10.20.2020 - Issue 175 - The One With More Sharks and Purple Mountains

It's a bit of a slow outdoor news day, but I hope you're still entertained. Have a good one.

- Kirsten

PS: You have a very, very strong chance of winning the $30 Patagonia gift card this month if you just make one referral. The program is new, so there have only been a few so far and only 11 days to go.

Extreme MTB

For the sixth time, Canadian mountain biker Brandon Semenuk represents his sport in Red Bull’s “Raw 100” video series. The series challenges athletes and filmmakers to put together 100 seconds of footage in real-time. His tromp through an abandoned mine is beyond mountain biking. It combines elements of skateboarding, BMX and parkour. Definitely worth watching this short video. Watch - 100 sec

For Backcountry Noobs

Photo by Curt Nichols on Unsplash

We live at a ski resort, so we naturally "resort ski/snowboard" whenever we can, which is most days we're here. However, apparently 'we' are considering trying some backcountry skiing this year, and, as you can probably tell, I'm not totally convinced. I don't know enough about avalanches and weather to even be comfortable with the idea yet. So this guide was timely reading, along with an avalanche webinar we have scheduled for next week. Did you know that “having a woman in your group reduces your chance of getting caught in an avalanche by 40%”? I feel better already :) Read - 5 min

Rad Gear: Anti-Slip Technology

We tried out some new gear on our first winter hike this past weekend. For some extra traction, we strapped on our new Kahtoola MICROspikes. Taking them out of the box, they come in a lightweight black stuff sack, which is super handy because the spikes are sharp. The steel MICROspikes stretch over boots with an elastic harness and I was impressed with how light and easy they were to put on. They provided excellent traction on ice and compacted snow. The only problem we had was the occasional snowballing underfoot due to the warmer temps we're experiencing at just below the freezing point. Get

Outside News:

Hiker Found: For those of you following the story of the missing hiker in Zion, she was found and is safe and healthy. Almost two weeks in the wilderness! Read - 2 min

More Sharks: This is two days in a row that we're featuring some 'anti-shark technology'. The new tech may be surfacing (no pun intended) due to a worldwide rise in the number of shark attacks in 2020. Read - 1 min and Watch from min 1 to 1:30 to see how it helped

Purple Mountain Part 2: A couple of weeks ago we recommended the documentary Purple Mountains, featuring professional snowboarder and Protect Our Winters founder Jeremy Jones. He's interviewed here on how the outdoor industry can turn the tide of the upcoming election season, and how the coronavirus crisis will impact backcountry safety this winter. Watch - 8 min

The Canyon: Canada is a great place to live but we are very jealous of the Grand Canyon. I've been there a couple of times, but never backpacked or camped. I have vague memories of a donkey ride down when I was in my early 20's and the last time we were there as a family our river rafting trip was cancelled, so we did the 30 min helicopter tour, so amazing. Here is a listicle with the reasons you should backpack the canyon. Maybe next time... Read - 8 min

Nice Rack: I haven't used this inflatable rack system, but I thought I would include it for people who don't have a lot of storage/garage. Maybe it's something you leave in the car in case of a transporting emergency? Not sure of the exact application, but interesting idea so have a look. Read - 1 min

Re-wilding: Apparently, replanting the outdoors damaged by human activities can be one of the most effective and cheapest ways to combat the climate crisis. Read 3 - min

Helmet Funding: I can't speak to the safety rating on this one, but it claims to be the first foldable bike helmet. It's in the funding stage on the crowd-sourcing site Indiegogo, if you're into that sort of thing. Read - 1 min

Live From The Wild

We were planning to ski in Japan in March... #damncovid
@adventure.spirit
Japan