|| Saturday, December 14, 2019 || Another adventure is just starting! It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally headed down to Argentina. Planning, preparation, sponsorships, all have led to this. We loaded up our packs and our stomachs at my house and went straight to the airport. Easy and quick through TSA. . . dropped off the bags, got our boarding passes, and walked through security. Once at the airport, travel itself was a breeze. We loaded…
Inherent Danger. . . Risk. . . Injuries and Accidents. . . the outdoors can be an intimidating environment, filled with uncertainty, doubt, and more than anything else, the possibility for a situation to go south, fast. The best form of “insurance” is experience in the mountains, the “know-how” and ability to make smart and prudent decisions. There is no substitute for knowing how to identify dangerous storms, snow conditions, and other environmental hazards. That said, whenever I travel, explore,…
For around 3 years I have been using the Altra Lone Peak as my “go-to” backpacking shoe; I’ve used it on 4 different continents at this point: North America Alaska, Southeastern United States, Colorado, California, Washington Europe Corsica, France — GR20 trail New Zealand Dusky Track, Fiordland National Park (South Island) South America Ecuador So. . . what are my takeaways? || Background || I first started hiking with a bulky pair of Asolo PowerMatic boots. They were rugged and…
A trip to Mt. Baker with my Dad and Ellen on the Easton Glacier. Yummy curry and great views made for a memorable climb.
A single-push climb of Mt. Olympus via the Hoh River/Blue Glacier. 18 hours car-to-car; maximum fun and pain.
A section-hike of the Hayduke Route through Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, with an add-on bonus hike through the Grand Canyon.
A summer climb of Mt. Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier to SE Rib.
A climb of the Emmons-Winthrop route on Mt. Rainier. July 2019.
An early summer climb of Mt. Adams via the North Ridge (North Cleaver).
A summer climb of Mount Hood via the classic south side.
Scrape, scrape, scrape. . . That’s normally how the end of any freeze-dried dinner went for me, my spork scratching the inside of my aluminum mug, desperately trying to remove the caked bits of my meal so that my hot chocolate or tea would not taste of chicken, beef, or vegetables. All in vain, too. Until a little trial, error, and to be honest, laziness, helped me realize a simple fix: freezer Ziploc bags. || How I Used to…
Hiking sticks. Walking poles. Ski poles. Trekking poles. Whatever they are called, I want them with me on every trip I take, no matter what. || Brief Backstory || Trekking poles are a fairly recent invention. If your grandfather hiked the Appalachian Trail, you will have a hard time finding trekking poles in any of his photos. The “history” of trekking poles originates in Scandinavia with cross-country skiing (also known to many as “Nordic” skiing). Cross-country skiers would use…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUj44-Dadvk] EXCITING NEWS! Our team is proud to announce the Engineered For Adventure Aconcagua 2019 Expedition. During December 2019, myself, Tom Orchard, and Andrew Speirs will be embarking on an attempt to summit Aconcagua, the tallest peak in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. At 22,841′, Aconcagua is a beast of a mountain. We will be approaching via the Vacas Valley route, also known as the “False Polish Traverse”. Over the course of 2-3 weeks, we will make our way…