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Archive for 'May 2012'

Elite at Age 11; How Can Parents Help Kids Discover Their Personal Outdoor Passion?

Do you have an outdoor prodigy in your family? A recent New York Times article showcases the impressive bouldering skills of 11-year-old Ashima Shiraishi, the daughter of Japanese transplants who settled in New York City. Ashima, who weighs 63 pounds, has already tackled complex bouldering challenges that, the article reports, "have already placed her among the elite in the sport." Maybe you have an accomplished young outdoor athlete—climber, cyclist, paddler, runner, snowboarder or skier—in ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 16, 2012 4:03 PM & Tagged Bouldering, Climbing, Outdoors, REI Expert Advice and kids | permalink | Comments



A Tradition Unlike Any Other: On Mom's Day at St. Helens, Dudes Look Like the Ladies

Glitter. Lace ruffles. Fishnet stockings. Spaghetti string shoulder straps. Pearls. Boas. Sequins. And then there's what the women were wearing. It is a Mother's Day tradition at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, believed to date back the late 1980s, to make the nontechnical climb to the peak's south rim while wearing something that pays tribute to the moms of the world, and everyone—guys in particular—is more or less expected to take part. The climb's latest edition occurred Sunday, ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 15, 2012 4:54 PM & Tagged Climbing, Mother's Day and Mount St. Helens | permalink | Comments



A Mother's Day Bouquet for My Spare Moms

Spares are good to have. Spare batteries. Spare socks. Spare energy bars. Spare moms. Take it from a grateful hiker: That last set of spares totally reigns supreme, a realization that clangs loud bells inside my head each year as Mother's Day draws near. Good fortunate has been my kind companion in the maternal figure department. My own mom was a simply stellar person, a championship-grade human being whose love, selflessness and resilient good cheer still causes me to marvel at how much ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 14, 2012 4:06 PM & Tagged Mother's Day, mom and spare moms | permalink | Comments



Love the Outdoors? Here Are Some Practical Ways to Show It

Spend enough time outdoors and you learn to appreciate the beauty so much that it becomes part of your soul. For many people that evolves into a sense of gratitude. And I have found that from that place of gratitude, people who experience nature frequently feel compelled to "give back." My journey as a volunteer began over my frustration with "trail trashers."  This led to thinking about ways to contribute more and find like-minded people who wanted to share in solutions. It also helped me ...

Posted by Curt Cragg on May 11, 2012 1:22 PM & Tagged meetup, stewardship and volunteer | permalink | Comments



Don't 'Exercise,' Walk; Don't Sit, Stand; Author Explains Simple Steps to Well-Being

"If people want to be healthier and prolong their life span, all they really need to do is go for a walk. It's the single easiest thing anyone can do." —Gretchen Reynolds    Author and New York Times health and fitness columnist Talk about good news. It's possible—probable, actually—that you know someone who lives a sedentary life. Sad stat: The lead story in Tuesday's USA Today (May 8) cited a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that that estimates by 2030 42% of ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 10, 2012 6:08 PM & Tagged Gretchen Reynolds, New York times, fitness, health and walking | permalink | Comments