Winter Hiking & Camping

There might be a few good reasons to hang up your hiking boots during the Winter but I can’t think of one. If you love being outdoors and wish you could extend the hiking season, you’re in luck. Hiking, backpacking and even camping are no longer just three-season activities.

With some specific gear and training, you can be hitting the trails all Winter as well as the rest of the year. Just be sure you’re not heading out in summer trail shoes, a light weight pair of cotton pants and a fleece jacket. As long as you have appropriate outdoor clothing there’s no reason not to get outside and enjoy the winter wonderland.

Many public parks, cities, and towns maintain trails that are accessible for Winter hiking and even snowshoeing so check local resources if you’re not sure where to go.

Winter Hiking Tips
When participating in outdoor activities, dress in layers so you can easily adjust your clothes to regulate body moisture and temperature. Three types of layers are considered normal : a base layer against your skin (longjohns), an insulation or middle layer (fleece), and an outer layer (water-proof shell or windbreaker). As you hike in winter you’ll learn that staying cool can be as much of a challenge as staying warm

In the winter, COTTON KILLS. Cotton loses its insulating qualities when it gets wet, whether from rain or sweat. Cotton also takes a long time to dry out. Wool or synthetic materials are much better suited to winter camping in cold weather conditions.

Adjust your layers of clothing by adding or removing to prevent heat buildup and sweating. Too much moisture in your clothes will make you cold as it evaporates.

If you stop for a long break or at the end of the day, put on insulation layers before you cool off too much, otherwise your body will have to work harder just to warm you back up.

Protect against heat loss through your head by wearing a hat or balaclava (ski mask). Over half of your body heat can be lost through your head.

Instead of stopping for a long lunch, snack on food all during the day at short breaks. This will keep you from cooling down too much and having to adjust your layers of clothing too many times.

Carry a small insulated thermos-type bottle full of a hot drink or hot soup. If you get cold or just want a warming snack, you will already have something hot prepared.

Be aware of the signals your body is sending you. Cold fingers or toes indicate you should stop and address the cause of the problem if possible.

Hike with experienced companions and always leave a copy of your itinerary with family members who are staying behind.

Caution:
If you are going to be in mountainous backcountry, beware. Understand avalanche tendencies and be sure to check local avalanche conditions in your area before going out.

Related Posts:

Frostbite: Cold Weather Health Tips
Winter Fun: Wanna Try Something New?

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 08

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:12 — 4.8MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the eighth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 008: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the ins and outs of sports drinks.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining optimum health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 005

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:27 — 8.7MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the fifth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 005: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of fueling during exercise for athletes. Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining optimum health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 004

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:20 — 6.7MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the fourth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 004: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of pre and post game meals for athletes.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about improving athletic performance through proper nutrition.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek her expertise to help them reach their performance goals. Rebecca received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She has been recognized by the American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 003

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:57 — 8.2MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the third in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 003: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of meal balancing for athletes.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about improving athletic performance through proper nutrition.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com/

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 002

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:55 — 6.3MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the second in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 002: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of meals and meal timing for athletes. Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about avoiding hunger and maintaining good nutrition and overall health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com/

A Pretty Tough Halloween

No costume? No problem – we’ve got you covered.

If you don’t have a costume yet you could go to your local mall and buy something but that won’t really show your friends how creative you can be.

Not to worry. No matter what  your age, we’ve got loads of suggestions – just add a little attitude and you’ll make quite a statement.

Superstar Athlete
Dress up in your fave sports uniform and go as a famous softball, basketball, or soccer player. Whether it’s picking up a WNBA jersey to be new MVP Diana Taurasi or hanging figure skates around your neck in the image of Michelle Kwan, it’s easy to be a superstar for a night! And don’t limit yourself to individual sports – get your team together and go as the USA softball team or your favorite pro team.

Sports Fan
If you don’t think you can pull off dressing as a real athlete, go as your favorite team’s biggest fan. In this case, a little face paint can go a long way.

Body Builder
Paint or quilt muscles onto the front of a flesh-colored sweatshirt. Stuff arms to make biceps look big. You can also paint or quilt leg muscles onto flesh-colored pants, and wear a pair of shorts over it. For a barbell, attach two black balloons to a cardboard paper towel roll or gift wrap roll painted black.

Ninja
Dress in black pants, black hooded shirt, and grab a red sash to wear around your head. Wear soft black shoes. Carry a fake ninja sword, ninja stars made out of foil, and num-chucks made out of construction paper and black cord. Some people act tough, but you can show you’re the real thing.

Race Car/MX Driver
Don a jumpsuit & racing helmet and zoom off into the night.

Superhero
How ’bout Wonder Woman or Sugergirl? For Batwoman, wear a black faux leather shirt and skirt, black boots, yellow belt and black gloves. Make a yellow bat insignia out of cloth and attach it to your chest. Wear a black cat mask, and a black cape.

TV & Movie Characters
Lara Croft: Wear a tank top and a pair of shorts or a pair of camouflage pants. Put your hair in a braid. Carry a fake gun.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wear a blue and yellow cheerleading uniform with blue tights. Paint your face pale white and carry wooden stakes.

Referee
It’s your turn to call the game. Find yourself a pair of black pants or shorts, a striped shirt, and a whistle. Don’t forget your red and yellow cards – you can call the fouls tonight.

Sports Trading Card
Find a poster of a famous athlete (the face should be approximately the size of your face). Glue it to a large piece of foamcore or cardboard and cut a hole for your face to stick through. Attach straps so it hangs over your shoulders. Add your name and team name. If you want you can add another piece of cardboard to your back with statistics.

Pirate Woman
Ahoy matie. Be a swashbuckler with a skirt. Who says you can’t pillage in pink?

Got Milk?
You know milk builds strong bones. Share the love. Wear a sign that says “Got Milk?” Paint a milk mustache over your lip with make-up or other non-toxic white substance.

Group Costumes
Is your sorority, team or group of friends throwing a Halloween bash? Wear matching costumes to help you keep up with each other.

Dancers
If you want to be a group of dancers, your first choice is to figure out what kind of dancer you want to be. You can be belly dancers, ballerinas, tap dancers, Jazz Dancers, Irish folk Dancers, or flash dancers. You can get matching costumes from your local dance or costume shop.

Cheerleaders
Your only must-have for this group costume is pom-poms. The rest of the costume can be as simple as white t-shirts and short denim jeans. If you want to get fancy, however, you can go as far as to purchase real cheerleader uniforms for $50.00 each. Matching sweats will work well too.

Sports Team
Do you and your friends have a favorite sports team? If so, many of you may have Jerseys for that team. Add the appropriate sports equipment, which most of you will probably also own and you have a complete team. If you and your friend route for opposing teams, another option is for each person to be their own favorite player. Your options are numerous from soccer, to basketball, to hockey.

Bowling Pins and Ball
A fun costume for a group is bowling pins and a ball. For the pins, you all need white pants and hooded sweatshirts. Put two red stripes around the neck area. The shortest person would probably be the ball (or whoever draws the short stick). For the ball costume, you can cut two large felt circles and attatch them at the top (over the shoulders) and the sides (under the arms) add three smaller circles for the holes.

Pink Ladies (from Grease)
Your fifties style costume should include pink satin jacket, v-neck top, black capris, polka dot scarf and belt.

Survivor Cast
Dress up in ragged clothes, make yourselves look dirty, look hungry and carry torches.

Race Car Driver and Pit Crew
One driver and a bunch of grease monkeys. Racing gear should include helmet, jumpsuit, and gloves. The pit crew can wear matching caps and jackets. Don’t forget the checkered flags.

Dominoes
Everyone wears all black. Pin circles of white paper to yourselves in a domino pattern. When you arrive at a house, one person leans in, and everyone falls over.

DIY Decorations

Pumpkin Softball Player

1. Cut the pumpkin’s top off and hollow out the shell.
2. For eyes, carve holes in the shell and tack white paper behind them.
3. Use acrylic paints and colored markers to add eye black below the eyes.
4. Add yarn for hair. Then add a baseball cap for the finishing touch.

Any other ideas?

Girl Scouts to meet women with non-traditional careers at NASCAR Weekend

Professional barrel racer Tana Poppino together with three women race car drivers will join 500 girl scouts at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, MO on October 1st during a unique event being planned as part of a NASCAR race weekend at the track.

Tana, plus drivers Alli Owens, Tiffany Daniels and Johanna Long will participate in this event which is intended to provide the girl scouts with an opportunity to meet women who are successful in non-traditional careers. They will interact with the womennd ask questions and then they will watch the ARCA/ Remax Kansas Lottery 150  race in which Ms. Owens will be driving for the DeHondt racing tream. Many of the Girl Scouts will be watching a stock car race for the very first time.

Tana Poppino After 20 years of combining careers as a part time professional rodeo barrel racer and a full time corporate marketing position, Tana Poppino, decided to devote her full attention to barrel racing. It paid off handsomely when she qualified for the 2006 and 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. During the past two years she has won the barrel racing event at major rodeos such as the Calgary Stampede, The National Western Stock Show Rodeo, Cody (WY) 4^th of July Rodeo, Oklahoma State Fair, Louisiana State Fair and the Sand Hills Stock Show Rodeo (Odessa TX). She has been a finalist at dozens of others. Learn more at www.tanapoppino.com.

Alli Owens drives for D’Hondt Motorsports piloting the #19 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota. This is Alli’s second year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. She began her racing career at eight years old racing in a BMX bicycle race. Learn more at www.alliowens.com.

Johanna Long will be seated with Girl Scouts sharing her racing background beginning at five years old. She has several wins in the Florida Kart scene, experienced Legends Cars and then the tough Pro Late Model Series. Last year at age 15, Johanna became the youngest and first female track champion at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Learn more at www.johannalong.com.

Tiffany Daniels will be seated with Girl Scouts sharing her racing and engineering background. Tiffany drives in the UARA-Stars Series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. In addition to her racing career, Tiffany also hold a full-time job as an engineer with a NASCAR Sprint Series team. Learn more at www.tiffdaniels.com.

D’Hondt Motorsports headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina is home to the #19 Toyota Camry ARCA RE/MAX Series team and the #92 Toyota NASCAR Nationwide Series team. With over 75 years of collective NASCAR and motorsports experience from general management to crew, D’Hondt is poised to skyrocket into NASCAR’s next generation. Learn more at www.dhondtmotorsports.com.

Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri is an organization that, in partnership with committed adults, helps girls grow courageous and strong through a variety of enriching experiences.  Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri supports about 35,000 registered Girl Scouts, grades Kindergarten – 12^th from all populations, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds in 47 counties across Kansas and Missouri. Learn more at www.girlscoutsksmo.org.

Race Report: Altitude Cup Mountainboard Challenge

(Ed. Note: Pretty Tough Team Rider Melissa (Becker) Ponce de Leon is a pro mountainboarder with multiple U.S. Championships. Here is her account of the recent Altitude Cup Mountain Board Challenge.)

The Altitude Cup Mountainboard Challenge was held in Empire, CO on September 11-13th, 2009. The event consisted of a Learn to Ride on Friday, Dirt Slalom on Saturday and, Dirt Boardercross, Slopestyle and a Piñata Bonk on Sunday.

We had about 35 contestants at this year’s competition with some new faces on the course. Eleven of the top men in the Mountainboard community came out and did some amazing things. The guys from Altitude Sickness decided they would make it a little more interesting and pay the top 10 overall pro’s and top 2 women. The key to success was to compete in all three required events and go home with some cash. Sponsors for the event included: Altitude Sickness Boardshop, PowerBar, MBS, Hard Rock Café, Lewis Sweet Shop, Billy Goat Moving and Banchee bungee.

Friday September 11, 2009 we taught a Learn to Ride all day. We ended up teaching 6 people throughout the day. Since they arrived at different times we had the luxury of providing individual lessons which is the best way to go. Everyone caught on quickly and we had everyone riding in the park by the end of the day.

On Saturday the 12th we planned on doing the Dirt Slalom and Boardercross. As soon as we finished with the slalom course it started down pouring. We had everything from rain, to snow, to hail, it was intense and we had to call it for the day. The original Hard Rock Café in Empire, CO set up this amazing spread of BBQ and cobbler for us, just what we needed after being in the cold all day. We made it an early night in hopes we would have a better day Sunday.

When we woke up Sunday morning, the sun is shining. The ground was still wet but drying up nicely. We went down to the park and started to sweep and rake the track. The rain ended up being a blessing in disguise; the track was even harder and faster than before. By 11 am we were ready to race. We set up the brackets and decided on double elimination. The track was fast and super fun to watch, a lot of passing was happening everywhere.

Once we finished racing, the Slopestyle comp started; clouds were headed our way again so there was no time for a break. Everyone in Slopestyle had three runs and the judges combined the best two runs. I counted at least 20 different hits throughout the park, and we could take any line we wanted to score points. The youth, sport, women’s and master’s classes all competed this way and everyone had a great time. The judges had the Pro’s take five Slopestyle runs – two from the main line, two from the pro line and one from the hip. We got the chance to see all of the guys hit different lines throughout the competition. Everyone was throwing down their best style and landing all their tricks, it was fun to see.

The event concluded with a Piñata Bonk. Yes, just as it sounds we bonked the piñatas! We hit a jump and hit the piñata with our wheel. It was definitely a first and hopefully not a last.

Women’s Results from the 2009 Altitude Cup Mountainboard Challenge

Women Overall
1. Melissa Ponce de Leon
2. Ari Coats
3. Emily Smith-Zurawski

Women Slalom
1. Melissa Ponce de Leon
2. Ari Coats
3. Emily Smith-Zurawski

Women Slopestyle
1. Ari Coats
2. Melissa Ponce de Leon
3. Emily Smith-Zurawski

Women Boardercross
1. Melissa Ponce de Leon
2. Ari Coats
3. Amanda Poindexter

ASP Women’s World Tour adds new Kiwi event for 2010

The ASP Women’s World Tour will be getting a boost next season with the addition of New Zealand’s Taranaki region as a dream tour venue.

The Taranaki Women’s Surf Festival will host the world’s best female surfers from April 14 – 18, 2010 along Taranaki’s Surf Highway 45, with mobile venue options including famed locations such as Fitzroy Beach, Rocky Point, Stent Road and Opunake.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be adding New Zealand to the ASP Women’s World Tour schedule,” Brodie Carr, ASP Intl CEO, said. “The region is ripe with world class waves and it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents of our outstanding female athletes.”

Paige Hareb (NZL), 19, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and current ASP World No. 3, is New Zealand’s first female ambassador at surfing’s elite level of competition, and the addition of another ASP Dream Tour event in her backyard could prove advantageous to the young goofy-footer’s bid for an ASP Women’s World Title.

“I’m pretty happy about the ASP Women’s World Tour coming to my home town in New Zealand next year,” Hareb said. “I know a lot of the girls have never been before and have wanted to come here for a long time. The surf is really consistent around that time of the year so I can’t wait to show the girls what my coast has to offer. It’s going to be pretty exciting!”

The addition of New Zealand to the ASP Women’s World Tour in 2010 is the latest in a string of successes for professional women’s surfing, having recently confirmed the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach event for November this year and with the 2010 season shaping up to be one of its’ best ever.

“This is the first ever World Tour event to be held in New Zealand making this a historic step for both professional surfing and sports in the country,” Brooke Farris, ASP Women’s World Tour Manager, said. “It’s fantastic to see the people of New Zealand putting all their support behind tour rookie Paige Hareb. It will be very exciting to see Paige bring the tour to her local town and perform in front of the masses.”

New Zealand’s Taranaki, for their part, are ecstatic to host the world’s best female surfers next season. In addition to adding an ASP Women’s World Tour event to the 2010 schedule, Taranaki will also host an ASP Grade-3 Girl’s Pro Junior, boasting the richest prize purse on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Girl’s Series, AUD $8,000.

“Surfing sits at the heart of Taranaki’s innovation and culture,” Stuart Trundle, Chief Executive of Venture Taranaki Trust, said. “We’re stoked that Taranaki has been selected as the venue to host the New Zealand leg of the ASP Dream Tour next year. This event gives us the opportunity to showcase our world-class athletes, the legendary point breaks they call home, and the innovative surf industry that’s grown here.”

The next stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic at Sydney’s Northern Beaches from September 30 through October 5, 2009.

For more information, log onto

www.aspworldtour.com

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