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Archive for 'June 2012'

Sneak Peek: The Latest Novara Big Buzz Bicycle

Captured by iPhone yesterday: A behind-the-scenes look at the newest Novara Big Buzz bicycle on the streets of lovely Tacoma, Washington, from an ad being shot by our marketing crew. ...

Posted by Steve T on June 29, 2012 3:24 PM & Tagged Buzz, Cycling, Novara and bicycle | permalink | Comments



My Magical Hour Among the Waterfalls of Plitvice National Park

Have you ever had an absolutely gorgeous place all to yourself? I recently returned from a whirlwind 3 weeks in Eastern Europe that included many highlights: the old-world ambiance of Prague, Dubrovnik and Rome. The scenic lakes and mountains of Slovenia. The pastoral countryside of the Czech Republic and Hungary. But there was one magical hour that stands above all that. It happened amid the waterfalls at Plitvice (pronounced pleet-VEET-say) National Park in Croatia. (Plitvice is one stop on ...

Posted by Steve T on June 29, 2012 2:11 PM & Tagged Croatia, Hiking, Plitvice National Park, Travel, solitude and waterfalls | permalink | Comments



Chi Running, Barefoot Running; How's Your Search for a Sustainable Running Style?

Chi running, which emphasizes internal alignment and core strength (tai chi principles) in a runner's stride, is a topic The REI Blog addressed in April, and this week New York Times wellness writer Tara Parker-Pope discussed it in an article, "Finding a Sustainable Running Stride." Her report quotes one of chi running's guiding lights, author and running coach Danny Dreyer: "All of the practice in tai chi comes down to always developing a strong core, but relaxing the moving parts, Those are ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on June 28, 2012 5:57 PM & Tagged Running, barefoot running and chi running | permalink | Comments



A Salute to Climbing Rangers, a 'Breed Apart'

Sad news late last week of a climbing ranger's death at Mount Rainier National Park again reminds me—maybe you, too—of what I consider an outdoor fact of life: Some of the finest human beings walking this planet wear park ranger uniforms. Nick Hall, 34, in his fourth year as a climbing ranger at Rainier, died in a fall late Thursday (June 21) as he was helping evacuate injured climbers by helicopter near the summit of 14,411-foot Mount Rainier. "What Nick and his team did is really incredible ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on June 26, 2012 11:58 AM & Tagged Mount Rainier, climbing rangers, national parks, park rangers and rangers | permalink | Comments



'The Opportunity for Amazing Adventure Is Everywhere'

You don't have to hike 30 miles a day, climb Everest or ride a double century to experience "real" outdoor adventure. With the right mindset, adventure is all around you. Such is the inviting philosophy of David Ryan, an Albuquerque, N.M., resident and author of a new book titled The Gentle Art of Wandering. His solution to finding adventure? "You gotta dump the car and start walking." Ryan has made many unexpected discoveries during his wandering walks. Some are tiny: potsherds and tools from ...

Posted by Steve T on June 25, 2012 5:01 PM & Tagged David Ryan, Hiking, walking and wandering | permalink | Comments