Some days you go hiking and it’s pissing down rain. It’s far from the bright warm sunshine that follows you around on the good days.

Some days you go sailing and there’s just no wind or the wind is howling and you’re hunkered down on the rail wishing you were somewhere else. It’s far from the constant 10-20 knots and sun on those days you dream about.

Some days are not the best. Depending on my mood I might go so far as to say they suck. Then I remember days that are spent inside at the computer, tired, stressed out, no outside recharge time in sight. Sucky outside days don’t seem so bad when compared to anything inside. They still aren’t great though.

I like to call them Appreciation Days. Any day outside is better than being inside. Those days with terrible snow, cold sideways rain and intense howling wind are there for a reason. Those days are there to make us appreciate the good days, the days with warm sun, light powder and the perfect wind.

Appreciation Days are there to still use for outside adventures but to remind us to pay much more attention to those good days that slip by because we take them for granted.

Then a slow song came on. Everything slowed down. I forgot about the beautiful trees and water and grass. All I could think about was how this new song was really not the right tempo. My groove was gone.

I reached for my left upper arm. My music-playing phone wasn’t there because it feels too big and heavy on my arm.

I reached for my jacket pocket. My phone wasn’t there either because it bounces around too much when I run.

I reach for my shorts pocket. My phone wasn’t there either because it pulls my headphones out of my ears when it’s in my shorts pockets. Nothing frustrates me more than having my headphones ripped from my ears.

I realized my phone was in my backpack playing away. To get at it I had to stop unclip the waist strap, unclip the chest strap, pull my bag off the same side as my headphones go into the top pouch, open the top pouch of the bag, and change the song. To get running again, I have to reverse the process. Every time I hit a song I want to change, or take a photo, or send a message, I have to go through this huge process to get my phone out and do something. I wanted a better way to carry my phone.

My backpack was a long process to get at my phone.

Armbands are tight and uncomfortable and heavy with a large phone attached to your arm.

Any pockets don’t provide enough support. My phone bounces around like crazy, changing music, pressing buttons or pulling the headphone cords out.

A quick look around online and I found the perfect solution to my problem. Obviously someone else had the same problem.

Waterproof SpiBelt carrying your gear

The SpiBelt

SpiBelts are small pouches made of stretchy material that can hold phones, ipods or keys while you run. They stretch to hold a considerable amount of stuff. I tend to only put my phone and keys in it when I run. Because of the stretch, it keeps things in place whether you have a tiny iPod Nano inside or a giant smartphone. I haven’t done a running race with them yet but I think they would be ideal for holding gels on a run.

Easy access to your stuff

This is the biggest thing for me. It’s a small, lightweight belt that fits nicely around your waist. If you need anything from it, spin the belt around and the pouch, and your stuff, is right in front of you. If I had a SpiBelt in my frustrating story above, I wouldn’t even have had to skip a beat to get at my phone, change the song, Instagram a photo of the lake and be on my way. 2 easy seconds. Not a couple minutes of frustrating finding my phone in my backpack.

Waterproof SpiBelt on the water

Waterproof

I’m not staying inside when it’s wet out and my gear doesn’t either. Electronics don’t agree with that statement though. They need to be kept in something nice and dry. There is a waterproof version of the SpiBelt that has a waterproof bag inside the stretchy outer material that will keep your precious music player nice and dry. It also works great for watersports like kayaking and SUPing.

Kayaking with the SpiBelt

*

You may be asking yourself:

What exactly is an outdoor cooperative?

To start, the Outdoor Adventure Social Club (OASC) is a worker-owned cooperative, which means that there are 12 co-op owners who each have an equal share in the business – everything from the day to day business decisions to shouldering the financial implications of running said business.

Last February, the owner of the OASC pulled together a group of friends who he thought might be interested in going into business together. The backstory: he had started the business in 2005 and had been running it as a solo operation since then, with volunteers and some paid employees along the way. Now, he was getting married and the business was growing past the point where it could effectively be run by one single person.

From the initial people who showed interest, the group eventually evolved into the Adventure Co-op, which now runs the OASC. Instead of just one person shouldering the load of running a business, we now have 12 sets of hands and minds. We have business- and marketing-minded people, a designer and a developer, financial folks, teachers, small business owners – within the group, we have someone who has expertise in each area that’s necessary for keeping the business running smoothly. We meet at least once a month, sometimes more often, and have quarterly financial meetings.

How is the club itself structured? 

OASC Members are adults of all ages and skill levels exploring and enjoying nature’s beauty, experiencing diverse cultural and social events, and volunteering in hands-on community service projects while forming new friendships. Our mission is to provide daily opportunities to exercise mind and body in a safe, supportive atmosphere fostering camaraderie, education, and respect for our environment and community. And, unlike many adventure companies (as one example, whitewater companies who focus exclusively on rafting), OASC is activity and community oriented, rather than profit-oriented. We try to focus on building community while connecting people to their natural environment.

In a nutshell, we took a business model that was dependent on one person and flipped it to being cooperatively run. This spring, we will celebrate our one year anniversary of being in business, and will hopefully have implemented most of the changes that we as a group have been working on over the past six months. Our hope has always been that the members of OASC wouldn’t really notice the difference with the co-op behind the helm, and that has seemed to be the case. During the transition, we tried to keep things business as usual, and we are working on transitioning to a new and improved club this coming spring.

And now, the fun part:

What do you actually do?

One of the things that we love most about the business is providing the opportunity for people in our community to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors while strengthening their ties to the community. Because we organize large group adventures, we are able to utilize our community partnerships to get great deals for our members, allowing them to take advantage of trips they might not be able to afford on their own. (Those profit-oriented rafting companies mentioned above? We have a great relationship with one of them out in West Virginia, and partner with them several times a year!) We have adventures year ‘round, and wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the ways you can have fun during all 4 seasons!

Winter

One of our favorite winter trips is a long weekend where club members gather at several rented houses at Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia. Members are able to decide what level of excitement they want in their weekend (Quiet house? Party house? Somewhere in between?) and pick what outdoor activities they want to enjoy during the trip. Besides the standard downhill skiing and snowboarding, there is also cross country skiing, snow tubing and snowshoeing. When members want to come in from the cold, there is always plenty of food and lots of activities, ranging from movie showings and board games to live music and wine tastings.

Spring

While the early spring is usually cold and icy in our neck of the woods, the many caves and caverns that dot the landscape are a balmy 55 degrees year ‘round. Our members are able to take advantage of caving trips throughout the year, and here is the hilarious and awesome description given by one of our members (and a fellow co-op owner):

“If you’ve never been caving, it’s kind of like scrambling around in a field of large boulders with only your trusty headlamp to light your way. Sometimes you’ll be walking upright through large “rooms” while at other points you might be crawling or squeezing through a small passageway, scrambling up a wall of boulders, or fording a small stream. Throughout the cave, you’ll have the opportunity to admire formations such as stalagmites (“g” is for ground), stalactites (“c” is for ceiling), and cave “bacon.” Speaking of food, lunchtime in the cave is a great time to experience absolute darkness and see sparks fly when you chew on a Wint-O-Green lifesaver.”

Summer

Summer is the time when everyone manages to get outside, so we end up having more adventures going on than you could ever imagine attending. From hiking or mountain biking the local trails, kayaking under the full moon, sailing the Chesapeake Bay, playing sand volleyball, river tubing on the James River, climbing the Via Ferrata or playing frisbee golf to volunteering at a local organic farm, wine tastings or cooking club, we lead activities for all ages and activity levels. The weather stays amazing from late spring into early fall in central Virginia, minus the pesky hot (did we mention hot?) weather in August, so there’s always a chance to take advantage of the longer days.

Fall

Every October, there is a dam release on the Upper Gauley River in the New River Gorge of West Virginia. Members have taken advantage of this opportunity for years on end; the weekend is usually jam-packed with things to do, from hanging out with friends at Bridge Day watching base jumping, to outdoor rock climbing in the gorge, or whitewater kayaking. There’s hiking, mountain biking, tree-top tours, standup paddle boarding, fishing, horseback riding, and nearly anything else you can imagine in the river range of the town of Fayetteville.

All Seasons Travel

Along with trips to other states close by, we also like to spread our wings and do some traveling. This spring and summer, we have members heading to a mountaineering class on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, some folks making the trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal, and a 10 day backpacking trip through Sequoia National Park to Mount Whitney. There are generally at least a few trips of this type planned per year, and along with our other big adventures, give our members the opportunity to make some amazing outdoor memories.

Hopefully now that you’ve read over the description of the business and what we do, you’ll be inspired to get outdoors more, find friends to drag with you, or even start your own outdoor cooperative in your town! It’s been a great learning experience for all of us, and has allowed a fun local business to grow and evolve in a sustainable way. As for us, we’ll be busy behind the scenes keeping things running, but we hope to see you outside enjoying all the great outdoors has to offer. And, if you’re ever in Virginia, stop by and have an outdoor adventure with us!

**

Jessica is a freelance graphic designer, environmental activist & organizer, social media queen, musician, non-conformist, tree-hugger, ruckus-raiser, and lover of all things fuzzy. Her design work can be found at www.verdantspringdesign.com and all things cooperative live at www.outdoorsocial.com.

A new year means more new outdoor events! The events are even bigger and better this year than years past so don’t miss out. Make sure you book early on your events so you don’t miss out.

If you know of any that aren’t on this list, email us at pureoutside [at] gmail.com or head over to the contact page.

January

1 – Bastion Running Club New Years Run and Dip, Nanaimo

13 - Prairie Inn Pioneer 8k, Saanichton (Island Series)

7 – 11 – Bud Light Winterfest at Mount Washington (Ski and Snowboard Festival)

27 - Cobble Hill 10k, Cobble Hill (Island Series)

26 - Mount Washinton Yeti Snowshoe Race, Mount Washington (Snowshoe Race)

February

9-10 – Outdoor VanIsle Backcountry Festival (Mount Cain)

10 - Cedar 12k, Cedar (Island Series)

24 - Hatley Castle 8k, Colwood (Island Series)

19 – Historic Half Marathon, 10k and 5k, Fort Langley (Road Run)

March

3 – Chili 200 Road Ride by BC Randonneurs

10 - Bazan Bay 5k, Sydney (Island Series, Road Running Race)

22-24 - Outdoor Adventure Expo (Victoria)

24 - Comox Valley 1/2 Marathon, Courtenay (Island Series, Road Running Race)

24 - Victoria Populaire Road Ride by BC Randonneurs 50/100k, Victoria (Road Ride)

TBA -Victoria XC #1 Mountain Bike Race (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Cobble Hill XC #2 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Campbell River XC #3 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

April

6 – Somewhat Familiar 200km by BC Randonneurs (Road Ride)

7 - Merville 15k, Merville (Island Series) (Road Running Race)

20 - The Hills are Alive 300k by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

21 - Sooke River 10k, Sooke (Island Series) (Road Running Race)

28 - Times Colonist 10k, Victoria ( Road Run)

28 - Comox Valley Snow to Surf, Courtenay (Multi Sport Relay)

TBA - Hammerfest XC #5 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Cumberland XC #3 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Campbell River XC #4 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Cumberland XC #5 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Cumberland DH #1 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Fletcher’s Challenge 12k Trail Run and 6k Family Walk, Nanaimo (Trail Running Race)

May

5 – Nanaimo Run, Walk and Roll, Nanaimo (Run and Walk)

11 - Mud Run Ride, Campbell River (Mountain Bike)

11 - Highway to Hell 400k, by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

12 – Gutbuster Trail Run #1, Western Speedway, Victoria (Trail Run)

20-25 Eau de Hell Week 200km by BC Randonneurs, Chemainus (Road Ride)

25 - “Ride for Gold” 600km, Chemainus (Road Ride)

26 - Oak Bay Half Marathon, Oak Bay, Victoria (Road Run)

26 - New Balance Triathlon, Shawnigan Lake ( Triathlon)

TBA - Port Alberni XC #6 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Vancouver Island Paddlefest, Ladysmith (Paddling Exhibition)

TBA - Port Alberni DH #2 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - Hammerfest XC #7 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - 600 km by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

TBA - Hammerfest DH #3 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

June

1 - The Great Walk 63 k, Gold River to Tahsis (Trail Walk/Run)

1 – Portage 200km by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

2 – The Goddess Run, Victoria (5km/10km/Half Marathon Road Run)

8 – Nanaimo Populaire 100km by BC Randonneurs, Nanaimo (Road Ride)

8 – Gutbuster Trail Run #2, Mount Tzouhalem, Duncan (Trail Run)

8-22 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race (Sailing Race)

9 - Edge to Edge Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay, Tofino (Road Run)

15 – Duncan Populaire 100km, Duncan (Road Ride)

15 – 18 – “————” 1000km by BC Ranndonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

22 - Kusam Klimb , Sayward (Trail Run/Walk)

22 – Tour of Greater Victoria 200km by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

16 - New Balance Triathlon, Victoria (Triathlon)

29 - BC Bike Race Day One (Mountain Bike Cross Country)

TBA - Sproat Lake Marathon (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Port Alice XC #8 (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike)

TBA - The River Run, Englishman River (5k Run/Walk)

TBA - 12 Hours of Cumberland (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Hornby Island XC Final (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Cross Country)

TBA - Hornby Island Super D (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Super D)

July

6 – “Renfrew” 300km by BC Randonneurs, Nanaimo (Road Ride)

7 – Gutbuster Trail Run #3, Ladysmith (Trail Run)

20 – “Half Way to Tofino” 400km by BC Randonneurs, Nanaimo (Road Ride)

26-28 – Vancouver Island Fat Tire Festival, Ladysmith (Mountain Biking)

August

11 - New Balance Triathlon, Sooke (Triathlon)

11 – Gutbuster Trail Run #4, Mount Washington (Trail Run)

17 – “Ripple Rock Ramble” 600km by BC Randonneurs, Victoria (Road Ride)

September

14 - Run for the Mountain, Westwood Lake, Nanaimo (Trail Run)

15 – “Fall Islander” 200 km by BC Randonneurs, Qualicum Beach (Road Ride)

21 - Great Lake Walk and Ultramarathon 56k, Lake Cowichan (Road Walk/Run)

22 - Tour de Victoria (Road Bike)

TBA - Momar Adventure Race #2, Cumberland (Adventure Race)

TBA - Campbell River 50k (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Terry Fox Run, Nanaimo (Road Run)

October

6 – Run for the Cure, Nanaimo (Road run and walk)

13 - Royal Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon and 8k, Victoria (Road Run)

27 - Shawnigan – Kinsol Half Marathon, Shawnigan Lake (Road/Trail Run)

TBA - The Ramble (Island Cup Series, Mountain Bike Marathon)

TBA - Perseverance Trail Run, Cumberland (Trail Run)

November

TBA - 14th Annual Harriers Thetis Lake 20k Relay, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

TBA - 26th Annual Harriers Gunner Shaw Cross Country, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

December

TBA - 7th Annual Harriers Stewart Mountain Cross Country, Thetis Lake Park, Victoria (Trail Run)

***

Also look back on Vancouver Island’s 2012 events.

Looking for events in Vancouver? Check out the Outdoor Vancouver Event Calendar.

Other Awesome Events

The Victoria Track Series

Requests

If anyone knows the Island Cup Mount Bike Series or the Prairie Inn Harriers schedules, I’d love to get them up here. Please contact us.

If your event isn’t up here, let us know.

***

Loved the colour of these vines!

There are some amazing pictures to be captured on just a short walk around your neighbourhood if you keep your eyes open!

Rose hips, so beautiful this time of year.

This little tree had amazing colour!

Sometimes you can capture an interesting perspective with multiple subjects, like this row of colourful trees I found along the side.

Fall is a great time to remember to look up with your camera!

Sometimes a field can have a very interesting view.

**

I know you want to see more sunshine but that’s all for now.

You can find more of Lainy’s great, colourful photography on her Facebook page, Lalainia Noel Photography.

Or something like that.

Hiking boots are such a personal thing that I’m not going to say this boot is perfect for everyone. If it fits you, awesome. If not, then you’ll have to find a different boot. For me this boot fit great. I’ve been having issues trying to find a great lightweight boot that fits and won’t fall apart and so far this boot has been ideal for me.

I’ve been on some great snowshoes and day hikes with the Sierra Lite and I’ve been comfortable and dry the whole way. The last 2 pairs of boots I’ve had have had Gore-Tex waterproof liners so I was a little worried with these boots not having them. After jumping into puddles and spending days in wet snow, I’m convinced they’re perfectly waterproof without having a Gore liner. The nubuck leather and ion-mask treatment keep your feet nice and dry. They felt fairly breathable as well and my feet never got too hot in them, even on good uphill grunts on my hikes. It sounds like I might have the insoles and ion-mask to thank in part for that breathability.

Big, heavy boots have never really had a big place in my heart. I haven’t yet found one that I really like wearing. Even if I do find one that fits, I’ll probably end up wearing the lightest boot I can for my trips. If Andrew Skurka can do his big trips in trail runners, I think I can go lighter too.

Cool features

The Sierra Lite’s use some of Hi-Tec’s newest technology to do the things they do. Here’s a quick run down of the neat stuff they’ve been up to.

V-Lite

The reason the Sierra Lite’s are actually so lite, err light, is their V-Lite technology. V-Lite is not really one technology, it’s a bunch of things combined to make the boots strong while shaving off a lot of weight. A bunch of different pieces go into making the boots and every piece has had some weight reduction.

The uppers on the boots (material that goes around the boot) is lightweight and has non-metallic hardware on it. It will be interesting to see how this hardware holds up. I saw a lot of broken eyelets with some brands of boots when I used to work at Valhalla Pure Outfitters.

The insole is an important part of the boots and they’ve been made lighter as well. Bigger boots tend to have bigger insoles but these are still light and comfortable.

One of the main reasons larger, stiffer boots tend to be heavier is because of the shank they have in them. These are basically metal roads in the base of the boot that helps keep it’s stiffness and rotational rigidity. Their goal is to make a boot stiff so you’re feet don’t have to work as hard but not too stiff that it’s awkward and uncomfortable to walk in them. The Sierra Lite’s us a Stabila Flex Plus Lasting Board instead of a steel shank so you get the stiffness without the weight.

A lightweight EVA midsole absorbs hard impacts before pound your feet and a Vibram carbon rubber outsole gives you good traction without the heavy lugs that larger boots have. In some situations those big lugs are nice to have but for a lot of hiking, they’re just extra weight. On longer trips, the weight savings is pretty nice.

OrthoLite

I touched on the Sierra Lite’s insoles up above in the V-Lite section and it’s come up again because they’re using more cool technology in the insoles themselves aside from just making them lighter. They help keep air circulating in and around the insole, keeping your feet cooler. My feet get crazy hot in any kind of boot, especially in the summer. The Comfort-Tec insoles in these boots helped cool them down a bit. They’re not a magic bullet for cooling down your feet by any means but I’m not going to turn down any help I can get!

They’ve added a patented biocide to the insoles to cut down on the bacteria and fungus that give your boots that lovely scent. Sorry, you can’t hide it. And when science can’t even help your insoles smell decent, you can throw them in the wash and they’ll come out ready for a hiking trip.

Vibram

The Sierra Lite’s use light-weight outsoles from Vibram. If you haven’t heard of Vibram before, you probably haven’t spent much time around hiking boots or trail runners. They’re on a huge number of boots and shoes these days including the Vibram Five Fingers. The lugs on the soles aren’t that big so that might pose a problem in really wet conditions but I have yet to have an issue with sliding around in them. Next time it pours rain here, I’m going to head out and find a muddy hill to boot-ski down. If that actually happens, I’ll be sure to post photos of me careening down the hill into a mud-lake at the bottom.

ion-mask

Reading up on the boots before I got them, I was especially interested in Hi-Tec’s new ion-mask technology. They’ve got a couple of videos on their ion-mask page about what this stuff actually is. I’ll see if I can whip up some science skills and explain why this stuff is cool.

The ion-mask gets applied to the material that makes up the boot. This forms a very, very thin protective, hydrophobic layer around the molecules of the fabric. Wow complicated. Basically it’s making the fabric water resistant down it’s very basic structure. After it’s got it’s ion-mask jacket on, the fabric actively resists any water it comes in contact with.

In the video with the guy from the Gadget show, he puts a piece of paper coated with ion-mask into a tank of water. When he pulls it out, it’s pretty much dry. I thought that was cool but he didn’t really leave it in the water very long. Then he pulls out a paper towel and puts it in the water. Something that’s built to be as absorbant as possible is sitting in a tank of water. He pulls it out and it’s try, the water beading on the towel. Cool.

A few other cool points to ion-mask. It’s only nanometers thick so it doesn’t really add any weight to the fabric it’s on. The fabric doesn’t lose any breathability after it’s been coated. You can build boots and shoes any way you want after the fabrics have been coated. They don’t have to be built around a waterproof fabric like a Gore liner.

Final Thoughts

So far I’ve been very happy with the Sierra Lite’s. I don’t think they’ll be replacing my heavier mountaineering boots but because they’re so light and comfortable, I will be wearing them a lot more.

Three Sisters

Our first day we headed upstream from the campsite to do some exploring. There are massive trees everywhere. Particularly were the Three Sisters just feet from each other.

Food Bag

There were some other groups camping along the river. Always a good idea to keep your food in the trees with hungry bears around. Make sure they’re high enough though. I think I could reach one of the bags we saw.

Simon next to a large tree

The Three Sisters were huge trees but many of the other trees were as big or bigger. Simon looks tiny standing next to one.

Along the mossy trail

The trail wound its way up and over small ridges along the side of the rover. The scenery was stunning the entire way.

Hanging sandal

For some reason I’m attracted to the random human things I find in the woods. There was a sandal hanging in one of the trees. Not exactly appropriate hiking footwear. Having only one sandal would be even less appropriate.

Trail marking

The trail was well marked most of the way. We lost it after we crossed the river once. With some wandering and a keen eye we always found the markers. I felt like a scout roaming around ahead of the group trying to find our way.

Survivorman Simon

With beautiful scenery it’s hard not to just sit and take it in. I caught Simon doing his best Survivorman impression.

Scaling the log bridge

The only sketchy part of the hike was a very slippery log that we had to use to cross the river.

Brushing brush aside

Most of the hiking was nice open trail under the old-growth trees. Some of the area near the water was quite thick with salmon-berry bushes.

August Creek Falls

We made it to August Creek and were looking for the falls. These were the first ones we ran into. We dubbed them August Creek Falls, sat down beside them and had lunch.

Fungus among us

There was tons of fungi along the trail. I was hungry when I took this photo. I thought it looked like a nice hamburger.

Green trails

I can’t imagine a place more beautiful with all the different greens. It can be tough to take some of the photos because there is so much green but it was certainly a nice place to be.

Boardwalk

The boardwalk was in very good shape. Some of it was wet and very slippery. I had to catch up to my friends when we started and moving quickly on boardwalk with stiff boots on which nearly ended badly in a few spots.

Heaven Tree

Our second day we headed downstream from the trail intersection to the Heaven Tree and another grove of huge trees.

Swimming hole

We passed some beautiful swimming holes in the river. Too bad the water was absolutely freezing.

More shoes

Another prime piece of junk in the woods. I’m not sure how you get back up the trail without a shoe on your foot.

**

Our weekend camping at Carmanah Walbran was another great time out in the wilderness.

My only tip here are that you need to pack light as the campsites are a long walk from the parking lot. We were under the impression it would be a car camping, drive-in type of camping and it was much more walking and carrying heavy gear than we had expected. Pack lightly and you’ll be happier.

There are bears in the area. We didn’t see any in the campsite but some campers that were leaving, came back in a hurry to let us know there was a bear heading down the road and then drove off again. Bring bear repellant and cache your food well.

To end the weekend we headed out to Nitinat Lake and stayed one night there. It was another beautiful place to stay, especially since we had the entire campsite to ourselves on the lake (aside from a very cute, furry visitor). More pictures from that location to come soon.

See you out there,

- Ross

]]> http://pureoutside.com/blog/2012/06/carmanah-walbran-trip-photo-essay/feed/ 2 http://pureoutside.com/blog/2012/05/free-tickets-to-anthill-films-strength-in-numbers-premiere-may-6th-in-nanaimo/ http://pureoutside.com/blog/2012/05/free-tickets-to-anthill-films-strength-in-numbers-premiere-may-6th-in-nanaimo/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 14:30:58 +0000 Ross Collicutt http://pureoutside.com/blog/?p=1478 When Anthill Films puts together a movie, you know it’s going to be you know it’s going to be a whole lot of awesomeness packed into a small amount of time. And when Redbull Media House gets their hands on it, they take it to a whole new level of epic.

Jocosity has put together another amazing film event with Oak Bay Bikes, and we want to send you there for free. All you have to do is comment below.

[Update]: Nelo one the free tickets to the show on Sunday. Thanks everyone for commenting!

But first we need to see what all this excitement is about.

Strength in Numbers is a rally call to connect all mountain bikers, regardless of location or language or discipline. The film captures a true way of life, from the world’s best pros to those who are just learning to love the sport. Shot over two years in some of mountain biking’s most iconic locations, Anthill’s signature style combines compelling stories with core action to create a shared experience that unites all riders.

That gives me chills just reading it. Here’s the trailer.

Free Tickets!

All you have to do is comment on this post and we’ll draw the winner of 2 free tickets Friday at 4pm. Anything is a valid comment (keep it clean!). “Show me the money!” “Give me the tickets!” or “You guys are awesome!” are all valid comments. Only comments on this post will be entered, Facebook or Twitter posts don’t count.

Buying Tickets

Tickets are available at Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo. Get them while they last. I hear they’re going quick. Tickets are $16 from Oak Bay and $18 at the door.

The Show

The craziness that is Strength in Numbers will be on May 6th (that’s only a few days away, get your tickets!). There will be awesome door prizes from Anthill Films and Shimano. Oak Bay Bikes has put in some sweet gear for the silent auction. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club.

The show is at the Malaspina Theatre at VIU. Doors will open at 7, the show starts at 8. And if you need to be bribed, the event is licensed. Just sayin’.

I’ve created a bit of a checklist for you so you don’t have to worry about forgetting some important piece of the hike-planning puzzle and not having a good hike because of it. It’s not perfect and might be missing some good things you like to look for before you go hiking. I want to know what you look for before hiking. You can add them to the comments at the end of the post.

So here’s a list of good things to think about when you’re planning a hike.

Where do you find information about a trail?

Popular trails and parks often have websites with the latest information about conditions on the trail and anything you’ll need to watch out for. There is usually a good description of the trail and any known dangers that you might face while hiking in that area. Always look for a second or third source for information about trails as one website may be out of date or missing information.

More and more websites are popping up with lists of trails that you can search through for particular areas. Some good ones are Everytrail, Trailpeak, and TripTracker. Do a quick google search for “hiking trails areaname” and you’ll get other websites that are specific to certain areas. On PureOutside, I mainly cover Vancouver Island but there are probably many others that have information on the trail you are looking for.

Where the trailhead is

The trailhead is the start of the trail itself. Usually you’ll be able to park near the trailhead somewhere and start hiking from there. To start your hike you’ll need to know how to get from your house to the trailhead.

Where the trail goes

Some great hikes I’ve been on started with just wanting to find out where a trail went. Pure exploration. Most of the time I’ll have an end target in mind. Sometimes, a summit of a mountain might be the goal, or a beautiful waterfall or a huge stand of old growth trees. Some trails don’t really have a destination but still can be a beautiful place to go and explore away from the bustle and noise of the city.

Sometimes it’s easier to go for a hike when you have a particular destination. You’ll know how far you need to go to the goal you’re trying to accomplish. Once you’re finished your goal you can turn around and head home, satisfied with the feeling of accomplishment. Be careful not to get too caught up in completing your goals though, the journey along the way is just as beautiful.

The difficulty of the trail

Trails can vary a huge amount in their difficulty. It’s a good idea to have some sort of picture in your head of what the trail is like. You don’t want to be going out to a crazy, steep, overgrown trail if you are just beginning. Most trail websites and books have some sort of ratings for the trails. Talk to people who have done the trail before to see what the difficulty is. I love exploring places I’ve never been before but struggling through something I’m not comfortable with isn’t fun.

Some good indicators of the difficulty of a trail are the length of it and the elevation profile. Long trails can be tough just because they are long. The easiest obstacles can look daunting if you’re tired from hiking 15 kilometres. An elevation profile of a trail is basically a picture of a trail in terms of it’s height above sea level. If the trail goes from very low to very high in a short period of time, you’ll know it can be quite steep. Even a trail that starts and ends at the same elevation could have gone up and down thousands of metres!

Maps

Some sort of map is one of the most important things to take on a hike whereever you go. You never know when you could take a wrong turn or decide to head in a different direction even in an area that you know well. If the trail is in an area that you don’t normally go, then the map will be even more useful. Some areas will have specific trail maps that you can use with major landmarks on it to make it easier to use. If you aren’t able to find one of those, most areas will have a topographic map available for purchase nearby.

If you use a GPS when you hike, then having a GPS track file for the trail can make navigating much easier. Make sure you’re not relying 100% on your GPS to find your way around when you hike because they can stop working.  They are nice when getting to a trailhead or finding a certain trail in an area. On Vancouver Island where I do a lot of my hiking, logging roads lead to many good hiking trails. The problem is that most logging roads look identical and having a GPS track can save a lot of time looking for the trailhead.

Current conditions

The same trail can go from easy to very tough and complicated depending on the conditions and weather. Snow can add a degree of complexity that you may not want to tackle. Some areas can be completely closed during the winter because of avalanche or rockslide danger.

Bridges

Many trails have bridges on them to cross valleys or streams and rivers. Often during storms or just over time the bridges are damaged and need to be repaired. Unfortunately parks or volunteers may not be able to get to the trail within a reasonable amount of time and hikers need to find a way around while the bridge is out.

Tides

If you’re hiking near the ocean chances are part of the trail goes near the water. The trail may even run completely on the beach at some points. If so, you’ll need to be aware of the water levels during the times you’ll be on that trail. Park websites tend to link to tide information if it’s required for the hike. Even if it doesn’t try and verify how close you’ll get to the water during the hike and tide information information for the area.

Altitude

Here on Vancouver Island, none of the trails go high enough to run into altitude issues. Elsewhere in the world there it’s a different story. Know how high your trail is and if you could run into issues at that elevation. If you’ve hiked at that elevation before you will probably be ok. Altitude sickness can be a tricky, unannounced problem.

Transportation

Transportation is usually a very simple part of organising a hike. You drive or get a ride to the trailhead. Many trails end up back at the same parking lot and you can drive home from there.

Some trails start in one place and end up in another. In this case you will have to arrange to use multiple vehicles to transport everyone to the start of the trail and leave one near the end. Sometimes there are buses or shuttles that can get you to your destination.

For more remote trails, planes and boats can be used to get to the start of the hike. Some trails require the use of boats in the middle of it to get across rivers or lakes. Make note of when and where you’ll need to use these other types of transportation as they often cost extra. You wouldn’t want to be out in the woods without money to continue your hike!

Fees

Some trails, like the West Coast Trail in BC, Canada, have fees, a hiker limit and must be booked months in advance to ensure a time on the trail to hike. Some trails have no limit but still require a fee to be paid before-hand to help pay for the upkeep of the park. Fees might have to be paid online before-hand or in cash in the parking lot before starting the hike so make sure you know where and how you can pay.

Interesting points along the trail

I always like to know about place along the trail that would be fun to see along the way. Maybe there are some really good viewpoints along the trail before you get to your final destination or waterfalls or old growth trees or plane crash remains. If you’re pressed for time then you may not want to check out the extras but if you end up with a spare minute then you’ll have something more to enjoy.

Does it require special gear?

Most day-hikes don’t need any special gear but depending on the trail and the conditions you might need something extra. This might mean that you won’t be able to hike that trail and that’s totally ok. You may need an inflatable boat or crampons, an ice axe and rope for exposed sections. The weather is also a factor in determining what kind of gear you’ll need on you hike. Lots of trails don’t require any special gear and it’s great to start hiking on those and then acquire the gear necessary as you put bigger trails on your list.

Emergency Exits

How you can get off a trail if something goes wrong is always a good idea to keep in the back of your mind. If you’re careful and have the right gear then chances are very slim that something will go wrong. The chance is always there though. Sometimes the way you arrived at the trail is the fastest way out. Other times there may be other entrances or trails that offer a quicker exit and a faster way to get help if you need it. Problems on the trail aren’t something you should dwell on but it’s always good to have a plan of attack in case something does go wrong.

Weather

This is not necessarily a trait of the trails you’ll be hiking but it’s something that you’ll need to keep in mind when you’re planning a hike. Weather can affect how long you’ll want to hike for and what kind of trails you can take on with you and your group. Some areas can be covered in snow some of the year. Others can be extremely wet or dry. You’ll need to know the temperature of the area to plan what clothing to bring. Hiking in 3 degress celsius will require different gear than in 25 degree weather. Getting wet during a warm trip could mean a minor discomfort while you dry off whereas getting wet on a cold trip could mean a danger of hypothermia. On the other side of that scale, when the weather is hot there are different dangers. If you are in the sun for a lot of the trip, sun stroke or sun burn can be dangerous. You’ll also need to think about water and how much you have as you go along. If you’re working hard you’ll be sweating and you’ll need to replenish this liquids as you go. Some places have a lot of water that you can use to replenish your water supply and others don’t.

Water

A very important item to take with you is water. You should take ample amounts with you on every hike you go on. Having to hike a couple hours back to the water when you’ve run out of water isn’t much fun. If you get lost then the water you have will become even more important. Humans can last weeks without food but we can only last a couple days without water.

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Being a fan of cycling I decided my next trip was to be a bike trip. After reading lots of travel portals and travel blogs I had a hard time deciding on my destination. What better place for cycling than the Piedmont hills to discover the villages and the beautiful landscape that gave birth to Fausto Coppi. I took this trip alone as all my cycling buddies were unavailable at the time. Starting at the town of Tortona in three steps I explored all the places that have shaped the history and contributed in the success of the “champion”.

First I visited the country of Castellania, the birthplace and tomb of brothers Coppi Coppi and the small museum, a place that still sees a pilgrimage of people who pay homage to the great hero. Getting there seemed easy and I even came across other bikers that appeared to be following the same route as me. Arriving in the country it turned out that in the silence of the hills of Castellania Tortona at the funeral mausoleum of Fausto and Serse Coppi,
cyclists and cyclists gather every year to pay homage.

The hills of the Piedmont are not very well known, but I found these valleys to be lovely surprises for my cycling trip. There were also some points of interest one could miss if he wasn’t careful: In Volpedo I visited the house museum of the painter from Volpedo Pellizza; San Sebastian Curone with its square houses painted with views of Mount Giarolo, Monleale nestled on a hill, with its square French styled Garbutt, and his ways of the old Town and the artisans of the cabinet.

Details of the bike trip:

Immersed in the beautiful hills of Piedmont among vineyards and small towns rich in history I spent 3 days in full contact with nature, just me and my bike, well, and occasionally other bikers. Alternating “hard work” with a cycling tour of the interesting cultural sites in the surrounding area gave me a feeling of progression I seldomly get: the Romanesque church, the country of Coppi, the small museum dedicated to the sample were some of the sites I found.

Later I came to know that there was a group biking tour in the area at the same time with the same meeting point as my starting point, the station in Tortona. Apparently they gathered in the late morning or early afternoon on Thursday. In fact their tour was very similar to my trip except they did a thorough city tour and then made a stop at a winery.

A fellow biker told me all this. He was part of that group, but they were given a choice among various cycling routes. That was the reason I kept seeing cyclists on my way but never big groups of them. Overall, I enjoyed myself; the area was very hilly and therefore had a typical vertical drop in altitude. As a matter of fact the tour was quite challenging. Exactly what I was looking for to escape from the routine of plain sightseeing trips. I avoided to tackle any mountain climbs, but a continuous up and down gradient was unavoidable. Manyareas were also quite steep: it is advisable to check around with some preparation in order to enjoy the best 4 days of cycling.

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More about Elsi Hasanaj: Elsi is an aspiring blogger and an adventurous traveler. He likes being abroad and seeing new places.  Travelling by sea is his preferences and his favorite countries are Japan and Mexico. He also likes sharing his experiences with the world. You can check out his profile and more writing at Trip and Travel Blog.