Time for another episode of Tracing the Edge by Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith. This episode is the first of three for ultrarunner Krissy Moehl. I have a lot of respect for ultrarunner — that is something I could never see myself doing. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean.
What did you think? She’s pretty tough isn’t she … trail running up mountains in the rain for hours on end. Doing 50 or 100 miles in one race will push anyone to the edge.
Hey everyone. Time for the next installment of Tracing The Edge by Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith. The video you are about to see if Part 1 of Gerry Lopez’s story. Watch, then we will discuss.
Gerry Lopez is a surfer turned snowboarder who currently lives in Bend, Oregon … far away from the waves of the North Shore, but right where he wants to be to snowboard 100+ days a year. Gerry and his wife spent their time living in Hawaii and Oregon, but ultimately made the decision to move to the mountains when it was time for their son to enter school.
I was watching Man vs. Wild last night (all new episode) where Bear Grylls was up in the Yukon demonstrating several survival tactics to use if lost in the rugged, snowy mountains. He goes into how to deal with an avalanche, blizzard and a frozen lake. But the most interesting segment of the show came when he was trying to self arrest himself using an ice axe on a steep slope.
Traveling at 40+ mph, Bear flew down a snowy slope with ice axe in hand. It took around 150 feet to completely stop using this method … but a minute later the camera man comes flying down the mountain and collides right into him. Bear injured his leg and the camera man busted his nose. Both men were fine – though it could have been a lot worse.
I wanted to post a video I found on YouTube showing how to correctly self arrest using an ice axe. You never know when you’ll be in a situation like this, so it’s best to practice and work on your skills so you don’t panic.
Casey Fulp had dreams of becoming a Green Beret. But after a 2008 motorcycle crash left him with physical scars and emotional pain, Fulp realized that dream would never become a reality. After the crash his spleen was removed, his stomach was torn and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He has regular migraines and is prone to occasional memory loss.
Fulp, 25, set out to thru-hike the Appalachia Trail … all 2,175 miles of it … in hopes to raise $10,000 for a nonprofit organization – The Mission Continues. Fulp started in Georgia and is working his way up North, he is currently on day 113 and has traveled 1,695.2 miles.
“I get up because it’s hard for me to imagine sitting around on the couch and hanging out while the same guys that I was training with are out doing real-world missions,” said Fulp, who medically retired from the Army in April. “In my mind, I can’t really say that I’m not capable of doing the same things I was doing anymore. I’m just more of a liability.
“So if I can still support the military and the military personnel, and do it where I’m not putting any of them at risk, I’m going to do it.”
Credit: Courtesy of Selena McColley
Bonus points if you know where this photo was taken! Looks like a hut/shack used as a resting place along a mountain expedition.
Were you sad when The Season (by Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith) ended? Me too. The Season was comprised of 20+ web episodes and took us through an entire season for outdoor athletes: a mountain biker, climber, boulderer, kayaker and snowboarder. Well, I have some good news for you. Fitz and Bryan are back at it again with an all new series title Tracing The Edge. It looks just as good as The Season, if not better.
In the first episode we meet Colin Haley, a 25 alpinist who grew up climbing in the Cascades.
What did you think? I told you it was good. In this episode we see where Colin grew out, how his family supported him and encouraged him to keep climbing, and how a mountaineer can use the summit of one peak as a stepping stone to something bigger and more extreme.
You can view the episodes first at Patagonia.com – or you can hang around here and I’ll post them as soon as they’re available on YouTube.
Finding the perfect dry-fitting shirt to wear when hiking, trail running, or biking in the outdoors is tough. So many companies promise to keep you dry – and trust me, living in Florida this is something we really need. It’s like 100 degrees outside as I write this post.
I just got a brand new GoLite Manitou Shortsleeve Top and must say this is one of the most comfortable performance shirts I’ve ever worn. It’s ultra lightweight (only 4.8 oz), made from fast wicking materials and is semi fitted so it’s not loose and baggy when you’re running outside. The shirt is priced at $45 which is very good for the quality and shelf life of this product.
One of my favorite features on this shirt is the seam locations. GoLite did their research and strategically placed seams in locations that won’t cause chaffing. Oh – and I love the tagless labels.
You can also feel safe running at night because the logo on the front of the shirt is reflective
When you purchase GoLite gear you also know that you’re buying from a company that is committed to sustainable practices and has a lifetime guarantee on every product. They will replace any gear with a manufacturing defect for the lifetime of the product, for free.
I’m actually amped up to go for a run now that my new shirt is in.
I stumbled across a video on Vimeo by a site called Careers Out There. The video starts out offering advice to take a break from work every now and again to experience adventure in the outdoors. One trip to a spectacular place can recharge you for a month or more.
I often find myself getting burned out over work – putting in 65-75 hour weeks sometimes. It can take a toll on your body.
So saddle up and shut the computer monitor off for an hour or two. Get outside for a quick hike at sunset or whitewater rafting trip with your friends.
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September 2nd, 2010 
David | Tell us what you think: 
