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September 17, 2009

Running Camp, Death Valley, October 14-18, 2009

I've joined with ultra running legend Marshall Ulrich and adventure-runner Ray Zahab to offer you the extraordinary opportunity to learn from our experiences. At the camp you will learn how to improve your running for all kinds of races, including road, desert, stage, mountain, and trail races! I will do a hands-on clinic on ultra-light overnight and unsupported multi-day racing. You will also learn from other special guests Bart Yasso and Danny Dryer. We welcome all runners, whether you have just started running or if you are an experienced ultra runner. Sign up today at www.MarshallUlrich.com. See you there!

August 15, 2009

Just posted a 10-minute video on the Four-Range trip...

August 9, 2009

I returned to the Lower 48 a few days ago and am in Bozeman getting ready for 3 straight weeks of Backpacking Light courses that start next weekend.

The Alaska trip was a total success. My 700-mile 4-week Four-Range trip was exactly what I had hoped and expected it to be: very hard and very awesome, at times "magical." I saw almost 20 grizzly bears, including one that I floated by in my packraft while he was feeding on salmon in the Kenai River. In the Talkeetna Mountains I went 6 days without seeing anybody, 5 days without coming across a manmade trail or track, and 4 days without seeing a human footprint. I bushwhacked through every type of nastiness that Alaska had to offer -- alder, devil's club, willow, salmonberry thickets, buckbrush, beetle-killed spruce, and a bunch of other stuff. I saw thousands of caribou in the Oshetna River valley and had a humpback whale breach about 50 feet away from me in the Kenai Fjords (They look BIG when you're sitting in a packraft!). And I found many treacherous passes and ridgelines in the Chugach Range that looked much easier when I mapped out my route while sitting in a plush office chair.

After the Four-Range trip I competed in the 28th Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, which this year took racers 180 miles across the eastern Alaska Range. I showed up in great shape and won the race with two Anchorage-based pararescuemen; I'm the third non-Alaskan rookie to ever win.

I've posted photos, videos, route beta, maps, and a race report about these Alaskan trips. The links are:

June 6, 2009

A quick check-in between outings...

Returned to Bozeman this morning from an awesome 5-day trip in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with eight high school students from Realms of Inquiry. The Colorado Plateau is not a preferred destination of mine in early-June but the temperatures were relatively cool, and it helped greatly that we were walking (or, on occasion, swimming) through water for about two-thirds of the trip (in Death Hollow and the Escalante River).

This was my first extended outing as an instructor with a high school group, and I feel fortunate that the students were top-notch -- smart, motivated, inquisitive, and good humored -- and that their teacher, Nate Auck, spent the last month working with the students to have this be a lightweight backpacking trip. I don't think it's a coincidence that the students experienced zero blisters or that there were no complaints about sore muscles or about the hiking experience in general. I guess that today's youth can discover the joys of hiking, especially when it's not work!

A few pictures...


Our 36-mile loop started just outside of Esclante. We followed the Boulder Mail Trail to Death Hollow, descended Death Hollow to the Escalante River, and hiked east to the Escalante Natural Bridge before following the river canyon back west to our van. The highlight of the trip was definitely Death Hollow, which has at least one pool that hikers must swim across.


All of the students began the trip with a pack weight of less than 22 lbs, including food for 4 full days and some water; their base weights were less than 15 lbs. Kudos to their teacher, Nate Auck (on far left), for showing his students "the light."

Immediately before the Realms trip I was on a 3-day packrafting trip with five other instructor's from Backpacking Light Magazine. We floated about 40 miles of Class I-II water on the Madison River, which flows out of Yellowstone National Park and becomes the Missouri River when it merges near Three Forks with the Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers. It was undoubtedly the easiest 40 miles I've ever covered through a wild area -- the potential of a packraft for wilderness travel is now completely clear to me.

Journalist Brett French from the Billings Gazette joined us for the trip. You can read the article on the Gazette's website.

A few pictures from the float...


Inflating our packrafts at the end of Bear Trap Canyon, which we mostly portaged in order to avoid some Class IV rapids that are especially dangerous right now with the high spring run-off.


Below Bear Trap Canyon the river became wide with occasional Class II features. The Madison's headwaters, the majestic-looking Spanish Peaks, loomed behind us.

May 6, 2009

Last weekend I joined 17 other ultra-runners from Boulder on a 48-mile run across Zion National Park. I have posted photos and a video (below); and I put together a page of how-to information -- route description, water sources, logistics, maps and a databook, etc. -- if you want to replicate the route, which I'd highly recommend.

I have also posted information about, photos from, and a trip report on another classic adventure run, the 42-mile Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim.

Even though I'm calling these "adventure runs," they can certainly be done as day-hikes or as a multi-day backpacking trip too. Insteadyof carrying a handheld bottle or a tiny hydration pack, bring a bigger pack with a sleeping bag and stove -- and don't forget to obtain a backcountry permit before you go.

April 23, 2009 -- Spring Cleaning Sale

I came across a number of items today while doing some spring cleaning that I would like to pass off since I'm not using or don't need them anymore. Items still for sale are listed below. These are great deals and I expect things to get snatched up quickly. Prices include tax and shipping.

April 10, 2009

I finally have gotten around to stitching together a video from the Hayduke & Grand Canyon Traverse trip. Enjoy...

March 28, 2008

Finished and resettled

Just a quick post to say that I finished the trek 1.5 weeks ago, on Tuesday, March 17th. I was hoping to have posted some pictures, video clips, and reflections by now but I've been consumed by a wedding, blizzard-blessed skiing, and taxes. I'm hoping to make some progress in the next few days, and I'll post links to new content here.

A few pictures from the trip for an appetizer...


Finishing up at the Grand Canyon, in desperate need of a haircut.


"The Wave," for good reason one of the most famous landmarks on the Colorado Plateau


The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park

February 11, 2009 -- Ready to go!

I've created a new section on my website for this upcoming hike. Check it out! I don't expect to be making updates from the trail but I will post a bunch of photos and videos, and a trip report, when I'm done.

My maps are printed, my maildrops are packed, my gear is nicely organized along the wall of my room, and all of my civilian belongs have been boxed up and put in a garage (again!). As is customary it's been stressful to prepare for this trip, but eventually it all comes together and, eventually, I will need to catch my ride to the trailhead. It's like writing a thesis paper -- it's never completely done, just in states of being more done than before.

I prefer that the most critical decisions about a trip -- i.e. what route I'm going to take, where I'm going to resupply, what gear I'm going to need -- be made early on, since they are so critical to the rest of the planning process, e.g. developing the maps and calculating a final distance, packing up maildrops, and pulling together, or ordering, the parts of my gear kit.

Unfortunately I found myself revisiting a few of these core subjects over the last few days, and ultimately decided to make some moderate changes to my plans. The biggest was the reroute across Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, between Capitol Reef National Park and Round Valley Draw. My original plan was to hitch 30 miles into Escalante from Hurricane Wash on Hole-the-Rock Road, but I heard at least one horror story about that hitch situation (two hikers waited 21 hours for a hitch last Fall) and the good folks at Escalante Outfitters confirmed that it would be troublesome at this time of year, when there is little recreation traffic on the road. So I planned a more direct route that will put the town en route. Another major change was sending a maildrop to Hite instead of Hanksville, due to concerns about hitching on the lightly travelled Highway 95. Until I received a phone call from the facility maintainer this morning, it was unconfirmed that Hite was even open right now, so Hanksville was the only option. The last big issue that was undecided until yesterday was when, or if, I was going to carry snowshoes. I'm going to despise my snowshoes most of the time that I'm carrying them, often across extremely dry stretches where there has perhaps never been enough snow to warrant snowshoes (at least in recent history), but I'm going to be very happy that I have them when I get up into high-elevation areas like the Henry Mountains and Bryce Canyon National Park, where I could easily lose days to postholing through several feet of snow.

February 3, 2008

Getting ready to leave -- it feels good!

In 10 days I'm leaving for a month-long, ~820-mile trek from Arches National Park to the Grand Canyon. Sad to say, this will be the longest single trip since my Great Western Loop hike in 2007; thankfully it's a warm-up for what I'll be doing later this year, which will trump all previous hikes in terms of its difficulty, logistical complexity, and its element of adventure...

My route through Canyon Country relies heavily on the 812-mile Hayduke Trail -- I will be following it for the first 500 miles to the Arizona-Utah border -- but due to weather-related route conditions (namely snow and spring run-off) I have made some changes after that point in order to maximize my enjoyment and safety. Specifically, I will be taking the lower-elevation House Rock Wash Road to the North Rim (after a stop at Coyotte Buttes and "The Wave"), rather than following the Arizona Trail on the snowbound Kaibab Plateau. Once I enter the Grand Canyon I will follow the historical trans-canyon route (see "The Man who Walked through Time," by Colin Fletcher) all the way to Supai and Havasu Canyon, or however far my backcountry permit allows me to get.

This should be a great trip and I am thoroughly looking forward to it. Even the planning process has been fun -- my Excel planning spreadsheet is beautiful, and yesterday things finally began materializing when I went shopping for 18 Pringles cans, 103 oz of trail mix, 137 energy bars, 34 backcountry-friendly dinners, 204 tiles of toilet paper, etc.

January 22, 2009

Dating an extreme athlete

There is a new article in Women's Adventure magazine that -- in a very funny, sarcastic, and fair way, IMO -- addresses some issues inherent in dating an extreme athlete. Or, as the author, Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, ponders: "Can obsessed, high-achieving adventurers really be fantastic boyfriends too? And, if not, why are they still so damn attractive?"

To read the full article, visit the Women's Adventure website.

To answer these questions Elisabeth decided that she needed a first-hand experience, so she called me up and asked if I would be willing to go on a "pseudo date." (Elisabeth and I had worked together before, on a Backpacker article about nutrition, which made it less awkward than a pseudo and blind date.) Staying true to my first-date rite of passage, I took her on a hike up Bear Mountain, which rises 2,800 feet in four miles from the starting point, my front door. Despite gasping for air all the way up Fern Canyon and along the Bear Peak ridge, we managed to conduct a thoughtful, honest, and comprehensive interview.

Not surprisingly, Elisabeth learned what I already knew: that it's difficult to have a steady, intimate relationship with one of us. We travel a lot; we're intensely focused on our next project; we're not always willing to compromise; and, especially in my case, my livelihood depends on my continued ability to be free and independent. I believe that's four strikes right there -- good thing this isn't baseball.

Nevertheless, extreme athletes do find lifelong partners. Ed Viesturs, Conrad Anker, Dean Karnazes, Marshall Ullrich and many others have all managed to find one; and many of them have kids, too. In the article I sound doubtful about the possibility of ever finding "the One" -- "Sometimes I feel like I'm throwing a Hail Mary with women," I commented -- but that's not to mean it can't and won't happen. So, ladies, please don't rule us (or me) out, but please do be aware of the inevitable difficulties from early on.

To read the full article, visit the Women's Adventure website.

January 5, 2008

I am giving several slideshows and clinics in Ohio and Connecticut over the next 2 weeks.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Monthly Lyceum Series
Friday, Jan 9, 7pm
Happy Days Lodge, Brecksville, OH $8 admission; call (330) 657-2909 or purchase at door

Lightweight Backpacking Clinic for Boy Scout Troop 321
Saturday, Jan 10, 10am-noon
Hudson, OH
This is a private clinic but if you would like to attend I am sure the Scoutmaster would welcome you. Please email me.

Mystic Seaport Adventure Series
Thursday, Jan 15, 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Mystic, CT
$5-$15 admission

November 28 -- Seekonk, MA

Another beautiful day here on the East Coast...“Mostly cloudy with scattered rain showers. Highs in the upper 40s. Gusts up to 25 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.” It’s so dark outside that it looks like it’s 4pm already, not 10am. Yuck.

It’s been great to see my parents and one of my sisters, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins over the Thanksgiving holiday. But without question, after visits “home” I always look forward to returning West, where the air is thinner, where the sun shines more often, and where land conservation was not a distant second consideration after development.

I had a great stretch of speaking events and appearances prior to arriving in Massachusetts. It began at Colgate University, where I gave a lightweight backpacking clinic for the Outdoor Education program and a Great Western Loop presentation afterwards for the community. The students were awed by the lightweight and ultralight equipment and clothing that was demoed. The biggest “Wow!” product was a 3-oz Cuben Fiber backpack from Mountain Laurel Designs, which by comparison made the GoLite products look far more reasonable.

To Washington DC for the National Geographic Adventure 2008 Adventurer of the Year event... This year the distinction was given to British schoolmates Rob Gauntlett and James Hooper, both 21 years-old, for their epic 180 Degrees expedition from the magnetic north pole to the magnetic south pole. It was great to see the National Geographic family again and to meet the legendary Rick Ridgeway, who was given a Lifetime Achievement Award.

From Washington I flew to Poland for the Explorers Festival, an event that exceeded even my highest expectations. The 325-seat auditorium was packed for every presentation, with overflow filling the aisles and doorways. Each presentation concluded with a thunderous round of applause followed by a swarming of paparazzi and an autograph session. The All-Star list of North American presenters included climbers Lynn Hill and Hans Florine, around-the-world adventurers Colin and Julie Angus, outdoor photographer Corey Rich, filmmaker Michael Brown, alpinist Araceli Segarra, and mountaineer and writer John Harlin. I stitched together a 6-minute video of the event with clips of presentations by Corey Rich, Michael Brown, and myself:

November 6, 2009

On Wednesday, November 19th at 7pm I will be giving my Great Western Loop presentation at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. The location is Persson Auditorium (campus map, #35). Community members unaffiliated with Colgate are welcome to attend. No charge. The event is being sponsored by Colgate's Outdoor Education program.

October 27, 2008

Trip video from Backpacking Light Magazine’s Wilderness Trekking III course...

October 27, 2008

I gave my Fancy Feast alcohol stove to a student at the end of the Wilderness Trekking course in Escalante, UT, so this morning I made a new one for an upcoming trip. I decided to film and photograph the process for anyone else who wants to make this type of stove. You can find the complete directions with additional commentary in the Techniques section.

October 22, 2008

I just returned from two Wilderness Trekking courses, offered by Backpacking Light Magazine. I've posted my gear lists from these courses, as well as from another course in early-September. I also put this 2-minute video together, which does not feature the learning of anything important necessarily, but we clearly were having a good time out there:

October 3, 2008

FREE TRIP TO SOUTH AFRICA!!!

South African Tourism and National Geographic Adventure invite you to submit a real-life account describing your own adventure, or an adventurer you know plus their thrilling experience of exploration on land, water, or air. Readers may submit an essay of 250-500 words and a photo that captures this adventure- whether it is the thrill, the challenge, or a unique, unexpected adventure moment.

Essays will be reviewed by a National Geographic Adventure panel, chaired by yours truly. One final winner will be selected to win a trip for two to South Africa including a customized adventure itinerary. The Adventurers Wanted winner will be invited to National Geographic Adventure's "Adventurer of the Year" event in Washington, D.C., on November 20th, 2008, to be awarded their trip. They will also get a VIP tour of the National Geographic Society, meet and rub elbows with the elite in the adventure travel/outdoor and National Geographic world, and be recognized in the February issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine.

ENTER NOW

September 22, 2008

The Sierra High Route section is now complete. The SHR is a phenomenal 195-mile trekking route that runs north-south across the heart of the Sierra Nevada Range, featuring about 100 miles of cross-country travel, numerous Class III scrambles, and endless miles of boulder hopping. Buzz Burrell and I completed the SHR in early-July in 9 days.

Because there is so little information about the SHR, I included lots of information that will help anyone who is planning a SHR hike.

September 11, 2008

Your daily dose of humor:

SEPTEMBER 9, 2008

Upcoming Presentations

Sat, Sept 13 -- Adventures in Travel Expo -- 4pm -- Seattle, WA
Sun, Sept 14 -- Adventures in Travel Expo -- 2:45pm -- Seattle, WA
Tues, Sept 17 -- Banff Centre for Mountain Culture -- 7pm -- Banff, AB
Thurs, Nov 20 -- National Geographic Adventurer of the Year -- Washington DC
Sat, Nov 22 -- Explorers Festival - Lodz, Poland
Fri, Jan 9 -- Cuyahoga Valley National Park -- Brecksville, OH
Thurs, Jan 15 -- Mystic Seaport -- Mystic, CT

If you are planning to attend the Adventures in Travel Expo, please contact me for a free ticket.

Iceland Site Complete!

All of the Iceland pages are now complete, including photo captions. If you are planning a trip to Iceland you hopefully will find these pages really helpful. If you are looking for some ideas about where to hike, you hopefully will find these pages inspiring.

Here is a video clip that sums up the Traverse pretty well:

SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

I'm working on the Iceland pages. A few are done; I hope to be done with the rest by tomorrow evening.

I have posted a review on the SPOT Satellite Messenger. It's a very cool and useful produdct, and I'd recommend that anyone who leaves loved ones back home for trips in the wilderness take a look at it.

AUGUST 23, 2008, 2008 -- FRISCO, CO

I have posted a Race Report, Photos, and a Video from the 2008 Leadville 100. Check it out.

AUGUST 23, 2008, 2008 -- FRISCO, CO

I'll be revamping my website today and through the end of next weekend. Please be patient while I work on it.

New content from my Iceland Traverse, Sierra High Route, and South Africa trips will be posted; and I also have a race report from the Leadville 100, which I did last weekend and finished 2nd. After these features I'll be buffing up the resource value of the website, with new information on long-distance hike planning, product reviews, and technique articles.

JULY 11, 2008 -- BOULDER, CO

Buzz and I finished up the Sierra High Route on Wednesday morning, and I’m now back in Colorado until I leave for Iceland on Sunday morning. I figured I’d post a few things while I’m here:

First, the Adventurers Wanted website, which details my 3.5-week trip to South Africa back in May, has been launched. I’m really pleased with how this site has turned out: the content is excellent and accurate, and South African Tourism did a great job incorporating the blog entries, video, and photos. Check it out.

Second, until I’m home for more than 2.5 days, this photo album from the Sierra High Route should be enough to tease you into planning your own SHR trip next year. Check it out.

JUNE 30 -- BOULDER, CO

In a few hours my 2008 hiking season finally begins, and it’ll be in full swing through at least mid-October. I start with the 200-mile Sierra High Route, which I’m doing with well-known trail runner Buzz Burrell. About half the route is off-trail and we’re giving ourselves 11 days to complete it. I’m back in town for 1.5 days before flying overseas for what will likely be the highlight of my summer: trekking across Iceland. The mileage is suspect -- probably 700 or so -- but with 20+ hours of daylight I’m hoping that 21 days gives me enough time. Before I begin the traverse I'll do the 46-mile Laugavegurinn, which is the most famous hiking trail in Iceland.

In good tradition tonight will likely be an all-nighter -- it's not easy clearing my desk of work for the next 1.5 months, even though I have some practice doing it.

The year continues with the Leadville 100 ultra-marathon on August 16 -- a new venture for me, prompted by a surprisingly good performance at the San Juan Solstice 50-Miler on June 21; followed by Backpacking Light Magazine Wilderness Trekking courses in Portland, Bozeman, and Escalante. I’ll be riding my bike a few thousand miles to these locations in an attempt to save on gas, get some exercise, and learn how to apply lightweight backpacking principals to bicycle touring -- knowledge that may serve me well if my next wild trip idea comes to fruition. I’m hoping to squeeze in week-long hikes in the Olympics and the North Cascades between speaking engagements in Seattle and Banff in September.

APRIL 29, 2008 -- BOULDER, CO

I wrap up an active April speaking calendar on Wednesday in Boise, Idaho, at the 5th Annual Quiet Commotion Summit, where environmental groups and public land management agencies will be discussing the recreation future of our state and federal lands.

Afterwards, my summer hiking schedule begins, starting with a 3-week trip to South Africa. Other possible or likely trips this year include the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic in June, the Sierra High Route in early-July, a traverse of Iceland in July and August, and finally a long bike-hike trip around the northern West. I’ll be updating this site with photos and video periodically after each trip.

Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors Project

In late-May I’ll be a judge for the Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors Project, in which environmental non-profit organizations committed to maintaining or improving America’s wide-open spaces are eligible to receive up to a $50,000 grant to fulfill a specific project. The deadline for applications is May 15th. Please visit www.redwoodcreek.com/greatoutdoors for more information, and please send this link to any contacts of yours that work for an eligible environmental group so they can apply. Thanks for getting the word out.

 

APRIL 24, 2008 -- BOULDER, CO

I'm cleaning out my photo inventory before taking off for the summer. Sale prices: $10 for 8x10's and $15 for 11x14's. Limited prints and sizes. Only while supplies last, or through Tuesday, April 29th.

The store will be closed until October or November, so if you were thinking about purchasing a print, please do so within the next 6 days.

APRIL 7, 2008 -- BOULDER, CO

Redwood Creek Wine’s Campfire Classic

Do your friends invite you camping because you’re skillful with a skillet? Do you not let anyone within 5 feet of your backyard grill? Now through April 15th, submit your gourmet campfire recipe at www.redwoodcreek.com/campfire for a chance to win $10,000 AND a $5,000 donation to your favorite national park!

The third national Redwood Creek Wine’s Campfire Classic cook-off is heading to four cities this spring—Seattle, Fort Worth, Chicago and Washington, D.C.—to determine the top cast-iron chef in each region. Five finalists will then receive $1,000 and compete for the big bucks at the Grand Finale in New York City on June 26, 2008. Entering is easy, so submit your recipe before your taxes!

March 23, 2008 -- Boulder, CO

My late-March and April presentation schedule is below. After these, I do not anticipate doing more presentations until the Fall.

Washington DC | Sat, March 29, 3:30pm & Sun, March 30, 11:30am | Adventures in Travel Expo, Washington Convention Center*

Flagstaff, AZ | Wed, April 9, 7pm | Babbitt’s Backcountry

Grand Canyon Village, AZ | Fri, April 11, 7pm | Canyon Village Marketplace

Tucson, AZ | Sat, April 12, 9:30am | Summit Hut

Bozeman, MT | Thur, April 17, time TBD | Emerson Center

Minneapolis, MN | Sat, April 26, 2 & 4pm and Sun, April 27, 12pm | Midwest Mountaineering*

Boise, ID | Wednesday, April 30, 7:30pm | Quiet Commotion, Owyhee Plaza Hotel*

*Notes:

  • Adventures in Travel Expo (Washington DC): Email me for a free coupon; otherwise it is $10.
  • Midwest Mountaineering Expo: The Saturday 2pm & Sunday 12pm presentations will be on the Great Western Loop; the Saturday 4pm presentation will be a lightweight backpacking clinic.
  • Quiet Commotion (Boise, ID): Email me if you would like to attend; it’s a private conference but the organizers are offering general admittance to my presentation with prior notice.

February 12, 2008 -- Boulder, CO

NEW PRINT PRICES! Due to a volume discount with the photo lab I have been able to reduce print prices.

Photographic prints of 10 of the best images taken during my Great Western Loop hike are now available for purchase. They are available in two sizes (8x10 and 11x14) and are very reasonably priced ($20 and $35, respectively). All prints will be personally signed.

These stunning prints showcase the beauty of the West's wild lands and capture the essence of the backcountry experience during which they were taken. Perfect for your home or office, or as a gift for a fellow outdoor enthusiast, please order yours today.

I greatly appreciate your support for my continuing efforts to inspire and educate people about our magnificant wild places.

January 4, 2008 -- Boulder, CO

Happy New Year everyone.

I wanted to announce a few slideshows that I have coming up, in case one is in your area and you would like to attend. They include 5 shows at REI locations:

Friday, Feb 1st -- REI, Boulder, CO
Tuesday, Feb 5th -- REI, Lakewood, CO
Wednesday, Feb 6th -- REI, Colorado Springs, CO
Thursday, Feb 7th -- REI, Englewood, CO
Friday, Feb 22nd -- REI Flagship, Denver, CO

All shows start at 7pm and will be over around 8:30pm. You do not need to sign up -- just show up, and bring a friend too if you would like. I will be raffling away products from some of my sponsors, including DeFeet and Headsweats and probably others.

I am also presenting at several Adventures in Travel Expos, including:

Saturday, Jan 11th -- NYC, 4:45pm
Sunday, Jan 12th -- NYC, 2pm
Saturday, Jan 26th -- Chicago, 11:15am
Saturday, Feb 9th -- Long Beach, CA, 1pm

Admission into the expos is $10 (sorry, wish it was free), though here's a coupon to knock it down to $5: coupon.

Lastly, I am giving a presentation at the Winter Market Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City on Thursday, January 24th, at 12pm at the Marriot. The event is sponsored by the Conservation Alliance, the Outdoor Industry Association, and GoLite. To attend Outdoor Retailer you need a badge, but I *think* you could probably get into this event without one, though don't quote me on that.

If you are interested in having me speak at an event you have coming up (or an event that you would make happen) please email me. I am living in Boulder, CO, and am willing to present for local schools, Boy Scout Troops, and outdoor groups; I am also available for corporate events. (Covering my expenses and/or offering an honorarium may be requested, depending on the group.)