The Trailmix.Net Blog

September 2007 - Posts

• Scouting a Trail using Google Earth.

  With a simple configuration setting in Google Earth, you can tap into the Trimbleoutdoors trail database for pictures and trail descriptions.         How To Activate (Source:  Trimbleoutdoors)   -Start Google Earth -Go to "Layers" in the Sidebar on the left -Expand the "Featured Content" folder under "Primary Database" -Click the "Trimble Outdoors Trips" checkbox -In the main window, pan and zoom into the area of interest to you until you see red lines and dots indicating Trimble Outdoors trips -Continue to zoom in until you see little "Green Hikers":           Subscribe to The Trail Guide Newsletter Join The Trailmix.Net Community Subscribe to this blog by E-Mail Posted Sep 22 2007, 10:39 PM by Mike Barlow with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Techniques and Tips, Hiking

• Selecting a Hiking Trail for the Whole Family: Three Tips.

  When hiking with children, a successful day begins with trail selection.  By considering the scenery, distance, elevation gain, and trail conditions, you can dramatically improve the odds that your outing will be a relaxing and fun filled experience.     Photo Credit:  ginamig276 via Flickr.com   Action Scenery When you plan a hike with young children, select one that has a high probability of an encounter with action scenery.    Adults can enjoy an unchanging landscape for hours, but the novelty wears off quickly for younger children.  Action scenery could involve waterfalls, wildlife viewing, or even an even a meteor shower.  The key is to engage your child by directing their attention to a special, unusual, and memorable event.   Distance and Elevation Gain Little legs wear out fast.  If your children will be hiking on foot, you need to find a distance and elevation gain within the capabilities of the youngest member of the family.    Most hiking guide books provide a measurement of elevation gain/loss.  If you don't yet have the experience to judge weather or not the distance and elevation gain associated with a hike is within the capabilities of your family, start small by finding one less than 2 miles round trip with a somewhat flat elevation gain (0-250 ft).  Use this introductory hike as a starting point and work up from there.   Trail Conditions While elevation gain and a measurement of difficulty are commonly documented in trail guides, the actual conditions of the trail are often not.  Most guide books are written for a broad audience and not toddlers and children. A relatively flat trail can have patches of frustrating trip hazards.    Sometimes you can plan for these by researching the trail and asking questions.  Other times you will need to be flexible. Identify and be prepared for any features of the trail that might pose a safety hazard for members of your group.  For example, if you are hiking a trail to see a waterfall you can be assured that you will encounter a water hazard and you will need a supervision strategy for younger children.    Trail selection is only one element of planning a trip, but by taking the time to select the right trail for your family you can increase the likelihood that your trip will be safe, fun, and memorable.     Subscribe to Trailmix.Net by Email Join The Trail Guide, The Trailmix.Net Newsletter   Posted Sep 22 2007, 07:30 PM by Mike Barlow with 6 comment(s) Filed under: Hikes for Kids, Outdoor Safety, Techniques and Tips, Hiking

• How To Use the Rest Step to Climb Hills with a Child Carrying Backpack

  Do you carry your child in a backpack?  Are you overwhelmed with feelings dread when you find yourself in a series of switchbacks?  Do you need to stop frequently to catch your breath?  With a little practice, you can use the rest step to slow down the pace while comfortably gaining elevation without stopping.     Photo Credit: GerryT via Flickr.com   The Rest Step: The rest step is a technique used in hiking and mountaineering to moderate the demand on your legs and lungs as you climb a steep slope.  It is especially useful when you are carrying a heavy pack.  As you step forward, pause for a moment and allow your weight to balance on your fully extended downhill leg.    Balance: This balancing act allows your uphill leg muscle a momentary rest.  As you do this, you should minimize the energy required to maintain balance with your downhill leg by keeping your knee locked.  At this moment, use as little muscle as possible.  Take a deep breath and exhale as you step forward.  Repeat the process.   Finding the Rhythm: Depending on the level of exertion, you might pause for one breath, two, or more.  The key is to find a rhythm that keeps you at your target heart rate, but allows you to move forward at a steady pace.  Balancing your full weight on your skeletal system and allowing your muscles a momentary rest in between steps will significantly improve your ability to climb uphill with a heavy pack.         Subscribe to The Trail Guide Newsletter Join The Trailmix.Net Community Subscribe to this blog by E-Mail Posted Sep 09 2007, 02:25 AM by Mike Barlow with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Fitness, Techniques and Tips

• NYT: All Child-Play and No Workouts Make Dad an Unfit Boy

  Regular readers of this blog will note that it has been only two days since I set some goals using the coolrunning.com couch to 5K running plan.  This morning, the New York Times published an article about the very thing that spurred me to write that post:  prioritizing time to workout with children is tough.   The article is actually about the University of Pittsburgh Physical Activity Study which scientifically proves that I am highly likely to exercise less than I used to.    My favorite quote of the article:  Too many Americans have an all-or-nothing mentality toward fitness, said Dr. Harvey B. Simon, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. If they can’t find a 45-minute window to bike, they don’t substitute by strapping on a BabyBjörn and taking a stroll.  Our point exactly!!!       Subscribe to The Trail Guide Newsletter Join The Trailmix.Net Community Subscribe to this blog by E-Mail Posted Sep 02 2007, 03:57 AM by Mike Barlow with no comments Filed under: Running, Fitness

• Building a Leaf Studio to Capture Fall Colors

  If your kids are like ours, they are fascinated with picking up the occasional souvenir while out walking.  Fall brings the opportunity to collect leaves.  In the past we have built shadow boxes and done some leaf and flower pressing, but today I found a whole new twist on leaf artwork.   The authors over at digital-photography-school.com have perfected a method of capturing extremely sharp images with natural light.  The secret:  taping the stem of the leaf to the inside of an indoor window and shooting from a tripod.    With no wind and lots of light the results are impressive.    You can read the whole story and look at the results here.           Subscribe to The Trail Guide Newsletter Join The Trailmix.Net Community Subscribe to this blog by E-Mail Posted Sep 02 2007, 01:18 AM by Mike Barlow with no comments Filed under: Photography