Last weekend we loaded some snow equipment in the car and took off for our local recreation area (Mantua, Ut). We really didn’t know what we were going to do, we didn’t even have enough gear for all of us to do any one activity together. But we knew we just needed to get out of the house, so we took off and decided to wing it.
When we got up there it looked like there was a party going on that we didn’t get an invitation to.
It was exciting to see the wide range of activities everyone was participating in. And I’m pleased to say there were kids in almost every group we came across. I ended up just taking pictures, Damon cross-country skied with the younger kids and the older ones snowboarded and snow skated down a nearby hill.
While looking through the lens of my camera and focusing on all these people having a great time outside I realized the best thing about the outdoors is that you never need an invitation to explore it. It’s just waiting for us to come and play.
We have a pair of vintage 3-pin cross-country skis my sister-in-law gave us. (Wowzer that sentence got it’s fair share of hyphens.) Anyway, my older two boys used them in the past and this season Scout is thrilled that she finally fits into the boots!
And I was equally excited because this means we can go skiing during the day while the boys are in school, she can ski and I can carry her little brother in the child carrier.
Here are the 3 tips that helped Scout learn really quickly…
1. Start Without Poles - Poles will just get in the way at this point. When you’re little one is just learning you want them to focus on swinging their arms from front to back.
2. Ski On A Groomed Trail - Skiing on a groomed trail gives kids a feel for how wide their stance should be and a guide for their skis so there will be less falling down and crossed skis. Where we went there wasn’t a groomed trail so Damon skied in front while Scout followed in his tracks.
3. Pretend To Kick A Ball - Have them pretend to kick a ball with each glide they take. Their body weight is on their right foot while they kick the ball with their left foot. Their weight then transfers to the left foot as the glide comes to an end. Then they proceed to kick the right foot forward.
Scout picked up the cross-country ski movement really quickly. Once we went over the basics I let her loose to explore. She went up and down hills, in circles and even enlisted Kaiser in the effort…
Skijoring at its finest…
Once she started doing well with the basic skiing motion I added in the ski poles.
She had some tumbles and stumbles along the way but she didn’t seem to mind…
I hope you found this helpful! We’re headed out again tomorrow. I hear there’s more snow on the way! Yippee!
Do you have any favorite cross-country ski spots?
Gear Spotlight: On this outing Scout wore the Icebreaker pocket hat and over the calf snow socks. Icebreaker makes active apparel from New Zealand merino wool.
I ran across a recipe the other day for Dutch Oven Cheesecake. Damon had a birthday coming up and he loves cheesecake so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try it out.
In my mind I had visions of this becoming a family favorite, with my children gathering around me with praises of my exquisite dutch oven abilities, my husband requesting it every year for his birthday and sharing the success of it all with you here.
So, uh, this was an adventure I guess because everything DID go wrong!
Wrong Turn #1 – The recipe is for a 10 inch dutch oven, mine is a 12. So I did some mathematical modifications on my own. Let’s just say some continuing education wouldn’t hurt.
Wrong Turn #2 – I was impatient and didn’t let my charcoal become totally white before putting it under and on top of my dutch oven. So instead of taking 1 hour to cook it took 4 hours, and that’s after I tried adding more charcoal and eventually just sticking it in the oven.
Wrong Turn #3 – When I took the lid off I tilted it to one side, allowing ash to pour onto the cheesecake.
The kids were in bed and by 9 o’clock Damon still hadn’t blown out any birthday candles. Finally after a movie and scraping off the top layer of ash we took our first bite. The crust had a faint taste of lighter fluid and the cheesecake itself was lacking…sugar.
Overall it was an adventure and next year Damon may be getting a hostess cupcake for his birthday. And although this post sounds pessimistic I really am a “the glass is half full” kind of gal. I will be trying more dutch oven recipes in the future and hopefully have some successful ones to share with you all. But until then hopefully you can learn from my dutch oven mistakes.
Over the weekend we watched 180 South. It was available to watch instantly on Netflix and the synopsis sounded cool so we gave it a try. Little did I know that this adventure documentary would inspire me beyond words.
The story features a man who retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes to Patagonia. There’s a lot of surfing and climbing along the way and a simple reminder that journeys and difficult experiences can help us grow and learn. The film also has an underlying story of the environment and our consumption habits as a society, but it’s not overwhelming so you don’t have to be a tree-hugger to appreciate it.
If you’re going to watch it have a pencil and paper ready because this film is overflowing with quotes to live by. Here’s a couple of my favorite…
“I’m drawn to open country. It’s where everything becomes clear, where the world makes the most sense. When I put myself out there, I always return with something new. A friend once told me: The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning, you didn’t even think to ask.” - Jeff Johnson
“The word adventure has gotten overused, to me, adventure is when everything goes wrong. That’s when the adventure starts.” - Yvon Chouinard
“I think first and foremost, people only protect the things they love. And you can’t love something unless you inherently identify with it.” -Kris Tompkins
“And in response to people saying,’You can’t go back.’ and I say, ‘Well what happens when you get to the edge of the cliff. Do you take one step forward or do 180° turn and take one step forward? Which way you goin? Which is progress?’ The solution to many of the world’s problems is maybe to turn around and to take a forward step.” – Yvon Chouinard
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.” -Alex Huxley Chouinard
One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Yvon talks about these rich people who pay a ton of money to have someone take them up Mt. Everest. They have someone set the ladders for them, cook their food and roll out their sleeping bags putting a chocolate on their pillow. He goes on to say that “The whole purpose of climbing something like Everest is to effect some sort of spiritual and physical gain. But if you compromise the process you’re an a#! when you start out and an a#! when you get back.”
I found this a metaphor for life. Even though it definitely gets hard at times YOU have to go through it without compromising the process or else you won’t change or progress. That’s what this life is all about…learning from our experiences and becoming better.
Although this movie makes me want to go on an epic journey of my own I realize that it doesn’t have to be to Patagonia on a boat to make it successful. I have to figure out what my own epic journey will be. And to tell you the truth I think our faimly is on a mini journey each time we go out exploring. Every hike or climb seems to teach us a life lesson along the way. And I’m grateful for those moments with my kids.
If you think because I run this website I’m techno savvy you’re mistaken. I don’t even have a smart phone. Which bugs me cause it implies that my phone is stupid…poor little guy, he can’t help it that he doesn’t know where the cheapest gas is.
I’ve tried to remain faithful to my phone but I’m starting to see the major benefits of the smartphone. These outdoor apps may push me over the edge to buy one.
Outdoor Apps I May Try To Figure Out
Dutch Oven Calculator (free) – I was looking through a scouting magazine the other day and came across this one. You just input the size of your pan in inches, the target cooking temperature, and the desired cooking method (bake, roast, fry). The calculator then tells you how many charcoal briquettes to place on the top and bottom of the oven. For Android Users
Moon 3D (free) – This allows you to calculate the moon phase on any given date. So if you want to plan a night hike you’ll be sure to have enough light. For Android Users
Scats & Tracks Of N. America ($1.99) – This app lets you figure out what animals have been on the trail before you. I’m sure my kids would love this one, trying to match up footprints. For Android Users
Star Chart (2.99) - Just point your phone up at the sky and this app will tell you what constellation it’s looking at. Great way to make your kids think you’re a genius! For Android Users
Backcountry Navigator (9.99) – The most spendy outdoor app I’ve come across but I hear it’s worth it. If you don’t have a GPS this is a great way to see what it’s all about. See where you’re at on a hike using a handy topographic format. You can also save waypoints and share info on social networks. For Android Users
Let’s Go Chipper (.99) – This app is for the little ones in your family. It’s a little cartoon squirrel that entertains and educates about nature through music, movies, coloring pages etc. For i-phone Users
Ski And Snow Report (free) – Gives you snow reports for any resort around the world! For i-phone Users
Pano (1.99) – Allows your phone to take panoramic pictures, perfect for sharing your summit view with friends and family. For i-phone Users
Knot Time (3.99) – Use this guide to refresh your memory on all those useful knots, tying the sled up to the dog, lashing your friends to the outhouse etc. For i-phone Users
All Trails ( Free) – Helps you find trails to explore wherever you may have ended up that day. For i-phone Users
Okay I admit it, my phone has been outsmarted. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade.
So do you have a smartphone? What apps are your favorite?
UPDATE: (1/6/12) Here are some other great apps that many of you have brought to my attention…
Ranger Rick Apps (1.99) – Ranger Rick has some new wildlife apps for kids, three in fact. Click The Birdie (ages 7 & up), What Did The Snakey Eat? (ages 2-5), and Raiders Of The Last Aardvark (ages 7 & up). They’re educational games with a focus on nature. For i-phone Users.
Google Sky Map (free) – This app turns your phone into a window on the night sky. It tells you the name of stars, planets and constellations. Sounds similar to Star Chart but free!
