Calipidder

Hello Havasu Falls! Or, What’s With this Columbia Omniten Thing?

Calipidder — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:39:30 +0000

Okay, it’s not the first time I’ve mentioned this topic here. Or on the trail. In fact, this past weekend went a lot like Heather’s over at Just a Colorado Gal: As we were hiking this past weekend, I kept getting asked the same questions repeatedly: “Where did you get those shoes?” Columbia “Where did [...]

Return to Pine Valley: The Poison Oakening

Calipidder — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:00:28 +0000

Two years ago I did my first backpack in Ventana Wilderness, a quick overnighter to Pine Valley. The weather was horrendous, so I vowed to return when the weather was nice. The waterfall would be particularly inviting on a hot day so I jumped at the chance for a return trip during hotter weather. I’ll [...]

Eastern Sierra: fishing, bouldering, and checking out snow conditions

Calipidder — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:47:09 +0000

Last weekend, the first one with an open Tioga Pass of the season, we did a quickie overnighter to Bishop. David is recovering from a sprained ankle so instead of hiking we did a bit of fishing, bouldering, nomming on Whoa Nellie goodies, and hot springing. Our trip took us to Ellery Lake where we [...]

Video Gear Reviews: Yay or Nay?

Calipidder — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:05:33 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I was out on a long solo hike, thinking about interesting things I could do with content here at Calipidder.com. At the same time, I was taking mental notes about two pieces of Columbia gear I was testing out, hoping I wouldn’t forget things when I got home and had [...]

Mount Whitney Training Hikes: Bay Area Edition

Calipidder — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:50:10 +0000

Modern Hiker recently published a great post about training and preparing to climb Mt. Whitney. Hop on over there and give it a read, especially the parts about altitude. Go ahead, I’ll wait. … Casey wrote about some training hikes in Southern California, and that inspired me to think about good training hikes in the [...]

Sunol Regional Wilderness: Maguire Peaks and Flag Hill Loop

Calipidder — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:46:44 +0000

Yesterday was the first day of summer around here. We never had much of a winter, and it seems like mother nature is skipping right over spring and dropping us in the middle of July without much transition time. So I decided to spend the year’s first 90 degree day by getting in a long [...]

Holy cats, you guys! I’m going to Sedona and Havasu Falls courtesy of Columbia and Mountain Hardwear!

Calipidder — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:07:55 +0000

So, this is happening. A few days ago I got home from a trip to visit family and found this goodie in my mailbox. Last month I wrote about the Omniten program but never did I expect something this awesome to fall into my lap (or, er, mailbox). I don’t think I need to explain [...]

Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide Winners!

Calipidder — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:54:29 +0000

Drum roll, please. Let random.org do its thing… And now… Congrats to Ronda, PaulO, and James Palmer. You three are the winners of Andrew Skurka’s Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide! Send me your shipping information via the contact link in the side panel over there (—>) and I’ll have them sent off to you in a [...]

Gear Giveaway! Andrew Skurka’s Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide

Calipidder — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:45:14 +0000

I have three – count em, THREE – copies of Andrew Skurka’s new book, the Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide (details in this document here) to give away to Calipidder.com readers! This book isn’t just a rated list of current gear like you’d find in a magazine, it’s all about how to choose the right gear [...]

My Go-To Local Hike: Almaden Quicksilver 11 Mile Loop

Calipidder — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:37:22 +0000

The closest place to hike near my house is a county park called Almaden Quicksilver. A mere ten minute drive from my front door, it offers enough to keep me interested and going back over and over again. Wildflowers, steep grades, rolling ridge hiking, multiple trailheads and trails, historical sites, wildlife, views, and surprisingly uncrowded [...]