2009/2010 Crescent Moon Snowshoes- Buy Today!!

Crescent Moon Gold Series 9

Crescent Moon has revolutionized their already popular line of snowshoes, and have managed to win BACKPACKER Magazine’s award for “Best Binding” out of all snowshoes on the market. Here’s what they have done to improve upon last years models:

1. Increased the size of the binding to capture more of the foot and provide greater support on all terrain
2. Increased the size of the stomp pad to provide a bigger landing area for your heel and provide greater stability, particularly noticeable on traverses and uneven terrain
3. Inserted an HDPE “stabilizer” sandwiched between the harness of the binding and stainless steel crampon to eliminate twist and foot slop- again, particularly noticeable on steep traverses, but clearly a performance enhancer on all terrain- it “feels” extremely sturdy and stable and holds your foot as if “locked” on to the platform which makes all of the Crescent Moon snowshoes very athletic and able to translate and any all natural motions of your stride, whether climbing, descending, walking or even running, if that’s what you choose to do. It is certainly the most natural feeling shoe on the market.
4. The decking material was changed on all of Crescent Moon’s snowshoes, making them more abrasion resistant, heavier duty and is PVC free- they are also very quiet because of the flexible deckin particularly compared to hard plastics and injection molded decking which make some serious noise…and sound is one of the senses you notice most when snowshoeing…

So now that you’ve read all the great improvements check out the new  Crescent Moon line-up this year at The Trailhead!

Buena Vista, Colorado – Community Garage Sale

Community Garage Sale

When- November 7th- 8 am-2 pm

Where- BV Community Center- Corner of E Main and South Main

What- Community sale of donated items to benefit the BV River Park (climbing walls, open space, parks, trails, fishing access and paddling.)

Why-
Many of you have seen the new major improvements made at the river park this summer, with the addition on 3 new climbing boulders, open park space, trail improvements, new river features and new signage. We are in the final stretch for community fundraising and have come up with a simple goal to raise the last bit of cash needed for our GOCO matching funds.

Details-
We need donations. Start to collect items that you usually give to the Goodwill, stuff that has some value, but not quite valuable enough that you want to deal with selling it on your own. All donations need to be clean and in reasonable condition.  Old outdoor gear, clothing, kitchen wear, shoes, kid’s items, old bikes, skis, paddling gear, etc.  Anything that you would find at a typical garage sale can be donated and sold.

Drop off locations-
You can drop off your donated items starting November 4th at 2 convenient locations at the Trailhead at 707 Highway 24 in Buena Vista, and CKS at 327 E Main St in Buena Vista.  Items can also be brought by the Community Center the day of the sale.   All un-sold items on Saturday afternoon will be donated to Newbees. Please do not donate items that already belong at the “dump.”

More information- Contact earl@coloradokayak.com or call 719 221 1461

Mountain Bike Trail Closures

Mountain Biking the West

Hey all you mountain bikers! Check out this article from the New York Times on bikeradar.com.

“A recent New York Times article on the popularity of mountain biking in western states like Montana prompting trail closures has caught the attention of mountain bike trail lovers everywhere, especially the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), which is on full alert.”

Backpacker Magazine – The Backpacker Smackdown: Testing the CamelBak

Watch this impressive video to see how bomber the CamelBak Omega Reservoir is. And when you’re sold on the fact that your 4 year old water reservoir is finally worth replacing come find a new CamelBak Omega Reservoir at The Trailhead.

more about “Backpacker Magazine – The Backpacker …“, posted with vodpod

Buena Vista Community Garage Sale

As many of you know, the town of BV has started its third phase of the BV River park improvements. This will include 3 incredible rock climbing boulders for public use, a new in stream whitewater feature, new trail signage, additional benches, and more trash receptacles. All work will be done this summer, fall and next winter. So by spring of 2010, our BV River Park will be the better than the best has to offer. If you have not noticed already, this park is getting a tremendous amount of use daily and is bringing and keeping a ton of folks in our town.
Funding for this project is a collaborative effort between the town of BV, South Main, local citizen support, and GOCO state lottery funding. We (the public) are committed to fund raise $7,000 this summer to assist in matching grants for the overall scope of the project. We started with Paddle Fest and the P and H Ball to get the funding rolling this spring. Now is the time to unite to raise the additional amounts so we all can enjoy this gigantic and incredible resource in town used by bikers, paddlers, climbers, fishermen, and sight seers’ alike.

What- Community Garage Sale

Where- BV Community Center

(Corner of E Main and South Main)

When- November 7^th-  8 am-2 pm

How can you help? – Start to collect items that you usually give to Goodwill, Global Garage and/or Newbees.  Stuff that has some value, but not quite valuable enough that you want to deal with selling it on your own on E bay or Craig’s List.   Old outdoor gear, clothing, kitchen wear, shoes, kid’s items, old bikes, skis, paddling gear, etc.  Anything really that you would find at a typical garage sale.  You may be interested in donating some “cool” items since all the proceeds will be benefitting the future or this park.

You can drop off  your donated items starting November 4^th at 2 convenient locations at The Trailhead -on Highway 24 in Buena Vista, and CKS on E Main St in Buena Vista.  Items can also be brought by the Community Center the day of the sale.   All un-sold items on Saturday afternoon will be donated to Newbees. Please do not donate items that already belong at the “dump”.

“River of Action” 350.org Event

Colorado Kayak Supply is announcing its sponsorship of the River of Action which will take place in Buena Vista, CO on October 24, 2009. River of Action is part of the International Day of Climate Change, an initiative of the nonprofit 350.org, which aims to bring attention and action to the global warming crisis. The mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

The focus is on the number 350–as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number–it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

To tackle climate change we need to move quickly, and we need to act in unison—and 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year.  This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn’t meet the severity of the climate crisis—it doesn’t pass the 350 test.

In order to unite the public, media, and our political leaders behind the 350 goal, a planetary day of action is being coordinated on October 24, 2009. Actions are taking place at hundreds of iconic places around the world – from the Taj Mahal to the Great Barrier Reef to Buena Vista – and clear message to world leaders: the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.

The gathering will take place at the Barbara Whipple Bridge at the Buena Vista Riverpark at 10:00 am on October 24. We will meet up for a photo and you will also have the chance to win give-a-ways from Keen, Colorado Kayak Supply and NRS. If you are interested in joining the local 350 gathering on October 24 go to 350.org or contact Colorado Kayak Supply at 395-8653.

Adventure Travel-Pisgah National Forest

Mt. Pisgah-photo credit- wikipedia.org

While visiting friends in South Carolina, we decided to do some hiking in the mountains of nearby North Carolina. Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River, seemed attractive since I’m use to hiking at 8,000+feet in Colorado. But, from a very reliable resource, we were referred to hike Mt. Pisgah instead and enjoy a more pleasurable view of the North Carolina Mountains. Apparently much of the foliage on Mt. Mitchell has died off from air streams of pollution pouring over the mountain, making it a pretty ugly sight.

So, we changed our plans and headed for Mt. Pisgah, which I believe might be the second highest point in NC. Mt. Pisgah at 5,721 feet, is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachian Mountain Range.

Mt. Pisgah Trail

There are a couple hiking trails up to the summit of Mt. Pisgah, our selected hike started with only 1.6 miles to climb up to the summit.

The Trail Crews have maintained this trail pristinely with carefully placed stone steps along large sections of the trail. These are great except from the recent storms the steps were wet and rather slippery. The partly cloudy day combined with the wet soil, created a beautiful backdrop for the brilliant colored Autumn leaves.

Upon reaching the summit, we climbed up the observation deck erected by Boy Scouts in the 70’s,

Observation deck on Mt. Pisgah

but to our disappointment we were engulfed in misty clouds and had zero views to enjoy. But, along the hike back down as we descended from the clouds we were able to get some panoramic views of the rolling Appalachians.

Appalachian Mountains

BLM and US Forest Service alert Midland Grade Trail users of upcoming trail improvement project

FORWARD from Ark Valley Velo – Kep Heinitz

BUENA VISTA, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Royal Gorge Field
Office and the Salida Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service want to alert the public of a trail improvement project about to begin along the Midland Grade Trail.

The work is scheduled to start Monday, Oct. 19.  The project is expected to take three weeks to complete pending weather conditions and unexpected circumstances.  The trail is located two miles southeast of Buena Vista on BLM and National Forest System lands in Chaffee County.

The Midland Grade Trail is a popular non-motorized trail used by mountain bikers and hikers.  The trail follows the old Midland Railroad rail line built during the 1860s.  Original railroad crossings of certain gulches are at risk of, or currently, washing out during heavy rains and are cutting into the trail.

Contracted workers will use smaller-sized heavy equipment to repair existing washouts and mitigate the potential for future washouts by providing areas for storm water to pass through the trail.  The mitigation work is intended to prevent stored sediment from entering into Trout Creek. The trail improvement work will not change the character or use designation of the trail.  The public should expect to encounter equipment along the trail throughout the duration of the project.  The majority of work will be on BLM lands with the remainder on National Forest System lands.

For further information, contact Dave Gilbert, BLM at 719-269-8529 regarding work on BLM lands or Ben Lara at 719-539-3955, regarding work on National Forest System lands.

Backpacker Magazine – Survival Skills: How to Prevent Hypothermia

Make sure you are prepared for pretty much anything when you go out to play in the backcountry. Think…thoroughly before you go!  Review your survival essentials to carry when climbing a Fourteener, backpacking, bike camping, winter camping,  multi-day kayaking, or planning any backcountry travel expedition. Check out this video from Backpacker.com about hypothermia. Travel Smart and Play Safely!

more about “Backpacker Magazine – Survival Skills…“, posted with vodpod

“National Parks Best Story Competition” Winner- Jason Moore!

Thank you all for contributing to our “National Park Best Memory Competition,” they were so wonderful to read. So without any further adieu we’d like to present the story from our winner, Jason Moore, a local Coloradoan with a captivating memory.

My family is from southern California, my brothers & sisters, both of my parents, and all of my aunts and uncles. None of us live there now. In the 1970’s when I was very young and California was still becoming “a very crowded place”… we left. Looking for the perfect place to live and grow we piled into a pickup truck with a camper and drove north from Park to Park, along the coast from Yosemite, to the Redwoods, Crater Lake and eventually to Mount Rainier. Only on our second trip when we drove east to Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde did we arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park.

My young memories of these road trips are only of the sight of squirrels and mountains and tall trees and deep canyons, the smell of wood smoke and pine sap and the sound of kids’ laughter and blue birds and crackling fires. My parents however, found what they were looking for: a new home in a small town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

As a result, I grew up surrounded by trees and creeks and snow and lightning. I walked out my back door as a kid and without planning on it I was hiking, backpacking and scrambling granite domes. It wasn’t until I began attending the University of Colorado in Boulder that I returned for the first time to “The Park” and found my home in the mountains. Rocky Mountain National Park reminded me where I came from: a smoggy, crowded, traffic filled valley full of tract homes and highways, and where I actually belonged: alone, surrounded by rock and wind and clouds..

The Park provided me the target of my first 14,000 foot summit: Long’s Peak. At nineteen and unexpectedly green I ascended the mountain in the early morning hours during a full moon wearing a flannel shirt and hauling an old frame pack full of cold weather gear, a little water and some extra food. The climb was long and crowded, a cool Labor Day weekend with more than 400 hikers; it was a pilgrimage of sorts, providing a communal sense of safety. It was a long but very fulfilling day and the first of many high summits to come.

With that humble start in Rocky Mountain National Park I was inspired as a young adult to expand my goals. Thus began my heartfelt pursuit of outdoor skills in The Park during all four seasons from short summer walks and long days to multi day fall through-hikes, from winter snow caving to spring snowclimbing. I graduated from the Boulder Mountaineering School, climbed almost all of Colorado’s 14’ers, Oregon’s Mount Hood, Washington’s Mount Rainier, and Mexico’s El Pico de Orizaba. Eventually, I wrote a hiking guidebook for the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado hiking hundreds of miles and taking thousands of pictures. Without exaggeration I can say that the National Parks shaped my childhood, drew me and my family to a new home and provided me with the conduit I needed to discover my true passion and become the person I am today.