the difference in physiology is something to keep in mind when you’re sparring over the temperature setting in the car or deciding who’s in for one last run down the mountain this winter.

Tips From The Pros We asked some top female athletes to share their tips for keeping warm this winter, whether for hitting the backcountry for some untracked powder or escaping to a Caribbean reef. Here’s their best advice: Zoe Hart, mountain guide and alpine climber: “When we climb a big route we go ‘light and fast,’ meaning we only bring one light sleeping bag and no tent. I am lucky when I share the bag with [my boyfriend] because he basically produces ALL the heat. I can literally feel the heat transfer from him to me.” In the absence of a boyfriend, Zoe boils water, fills a Nalgene, and nestles it against her feet in the bottom of her sleeping bag. She’s a fan of hand warmers— “an investment in the success of your day”—and of layering to protect extremities like her neck, head, and hands. Another tip: “Hydration prevents frostbite. Keep drinking and your body will have the fluids it needs to stay warm,” says Hart. Lynn Kennen, big-mountain skier and guide: “I rafted the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with ski gear this spring to ski some first descents from the river,” Lynn recalls. It was so important to change your socks two or even three times a day to stay warm. Recycle them by putting them in your sleeping bag at night to dry them out so you can have dry socks the next day.” That’s good advice for any underlayers that need to dry out, she adds. Another good trick: “Drink hot Emergen-C.” Stephanie frewer, PADI dive instructor: “Wear a thicker wetsuit, or put a couple on. [Between dives], take your wetsuit off, run around, eat something, and get dry. If it’s your own wetsuit and you need immediate warmth, pee in it—but that only helps temporarily!” Other tips: Bring a thermos of hot tea or coffee on the boat for after your dives.

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Brave New Butters

Try these less orthodox butters as alternatives to the classic sandwich spread. By Matthew G. Kadey MSc., RD

ne of the only bummers about traveling overseas for an exotic bike ride or tramp through the rainforest is that it’s often hard to track down a jar of peanut butter. Many other countries don’t get our infatuation with grinding up the legume and slathering it on toast. But then again, who can explain Vegemite? For eons, this American pantry staple has seemingly held a monopoly on the nut-butter market. Peanut butter holds our palates hostage to its creamy deliciousness—to the tune of 3.5 pounds consumed per year, according to the USDA. But what if the recent salmonella outbreak makes you squea-

Almond Butter

Sweeter than peanut butter with a slightly crunchier consistency, almond butter bests its peanut-based brethren for the antioxidant vitamin E; bonebuilding minerals calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus; and monounsaturated fat, a heart-healthy fat that keeps cholesterol levels in check. The calorie count, as with all nut and seed spreads, is significant at about 100 per tablespoon. Ergo, spread thin.

mish? Or if the rising tide of peanut allergies means Skippy is shunned at your kids’ school? Maybe you’re just jonesing for a greater spread of options to accompany Mom’s homemade jam. “Improved awareness about the health benefits of other nuts and seeds and their great taste when pureed are driving increased sales of peanut butter alternatives,” says Katie Kearney, president of Naturally Nutty Foods in Michigan.” Luckily, nutty food manufactures are grinding up all sorts of tasty and very nutritious alternatives, such as these five that are worthy of sticking to the roof of your mouth.

Walnut butter

Hempseed butter

Walnut butter and jam sandwich? The lumpy walnut, whole or smooshed, is one of nature’s most nutrient-dense foods, with no other nut even coming close to its wallop of omega-3 fatty acids. Grinding up walnuts produces a slightly bitter puree thanks to the naturally occurring tannins, but scientists are attributing all sorts of health perks to this nut’s omega-3 boost, including reduced risk of heart attack, certain cancers, and cognitive decline.

Greener than Al Gore, verdant hempseed butter is packed with more iron and protein than other nut butters and offers a healthy dose of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Its earthy flavor has nutty undertones and, because it’s a hardy—ahem—weed, hemp grown for food production is usually pesticide free. Almost hazardously runny, hempseed butter needs a good mixing and should be stored in the fridge.

In the kitchen: Substitute for peanut butter to make walnut butter cookies. Try a dollop on your morning oatmeal, and add walnut butter to smoothies, pureed soups, and sauces (think stir-fry) to up the nutrient content and add rich, crowd-pleasing flavor.

In the kitchen: Hemp butter marries well with pure maple syrup, slathered onto whole-grain crackers, grainy breads, muffins, and waffles. It’s a great addition to homemade energy bars and protein shakes, but it’s good by the spoonful, too.

Spread these: Naturally Nutty Vanilla Almond Butter $10, 1.5 oz; www.naturallynutty.com

Spread these: Artisana Raw Organic Walnut Butter $11, 8 oz; www.premierorganics.com

Spread these: Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Butter $11, 10 oz; www.manitobaharvest.com

Earth Balance Creamy Almond Butter $10, 16 oz; www.earthbalancenatural.com

Futters Just Walnut $14, 16 oz: www.futtersnutbutters.com

In the kitchen: For a nutrient-packed snack on the trail, spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter onto a small whole-grain tortilla and top with sliced bananas and dried blueberries or cherries. Almond butter’s hearty, sweet taste makes it a perfect dip for sliced apples and raw veggies.

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Wilderness Poets 100% Pure Hempspread $14, 8 oz; www.wildernesspoets.com

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Craft Your Own

More intimidating to make than jam, nut butters aren’t a staple of most home gourmands. But we tapped Chef Hinnerk von Bargen, associate professor at the Culinary Institute of America, for recipes for his favorite homemade spreads and ways to jazz things up:

Ingredients

Cashew butter

Cashew lovers (who isn’t one?) will enjoy the buttery, indulgent taste, while health nuts are sure to appreciate that this über-spread is brimming with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, magnesium, and copper. Copper is necessary for proper iron metabolism and collagen synthesis, so this nut spread provides an added boost for bone and skin health.

KRISAN CHRISTENSEN

In the kitchen: Add velvety cashew butter to curries and satay sauces or liven up plain-Jane salads by mixing equal amounts of cashew butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey and drizzling on top of greens. Spread these: MaraNatha Roasted Cashew Butter $11, 16 oz; www.maranathanutbutters.com Once Again Cashew Butter $11, 16 oz; www.onceagainnutbutter.com

Hazelnut butter

Long familiar to globe-trotters, the chocolate-infused Italian spread Nutella is the most common form of hazelnut-based spread. But, almost-sinful straight-up hazelnut butter is so rich and smoky once the lid is popped, you’ll struggle to keep that wandering index finger (or piece of dark chocolate) at bay. Along with an excellent 8-to-1 ratio of unsaturated (good) to saturated (lousy) fat, hazelnuts are jammed with copper, vitamin E, and B vitamins like folate and magnesium, the latter of which is an oftoverlooked mineral linked to strengthening immunity and regulating blood sugar and nerve function. In the kitchen: Whisk hazelnut butter with tamari or soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and red pepper flakes. Pour over shredded carrots and thinly sliced red pepper for a delish side dish. We did mention the dark chocolate thing, right? Spread these: Kettle Unsalted Hazelnut Butter $8, 11.5 oz; www.kettlefoods.com Futters Just Hazelnut Butter $15, 16 oz; www.futtersnutbutters.com

2 to 3 cups unsalted nuts or seeds 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil ½ teaspoon salt or to taste In a food processor, combine nuts or seeds with salt. Begin blending, drizzling oil in from the top. Process 2 to 3 minutes, adding oil slowly to achieve desired consistency and scraping down sides as necessary. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months. for a chunkier butter: use less oil and fold finely chopped nuts into the finished butter. For a deeper flavor: Roast the nuts or seeds in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes before blending. for a healthier spread: use cashews and substitute half with cooked fava beans. for tang: Blend nuts with ginger powder and fresh lemon zest or with finely chopped lemongrass. for dessert: Grind nuts with brown sugar, honey, cocoa powder, and/or vanilla extract. Try a pinch of cayenne to turn up the heat—great with hazelnuts or fresh fruit. for something fruity: Process seeds or nuts with apple butter and cinnamon.

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IT’S PERSONAL

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Remembering Lisa A tennis mom mourns an unfinished friendship by Rebecca Rice

“Lisa passed away this morning,” Mike began. I didn’t hear much of the rest—about putting her in hospice over the weekend, how he and the kids got to say goodbye—because I had buried my head in my hands. I called Mike back to get all the surreal details: Lisa would be cremated; there’d be a wake on Saturday. Then, because I knew Mike didn’t want flowers and because I needed to do something, I wandered around my kitchen, drying my tears on my apron and measuring out the ingredients for a tomato quiche and apple cake that I’d bring over to the family that afternoon. As I cracked and whisked eggs, cut onions and apples, and melted sticks of butter in a saucepan, I forgot for a moment that I would never hear Lisa’s big, confident voice again; I’d never open any more of her jokey e-mails, the last of which, sent on September 6 at 1:33 p.m., was a list forwarded from Mensa of made-up words, including the howler “osteopornosis: a degenerative disease.” Lisa and I met as many women do: through our kids. It was just two years ago, and our sons were playing in the 12-and-under division of a Maine tennis tournament. As we chatted in the viewing area among boys and girls lugging giant tennis bags, some bigger than the kids who carried them, I observed that Lisa was not your typical tennis mom. True,

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she was dressed in a tracksuit and new running shoes and was pretty, blond, and fit—but she also sported fashionably retro, thick, black eyeglasses and carried The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a best-selling novel about autism. Generally, tennis moms don’t read: They’re too busy dissecting their kids’ inside-out backhands, watching line calls and foot faults, and mouthing advice on the changeovers. Our boys traded match stories, and the adults noted the happy coincidence of coming from the Pioneer Valley. My husband mentioned that our family had just moved to Massachusetts and suggested that we should get the kids together back in Amherst. Before we said our good-byes (our son had lost both his matches, while Lisa’s child had won his and would play the next morning), Lisa and I exchanged phone numbers. A month went by, and neither of us picked up the phone. Then, one morning when I was complaining about how lonely I felt and second-guessing everything—including our move— my husband asked, “Why don’t you call Lisa?” Why doesn’t she call me? I thought. Sheepishly, I dialed her number. After all, it wasn’t like she were a guy and I was waiting for her to make the first move. Lisa picked up right away. Like me, she worked at home. “Isn’t that serendipitous?” she laughed. “Here I was hanging out in my kitchen with James’ tennis coach, thinking I should call you.” Lisa and I agreed to meet with our kids that Saturday at the middle school courts in Amherst. She gave me directions, but by the time Saturday rolled around, I had misplaced them.

womensadventuremagazine.com

COURTESY OF KIRWIN FAMILY

he news came on a fine October morning, the red light of the answering machine blinking after I’d returned from dropping the dog at the vet for a grooming. The voice—halting, grave, formal—addressed me by name. It belonged to the husband of my friend Lisa, who had been battling breast cancer for the past 18 months.

Driving there, I got hopelessly lost and became hopelessly late; I worried that I’d make a bad first impression. But the family—Lisa; Mike; their son, James; daughter, Ali; and German shepherd, Eso—was still on the courts. As my son, Oliver, leapt out of the car, yelling that his mom was “so demented,” Lisa laughed and said, “Aw, come on. Give your mom a break.” Soon the boys were showing off their fierce cross-court forehands while talking post-season baseball—James was a Yankees fan; Oliver loved the Red Sox. Lisa and I sat with our backs against the chain-link fence, grateful that our boys got along and discovering that, even though we were not matched at tennis (I played competitively, while Lisa had just taken up the game), we shared many off-court passions. I learned a lot that cold October afternoon—about how Ali, who slumped like a rag doll against her dad as they walked the dog around the playing fields, suffered from cerebral palsy and how the family had moved from suburban New Jersey to Amherst five years ago so Ali and James could attend the town’s public schools. I mentioned that we, too, had moved to the area for the schools. Lisa explained that she’d given up a career as a trader on Wall Street to make sure Ali wouldn’t spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Lisa’s dedication had paid big dividends: Ali could walk, type on a computer keyboard, and even ride a horse. Lisa told me she was working with her brotherin-law on a book about

her daughter’s recovery. I confided that I, too, had written a book about recovering from tragedy and that I was returning to writing after a long hiatus working in public relations and teaching. Soon the boys began taking semiprivate lessons together with Hammed, the hip tennis pro who lived in Lisa’s basement and had played tournaments as a junior with tennis superstar James Blake—the boys thought the whole situation was very cool. Sometimes the moms and sons would repair to The Black Sheep, a coffeehouse in Amherst, after the lessons. The kids inhaled whoopee pies and talked sports, while the moms sipped green tea and talked writing. The two families got together for pizza at our house in Hadley and the boys carpooled to a tennis tournament in Connecticut with their dads. But everything changed one winter afternoon as the boys clowned around at the Bay Road Tennis Center. “Lisa’s got breast cancer,” Mike said, as the boys were working out the goofy rules of a net game. Mike explained that a routine mammogram had revealed a mass in Lisa’s left breast and she was headed to Yale-New Haven Hospital for further tests the next week. “We’re going to need your support over the next few months,” he said sadly. My husband and I took turns driving James to and from his tennis lessons, and sometimes the four of us played doubles—my husband and I taking on the boys, who never came close to beating

IT’S PERSONAL

the old fogeys, much to their melodramatic frustration.

nutritional regimen. Recently, he’d appeared on The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet (Lisa e-mailed me the link) with one of his patients, a grayhaired, 59-year-old pancreatic cancer survivor. Seven years ago, this woman had been given three months to live. Now she enjoyed walks in the park with her grandchildren. I e-mailed back that I was “very impressed.”

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problem, I should join AA. Every problem contained its own solution: It was just a matter of being dogged enough to find it.

Lisa underwent a double mastectomy in New Haven. Back home in Amherst When The Secret came out—all the and remarkably chipper, as if recovrage among the parents at my son’s ering from the flu instead of major Waldorf school— Lisa said she believed surgery, Lisa reveled in our doubles absolutely in what the book posited: tales. She advised my husband and me That you could make good things hapto savor our victories, because there pen simply by thinking good would come a time, sooner thoughts. Much like when rather than later, when the you force yourself to smile, boys would clean our clocks. you evoke smiles from othWhen the talk turned to her If she had chosen chemo, ers. Staying positive was the recovery and when she’d feel way she had dealt with her well enough to play again, she might still be alive, we daughter’s cerebral palsy. Lisa said something about still having a tiny amount of might be seated at our table Staying positive was going to help her beat cancer. cancer in her lymph nodes— by the window, and I might nothing to worry about, but “‘My mom can do anything,’” her oncologist had recombe learning things about her she laughingly reported her mended chemotherapy and son saying. radiation.

that I had discovered only in her obituary.

Lisa researched her condition on the Internet, joining LISTSERV and Googling treatment options. Books about cancer piled up on the end tables in her living room. Then she made a bold decision: She wasn’t going to put herself through the ordeal of chemotherapy. Instead, she would try a radical nutritional approach that wasn’t covered by insurance but that Lisa was convinced would make her well. “If I had listened to the medical establishment, my daughter would still be in a wheelchair,” Lisa explained that summer as our boys frolicked in her pool. Lisa began a punishing regimen of colon cleanses, macrobiotic foods, vitamin supplements, and hormones. Every day she swallowed 150 to 175 pills. She gave up alcohol, red meat, refined sugars, and all processed foods. She ate organic vegetables and drank foul-tasting shakes. She sent off hair follicles to be analyzed at a lab in New York. The reports were promising: Her cancer scores were dropping. She said she had never felt better in her life. Every few months Lisa drove to Manhattan to meet with Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, an alternative-minded cancer specialist who’d had great success treating aggressive forms of cancer with his

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That fall Lisa and I started to get together without the kids. We saw several chick flicks at the art house cinema, movies our husbands and kids would have found sappy. We watched Becoming Jane, Waitress, and Juno, leading the always-logical Lisa to pronounce a theme to our choices: the vagaries of motherhood. By the time the credits rolled, we’d be in tears, in need of a reviving cup of tea at The Black Sheep. We began to share confidences, first about our kids, then about ourselves. Lisa and I were very different—she once confided that she’d made $20,000 in one morning of stock trading, while I shared that I sometimes spent all morning Googling old boyfriends—but perhaps these differences accounted for our connection. When I whined and pissed and moaned, presenting dark problems that seemed to have no solutions, Lisa listened and suggested action. If I suffered from writer’s block, I should read The Artist’s Way, which suggested the remedy of writing, without fail, three pages every morning. If I had a drinking

Come spring the news of Lisa’s health grew darker. There were weeks when we didn’t hear from her, weekday afternoons when Mike, who had gotten a job closer to home, picked up his son from tennis lessons, explaining that Lisa was feeling lousy. In April she sent out a group e-mail to apologize for having been out of touch and explain that a mysterious fever had been diagnosed as Lyme disease (all in caps and followed by facetious exclamation points and asterisks). She said she was starting antibiotics and would be feeling like a “human being” again soon, when she would be ready for “tennis, lunching, etc.” After her death, Mike speculated that Lisa may not have had Lyme disease, as the diagnosis wasn’t clear-cut. He said it was probably the cancer, creating havoc with her immune system and laying waste to her body, worse than an entire colony of deer ticks. Lisa had fastened onto the Lyme disease explanation because she wanted to believe her illness was treatable, that she would get better. Mike explained that his wife’s will to wellness was so powerful that she could not permit herself to even entertain the possibility that she would die.

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The last time I saw her was at the end of July. Lisa had warned that she’d lost a lot of weight and that one friend had burst into tears upon seeing her. I joked that I promised not to cry and wouldn’t stay long. It was a hot summer day; I came alone, without my husband or son. The family was gathered around the kitchen table. Mike was working on his laptop, booking a flight on British Airways for James, who was off to London with his older cousin for 10 days. Ali was wandering in and out, showing off her new pink bathing suit. Lisa emerged from the bedroom, clutching the new accessory of a cane, her once elegant athlete’s body shrunken beneath her striped pajamas. And yet, even then, creeping across the room as if she were 87 instead of 47, she refused to focus on her illness, praising an article I’d had published recently that she’d passed along to her sister, inquiring about my tennis team’s success at Districts, and joking about scheduling a rematch with James when our family returned from vacation. (James had recently beaten me, much to his delight and my chagrin.) “You can’t let my kid take you out,” Lisa laughed, before apologizing that she needed me to go so she could lie down. At summer’s end I fell off my bike and broke my clavicle in two places. I called Lisa and moaned about the bone not healing properly and my fear of surgery. I whined about not being able to drive or cook or use the computer—and forget about playing tennis; I couldn’t do that for three months. Three months! Lisa laughed (I was reassured hearing her laugh sound as hearty as ever) as I joked about the indignity of begging my son to tie my sneakers. I said that I didn’t know how she’d managed to be housebound for all these months, that it was making me nuts. I complimented her on being a far better patient than I was. Looking back on this bizarre conversation, I don’t know how I could have been so clueless to compare my broken collarbone to her cancer, but I suppose it was an indication of my own denial of just how sick Lisa was, how much I

wanted to believe that she was going to beat this thing. Just watch her. A month later came the message on my answering machine (which I still can’t bear to delete) with its impossible news that Lisa was gone. In the weeks after Lisa’s death, I would stand behind women in the sandwich line at The Black Sheep—blonde, fit women in tracksuits who looked like Lisa—and I would feel this swelling of rage: It wasn’t fair that they were alive and Lisa wasn’t. Sometimes my anger would be directed at Dr. Gonzalez, who I now thought of as a charlatan. Often I would berate myself for failing to see the signs that Lisa was dying. I would even feel mad at Lisa for defying her oncologist. If she had chosen chemo, she might still be alive, we might be seated at our table by the window, and I might be learning things about her that I had discovered only in her obituary: She was born in Encino, California; her maiden

name was Cordial. Most people who’ve lived through the death of a relative or close friend—and by the time we reach our late 40s, this includes everybody—know that grieving is a messy and turbulent process. It lays waste to our days and nights, begins in denial and anger, weaves drunkenly into bargaining, drifts through numbness (how else to account for the hours spent at the mall buying shoes, not because you need them, but simply because you must find a new way to walk away), and yields, at last, in acceptance. Now, three months after my friend’s death, when I wake up my son for school each morning, I no longer look away from the memorial card on his bookcase—the snapshot of the Lisa I remember, the Lisa I never said goodbye to, at one of her kid’s birthdays, a coneshaped party hat perched goofily on her head, a grin big as California across her proud, pretty face.

Gear Room

Trail Running

Fall into a pair of these seasonal faves By Karina Evertsen Fall’s milder temperatures and changing colors make a convincing case for getting outside. No matter what climate you live in, you’ll find the perfect fit for the season in our roundup of fall trail-running shoes—just lace ’em up and go! Happy trails.

Shoes 2

1. Adidas adiZero XT $90

Quick and agile, the adiZero XT is built for low-volume feet and for runners who enjoy a slimmer platform without compromising support. The rib cage is designed to hold both arch and heel in good position, while the mesh upper keeps out dirt and dust and breathes well as heat builds. Best for jaunts under six miles. Terrain tested: Rocky, varied. www.adidas.com

2. Brooks Adrenaline ASR 6 $105 Here’s a stability trail shoe that transitions well from pavement to dirt. ASR stands for All Season Running, so you know the shoe can handle mixed conditions. With solid ankle support and ample room in the toebox area, the Adrenaline ASR is best for a medium-volume foot. The midsole is made of BioMoGo, a biodegradable material that won’t sit in the landfill for eternity after you’ve exhausted the shoes’ running life. Terrain tested: Clean pavement and meandering dirt roads. www.brooksrunning.com

3. La Sportiva Wildcat $100 Comfortable right out of the box, this new addition to La Sportiva’s mountain-running line doesn’t disappoint. The all-mesh upper lets air pass through easily and makes the shoe light without compromising performance. The single-layer midsole is supportive enough for the long haul, and the outsole grips terrain when you need it to—no slipping or sliding on the trail. Plus, we love the superprotective toe guard—an aspect often overlooked—which works like a champ. Terrain tested: Steep, rocky singletrack. www.sportiva.com

4. Scarpa Apex GTX $120 Let the colder weather kick in—it won’t affect you in the Apex GTX. The waterproof upper keeps the elements at bay, so you can still log mileage during the shoulder season. Unlike some shoes in its category, the Apex is surprisingly light and flexible. The toe guard is significant but not bulky, perfect for the unexpected rock here and there. Plenty of cushion and grip in the sole provide a smooth ride. Terrain tested: Mixed weather with plenty of rain, mud, and steeps. www.scarpa.com

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Running accessories Lululemon Groovy Run Short $54

Injinji Performance Series $12 to $14

The Groovy short is an extremely comfortable mid-length classic. The soft liner doesn’t chafe or itch, and the overall design makes for a flattering fit. www.lululemon.com

Not your typical sock, these look funny but leave no blisters behind. The idea behind the design: because your toes are separated, your feet are more well balanced and supported during activity. While they take a while to get used to, once you do they are extremely comfortable. www.injinji.com

Salomon XT Wings Tight $85

Manzella Silk Weight Windstopper gloves $30

With contrast stitching in the proper places, the seamless Wings tights look great and perform even better. They feature abrasionresistant fabric on the lower legs, zippers on the ankles, and reflective features for nighttime runs. www.salomonsports.com

These breathable gloves keep your hands toasty throughout cooler runs. The stretch fabric on the top of the hands makes them fit snugly, and the grips on the palms keep you from fumbling with keys, zippers, or iPods. www.manzella.com

Icebreaker Dash Crewe $65

Run in wool? We say, “yes!” if it’s in this top. Gusseted construction moves with you and moves moisture away from your body, the long torso provides good coverage, the fit is ultracomfortable, and the wool: silky smooth. www.icebreaker.com

Don’t miss next issue’s Winter Editor’s Choice Awards, along with great holiday gift ideas.

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

Brushes With Death:

There’s nothing like a near-death experience to change your life forever.

ail r t , g n t i s k u a j y n Ka —eve s— r o g o n i d runn n the out e. l i b g m n i a e b is a g

By Corinne Garcia 48

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How to stay warm on an unexpected wilderness overnight:

There is no waiver and there are no guarantees. Every time you strap on your harness, sling your skis over one shoulder, or lace up for a day on the trail, you’re about to go head to head with Mother Nature. An unexpected rock, a distant rain, or even the partner you’re roped up to can compound the inherent—although still unexpected—risks of any outdoor pursuit. Climber Aron Ralston earned semi-celebrity status after mishap forced him to amputate his own arm in a Utah canyon in 2003, but as many as 774 near-death experiences occur every day in the U.S., and between 4 and 15 percent of the population will have a close-call brush with death, according to the Near Death Experience Research Foundation. On a cold December day in 2006, Danelle Ballengee had hers. “I thought, Oh my God, I am going to die here; no one’s going to find me,” says the 38-year-old professional endurance athlete. While running on a trail near her Moab, Utah, home, Danelle slipped on an icy patch and plummeted 60 feet, shattering her pelvis. She spent 52 hours lying in the same spot, doing head crunches to ward off hypothermia.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KRISAN CHRISTENSEN

“I tried to stay calm. I tried to stay hopeful,” Danelle recalls. “The cold was so overwhelming that it took up a lot of thought.” She broke through some ice that covered a small puddle and used the lid of her water bottle to drink. But after two days she started to lose hope. “First comes the adrenaline rush, then the strategies to survive,” reports Jan Holden, EdD, a professor of counseling at the University of North Texas and former president of the International Association for Near-Death Studies. “Afterward the adrenaline shakes away and the person is shaken and emotional with the realization of their circumstances and what they’ve been—or are going—through. It’s your basic textbook response to a life-threatening situation.” The adrenaline-rush response worked for Erika Eschholz, who was enjoying a backcountry excursion near her home in eastern Idaho when the slope gave way beneath her skis. The avalanche engulfed her, the weight of the snow pressing against her body as it ripped down the slope. Her instincts went to work. “I fought like hell to stay toward the light,” she says. “I fought and fought until everything was still, and then I continued to fight for an airway.” Her tactics worked. Erika feels fortunate to have survived and to have recalled those life-saving tips from a ski video she’d seen. But she also credits good luck and the fact that she had the energy to put up a good fight. “Since then, I go out and wonder, Do I have the energy today to fight like I did that day?” Raymond Moody, MD, psychiatrist, philosophy professor, and author of Life After Life (HarperOne, 2001), suspects Erika would have had sufficient fighting energy any day. “For people who were in lifethreatening circumstances, within a hair’s breath of death, it seemed that some sort of force came to their aid and rescued them,” he explains. Erika’s survival instinct triggered intense energy in the moments of the avalanche, a response that is well documented in studies of near-death and life-threatening experiences.

5 4 3 2 1 a trench big enough 1 Dig/clear to sleep in and fill it with stones.

2 Light a fire on top of the stones. 3 Cover the warm embers with dirt. 4 Cover the dirt with logs. a bed of leaves on top 5 Create of the logs.

How to survive an avalanche:

toward the surface 1 “swim” and try to stay there.

you do get burried, dig a hole 2 ifaround your head and spit or

drool to find out which way is up.

your face and create 3 Protect an air pocket with your arms and hands.

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When accomplished kayaker Jennifer Morrison sideswiped a large rock on the Shoshone River in Wyoming, both she and her boat were sucked under the ledge. She pulled her spray skirt and felt her body wrap around the nose of her boat. “I remember a feeling of total helplessness,” Jennifer recalls. And then, just as easily as it had sucked her in, the river spat her back out. “I didn’t have time to think about the fact that I almost died until after,” she says. “It changed me as a person. There was a huge shift in my consciousness. The fact that you see the impermanence of being human makes you more able to be in the moment and enjoy life.” The classic characteristics of brush-with-death experiences—an overwhelming sense of peace, an out-of-body sensation, a feeling of heading toward a bright light, and 12 others—occur more frequently in cases of severe trauma and cardiac arrest. But, Moody explains, while the phases associated with ordeals like the ones Jennifer, Danelle and Erika endured aren’t usually as intense as those of classic hospital-bed heart-stoppers, they sometimes do occur. “In cases like these, people may experience time seeming to stand still, feelings of union with all things, feelings of viewing the body from the distance as if they’re watching in third person, and flashing backward in one’s life,” says Moody. In addition, a brush with death oftentimes triggers a shift in consciousness. “In a context where some haven’t thought much about dying and they face a severe crisis, even if they are not injured by it, they are brought face to face with the prospect of mortality,” Moody explains. “People use it as an occasion for taking stock of their life, an awakening.” Further typical responses include losing the fear of death and feeling uncontrollable empathy for others. In some studies, as many as 89 percent of people who’ve had near death experiences reported newfound healing abilities or telepathic skills. While there is a large range of after effects, “there is [at least] one common element in all near-death experiences,” reports Moody in his book The Light Beyond (Bantam, 1989). “They transform the people who have them. In my 20 years [experience], I have yet to find [a near-death-experience survivor] who hasn’t had a very deep and positive transformation as a result of his experience.”

How to flip your capsized kayak: the submerged paddle away 1 Push from your boat. your weight towards the 2 shift surface of the water. your hips toward the 3 rotate surface of the water. to an upright seated 4 return position.

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Danelle thinks about her brush with death every day. “If something’s not going quite right in my life, I think I’m just lucky to be here to appreciate life, good or bad, just to have the experience.” Since her near-death experience, Danelle has volunteered with Project Athena, an organization that helps women overcoming serious medical setbacks to get back outside and pursue adventures they’ve always dreamed of. These close calls also seem to enhance, not diminish, passion for the outdoors, although survivors may approach their sports a little differently than they did previously. Instead of striking fear, brushes with death often serve as learning opportunities. “It probably made me more fascinated with backcountry skiing,” Erika says of the avalanche. “It’s driven me to want to be better at what I do, evaluate avalanches more thoroughly, and ski more cautiously.”

How to stargaze when stranded in the wilderness: a level patch of land under 1 Find a clearing.

2 Lay down. 3 Prop your arms behind your head. 4 enjoy the peaceful night sky.

This has also been the case for Lizann Kudrna, who suffered a spinal-cord injury on her descent of southwest Montana’s Mount Cowen and spent a night on the mountain before being rescued. “I was in pain all night, but it was a beautiful night, a full moon,” she says. “I knew I was never going to be camping under the stars in this kind of spot again, so I kept my eyes open and savored the sky as much as I could.” Even after her accident—and still wheelchairbound—Lizann bikes, swims, and does Pilates and yoga, “I’m still passionate about the outdoors … it’s important to my being alive,” she says. “It’s one of the things that feeds me.” Moody says that those who’ve had a brush with death acquire “an awareness that life is very fragile.” Along with a newfound appreciation for life’s impermanence, these women have taken away valuable lessons that apply to their individual outdoor pursuits. “Any time I get to the edge of something, I think about it,” says Danelle, who is more cautious and less competitive than she used to be. Erika’s avalanche close call taught her that the human factor can be the riskiest part of an outdoor adventure; she’s learned that voicing personal boundaries can save her life. Another piece of advice: “Plan for everything, and bring essentials,” says Elaine Doll, who survived a flash flood in Arizona’s Havasu Canyon. “You never know what’s going to happen, and don’t beat yourself up if crazy stuff does—it’s just nature. Learn how to have fun without being petrified. Nobody knows how they’re going to go.” Climbing mountains or going for bike rides can be risky, but so is crossing the street. With her new outlook on life, Danelle now puts everything in perspective: “This very well could have happened in my shower,” she says. “Accidents happen every day, but the rewards you get from living a cool life and doing the things you like to do are more important than trying to avoid them.”

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Q. You know the old saying, “A woman trying to make her way in a man’s world.” Do you think that still applies in 2009? A. Yes, most definitely. I

VANESSA HODGSON

DENISE WHITHORNE: WWW.ISHOOT4U.COM

hen Vanessa Hodgson steps onto the back of a bull, everything around her fades out. “It kind of feels like time stops,” she says. “You forget everything that is going on. You just focus on you and the bull. Everything is totally still, like you’re on pause.” As one of the few female professional bull riders, she lives her life in eight-second intervals. She jumps from rodeo to rodeo, working, riding, and sometimes training horses at her Niles, Michigan, home. At age 25, she’s not one to go on at length about much of anything. But don’t be fooled: Vanessa’s got drive. When asked about her personality, Vanessa’s husband, Derek, says she’s “pretty outgoing and pretty independent,” which seems relatively evident as she competes in one of the most maledominated sports on the face of the planet. He says watching her ride brings on a “mixture of excitement and nervousness all at the same time.” Since her debut on the back of the beast, Vanessa has made great strides in her quest to become the best female bull rider in the world.

think men are just stuck in their ways. A lot of guys don’t approve of a woman doing a man’s sport. That’s how guys are. That’s how they’re raised.

Q. Worst ride? A.

Q. What was it like when you first started riding professionally? A.

It was kind of stressful—trying to be focused on riding and then hearing the guys in the background saying stuff like, “Girls shouldn’t be riding. They should be in the kitchen cooking the beef instead of riding it.” You know, you just gotta tune that out, just not worry about them, and do your thing. Just get better and show them you’re here and you’re going to stay here.

Back in ’03, I rode this little bull just before the whistle. I fell off and fell underneath him. I don’t know if he was trying to be mean or just trying to look to see what I was, but it felt like he was trying to hook me, rub me into the dirt, break a bunch of ribs, and catch my back out of whack. It was pretty painful. I was pretty scared. It was a pretty dangerous situation.

Q. Why do you stick with it? A.

I like the challenge, I would say. I don’t know—I just love it. It’s just something I have always wanted to do. Some people are shopaholics, you know? It’s their passion. It’s what they like to do. And bull riding … it just draws me. WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

KATIE HNIDA Q. How do you move beyond what happened to you at CU?

Q. Why did you stick with it? A. There was no way I was

A. It’s been a lot of work.

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A. In a second.

Q. You led a relatively sheltered life before going to college. How did you survive those first few weeks? A.

Q. If you had it all to do again, would you do it?

Really, when I got tossed into CU, it was just pure survival mode. My body switched into kind of a fight-or-flight mode and you just do whatever it takes to survive. I was trying to figure out an awful lot. Here I was in this world where suddenly the high school next door (Columbine) got shot out and people got killed. That made no sense. As a fresh 18-year-old kid, I didn’t know what the hell was going on, to be honest.

Q. Of all the people we’re interviewing for this, everyone seems so fearless. What actually scares you? A.

Are you kidding? I’m scared of everything. The idea of walking onto the field with a bunch of big guys scares the living crap out of me. It’s so important for people to know it’s totally not about being fearless—it’s about pulling that courage out and taking the risk. There have been so many times when I’ve been just scared to death.

womensadventuremagazine.com

SHAUNA STEPHENSON

wo rainbows foreshadowed the night that Katie Hnida made history. Two rainbows. Two points. Clad in the colors of the University of New Mexico, Katie became the first woman to score in a Division I college football game. But the road to that moment was a bumpy one. Katie made national news when she went to kick for the University of Colorado’s football team out of high school. But while at CU, she was subject to verbal and sexual harassment and was raped by one of her teammates, which still haunts her, but even that couldn’t keep her away from football. Katie went on to play at UNM and most recently with the semiprofessional Colorado Cobras. “When I’m kicking, or in game situations, or sometimes when I’m just out practicing, I usually transport to somewhere else,” she says. “It actually is a great thing, because when I’m pissed off or angry, I can go out and kick. Almost like kicking re-centers me … the time I feel the most like Katie is when I’m kicking.” “She’s got a great leg and she’s really accurate,” says Cobras coach Lou Florez. “People tend to have problems in life and they tend to kind of throw in the towel pretty easily. You look at the adversity she went through, and for her to come back out on the football field, that speaks volumes of her character.” Katie says that, with all that happened in college, she was never quite able to reach her potential, and she wants to continue her football career. “You just realize that these dreams, these things that you feel like you are meant to do, don’t follow any clock,” she says. “You know, life is really yours to decide what you want.”

I was talking about how the football field is this place I go and center myself; it’s the thing I love more than anything. It was a safe, great place for me. And while I was at CU, the football field turned into a place I was scared of and scared to walk onto. Being at New Mexico helped a lot. My last experience, with that semipro team, helped even more. It’s kind of been baby steps.

going to let those people who felt like I shouldn’t be out there dictate me not following through with something that I loved and I knew. In a way I felt like kicking was absolutely my human right and that nobody should be able to take that away from me by harassing me or sexually assaulting me.

KELSEY JEFFRIES

DON SMITH

ife was not easy for Kelsey Jeffries growing up. Her parents divorced when she was young. Her mother’s new husband was abusive. Her father was nonexistent. She lost her brother, at a very young age, and she left her Hawaii home before she was an adult. “Besides my faith in God, I found my salvation in a gym and athletics, which helped me deal with all the trauma life brought,” Kelsey says. After starting out kickboxing, she found a coach and was introduced in the boxing ring, where she now fights as one of the most experienced female boxers in the country. “I developed a dream, a dream to be the best,” she says. “Whatever that means is still probably undetermined. Kelsey’s best, whatever best is— I’m still achieving that.” Now in California, Kelsey, 33, splits her time between training, working as an on-call firefighter, and being a full-time student at Gavilan College, where she’s studying to be a nurse. She holds seven featherweight and bantamweight titles and four Fighter of the Year titles. Known by her ring moniker, “The Road Warrior,” there’s no doubt Kelsey is one tough chick. “I bust my ass and I’m real, you know?” she says. “I ain’t bullshit. I’m real.”

Q. Where does your drive come from? A.

I think some people are just made to be determined, and luckily, as weird as it sounds, my family life made me this way. It’s like me against the world, and I either got to get up and do it or just be pushed to the side and never achieve anything. That’s not going to happen: I’m determined to be the best.

Q. How do you balance boxing with the rest of your life? A.

I think the harder it gets for me, the easier it is. I gotta study. I gotta train. You just gotta prioritize. You set your mind to anything and you can do it. It’s tough, but you can do it.

Q. How do you endure pain? A.

I don’t know if it’s just personality or mind-set, but the harder it is, the tougher it is, the more I love it—the more I push myself to death. I train so hard so that, when the fight comes, it’s a cakewalk. I just love a war. I love it when everything is against me in a fight. I’m an underdog. You can’t win unless you knock the girl out, you know.

Q. Talk about the adversity you have faced. A. You’re a young girl. You

got no direction. No mother, no father to tell you how to be a woman, how to be a person in the world. You have to learn that on your own. You feel like everything is against you. You want to go to school, but you don’t got the money. You want to be the best, but you don’t got the money to get the best trainer and train in the best places. And it’s just hard, because sometimes fighting is all about who you know and what you got. And if you don’t know nobody, you don’t got no money, then you’re never gonna be nothing. For some reason I was very fortunate to get as many fights as I have.

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Q. What’s most demanding about your career? A.

here’s no such thing as a friend on the track. Rosemary Homeister learned this lesson a long time ago. “I’m very competitive, and you have to be in this kind of sport, because it’s so demanding—mentally and physically demanding,” she says. “And if you can’t handle the pressure, then you might as well not even be a jockey.” Known for her signature kiss to the camera, a signal to her grandparents, Rosemary has more than 2,000 wins under her belt and is just the fifth woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. One of the top female jockeys in the country, Rosemary says this career was bred into her, so to speak: Both her mother and father raced. Her mother eventually became a trainer, and Rosemary grew up on the track. “Everything I did every day had to do with horses,” she says. “I didn’t have a bicycle; I had a horse. I didn’t have a lot of toys. My plaything was my pony.” After making it to the Kentucky Derby, she retired for 18 months to focus on having a family and her budding career in real estate. But things fell apart, and she had to decide her next move. “I left my husband and decided I am not going to sit in an office and work an eight-to-five job. I just can’t,” she says. So she returned to her career in racing, picking up speed as she went.

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Q. At the end of 2008, you hit your 2,000th career win. What was that like? A. When I got the call saying you only have 20 more wins to 2,000, I couldn’t even believe it. I was like, Oh my god! That’s a lot of wins. I didn’t even think I was close to anything like that. So when I finally got down to my last 10, I’m like, no problem. Piece of cake. And let me tell you, those were the longest 10 wins. I think it took me eight weeks to get my 10th win. So when I hit the 2,000 mark, it was like I’d won the Kentucky Derby or something. It was just an awesome feeling. Once I hit that mark, I just started winning like crazy.

Q. What was the Kentucky Derby like? A.

Awesome! There are no words to describe it. That was probably the most memorable and the greatest experience of my entire racing career. Of all of my wins, stake races, it was just incredible. Being in Churchill that week is like true horse racing. It’s what we’re here for, why we ride and work so hard every day—to get to that milestone.

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JEFF COADY / COADY PHOTOGRAPHY

ROSEMARY HOMEISTER

Well, for me, the first challenge is being a woman in the sport. This still is, and always will be, a maledominated sport and you’re always going to have the old-timers or men that say, “I don’t want a girl on my horse.” So you have to figure out a way to get over that hurdle. Constantly, you have to prove yourself. It’s the same for men too, but more so for women, because every single race, every single day, we have to prove that we are strong enough and that we can do the same job as a male rider.

BARBARA HEGGIE

arbara Heggie hears the same things from her father’s mouth before every race. At the tunnel he tells her to watch the lights. After that he tells her about the competition. By the start line, he tells her to watch the top of the track. But he never wishes his 28-year-old dragster daughter luck. “There’s no such thing as luck,” he says. “We make our own luck.” “I know that sounds very superstitious, but that’s the way we are,” says Barbara’s mother, Debbie, aka Pit Mom. Barbara took up racing at 16, an age at which most teens are giving their parents heart attacks in the passenger seat of the family sedan. Her racing education began with the family’s 1968 Camaro, at the suggestion of a family friend. Back then they were pushing about 90 miles per hour on the quarter mile. Today Barbara rips up the track at a blazing 170 miles per hour with her rear-engine dragster. “After you do it a few times, a second doesn’t seem as fast,” she says. And the thrill of one-hundredth of a second? “After every single race, I can still get out of my car and my adrenaline is going so much it gives me the shakes.” But her time on the track hasn’t been without personal challenges, says her mother. “A lot of men tend to look down on her because it’s kind of a man’s sport,” Debbie says. “They don’t like being beat by a girl.”

Q. Why drag racing? A. I guess the best way to

put it is, I’m an adrenaline junkie. I love the feeling of it. I love everything about the sport. It’s my family time. It’s my time to go out and do something I love.

Q. What does it feel like to go that fast? A.

You know that feeling when your ride a rollercoaster? You know that tickle in your stomach that you get? That’s the feeling I get every time I get in the car.

Q. You say this sport is drawing more women. Why do you think that is? A.

I think that women are becoming more adventurous. They want to get into these different sports and they want to try new things.

Q. What goes through your mind at the start line? A. To be honest with you,

when I pull up to the staging line, I kind of try to clear my head. After I leave the line is when I start thinking: Is my car too slow? Is my car too fast? What is the other guy doing? I’m looking back and forth at the competitor, and I base myself off of him. And I just wait to see the win light at the end of the track.

Q. How long will you continue racing? SHAUNA STEPHENSON

A. Forever if I can. I would love to do this the rest of my life.

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but i’m a chEErlEadEr

EPic ridEs makE or brEak you–and somEtimEs thEy hElP changE how you labEl yoursElf EntirEly. By Jayme Otto 58

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ush-pull-push-pull. I chanted through clenched teeth to keep my legs pedaling. Or maybe I was just humming the words in my head. The memory of biking Colorado’s Mount Evans, my first epic ride, is fuzzy—because I was fuzzy. And dizzy, especially near the top. At that elevation, my brain had only about half as much oxygen as it was used to. As for my body, well, cycling at 14,000 feet feels like moving through Jell-O. Starved for oxygen, my muscles couldn’t push as hard as I willed them to. Every pedal stroke felt like a fight. I had the unsettling sense of my survival instinct kicking in. That point at which the sophistication of road biking gives way to primal fear: Could I really do this? And more importantly, why was I, a 30-year-old database analyst, even atwomensadventuremagazine.com

tempting to do this? Maybe human beings weren’t meant to ride bikes up the highest paved road on the continent. This had been all Willa’s idea. Bright, chirpy Willa. She had sent an e-mail to our women’s cycling club announcing that Mount Evans Scenic Byway had opened for the season. A group ride was promptly planned. Was I in? As a new cyclist who had joined the club earlier that spring, of course I was in. I just wasn’t sure what I was in for. I’d expected a physical challenge and an exercise in mental toughness. But I hadn’t anticipated that one ride could alter the route of my life.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY KRISAN CHRISTENSEN

Six of us started 30 miles west of Denver in Idaho Springs. As a club, we’d been climbing Boulder’s toughest routes all spring—rides like Magnolia, Sugarloaf, and Flagstaff, on which pavement turns to dirt and gradients rise well into the double digits. I’d seen my speedometer dip as low as three miles per hour, which feels like you’re standing still on a road bike. Once I had to get off and walk. Okay, twice. B ut the point is, I’d made it. And each time I pushed a boundary and succeeded; each time I accomplished something I never thought I’d be strong enough to do. It was like another drop in the bucket of my heart, which was slowly filling with confidence. Mount Evans was twice as long and nearly twice as high as anything I’d ever climbed on a bike. I figured it would either make me stronger or kill me. From the Clear Creek Middle School parking lot, we began our 28-mile ascent up 14,240-foot Mount Evans. We carried more water than usual since none would be available during this remote ride. And even though it was 78 degrees at 7 a.m., we’d stuffed windbreakers, arm and leg warmers, hats, and gloves into our bulging jersey pockets. We anticipated a temperature of about 35 degrees at the summit. The stronger, more experienced girls pulled our pack. I was grateful the pitch was gradual to start. The ride looked like most of the early-morning climbs I’d done in Colorado: Pine forests and aspens blanketed both sides of the road; there were no cars in

sight. Spirits were high as we formed a double pace line, moving as one. Five miles in, the gradient doubled, and my legs started to protest: too fast, too steep. I decided if I wanted to make it to the top, I’d need to pace myself. I fell back. Riding alone was a small price to pay for a successful summit.

“Eat something,” she advised.

Up ahead the pack continued to splinter. The thing about hill climbing is that everyone has to go at her own pace. Too fast, you lose your legs. Too slow, you lose your mind. Somehow Willa and I ended up together. I was happy for the company but more so for the inspiration.

I wanted to finish the ride. And beyond even want was a compulsion to make it to the summit. It would take months of reflection to realize that my compulsion stemmed from the need to prove to myself that I belonged— to Colorado, my hardcore state, and to the strong, fit world of my cycling club. But more importantly, that I belonged to the hopes I held for myself beyond my limited upbringing, my religion, and my high-tech career. I had to finish that ride. The alternative would have been accepting the status quo, and I was hungry for more.

In the short time that I’d known Willa, she’d become a symbol of personal authenticity for me. I envied her for being a successful nonconformist in a world of conformity. Willa looked like girls back home in the Midwest who had been cheerleaders or dance-team members—she was tall and thin, a natural brown-eyed blond. But instead of pom-poms, Willa had wielded a field-hockey stick and played rugby. Instead of having been raised in a suburb, she’d grown up on a farm. Instead of practicing Catholicism, like everyone I’d ever been associated with, she called herself agnostic—a word I had to look up. She went to college two years earlier than the rest of us, a combination of home-schooling and natural aptitude. She raced both road and cyclo-cross and, at age 27, held a management position in an organization that promoted affordable housing, a cause she was passionate about.

“I can’t. I feel nauseous,” I said. “Think of it as taking your medicine,” she offered. “It doesn’t matter if you want it or if it tastes good. You need the energy if you want to finish this ride.”

Willa pulled a bag of energy blocks from her jersey pocket. I reached across the small strip of pavement between us and grabbed hold. Popping one into my mouth, I felt the climb give way to a precious piece of flat terrain as we approached Echo Lake. The lake marked the halfway point at Mile 14. We’d been climbing for one hour and 15 minutes. After the lake, the road rose aggressively, as if it were anxious to get above timberline.

Willa had climbed Mount Evans every year since the club started four years ago. And she’d even raced it. Next to Willa, I felt like an imposter. What was I doing on Mount Evans? I was a cheerleader from Ohio. I was good at things like gymnastics and dance, not activities that required gear. Cycling at this level was more hardcore than anything I’d ever expected to do. Cyclists like Willa trained every day after working jobs that helped change the world for the better. I was training a mere three times a week after working a meaningless job in a giant corporation. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. My legs slowed to a plod. Willa noticed I was waning. WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

This is where people said the ride would really get tough. But I had new energy, new possibilities. The distance between Willa and me wasn’t really all that far. I just had to reach out.

I concentrated on Willa’s back wheel, a few inches in front of me.

We came upon the next landmark, Summit Lake, quickly, falling into a rhythm in which Willa would lead and I would draft off her wheel. When she tired, I would move up and take a pull until she recovered. Working together, we managed to move faster than either one could have alone. Our team effort was rewarded by a descending portion along Summit Lake. The feel of speed after grinding in the single digits was intoxicating. Unbound, my legs flew in a fury of release, pedaling faster and faster until I was completely spun out. Then, dropping my upper body low over the handlebars into the tuck position, I coasted.

As if I had any choice. It wasn’t like I could turn around.

Had I been paying any attention to Summit Lake, I would have noticed the absence of encircling trees. In their place were rocky ridges and cliffs, rising 1,000 feet to Mount Evans and the adjacent Mount Spalding. To the east, the only area of permafrost in the U.S. outside of Alaska stretched to the horizon line. You’d think it would look barren, but to me it looked lush. We were at 12,830 feet. That’s when the switchbacks started. Back to the grind, with short, steep punches. I felt like I couldn’t fill my lungs, even when breathing through my mouth. I tried to relax my upper body and send energy into my legs, which were burning despite the slow pace at which they were turning over. 60

WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

“This is it,” she said over her shoulder. “Just keep pedaling.”

We’d been pedaling for three hours and were within 10 minutes of the summit. I looked around for an escape route, an easier way to the top than this alpine road full of holes gnawed in the pavement by marmots. That’s when I saw my first Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, standing on a rock outcropping just off the road. Natural climbers, newborn sheep climb as sure-footedly as their parents. I began my mantra of push-pull-pushpull, struggling to find a rhythm on switchback after switchback. Finally, we came around the last one, exhausted but triumphant. With the end in sight, we did what any good cyclists would do: We sprinted for the finish. Willa got there first. She jumped off her bike and ran to the edge to soak up a view that spanned seemingly infinite mountain peaks, punctuating an ice-blue sky. I wanted badly to follow, to join her in celebration, but I was dizzy and stumbled upon dismounting my bike. “You better sit down for a minute,” she called from her perch on the edge. “They don’t call this the road to the sky for nothing.” When everything went black, I knew I was about to pass out. My body

needed more oxygen after the sprint than Mount Evans was supplying. I crumpled. When I opened my eyes, Willa was standing over me. “I’m a cheerleader from Ohio,” I explained. “Not anymore,” she said, extending her arm to pull me to my feet. I reached out to her and stood. After taking a moment to make sure I was steady, I walked carefully to the edge. As I looked down on the Rocky Mountains and the clouds that wrapped their peaks, I felt the world at my feet. The insurmountable suddenly didn’t seem so foreboding. In one hour we’d be back to our cars. Within several hours, we’d be back in Boulder. Tomorrow I’d be back at my high-tech job. But things would never be the same. Within a few months, I’d start freelance writing on the side—about cycling. The next year, I’d earn the rank of number-one Category Four female racer in the state of Colorado and be appointed race captain. The next year, I’d quit my job to pursue a full-time career as a writer, specializing in outdoor sports and adventure travel. For the moment, it was enough to high-five the rest of the club members, who had emerged from another lookout point across the rocks. I donned my cold-weather clothing in preparation for the long, sharp descent. “There’s no guardrail,” Willa reminded me. No matter. I was ready.

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From hundreds of submissions, we chose three readers to share their tales of two-wheeled adventure with WAM readers. Check out three honorable mentions on our website, and perhaps add a few stories of your own.

riding all day in thE high country

alonE and amazEd in dEnali

and thE wrist … is history

By Kathy Boltz

By Donna Childress

By Cheryl Wallace

reat adventures take place with good friends. Bev and I shared a girls-only weekend of high-country riding, camping, and eating in the White Mountains of Arizona. A rainstorm-filled drive led us to our campground, where we pitched a tent and dawn arrived with elk bugling in the foggy meadow to greet us. An elevation of 7,000 feet brought a welcome change from Phoenix in August! Bev’s coffee involved stuffing so many grinds in the French press that I decided on coffee diluted with milk.

isiting Alaska’s Denali National Park, I rented what must have been the world’s oldest, heaviest, clunkiest mountain bike. During a short break in the weather— it had been 40 degrees and raining heavily—I donned bandana, helmet, coat, thick gloves, backpack, and sunglasses against the low-slanting solstice sun. Then I cranked along on my rusty ride like the Wicked Witch of the West. Alone in grizzly bear country, I sang and hooted so as to warn any bruins, eyes alert and bear spray within reach.

Packs filled with water, food, and rain clothes, we rolled through a mix of huge ponderosa pines, grasses, and aspen groves. The trails were perfect—tight, rolling, and with challenging climbs and descents that required focus—a great antidote to urban life. Our simple lunch was classic PB&Js, which Bev describes as perfect fuel. The rain held off as the singletrack flowed, only drenching us once we were almost back to camp. Now splattered with mud, we were ready for our hot solar shower. The mud flowed off, clean skin revealed. We changed into clean clothes. Dinner in town was next, our cleanliness disguising our identity as the sweaty, muddy women who’d spent eight hours tooling through the forest. Pasta was our reward for 44 perfect miles in the saddle. A full meal, complete with wine, was exactly what our hungry bodies needed to refuel. Then we headed back out the dirt road to our campsite and crashed in our tent, ready for another ride the next morning.

As it was late in the day, school buses carrying hordes of tourists rumbled out of the park’s only road. Every so often I would glance up to see 20 pairs of eyes staring at me perplexed from the safety and warmth of a glassed-in bus. In between the clattering, the ride was magical. Around each curve and over each rise I could see new stretches of open tundra, folds of mountains, storms in the distance, and sun rays sifting through clouds. I stopped periodically just to listen to the quiet. I find it hard to describe the vastness of Alaska, the sense that I was in the midst of a huge, wild place of incomprehensible size. Being in it alone on a bike, with unobstructed views of nothing but raw nature for miles, was both intimidating and exhilarating. This ride was far from epic in the traditional sense—only a wimpy 15 miles—but what it lacked in length, it surpassed in freedom of spirit.

ometime you’ll go for the ride of your life. One ride on the trails along the Wissahickon River in Philadelphia changed my life forever.

Twenty years ago, I jumped on my mountain bike, “Slug.” Red and gold leaves carpeted the trail, the air was crisp, and I was on a mission. I was determined to master the ridgeline full of gnarled roots and rocks the size of a baby’s head. I cleaned the steep ascent called The Monster. Climbing was the easy part: I’m a wiry, longdistance type. The challenge was to master vertical drops. I approached a long, rocky chute, a spot where most riders dismount. My plan was to wire this and surprise friends on our next ride. Pointed downhill and tucked behind the seat, I feathered my brakes and nailed the landing. I turned Slug around to do it again. I can’t remember what I hit. A rock? My brakes? I went flying over the bars, flipped in the air, and landed with the weight of the fall on my hands. Slug and I slowly limped home. I knew I was in trouble when I couldn’t start the car to drive to the hospital. Hours later I learned that both wrists were broken. Days later my right wrist was fused with metal hardware and bone from my hip. Several surgeries later I needed to relearn how to use my hand. The outcome challenged my way of thinking. It was very easy to focus on the things I couldn’t do. Then one day I had the idea to try things that needed my hand as if my life depended on it. Unbelievably, I started to ice-climb … using the ice picks as surrogate hands. Then I became a rock climber. My epic ride reinforced the significance of my powerful spirit. My wrist may be history, but for me it was the beginning of a great adventure. WAM OOCTOBER’2009”

OOCTOBER’2009”

Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries. -Corita Kent 62

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OOCTOBER’2009”

Editorial I know the strength of my policy until I came down with something? In 2003, Rebif cost $1,300 per month— roughly the amount of a mortgage. I appealed the denial of coverage; my neurologist wrote a letter. But the policy was clear. The denial stuck. In 2009 the cost of Rebif rose to about $2,500 per month. But this no longer affects me. I’ve chosen not to take any disease-modifying drugs. Instead I play Russian roulette with my health. Given the above scenario, I like the idea of having universal health care or government-subsidized treatments. Not many people can argue that the current system is flawless; after all, the U.S. ranks a pathetic 29th in infant mortality rate. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, yet our citizens suffer because private health care is not affordable or simple to understand.

No Immunity As I type this, the country is embroiled in a heated debate over universal health care. I have never been without health insurance. I’ve either been covered by my employer or secured my own individual policy when self-employed. I have money. I have always been able to pay my medical bills. At 35 years old, I was a healthy nonsmoker with no pre-existing conditions. One year later, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to go on a thrice-weekly medication called Rebif. My insurance plan’s denial of drug coverage came as a complete surprise. Seemed Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield was more than happy to pay thousands of dollars for the MRIs, spinal tap, and blood work to diagnose my disease—but wasn’t willing to help me treat it. Truth is, I was well aware that my policy didn’t cover injectable drugs (except for insulin for diabetes). I just didn’t realize how many diseases exist for which the only treatments available are injectables. I’m not even sure a doctor could name all of them. So how could

This makes me wonder if everyone who argues against a government option is healthy, young, and wealthy. Does universal health care give the government too much power? Are we becoming socialists? It should be eye-opening that a gainfully employed person, with no pre-existing conditions and insurance that has never lapsed, could find herself stuck with a $2,500-permonth bill for the rest of her life. Even if you’ve thoroughly reviewed your policy, you can bet there are loopholes. Wherever there is profit to be gained, there will always be exceptions in the fine print. We cannot afford to become a bedridden society. The cost is more than monetary, and no one is immune. -Michelle Theall

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