Dispatch

new site update

2010-11-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

i find that the closer to finishing a project the more excited i get. the excitement sometimes comes in the way of my productivity. i start to get really nervous about the project and the perspective of people actually looking at it and criticizing it. i've been experiencing this a lot today.

well, after postponning the launch date of our new site i've been working really hard to not miss the new one.

i now have all the content on the site that we will be launching with. i have all the design work done. now were moving into testing mode!

i can't believe how excited and nervous i am to being close to bringing this new site online. but i am also very thankful for a weekend where i might not have to work!

the end

2010-10-27T11:36:00.001-07:00

When it comes to technology I'm pretty geek and most would say that I'm "plugged in" but I'm trying to blog via txt for the very first time.
I feel like a little kid at christmas!

Up to No Good

2010-08-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of design work lately. Completely changing the face of the website, not one but two new shirt designs, and new stickers!

With the removal of the sales portion of the website my job has changed a bit. No more database entry, product selection, sales, or managing of inventory and the list can go on. Now I'm just concentrating on primarily design, promoting, and social media.

random desk shot

I'm the type of person that like to have things well defined, structured, and organized. I believe in lists, excel, and productivity; therefore, the change is responsibilities has made me look at my job title and wonder about it's accuracy.

I don't think my boss would like it if I changed my title to CMO (chief marketing officer) and I don't think that CDO (chief design officer) exists, so in light of creating a new job title I have been spending a few minutes every morning on this job title creating website.

I haven't settled on anything yet, but hopefully soon I will have my new glorious job title and then my efficiency will increase by 13% at least!

POS Follow Up

2010-08-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I posted that no one would open an outdoor store in Portland and call it the "Portland Outdoor Store" because the acronym would then be POS. I stand corrected. I rode the Portland Century on Sunday and as the group I was riding with was cruising through downtown out of the corner of my eye I saw it and I was amazed! From a distance I couldn't tell if it was still in business because the store front looked like a POS, but it exists or existed none-the-less!

retail site shut-down

2010-08-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

well, after a year of trying very hard to sell products online we have had to make the tough decision to close down our online retail site. now, now, now don't be to sad!

instead we are going to direct our efforts and resources 100% on our information site instead.

the development has begun on a new site that will provide the most detailed information on local outdoor activities. also, we will continue to do gear reviews, product video overviews, and adventure write ups.

look for the new site this fall!

p.s. if there is something you would like to see on the site (e.g. a location, information, or aspect to beta) please let us know.

hoping, wishing, praying

2010-07-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

someday, in my perfectly dreamed up world, my work would just do itself! if it did i think i could really do a lot of playing and even be more involved in the community. but until then i must keep pushing forward!

have a good weekend because before we all know it it will be monday again!

Amazon

2010-07-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

In our continuing attempts to expand our online visibility we are currently working on becoming the newest seller on Amazon.com. We are pretty excited about this step. As every project that seems easy it is taking a lot longer then originally anticipated, but stay tuned and we will let you know as soon as the account is fully operational!

So much work for 500px

2010-06-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

This past week and a half I spent redesigning the websites homepage. Most of the revamp has been finished and implemented. However, there are still a handful of loose ends to tie up. The major change was adding a picture of Sarah. She is after all a member of the team.

Secondly, we added direct links to some of our products. The idea here is to make the shopping experience simpler, easier, and more direct. Also, as products rotate through and seasons change we will be updating the links to continue making everyone's experience the best possible.

Thirdly, we removed the twitter feed from the AOS Culture portion of the homepage and replaced it with the product of the day. Don't worry all our twitter friends the feed is going to be relocated to the left hand navigation bar so you can see it on every page!

The changes leave us with the new and improved look!

We feel the changes are a big improvement, but we are anxious and excited to hear your thoughts!

Ashland vs Portland

2010-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's been another long work week with lots of projects being completed and even more created. With the creation and brainstorming of new sites, marketing, and design projects for the store my brain was having a hard time shutting off last night for me to be able to fall asleep. This lead me to a great epiphany!

The acronym for the Ashland Outdoor Store that we so lovingly use is AOS. The reason why there isn't a Portland Outdoor Store is because the acronym would be POS. Nobody wants their store to be the POS store!

Mammut TX-1

2010-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Regular Price: $79.95 Item Of The Day Price: $67.95

The highest performance headlamp for absolute alpine use. The highly precise Total Reflex Optics with one HiFlux LED provides a beam that reaches 105 m light-range, and the lamp comes equipped with two Definition LEDs for 180 hours of Flood-light and Dual-light. Whether you're descending from ice-blown high camps in the early a.m., or enjoying an evening bike ride, the TX-1 is your headlamp of choice.

Read AOS's Review!

June Shirt Design

2010-06-02T10:01:00.001-07:00

This is the original image. The photo was taken a handful of years ago by Verelle Stuck at Immigrant Lake outside Ashland.

First step is creating the Header image for the AOS website.

This is the initial concept for the shirt.

This is what the final design product (thank you Verelle) looks like before sending it off to Jess for printing.

Now were just all waiting for the shirts!

Subject Matter

2010-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here it is the first of June. It's been over a month since my last post. In a lot of way's i'm forcing myself to write this post today. It is not for lack of desire. I really enjoy blogging and writing. Unfortunately, I really just haven't had anything to write about.

The main reason for this is because a while back I was criticized (not really anything new) for my writing. Surprisingly the criticism wasn't directed at my grammar or spelling like it usually is. The critic claimed that my passion for the outdoors, gear, job, and life that I have wasn't apparent and didn't come through in my writing anymore.

Despite what a lot of people think the opinions of others about me does matter and has an impact on me. I don't always agree with the opinions or criticism, but either way I still have to process it and it does affect me. So, this critics statements really hit me pretty deep because I do love the outdoors, gear, my job and my life. It has taken me a while to process through the statement and figure out how I want to use the information given to me.

One of the things that I realized through this is that not every post has to be positive or passionate about the outdoors. Also, posts do not have to be major each time. A post can be something simple and basic but the most important thing is frequency. I think that the criticism has really helped me redefine my ambitions for blogging and helped me streamline the process.

Therefore, the days of months between AOS blogs posts are over as well as the days of non-passionate-post!

Thank You Icebreaker

2010-04-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

I love technology and that fact that I live in the era of social media!

Let me jog your memory. A few months back I wrote a blogpost ("Dear Icebreaker") regarding an Icebreaker shirt that I not only lost while mountain biking, but then found a year later. My post was a very nice letter to them explaining how much I loved my shirt and was stoked to find it, but that unfortunately, a year in the wilderness had taken it's toll on it and rendered it unwearable. At the end of my letter I asked if there was any way they could/would replace it for me.

Well, a few weeks back I was perusing the blog archives trying to gain some inspiration for a new post. In doing so I came across that post, and I realized I never heard back from Icebreaker about my shirt. Without really thinking about it I updated the AOS Facebook Fanpage status saying "sitting here this morning bummed that I haven't heard back from Icebreaker :(."

Me enjoying my new Icebreaker while writing this post!

Aparently, Icebreaker is also on Facebook and happens to follow your favorite outdoor store. Within a short while there was a nice comment on the status stating that I had forgotten to put my contact info and return shipping info on the letter. A few hours later I got a call from customer service here at the store, and they got a new shirt sent out to me that day.

I couldn't believe it! I mean, if it wasn't for Facebook I'd be sitting here without my nice new Icebreaker!

Also, I think it speaks to the quality of Icebreakers customer service and how well they stand behind their product! I just wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge how awesome Icebreaker is as a company and to say thank you for replacing my shirt!

Trimming the Fat

2010-03-08T00:54:00.000-08:00

First off, I can't believe I haven't posted a new post since the end of December. No wonder my coworkers think I don't do anything. This what has been on my mind lately!

No one, which unfortunately includes myself, can do it all! As hard as I try I always have more hobbies, passions, and interests then I can actually afford financially or devote enough time to.

I'm the kind of person that when I do something I don't want to just participate in it I want to be good at it if not the best. I also am compelled out of pure unadulturated gear lust to buy all the gear I need for that activity brand new, and even if I may only have the time do the activity once or twice a year. I would just rather own my own equipment then rent or barrow.

As I look around my room, garage, and house I realize that I plain and simply have to much gear for to many different activities. I can't do it all and therefore do not need to own all of the gear that I own. The easy part (even though the misconception is that admitting is the hardest part) is realizing this and admitting it. The hard part is determining how to narrow your focus of activities to a manageable amount. The hardest part is actually parting with you your gear!

Every time I make the decision to cut out a sport or activity I talk myself out of it because I just can't part with the gear. Which shows that the emotional investment in the gear is just as great if not greater then the monetary investment. So what are we to do?

My current plan is to enjoy the lust while it lasts and to let my garage continue to be cluttered with gear until I truly reach a breaking point and either can part with my gear or am forced do to space issues to trim my gear fat!

Reflection 09 and Look-Ahead 10

2009-12-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this dissertation are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Ashland Outdoor Store. Nor does the post have anything to do with anything important.

Honestly, I do not like reflection posts and borderline hate reading them. They either come across as bragging about how much cool stuff you did, or they come across as complaining about how much cool stuff you missed out on. Anyways, I don't think that you can't really reflect on an entire year. To much happens. Also, I don't even think it is fair to generalize the status of your year e.g. 2009 was a good year or 2009 was a bad year.

Reflections remind me eulogies and thats just depressing and it's all just because the calendar changes. Now I understand that we are a traditional society and so therefore we continue to trod down the same paths year after year catering to our nature of habit. So you'll go out tonight and you'll count down, toast, kiss your hunny, and make a new years resolution that you wont stick to because your just making something up to impress the company that your keeping. And just like that a new day and a new year will start.

Will 2010 be better then 2009? Will 2010 be worse then 2009? Who knows. But nothing will change if you continue to sit around and wait for something to happen or make idle half-assed new years resolutions.

Not to get to Carpe diem, but I was reminded recently of the George Bernard Shaw quote, "youth is wasted on the young." This made me realize that every year is going to be good and bad. So 2010 won't be too different then 2009. 2010 will have moments of great exaltation, immense remorse, and excruciating pain. The highs and lows of success and failure will fluctuate from day to day, week to week, and month to month on into 2011. Therefore, live your life the way you want, love the people you want, say the things you want, and be in the place you want.

Hold nothing back and 2010 will be yet another year.

Domestic Abuse

2009-12-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

The domestic arena is by far the most dangerous area of our lives. This fact was re-instilled in me last weekend while attempting to hang new curtains.

It was an "easy" task, but one I had been putting off for roughly 8 months. But who's counting. The window the said curtains need to be hung up over was the front window. The front window, as is traditional for this time of year, is the home for the house's christmas tree. The right side of the curtain system went up easily as a balanced on the arm of the couch. The left side was a little more complicated because I'm right handed and the christmas tree was slightly in the way. However, balancing between the arm of the couch and windowsill wasn't difficult for me. But, using the drill in with my left hand was difficult. Therefore, I decided to switch drill hands.

At this point in the story everything gets a little blurry for me, but basically after switching which hand was holding the drill i slipped and fell. I fell on the christmas tree. I knocked over the tree. My momentum and gravity continued to carry me downward until I landed on the christmas tree stand and more importantly I landed on one of the T-Handles that tightens the bolt into the tree. The T-Handle impaled the bottom of my foot. In a moment of shock and panic I ripped my foot off the T-Handle. The amount of pain was indescribable.

Luckily I keep good people around me. Both my best friend and my girlfriend are certified wilderness first responders, and they quickly jumped into action. After stabilizing me (i.e. calming me down because I was freaking out), irrigating, and dressing my wound they took me to the emergency room where I got a nice foot soak, a pair of crutches, and a referral to a foot and ankle specialist because I could not feel or move my toes.

Three days, two doctors visits, and one MRI later I was in the specialist chair getting my foot numbed so he could open it up and clean it out. Take the initial accident's pain level and multiply it by 800 and that's how painful this process was. Luckily, I had my girlfriend to hold my hand and 5 shots of Novocain to help. However, being the big baby that I am, it was still the most painful experience of my life. The bad part is that all I have to show for it is five stitches and a soft cast.

So to start this winter season I'm on crutches. But things are looking up because I have feeling again and movement is slowly coming back. Hopefully with a little PT and luck I will be on the slope just after the new year.

But it has really made me reflect about how quickly things can happen that have astronomic affects on our lives. We (i.e. active outdoor enthusiast) I think have a tendency to take our physical abilities for granted. This is my first injury that has really brought that into perspective for me, and I think that is because it is my first real injury not inflicted during an activity (e.g. skiing, snowboarding, climbing, or biking).

It's definitely a reminder to calculate your risks. Even if that is hanging curtains!

A quick clarification: the thought of moving the tree out of the way never crossed my mind.

Dear Icebreaker

2009-11-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

I am still waiting for an answer from Icebreaker on this, but while I wait I figured I would share this story with you!

Dear Icebreaker,

I am writing you today because I love your products, and I have a funny yet sad story. October 2008 I was mountain biking in the Wagner Butte range in Southern Oregon. The mountain biking is phenomenal and extremely remote. It was a cold fall morning when we hit the trail and I was wearing one of my favorite layering pieces a Superfine 140. As the ride continued and the day warmed up I shed my layering piece and placed it in my rear jersey pocket. Later on, about 2/3 done in the ride, we came to a stop and I realized that I had lost my Icebreaker shirt. I was super bummed. But I figured someone would find it and score a sweet piece of gear.

In October of 2009 I went mountain biking in the Wagner Butte range for the first time since the previous year. At the start of the ride I joked with my friends about how if either of them found a black Icebreaker Superfine 140 shirt it was mine, and then I related the story to them of how I lost it the year before. About a third of the way into the ride one of my friends who was riding lead crashed. I stopped behind him, and then our third stopped behind me. As soon as my friend Mimi stopped behind me she said, “hey look, a black Icebreaker.” I thought for sure she was pulling my leg, but as I looked down and just off the trail there it was, my long lost Icebreaker shirt! I couldn’t believe it. Now I did not find it in the best of conditions, but needless to say I didn’t care. It has lasted a year along the trail, and it looked like a bear had mauled it.

I know that loosing your shirt in the woods and then finding it a year later does not fall under your normal warranty. However, I am hoping that you can find it in your hearts to replace this beloved piece for me.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,

Travis Caldwell

Backcountry Delight

2009-11-05T11:18:00.001-08:00

I could be completely alone on this one, but there are few things in life that are as enjoyable as a good dessert. Especially after a strenuous day of adventuring. Which is why I am going to share one of my favorite dessert recipes.

Now, I cannot take credit for this dessert. I have to give complete credit to Dan Thurber . The name of this dessert, as I know it, does not have a PG let alone a PG 13 rating, so it will remain nameless. I figure that you can create your own name for it.

The Ingredients are: Banana and Chocolate Bar. SIMPLE!

The directions are: cut open the banana peal lengthwise on one side, and also cut the banana along this opening. Once you have created a split in the banana you break up the chocolate bar and place pieces of chocolate inside the banana. Now comes the fun part. You place the banana over a fire (if you don't have a fire then a barbecuer is your next best option). You don't really want the fire to have big flames. What you want is really hot coals. Let it cook until the chocolate has melted and the banana has become soft.

We have added ingredients (e.g. marsh mellow's, strawberry's, agave, and Oreo's) to the base recipe, and each addition has been a good one. So have fun with it, but remember that the basic recipe as it stands is already amazing enough.

We All Make Decisions

2009-10-28T07:44:00.001-07:00

This last week I confirmed a few things I already new, but I also learned something new (which, is surprising in and of itself. I reconfirmed that you don't tug on supermans cape, you don't spit into the wind, and you never take a knife to a gun fight. I learned that you don't go to Moab Utah to climb when you are in marginal shape and have one rack of gear.

There is definitely a reason why Moab is a premier climbing location. It is one of the most spectacular locations in the greater 48 states. On the drive there I kept catching myself say, "wow, that's cool!" about every five minutes. I annoyed myself not to mention my car companions.

Moab is also a premier climbing location because it offers some of the hardest climbs around. Therefore, all the pro's go there to climb, push themselves, and they in turn get there photo's taken there. So, it's one of the places you see in a lot of climbing mag's (my favorite publications) and posters. All the guide books talk about how amazing it is and how classic the climbs are, but when you look a little deeper you realize that unless you can climb 5.12c trad and have huge rack of gear you can't climb that classic climb. It's not a premier location because it is easy or fun. It is premier because it is really hard and challenging.

Climbing there, or should I say attempting to climb there, pushed me to a point where I have to make a decision. Option 1, get really strong, buy more gear, go back and kick ass. Option 2, quite climbing altogether. Now, I wouldn't say that I am stubborn (my girlfriend might) nor would I say that I hold grudges (my ex-girlfriend might), but good-old-option #1 seems way more appropriate then the option #2 to me.

Nobody Cares

2009-10-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

As I was over hearing a recent conversation between a couple of stereo typical climber dude bra's I gained the inspiration for this entry. As always I am just writing what I know to be true for myself and apologize for any offense because it isn't intentional.

I listened to these two over enthusiastic climbers and I realized the only people who actually cared were themselves, and the only thing that either of them cared about was one-upping the other. Through this one-upping they seemed to just inflate each others ego's more and more. While they continued to stroke each other I realized that nobody else cares about how badass you think you are except you. No one cares that you climbed a blah blah blah, how you went left-middle-left on some class blah rapid, or even if you just shredded blah deep pow all day in the backcountry. Well, except for maybe your mom but even she probably just cares that your safe afterwards, which is why you should always call her and let her know your safe after a trip.

You don't have to go into excruciating detail about how this crimper, that jug, this sloper, and that crack was the sickest hardest move. I don't care if you climb 5.19+ please just shut up! If I, or anyone, asks you about local climbing, boating, biking, skiing, or outdoor activity do not, I repeat, do not launch into inflating your own ego and telling me how cool you think you are. Because, your not that cool, and I know that because if you were that cool then you would be on the cover of a magazine instead of Sharma. But your not and I know that because I read magazines when I want a dose of over inflated ego.

In the end the best way to phrase and/or sum up this whole rant is to quote a movie line that says, "quiet frankly my dear, I just don't give a dam!"

A Little Reflection

2009-09-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Warning! You are about to enter into a scary realm that is Travis's thoughts.

Over the last year I have had the challenging task of launching a new retail website. It has been a long rode that has bordered on self mutilation and overwhelming exhilaration. I realize now that when I was approached by my boss about being in charge of putting us on the web that I had no idea of what I was getting myself into. Absolutely no idea. It sounded cool though, and for the most part it has been a very cool experience.

One of my first frustrations that I was meet with was time. When I started working on the website it was in addition to my other responsibilities within the physical store. Those responsibilities consumed the majority of my work week as it was and combining that with helping customers on the sales floor there really wasn't a lot of time to devote to the development of the site. I had to fight very hard for anytime and was constantly being pulled away from it. However, perseverance and dedication along with being a slight bit stubborn (some would use a stronger word here) I was able to slowly shift responsibilities and resources to allow for me to devote close to 100% of my energy on the site. Plus, the amount of work required to launch a retail and informative website is a lot to fall on only one person especially when that person is little old Travis.

The second frustration that I encountered was direction. We had a vague idea of what we wanted from the website, but we weren't really sure how to get there. Therefore, there was a lot of trial and error. Sometimes we would discover that we worked for a long time on something that was unimportant, unnecessary, or that could have been done a lot faster if we had only known. Also, we changed direction several times and each time we did that we starting back almost at square one.

The last frustration that I will mention having was training and knowledge. While I am a computer savvy hip dude I do not have formal training in web development, web design, or computer science. So, all of the html, AspDotNetStoreFront, blah, blah, and blah was completely foriegn to me. Therefore, I had to spend the majority of my time learning before I could ever start working. This was probably my biggest frustration because it was the biggest limiter of productivity and efficiency.

On the positive side each time I made a big jump in progress or learned how to accomplish the task at hand or reached a goal that was set it was hugely rewarding because it took so much dedication, learning, and time. It was very long process that I have been extremely attached to emotionally. And when the site launched I didn't know what to do. I had a feeling of being lost and not knowing what my place or roll was anymore for the store. However, since the launch my work load has not decreased, and in fact it has increased. The task of managing a site is different then developing on so responsibilities are again completely foreign and I am struggling to keep up with the work load and learning process.

My biggest fear now is that people (other then my mom!) will actually start buying from the site!

In the end I am left with a website that I am extremely proud of and that I think is unique within the industry. I feel that it is truly a resource for the locals and the tourists and I think we are selling some cool stuff too. I am excited for the next batch of products to be uploaded and to see where this long road will ultimately end.

Climbing Porn

2009-08-31T07:48:00.001-07:00

We got the latest edition of Rock & Ice, Climbing, and Urban Climber in this last week. The very site of them annoyed me, and provoked me enough to have the need to vent a little.

As the saying goes, "I've had it up to here!" Okay, well, maybe not quite but close. I am not at the point of completely writing climbing magazines off, but I am extremely tired of grabbing the latest issue (insert any climbing magazines name here) and seeing some overly ripped guy or gal cliff-hangared on some gnarly overhung problem hanging on one handed picture.

As if that is what really happens when or while climbing. I know that I don't have the worlds most experience when it comes to cimbing. However, I have been climbing 5+ years now and have never once encountered the above mentioned situation nor have I ever heard of anyone else. Staged and posed images are stupid.

I'm not going to say that it is false advertisement because I don't think that is what it is. I understand that imagery and capturing your audience's attention is necessary. But come on! Is that really the best that your "creative" team can come up with for your cover image? It seems like such an artistic cop-out. I guess my other question is, does anyone care? I can't think of anyone who picks up or buys a climbing magazine because of the uber fake climber on the cover.

While image is important and everyone knows that it's not how good of a climber you are but how good you look most climbers i know aren't into the images depicted on the cover of those magazines. Really, for me it reduces my desire to even pick up the magazine let alone read it. In fact, it turns me completely off to the sport and reduces my desire to go out to the climbing gym or my local crag.

Also, I think that it stereotypes the men and women who climb and makes them less approachable and intimidating, which is bad for the industry. The more intimidated new climbers or interested climbers are the less likely they are to start or go climbing because they have this mental image of climbers as the people on the cover of the magazines.

Honestly, the cover images are so over the top and fake it is just ridiculous. It's not like climbing magazines need to follow suit with Cosmo, Vogue, or Mensblahblah! I guess I thought that climbing was better then that, but lately I have been proven wrong.

Old Gear: At Some Point Let It Go

2009-07-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

I was out on a mountain bike ride a few weeks back with an individual who was wearing a torn up pair of bike shorts. The shorts were torn almost a full year ago in a crash. It got me thinking, and now, as my mom taught me to do, I'm sharing with you!

Who doesn't love gear? I know that you love your gear. I definitely love my gear. We spend a lot of time researching it, time using it, and money on it. Our gear becomes an extension of our body, and slowly over time it starts to define us and becomes part of our ego. But at some point you really need to let it go.

My Gear Bunker

Now the obvious reason for getting rid of an old piece of gear is safety. If it's broken, torn, or no longer working as it's originally designed to then it is no longer safe for you to be riding, climbing with, or utilizing in anyway. Not only should you not being using it but you shouldn't be subjecting your friend's to you still using it. I guarantee you that your friends are tired of waiting for you to "fix" your "whatever" for the billionth time. If they were a true friend he/she would be telling you exactly what I am right now, and if he/she has been telling you this then it is time you actually listen because now a stranger is on your case.

Busted Boots

If your gear is out dated, over used, and needs to be retired please for the love of everything holy retire it. You are not vintage because you still use the same pair of ski's that you did 20 years ago, and no they do not work just fine. When they are being held together with duct tape, bailing wire, twine, or are in need of a foreign object apart to hold it together it's time for something new. And no you cannot just get a new piece and retro fit it to your 800 year old tent.

Gear in Use

There is another reason to get new gear. New technology. Now you might think that your old gear is still the hippest and coolest thing since sliced bread, but it's not. Whether your belief on the theory of evolution in life is you have to accept that when it comes to gear and technology that evolution exists. There is new gear because there are new discoveries in materials and how those material work and respond to the stress's they are put under while in use. Therefore, each year the gear evolves into a stronger, lighter, and maybe just maybe even safer.

I don't really care what you do with it (e.g. build a fence, bench, hang it over your mantle, or use it as a scare crow in your garden) as long as you take it out of commission. Please don't just pass it along to your niece or nephew because that isn't fair to him/her. Maybe you can donate it to a local fire department for fire testing or recycle it.

If you still use this stove then this post applies to you

A good rule to live by is that if the company no longer exists, no longer makes that piece of gear, or no longer sell's replacement parts for it you should take it out of commission. Also, if your bike shorts are torn please get new ones cause I don't want to see that.

I want to clarify something. I am not saying this to you today because I work in a gear shop or because I want everyone to run out and buy the most recent "whatever" just because. I want people to be more mindful of their gear and when you break it, it has it's 50th birthday, or you have to reinvent the wheel just to make it work please for the love of the snow gods let it go.

Frankie

2009-07-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

This is a clarification post. Now you know.

Okay, so here is the deal. There is this thing called a whipping post. The whipping post was used a form of punishment in the oldie day's of lore. It was a brutal form of punishment, and wasn't severe enough to actually take the life of the punished therefore it was highly feared.

As society has developed and human rights have increased forms of "physical" punishment and torture such as the whipping post have been removed from our day-to-day culture. However, intellectual, rhetorical, and emotional punishment is harder to control. If you have read a my blog you will have noticed that I've made reference to an individual as the particular source of my rant. I have each time named this individual "Frank."

Frank is a real person. Frank is my colleague, coworker, roommate, and friend. Unfortunately, for him, Frank is my whipping post!

His name has become the call tag for my rants. Therefore, he will always be associated with what I am criticizing. He may not always deserve this but I have to have some sort of word association for the reader. Now I could change it up and use different names each time, but I don't feel that is fair to you as readers. Familiarity to the subject is crucial to my subject matter.

There was nothing he did to initiate this abuse (although he did shoot me at close range in the ear with a rubber band) but his reaction to it was so priceless and beautiful that it stuck. If I am murdered in my sleep then you probably know who did it because he might end up killing me over this.

I feel like I should redeem myself and say some good things about Frank, and there is a lot I could say, but I think that would defeat the purpose. I mean, after all, it's not going to kill him.

TeamKit

2009-06-26T08:38:00.001-07:00

I have never been one for much need for association to groups. I've never really been the lone wolf type, but just haven't found it necessary to belong to an established group. I never played competitive team sports competitively as a kid. My parent's weren't super into it, and it was a bit to structured for me. By structured I mean I couldn't change my mind on what I wanted to do every 5 seconds. I played a lot of sports (i.e. baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and trampoline) with my dad, older brother, and friends, but I always liked having the ability to jump from one sport to the next because I didn't have the best attention span.

Since I never had been part of a team I was really surprised to have the experience I had dawning my team kit for the first time. During this last winter I became part of a Northern (I mean the real Northern) California and Southern Oregon Cycling team Etna Brewing Co./ DeSalvo Custom Cycles. Being still fairly new to the sport of bike racing (crossed over from Triathlon) I was excited to be part of a team for many reasons, but mostly because it would offer me some discounts and people to train with.

When I picked up my teamkit this spring I was mostly excited to have a couple new jersey's and bike shorts because it was just that time of the year. However, when I pulled on my Etna Brew bibs and jersey for the first time I was overwhelmed with the sense of pride! It gave me an immense feeling of accomplishment and instilled a huge amount of drive in me. From that moment in time on all I have wanted to do is train more, train smarter, train harder, and race race race race my bike. The issue of jumping from one sport to the next on a whim as vanished. Everything in my life is now structured around insuring I get to ride my bike six days a week, and race as much as possible.

Being a part of a team or recognizing myself as part of something has been a very positive experience for me. I now have more understanding why so many people pursue association with a social group in the vast array they exist. It even compounds the significance of Chuck Palahniuk's book Fight Club.

Are you correcting my spelling?

2009-06-26T08:37:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer: This post has absolutely nothing to do with the outdoors!

I grew up in a family that obsessively corrected ever miss spelled word and grammar error I ever wrote or spoke. I am grateful that I was raised in a family that cared enough about my education to put in the effort to teach me the correct way to read, write, and speak. It influenced me later in life when I finally chose my major in college as a Bachelor's of Science in Human Communication. The well established background gave me a advantage in all of my public speaking classes as well as researching and writing a copious amount of papers.

I find myself as a college graduate and, what I consider, a moderately well educated person still having people correct what they interpret are miss spelled words or grammar mistakes. This really annoys me! I can understand the assumption that a young kid has spelled a word incorrectly out of error. However, one should not assume that all words spelled untrue to traditional form are in error. We live in a free thinking world, or at least some of us like to think that we do, so why should we forcibly conform our use of language. Its barbaric. In the art world its an insult to trifle an artist expression even if it is outside the traditional realm of art, but somehow it is okay to presumably correct someone's self expression through words. If I so choose to spell a word a certain way or not put a comma in my sentence or string multiple sentences together without the traditional means of punctuation's who cares?

Personally, I think that there are much bigger issues in this world then if I used affect when I should have used effect or since instead of sense or just simply didn't feel the need to go back and change the fact that i didn't capitalize my i or put in that letter I left out of a word. I will give all due respect to the english language and there are situations where I believe sentence structure and spelling should comply to a traditional form. But in the end it is a language that is ever evolving. And, so what if the traditional rules are slowly falling off. If they are falling by the wayside it just means that we don't need them anymore because the are out dated and superfluous. Some might say, we have to draw the line somewhere or it will be anarchy. This is not a gateway drug situation. The world is not going to fall out of orbit and were not all going to die if I don't spell every word the way it is in the dictionary. Stupid Webster anyways!

None of this is to say that I disagree with the proper education of language, speaking, spelling, and grammar. But at some point do not just automatically jump to the conclusion that someone has made a mistake, and then feel the need to jump in and prove how much smarter then them you are. And, even if it causes major issues for you emotionally, mentally, and physically allow nontraditional thinking and expression to happen.

Do I hate weekend warriors?

2009-04-24T13:15:00.001-07:00

I was in a conversation with a colleague (we are going to call him Frank) a few days ago regarding "weekend warriors" as he called them. This conversation turned into an interesting and fun debate. Enough so that I felt like sharing it.

Frank started the conversation off by saying that he hated "weekend warriors" (WW's). I first asked him how he wasn't a WW. Frank, you see, works a full time, 5 day a week, 10 - 6 job. Therefore, he only has two days a week to go out and get after it. Frank got defensive with my question, as you could imagine. A definition of what a WW is was needed for us to continue on.

Irrelevant picture #1

A WW, according to Frank, is an individual who only engages in outdoor activities on his/her days off. My initial question remained. Here is how he made the distinction between himself and what he considered a WW, "I am LIVING the dream." How is Frank "living the dream" more then a WW? Well, because he "get's after it every chance he gets." I proclaimed that only made him a super weekend warrior at which point, Frank threw his hands up in disgust with me.

While I had a bit of fun at the expense of Frank's poor argument it did get me thinking about the subject. If we stay in line with Frank's definition of WW's then in order to not be a WW you can't work. Work, at least for me, is a really hard thing to avoid. I think that it take a unique person and or trust fund situation to have the ability to live in our society and not work. There are some that are exceptional athletes or adventurer's that have the opportunity to get paid to go do cool shit all over the world. That demographic represents probably less then 1% of the population though.

Irrelevant picture #2

What I think Frank was getting at, but poorly stated in his argument, was its not the frequency of activity engagement that makes someone a WW. Rather it is the person's mentality that makes him/her a WW. The best way to make the distinction is there are three kinds of people in this world. There are people that are to tired from work to play (WW's), there are people who don't play at all, and then there are people who are to tired from playing to work. Personally, I love Monday's because I get to go to work and for some well needed R&R.

Irrelevant picture #3

In conclusion, I don't hate weekend warriors because they are the ones working while at work which gives me the opportunity to nurse my wounds and soar body from playing to hard. As for Frank, well, he has a lot to learn.

PCT...Does the C stand for Commercialized?

2009-04-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I found myself on a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in Southern Oregon. Now, while I was making my way along the trail I was noticing the blue diamond shaped markers place in the trees. These markers are approximately placed 30 to 50 feet apart, and they line the PCT.

These markers really got me thinking! And I kept asking myself the same question. Has the PCT gone commercial?

(Staff hiking PCT section in Southern Oregon)

Now, do not, and I repeat, do not get me wrong. I have a great deal of respect for anyone that treks the entire PCT. It is physically demanding and a great accomplishment. But at this point, to me, the mental aspect of it seems extremely dummed down to the point where anyone can do it.

(PCT in Southern Oregon)

What's the challenge? There are books that outline what you need to pack, how much time you need, the gear you should buy, the locations of where the next shower is, the addresses you need to ship your food to, the shops along the way, the what, why, and how is all done for you. To top it off you don't even have to worry about getting lost because the markers lead the way.

(PCT in Southern Oregon)

Isn't half the fun of an adventure like the PCT planning and figuring out all the details? How is just showing up fun?

(Staff hiking PCT section in Southern Oregon)

Now, I know some readers will ask, well have you hiked the PCT. The answer is no, and I know that I lose some credibility because of that. But the truth of the matter is that I currently have zero interest in hiking the PCT with the hundreds of other hikers that are out on their field trip. For me there are better adventures. Ones that are still pure and haven't been dummed down for the masses. If I run out of idea's and creative adventures in my lifetime then I will hike the PCT.

(Staff hiking PCT section in Southern Oregon)

I think that occasionally we get become so passionate about our activities and hobbies that all we want to do is share them other people. We want to see more and more individuals also feel passionate about what we do. In order to do this we have to make the activity accessible. This is both fortunate and unfortunate. Again, I find myself asking the question, are we commercializing an activity like hiking the PCT to much?

Everyone Is an Expert

2009-02-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

In the outdoor industry and community we deal with a vast array of individuals. Let me be very clear here, ALL of them are experts. If you don't believe me just listen to two climbers talk about the proper application of an item. Listen to rafters talk about how to rig a boat. Or, listen to skiers talk about what ski is better for variable snow conditions. And, yes it is rude to tell them to shut up.

So, what is the reason for this phenomenon?

Well, as an expert myself, it is because were all trying to prove ourselves. We have this need to look knowledgeable about stuff. But most of the time people are just talking out their ass!

The way I see it, actions are louder then words. Don't tell me what gear I should be using if you don't actually use it. Knowledge comes from experience not a catalog, coat rack, or shelf. Plus, discovery is part of the fun, so don't spoil it. If your actually getting after it, then you don't have time to talk about shit, and people will come to you for advice because you will actually know what the hell your talking about.

I'm not hating the folks out there that are book smart. Even though I don't give a shit about the blah blah blah about the blah blah blah. Street cred is just more beneficial is all.

The Forecast

2009-01-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

There is a high pressure system moving in and there is no new snow in sight. Now, as an avid snowboarder who's lively hood and emotional stability comes from being on the snow you might think that I would be upset, depressed, or even scared about the current conditions. However, we are currently experiencing spring like conditions up on Mt. A, and I don't know about you but I love the spring.

Spring time riding is some of the most enjoyable riding. It is warm, slushy, and progressive riding. Plus you get an awesome goggle tan, and we all know that a good goggle tan is how we let the rest of the world know that we are hardcore mountain people. Therefore, with the idea of having to spring sessions in one season I am stoked. Also, at the end of a spring session is what gets me stoked for the next season, so it's kinda like having two seasons in one!

Remember that there are always positives in every situation. Your mountain might have lost a couple towers in a mud slide, your mountain might be experiencing high winds so it can't open, the road to get to your mountain might not be open, or even worse your mountain might have received to much new snow to ride because of avalanche danger. So, just remember that it is still early in the season, and relax. Work on your early season goggle tan. I know I will be!

My first post

2008-12-04T13:05:00.001-08:00

This is just a test.

I will be creating much more beneficial and festinating posts very soon. But, first things first, I have to learn how this whole "internet" thing works.

Now, you might be thinking, what is this bozo doing? That is a very legitimate question to ask. My response is, I don't know. For right now I am just goofing off as much as possible and so far it is going pretty well. But in the future I will be posting on various topics which include, but are not limited to: adventure advice, gear reviews, Q&A, and whatever is on the top of my soapbox for the day.

Please stay tuned.