October 28th, 2011 | Posted by: Guest Blogger Jill Parker | 0

Finding the Best Trail Running Shoes

A run up a mountain? Don’t mind if we do.

One of the best things about living in Colorado is the abundance of entertainment to keep even the most enthusiastic outdoor adventure seeker quite busy, and there is nothing more adventurous than exploring one of the state’s 52 fourteen thousand feet mountain peaks on foot – running. As one of the assistant cross country coaches for my son Ryan’s high school cross country team, we like to take the runners up a “14er” each year for a little team building experience – and some exposure to some high altitude training. The other day we were fortunate to get to play on the trails to peaks Grays and Torreys (14,270’ and 14,267’), two 14ers which are a short drive from Denver, where we live.

Grays and Torreys are two of the easier of the state’s 14ers to climb: the trail is about 4 miles to Grays and then just a half mile to Torreys; elevation gain is approximately 3000’ (relatively short compared to many others); the trail starts out pretty much on pea-sized gravel which is conducive to run on; and the amazing beauty of the valley is simply breathtaking, filled with a blanket of wildflowers while viewing the peaks as your backdrop. How can one NOT want to run here?
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October 6th, 2011 | Posted by: Perry H | 0

Win Ten Days in Fiji with Teva

Teva Giveaway Closed

Ten days in Fiji. No matter how often you repeat it, it sounds awesome each and every time. If you were invited to a dinner party with the theme “Ten Days in Fiji,” you would probably think you were in for the best night of your life. It could be the title of a book, or emblazoned across a movie marquee and you would automatically think “Now, that is for me.” Well, good news. It actually could be for you, because our good friends at Teva are giving away ten days in Fiji.

What do you have to do to get your name in the running? All you have to do is fill in a little form on our Fiji Getaway Sweepstakes page.

If you win, you should totally bring a pair of these Teva Dozer III sandals. They’re perfect for seaside scrambles or visiting the local villages.

See more great Teva shoes

Or maybe those Teva Gnarkosi shoes next to them, because the deck of that luxurious Tui Tai expedition houseboat might get a little slick with all the 5-star awesomeness that is going on.

Listen, if you do win, send us a postcard. We’ll be here…in our offices…wearing our Teva shoes and thinking of you.

Good luck!

September 1st, 2011 | Posted by: Guest Blogger Joseph Anderson | 0

Tips for Hiking with Kids

How do you turn children on to hiking? What’s the appropriate level of physical conditioning? How do you motivate them? Do they even like hiking? If you have kids and like to play in the great outdoors, these are probably very real questions and concerns. As a father of three and someone who makes his living in the outdoors, I have some experience with this subject and I am always excited to share.

Our goal here is to go hiking with kids. Is that it? Not exactly. We want to enjoy ourselves and ultimately we want them to remember the hike as a rewarding experience that they will want to repeat time and time again. Like most activities that we love and attempt to get our kids to love, the way we deliver each experience will play a big role on whether they become a fan or not.
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August 22nd, 2011 | Posted by: Get in Gear | 0

Dream Hiking Package Winner

Our Great Hiking Giveaway is now over. In total, we had 171 eligible submissions with great pictures and memories from Mt. Rainier, Alaska, the Himalayas, Tanzania and beautiful places all around the world. Frankly, it was a good thing this was a random drawing, because it would have been challenging to select a winner any other way. Speaking of winners….

Congratulations, Renee T., from Marina del Rey , CA!
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August 16th, 2011 | Posted by: Steffi Bailey | 2

Fitness Favorites for the Average Jane: KEEN Commuter II

Women's KEEN Commuter 2 Bike Sandal

This summer, I traded my hot, stuffy clip-in bike shoes and sweaty socks for easy, breezy clip-in bike sandals.

And these aren’t just any old bike sandals. These are KEEN Commuter II bike sandals packed with the KEEN features I know and love:

Protective rubber toe bumper
Water-resistant strappy adjustable upper
Antimicrobial lining
Removable footbed

Best of all, they’re compatible with clip-in bike pedals. (Cleats sold separately.)

I’ve found that the daily bike commute is a much sweeter journey with KEEN on my feet. And since the KEEN Commuter II sandal is cute enough and comfortable enough to wear off the bike as well as on it, it makes it that much easier to ride to all the places I love to go without having to lug along an extra pair of shoes.

Be it at the beach or on the bike, KEEN comes through with yet another uniquely stylish yet practical shoe.

Just clip in and pedal your way through a carefree summer with the KEEN Commuter II bike shoe.

August 8th, 2011 | Posted by: Get in Gear | 0

Hiking Safety: Animal encounters in the wild

One of our favorite things is hiking. We love slipping into a good pair of hiking boots and getting out on the trail. Even on our favorite hikes, the ones we’ve done dozens of times, Nature provides a constant and endless variety of sights, sounds and experiences. It is just awesome, and most of us consider ourselves especially fortunate if our hike includes some kind of animal encounter. That’s where it can get tricky, even dangerous.

Out on the trail, it’s easy to get lost in the moment. You round a bend in the trail and there, not 30 feet away, is a big mountain goat, just staring back at you. That is so cool! Of course, you’ll need a picture for your Facebook page, so you inch closer to get a good shot and…what happens next? That’s exactly the problem with most animal encounters; you don’t know what will happen next. Wild animals are unpredictable. Maybe that mountain goat will stand there and pose for you, or maybe that mountain goat will decide that you are trying to move in on its territory and charge at you. Are you ready for that?
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August 5th, 2011 | Posted by: Get in Gear | 0

Safety First: Hiking Safety Tips

Common Sense Hiking Safety Tips

If you’re a regular reader of our blogs, you know that hiking is one of our favorite things. No matter what region of the country you live in, there are great, inspiring hikes you could be taking today if you really wanted to. But, getting out on the trail is not quite as simple as grabbing your favorite outdoor shoes and going. Although we do have an awesome selection of both women’s hiking shoes and men’s hiking shoes to inspire you to get out there, there are a few safety rules you should follow on every hike you take.

Don’t hike alone.
This is one of the most important hiking safety tips you should remember. It could someday save your life to have a person along who can hike back to the trailhead for help, or share their body heat to stave off hypothermia. More likely, though, your hiking partner will just be there to lend a hand on tricky parts of the trail, share hiking tips and help keep you from getting lost or in trouble. It is a proven fact that people tend to panic less in groups than they would alone. If you can’t arrange a hiking partner, stick to well-traveled and accessible trails. Remember, it was Lewis and Clark (and Sacajawea, really) blazing the trail to the Pacific.
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August 3rd, 2011 | Posted by: Get in Gear | 313

Giveaway: Merrell Origins Hiking Shoes

Merrell has been crafting high-quality performance footwear for three decades and now, to help celebrate their anniversary, they’ve created the Merrell Origins collection. These great-looking hiking shoes offer a return to classic Merrell styling, but use the latest materials and engineering for advanced support and cushioning. So, when you’re out hiking with your pals, you’ll get all of Merrell’s legendary comfort served with a big side of pure, classic cool. And they could be yours free.
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August 2nd, 2011 | Posted by: Get in Gear | 0

Giveaway: Dream Hiking Package Update #2

SECOND UPDATE: If you haven’t already seen them, you should absolutely go take a look at our (as in yours and ours together) Facebook album of Favorite Hikes. You’ll find a collection of more than 50 images from around the world, including Australia, Ethiopia, New England, Belize and dozens of other fantastic places. We are going to create an amazing photo album out of these images, post it on our site, and hopefully inspire a few new hiking trips along the way.
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July 26th, 2011 | Posted by: Perry H | 1

Garden Clogs: Digging the dirt

It is full-on gardening season here in the Northwest and, whether the weather likes it or not, I am going to get out and push some dirt around. I’ve got my whole “Pretend I Can Garden” ensemble ready, too:

Gardening pants, which double as my painting pants
Permanently-stained shirt, to help prove to doubting garden store staff that I am not a newbie
“The vest of a thousand pockets”, which has something still in it, but I can’t seem to figure out which pocket it’s in
Gardening gloves, which I get by the dozen because my little Rat Terrier thinks they are delicious
And most importantly, my garden clogs

Now, a lot of people are more concerned with keeping their Green Thumbs safe and fingernails clean, but not me. Gloves are great, but I’ve always been more of a puddle jumper. More of the “feet first” sort. The right footwear has wa-a-ay more bearing on your comfort than gloves. So, whenever it’s time to get out and save my poor yard from however it was I tried to save it previously, my first thought is about what goes on my feet. For yard work, that means garden clogs–or maybe Bogs, if the weather has been particularly moody.
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