Rolling With the Punches

I’m not quite sure why life invites change in big, and sometimes unreasonable chunks. The month of May has been one of the biggest, life-changing months in my Earthly existence. And when I thought I couldn’t handle the pressure, I realized two important factors (despite the surrounding chaos): Snowshoe Magazine must go on and the print version needs life.

To spare everybody the gory details, I’ll remain on topic to explain our plans for the summer. However, please know that everything is just fine and I’m more “pumped” for the magazine’s future than I have ever been before.

As you may have guessed, the newsletter is somewhat late. I apologize for that. Not my intention at all. Future summer newsletters will become more blog-type editions than actual editorial (similar to the publisher’s letters). So, expect a more watered-down newsletter during the months of June, July and August. Regular business practices will resume in September.

The summer will bring great joy to the Snowshoe Magazine community. Over the next hot season in the Northern Hemisphere, we are developing Snowshoe Magazine into a print publication. The Snowshoemag Web site will become more enhanced as we provide a number of upgrades and hopefully finish some of those “coming soon” pages (for example, the Photo Galleries). Subscription information will be available soon, and hopefully some of you will step forward to take advantage of our offerings.

(Please note: This summer we will be sending newsletter subscribers subscription information in the form of a newsletter edition. It will be a one-time offer exclusively for our Web site fans and favorites. Stay tuned.)

I would also like to invite our Southern Hemisphere snowshoers to participate as much as possible, especially in the Snowshoe Magazine discussion forums (https://www.snowshoemag.com/bb/index.php). Although we are all basking in the spring and summer heat here in the north, our friends in Australia, New Zealand and a number of countries in South America are strapping on their snowshoes to enjoy the fresh snow. Oh yeah, for those in Antarctica…we love you as well.

So, let the Snowshoe Magazine locomotive continue its travels through publishing evolution! It’s going to be a fun and bumpy ride as we stand next to our motto: Our commitment to the sport of snowshoeing and the future of this publication will remain steadfast.

Here are some snowshoe-related news bites for your reading pleasure:

New Bites

============

Harried parents searching for family time and healthy living can find it close to home—by taking a walk or hike on a local trail. American Hiking Society, a national nonprofit organization, is urging families to rediscover quality outdoor time by discovering their local trails on June 4, National Trails Day, a nationwide celebration of more than 1,000 outdoor events.

There are National Trails Day events for every type of trail travel, including road and mountain biking, paddling, equestrian rides, climbing, and guided nature walks. There are park clean-ups and trail work for volunteers; and new trail openings, educational seminars and clinics, gear demonstrations, health screenings, cook-offs—something for every outdoor interest.

For a state-by-state listing of National Trails Day events, visit http://www.AmericanHiking.org. The site also offers trail tips on how to get started in hiking with children, what to bring on family hikes, and a variety of other trail topics.

=============

The world-renowned ski resort community of Vail, Colo., is kicking off the spring trail running season with the Gore-Tex USA 10K National Trail Running Championships on June 4. The event is part of the Teva Mountain Games, an annual four-day festival which includes kayaking, paddling, rock climbing, inner tubing, mountain biking, outdoor films, rock concerts, and the inaugural Everest Awards.

Components of the race include the championships, the second North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships, which pits team from the NACAC member countries in a cross-country scoring (with up to four team members and the top two finishers scoring), and selection for three members of the Teva US Mountain Running Team – the top two U.S. men and the top U.S. woman finisher.

Among some of the Snowshoemag favorites competing in the event: Danelle Ballengee, Bernie Boettcher, Lisa Isom, Lisa Goldsmith, Josiah Middaugh, Anita Ortiz. Good luck to all!

For more information, visit http://www.trailrunner.com. Also, watch Snowshoemag for more trail running information this summer.

=============

Three-time Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member Anita Ortiz showed her continued strength in Colorado’s snowshoe race circuit by winning America’s Uphill (March 19), A 2.5-mile continuous uphill route climbing 3,267 feet from start at the base of Aspen Mountain to finish at the summit (11,212 feet).

Oritz dominated the snowshoe category in an unofficial time just under 50 minutes besting last year’s time of 50:02 and earning sixth place overall. LaSportiva-GoLite Running team member Bernie Boettcher was the men’s Uphill champion.

=============

Four Atlas Snow-Shoe Co. staff members on April 16 completed a technical Trans-Sierra snowshoe trek traveling from Symmes Creek near Independence, Calif., on the Eastern side of the range, to Wolverton Ski Area in Sequoia National Park through John Muir Wilderness on the Western slope.

The traverse served as an authentic means for the Atlas team to test its latest snowshoe products and ensure quality of its newest technologies in a real-world environment over multiple days. The “Sierra High Route” is a classic summer backpacking trip and challenging winter backcountry mountaineering and ski tour with five passes above 12,000 feet and one pass above 13,000 feet, including an elevation gain of 12,500 feet between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, yet the 45-mile route has rarely if ever been completed on snowshoes.

Daniel Emerson, general manager for Atlas; Peter Chapman, development engineer; Cameron Martindell, marketing coordinator and staff photographer; and Teri Smith, women’s workshop program manager, tested the new Men’s 10 Series, Women’s Elektra 10 Series, 12 Series, and 36 Series snowshoes with fully-loaded packs during the six-day trek.

=============

If you haven’t had the chance to check out our First-Timer’s Guide to Snowshoeing, click the following link: https://www.snowshoemag.com/firsttime.cfm. Although we are not going away forever, see you next season. And, thanks for your support of Snowshoe Magazine and the snowshoeing sport.

Verified by MonsterInsights