livevigorously

Gift ideas for your adventure traveler

December 12, 2016livevigorously

Waxing nostalgic…When I was a kid, my Mother used to hand my brother and me the Sears Christmas Wish Book. She’d give us both magic markers and tell us to mark everything we wanted Santa to bring us for x-mas. We spent hours mesmerized by the glossy, colorful 600 page tome, poring over 200 plus pages each bursting toys galore. Even after we knew that Mom was Santa, there was still a certain sense of excitement every year as we huddled together over those dazzling pages.trying not to circle every toy. It was so hard to decide. Once the presents were delivered, we were always confused. We didn’t recall circling Yahtzee, or Rack-O…Later, we realized it was just one of our Mother’s schemes to keep us occupied for endless hours.

sears-wishbook

Today, do parents send their kids to the web to create their wish list shopping carts? For fun, I went window shopping online at Amazon and “circled” some items. I’ll start with some stocking stuffers and keep adding as I browse and hear back from you. What’s the best travel adventure gift you’ve ever received? And what’s on your wish list this year?

Stocking stuffers

$5 and under

mad-libs The Mad Libs WORST CASE SCENARIO Survival Handbook: Travel Fun for all ages on a road trip, in the tent, or by the campfire. : )

Mosquito Head Net

Sure wish I had this when I was hiking in Yosemite. The face flies were so brutal I nearly turned back. Other hikers did. Luckily, once you get above 8k feet they drop off. This could be the best $2 bucks you’ll ever spend.

$10-$20

survival-bracelet_ TECH-P 5 in 1 Multifunctional Paracord Bracelet with Compass Flint Fire Starter Scraper Whistle Your mom would want you to have this survival bracelet.

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter Your mom would want you to have this one too. Warning, this does not does not filter out viruses, but is good in a pinch.

bandana Kalily Headband Bandana 16-in-1 sports & casual headwear with UV protection.Be sporty and stylish, even with sleeping bag head.

ultra-lightweight-foldable-backpck Foldable, Ultra Lightweight Packable Backpack

Handy for travel and day hikes

Waterproof Headlamp with rechargeable batteries, AC charger and car charger

bear-spray Bear Spray

I prefer the one without the holster. Ideally, you should have it on the ready and carry it in your hand.

sleeping-bag-net

Mosquito Net for 1 sleeping bag I really enjoy camping out under the starts without a tent. Unfortunately, so do the bugs. Here’s a solution.

Other ideas

Gift certificates to their favorite outdoor store

Airline tickets or points

State Park Passes

Washington’s Beacon Rock Trail: a shortie with sweet views

December 11, 2016January 28, 2019livevigorously

Geological origins

According to some experts, Beacon Rock or Che-Che-op-tin, which means the navel of the world, is the second largest, free-standing monolith in North America. (Supposedly approaching the ranks of El Capitan, Devils Tower, Uluru/Ayers Rock, and other notables.) Composed of Basalt, it is the core of an ancient volcano. Through the ages, massive floods carved their way through the Columbia River Gorge and through the volcano, leaving only the core of Beacon Rock in their wake.

The trail

The Beacon Rock Trail was built directly onto the side of the rock, and ascends to the top of the rock (850’ elevation) by way of 52 switchbacks. Along the way there are sparkling panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge, the Bonneville Dam, and the Pierce Wildlife Refuge. The “peak” area is small and doesn’t offer much in the way of scenery. It’s a short and relatively easy ~1.6 mile out and back with a 680 foot elevation gain. There’s a fair amount of traffic as it’s right off Highway 14, perfect for a quick run up and down. (Of course, I happened to hit it at high noon on Washington’s hottest day in a record-breaking heat wave. Dangerous for pets or anyone not up to extreme temps.)

The story behind the trail

The story goes that the United States Army Corps was going to cannibalize the rock for material to build a jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River. In 1915, philanthropist, Henry Biddle, bought the rock for $1, and together with Charles Johnson, built the trail over the next 3 years. After Biddle’s death, the family offered to make it a state park. Washington initially declined, but accepted the offer after Oregon expressed interest.

Details

Located near Stevenson, WA off of Highway 14

Discover Pass must be purchased and displayed in your car.

Raleigh, NC: Bucolic biking on the Neuse River Greenway Trail

December 8, 2016July 31, 2017livevigorously

Borrowed my sister’s sweet Orbea tri bike for an out and back cruise on the Neuse River Greenway Trail. Bucolic beauty, tame riding (flat), and deer sightings along the river and over 7 bridges (2 suspension bridges) through wetlands and countryside. (I coaxed the little guy out of the brush so he could join his peeps on the other side of the path.) It’s an easy, paved, multi-use, 27.5 mile trail. I turned around at the 25 mile marker as I had to get back. This trail is part of Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway System, and notably, also a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, a 1,150 mile hiking trail that crosses North Carolina through the Great Smoky Mountains and concludes in the Outer Banks. (Perhaps something to add to my “to do” list though from the little I’ve seen, my preference would be to bike it over hiking it…)

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The downside

Posted trail speed limit is 10 mph, which is ridiculous for road bikers. I went on a weekday afternoon when there weren’t many walkers or casual bikers so I broke the rule. If I lived there, it would drive me nuts not to be able to ride the trail at realistic road bike speeds. Of course, safety is of the utmost importance, but how can you have a decent mileage path that allows bikes and expect people not to exceed 10 mph? (Heck, I ride 14 mph on my mt. bike on the road.) It’s a big deterrent to this cyclist. Perhaps the sentiment is if you’re a real cyclist, you’ll ride on the road. I don’t know about you, but I get more than my fill of riding on the road in California so anytime I have a chance to ride and not worry about cars, I’m all over it. I’d be working with city council and bike advocates to change the rule or adopt some measure to establish designated times or days when road cyclists can ride at speed. All that being said, once you get the 25 mile marker, the roads look very rideable with minimal car traffic. You could probably make your own century ride out of it.

Scat Chat: Play the “Who done it?” game

December 6, 2016December 16, 2016livevigorously

Official rules: No googling.

Check back for hints. The answer will be revealed in 1 week when game closes.

Nope, the culprit is not a buffalo or a cow.

Location hint: Yosemite

Mt. Hood, Oregon: Timberline / PCT Trail & Paradise Found

December 6, 2016November 6, 2018livevigorously

Got a late afternoon start so we set out for a quick, couple mile out and back on the Pacific Crest Trail (2000) also known as Timberline trail (600) behind the historic and grand Timberline Lodge. However, the Paradise Loop trail (757) marker about 4 miles in was too tempting to resist with its wildflower-sprinkled meadow and snow-crowned Mt. Hood in the distance.

Round trip distance : ~12 miles Elevation gain: ~2,300 feet Scenery: Oh, my!

Rating: Difficult (Length & areas of incline) Terrain: Easy (Running shoe-friendly.)

Not that the first 4 miles wasn’t scenic too. Views of Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters to the south accompany you along the way. And you pass several streams (waterfalls in other seasons), and impressive Zig Zag Canyon too.

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This was an all-around stunning hike and a great workout too. Exhilarating and breathtaking in every sense of the word. I’ve always wanted to take the Timberline Trail around the circumference of Mt. Hood. (It’s a 38.4 mile hike with 8k elevation gain.) There are some ultra-runners who do it in a day. Most make a 3-5 day trip of it. There may be a return trip in my future. Will I be able to resist Paradise Loop next time? Probably not.

And now for a refreshing cocktail followed by a delectable feast and a luxurious night at my top pick Timberline Lodge.