Checking Out the Flat Tops (not the Arsenio kind)

I've been back for a week already...I don't know where time goes sometimes. Sheesh.

My trip to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area near Dotsero, CO was incredible. The curriculum only planned on us hiking 10 miles over the 3 1/2 days we were on trail (we spent another 2 in the White Owl Ranger Station as our "classroom"). The group was comprised of seasoned outdoorsmen/women and by lunch on the first day we had hiked in 2 hours what it had taken last year's group to do in 5. It was promptly decided that we'd blow past our first planned campsite to hike deeper into the wilderness and instead of 10 miles, we logged 30. 22 miles or so as a team, in packs and another 8 for me in our free time day hikes/excursions. Not bad. Not bad at all.

The group of 11 ended up being made up of 3 women and 8 men. There were a lot of state parks and forest service representatives, trail volunteers and a few outdoor educators. Then there was me...the weirdo who takes these courses more or less for the fun of it....so I can blog about it. ha.

I'm going to be detailing more of the educational component in the next few blogs...including my "tampon talk" but for now, I'll leave you with a slide show that one of my new friends in Colombia has assembled. Enjoy your first look at the Flat Tops Wilderness Area .

My Kind Of Higher Education

 I'm off this week for some skill development and resume boosting adventure! Through the National Outdoor Leadership School, I will spend the next week camping, hiking, meeting new friends and earning my Leave No Trace Master Educator Certificate.

 According to their website, which is much more articulate than I, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide. Leave No Trace partners with travel companies, businesses, schools etc to spread the word about the best ways we can reduce our impact in the outdoors. They do a tremendous amount of education and outreach so if any of you are interested in learning more (or teaching it to others), visit the website for endless resources.

 As part of this specific course, each participant will be required to give a 10-20 minute lesson to the group on one of the core principles of LNT. Always freakishly committed to teaching more men about women in the outdoors, I requested to go off book to teach about LNT principles specific to women. And wouldn't you know it...there's only one other woman taking the course. Look out guys, we're going to have all kinds of awesome conversations about pee funnels and tampons in my lesson plan! :)

 Tomorrow afternoon, I'll drive about 3 1/2 hours to reach our meet point, in the Flat Tops Wilderness area. We will learn as we hike on moderate terrain at elevations between 9,00 and 11,00 feet. There will be alpine lakes, groves of aspen, spruce and fir, vast meadows and mountain ranges all around. I. Am. Stoked!

 There's nothing like quite like learning about the outdoors in the outdoors.

The Tinder Experiment

 I have heard for years about various fire starting tools that one can add to their 10 essentials kit. In the event of an emergency, the ability to make a fire can also mean health and safety. While I'm not sure if it's ever really been studied, I would imagine that if you find yourself in dire straights, having a fire can ease your nerves and provide a level of emotional comfort as well as physical.

 Last week, M and I hiked out for a night of camping. I brought with me a couple of empty film canisters filled with things I had heard made great fire starter. I had a brand new Light My Fire Fire Steel. I didn't take a picture of mine, so here's what I'm talking about:

 

I also took some dryer lint as its highly flammable and a tissue smeared in Vaseline.I would have preferred a few cotton balls in Vaseline but we were all out...so we made use of what we did have. 

 Here's what we're starting with. Our teepee fire.
By the way-yes, that's a giant lighter. We had to have backup in case none of these great ideas paid off.

My photographer (M) apologizes for the blurry photos to follow. I think you'll still get the idea.

 Prepping the tissue in vaseline

 Tissue is ready to go on one side of our fire

 Tissue on the left. Wad of dryer lint on the right (it looks like a blurry gray mass)

 Pulling out the Fire Steel to light my fire

 Once both sides were lit. The tissue is winning by a mile!

 And we're off!

Bracco approves of our cozy campfire.

 

So do we!

 So, while the dryer lint surely did burn, it was more of a slow smoldering burn. I found this a bit difficult to work with it trying to light other twigs etc. The tissue burned long and strong. In hindsight, I shouldn't be too surprised that a petroleum product burned so well. Now I'm curious to know whether a tissue, paper towel, cotton ball or other paper will burn better in vaseline. I guess that will be my next experiment. 

I kind of like the idea of bringing a small container of vaseline without having it pre-made into a cotton ball fire starter. It makes it more versatile for other possible needs on trail. Also, I'm a big proponent of having at least two different ways to make fire if needed, particularly for extended trips. So, if you're headed out bring a spare lighter or weather-resistant (proof) matches along as well as your fire steel.

As a side note, let me just list the difference between a magnesium fire starter and the fire steel. A magnesium strip looks like this:

  You can sort of see in the picture that first you shave a small pile of the magnesium from the "shaving edge." You then use a pocket knife to strike the "sparking edge" in order to light the little pile of magnesium you just made. The magnesium bar does not burn whole and is waterproof. The filings burn hot and fast so it's necessary to have additional tinder easily accessible or your fire will quickly burn out. The more shavings you've put in your pile, the longer the burn BUT it takes a decent effort to get this built up.

The Fire Steel is ONLY your spark. It will not ignite, which is why you need a tinder, such as the Vaseline cotton balls or dryer lint options. All of these options are lightweight, easily packed and ready to go when needed.Earlier, I noted that the fire steel was new. This is important because it took a minute or two to make it spark as you need to get through the outer coating.

Has anyone else tried the dryer lint and had better luck? Mine might have too much dog hair in it to be useful.

Adventures Revealed

The fall lineup includes:

Tour de Fat- Labor Day Weekend (a tradition of course)
Holden Beach, NC
Fort Collins Sustainable Living Fair
Paonia, CO
Depoe Bay, OR
San Jose, CA
Minneapolis, MN
Omaha, NE
A visit from my awesome bro and sis-in-law (hopefully)
Complete 5th Peak and climb at least one 14er this fall

A secret weekend away that I cannot reveal at this time as it's a surprise
AND a longer adventure yet to be determined

My week-long TBD will either involve technical mountaineering south of the border

OR

backpacking in some European country

I'm waiting to see if the mountaineering will pan out (they haven't reached the minimum to run the trip yet). If not, M and I are buying the cheapest ticket available to run away together for a while. Either way, I have no complaints and plenty of new gear to try out!

When I look at this all written out, I'm a little overwhelmed. I mean, that's 5 states in addition to my own and all of these trips will occur between now and the end of November...most are just a weekend. A couple are work-related but I plan to attempt some outdoor fun while traveling for those trips too. Upon completeion, I plan to settle in for a looooong winter's nap.

What are you up to this fall?

Squeeee- New Gear!

 It's been a while since last I splurged on some new equipment to add to my gear closet. For one, there's just not a lot that I need and I try not to buy unnecessarily. I also have been out of the gear game for long enough that I sometimes get overwhelmed thinking about which new gear to buy if I do need something.

 I have been kicking around ideas for a big fall adventure (more details to follow) and determined that I was ready for some upgrades. Here's the loot I walked away with last week and is making its way to my doorstep little by little:

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 120L
  You may be wondering what in the world anyone would need this giant bag for. Well, they're awesome gear haulers when travelling for an extended period. For mountaineering trips in the past, I've used the North Face Base Camp Duffel. It's been a trusty friend but I needed something bigger than the one I have and figured I'd give this well-reviewed bag a try. It was also on closeout so I got a great deal. I guess there aren't a lot of people who love this shade of aquamarine. I do. The bag can be worn as a backpack, which is perfect for carting it around airports. One thing I do like about this as opposed to the Base Camp is the exterior pocket. I loves me some organization!

The Black Diamond Storm
  100 Lumens! 100 Lumens! 100 Lumens! (read: Bright! Bright! Bright!) Really, what more is there to say? Okay, there's more. 100 Lumens is impressive but what I really liked was that the "low" setting on this model was still 25 lumens. An improvement from my Black Diamond Spot, which is only 4 lumens on low. As I've learned, a person can hardly function at night with only 4 lumens, forcing a higher setting and therefore, less battery time.

NEOAir All Season
  New to the Cascade Designs lineup for 2011, this is a true 4 season sleeping pad! It's lighter than my prolite and warmer. I love when that happens. I love that this new pad comes with a repair kit, air pump and stuff sack INCLUDED. For reference, all of those odds and ends were previously sold separately and would cost about $35 on top of the cost of the pad itself. The price point for this wasn't too bad either...at least it's in line with previous models. And for those of you who care (like me), these pads are Made in the USA. Nice!

I'm picking up on a color scheme here

 So, if you had all of this new gear, where would you take it? I'll let you know where I'm planning on heading this fall but am always open to new ideas. Also, any thought or feedback you have on any of these specific items is welcome and appreciated.

Training Hikes: Things to Know About Women

 In the first post in this series, I recommended finding some friends to hike with. When I started looking for people to hike with, the Real Chicks was born. What has made this large group of women stick to their monthly hiking? Well, to answer that, you need to know a few things about women. These are generalizations and are not true about all women. The more experience you have hiking, the more likely these habits are to change. This is also great information to follow Mj and Carla's last post on trip planning.

1. Women need a schedule. We started meeting at the same time every month so that the chicks could put it on their calendars for years on end. We only alter the schedule for dangerous weather (read:hike rain or shine. It's good training and can also be fun to hike in the rain...just not lightning)

2. Women are self-sacrificing. We can rarely rationalize spending a whole day doing something for ourselves, especially when there are spouses and kids involved. If you can occasionally involve the family in your activities, it may help keep your participation up.

3. Women don't like the unknown. Think about it. From the minute we're born, we're taught to be fearful of everything. Identity theft. Assault. Animal attacks. Getting lost. Falling off a ladder and having no one find your wounded self until a week later (mom). It's hard enough to stay sane with all of this when you're in town and relatively close to assistance. Amplify these fears by asking women to show up at a trailhead they've never visited in an area they've never heard of and your participation rate will plummet. Offer carpooling as an option and not only will women show up but they are in it together and begin to function as a team from the get go.

4. Men can often hinder women in the outdoors. This is not male bashing. I love them as much as anyone and there are many awesome male outdoor leaders who really get women. BUT it's so easy to fall into our stereotypical gender roles in the outdoors. Women tend to fall back and let the men take over the navigation and decision making. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless you're trying to develop your skills and then, it's detrimental. I have met many wonderful, chivalrous men who have carried extra group weight for me, offered to make me morning coffee and set up the guy lines in a winter storm. Again, awesome! Except I didn't get better (stronger) in any of those areas because of it. Then there's the other type of guy, who can be downright condescending and kill your mojo. This guys has the potential to turn you off of the outdoors entirely. Finally, whether it be our own fault or a mans, we have this tendency to consider ourselves somehow physically inferior to men outside. We can get discouraged thinking we have to keep up with their pace or skill. These are not reasons to avoid men on your next hike but are good to keep in mind if you're headed out with your guy friends or family. Stand up for yourself. Learn your skills. Go your pace. Thank them for their chivalry and beg them to use it on every date they go on, but not with you on your hike.

5. Women are social. We really thrive off of talking, sharing and just being around other people. Being around other women, no matter their background, can be very life-giving if it's the right group. I am constantly inspired hearing the stories and adventures of other women. Invite everyone, make them feel welcome and encourage encourage encourage. The more you invite, the greater your base to draw from when you're looking for hiking partners.

 As a final note of encouragement, did you know that the average purchaser of an adventure travel trip is a 40-something woman? Did you know that on average, women take at least one trip per year just with other women? They are out there. Just ask the question, be consistent and plan. You'll have a great hiking group in no time at all.

Planning an Adventure Trip

REAL CHICKS: Planning an Adventure Trip

Marijo & Carla

One of the common elements of the Real Chicks is our love of a good adventure. Many times these adventures are close to home – a hike in a nearby state park, paddling kayaks in a local lake, etc. Other times our adventures take us further. Recently, a group of Real Chicks traveled to North Carolina on a kayaking trip that we planned ourselves. We wanted to spend some time together and wanted the opportunity to experience and/or re-experience white water kayaking. The trip was fabulous and we all had a really wonderful time. Jessie asked if we would share some tips on how to plan a successful adventure trip as well as some lessons learned the hard way. Here is what we learned:

1. Give yourself and the participants plenty of time to plan.
We started dreaming of adventures in September. We went on our trip in May. That time frame gave us plenty of time to find a guide, find accommodations, and spread the word. It also gave the participants time to arrange their schedules and budgets to accommodate the trip. The farther the distance, the more time you’ll likely need for planning.



2. If you’ve gone on a successful trip, mimic the elements that worked well.
Our first Real Chicks adventure trip was a March 2010 trip to Colorado planned by Jessie. We weren’t entirely sure what was in store for us other than some outdoor winter activities such snow shoeing and cross-country skiing, as well as the potential for tons of fun. Turns out, the trip was a huge success and bonded the group into a close knit group of friends. As we planned our NC paddling trip, we thought back to the successful elements of that trip. Breakfast was a casual, help yourself affair that worked really well. We copied that in NC and that type of meal, and its elements, have come to be known as a “RC Breakfast” to our group. In CO, we all stayed in a big cabin at a YMCA Retreat. That communal housing situation positively impacted the group dynamic in a way that separate hotel rooms never could have. When we started looking for places to stay in NC, we immediately looked for a nearby YMCA Retreat. Even though the retreat was a bit out of the way, we loved being all together and coming “home” each night. This was especially great in NC as our group splintered during the day to accommodate skill levels and other interests.



3. Find a guide you trust.
Our paddling trip was driven by our desire to experience white water kayaking and to spend time with our friends. Knowing that most of our group had never paddled on moving water before and that we’d have to travel to get to white water, we knew we’d need a guide. We wanted a guide who could create a trip that appealed to Beth, who had been in a kayak on lake approximately 4 times, as well as to April, who is an accomplished white water paddler. Of course, we wanted someone who could keep us all safe, teach us great skills, and (ideally) be someone we liked to hang out with for hours on end. When we started talking about guides, we discovered that we both had been checking out Girls at Play and its founder, Anna Levesque. Anna’s paddling resume was impressive and the philosophy of Girls at Play seemed liked it fit perfectly with our group. After we both had separate email and telephone conversations with Anna, we knew we had found our guide. Not only did she assure us she could help us create a fun trip for everyone, we were excited to spend time with her and get to know her better. She is totally a Real Chick! Once we got to NC, Anna introduced us to Mary Frances who was to be our co-guide. We promptly feel in love with Mary Frances as well!



4. You can let some details slide. Or not.
We decided to rent a car when we got to the airport in Greenville. We didn’t make reservations. When we got to Greenville, we found out that all the local universities and colleges were conducting commencement ceremonies that weekend. Rental cars were in short supply and the quoted prices were a bit outrageous. While the chicks wrangled gear and retrieved checked luggage, we got on our phones and started to find a better option. The website for one of the rental companies indicated that they had vehicles available AND at a good rate. We booked on-line standing 10 feet from the counter, got our cars, and got a good deal. However, this could have taken a really bad turn! We knew we would need vehicles as we had to drive to our cabin and drive ourselves to Anna’s the next day. Without wheels we would have been stuck. The moral of this story: if you know something is a NECESSITY, don’t leave it to chance. While it might work out, you are rolling the dice on something that could make or break your trip.



5. If you delegate, delegate all the way and stay out of it! Also, make it easy for those who are willing to help.
Two of the chicks graciously offered to meal plan and grocery shop. We quickly said “THANK YOU!” and gave them that role. However, when it came time to shop, Carla didn’t have the grocery allotment in cash to hand to them (Carla typed that sentence and takes full blame for her poor planning!) and four of us ended up on the grocery shopping trip. Maybe we were hungry, maybe we were excited, who knows. But we got A LOT of food, some things in duplicate! In addition, Elizabeth HAD to purchase the groceries as she was (graciously) allowing us to use her Whole Foods discount. This saved us a TON of money but added a step of having to reimburse Elizabeth (due to that whole lack of cash thing...). The better route would have been to set the budget, give it to Elizabeth in cash, and let her get the groceries with one other person to cut down on confusion. Things worked out in the end – we had enough food to throw an impromptu picnic lunch in the parking lot on Sunday. We hadn’t planned for that meal but, after play boating that morning, we were hungry and would have had to scrounge a meal at the airport. Instead, we had a nice little picnic with Anna and Mary Frances, finishing off our hard boiled eggs, clementines, and Luna Bars. We also were able to send some wine home with Anna & Mary Frances as a little parting gift (as well as an truly odd assortment of leftovers)!



6. Budget.
Really. Budgeting is an interesting beast. I’ve (MJ talking here) had a few attempts at budgeting for group trips and this is probably the best I did on any of them. Three things to keep in mind:

A. Overbudget. Round those budget numbers up and leave room for unexpected expenses. We were able to pick up the cost for alcohol and the car rental because we had plenty of cushion in our budget and didn’t have any unexpected expenses arise. It’s much easier to sell a trip at a slightly higher cost than have to approach your friends mid-trip asking for more money.

B. Structure your trip so everyone pays one person in advance. Its vacation, keep things simple for you and the companies you work with by not splitting everything out individually. It’ll all balance out in the end.

C. Keep a record of your expenses and reference them when you plan your next trip.



7. Communicate
The two of us have been planning events together for over a year now, little tiny events all the way to huge, national scale events. Each organization will find their own way to manage information, but one thing that will be true for any team is that communication, over communication in fact, is essential. We know exactly when we’ve stopped communicating effectively because one or the other of us will get overwhelmed with the stress of everything we are planning and the enormity of the “to-do” list. We then call a lunch meeting (or a pub meeting) and re-evaluate where we stand. As soon as we are back on the same page, the stress level goes down. Don’t make yourself hate the trip in advance due to stress over the details! Take a breath, regroup, and tackle one task at a time.