I am a proud father, and my soul beams. Standing aside a desert singletrack-trail, I watch my son, Ridge, pedal his small mountain bike past me. I snap a few photos of him and his best friend, Pimm, as they race through sage and juniper with a sweeping vista of Southwestern Utah’s red rock desert…
New Gear for Spring 2021 at Virtual Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer is the year’s biggest gathering of gearheads, outdoor companies, media, and retail buyers. But thanks to Covid-19, this summer’s event in Denver was, of course, cancelled. But like all human interaction during quarantine, Outdoor Retailer went virtual. Hence, “Virtual Outdoor Retailer.” And there is plenty of new gear to be excited about coming…
Tifosi Optics Sledge Sunglasses review
Spring and summer in Utah mean mountain biking for many of us. And if I’m going biking you’re damn right I want to do it in style. I needed what my wife has deemed “robotron” glasses. The kind of glasses that make you look like you’re here from the future, Terminator style. You know what…
Family-friendly hikes: Limber Pine in Logan Canyon
The Limber Pine trail, located at the top of Logan Canyon in northern Utah, is a 1.3-mile loop that is a good hike for families with kids. If you’re in the area to visit Bear Lake, then this trail is a short diversion for something to do when you’re not on the water. The Hike…
Camp Chef Rainier 2X Combo camping stove review
When it comes to camping and food, I’ve always been a minimalist. Just give me a way to boil water to make a freeze-dried dinner come alive, and I’m happy. Lately though, I’m on a kick to eat better outside than I do at home. And that mission has brought me to the Camp Chef…
Family-friendly hikes: Bloods Lake
Bloods Lake, located just below Guardsman Pass between Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Wasatch Back, is a great destination for a family-friendly hike. At just 1.5 miles one-way on a mostly flat trail, the hike is easy enough for small children and parents who need a quick escape and exercise. The Hike The current trail…
RIGWA Bowl review: keeps food fresh outdoors
Meals on the go. In my world this typically means chewing on an energy bar in the middle of a mountain bike ride. But why settle for processed protein bricks when you can have real, delicious food instead? One problem: how to carry your salad/pasta/vegan-gluten-free-organic-trendy grub. Enter the RIGWA bowl. RIGWA Bowl We all have…
Little Valley trails ideal for teaching kids to mountain bike
Parents want to raise their kids right. As a father of a 5-year-old-boy, I think “raising them right” means teaching them how to mountain bike. However, it can be difficult to find trails easy enough for little legs to pedal a singlespeed bike with no shocks. But there is one such place on the Wasatch…
A Skier’s Lament
Thanks to Coronavirus (aka Covid-19) I’m not recreating nearly as much as I used to. So to feel like I’m still outdoorsy, I’ve taken to wearing outdoor gear everywhere I go. Mountain bike knee pads work great when I’m on the ground to pull weeds. I discovered that a rock-climbing helmet is the perfect shape…
Covid-19 and Outdoor Recreation: A Time to Chill
I confess. I went backcountry skiing during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Despite all the pleas from the healthcare industry and officials telling us skiers to “scale it back,” I simply could not help myself. My stress-level of the world’s situation and navigating our new reality needed an outlet. And my favorite way to blow off…