Travel Journal

Grand Canyon National Park - Go Green with Alternative Transportation

2013-03-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

"Ditching the car and exploring Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park using alternative forms of transportation – including two-legged, four-legged and wheeled modes – is surprisingly easy, affordable and healthy for travelers as well as the environment. Use mass transportation, bike or walk whenever possible to reduce air pollution as well as congestion on the roads."

So says the press release I received from Mesereau Public Relations and guess what? I agree with this so wanted to share with you. I have shortened the original release and added photos they provided! — Karen Kefauver

“By using alternative forms of transportation, travelers can spend less time watching the road and more time taking in the spectacular scenery of the Grand Canyon,” said Bruce Brossman, regional director of sales and marketing for Xanterra South Rim and Grand Canyon Railway. “Between the National Park Service’s free shuttle system, Xanterra’s various transportation offerings and your own two legs, it is a simple matter to explore the Canyon without ever returning to the parked car.”

While you may want to use a car to get here, once you’re there you really don’t need it, and in fact, using alternative transportation frees up travelers.

Bicycles

Travelers can bring their own bikes or rent from Bright Angel Bicycles, which offers rentals by the hour, and for half, full and multiple days as well as guided tours. Travelers can ride on portions of the park’s greenway trail system and on park roads. Bicyclists can take self-guided tours directly from the rental kiosk or take a free NPS shuttle to any drop-off. Shuttles can accommodate a maximum of three bicycles. The bicycle rental kiosk is located at the National Park Service Grand Canyon Visitor Center.

By foot

There are also a variety of tours and activities in Grand Canyon Village. For example, visitors to the Grand Canyon can take a self-guided walking tour of the historic district of Grand Canyon Village. Brochures providing interesting information about each of the stops are available at no charge from the front desk of each lodging facility. Interesting and historic sites within walking distance of Grand Canyon Village are the famed El Tovar Hotel, the Bright Angel History Room, Hopi House, Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio.

Parking is Free and Free Shuttle System

There are numerous parking lots around the South Rim, including several centrally located in Grand Canyon Village as well as a variety of satellite lots. The National Park Service’s free shuttle system stops to pick up and drop off passengers every 15 minutes at a variety of shuttle stops throughout the park as well as the town of Tusayan during the summer season.

Grand Canyon Railway

A fun and popular way to arrive at the Grand Canyon is by train. Grand Canyon Railway makes daily round-trip excursions from Williams, Ariz. some 65 miles south to the historic Grand Canyon Depot in the heart of the village. And visitors with an appreciation of history will enjoy learning that their arrival at Grand Canyon National Park is similar to the experience that visitors had more than 100 years ago, when construction of the Grand Canyon Depot – one of only 14 log depots ever constructed in the U.S. and one of only three remaining log depots – was completed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.Train passengers bypass the park entrance and proceed directly to the depot, situated near El Tovar. Park fees are paid in advance.

Travelers can also choose the Railway Express Tour. This trip includes a one-way van trip from Grand Canyon National Park in the morning to Williams, a Wild West shootout at the historic Grand Canyon Railway Depot and a return trip to the park aboard Grand Canyon Railway. The trip aboard the train includes strolling musicians who entertain in each car. Grand Canyon Railway arrives back in the park around lunchtime.

Did you know?: Traveling via Grand Canyon Railway relieves the Grand Canyon of some 35,000 cars annually.

For more information visit www.thetrain.com.

Amtrak Train Service

Amtrak offers train service from Union Station in Los Angeles to Williams, where passengers are met by a Grand Canyon Railway shuttle for the 10-minute bus ride to the Williams Depot. From there, passengers can catch Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon. Prices vary depending on class of service. Travelers will have time between trains to enjoy breakfast at the Grand Depot Café, which serves made-to-order omelets as well as a variety of other breakfast dishes. The restaurant opens for breakfast at 6:30 a.m.

Mule Travel

Another way to see the Canyon is by mule, sometimes called “long-eared taxis.” Xanterra’s popular Abyss Overlook Mule Ride is a good option for travelers who desire a mule experience but cannot take the two-day mule ride that travels to Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Canyon. Two-day mule tours are typically booked many months in advance so Xanterra advises travelers to plan ahead.

Did you know?: Mules have been a mode of tourist transportation in the Grand Canyon for more than a century.

Motorcoach tours

One of the most popular ways to view and learn about the Canyon is on a motorcoach tour. The drivers are well-trained and entertaining. For most tours there is no charge for passengers under the age of 16 when accompanied by a paying adult. Xanterra offers a two-hour tour to Hermit’s Rest along the West Rim; a three-hour, 45-minute tour to the Watchtower along the East Rim and 90-minute Sunrise and Sunset tours. All tours include extensive interpretive information offered by drivers and stops at scenic points along the way.

Tip: The combination tour offers the best value.

Visitors can book their rooms online by visiting www.grandcanyonlodges.com or by calling toll-free 1-888-297-2757 or

1-303-297-2757 from outside the United States. More information about Grand Canyon National Park can be obtained at www.nps.gov/grca or 1-928-638-7888.

The Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List is Amazing Travel Contest - Check it Out!

2013-02-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List is the first travel contest I have ever been seriously tempted to enter! Read more, below and see the video promo! — Karen Kefauver

Look at the payoff:
The winning applicant of the Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List will get to travel the world for 6 months, to 6 continents and 25+ international destinations. It’s all expenses paid (up to US $50,000) as they will be blogging and reporting for us as they travel and then when they return there will be a check for US$50,000 waiting for them!
Details: http://www.mydestination.com/bbb/competition#tab
Hope I’ve got you intrigued enough to check it out on www.mydestination.com/bbb.

How to Win! Are you tempted yet? It's simple!

FIRST - you need to create your very own video sharing your local knowledge and tips for people who might visit your destination, and not longer than 3 mins. It must be your original material, presented by you, and created specifically for this competition.

SECOND - write a blog post (between 200 and 500 words) about an interesting travel experience you've had. It must be your own experience and written by you.

THIRD - Three photos that you took yourself relating to the blog post above.

Hot Spots for Bird Nerds - Travel and Birding Go Hand in Hand

2012-12-12T08:49:00.001-08:00

Today, I am happy to share a blog guest post from Joe Laing, the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. — Karen Kefauver

Hot Spots for Bird Nerds
By Joe Laing, El Monte RV

We've all seen them -- maybe there's even one in your family. These types of travelers always have binoculars around their neck and a notebook and field guide in their pocket, eyes peeled on the forest canopy for a flash of color or a tell-tale song.

For an initiation into 'bird nerding' at its very best, take a wintertime trip through southern New Mexico. At roadside restaurants along desolate Interstate 25, you'll overhear travelers and locals carrying on about the spectacle of thousands of geese and sandhill cranes.
The hidden spots where migrating birds gather in the fall and spring, flocking in numbers that make their human visitors feel insignificant, are destinations that many RVers and weekend warriors hit the road in pursuit of finding.

Here are some of the best spots for seeing huge numbers of birds in the U.S.:

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

This is bird country! Translating to 'woods of the Apache,' Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a sprawling, unexpected wetland oasis in the middle of New Mexico, making it a logical stop on migration routes. Literally tens of thousands of sandhill cranes descend here in late fall and remain through the winter, along with equal numbers of Arctic geese.
There's no way to explain the sound or spectacle of 20,000 or more geese in one place, stretching for what looks like miles, or the awe that 100 sandhill cranes circling down and landing in unison can inspire.

Give yourself a full day or two here, making sure to arrive before sunrise and staying for sunset, when birds return from miles around to roost for the night. Campers can set up shop at the nearby Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park, where you're bound to encounter fellow recently christened bird nerds to revel about your day's adventures.

Cape May, New Jersey

At the Garden State's southern tip, Cape May stretches out into the ocean like a wild, windswept expanse, belying the urban jungle that lies just up the coast. Protected as a National Wildlife Refuge, the beach and maritime forest is ground zero for migrant and nesting songbirds, including warblers, flycatchers, orioles, and vireos. Snow Geese, Tundra Swans, and several species of ducks also winter here, before the spring brings huge numbers of shorebirds. It's a premier year-round birding destination on the East Coast, with plenty of local campgrounds and RV parks to stay for a weekend or longer.

Mono Lake, California

Considered to be the oldest lake in North America, Mono Lake's water is highly alkaline and far saltier than the ocean, but it still harbors billions of tiny brine shrimp. These serve as an all-you-can-eat buffet for tens of thousands of Eared Grebes and Wilson's Phalaropes that stop through on their migration route. If you're able to get on the water, the lake's volcanic islands also serve as primary rookeries for California gulls, attracting as many as 60,000 during the summer months to breed. It's a stunning but cacophonous spectacle.

Flamingo, Florida

Literally at the end of the road through the Everglades, Flamingo is aptly named, although no breeding flamingo populations still exist in the state. There are, however, plenty of tall pink birds (the real ones, not the plastic yard variety) called Roseate Spoonbills. Look out for massive wading flocks of these gorgeous, curious birds, along with huge numbers of wood storks, egrets, herons, and ibis. It's a great place to pitch a tent or park your RV and stay put for awhile -- after all, why turn around immediately when you hit the end of the road? The birds are staying put.
Have birds ever swept you off your feet? Where are your favorite places to see huge flocks of birds?

About the Author
Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals your nationwide source for RV rentals. El Monte RV also sells used motorhomes through eight different locations across the United States. For more information on purchasing a used motorhome see http://www.elmontervsales.com/.

California State Parks in Central California Host Fun Labor Day Family Activities

2012-08-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

HENRY COWELL REDWOODS STATE PARK

Located off Highway 9 in Felton, CA (831) 335-7077

Birding for Beginners – A Walk in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park with a Naturalist

Saturday, September 1 at 8:00 AM

Explore Henry Cowell’s river and meadow habitats while sharing basic birding knowledge. Walk leader is a park naturalist. Binoculars and bird identification guides are available to borrow for this walk. Approximately 1 mile / 2 hours, leisurely pace, no elevation gain. Dress in layers. Bring water and snacks. Optional “chalk-talk” after the walk – to cover binocular selection birding books and apps, birding hot-spots, etc. Meet at 8:00 AM in front of the Nature Store (edge of parking lot) at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Enter the park from Hwy 9 just south of downtown Felton, CA. Heavy rain cancels.

SEACLIFF STATE BEACH

Located off State Park Drive in Aptos, CA (831) 685-6444

* Family Beach Discovery Walk
Saturday, September 1 at 1:00 PM
Join docent Norm Beeson for a fun filled family beach walk to explore the mysteries and wonders of Seacliff State Beach and the shoreline along our incredible Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. We’ll see what the day has to offer on this easy, 1.5 mile, 1 and a half hour walk. Bring beach friendly shoes, water, sunscreen, a snack and an inquisitive spirit. Meet at the Seacliff Visitor Center at 1:00p.m.

SANTA CRUZ MISSION STATE HISTORIC PARK

Located off Mission Plaza on School Street overlooking downtown Santa Cruz

(831)425-5849

* California Mission Ride Event in Santa Cruz

Saturday, September 1 from 3:30p.m to 8:00p.m.

Meet participants of The California Mission Ride: a 600 mile horseback journey through the past and for the present. The seven riders have been immersed in Mission history and asked themselves; what would happen if we rode from mission to mission on horseback? Could it even be done today? They decided to find out, and make an educational documentary film about the journey along their way. We’ll welcome the riders to the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park with a bicycle escort. Sample dinner fare from local organic farms and ranches, make your own tortilla on the comal, and enjoy live music and games for kids. Then we’ll gather around for cowboy music and storytellers bringing Ohlonean voices and California history to our campfire. Admission is Free. Food can be purchased from local vendors.

WILDER RANCH STATE PARK

Located two miles north of Santa Cruz, on Highway (831) 426-0505

* Wilder Ranch Tour of the Ranch Buildings—Saturday and Sunday at 1:00p.m.

* Living History Demonstrations on many weekends from 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m.
Step back in time to visit a circa 1900 dairy ranch in Santa Cruz County at Wilder Ranch State Park. At 1:00p.m., join the 1-hour tour of the 1897 Victorian home, 1896 water-powered machine shop, and other historic buildings. In addition to the tour, docents are often present to lead living history demonstrations; you may learn about hand quilting, watch blacksmithing, or learn about the Meder Family voyage to California. Bring a picnic to enjoy on the front lawn or picnic tables, visit the farm animals and see what activities are taking place on the ranch this weekend!

* Wilder Ranch Coast Nature Walks

Saturday, September 1 at 11:00 a.m.

On these two-hour natural history excursions you will explore the plants, animals, and geology of the spectacular coastal bluffs. Meet at the Wilder Ranch interpretive center. Bring a snack, water, binoculars, and good walking shoes. Binoculars are available to borrow. Walk is canceled if rain.

* Events made possible by California State Park Docents, California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks

LITTLE BASIN CABINS AND CAMPGROUND

Located off Highway 236. Turn left on Little Basin Rd. go 1.6 miles to the campground.

Little Basin offers free campfire programs, guided hikes, and kid’s programs on Saturdays and offers customized fee-based programs and multi-day programs throughout the month. Ask us about naturalist-led hikes or group programs that we can provide for your family or group. Some programs require registration, so check the description below, and contact us at the WOLF School Office at (831) 338-8018, via Facebook or by emailing program@wolfschool.org. All programs are provided by WOLF School, WOLFSchool.org. Programs are free unless otherwise noted.

Junior Rangers- 1 hour program for children

Saturdays in September at 4:00pm and

Sunday, September 2 at 10:00am

Discover the fascinating secrets of the forest. Explore nature, practice outdoor skills, and play games as you learn about plants, animals, geology, and more. This one-hour program is for kids ages 7-12 only. Sorry parents, this program is just for the kids! Please register your child 15 minutes, and be sure your child is dressed for active play in the outdoors.

Little Basin Nature Club- 30 minute program for children

Saturdays in September at 5:00pm

Sunday, September 2 at 11:00am

This fun program is for children ages 3-6 and their families. Read, sing, pretend, play, and explore! This half-hour program introduces youngsters to the wonders of the redwood forest.

Kids Hike

Monday, September 3 from 9:30-10:30am

Kids, come take a loop around Little Basin and learn about the flora and fauna of the Redwood Forest. This is an easy hike (1 mile) and you should bring water to drink.

Campfires at Little Basin-

All Saturdays in September

Sunday, September 2 at 7:00pm

Come learn about Little Basin’s unique history, natural environment, and culture during this hour and a half campfire program. Be ready to learn some fun songs and hear some interesting facts about Little Basin.

Redwood Loop Walks-

Sunday, September 2, from 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Walk the campground loop at Little Basin in the deep redwoods and learn about the flora and fauna of the Redwood Forest. This is an easy hike (1 mile) and you should bring water to drink.

Tanbark Loop Interpretive Hikes-

Saturday, September 1, from 12:30pm to 3:30pm

Hike a beautiful trail around the basin and learn about the wide variety of flora and fauna here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is a moderate hike (1.5 miles) and you should bring water, snacks for the leader and wear good hiking shoes.

Sponsored by United Camps Conferences and Retreats

BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK

Located 9 miles outside of Boulder Creek on Hwy 236 (831) 338-8883

Redwood Loop Walk

Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm

Monday, September 3 (Labor Day) at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm

How do these grand redwoods grow to be so old? So tall? How are they important to humans? Join us for this fun and informative guided half-mile stroll through a magnificent old-growth redwood forest. Meet the famous Mother Tree, the Father of the Forest and the incredible Chimney Tree on this 90-minute walk. Stroller and wheelchair accessible. Meet at Park Headquarters.

Big Basin Nature Club

Saturday, September 1 at 4:30 pm

Sunday, September 2 at 4:30 pm

Monday, September 3 (Labor Day) at 10:00 am

This fun program is for children ages 3-6 and their families. Pretend, play, sing and explore! This half-hour program will introduce youngsters to the wonders of the redwood forest. Meet at the Nature Lodge.

Junior Rangers

Saturday, September 1 at 3:00 pm

Sunday, September 2 at 3:00 pm

Monday, September 3 (Labor Day) at 11:00 am

Discover the fascinating secrets of the forest! Explore, practice outdoor skills and play games as you learn about plants, animals, geology, and more. This one-hour program is designed for kids ages 7-12. Sorry parents, this program is for kids only! Please register your child at the Nature Lodge15 minutes before the program begins. Please be sure your child is dressed for active play in the outdoors.

Evening Campfire

Saturdays, September 1 at 6:30 pm

Sunday, September 2 at 6:30 pm

Join us in our historic campfire center for an evening of song and story. Serenade the stars and learn about redwood ecology, creatures of the forest or hear stories of the park while relaxing in the shadows of the towering trees. Fire lighting and marshmallows (we provide the marshmallows and sticks!) at 6:30 pm and program begins at 7:00 pm. Wheelchair/stroller accessible.

Bike and Hike to the Giants

Saturday, September 1 at 10:00 am

Explore Big Basin on this family-friendly adventure! First take a short 1-mile bike ride, with a stop to learn about our redwood giants. Then hike ¼ -mile to the site of Big Basin’s first pioneer settlers and learn of their life in the wild. Docents Peggy O’Shea and Maura McNamara will lead this easy, 2.5-mile, 1.5-hour roundtrip ride-and-walk. Meet at Park Headquarters.

Coffee Talk

Sunday, September 2 from 9:30-12:00

Come to the Sempervirens Room next to Park Headquarters for free coffee or hot chocolate! This is a great way to start your day in Big Basin. Docent Norm Beeson will be happy to answer your questions about the park and help get you going on the right trail. And bring the kids for a fun craft activity!

Family Discovery Walk

Sunday, September 2 at 1:00 pm

Join docent Norm Beeson for a fun-filled family walk and investigate the mysteries and wonders of Big Basin’s redwood forest! We’ll discover what surprises the day offers on this easy, one-mile roundtrip walk that lasts about 1.5 hours. Bring water, a snack or lunch and an adventurous spirit! Meet at Park Headquarters.

Last Chance Trail

Monday, September 3 at 12:00 noon

Join docent Doreen Devorah as she introduces you to one of our least-known trails. Experience the charm of a meandering stream, lush ferns and cool cliff formations on this four-mile, three-hour hike. Bring water and food. Meet at Park Headquarters.

Events made possible by California State Park Docents, California State Parks and Mountain Parks Foundation

Favorite Mountain Biking Area, Fort Ord, Designated National Monument

2012-04-25T13:56:00.002-07:00

The former Fort Ord in Monterey, California, has been designated as a national monument. The 14,000-acre surprise came on April 20, 2012 with a resounding "yes" from the White House.

The announcement came just three days after area officials made their latest rounds in Washington, D.C. to tout the former military base and open space in Monterey County as worthy of the designation.

The president’s statement (see below) about the former base highlights exactly what area officials see as its value, calling it “a world-class destination for hikers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts who come to enjoy the area’s history and scenic landscapes.”

So proud of Henrietta Stern, my friend and former 24-hour mountain bike race team member, pictured here shaking hands with President Obama in March 2012.

Six locals, led by Henrietta Stern and Gordon Smith, were offered a few moments to make their pitch to the chief executive at a Department of Interior conference in Washington D.C. on Friday. Stern said the locals were offered a five-minute meet-and-greet, including the requisite handshakes and photos, with Obama and a few moments to put in a word on their project's behalf during the White House Conference on Conservation, dubbed "Growing America's Outdoor Heritage and Economy.

The new status and improvements to the land that are in store will undoubtedly be a boost to the region’s tourism and recreation economies. Tourists already flock to this area to sample the many recreational opportunities — and when doing so leave a few of their dollars behind. Fort Ord presents myriad opportunities!

Excerpted from: http://www.fortordsoldiersnationalmonument.org.

Henrietta Stern is also a talented mountain biker and loyal friend!

Posted on April 24, 2012

From the San Jose Mercury News

Obama to designate Fort Ord as a new national monument

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Meghan

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Fort Ord will become America’s newest national monument on Friday!

President Barack Obama is scheduled to establish the new designation on Friday, April 20, making the sweeping former military base only the second national monument he has created since becoming president in 2009.

“Fort Ord’s dramatic landscape lives in the memories of thousands of veterans as their first taste of Army life, as a final stop before deploying to war, or as a home base during their military career,” Obama said in a statement late Thursday.

“This national monument will not only protect one of the crown jewels of California’s coast, but will honor the heroism and dedication of men and women who served our nation and fought in the major conflicts of the 20th century,” Obama said.

MORE INFO:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_20438035/obama-designate-fort-ord-new-national-monument

Join me at Sea Otter Classic's Women Outreach - Sunday, April 22 in Monterey

2012-04-21T14:55:00.002-07:00

Women's Outreach Expanded this Year at Sea Otter Classic to Get More Women Riding Bicycles!

Here's the FULL four-day list of Women's Outreach Events

JOIN ME on SUNDAY at Sea Otter!

I'm volunteering to emcee the event that has amazing cycling women AND wine and chocolate!

Men are invited, too!

Karen Kefauver, left, and Lorri Lee Lown, right (foreground) pictured at Sea Otter Classic 2011 at Women's Outreach Industry Panel. Karen, a cycling and sports writer, moderated the panel of industry experts (seated) and Lorri Lee Lown organized and launched the Women's Outreach Program at Sea Otter Classic and has expanded the 2012 Women's Outreach Program.

I'm volunteering to emcee the event that has amazing cycling women AND wine and chocolate!

I'll be moderating the “Fierce, Fabulous, and Over Forty” panel discussion featuring:

• Rebecca Rusch 3x Leadville Trail 100 Women's Champion, 3x 24 Hr Solo Mountain Biking World Champion

• Susan Otcenas Founder and President of TeamEstrogen.com

• Beverly Chaney Elite level cyclist, avid backpacker, flyfishing, rock climbing, travel, mom

• RaeLynn Milley Contributing Editor at Road Bike Action Magazine, USA Cycling Level 2Coach at WomenCyclist.com

COME ON DOWN!

Panel Talk, Sunday, April 22

1-2 p.m. at Sea Otter Meeting Hall

FOLLOWED BY

2-3 p.m.

Wine + Chocolate Reception

Free Admission to 396 U.S. parks during National Parks Week April 21-29, 2012

2012-04-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Google Images - Yosemite National Park

All 396 U.S. national parks offer FREE ADMISSION during National Parks Week, April 21 - 29, 2012!

Plus, many of the parks are planning special programs.

Lodging discounts and other offers good at several national parks are listed at nationalparksonline.org.

Support your parks! More info here:
nationalparksonline.org.

Courtesy of Google Images; Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour lands Feb. 24-25 in Santa Cruz, California

2012-02-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with thrilling, moving and inspiring stories told on film. I have gone every year for nearly 20 years here in my town of Santa Cruz, California. (See the list of films in Santa Cruz, below). There are screenings in the U.S., Canada and dozens of other locations. Here's the Banff worldwide tour schedule. Journey to exotic locations, paddle the wildest waters, and climb the highest peaks. It's a wonderful way to be taken away to the most captivating places on earth!

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour stops in Santa Cruz Feb. 24-25.
Photo credit: Tom Malecha

The 2011/2012 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, presented by National Geographic, The North Face & Parks Canada, brings films from the 36th annual Banff Mountain Film Festival to about 390 communities around the world. From an exploration of remote landscapes and mountain cultures to adrenaline-fueled action sports, films in this year’s world tour are sure to captivate and amaze the explorer within you.

What: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
When: February 24 & 25, 2012 @ 7 p.m.
Where: Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz
Sponsor: UCSC Recreation
Tickets: $13 Students & $16 general
Local Coordinator: Kathy O'Hara Ferraro, Recreation Supervisor UCSC
Details: Tickets available in person at:
•UCSC Recreation (831) 459-2806
• Pacific Edge (831) 454-9254
• Bicycle Trip (831) 427-2580
And online at santacruztickets.com
Proceeds benefit the UCSC Wilderness Orientation Scholarship Fund

Local Sponsors: Bay Tree Bookstore, Bicycle Trip, Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, Kayak Connection, Seahorse Swim School, Ryan Brandt M.D. & Family, New Leaf, the Buttery, Ocean Honda, Allterra Environmental, Santa Cruz Weekly, Adventure Sports Journal

Friday, Feburary 24 @ 7pm

Reel Rock: Origins – Obe & Ashima
A superbly gifted young climber from New York City heads outdoors to the bouldering mecca of Hueco Tanks with her inspiring coach in Origins – Obe & Ashima.

Ski Bums Never Die
An unusual and inspiring band of senior skiers in the Kootenay region of British Columbia shows us that Ski Bums Never Die.

Kadoma
Kadoma takes us on a suspenseful, haunting and ultimately tragic paddling expedition deep into the heart of Africa’s wildest rivers.

All.I.Can: The Short Cut
Stunning time-lapse sequences, creative visuals and imaginative skiing are highlights of All.I.Can. This excerpt from the award-winning feature film looks at both the backcountry and the back alley.

Blue Obsession
Beautiful and ever-changing icefalls of Alaskan glaciers provide a stunning setting for some unusual ice climbing adventures in Blue Obsession.

On the Trail of Genghis Khan: The Last Frontier
Australian Tim Cope travels by horse overland 10,000 km from Mongolia to Hungary.The Last Frontier captures the culmination of his stunning three-year journey, the crossing of the Carpathian Mountains.

Total time – 132 minutes

Saturday, February 25 @ 7 pm

The Freedom Chair
The Freedom Chair follows charismatic Paralympic skier Josh Dueck’s transition from the world of competitive sit-skiing to the thrills of the backcountry.

On Assignment: Jimmy Chin
On Assignment: Jimmy Chin is a brief portrait of an athlete who excels at his two passions – climbing and photography.

The Trail Collector
People collect all kinds of things: stamps, coins, art. This is The Trail Collector’scollection.

SPOIL
In SPOIL, photographers head to British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest to capture images of the mythical spirit bear. They aim to showcase the area’s natural beauty, and halt its industrial development.

Cold
Cold takes us to the top of Gasherbrum II in the midst of a deep, dark winter. Isolated, full of doubt and extremely exposed, these alpinists achieve the first winter ascent on one of the world’s most challenging peaks.

Seasons: Fall
Seasons: Fall takes paddler Kate Wagner into deep canyons with steep, spring-fed creeks for a soulful autumn river session.

Chasing Water
In Chasing Water, a photographer travels the length of the Colorado River, from his family’s ranch to the sea. Along the way, he realizes his personal story is actually a tale of the lifeblood of the American West.

Towers of the Ennedi
The Towers of the Ennedi are in a hot, sand-scoured and unfriendly corner of Africa. A veteran climber and two young stars explore its untouched landscapes.

C.A.R.C.A
C.A.R.C.A. follows one man's quest to revolutionize the world of animal avalanche rescue.

Outside Magazine's List of 25 Best Documentaries Ever

2011-12-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Love documentaries, adventure, nature and sports? I do! Outside Magazine's list is so compelling that I wanted to see the list all in one place, not movie by movie as their web page displayed, so here it is! I added the movie links I preferred and some screen shots, too. Presenting 25 of the best adventure, investigative and nature documentaries ever. By David Holbrooke, festival director of Mountainfilm in Telluride.

Adventure

TRUE-LIFE EPICS

1. Riding Giants

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389326/

There's a peculiar challenge to making a surf film: The action footage is so good, it's easy to get lazy with everything else. But director Stacy Peralta wasn't just trying to chronicle a surf quest. He wanted to explain the evolution of a sport. Peralta is the Ken Burns of boardsports (he directed 2002's skating history Dogtown and Z-Boys), and Giants, made in 2004, was his Baseball, with the brash pioneer Greg Noll and the modern master Laird Hamilton sparring for the role of Babe Ruth. Indeed, it's the surfers, not the surf, who make Riding Giants so much fun. Even as they describe the terror of wiping out at Maverick's, you can sense their smirks. They are crazy, clearly. But, by God, are they stoked!

2. Man on Wire

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/

In 1974, French performance artist Philippe Petit and a team of riggers infiltrated the Twin Towers and strung a high wire between them, enabling Petit to spend 45 minutes performing 1,300 feet above Manhattan. History forgot about the Frenchman until 2008, when director James Marsh resurrected Petit's story in the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire. Combining actors' reenactments and interviews with all of the original players, the film explains just how the bohemians fooled the guards, strung the cable, and pulled off an amazingly illicit stunt in what's become haunted airspace.

3. Touching the Void

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379557/

Joe Simpson and Simon Yates's 1985 escape from their first ascent of the west face of Peru's 20,853-foot Siula Grande became one of mountaineering's greatest epics with the publication of Simpson's 1988 memoir, Touching the Void. The 2003 documentary of the same name, by director Kevin Macdonald, masterfully re-creates both the feat and the disaster, which started when Simpson fell and smashed his tibia through his kneecap. Yates lowered his partner through a blizzard, then, when Simpson's weight began to drag both men off the mountain, cut the rope, sending a nearly unconscious Simpson on a free fall into a crevasse. Simpson's four-day crawl back to base camp redefined the limits of human endurance. "I just cried and cried," Simpson recalls in the film. "I thought I'd be tougher than that." Turns out he was.

4. Encounters at the End of the World

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1093824/

Only an obsessive like Werner Herzog could put reality on film, zoom in on the mystery, and create something that's more far out than any sci-fi. One of the most overlooked movies of the decade, 2008's Encounters was filmed at McMurdo, the U.S. research station on Antarctica peopled by "philosopher/forklift drivers" and other "linguists on a continent without languages." There are singing seals under the ice, microorganisms that haunt the daydreams of biologists, and, yes, penguins—but Herzog is only interested in the rogue members of that society that venture off in the wrong direction, for reasons nobody understands. It's a fitting metaphor for the humans who converge at the bottom of the planet, looking for new truths that may hold the keys to our survival.

5. Stranded

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283015/

Alive, the 1993 Hollywood film starring Ethan Hawke, amped up the story of the 1972 plane crash that stranded an Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes. ("Hey, I'll pay you for the pizza if you go and get it!" jokes one survivor, before they decide to eat the flesh of the dead.) Stranded: I've Come from a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains, Gonzalo Arijon's 2007 documentary, tells this story the proper way: with reverence. Arijon re-creates the plane crash, then gathers the 16 survivors and simply allows them to recount their ordeal. The result is haunting. Here's hero Nando Parrado, who eventually hiked out to find help: "Others saw it as a holy communion. That's fine. I wanted to see my father. To live."

WILD THINGS

6. Winged Migration

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301727/

No documentary has produced such beautiful images as this Jacques Perrin–directed meditation on the journeys of migratory birds. Shot on every continent, with the collaborative efforts of 450 people, including teams of bird handlers who lived 24/7 with goslings, the 2001 movie literally takes flight, filming the creatures at close range and offering us, for the first time, a real bird's-eye view.

7. Grizzly Man

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

On the surface, Timothy Treadwell's story is unsurprising: A self-appointed bear researcher is killed, along with his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, by his subjects in Alaska. But Werner Herzog uncovered in Treadwell's handycam footage a fragile but ultimately agreeable character. The resulting film, 2005's Grizzly Man, culminates with Herzog listening to the recording of Treadwell and Huguenard's demise (the camera was rolling with the lens cap on). The look on Herzog's face is graphic enough. "You must never listen to this," he tells Treadwell's ex, Jewel Palovak. While Treadwell mostly projected human emotions onto wild animals, he tapped into something universal, too: the desire to find oneself in the wilderness after being rejected by the world.

8. Red Gold

http://www.feltsoulmedia.com/thewire/redgoldfilm/

Made in 2007 by young filmmakers Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, Red Gold is an ode to Bristol Bay, Alaska, site of both the world's largest sockeye run and a proposed open-pit mine that could obliterate the fish. The DIY film is less refined than the others on this list, but that's the appeal: The upstarts broke this story long before most major media outlets, and scored enough ominous quotes from tin-eared mining exec Bruce Jenkins to help spur an ongoing protest movement. "Just because you don't think this is a good idea," scolds Jenkins, "doesn't mean you're right." Unless, of course, you are.

9. Earth

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103320822

The best wildlife and natural-history footage ever to come to the big screen. This is ultimately why you don't care that some 60 percent of it was poached from Planet Earth, the holy-s**t made-for-TV series that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2007: It's just as good the second time. Earth marked the launch of Disneynature, a label intended to help the entertainment behemoth reclaim its nature-doc glory days of the 1950s. The film focuses on three animal families—polar bears, elephants, and humpback whales—and certainly feels Disney. At its weakest moments, it's cute. But the James Earl Jones narration helps, the score soars, and—most important—it's just stunning to watch.

10. March of the Penguins

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428803/

It's anthropomorphic, but don't call it a kids' film. March, which grossed some $77 million and won the 2006 Oscar for Best Documentary, is about survival. Over the course of a year, filmmakers Luc Jacquet, Laurent Chalet, and Jérôme Maison suffered through frostbite, an Antarctic blizzard, and reeking valleys of guano to capture the story of the emperor penguins. The birds endure far worse: 80-below temperatures, months without food, predatory leopard seals. It's a film packed with graphic moments of death and new life, lacking only the smell.

OLD SCHOOL

11. South: Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition

http://www.milestonefilms.com/movie.php/south/

The original footage of Shackleton's 1914–16 Endurance voyage is a document for the ages. The 1919 film, directed by expedition member Frank Hurley, is silent, and the ship itself is the most compelling character—charging 800 miles through the floes toward its unlucky fate, before being surrounded by the ice on all sides like a cornered animal.

12. Olympia

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030522/

The 1938 movie is 3.5 hours long, is devoid of a storyline, and was funded by the Nazi party. But Leni Riefenstahl captured the drama of the 1936 "Hitler Olympics"—Jesse Owens showing up Das Führer—and pioneered now-ubiquitous filming techniques, such as slow-motion panning and cameras planted on athletic equipment.

13. Kon-Tiki

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042650/

Thor Heyerdahl & Co.'s 1947 float from Peru to Polynesia calls two words to mind: balsa and balls. After the Norwegian ethnographer's theory—positing that pre-Columbian South Americans used "primitive" craft to settle Polynesia—is laughed off by his fellows, Heyerdahl recruits five guys with names like Bengt and Torstein, then builds and rides a big raft some 4,300 nautical miles into the Pacific, battling sharks and cruising with the trade winds the whole way.

14. The Conquest of Everest

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045646/

The big peak has inspired many documentaries, but the 1953 original still stands above the rest. George Lowe's Conquest follows Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's team from the planning stages to Camp IV, where the cameramen fall back. No matter: The climax—when expedition leader Colonel John Hunt breaks military decorum to hug Hillary and Norgay upon their descent—is plenty dramatic.

15. The Silent World

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049518/

It's extremely hard to find, stars skinny French divers in yellow bun huggers, and features numerous acts of animal cruelty: a whale harpooned and sharks clubbed to death onboard Jacques Cousteau's Calypso. It also won a 1957 Oscar and created the phenomenon we now know as the underwater film.

16. Endless Summer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060371/

Cornball ("He could have a ham sandwich" on the nose of his board). Insensitive (try counting the use of "natives"). And yet, you can't help but love this 1966 film. Mostly because the plot is so pure: Two guys travel the world in search of the perfect wave, ultimately finding it off South Africa. Still, there's something bittersweet in watching the quest: You just don't find empty breaks like this anymore.

17. Fitz Roy: Mountain of Storms

http://video.patagonia.com/video/Mountain-of-Storms-1968

In 1968, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, along with skier Dick Dorworth and climber Lito Tejada-Flores, drove a van from California to the bottom of Argentina and summited 11,073-foot Fitz Roy. (They picked up another climber, Chris Jones, on the way.) Tejada-Flores's gift to us was the camera he brought to film the journey. Sadly, the original Fitz Roy: First Ascent of the Southwest Buttress is tough to find, so go with this version. It contains cheesy voice-overs and funk music, but it still features Chouinard and Tompkins aid-climbing Fitz Roy in wool hats and incredibly cool shades.

18. Koyaanisqatsi

http://www.koyaanisqatsi.org/films/koyaanisqatsi.php

There is not one word uttered for 86 minutes, just a collection of gorgeous and disturbing images—Canyonlands National Park; freeways; an atomic bomb test—backed by Philip Glass's haunting soundtrack. The magic of this 1982 cult classic lies in director Godfrey Reggio's willingness to leave the entire experience up to interpretation.

19. Blizzard of Aahhh's

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094760/

The early years of extreme skiing, in the late eighties, were not pretty. There was too much neon, too many hop turns. There was a new sport—snowboarding—to ridicule and a myopic ski industry to rant against: Most American resorts wouldn't allow you to ski their gnarliest terrain. But, as the rebellious spirit and ripping action of 1988's Blizzard remind you, the birth of big-mountain skiing is still fun to watch.

20. For All Mankind

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097372/

As this Oscar-nominated 1989 film demonstrates, the 12 men who walked on the moon's surface during the six Apollo landings between 1969 and 1972 were some of the most intrepid explorers in our history. Director Al Reinert and editor Susan Korda culled through 6,000 hours of NASA footage—and set it to a quietly rapturous Brian Eno score—to create this composite view of a complete moon mission from liftoff to splashdown.

IMPACT

21. An Inconvenient Truth

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/

Did Al Gore—with those cartoons of Mr. Sunbeam and greenhouse-gas goblins—oversimplify the facts? Were the projections showing Manhattan underwater too dire? Did he turn himself into a lightning rod for skeptics? Perhaps. But Davis Guggenheim's 2006 film on Gore's nationwide campaign to sound the climate-change alarm works because of Gore's lecturing style: patient, accessible, and scarily informed. The film permanently elevated the national discourse on the most crucial issue of our time.

22. Who Killed the Electric Car?

http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/

While Martin Sheen's narration is occasionally wooden, this 2006 murder mystery is otherwise pitch perfect. The victim here is the General Motors EV-1, a concept car that was released to California drivers in 1996 in response to the state's 1990 Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, only to be literally thrown on a scrap heap in 2003. Director Chris Paine finds plenty of Big Oil and Big Auto villains, but he lays equal blame on us consumers, and avoids turning his film into an anticapitalist screed. Who Killed demonstrates that we had the technology to usher in the era of the smart car long before Toyota did, and long before Detroit had to beg for a bailout.

23. Food, Inc.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock's 2004 McDonald's binge, was more popular, but Food, Inc. stands as the signal culinary documentary of our time. With images like headless chickens shuttling down factory lines, the Robert Kenner–directed film offers a quick and very dirty crash course in subjects we knew we were wary of—Uncle Sam's subsidization of the corn industry; feedlots; E. coli; genetically modified crops—but until now had never seen in such graphic terms.

24. Gasland

http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/

An exposé on clean natural gas's dirty secrets? We don't hear you stampeding to theaters. But Josh Fox's new film is a fresh successor to investigative docs like Food, Inc. Fox is Michael Moore without the ranting: Approached by energy companies hoping to drill on his Pennsylvania land, he sets out on a cross-country road trip to explore the side effects of drilling. Everywhere he goes, he finds Americans reporting illnesses and some of the mankiest-looking water this side of Bangalore. With natural gas touted as the savior to our energy woes, this film is one you won't want to miss. And wait'll you see the pyrotechnics. Many characters in this movie can—and will!—set their water on fire.

25. The Cove

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313104/

Night-vision goggles, bad guys wielding harpoons, corrupt cops, hidden cameras—never has environmentalism seemed this exciting. This exposé of the now infamous dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan, plays like a thriller, right up to the denouement—activist Ric O'Barry walking into an International Whaling Commission meeting with footage of the hunt playing on a video monitor strapped to his chest. The Cove won the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary, and established director Louie Psihoyos as the anti–Paul Watson, a guy who spurs change with his camera, not his antics.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Motorcycle Accident - Guest Post by Gina Williams

2011-12-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

When Gina Williams of Houston, Texas, requested to write about motorcycle safety for my blog, I thought at first that she didn't realize that I am bicyclist not a motorcycle rider. But I quickly decided her topic was important since we all share the road: bicycles, motorcycles, cars. Plus, I can immediately think of 10 friends who ride motorcycles and want them and all riders to be safer. Tragically, Gina lost a good friend to a motorcycle death. This loss inspired her to spread the word on safety through this website. Please share this post with other motorcycle riders and friends. Here's Gina's list:

Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Motorcycle Accident

For every motorcycle on the road, there are nearly 40 passenger vehicles. Yet slightly more than 1 in every 10 accidents in the United States involves a motorcycle. Motorcyclists are much more vulnerable to injuries and death in the event of an accident. Given this, motorcyclists must take every precaution to protect themselves on the road. Below is a list of 10 ways to avoid being involved in a motorcycle accident (in random order).

Full Gear Versus Fool's Gear! Photo Credit: National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators

1. Be Aware of Fellow Motorists.

Motorcyclists must be fully aware at all times of their fellow motorists in order to act quickly in the event of a possible collision.

• 56% of crashes that result in a motorcyclists’ deaths were multiple-vehicle crashes

• Of those multiple-vehicle crashes, 89% involved only 2 vehicles

• For the passenger vehicle drivers involved in two-vehicle motorcycle crashes, 35% of the driver-related factor was failure to yield right-of-way; failure to yield right-of-way is generally caused by a driver’s inability to see a motorcyclist.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published 2007 report after analyzing fatality data of two-vehicle motorcycle crashes from 2001 to 2005.

2. Be Aware of Your Surroundings.

Constantly check the road ahead of you for possible hazards, such as animals, debris, and roadway defects. Hazards can be a direct or an indirect cause of an accident, i.e. avoiding a hazard can be the cause of an accident.

3. Follow the Road Laws.

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and speeding are known causes of motorcycle accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motorcyclists were found to have engaged either in drugs, alcohol, or excessive speeds in 90 percent of motorcycle accidents involving no other motorists.

4. Do Not Lane Split. Also known as lane sharing, lane splitting is only legally allowed in California. Lane splitting in other states puts you at risk; other motorists do not expect it, and thus they will not watch for motorcyclists engaging in it. It simply isn’t safe!

5. Practice Preventative Measures.

Practice preventative measures, such as gripping your bike’s handlebars properly. Holding your handlebars in a ready position for emergency braking is just one preventative measure you can take to protect yourself.

6. Practice Preventative Skills.

Periodically practice your preventative skills. Emergency braking is perhaps the most important of these skills. Laying your bike on its side is no longer the safest option in emergency situations, braking is. Find a safe location and practice emergency braking; use both your front and back brakes.

7. Rid Yourself of Distractions.

Advanced motorcycle safety classes can save lives

Stow cellphones, your iPod, and other distractions while driving. Wear properly fitting clothes so that you can ride comfortably and without constantly adjusting straps, strings, etc.

8. Safely Position Yourself on the Road.

Always try to position yourself in a lane that will allow you the most room possible if you need to avoid an accident. In most instances, this will the lane closest to the shoulder of the road.

9. Take a Motorcycle Safety Course.

Motorcycle safety courses are not just for beginners. Advanced safety courses for seasoned riders exist as well. They serve as a resource for new information and a refresher course for old information.

10. Wear Proper Motorcycle Gear.

Wearing a helmet, protective clothing, shoes, and gloves are a must for motorcyclists. Helmets save thousands of lives every year according to the NHTSA. Protective clothing, shoes and gloves protect riders from the elements and injuries in the event of a crash; additionally, proper shoes and gloves help riders maintain a proper grip on their vehicle. Wearing brightly colored gear is just another precaution you can take as it makes it more likely that you will be seen by other motorists.

Gina Williams is a writer based in Houston, Texas, who is passionate about educating people about motorcycle safety tips. She currently rides a Yamaha FZ1 as a hobby, not as a daily commuter.

For more on safety and Gina's writing, visit http://www.motorcycleaccident.org/motorcycle-accidents-statistics-and-possible-causes.

NOTE from Karen:

1. Here's a good source for motorcycle safety, written by Geoff Drake: http://www.amazon.com/Smooth-Riding-Pridmore-Way-Reg/dp/1884313469/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2

Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way

www.amazon.com

2. At least motorcycles can't text well driving! (I hope). This is scary info in this article.

"Despite laws, more drivers texting behind the wheel" - Chicago Sun-Times

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/9332524-423/despite-laws-more-drivers-texting-behind-the-wheel.html

www.suntimes.com

10 Best Bicycling Blogs List 2011 from Outside Magazine - What's Missing?

2011-12-06T08:30:00.001-08:00

Karen Kefauver's Outdoor Blogging Office (One Warm Afternoon)

"The Top 10 Biking Blogs — The best sites for expert race commentary, gear reviews, and bike porn," compiled by Aaron Gulley and published November 28, 2011, has made me wonder:

What are your picks for the best blogs for cyclists? (And unlike this list, please DO include ones like Velo News, Pink Bike, etc.)

* In my previous blog post, I summarized Outside Magazine's Top 10 Adventure Blog Websites.

Despite Gulley's disclaimer: "Before you get your chamois in a knot over all the killer pages I neglected and start sending hate mail about how out of touch I am, let me say this: These picks are personal, somewhat arbitrary, and based on the frequency I visit the blogs and the regularity that I ride away with something useful" there are plenty of heated comments.

In the 30+ comments generated on this post, many were dismayed that these 2 blogs were not on the list: Drunk Cyclist and All Hail the Black Market. As for me, I am partial to Richard Masoner's Cyclicious.

Typing and biking go together, just not at the same time.

"There are tons of great sites out there that provide detailed, ongoing bike news and coverage (e.g. CyclingNews, Velo News, PinkBike, etc.)," said Gulley. "These aren't them. What I look for in a blog is analysis and opinion beyond the headlines and quirky bits that make me scratch my head or laugh out loud. These sites do that, so go check them out."

10. Rapha Blog
9. Bike Snob NYC (Tie)
9. Boulder Report (Tie)
8. Vital MTB
7. The Inner Ring
6. BikeHacks
5. Fat Cyclist
4. Bangable Dudes in Pro Cycling
3. Rouleur Magazine Blog
2. Adventure Journal
1. Red Kite Prayer

Outside Magazine's List of 70 Best Adventure and Outside Sports Blogs

2011-12-03T21:35:00.001-08:00

I salue these fellow bloggers who were selected "The Best Of" by Outside Magazine writers and editors. Ten blogs were selected from these 7 categories: adventure, environment, gear, biking, climbing, fitness and running. Out of these 7, my favorites are adventure and biking, so please find below one handy list of advnture blogs that I have restructured for faster reading! My next post will be on the bicycling blogs.

Credit for the content goes to: OUTSIDE ONLINE, Nov. 30, 2011
THE 70 BEST ADVENTURE AND OUTDOOR SPORTS BLOGS

10. Wend

Good for: Media reviews and adventure news from local papers

Written by: Wend staff and ambassadors

http://www.wendmag.com/blog/

9. Grind TV

Good for: Viral videos.

Written by: Pete Thomas, Tom Morin, and crew.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/

8. Gadling

Good for: News of the weird.

Written by: Chris Owen on ocean travel, Jessica Festa on international travel, Laurel Miller on food and drink, and a handful of guest contributors.

http://www.gadling.com/

7. Cold Splinters

Good for: Quirky outdoor facts

Written by: Edward Abbey-quoting, vintage-picture-finding journalist Jeffrey Thrope

http://www.coldsplinters.com/

6. Never Stop Exploring

Good for: Jaw-dropping videos and photos from the ends of the earth

Written by: Photographer and climber Jimmy Chin, expedition leader Conrad Anker, skier Ingrid Backstrom, and, well, you get the idea

http://www.neverstopexploring.com/

5. The Adventure Blog

Good for: Expedition updates

Written by: Austin, Texas-based blogger Kraig Becker, owner of the twitter handle @KungFuJedi

http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/

4. The Dirtbag Diaries

Good for: Easy listening

Written by: Do-it-all multimedia guru Fitz Cahall, cofounder of the web video series Tracing the Edge and The Season

http://dirtbagdiaries.com/

3. National Geographic Adventure

Good for: A daily adventure fix

Written by: Veteran adventure travel editor Mary Anne Potts, Steve Casimiro on gear, Aparna Ragagopal-Durbin on outdoor skills, and a handful of other contributors

http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/?source=NavAdvBlog

2. The Goat

Good for: Multiple daily adventure quick hits

Written by: Veteran gear and adventure blogger Rocky Thompson, with news hits from Adventure Journal

http://thegoat.backcountry.com/

1. Adventure Journal

Good for: All things adventure

Written by: Steve Casimiro, former editor of Powder and Bike, and Michael Frank, a former editor at Esquire and Bicycling.

http://www.adventure-journal.com/

Hong Kong--coming to the end of our trip

2011-09-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I have had an internet connection in more than a week. We've been very busy the past two days. Today in Hong Kong we got up at 6 a.m., took 4 buses, and went through 2 customs check points. The other day we took an amazing 24 hour scenic train ride across Tibet, then had a city tour on a bus before we went to the airport for a 5 hour flight.

Alas, I am vincible! The cigarette smoke in China has finally caught up with me. I am better now though still a little congested and tired. My kind travel mates were well-stocked in over the counter meds which helped me.

It is 10 30 p.m. in Hong Kong on the eleventh floor of my hotel. I will wake up at 6

a.m. to catch a bus to the airport to return home at 7 a.m.

Halfway Point in Imagine Tours China Biking Trip

2011-09-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind trip, day after day packed with adventures!

I have just hit the halfway point in the 20-day trip. Tomorrow, our group leaves for Tibet. We leave our hotel at 3:30 a.m. to get to the airport for an early flight. I am excited - and very tired, too. We have a quick overnight in Chengdu, one of the larger and wealthier cities in China.
So far, Dali has been a favorite city. And after that, we went to Lijiang and ShangriLa. Here are a few photos to share! Also. my story on bicycling in China appeared in the my monthly bike column, Spin City. Here's a link to the story online.

Karen Kefauver Spin City Learning the Rules of the Road in China ...
Dali, China I survived my first bicycle ride in China. I felt like a little kid on training wheels -- scared, uncertain and thrilled, too.
www.santacruzsentinel.com/sports/ci_18908372

Adventures in Dining

Tiger Leaping Gorge

2011-09-18T13:09:00.001-07:00

We cycled to the famous Stone Drum Town along a beautiful river (round trip 20 km), known here as the Jinsha River. Then we continued to cycle about 40 km to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Here we admired the majestic snow capped peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Mountain above us. We hiked to the Gorge (round trip about 5 km). We spent the night at Yi Xiang Hotel in the town of Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Karen at Tiger Leaping Gorge, the world's deepest gorge

Bai Village Outside Dali

2011-09-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

We cycled out of Dali city through the rolling and beautiful countryside, experiencing the local rural life as we pedaled through several Naxi and Yi minority villages on our way to Lijiang. We had a picnic on the road and in the late afternoon transfered by bus to Lijiang. This UNESCO World Heritage site of ageless charm is home to the Naxi, an ancient matriarchal society descended from Tibetan nomads.

We visited a colorful market in a Bai village.

We cycled past this Naxi woman who represents an ancient matriarchal society descended from Tibetan nomads.

Exploring Dali in Yunnan Province

2011-09-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

We hit the road on our comfy private bus, all 15 of us tired and excited to see another new city, Dali. So far we have been to Beijing, then flew to Kunming and drove to Dali.

Our bus trip from Kunming, the capital of the Yunnan province to Dali, in the same province, took more than five hours including stops.

One stop was at an odd dinosaur theme park, which also claimed to be a center of scientific study. Here Barbara plays with the Tyrannosaurus rex.

My favorite part of the theme park exterior (we didn't want to pay to go inside) was these tall walls. Everything built in the public domain in China is massive, huge, expansive - that hit home in Beijing after walking miles and miles thru Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.

Not everyone drives a traditional car!

Once we arrived in Dali, we explored the old town section. Tourism is now Dali's top source of revenue. In fact, the main drag has been renamed Foreigner's Street and is filled with vendors and tourists.

We got on our bikes and got outside the city.

We saw some crops being tended to.

Beijing Acrobats and then on to Kunming in Yunnan

2011-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

What a surprise and delight to see Philip MacMaster for the first time since 2007. We met in Whistler, Canada, at the Adventure Travel Trade Association conference and have kept in touch since then. I was delighted he came to our Beijing hotel, met our Imagine Tours group and was kind enough to be our after-dinner guide to show us the spectacular performing arts center

Today, in Dali, a smaller city on the Yunnan province, our group got our bicycles, new Giant mountain bikes, provided by Grand China Bike Tours. We aspire to do tricks like these by the end of the tour. These acrobats were in Beijing - note the ones on the bottom look a little less happy.

The acrobatics show made me vow to do more stretching on the road. My yoga practice has fallen by the wayside here in China.

Our group is 15 total, including Nancy Redpath, the Imagine Tours organizer. Two members of our gang are not in this picture which was taken in Kunming, the capital of the Yunnan province in southern China.

One thing our group excels at is eating! This delicious soup is a specialty in Kunming.

Rickshaw Tour of Beijing Gave Behind the Scenes View of Neighborhood

2011-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite activities so far was an hour-long rickshaw bike tour in one of the neighborhoods of Beijing. No, I didn't do the cycling myself, I just climbed into the back while our "driver" pedaled us along, two of us per bicycle rickshaw. This was a great opportunity to squeeze through narrow alley way like streets and see how people go about their daily lives. It was about 5 p.m. when we set out on this tour, so many people were coming home from work. Here are a few pictures. I especially liked spotting an older woman checking out the rickshaw while it was parked.

Night time stroll in Beijing September 9

2011-09-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last night, after dinner at a hotel, our group walked about an hour to try and find a street celebration of Autumn Festival, a major holiday that ranks up there with New Year. It is a time to celebrate family and the harvest season - there is a full moon. Naturally, I was most interested in trying the Moon Cookies - but alas, we found no cookies or celebration. Happily, we did stumble upon some adorable kids racing on their inline skates and eager parents cheering them on in what appeared to be amateur, but spirited races. Nearby, we were astonished and mesmerized by the recently built performing arts center, nicknamed, "The Egg." We were treated to an amazing light display as the building appeared, blue, purple, silver, alternatively as huge spot lights beamed upon it. Truly space age and breath-taking. All the more so because the builiding was surrounded by a reflecting pool. This was a highlight so far and all the more delightful because we just stumbled up on it - not part of our "official tour."

Kids racing on inline skates

Amazing light show for the new performing art center known as The Egg

Building turned blue, purple, silver, as huge colored spot lights beamed upon it

Silver Egg

Bookstore in Beijing September 9

2011-09-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

This huge bookstore was packed with people. Very reassuring to see a bookstore with such a huge bustling, buying populations, kind of like Apple stores in the U.S.

Large statue celebrating reading

Busy bookstore in Beijing

Beijing September 9

2011-09-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

People Watch Report: People in Beijing are more fashionable that I expected, wearing jeans and Western-style clothes; almost no one on the streets wears hats, sunglasses or helmets (on scooters or bicycles).

A few fellow bikers from my Imagine Tours group celebrate in the lobby of Guangzhou Hotel

No sunglasses or hats but women do carry umbrellas

More fashion-conscious than I had imagined

Watch out for the Dumplings! September 9

2011-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

I made it to Beijing after the longest flight of my life - 12 hours - which got longer when our United flight was delayed 2.5 hours by mechanical problems. On the flight, I met most of our 15-person group and instantly liked our group leader, Nancy Redway, the owner of Imagine Tours, based in Davis, California. Very quick "check out" of Beijing Airport and our private bus took us through the rush hour traffic to our hotel, an hour's drive. Rush hour is no joke in a city of 9 million people. I slept a solid 8 hours at our hotel Guanghzou Hotel (http://www.bjgzds.com.cn)

Biggest danger in Beijing, besides smog, crazy traffic and cigarette smoke in the hotel, is the dumplings! They were served at our breakfast buffet.I could live on these fattening treats.

The dumplings were delicious--and addictive.

Imagine Tours: Karen's China Bike Trip

2011-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

IMAGINE TOURS / GRAND CHINA BIKE TOURS

2011 China's Yunnan & Tibet Cycling Tour with Beijing extension

September 8: ARRIVAL IN BEIJING. After clearing customs and claiming your baggage, your tour guide will meet you at the airport and you’ll transfer to our hotel, located in the heart of the city. You can join other arriving participants to do some sightseeing for a day at leisure. Overnight at a 4-star hotel Beijing [extra cost is $80 US per room].

September 9: BEIJING. Plan to arrive in China’s vibrant capital at least by mid-afternoon, but most flights arrive in the morning. This evening the group will enjoy a special Beijing Food tonight. Overnight at a 4-star hotel Beijing [included in tour fees].

Day 4: September 10. BEIJING. Start your day with a visit to the Forbidden City, the former seat of the emperors throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. It’s a true architectural masterpiece and home to the National Palace Museum. After lunch you'll visit the Summer Palace, built in classical Chinese style in 1750 as a royal recreational resort. Among its famous features are the 700-meter-long corridor with its wonderful Painted Gallery, the Marble Barge, and several magnificently painted pavilions and pagodas. Tonight you'll enjoy a mesmerizing acrobatic show. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Beijing.

Day 5: September 11. BEIJING. On today’s exciting excursion you’ll scale the ramparts of the legendary Great Wall, built 2600 years ago and extending over 3,700 miles. Walk atop this ancient wonder of the world, one of the two man-made structures seen by US astronaut Neil Armstrong from outer space. Next you’ll visit the Ming Tombs, the burial place of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty and their families. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Beijing.

Day 6: September 12. BEIJING / KUNMING. This morning we will fly to Kunming ( 07:35 -10:55), your tour guide will meet and transfer to our hotel. We'll have a city tour in the afternoon, if time permits. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kunming.

Day 7: September 13: DALI. We’ll have an early breakfast in hotel, then transfer by bus to Dali, home to over 1.5 million Bai minority people whose culture, crafts and warm hospitality create its renowned laid-back atmosphere. Lunch will be served in our hotel. In the afternoon we'll take our bicycles for a test ride and adjustments, then cycle to the Park of Three Pagodas and around the old town of Dali. There are plenty of places to explore or cafes to visit within the town's old city walls. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Dali.

Day 8: September 14: DALI. This morning we cycle on the scenic and rolling road around the gorgeous Er Hai Lake (60km). The Cang Shan Mountains rise behind Dali city as we skirt the shores of this huge inland sea, passing through fishing villages and farming communities. A picnic lunch will be served on the road. Alternatively, visit the colorful Shaping markets and the preserved architecture of Xizhou. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Dali.

Day 9: September 15. LIJIANG. After breakfast at the hotel we'll cycle out of Dali city on the rolling and beautiful countryside. Experience the local rural life as we pedal through several Naxi and Yi minority villages on our way to Lijiang. We’ll have a picnic on the road and in the late afternoon transfer by bus to Lijiang. This UNESCO World Heritage site of ageless charm is home to the Naxi, an ancient matriarchal society descended from Tibetan nomads. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Lijiang.

Day 10: September 16: TIGER LEAPING GORGE. Today we head off along the Tibetan Highway for dramatic Tiger Leaping Gorge, the world's deepest gorge. On the way we'll visit the ancient Stone Drum Town set on the first bend of the Yangtze River. Here the Yangtze makes sudden V-shaped bend, nearly 180-degrees, and creates beautiful views. At the river's bend stands Stone Drum (Shigu) Town, named after a drum-shaped marble plaque commemorating the victory of Lijiang's Naxi ruler over an invading Tibetan army. We cycle to the famous Stone Drum Town along a beautiful river (round trip 20 km), known here as the Jinsha River, then we continue to cycle about 40 km to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Here we can admire the majestic snow capped peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Mountain above us. We'll hike to the Gorge (round trip about 5 km). Overnight at Yi Xiang Hotel in the town of Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Day 11: September 17: SHANGRI-LA. After our breakfast at the hotel we cycle 60km on a scenic and challenging road to Shangri-La (Zhongdian). We’ll stop for a picnic lunch on the road, and in the afternoon we cycle through beautiful Tibetan villages to Zhongdia. Visit the Songzanlin Monastery which was built 300 years ago under the instruction of the 5th Dalai Lama. Now there are still 800 monks and 3 living Buddhas inside.

Day 12: September 18: SHANGRI-LA / LIJIANG / CHENGDU. After our breakfast at the hotel we transfer back to Lijiang. We will pedal about 30 km to Yunshanping of Jade Snow Mountain. At this scenic spot a ski lift has been built with a view of the majestic snow capped peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain above us. Sightseeing at Yunshanping of Jade Snow Mountain. Later afternoon we'll will fly to Chengdu (17:40 -18:50). Meet and transfer to our hotel. Overnight at 3 star hotel in Chengdu.

Day 13: September 19: CHENGDU / LHASA / SHANNAN. Early morning we'll fly to Lhasa (06:30-08:30), our tour guide will meet us at airport and transfer to Shannan (Tsedang) by bus. On the way you'll enjoy spectacular scenery, driving through typical Tibetan villages and past Yak-skin boats cruising the Yalung Zangbo River. In the afternoon we'll cycle to Yumbulakhang Palace and Traduk Monastery. Overnight at 3-star hotel in Shannan.

Day 14: September 20: TO BE DECIDED

Day 15: TO BE DECIDED

Day 16: September 22: TO BE DECIDED

Day 17: September 23. XINING / GUANGZHOU. Early morning we will arrive in Xining, our guide will meet us and transfer to city center for breakfast. We'll have a city tour in Xining. In the afternoon we'll transfer to airport to fly to Guangzhou (16:50 --21:45). Meet and transfer to our hotel in Guangzhou. Overnight at 4-star hotel in Guangzhou.

Day 18: September 24. GUANGZHOU. Visit Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Memorial Hall of the Chen Family, Temple of Six Banyan Trees. Tonight enjoy the dinner with famous Cantonese local flavor. Overnight at 4 star hotel in Guangzhou. (B,L,D).

Day 19: September 25. HONG KONG. Breakfast at the hotel, then take an early express train to Hong Kong and transfer to hotel on your own by taxi. Overnight included at 3-star hotel in Hong Kong. Dinner is not included in tour package. Additional days in Hong Kong are an option (all Imagine Tours cyclists will stay an additional day).

Day 20: September 26. Imagine Tours cyclists depart. Breakfast in the hotel, then transfer to Hong Kong Airport on your own by shuttle bus from hotel. Depart for US and arrive in the US on the same day!

I love welcome home messages! Feel free to call and know that I may be very out of it with jet lag for several days! See you in 3 weeks!

In Transit! Santa Cruz to San Francisco to Beijing

2011-09-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's strange to think that on September 11, 2011, I'll be on the Great Wall of China, for the somber 10-year marker of the 9-11 attacks. For now, though I am focused on getting to Beijing. I'm at San Francisco Airport now.

My trip so far, by the numbers:

2:30 a.m. - Time I went to sleep

5:00 a.m. - Time I got up

1 stop - at Emily's Bakery for pumpkin muffins and sandwiches for the plane ride

8 a.m. - Time Saskia got me to San Francisco Airport

33 pounds - weight of my 1 checked suitcase! (with 50 pound allowance)

40 minutes - time to get thru security line

1 - thing I forgot so far: hairbrush

1 - thing I miss already but deliberately left at home: my cell phone

12 hours - flight time directly from San Francisco to Beijing (United)

133 - number of yuan, Chinese currency that I have (thanks Bobby!) About $20

16 hours - China is 16 hours ahead of Santa Cruz time - it's tomorrow there already!