National Outdoors Member Blogs

I think most, if not all, of us that participate in Earth Day know that we are not really saving the Earth on this one day each year. So, then, what does participating in Earth Day accomplish?

I wrote previously about feeling drawn to the forests, and as I have thought more about it over the past couple weeks I came to realize that what I was really craving was a particular type of deep woods serenity that I have only experienced a few times in the coast range along the Pacific. Well it turns out that this type of forest is actually more rare than I realized.

GoLite® Adventure Racing Team Gives Back

10% of Winnings and Sponsorships Donated to Community and Environmental Efforts

Boulder, CO – The new 2008 GoLite Adventure Racing team is comprised of five accomplished athletes who bring a diverse set of athletic talent to the adventure racing circuit. Team GoLite Adventure Racing has one notable point of difference: the team has committed to GoLite on the Planet and will donate 10% of winnings and sponsorships to local Colorado organizations committed to social and environmental causes.

Constantly looking for fresh ways to integrate eco-conscious materials into
its products, prAna a leading active lifestyle apparel manufacturer based in California, is excited to introduce two new sustainable collections to its Fall/Winter 2008 product line: the Ashbury and Travel Bag collection. Demonstrating its commitment to helping to safeguard the environment and preserving Earth’s natural resources, prAna has increased its use of sustainable materials from 90 styles in spring 2008 to more than 100 styles for fall 2008.

Crazy Creek now makes a lighter folding chair for camping, backpacking, climbing, and more. The HexaLite design is almost a pound lighter than the Crazy Creek Original Chair™.

Update: The Osprey 37 Variant Backpack is now available at Eastern Mountain Sports.
Buy the Osprey Variant 37 Backpack

Osprey will also be revamping their climbing pack line with the
introduction of the Variant Series, which will replace the
Exposure Series for fall 2008. Designed using feedback from
mountain guides, professional alpinists and weekend
craggers, these packs offer a streamlined feature set specific

NEW THIS SPRING -- OSPREY SPRINT SERIES:

The Sprint Series brings Osprey’s legacy
of deluxe custom fit to youth backpacks, and was designed with
the understanding that a child’s body dimensions, proportions,
and biomechanical properties are markedly different than those
of an adult. These packs provide the best carry of any youth
packs on the market by combining ergonomically correct fit,
technical features tailor-made for youth, and Osprey’s signature
design, quality, customization and durability.

I don't think that my love of forests can only be attributed to growing up with redwoods in my backyard, or spending hours of my childhood out in the forested foothills around my house. In fact, I was usually the kid who complained the most when it came time for out bluebird troop ( a sad mixed gender version of boy scouts) to take a hike through the woods. And, to be honest, the reason I spent so many hours out in the woods as a kid was because we were pretty isolated and often so bored that anything would have been entertaining.

What a day in the Wasatch. 3 feet of snow in the last 3 days... And today, blue skies and fresh powder.

The avalanche danger was high in the upper elevations, so we stuck to our hidden gem spot in the wasatch foothills. The snow was easily waist deep, but it hasn't had time to consolidate so we hit a few rocks. No damage done. Just some mud on the ends of our ski poles.

We signed our names and checked out.

Is this a trick question? No, there's more depth to it. Why this philosophical challenge? I went skiing a Brighton, Utah a few days ago. I haven't skied there in over ten years. Just arriving in the parking lot brought pack a lot of old memories. It's seems like older you get, the more this nostalgic feeling grips you when you go places you've been before. I can't imagine what it will be like in twenty or thirty years. I guess that why old folks like to tell stories.

Back to the question. Why do you Ski? For the Feeling.