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The outdoor activity poll results from last week are here. Clear and definite winner this time. Referrals will be back up this week. Good news, when the codes are ready, if you refer one friend this month you would have 100% chance to win the $50 Patagonia gift certificate until someone else was referred, then it would be 50% (that means there are no referrals yet, so you have a good chance with only 2 weeks to go).

- Kirsten

Current TDT Poll

Which is the scariest outdoor activity and situation?

​🐻 Biking - Bear​
​🦈 Swimming - Shark​
​🐍 Hiking - Snake​
​🏔 Skiing - Avalanche​
​🌊 Surfing - Tsunami​
​🐐 Climbing - Goat​

Outdoor tip of the day: Keep hydrated while adventuring in the outdoors. A good rule of thumb for hiking: plan on carrying about 1 liter for every two hours, although this can vary based on weather conditions, body weight, the difficulty of terrain, etc. Listen to your body and adjust the volume next time you're out.

Monet Of The Mountains

I wouldn't describe myself as an artsy person, but when I see a painting I like, I prefer not to have to defend my choice or be "artsplained" (I thought I coined "artsplaining", but apparently it's a real thing). Sometimes we just like what we like; check out one of my favs Sheila Kernan. <subtle transition> I really like ski maps, we have many on our walls. What's even better is exploring the terrain that comes with it, because they are essentially treasure maps.

Now, to the reason we are here: Have you ever asked yourself why or how all the ski maps look the same? Could they all be using the same photoshop software? No, for once, the answer is low tech; it's a gentleman named Jim Niehues, a.k.a. The Picasso of the Piste. Jim has hand-painted the ski maps for more than 75% of the resorts in North America. Wow, that is a niche outdoor job! I like it. Check out his coffee table book here. (7 min Read)​

Source: Adventure Journal

A Journey Through The Elven Lands

I love Iceland and Chris Burkard; those two combined in an outdoor adventure video is hard to resist. For those not familiar with Chris, I featured his Unnur movie back in Issue 185 and one of my favorite of his Insta photos way back in Issue 165. Like so many of the TDT community, I have rewritten my travel bucket list (several times) during this pandemic, and Iceland is definitely a top five destination. I could have pushed this one down into your lunch break videos, but it's too good not to feature. Omg, at the 5 min mark, the bikes spinning their wheels in the sand made my heart rate shoot up thinking about my recent fat bike ride when I was slipping in the snow...for about an hour, not 11 days...ok, bad comparison. Read about their epic journey in an interview with Canadian Olympic cross-country mountain biker Emily Batty(5 min Read) and then, maybe at lunch, watch the video (16 min Watch).

Source: Pink Bike

Outdoor News

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Lupus Roboteus: This article has all the makings of an epic adventure novel: wild bears, Japanese villagers and, ah yes, robot wolves. We want to let the bears know, Human settlements aren't where you live, and obviously, signage wouldn't work; bears can't read. No, not fences; bears are great climbers. Hmmm, 3rd item on the list? Robot wolves. Done. (1 min Read)​

Source: Adventure Journal

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Say Cheese: Nope, CUPOTY is not a short form for "Cup of Tea", it's short for "Close Up Photography Of The Year". Some very cool pics of animals, plants and insects that I would not want to be that close to. Check out the best photos of the contest. (5 min Read)

Source: CUPOTY

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Open Source: With this new open-source facial recognition software, dubbed BearID, maybe we won't have to physically tag the bears anymore. Less disturbance is always better. Learning about individual animals and their life stories can have really positive effects on public engagement and really help with conservation efforts. (4 min Read)

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

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Car Lodging: I know I say it almost every issue, but ski season is here. If we want to keep the resorts open during this pandemic, we all have to follow the new rules and be COVID safe. We expect and encourage guests to be prepared to be based out of their vehicles as a lodge this season for booting up, warming up, and refuelling. Get out your cooler, your coffee thermos and your stasher bags for your in-car picnic. I'm not sure what the rules are at your resort, but it sounds like tail-gating might become a thing in the resort parking lots. The bright side is that you'll save $10 on that watery bowl of chili. (3 min Read)

Source: The Inertia

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Censored: This one is for adults only. Just in case your young kids sometimes read through your inbox, I won't described it in much more detail than the story title: The Enduring Mystery of Austria’s Giant Wood Penis Statue. Enough said. (2 min Read if you're over 18)

Source: Gear Junkie

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More Outdoor Politics: Biden to implement 10 major outdoor and climate-related executive actions on day one in office (2 min Read) and (2 min Watch)

Source: One Green Planet, BBC News

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Daily Greens: Here's what would happen if all the ice in the Arctic melted. (3 min Read and some video)

Source: The Weather Network

Gear Reviews

Legendary Skier Phil Bélanger's 20-21 Ski Gear Picks - New Schoolers​

25 Gift Ideas for People Who Hate Being Inside - Wired​

Greg's recommended winter hiker: Oboz Sawtooth II 8″ Insulated 200g Hiking Boots Review - Section Hiker​

Deals From The Wild

Kahtoola EXOspikes (Kirsten Recommended) Footwear Traction Giveaway - Gear Junkie​

For Canadian's - MEC 60% off sale - MEC​

Keen’s End-of-Season Sale - Up to 50% off - Some colors have steeper discounts than others - Keen​

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Lunch Break Videos

CNN (yes, not a mistake, lol) - Professional rock climber Alex Honnold, who scaled El Capitan in National Geographic's "Free Solo," speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper about how to "exceed comfort zone" and overcome fear. (2 min Watch)

Open Book: The FIRST 5.9 - A Rock Climbing Story - (9 min Watch)

Sound Of Speed: Jill Kintner Slashing MTB Trails in Bellingham, Washington - (2 min )

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Live From The Wild

Totally Tubular 🤙@seanscottphotography​

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