Episode 101: Back to Basics

Fourth of July over Ogden

With Todd-to-the-Top IN STUDIO, we rocked Episode 101, Back to Basics!

News items included, Rock & Ice mentioning Utah’s fires, Talisker promising not to shut down PCMR, a Wall Street Journal correspondent dies near Yosemite,  a sleeping backpacker was attacked by a mountain lion, Mt. McKinley name change, Russian winter Olympic athletes are dopes, TGR is renting cameras, the last surving member of the 1953 Everest Expedition dies, and Mermaids officially do not exist. This last story hurts a little, and make us like the feds, just a little less.

Upcoming Events include:

• July 6 – Antelope Island Moonlight Bike Ride
• July 12-14^th – Weber Outdoor Program Kings Peak Backpacking Trip
  
• July 15^th – Summer Summit Series, Mt. Ogden Hike
• July 20-22 Weber Outdoor Program Snake River Rafting Trip
• July 27^th-29^th – H20 Overdrive Summer Series
  
• August 1-5 Outdoor Retailer Show
  
• August 9^th – Ogden Nature Center Outdoor Sumer Concert – Horse Feathers $20/$12
• August 10^th R-Scape trail relay
• Check the Weber Pathway’s Website: Wednesday Night Hikes, Thursday Singles Mingles Hikes (45 & Older), Science Hikes, Wild Edible Hikes
• Check the Ogden Nature Center Calendar for Summer Camps & Concerts

In this week’s GEAR:30 segment, we chat Kaenon Hutch sunglasses, Gear Aid TV, Salomon S-Lab Sense trail runners, Rab’s new fab’s, and OutdoorGearLab announces Hiking Boot Awards.

Skillz Session: Hiking Basics

• Carry Water, Small First Aid Kit, and Emergency Food
• Leave an Itinerary, even when on short hour hikes. Text a friend, family member, etc.
• Wear proper clothing: Sweat-wicking, Sun blocking, wind wear, water wear… Remember the peak is always cooler than the hike. Weather is less predictable at higher elevations.
• Hike with kids, but know their limits. Don’t push too far – the hike becomes about their enjoyment, not necessarily yours.
• Understand your own physical limits. You might be able to push through cardio up a steep climb, only to have your untrained, desk-sitting legs give out on the descent. Begin your hiking season with short, mostly flat hikes, and gradually build up to more difficult trails.
• Wildlife is wild. Locally, we have poisonous snakes, deer, moose, porcupines, skunks, fox, mountain lions, and even bear. Know this, don’t ignore it, and be prepared for a run-in with wildlife. Run through scenario’s with hiking partners, and especially your kids.
• Always pause and check your location whenever the trail splits. Don’t get lost.
• Know basic trail etiquette. Right-of-way, Dog poop, Leave No Trace, Be friendly, etc.
• Have fun!!!

“For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?” – Ralph Waldo Emerson