Black Diamond Athlete Carlo Traversi writes, “the depth of your will can only be explored through experience.” And so he came up with the idea to do a triple 14 challenge—to climb a V14, 5.14, and a 14er in one day.
With new ascents, new feats of strengths and new discoveries constantly raising the bar, a climber’s perception of what’s possible is always shifting. But perhaps the greatest proponent behind the ever-evolving standards of what’s truly challenging lies within one simple act … that of giving it a darn good try.
Wish your dog could do that? If you have canine envy, then by all means, sit out this year’s Soldier Hollow Sheepdog Classic Championships.
But if you want to see all the action of brainiac pooches performing like snake charmers for thousands of appreciative fans then get up to Midway, Utah, this Labor Day Weekend.
The annual Sheepdog Classic, lures dog handlers from Canada to Ireland and throughout the U.S., to the rolling terrain of Utah where they put their herding dogs like Border Collies and Australian Shepherds to the test.
photo by Tom Kelly
What The Heck is a Sheepdog
Classic?
These highly skilled dogs will be working up to 400 yards away from their handlers on the hillsides of the former 2002 Olympic Nordic events venue. Only whistles and hand commands to tell them how to sort wild range Rocky Mountain ewes and bring them down along a preset course and through free-standing gates and into a small pen all in under 13 minutes.
Basically, a handler uses whistles and voice commands to coach his dog up the hill to herd the sheep through a 600-yard course, which includes a series of free-standing gates.
photo by Tom Kelly
Each sheep must clear every gate and then the dog separates out a set number of tagged sheep — typically five sheep donning red bandanas — and corral them into the ending pen. No nipping is allowed so no one need worry about animal cruelty unless you consider the peskiness of the wild sheep to give a dog the run around.
The top herding teams win gold, silver or bronze medals.
The Classic is the world’s largest sheepdog event, drawing more than 25,000 attendees including families that come for the food and vendor booths as well.
photo by Brett Neilson
There’s More To Do At The
Sheepdog Classic
But it’s not all sitting around. In addition to the spectator event, there’s a festival going on outside the fence. Vita Bone Dog Activities like Camp Chef cooking demos, and wild and exotic animal shows, hula hooping, bean bag toss games, the lost sheep game, face painting, balloon artists, coloring contest (with free ice cream for every entrant) and more will keep little ones entertained too.
The event runs through Monday. See the schedule and details here.
Want to know why skiers and snowboarders flock to Whistler Blackcomb? The apres has its draw but, no, there’s a deeper connection. Magnetic, a 30-minute marketing endeavor by the Resort, focuses on that undeniable attraction; that hypnotic power of the area that keeps athletes coming back again and again.
Filmed entirely and solely at Whistler Blackcomb, the film will be the resort’s flagship piece of content for the 2017.18 winter season. The movie features athletes with connections to the Whistler area and filmed by local, high caliber talent.
Origin Design & Communications, a full-service, creative and marketing agency specializing in outdoor sports and tourism, created the concept with the award-winningoutdoor/adventure and commercial video producerJeff Thomas directing the project.
The film will be released free online this fall but here’s a peek at the trailer:
The next fee free day for the National Park Service is coming up! During ten days of the year, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. “National parks are known for their priceless beauty,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “They are a bargain anytime but on these ten days in 2017, they really will be priceless. We want everyone to visit their national parks and the fee free days provide extra incentive to experience these amazing places.”
During the fee free days, all National Park Service sites will waive their entrance fees for all visitors. Usually, 124 of the 413 national parks charge entrance fees that range from $3 to $30. (The other 289 sites do not have entrance fees.) FYI-The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for things such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours.
If you’ve never been to Arches, now’s your chance! Get two National Parks from one town, Moab, Utah, and drink good beer to boot.
Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in Arches and Canyonlands in 2017:
•January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
•February 20: Presidents’ Day
•April 15-16 and 22-23: Weekends of National Park Week
•August 25: National Park Service Birthday
•September 30: National Public Lands Day
•November 11-12: Veterans Day Weekend
To continue the national park adventure beyond these fee free days, the annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks,. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, current military members, fourth grade students, and disabled citizens.
The National Park System includes more than 84 million acres and is comprised of 413 sites including national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores. There is at least one national park in every state.
Last year, 307 million people visited a national park. They spent $16.9 billion which supported 295,000 jobs and had a $32 billion impact on the U.S. economy.
p.s. Dogs are not allowed on the trails in Arches or Canyonslands but you can still take them to see natural arches.
Pull your damn pants up, is a frequent thought when I’m standing in a lift line. It’s not like these kids with pants at mid-thigh don’t have belts on. But maybe they’re missing the right belt; one that doesn’t feel like a belt perhaps?
I spotted Arcade Belts in the Venture Out area during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Show in July. The lightweight, stretchy belt with a thin Fastec clip easily adjusts and lays flat on your waist- no bulky buckles, no flapping excess. You can drop it in the wash- still attached to your pants or boardshorts- without damage or wear it through TSA without setting off the alarms. Plus, it comes in fun designs and a youth version for smaller-wasted ones.
Santa Cruz skater and Tahoe Pro Skier Cody Townsend started Arcade Belts with buddies David Bronkie and Tristan Queen to cinch up a tiny space in the adventure sports clothing market. They created a belt tough enough for action sports but comfy enough for everyday wear. “Action sports in general are becoming a lifestyle and we’re designing stuff for that culture,” said Townsend in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “I wanted something that fits in with that unique style. You might think it’s simple but you’ll have an ‘Ah ha’ moment, and ask why haven’t I been using this belt.”
It’s been six years since they first hit the market. Arcade Belts come in just three styles, sold in over 800 retail stores. I personally like the adventure belt in Trailblazer, with the cute little pine trees, but have a look at some of their other designs.
