Articles

Double-duty Outdoor Gear

I love it when I get a new piece of outdoor gear and it serves a variety of purposes. Like my favorite pair of leather telemark boots with inside booties that work as cabin slippers. Like my down jacket...

Inspirational Outdoor Enthusiast

“A Certified Badass! Finally…”I read this Tweet last night and laughed out loud.It came from one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met: Warren Macdonald.I was writing a children’s magazine article about artificial limbs a few years ago and...

It’s About Questions, Not Answers.

Between Monday’s post about raising avalanche awareness and spending the weekend teaching an avalanche course in Colorado, I’ve been thinking about the complexities of winter travel – especially when powder skiing is a goal.When I first started going into...

Wild Cats & Cameras

Note to self: add camera to “must-pack” gear checklist.Soft winter sunlight, snow-laden trees, crystal clear blue sky, towering white mountains – and a camera sitting at home. I could have kicked myself yesterday for missing out on some glorious photo...

Winter Desert Hiking

Hot Chihuahua! Big Bend National Park’s desert landscape came through with heat, spectacular hiking, and endless vistas.We stopped at the Panther Junction Visitor Centre for a little information and asked about hikes. The ranger suggested short, but scenic walks...

Outdoor Adventures with Infants and Toddlers Part II: A Tantrum Over a Leaf, Now It’s a Party

Coaches routinely employ rousing speeches and inspirational stories to motivate their teams to play better. The same holds true with my friend Andrea Bertini, a coach for a university women’s basketball team and the co-author of this blog. Through...

Whats the Difference Between a Walk, a Hikes & a Scramble

We were about a third of the way up the mountain when my friend let out sigh of disgust. “You told me this was a walk,” she grumbled.  “This is not a walk – it’s a hike!” I use the...

Followup to Planning Outdoor Adventures

Sometimes even the best of planning isn’t enough. That’s when it really hits home – the adventure isn’t just the hidden trail, the scenic river, the snowy slope. It’s the whole package, from start to finish.I watched a snippet of Steve...

Green Exercise is Good for You

When I say green exercise, I don’t mean a self-propelled treadmill or gym that uses natural cleaning products – I mean getting outside.Head outside, it's good for you! Photo: M.KoppA recent study found that “compared with exercising indoors, excercising in natural...

Personal First Aid Kits

Nobody plans to have an accident, but everyone should plan to carry a personal first aid kit when hiking, backpacking or backcountry skiing– because you just never know what might happen.Personal first aid kits should be small enough to...

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Best Sleeping Bag for Camping

Whether you’re curled up out under the open sky or tucked away safely in your tent, you’ll be depending...