Outdoor Skills + Advice: Renaming "The Gap Year"

By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity & Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) ; photograph courtesy Deborah Sussex/NOLS

So far my blog posts have kept to more practical advice for outdoor enthusiasts, but I figured every once in a while I would be entitled to a soapbox. See, I have a bone or few to pick with “The Gap Year.” By this, I mean what we’ve chosen to call the time students spend traveling, volunteering, adventuring, and playing between their primary schooling and higher education.

To me, “gap” evokes images of nothingness, emptiness, space in between substance. But a Gap Year is anything but empty! My Gap Years have been the most fulfilling experiences in my life. It’s a plain misnomer. Folks in the U.K. have got it right: They call this experience “The Sandwich Year.” And for good reason, too. Think of all the meaty goodness that can fill this time in between conventional academic pursuits! Your wallet may not be bottomless, but finances aside, you can do anything: Work for a nonprofit aid organization in Africa; teach English in Southeast Asia; go to Antarctica to research glaciers; pick fruit through Europe; be a nanny . . . in the Riviera; or go on a semester or yearlong backcountry expedition with NOLS almost anywhere in the world. Maybe by the time my four-year-old is in college, he can go to Mars! No “gappiness.” More like an all-you-can-eat sandwich buffet.

Best U.S. Hiking Cities: New York, New York

 

By Kate Siber

Bear Mountain
Despite its distinction as the country’s most populous city, New York has astonishingly good hikes in its midst. Credit the abundance of state parks, the Palisades, and the Hudson River for the area’s most scenic strolls. One rite of passage is Bear Mountain, located 50 miles north of Manhattan on the west bank of the river.

Get Hiking: Despite the weekend crowds, the view from the top of Bear Mountain is worth the 1,100-vertical-foot climb. The four-mile loop on the Appalachian and Major Welch trails leads past a vista of the Hudson River, Iona Island, and the verdant hills of Westchester far below. It’s also the perfect spot to pick out your next hike—perhaps Anthony’s Nose, right across the river.

Après Hike: At Hogan’s Family Diner in nearby Stony Point, New York, the waitresses call you “hon” and “sweetie” while serving up classic, home-cooked diner fare like roast turkey, baby back ribs, lamb chops, and, of course, thick milkshakes.

More Info: Bear Mountain State Park (nysparks.state.ny.us) and Hogan’s Family Diner (+1 845 429 9603). Wild Earth Adventures offers guided hikes in the New York area (wildearthadventures.com).

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Photograph by Tom Bushey

Best U.S. Hiking Cities: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

By Kate Siber

Wissahickon Gorge
An astounding 10 percent of Philadelphia is parkland, and the cherry on top of the 9,200-acre network of green is the Wissahickon, a beloved overgrown gorge that plunges deep beneath the clamor of the city. “The Wissahickon is the best thing in Philadelphia,” says Sidney Goldstein, a local Meetup.com hiking group leader. “It feels like you’re in wilderness." With 57 miles of trails, there are plenty of opportunities to get lost.

Get Hiking: Pick up a map at Valley Green Inn, then head up the yellow trail to a nest of less-frequented loops through evergreen and deciduous forests frequented by deer, fox, and some 125 species of birds.

Après Hike: Dating to 1850, the Valley Green Inn welcomes hikers with a wood fireplace in winter and breezy porches in summer. Stop in the restaurant for stick-to-your-ribs American comfort food, like grilled cheese with brie, gruyere, caramelized onions, and applewood-smoked bacon.

More Info: Friends of the Wissahickon (fow.org) and Valley Green Inn (valleygreeninn.com)

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Photograph by Steve Weinik

Gear Review: Outdoor Research SoDo Shirt - The Only "Safari Shirt" You Need

By Contributing Editor Steve Casimiro, editor of Adventure Journal. See more of Casimiro's gear recommendations in our Ultimate Hiking and Camping Gear Guide >> 

There’s a reason why what I call the "safari shirt" hasn’t changed substantively since Hemingway was shooting elephants in it: The lessons learned from a hundred or more years of use across the wildest hot-weather terrain in the world are every bit as valid today. And while I have a whole closet full of these kinds of shirts, one of my favorite’s is Outdoor Research’s SoDo ($68).

A month or so ago, I headed into the Mojave Desert for a couple nights of backpacking and the SoDo was the only on top I took. During the day, when temps climbed well into the 90s, I rolled down the sleeves and protected my arms with its SPF50 coverage and turned up the collar to keep the sun off the back of my neck. Hanging in the shade, I simply rolled the sleeves all the way up. And when night’s cooling temperatures arrived, made colder by the strong gusting winds, I rolled them back down and took advantage of the nylon shirt’s wind resistance.

Some safari shirts pack so many pockets you don’t want to wear them anywhere but into the bush, but the OR version has just two pockets and once of them is zippered and hidden behind a flap. The effect is much more subtle and gives the shirt a chameleon quality—you can wear it to dinner, wear it to travel, and you don’t need a pith helmet accompaniment.

The SoDo has mesh arm pit vents and mesh lining on the shoulders to enable a skoch of circulation. It’s not huge, but it helps. And the nylon dries reasonably quickly, though not in an instant. Indeed, as the styling of the shirt makes it more versatile, so does the weight—the SoDo isn’t the lightest or fastest drying shirt in my closet, but whatever it gives up in the hottest temps you get back in the cooler ones. Very rarely is it overwhelmed; much more common is that it’s the one and only shirt you need.

Best U.S. Hiking Cities: Washington, D.C.

By Kate Siber

Great Falls Park
Within 15 miles of the nation’s capital, the Potomac River tumbles down a series of rugged boulders and ledges, creating Great Falls and all but erasing the din of city life with its roar. The eponymous 800-acre park half an hour from the capital attracts all manner of urbanites needing a nature fix, from whitewater kayakers and canoeists to climbers and hikers.

Get Hiking: Check out the kayakers from a lookout over the falls, then keep ambling south to shake off the majority of the visitors. A three-mile loop on the River, Ridge, and Matildaville trails leads along the craggy Mather Gorge, up steep climbs, and through serene forests of oak and ash.

Après Hike: In the nearby village of Great Falls, The Old Brogue, a classic Irish pub, serves drafts of Guinness and Smithwick’s to accompany Irish specialties like beef stew and shepherd’s pie. 

More Info: Great Falls Park (nps.gov/grfa) and The Old Brogue (oldbrogue.com)

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Photograph by Skip Brown, National Geographic

Outdoor Skills + Advice: Leave No Trace Meets the Outdoor Outhouse

By Contributing Writer Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, faculty member and Diversity + Inclusion Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS); photograph by Kevin Bergstrom/NOLS

There's nothing like enjoying the breathtaking beauty of a scenic landscape only to be interrupted by a pile of poo and crumpled up toilet paper at your feet.

How many times have you thought about not following the rules? How many times has the little devil on your shoulder said, "go ahead, once won't hurt." Well, imagine everyone doing it just once, and you'll quickly realize that's a lot of little devils. It's not a pretty subject, but it's one to get right: Here’s our little primer on how to poop in the woods for those of you who are a little hesitant (or absolutely petrified) about the prospect.

Best U.S. Hiking Cities: Phoenix, Arizona

By Kate Siber

South Mountain Park
At 17,000 acres, South Mountain Park is the largest municipal park in the world, a veritable wilderness within the city of Phoenix. Javelinas and coyotes prowl the 58 miles of trails studded with saguaros, spindly ocotillos, and cholla cacti that bloom lipstick-pink in spring.

Get Hiking: Park at the Pima Canyon Trailhead and wander a nest of well-mapped trails, or tackle all or part of the 14.3-mile National Trail, which leads to spectacular lookouts on South Mountain over Phoenix and Camelback Mountain, another classic local summit hike.

Après Hike: For more views without the work, head down the street to Rustler’s Rooste, a mountaintop restaurant at the nearby Arizona Grand Resort. Watch the city lights blink on over a dinner of chili and mesquite-broiled steak before two-stepping to a live country-western band.

More Info: City of Phoenix (phoenix.gov/recreation) and Arizona Grand Resort (arizonagrandresort.com)

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Photograph by Brian Leddy

Getting the Shot: Photographer Keith Ladzinski on Shooting BASE Jumping in Utah

Photographer Keith Ladzinski talks about shooting the Extreme Photo of the Week, which was part of the Steph Davis project. Download free desktop wallpaper of the image, too.

Ancient Art (seen here), at Fisher Towers outside of Moab, Utah, is an exposed spire formation unlike anything else. To summit the tower you have to climb three moderate pitches of crumbly technical sandstone and then walk across the top of the thin ridge dubbed "the sidewalk," which is roughly 18 inches wide in places, and 300 feet of shear exposure on both sides. From there it's onto the remaining technical and seemingly fragile tower, all required to gain the summit.

The top is small enough for only one to stand on, if you dare, and physically rocks a little from the top piece of loose sandstone, it's truly an experience. The mental game of battling vertigo and staying focused is the real challenge here, and the "what if" of falling is all you can think about.

For Steph Davis and Mario Richard, falling was exactly what they had in mind. They're seen here making the first ever "Two-Way Exit" where they jumped one after another off of the short and intimidating summit. Mario Richards was the first to ever jump the summit some two years prior.

Shooting this photo was a wild experience. The crisp January air only heightened the excitement of the scene. Watching your friends BASE jump you know they're already laying it on the line. Steph and Mario know their limits and take any precaution possible when jumping. There are no quick re-dos in the shoot and the moment happens very quickly. Being ready and prepared is critical, you don't want to miss the shot. While shooting this I had rigged my tripod off the side of the lower summit with a head extension allowing for a still camera (Nikon D3) with a cable release to freeze the action and a video camera on a fluid head to grab video. Follow filming and shooting is tough. I felt like a junk show, but somehow managed to pull it off.

Steph Davis Tower Project from Keith Ladzinski on Vimeo

Fisher Towers in Utah is a well known destination to hikers and rock climbers. It's common to show up the canyon and see it speckled with outdoor enthusiasts. The best time to avoid the crowds is when it's cold and perhaps a little miserable, like this particular day. There's nothing like being here alone, when the only sound is the wind or laughter and conversation of the people you've arrived with.

See the Extreme Photo of the Week >>

 

Best U.S. Hiking Cities: Seattle, Washington

By Kate Siber

Mount Si

Right on the kayaker-friendly Puget Sound and just a hop from the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Seattle is famed as a big-city outdoor haven. The best hikes travel through old-growth forest and pay off with views over Washington’s ultragreen landscape, like Mount Si. About 40 miles east of the city, it’s practically a rite of passage for Seattle hikers.

Get Hiking: This popular four-mile hike has a large measure of challenge (3,700 vertical feet of climbing) with an equal payoff (views of Mount Rainier, Seattle, and the Olympics on a clear day). The journey isn’t so bad either: Along the way, hikers pass classic Pacific Northwest conifer and fir forests, streams, and views over the valley.

Après Hike: In nearby North Bend, stop at Boxley’s Place, a renowned jazz club that also serves dinner—try the salmon cakes—accompanied by an impressive wine list.

More Info: Mount Si Natural Resources Conservation Area (mountsi.com) and Boxley’s Place (boxleysplace.com)

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Photograph by Kurt Swanson

As Stand-Up Paddleboarders Race Around New York City, a Sport Takes Off

By Samantha Cook; photographs courtesy O'Neill Sea Paddle NYC

“Every day is paradise,” said stand-up paddleboard athlete Annabel Anderson as she looked out into the water from Pier 40 on the west side of Manhattan. Anderson quit a stressful corporate job to dedicate herself to stand-up paddle boarding, and its obvious that she has no regrets.

Last Friday at 6:45 a.m. Anderson, along with over 200 other enthusiasts, was preparing to participate in the fifth annual O’ Neill Sea Paddle NYC, a 26.5 stand-up paddleboard race around Manhattan. The race benefits Surfer’s Environmental Alliance and autism charities.

Unlike surfing, stand-up paddle boarding can be done in any body of water. It’s also much easier to learn. As a result, the sport has become increasingly popular. This year’s race had its greatest number of participants, about 20 percent more than last year.

“Stand-up paddle boarding is the fastest growing sport right now,” said Andrew Mencinsky of Surfers' Environmental Alliance. “We have participants who are coming from Chicago—where there is no ocean— Tennessee, Utah. There’s paddle boarding going on almost anywhere there’s a lake, pond or river.”