It's Never to Early...

It's a simple fact - fun on the trail is directly proportional to the kind of shape you are in. Now that January is over and the rush to meet those resolutions is fading, it's time to get serious. Being in shape for summer will not only increase the amount of enjoyment derived from a hike, but it will help you feel better. Also, exercise is one of the great stress relievers in life. Closely followed by a cold beer after exercise.

Would you rather be the goober that sits out that extra mile? Maybe you'd rather dominate those mountains and bag that extra peak. Check out this article from Backpacker. Granted, a few of these gym exercises will have the other people staring, but I can attest to the effectiveness of these. Of course, maybe you've had to cancel that gym membership in order to pay the bills?

So here are a couple ideas for at home training. Of course, there's nothing quite like getting out with some weight on your back and getting a few miles in. Maybe you don't have the time, or maybe you live somewhere that's actually having winter. Either way, these few tips will help.

1. Find the nearest stadium and run up the stairs. For added effectiveness, run up the stairs with a backpack.

2. Lunges. Find a 50' flat spot and touch your knee to the ground on each lunge. Another good one to try with a backpack. Or better yet, try it on not flat ground. Like a real trail.

3. Find a few common household items to help with your training. Fill empty milk jugs with water and use them as free weights. Attach them to your broom and hang them over your shoulder while doing lunges. Tie them to your feet and do pull ups. The possibilities are endless.

4. Jump ups. Find something roughly as tall as your knees, and jump up and down until you can't take it anymore. Then stand on the ledge and do calf raises.

5. Run. Walk. Run, more. Rinse, wash, repeat as necessary.

6. Don't focus just on your legs. While important, they are only part of a system. Try yoga or pilates. Do sit ups and push ups.

7. Be active. Play volleyball. Walk 18 holes of golf. Extreme bocci. Anything that gets you off the couch.

8. Crosstrain. Anything outside is a good start. Go do it!

January 21, 2009

January 21.

The 21st day of the year, exactly one month into the start of winter, and we had a heat wave. Not any old heat wave, but a record setting one. It was 71 degrees out.

Some of us over at Path Less Taken decided to enjoy the nice weather and get in some rock climbing. We timed it perfectly. We got up to Clear Creek Canyon as soon as the sun peaked its way over the cliff wall. We stayed for every single second of sunlight. It was glorious. I've started working on my sunglasses tan for the year.

The climbing was great. We had the entire cliff to ourselves, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We looked down upon a partially frozen river, and enjoyed the sun. It was exactly what we needed. We got away from the city, from cell phones, from email, and basked in the perfect Colorado weather. I, for one, feel entirely refreshed now, ready to go back to the grind.

Unfortunately, enjoying the unseasonably nice weather forces us to confront some sad truths. The weather has been changing, and not all for the good. Wired's article about global warming and how it is effecting the west is very informative, and slightly disturbing.

On a happier note, does anyone else have pictures from adventures they've been enjoying during the great weather?

A Few More Gear Tips

Hey all,

Here's a few more sources from keeping your gear in tip-top shape. Make Your Gear Last Forever is a great entry on caring for tents specifically. The comments are pretty informative as well.

As far as gear goes, though, one of the most important pieces are the ones that go on your feet. They say that boots will last you for years, a decade even, but only if you care for them.

Obviously, the lighter the shoe, the more likely it's going to end up like these ones did after a mere 500 miles. Trust me, you don't want this to happen.

When you purchase a new pair of boots, fit is far and away the most important aspect. Looks, weight, and size are all merely secondary. Maybe you're a size 10 with one manufacturer, maybe an 11.5 with another. Immediately after you buy your new best friends, make sure to waterproof them. Do this even if they say they are already waterproofed. You can buy a NikWax like product at your local retailer.

Make sure to break them in nicely. Wear them to the store. Wear them to work. Wear them to the bar. I'm sure they are the height of fashion. The general rule of thumb is that if they are still uncomfortable after a dozen or so miles, then maybe it's time to bring them back. If your boots are not just right, you'll get blisters. I know of no way faster to ruin a trip than suffering through blisters.

After your boots are broken in, take them out for their first trip. Make it a short one. You don't want to be caught out on a long journey with boots that don't fit. At the end of each day make sure to clean them as well as you can, but DO NOT under any circumstances heat them too close to a fire. Inevitably you will forget, or they will fall, and then your new boots will land in the fire and melt. Or simply burst into flames. And then you're really in trouble.

Gear, Gear, Wonderful Gear

If you're at all like me, you are somewhat of a gear fanatic. Some people have a lot of shoes, some hats, some perhaps even have a lot of small fuzzy animals from their childhood. I have a lot of gear.

I have eleven backpacks, eight headlamps, five sleeping bags, three tents, two stoves, and a partridge in a pear tree. That's not even counting the Path Less Taken gear. That's just my own personal stuff. While this may sound excessive, and it might actually be, every backpack has a different function. Or at least that's what I tell myself at night. It's also what I tell my girlfriend when we argue about how many pairs of shoes she has. That's right, slightly hypocritical, but backpacks are just way more functional.


Regardless, with the sheer amount of gear I have, and the entirely absurd amount of money that I spend on it, it's incredibly important to keep your gear clean and well preserved. You can always check with the manufacturer for their guidelines, but I've got a few rules of thumb that have worked well for me. Now is a great time to reorganize your gear, and get everything ready for the upcoming seasons. Besides, it's fun to play with your gear. (For added fun, buy a digital postal scale to see how much your gear actually weights.)

Backpacks - Packs should get kept relatively flat, either hung up or laid down. Keep the buckles buckled, but don't tighten the straps down. It's ok to wash your pack with water, but make sure that it's entirely dry before storing for the season. A warm sponge will generally do the trick. You also want to store your pack away from direct sunlight as this breaks down the fabrics.

Sleeping bags - Your sleeping bag, either down or synthetic, should be kept in the large cotton sack that most likely came with it. While this takes up a lot of room - much more room that would be required if your bag was kept in its stuff sack - it will preserve the life of your down leaving it with its 'loft'. Loft is the amount of puff that your sleeping bag has left, and the more puff, the more warm you will stay.

Sleeping pads - The inflatable variety of sleeping pad should be kept with its valve open and hung like a sack over a bar. The foam variety should be kept flat with nothing crushing them in order to preserve their somewhat dubious comfort.

Tents - A tent is what keeps you safe and dry, gives you a shelter during a storm, and is essentially your home away from home. Treat it accordingly. Tents should be folded, not stuffed as previously suggested, into their largest stuff sack, with the fly or ground cloth on the outside. Make sure that the floor of the tent has been thoroughly cleaned and dried before storage. Make sure to store your poles, stakes, and stuff sack in the same place, so that the next time you go backpacking you don't leave your poles behind. Trust me, it really sucks using your tent as a mere blanket.

Everything else - Stoves should be taken apart, separated from their fuel, and cleaned carefully. Water purifiers should be disassembled as well. Check the filter to make sure you don't need a new one. Clean all of the sand, silt, and general muck from it. Batteries should be removed from headlamps, GPS units, and anything else that uses them. Don't forget to clean dishes, pots, lids, and anything else that might get all gnarly from camping. I am especially guilty of forgetting this, and have ruined more than one pot.

Now, this may should like a lot of work, but if you think about it in the right way, it's just like getting ready for a new expedition. You familiarize yourself with your equipment, you take care of it, and you lovingly dream about using it again.

On that note, I'm going to go wash my dishes.

Beta Launch

Yesterday was a big day for us over at Path Less Taken.

Amid much fanfare and fireworks and while somewhat less glamorous then a red carpet movie premier, I would like to proudly present the new, improved, and all together amazing, Path Less Taken website. Check it out at here.


It is by no means finished, but this is the first step. However, if you have any feedback, feel free to send it our way.

Colorado Trail

Welcome...

A new year and a new blog seem to go hand-in-hand. Path Less Taken Guides is starting its second year of business and to celebrate this important milestone, we’ve decided to join the ranks of the technologically forward, and start our very own blog.

With the holidays wrapping up, family going back home, and the calendar year slipping towards the end of the decade, things at Path Less Taken are really ramping up. The beginning of the year is incredibly busy for us. We’ve got to get our permits applications in or renewed, we have to begin lining up another season of excellent clients, and we’ve got wade through mountains of receipts and puzzle through all of our W-2’s, 1090’s and Z-43’s. Of course, I’m not even sure if I made that last one up.

Back at the office – currently a well loved and well traveled Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 tent – we’ve been busy little marmots and have finally pushed our way through checklists dating as far back as the company’s inception. During the frenzy of getting ready for the New Year, it sometimes gets hard to remember why it is we do this. That’s when I have to pause, take a deep breath, and think back to some of the amazing memories of the year before.

The picture above was taken during our thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, just west of Molass Pass. The sun was setting, and our camp site had been visited by a father elk and his calf. The light off the pond was so perfectly reflecting the sky that we even delayed our evening meal. If you’ve ever gone on a long hike you’ll know that dinner is the best time of the day, so you’ll appreciated the sheer beauty of this moment. Whenever I look back at this picture, it’s almost as if I can smell the mountain air and feel the cool bite of night setting in. It reminds me of the serenity that comes with being out in the wild.

Here’s to wishing all of you a bit of serenity for the New Year.