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?

Aussie Gilmore claims 3rd World Surf Title

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, claimed her third consecutive ASP Women’s World Title last week at the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink in Hawaii.

Gilmore makes history as the only surfer – man or woman – ever to win the prestigious crown each year they competed at the elite ASP World Tour level. In addition to winning her third world crown, Gilmore reached the final of the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown, and placed third overall in the event. Waves were in the 12 – to 20-foot wave face height range making for an exciting contest.

Hawaii’s Carissa Moore,  17, claimed the Gidget Pro event title with a dynamic and powerful surfing display that was beyond her years and Sunset Beach surfing experience.  Second place went to Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia), and Kauai’s Alana Blanchard placed fourth. Blanchard now leads the Vans Triple Crown Series ratings ahead of Gilmore. The Vans Triple Crown champion will receive a $25,000 bonus purse.

When the final day of surfing at the Gidget Pro began, six surfers remained in contention for the 2009 ASP Women’s World Title. Gilmore never faulted and had out-pointed all her challengers by the time she qualified for the final.

Gilmore, who was focused on preparing for the Final at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, had remained intentionally aloof to the ASP Women’s World Title possibilities on the final day of competition, and was surprised when informed she had clinched the historic crown.

“I didn’t even know it was happening,” Gilmore said. “I was preparing for the Final and gearing up and then to know I had won, my head was a bit light. To go to Honolua and not have to worry about the title going into the event is just so relaxing.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable on the Women’s World Tour and go into events differently,” Gilmore said. “You get to know the breaks and it’s still my third year and I love traveling and competing and it’s such a special thing to get paid to do. I’m looking forward to next year and seeing different conditions and different waves on tour, I think there might be a couple of new stops, so yeah, I’m looking forward to having good heats and good waves.”

Gilmore’s 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour Results:

· Win at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast
· Runner-Up at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach
· Runner-Up at the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic
· Equal 5th Place Finish at the Rip Curl Pro Search
· Runner-Up at the Movistar Peru Classic
· 3rd at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach
· TBD at the upcoming Billabong Pro Maui

Visit the Press Room on www.aspworldtour.com for more info.

‘09 Mountainboard Season Wrap-up

(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 her most recent competitive season.)

The 2009 Mountainboard Season has come to an end.

We had three major comps this summer and I had a goal of winning all of them.  Coming off of two Overall Championships last season really pushed me to up the level  this year.

In August we traveled to our first destination of the season in Kansas. The Twilight Showdown was an amazing event, the first ever night time event under the lights.  The comp took place in the middle of Kansas at Kaos which has to have one of the coolest boardercross and slopestyle courses in the country. I swept the competition winning the boardercross, freestyle and the women’s overall.

In September we hosted the Altitude Cup Mountainboard Challenge in Empire, CO. I won the boardercross, got 2nd in the big air and won the women’s overall.

The last event of the season was in early October (the 10th and 11th) in Colorado Springs, CO. The MBS Fall classic is always the final event  and this year we competed in the snow.  I swept the event winning the Big Air and Slalom events, as well as the Women’s Overall.

Fall Classic Results:
1st-Melissa Ponce de Leon
2nd-Emily Smith-Zurawski
3rd-Ari Coats

I’m really happy with how the season went and along the way I had the chance to teach 12 people how to Mountainboard. Another amazing season without major injury is always a good season so I’m grateful.

The snow is here in Summit County, CO now and I will be training on my snowboard for the next few months. Not sure what the next season will bring yet, so stay tuned.

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

Superheroines can be divas, too

Lots of comic book fans were stunned earlier this month when Marvel made the unexpected decision to merge with the Walt Disney Company. But earlier in the summer, the comic book company made another  unexpected decision–except this one was actually kind of cool.

In July, Marvel released Divas, a comic featuring some of the toughest females in the Marvel universe: Hellcat, Firestar, Photon, and Black Cat, to be precise.  NPR says Divas reads like a youthful, superpowered version of Golden Girls . The plotlines focus less on hyped up battle scenes and more on life as an off-duty lady-hero.

According to writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (”Big Love”), “The idea behind the series was to have some sudsy fun and lift the curtain a bit and take a peep at some of our most fabulous super heroines. . . the series is going to a deeper place, asking question about what it means…truly means…to be a woman in an industry dominated by testosterone and guns.”

The atypical tone of Divas may make it a hard-sell to the usual comic book audience (read guys).  But the boys should read it: the daring to make something so unconventional is reason alone to pick it up. And, more importantly, Divas is a big step in easing comic arts away from female objectification and towards a more substantial depiction of what makes women so super after all.

Check Divas out yourself

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

No clear answer from IOC for women ski jumpers

The fight to include women’s ski jumping has been going on for a while.

After all the controversy, it seems the IOC has a responsibility to help this sport grow and with minimal effort and cost they can do it. Many sports have been added to the Olympic program over the years of lesser stature but for this sport at this time there seems to be a definitive bias. Power can be used for both good and bad and unfortunately IOC President Jacques Rogge is the one who has it right now. Here’s his response to the athletes most recent missive:

Dear Ladies,

Thank you for your letter dated 4 September 2009.

You have clearly made important strides to develop women’s ski jumping since our decision in 2006 – and in coming years we are open to considering women’s ski jumping for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games. However, we remain convinced that our decision in 2006 was the correct one, based on the analysis of the event done at that time, and our position for the 2010 Games is unchanged.

I am sure that with your passion for your sport and with the continued support of the International Ski Federation (FIS), your efforts to improve and develop women’s ski jumping globally will create a very compelling argument for the Olympic Programme Commission, when the winter programme is reviewed in the future.

I am pleased that you agree that the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a wonderful initiative and hopefully, with your help, the YOG can play a part in encouraging the next generation of young female athletes to take-up this exciting event.

We continue to work, as Justice Fenlon noted, for “the inclusion of women in the Olympics and in amateur sports”, as well as in the fields of sports leadership and administration, and your commitment to your sport and its development will greatly assist in this domain. I wish you good luck during your competitions this up-coming season and thank you for your continued engagement to sport.

Yours sincerely,
Jacques Rogge

The 15  female ski jumpers who have filed suit are (understandably)  disappointed Rogge’s letter does not address their specific query about the technical requirements they allegedly fail to meet. As they’ve stated repeatedly, they’re confident they do indeed meet all the universality and technical requirements needed to participate fully at the Olympics.

They’ll now  concentrate their efforts on the appeal of their legal case to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13. That’s just three months before the Olympics begin on Feb 2010. Time is  running out and a  split decision in the Appeal Court would likely prompt a bid to put the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada.

How high must these women jump to get on the Olympic programme? If you want to help out, sign the petition to let the ladies jump now.

4th Annual Los Angeles WISE Panel and Networking Event

If you live in Los Angeles and are interested in pursuing a career in sports, are looking to make connections in the industry, or want to hear from a panel of successful athletes and businesswomen including Women’s Sports Foundation President Jessica Mendoza, surfer Lisa Anderson and USA Softball player Amanda Freed, then make sure you head down to the LA Athletic Club next Tuesday (Sept. 22nd) for what looks to be a great event.

Kimmy Fasani: Keeping fit in the off-season

(Ed. Note: Winter X Games veteran Kimmy Fasani is a  Pretty Tough Team Rider. This is one in a series of exclusive blog post for the site. )

The 2009 to 2010 season is just around the corner and as an athlete, a healthy lifestyle is the glue that holds my body and mind together. When I feel strong physically, I typically feel a lot more confident mentally. Each year from June until November I have to find my rhythm again with how I’m going to get my body back in the best shape. This summer has flown by and I’ve been on the road a lot so I have hard a hard time finding my groove for getting into the gym. However, even when I’m not able to hop into the gym I find ways to get active.

When I’m on the go, and not in a place long enough to get a gym membership, I try to do some kind of cardio workout at least four times a week. During this hour workout I will do three sets of lunges, squats, pushups, and sit-ups. This gets my muscles firing and keeps me fit, while also not taking up too much time. I notice a big difference in my endurance levels on the hill when I make time for this quick workout.

When I am home in Mammoth Lakes, CA and don’t make time to go to the gym I have found a good routine that will make me strong going into the 2009-2010 season. I am an early riser and prefer to get my workouts done in the morning, so I don’t have to worry about doing later in the day. Plus anything I do after my morning workout will be an added bonus. About five days a week I hop on my road bike before I eat breakfast giving my body a chance to burn off more of ‘last nights’ dinner. Later in the afternoon I may go rock climbing with my boyfriend, if we are both in town. About three times a week I do yoga, which keeps my body limber and stretched out. The three of these together lengthen, strengthen, and stretch my body making me feel rejuvenated and ready for another season.

If you’re an athlete or not it’s very important to keep your body moving. This will keep your joints lubricated and healthy, which will make your body happy for the rest of your life.

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