10.02.2020 - Issue 163 - I Know, I Know...I Was A Fail
We are back to a daily weekday cadence starting tomorrow. Last Friday’s weekly summary below. Sorry it has taken this long to get my sh*t together!
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Definitely it's a "me" problem (last week's newsletter) - cringy or fail, as my kids would say.
First off, thank you everyone who provided feedback on my first attempt at keeping this newsletter (and community) going. I am sure Ryan was rolling his eyes when he saw it. Thanks to Lena, a fellow Canadian, that gave me my first virtual fist pump of positivity. I know I had some template glitches - super special thank you to Paul for patiently showing me how to fix this newsletter up. I think I am getting the hang of this, hopefully 4th or 5th time's a charm.
Second, our TDT community reaches more than ten countries and I will try to be as accessible as possible, let me know if I am failing at this one.
You can reply directly to this email with feedback and yes, there is a real human behind this, no A.I. or bots, I personally answer every reply. Also, at the bottom you can share to your socials or friends if you thought we did a good job or hit "do better" to give some feedback.
Ok, enough blabbering, off to trails, I have larches to see before it gets too cold...already snow at about 6000' here. Winter is coming fast, but so is ski season!
- Kirsten
#gratitude
PS: Look out for some TDT "Quick Takes" during the week as I ramp up content to a quicker cadence, reduce the length of the Friday edition, and keep the content fresher.
Duct Tape and Butter
When I scan my news feeds each morning, as a rule I skip through any article that is titled "The 10 tips/tricks/hacks to do this or that". Full disclosure, I have actually written this type of article myself (fairly recently) but I feel the listicle genre is getting out of hand. So I don't know what happened here...I apologize, and hopefully you won't judge my editorial integrity. I think I got sucked into this one because it was truly useful and we in the north are coming up against the end of backpacking season (unless of course you are into winter backpacking). Kelly had me with duct tape on your trekking pole and debunking the myth that you shouldn't take butter with you into the woods. Mmm...butter. Read - 6 min
New Outdoor Sport?
Weather issues seem to be at the top of my news feeds this week. Our thoughts go out to our outdoor peeps affected along the west coast of the US and our local tribe here in BC. We had a 20,000 acre forest fire just 40 minutes from us this summer. It's an important topic because if we don't have good weather, we can't have our outdoor adventures. But I'm not here to talk about fires, that topic is depressing, what's more fun (and weather related, see how I did that) is tornado chasing. Apparently, this is a new outdoor sport we should be following.There’s no licensing or certification required, just enough gall to get close to a storm and enough brains to know when to retreat. This is probably better filed under adventure travel - unless you have your own gear, a tour will cost you $2500. Read - 16 min
I Have A Problem - I'm A Snow Pusher
I mentioned this video last week but it was linked within an article, blah blah...it was hard to find. Sorry, but this one is important and everyone should watch it. Whether you believe the scientists, the snowboarder or the politicians, it doesn't matter because the snowboarding scenes are unbelievable.
Rad Gear: Sitting Pretty with Helinox
I am getting too old to sit on the ground, especially at the summit eating lunch or sitting by the campfire on a backpacking trip. What I am not too old to do is carry an extra 2lbs 2ozs. The Helinox, Chair One is always in my pack. You will not be disappointed by this chair, it's very strong and packs away in a bag 13.5 inches long. As always, we are not paid to say this, it's just Rad Gear. If you don't believe me check out this review.
PS: In the pic, the grumpy looking dude is my better half and I am the one failing at taking the picture of the azure mountain lake reflection through the lens of the sunglasses.
Outside News
Outdoor stuff worth sharing this week:
Droning On: I'm talented at flying my son's drone, and when I say talented, I mean I don't immediately crash it into the ground like the rest of my family. After all, I am the proud daughter of a retired airforce / commercial pilot. Drones are becoming an important part of safety in the outdoors, usually in a fire-detection role in our neck of the woods, but check out this application - keeping our surfing friends safe! Read - 3 min
Our Condolences: Keith Hufnagel, who helped define skateboarding in the 1990s and established the streetwear clothing brand Huf Worldwide, succumbed to brain cancer this week. Watch - 4 min
Sounds To Ski By: I admit to having headphones built into my ski helmet but i usually limit the tunes to the chair lift for safety reasons. As we approach ski season, it begs the question, what is the perfect soundtrack for skiing? I would probably go with ACDC, over the Grateful Dead, but that's just me. Read - 5 min
Van Life: When we're trying to get to those off-the-beaten-path hiking/MTB locations, we use our Jeep and a RTT. However, I'm very interested in more luxurious accommodations with a bear proof toilet and fascinated with combining the concepts of Van Life and Offroading, check out this example. Read - 3 min
Fear And The Outdoors: I am really trying to be inclusive, but sorry dudes, this one is for the dudettes only. The van life blurb above reminded me of my greatest fear in the outdoors - Peeing. Check out my own ramblings from this past summer on peeing alfresco. Read - 5 min
Subscription Life: Have you paused recently and added up your monthly subscription costs? It has become a material cost line in our annual budget. You all have annual budgets don't you? The subscription model seems to be the most favoured method of getting wallets opened up these days. How do you feel about adding outdoor gear to that list? Rent your shoes. Read - 7 min
Yummy Bottles: Ok, time to get back to using plastic bottles again. I am sick of using my stinking old Yeti tin can: Scientists create super enzyme to eat away all the plastic bottles and make the outdoors clean again. Read - 2 min
Body Shaming: Like humans, bears come in all shapes and sizes and we should celebrate that fact. Some bears are better at fishing and tend to plump up a bit more over the summer, no judgement here. We live in close proximity to bears, and when I say close proximity I mean they are sometimes in our backyard. There was a cub born this year that was very small and was eventually taken away by the conservation authorities to help it survive. So, I guess, plump is better. Read - 2 min
Making Tacos: Well, I will make it official, I will never go spearfishing, not that it was on my current to-do list. Apparently some people have to go spearfishing in advance of Taco Tuesday. I guess I appreciate their place in the ecosystem, but I really hate sharks. Watch - 1 min
I Hate Sharks: Hmmm, I know I said I hate sharks and I know hate is a strong word. Let me rephrase... sharks and I have an understanding, I don't go to the ocean and try to catch them and they stay out of the mountains. However, I start to feel bad when a minority group like "sharks" is singled out and picked on. Do I think we should go on a genocidal rampage and kill half a million sharks to get a faster vaccine for Covid? Sounds a tad bit extreme, however I am happy to hear your take on the issue, just reply to the newsletter. Read - 1 min
Video Of The Week
This video is so inspiring! This guy is 64 years old and travels 500 miles from Denver, Colorado, to Durango, along the Colorado Trail. 75,000 feet of elevation gain (average elevation over 10,000 feet) is probably more than I hiked and mountain biked total combined this year!
Insta Of The Week
It's larch season - shot somewhere in the Columbia Valley in BC - Thanks @acjtubbs
Tweet Of The Week
Not much to say here except, this is totally amazing. It's all true and if you can't laugh at yourself...
Pod Of The Week
I am off running and have been for a few years but I appreciate the flow state you can get into and the awesome fitness benefits. It's probably better if you listen to Zach instead of me when it comes to running. Zach Miller is one of the world’s best and most exciting ultra runners with a string of impressive victories under his belt. But he is most loved for his all-out, no-holds-barred style of running, setting off in ultra marathons like they’re 5K burn-ups. Listen - 89 mins
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