Recently this site’s founder, Jared Hargrave, has been on a mission to find the “perfect mountain shirt.” I decided he shouldn’t have to take on such a quest alone, so I’m here to weigh in with more findings. Helly Hansen makes everything from boating to mountain guiding gear, and I figured if anyone could actually…
Friday Video: Sailing the Great Salt Lake and Bear Lake
When you think of sailing, images of smooth ocean water, California beaches or World Cup races over torrent waters may come to mind. Utah most definitely doesn’t come into the equation. But there is actually a surprisingly large number of lakes and reservoirs in Utah where you can not only sail, but find world-class sailing…
Utah Mountain Biking Guide: Wasatch Crest to Dog Lake to Mill D
Start Point: Guardsman Pass, 9720 feet Elevation Gain: 1,437 feet Elevation Loss: 3,645 feet Trail Distance: 15.4 miles (one way) Trail Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced Best Season: Summer The Wasatch Crest Trail is probably the most famous mountain biking route in the Salt Lake area. There are many good reasons for its legendary status, such as…
Powertraveller Cranks up the Juice at 2013 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
If you haven’t heard of Powertraveller portable chargers, you’re not alone. I didn’t know much about the company before visiting their booth at the 2013 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Turns out, I’ve been missing the boat. “Green” is the new black, and Powertraveller is one of the brands leading the charge in the solar power…
Granite Gear Packs for Adventure at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013
Since 1986, Granite Gear has been offering hikers and packers a wide array of storage and travel bag solutions. Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of the company’s products, and at this summer’s Outdoor Retailer trade show, they continued to push the industry with some inventive new offerings. Many new packs and daysacks will be…
Vasque Ready to Hit the Trail at 2013 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
The Vasque booth at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market was a shoe fiend’s dream come true. Walls of snappy leather boots, fancy trail shoes and freaky looking running gear hung in neatly prepared rows. With so much to ogle, I was a bit overwhelmed. Luckily for me, the Vasque rep was happy to showcase four of…
Sierra Designs at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013
When I sauntered up to the Sierra Designs booth at this summer’s Outdoor Retailer, I noticed a few changes. Okay, I noticed a lot of changes. Instead of asking “what’s new?” for SD in 2013-14, it might be easier to ask “what isn’t new?” The iconic brand has undergone a major redesign, ranging from the…
Swiftwick Socks review
Ah, summer. The time for backyard BBQs, getting outdoors, and sweaty feet. Sweaty feet? Yup, that’s part of the package out here in the high desert. When temperatures soar into the triple digits you need to take care of your feet while playing. The folks at Swiftwick just happened to send out a few pairs…
Discovering 650B mountain bikes at Dealer Camp with the Intense Tracer 275
DealerCamp 2013, just finished its fourth year, at Deer Valley, and the big deal was that 650b (or 27.5) mountain bikes are going to explode even more in 2014. If you’re not familiar with Dealer Camp, then just imagine Outdoor Retailer for bikes of every variety. Dozens of bike manufacturers meet with hundreds of retailers…
Running from Alta to Baldy and back
On a recent, roasting Friday night, I escaped the triple-digit valley life to tag along with trail runners Chris Cawley and Heather Kluk on a challenging loop run beginning in Alta. Beginning just before seven in the relative cool of 8,500 feet, we passed the bottom of Wildcat chair and cut west on the trail…