Adventure Lurks Around Every Corner...

Corpus Christi Hiking/Biking Trail - Photo by Joe Vulgamore
As I sit watching the Mavericks Invitational, I'm reminded how blessed I am to live where I do.

Loving adventure as I do, I am very fortunate to live in South Texas. Not really known as an "Adventurers Paradise", Corpus has more to offer than meets the eye... especially for the weekend adventurer. But having a mix of semi-arid and sub-tropical terrains, one doesn't need to look very far to find something to whet the adventure appetite.

From here I can surf about a hundred or so days a year, while not world class, it still gives me a fix. I can take advantage of a few good bike trails that provide a moderate level of difficulty, if you know where to go. We have a ton of wind for all kinds of other things like wind surfing, kite boarding, and sailing. There are plenty of guys who are into powered paragliding, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, camping, hunting, and more.
A couple of hours to the north lies San Antonio and Austin which brings better hiking and biking trails. Also close is the Texas Hill Country, which gives more in the way of hiking and camping and also allows for some decent rock climbing.

The only thing missing that I can think of are a few good cliffs for BASE jumping, but we do have a skydiving school 15 miles away in Port Aransas.

The point of this post is that there is adventure around every nook and cranny in most places and if you look hard enough, you will find it.

So get out there and look, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find...

Bikes Not Bombs... A Cool Concept

Photo by Matt Teuten
A Boston-based company called "Bikes Not Bombs" has a very cool concept of driving social change in developing countries by recycling used bicycles and donating them.

In developing countries, people many time have to traverse long distances just to get the basic necessities of life. Having a bike makes that much easier.

There is a great article on Takepart.com about this company, their concept, and all the great work they do... Read it HERE


2013 Enduro World Series

Fans of Enduro style mountain biking are in for a real treat in 2013 as the EMBA (Enduro Mountain Biking Association) has created the Enduro World Series slated launch this year.

"Cool," you say, "but what is enduro style mountain biking?"

Simply put, enduro is a combination of XC fitness with Downhill riding. There are sections of pedaling with plenty of trail and downhill skills needed to deal with the course. One of the things that appeals to many riders is that contests can be run on traditional trail bikes with only minor modifications, the events are popular with riders who don’t have, or want to buy, specialized downhill or XC race bikes.

With this in mind, the new Enduro World Series announced in November of 2012 a schedule of seven races to be held in four countries (U.S., Canada, France and Italy).

Below is the schedule:


May 18-19 - Superenduro PRO - Punta Ala, Italy
June 29-30 - Enduro Series - Val d'Allos, France
July 6-7 - Crankworx Les 2 Alpes - Les 2 Alpes, France
July 27-28 - Colorado Freeride Festival - Winter Park, United States
August 10-11 - Crankworx Whistler - Whistler, Canada
August 24-25 - Enduro Des Nations - Val d'Isere, France
October 19-20 - Superenduro PRO - Finale Ligure, Italy


You can read more about this new series at www.enduroworldseries.com or just click HERE

Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest - Feb. 14 - 16, 2013

Photo courtesy of Desert Sports
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. have teamed up with Desert Sports to bring the 2013 Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest to the Big Bend Ranch State Park in mid February.

West Texas, and the Big Bend area in particular is quickly becoming a "go-to" destination for Mountain Bikers.

(From the TPWD website) "The Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest is a celebration of Mountain Bike Riding in the Big Bend Area. 
This festival will feature rides in Big Bend National Park, the Lajitas Resort Trail System, as well as various rides in Big Bend Ranch State Park. 

The 3 day event will feature a different riding area each day, with options for alternate rides in other areas. 

The main venue and staging area for the event will be the Lajitas Resort and riders will either ride or drive to the Trail Head for the start of each ride. Each day will offer opportunities for rides of different lengths and difficulty and will include rides appropriate for Families/Kids. The Main Event for the Festival will be the route named as an IMBA Epic in Big Bend Ranch State Park."

You can find more about this event and sign up information at the Desert Sports Website.



Summit On The Summit... Climbing Kilimanjaro

There is a major crisis going on in the world today... we're not talking about wars, politics, or conspiracy theories. We are talking about an issue that is life-threatening and robs people of a basic human right... We are talking about a global clean water crisis.

In so many areas around the world, water is not clean enough to drink. This threatens the lives of many people across the globe.

Enter the Summit On the Summit.

"What is Summit on the Summit", you ask?

According to their website, the Summit On The Summit is "An initiative designed to drive awareness and change to the global clean water crisis while engaging a community through raising awareness, supporting education, inspiring advocacy and activating fundraising. By taking cultural influencers, educators and high profile individuals to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, SUMMIT is able to support organizations in bringing clean water to the 1 billion people living without this basic human right."

The Project: 

(From the SUMMIT Website) Our project will consist of a 7 day climb up Mount Kilimanjaro with internationally recognized influencers as well as men and women who have either made an exceptional global impression around the water crisis or proven to be a leader in youth activism. These two groups represent Influencers and Educators. They will climb Kili as a team; communicating about the issues around access to water, learning of solutions to the problem, discussing how to improve social awareness and embracing the idea that they are now the example for showing ways to take action and give back to those with little or nothing. Through our efforts, we will directly support nonprofit organizations providing safe, clean drinking water to struggling communities...giving future generations the chance to thrive.

Who is involved:

There is a long list of celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs  and activists who are participating in this climb to raise awareness. 
You can find a list of them on the SUMMIT website at http://www.summitonthesummit.com/climbers

Human Spirit of Adventure is closely following the climb. We are sharing updates and video from the climbers daily on our Facebook page. So follow along and show your support for bringing clean drinking water to the world!



Happy New Year Adventurers!!!

My fellow Adventurers,

As we bring to close another year in the history of our lives, let us not look back and wonder what could have been... but look forward to what will be. We will have plenty of time for looking back when we are old, gray, and reminiscing with grandchildren.

The Human Spirit of Adventure has always been about moving forward and meeting challenges... from the early days when Columbus sailed the Atlantic in search of a new world, to the first moon landing, to Felix Baumgartner's super-sonic Base-jump from the edge of space, adventurers have always followed the road less traveled.

Robert Frost said it best... (READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP)

in his poem called "The Road Not Taken"

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost

As the new year dawns, many adventures lay in front of us. Let us meet the adventures with excitement, vigor, and lust. May your sails be filled with wind, may your rapids be swift, may your jumps be high, may your powder be fresh, may your waves be head-high and glassy, may your compass always point north, and may your trails always bring you home...

From all of us here at Human Spirit of Adventure, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Backpack Review - Gama 8.0 Internal Frame Pack


So I finally decided to retire my 25 year old Army issue ALICE pack and get myself a new bag for 1-to-3 day hikes. I was skeptical about buying a budget-pack from Wal-Mart, but so far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with its performance. The Outdoor Products Gama 8.0 Internal Frame Pack is designed to provide a great pack for hiking or shorter backpacking trips. It has all of the modern conveniences that a good pack should have. For anyone who wants to use this pack as a street bag, you may not be happy with it. It has an over-sized waist belt and comes in 2 ugly colors… olive green (shown) and orange. I chose the olive green because I’m not thrilled about standing out on the trail… however I do live in Texas and the orange one might be better for protecting me from drunk, gun-toting rednecks (That was a joke so lighten up people). I took this 39.1L pack for a 2-day tryout and I must say that it met the test. I've not tried it on a longer trip or in overly rugged terrain, but for a low-budget pack I still feel pretty good about it.


For my overall assessment of this pack, READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP...





This bag features a suspended mesh back panel for maximum airflow and deluxe back padding with molded texture for added comfort.
After 2 days of lugging it around carrying about 25 pounds worth of food and gear, I must say that it is quite comfortable. While it does sit closer to the back versus other packs like the Osprey, it still has good airflow... This Gama Pack is equipped with a lightweight aluminum internal stay to stabilize large loads and a padded, ergonomically designed waist belt that comfortably supports heavy loads...



It also features articulated yoke-style shoulder straps with sliding sternum adjusters to get the chest strap in the position that's best for you.

The shoulder straps come with top and bottom adjustment straps for your comfort and convenience. The ends of all adjustment and compression straps are doubled back on themselves which is helpful when wearing heavy gloves or mittens.
The shoulder straps also feature webbing to attach M.O.L.L.E type gear or to run your hydration hose through as seen in the photo...






The very roomy Internal Frame Pack has a large capacity main compartment with a sleeve for a 2 liter hydration bladder (not included). At the top, there is a small Velcro strap that attaches to the bladder to help hold it high and keep it from sinking into the sleeve.
On my trip, there was plenty of room in this compartment for a tent, extra clothing, food, heavy jacket, and a few other odds and ends...








The Pack has a front stash-pouch that stores quick-access gear...













On the outside of the stash-pouch is yet another pouch for carrying your shovel, rain gear, or whatever...













The top flap has yet another zippered pocket perfect for stuffing your rain-fly (not included)...










This pack has double side pockets. The inner pocket is great for storing you water bottles and the gusset pocket can hold your sun screen, snacks, or whatever you choose...












In addition to compression straps, the bottom has D-rings that are handy for attaching a sleeping bag or other bulky items...










Pros:
Suspended mesh back panel
Compression straps galore
Roomy
Budget friendly
Sturdy build and stitching

Cons:
No pockets on waist belt
Zippers could be higher quality
No rain-fly included

Overall Assessment:
This is an excellent pack for day hikes and shorter camping trips. It is very comfortable, breathable, and has lots of pockets. I would definitely recommend this pack for day-hikers and weekend warriors.


Manufacturers Specifications:

Outdoor Products Gama Internal Frame Pack:

• Lightweight aluminum internal stay to stabilize large loads
• Suspended mesh back panel for maximum airflow
• Deluxe back padding with molded texture for added comfort
• Extra padded, ergonomically designed waist belt comfortably supports heavy loads
• Articulated yoke- style shoulder straps with sliding sternum adjusters
• Backpacker organizer located in front pocket
• Left and right accessory pockets with zipper closure
• Fits most 2L reservoirs (hydration reservoir not included)
• Vertical and bottom compression straps
• Large capacity main compartment with zipper closure


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