I’m one of the newest additions to the Osprey team in Cortez, Colorado, and I absolutely love working here! I just returned from an 8-day backpacking trip, where I hiked 85 miles of the Continental Divide Trail with my friends, Jessie Davis and Melanie Gross.

We hiked from Stony Pass to Wolf Creek Pass through the Weminuche Wilderness. We all grew up in Durango, Colorado, so we found it particularly impressive and interesting to connect several remote, familiar places in a single trip. The views and scenery are stunning, and we had surprisingly fair weather and good timing most days…

Though one afternoon, after 14 miles of hiking, we were caught in a terrifying hail and lightning storm while coming down from a ridge. We had to run downhill and crouch under a beetle-killed tree for about an hour. When the lightning finally subsided, we dashed to pitch our tent in the rain on a sloping hillside. We settled down for the night, filled our cook pot with buggy water, and boiled it to make hot chocolate with dead bugs, all the while being soaking wet and freezing cold – we still enjoyed ourselves.

That afternoon we sarcastically proclaimed, “Backpacking sucks!” and listed all of the reasons that we could think of – laughing the whole time. Of course, backpacking consists of some hard work, which at times can challenge one’s positive attitude, yet the difficulty makes the trip feel that much more rewarding. We kept our cool and had a great, unforgettable trip!

Eurobike

When: September 1 to 4

What: Once a year, Friedrichshafen turns into a Mecca for bikers. Industry, trade and the press come together at the world’s leading trade fair for cycling. This is where decisions are made regarding which technologies, which trends and which styles are on their way. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the Osprey stand (B5 – 401) and to get a first preview of upcoming bike packs including hydration, active everyday and performance.

Where: Friedrichshafen, Germany

Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour

When: Throughout September

What: The largest environmental film festival in the country is on tour! Click here for dates and locations.

Where: All over the United States!

Chicks Rock! Rock Climbing Skills and Course

When: September 11 to 16

What: Chicks Climbing will return to Devil’s Lake for it’s second year of Chicks Rock! in the Midwest. They had so much fun last year, that they’re adding two NEW community events to the schedule that offer something for EVERYONE! Beginner to advanced rock climbers are welcome.

Where: Devils Lake, Wisconsin

Montezuma Land Conservancy’s 12th Annual Harvest Beer Fest

When: September 11

What: Local brews, music, a silent auction and celebrating conservation… Doesn’t get much better than that!

Where: Parque de Vida, Cortez, Colorado

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

When: September 17 and 19

What: The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival takes place in Telluride Town Park, a renowned outdoor music venue with breath-taking mountain peaks for a backdrop. At the heart of our venue is the Fred Shellman Memorial Stage, a small, humble wooden stage that has held the weight of legends over the years. When B.B. King performed here in 2004, he sat on this same stage, looked out at the mountains before him, and told the crowd, “Out of the 90 different countries I’ve been to, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than what you have here.” It’s not the altitude that’ll take your breath away. It’s the views.

Where: Telluride, Colorado

Interbike

When: September 22 to 24

What: Bring 1,000+ brands and 10,000+ buyers from around the world to Las Vegas and you have Interbike – the ultimate blend of industry leaders and innovative products in the bicycle industry. The annual gathering kicks off each September with two days of the Interbike OutDoor Demo at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV – a world renowned outdoor cycling venue – and continues for three packed days of exhibits, product launches, insightful seminars, meetings and celebrations at the Interbike International Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas.

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada

Nor’Easter

When: September 24 to 26

What: The 2010 Nor’easter Powered by Eastern Mountain Sports is a 3 day festival of Sport, Music and Conservation located deep in the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. With a unique and eclectic mix of artists on the Nor’easter Main Stage, sports for everyone from top athletes to the very beginner just looking to get your feet wet, a conservation village supporting everyone who makes outdoor recreation possible, an innovation village with the future technology of outdoor gear on display, onsite camping and much, much more.

Where: Lincoln, New Hampshire

National Public Lands Day

When: September 25

What: National Public Lands Day 2010 celebrates service and recreation on public lands while educating volunteers about the effects of climate change on our parks. Get outside and learn more about your neck of the woods and take some time to protect it!

Where: Across the United States!

After many years of skiing on the North Shore mountains of British Columbia and looking across the border to the north face of Mt.Bakerin the North Cascades, I knew one day I had to ski it. A lot of factors have to come into play too pull it off — weather, work, desire, motivation and fear.

I had a friend across the border, Dan Helmstadter who was living in a van down by the river with his dog, who I knew would be a good partner to ski this. He had recently skied the Liberty Ridge on Mount Rainier, and had solo skied the line a few years ago.

We we’re ready for the one day assault and quickly made the hike to the glacier. We simultaneously climbed the lower ice section, then Dan belayed me up on the steeper part and slogged up the snow slope in a whiteout to the summit.

We we’re now in a full on whiteout but I was happy to be clicked into my skis. In one way the whiteout helped — I didn’t feel the exposure. We slowly made the descent by following our tracks and surprisingly had great skiing. It worked out even better with the clearing on the lower glacier.

In memory of Chris Hansen.

Skiers: Andy Traslin,Dan Helmstadter

Story by: Andy Traslin

Ironman and the Turret loom behind camp

You know the rest of the saying.  Sometimes it hurts to say it, but you can say it with me right now. “Try, try (try, try) AGAIN!” This is kind of a basic tenet of alpine climbing, or maybe all climbing really; actually, life itself. So what am I trying to get at here?

If you followed my last post, it was a video from the a trip I took to the Adamant Mountains in 2008, a recap of some attempts, successes and failures from a great 10 days in the mountains. A lead in to climbing there again this season. And we did climb there again this year…

July 13th we (Craig and Jeremy) decided to drive to the Golden, BC to pack and prep to fly into our glacier camp at the base of some amazing summits. Camp would be a 10 minute walk from 2 unfree-climbed 600m alpine big walls. Drool.

But for the few days leading up to our departure, way too much time was spent looking at the weather models, trying to figure out if we had any chance of some long awaited BC summer high pressure. For details I can’t really get in to (let’s just say extenuating personal circumstances of a team member) we decided to give it a try anyway, and by the morning of the 14th we were waiting to fly in from a random logging road, and watching the black clouds prevent our passage.

Back to Golden where we spent the next 4 days hanging out, watching the weather and waiting to fly in to the mountains. Before we know it life got complicated, the weather sucked, and we were hauling ass back to Squamish to at least go rock climbing at home, and salvage a bit of work while we could.

Sorting and packing for 9 days on the glacier

Flash forward now to August 5th, and it’s time to try and fly in again. This time, it’s not just us, but a total of 11 people, aka ‘Alpine Man Camp 2010′. It is a huge crew of our friends, so we are pretty psyched about hanging out in some amazing mountains with all of them. Once again the forecast looks iffy for a few days after we get in, but we are optimistic about some good weather for the later half of the trip; we have 9 days, so hopefully half of them might be good.

Andrew shows off his secrets for waiting out storms in the tent

We know that at the very least, the day we fly in will give us perfect weather, and by 10am we are racked up at the base of the north face of the Blackfriar for Craig and my 4th attempt at free climbing this 600m wall. Everything is going well for us, except the time. We get so high up on the face, into new territory for us, but it’s 9pm and starting to get dark. The 4 more pitches of unknown and dirty terrain are going to take us at least 5 hours to climb and descend. Our packs are just a bit too light and fast – no bivy gear, extra food or water, and besides, we still have 8 more days on the trip. So we decide to wrap, and figure we can start climbing at 5am on the next attempt instead of 10am. Seems logical, right?

Pitch 1 of the north face of the Blackfriar

Well, the next 5 days prove us wrong. Welcome to the hours of time blending together; I still can’t discern what we did on what days during that period of time. Fog, rain, and snow all collaborated to keeping us in the sleeping or cooking tents non-stop. The saving grace was hanging tough with some really good friends, so jokes, stories, and philosophizing were the themes of the times. “Fester fiesta 2010.” We would fire up the satellite phone to get weather forecasts, only to go further into depression. It just wasn’t going to happen on this go-around, and by day 5 we realized that when the weather got good, we needed to jump on that opportunity to actually get out of the mountains and not be stuck there running out of food.

Jeremy losing it in the tent after at least 100 hours of non-stop tent time

Finally the weather broke enough for us to escape, and we fled the glacier as fast as we could, so we could regain our sanity outside of the confines of our tents.  Oh well, at least I know what I might be trying to do again next year!

Me in front of the Blackfriar in 2008 after climbing Iron Man. It is still singing me its siren song...

Like hiking, biking, bears, trees, deer, camping, rafting, hunting, skiing, climbing, running or fishing? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you should support the National Conservation Lands and all the local non-profits working to protect them.

Over the next few weeks, and in celebration of their campaign Season of Service, National Conservation Lands will be raffling off more than 100 prizes from companies including: Patagonia, Moosejaw, Keen, Osprey Packs and Venture Snowboards. That’s about one winner per day, so your odds of winning are better than Vegas — and you’ll be protecting America’s wild lands to boot! So keep checking back to see the most recent giveaways.

Pick your favorite project, donate and win!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hundreds of single track enthusiasts will ride into the Black Hills of South Dakota’s high country this coming Labor Day for the 10th Annual Dakota Five -O, a mountain biking race that will challenge its riders to 50 miles of single track with some amazing vertical climbs. Part of  the Osprey Adventure Envoy team will be on board to check it all out, with some great swag, and sweet giveaways.

The Race will begin with a Smokey the Bear start through Spearfish, South Dakota. Yep Smokey the Bear himself will kick off the race. Smokey will lead the riders through town before entering into the single track section of the race that includes 45+ miles of single track through some of the most beautiful parts of the Black Hills.

The course start consists of three miles of gravel road climbing. This gravel road will give the fast guys and girls a chance to vie for position, before funneling onto the twisty, smooth, single-track through the National Forest in the Black Hills.

Along the ride, riders will find water stops, break stations, and the famous Bacon Station, where five-O riders can pick up their official on course PBR. Much needed after 35+ miles of riding.

As riders enter back into Spearfish, the Start/Finish location for the race, riders will find live music, food, pasta feed for riders, and plenty of cold brew.

Other exciting events for this year’s Five-O include Strider Sports Bike (www.stridersports.com) kids race.

Strider Bikes Kid Race

This year’s Event is limited to 500 racers, with NO race day registration. Check out more about the Dakota Five-O at http://www.dakotafiveo.com

Hope to see you there.

Profile for the Race

Ben Clark and Jon Miller are on a ski expedition to return to 23,390′ Baruntse, their second attempt.

Ski The Himalayas Season 2, Episode 4 leads viewers on the Mera La trail to Baruntse. Miller and Clark share the adventure as the pair view the expedition footage often sharing a story “not for air”. In this episode the trail winds through high mountain passes and into remote villages.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Three weeks from today, I’ll be flying to Ethiopia. I’ve been training for trip. I’ve been aqua jogging.

Actually, I just had to stop aqua jogging. I was over-training with the 12”-wide water-flotation device. In my defense, I was just trying to keep up with Astrid, the 65-year old woman with a hip and knee replacement. At 33 with two back surgeries, I was eating her aquatic dust. It’s a good thing I’ve finally been cleared to go back to climbing. It’s about time—East Africa is looming close.

Not everyone sees it like this. My father does not understand why I am a) going on a trip in Ethiopia so close to two back surgeries and b) flying to Ethiopia so close to two back surgeries. “Do you know how long the plane ride is?” he asks me each time we talk.

“18 hours,” I usually say, wondering if he thinks it will get shorter or longer if he keeps checking.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asks.

It’s hard to reassure anyone who took care of you during the height of your drug hazed post operative days that going to the grocery store by yourself is a good idea, let alone going to Ethiopia. So to reassure my father, I have had to resort to going to his sweet spot.

“Think of the poodle,” I say. “Don’t you think he’d be proud of me?”

The poodle, at last count, has cancer, one torn knee we fixed, and another we didn’t. I have prepared myself to put him down on four separate occasions in four different states all in the past ten months. He got cancer in Jackson, Wyoming, ate a ½ pound of chocolate and went feral for twenty hours in Minnesota, tore knee one in New Hampshire, and knee number two in Montana. His second knee injury and my second surgery were in near-perfect synch. We both spent June in various stiff positions to manage our pain with rumpled curly hair and bad breath from all of our medications.

They say pets have perfect timing in your life, even if you don’t know it at the time of their timing. This winter and spring, Osito and I were like the chicken and the egg. I skipped a February trip to Norway and took care of him—but my back would not really have let me go. I had a reason to stay stateside other than myself, and thus I was home in NH when the reflexes in my right foot started waning. In Montana in May, the stairs in our house were too scary for a poodle in recovery, and soon the hospital’s medical regulations were too scary for my insurance. Thus, together, we tried out a half-dozen places to live and recover, and together, we came home to Boulder.

Three months and an aqua jogging career have now come and gone. Osito and I went on a hike this morning. Afterwards, I dropped him off at home and went climbing outside for my second time since February. I came back and we lay on the floor together and did our PT.

People seem surprised when they learn I have a dog. How can you do what you do with a dog they ask? I usually explain to them first that I have a poodle, which is different than a dog. And then, if I have not already lost them, I tell them the truth. I do what I do because of the poodle. We have a deal. We have always had deals, though sometimes I am not as savvy to their terms. This past winter our deal was about time together. This fall, our deal is recovery. So I am going to Africa, and the poodle will be here when I get home.

In the meantime, they’ve closed my aqua-jogging pool early this summer. They’ve opened it for the dogs. It is Boulder. So this weekend, the poodle will be the aqua jogger, and I’ll be the climber, and together we’ll get ready for what’s next.

Read more about the poodle and Majka at www.majkaburhardt.com

Read more about Ethiopia at Imagine Ethiopia 2010.

I’m 40 years old, father of a two, Caleb who is four and Sophie, two.

I‘ve always enjoyed riding but I’ve really embraced this passion over the last four years, as I was introduced to mountain bike racing. I race not only for the competitive aspect but also that it motivates me to stay in shape.  I bike to work every day.  Probably very ordinary to most of you, but biking year round through the Saskatchewan winters where temperatures plummet in -30 degrees Celsius… Not so ordinary. You might say I’m a little nuts but that’s okay — it beats buying a second vehicle!

This weekend my local mountain bike club, Off-road Syndicate (ORS), held its annual race, The Wascana Challenge, at the scenic and popular Wascana trails. This race is part of the Saskatchewan inter-provincial race series.

Saskatchewan is located pretty much in the middle of Canada, right in the middle of the Canadian Prairies. One might think what’s the challenge, when you’re riding on flat prairie landscape. Although the Prairies are flat, erosion by rivers, or maybe even glaciers melting, created a series of valleys which provide us with some interesting trails, perfect for endurance cross racing.  Wascana trails offer some steep climbs and technical descents in treed areas and also some nice flats to catch your breath in between.

Our summer here in Saskatchewan has been particular wet this year, as we usually enjoy a semi-arid climate. Heavy rain fall two days prior to the race, made the trails very slippery and made some areas even more challenging to ride. As most of the trails are hard pack, traction was minimal. Heat was also a concern for most of us who are not use to riding in hot and humid conditions. So needless to say the race was pretty demanding.

The first lap was a little frustrating as I caught up with some slower riders and had to wait until after the first climb to be able to pass. Once that was done I was pretty much on my own for the last two laps.

The last lap was, and always is the most demanding as fatigue and pain sets in. I had plenty of water for the entire race and never felt the effects of dehydration. (Hydraulic packs are nice. A hydraulic pack used to be a six pack, stuffed in my back-pack on my way home from work on a Friday!)

I manage to finish forth in my wave, with a time of 1 hour, 44 minutes — 2^nd in my category — pretty good considering the conditions. Well that’s it for me this time around, so keep riding and have fun!

Photo by Mark Jobman

My wife and I recently took an adventure to Europe. This little trip had been on the calendar for about 2.5 years; a way to celebrate a career accomplishment that my wife was working towards. We planned it to be a backpacking trip through Europe hitting all the major destinations: England, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Denmark. Our adventure was going to be traveling town to town, country to country sleeping in hostels, and on trains to experience Europe. But a few months before our departure we were dealt one of life’s many unremarkable rewards that would change our plans completely: yep, Jr. Jobman was on the way.

Overly happy and ecstatic about the future we decided that the last thing that we should do was put an overstuffed backpack on my pregnant wife’s back. She would be 15 weeks along when we would depart for Europe, a critical time for mom and baby. So, our plans changed from a multi-week backpacking adventure, roughing it where needed, to a southern European cruise trip, hitting up some of the most beautiful coast line cities in the Mediterranean. Not quite the adventure that either of us had envisioned but it turned out to be a great decision for Jr., Mom, and Dad.

Our trip started in Barcelona, traveling from there to Villa-France, Monaco, Pisa & Florence, Rome, Naples, Santorine and Athens, Greece, and Kusadashi, Turkey. More than enough places for us to fill our two weeks with culture, adventure, and, of course, more ruins then we ever could have imaged.

During our trip there were so many events, places and people that will always spark a story or a memory of this amazing adventure. However there are a few memories that standout the most. First, one of the most mysterious and incredible places that we visited was Vatican City. We entered into St. Peter’s Square and your eyes just wander from corner to corner through this amazing, historic place. Every inch of the square seems to catch your attention to raise questions. Once we walked through the massive square we entered into St. Peter’s Basilica. Here an eerie calm and quietness runs over your body. Just like the square, the Basilica creates a mysterious feeling as you walk through and see the ancient statues, murals, and alters.

In Kusidashi we shared some Turkish Coffee with a Turkish rug maker, a drink that’s thick as mud. I hesitated slightly but took in the aroma of the coffee and then took a sip out of the small espresso cup. It was surprisingly smooth and pleasantly enjoyable. Once finished with the liquid, the bottom of your cup is coated with a thick brown espresso mud that has a richer aroma of a fresh brewed coffee.

Finally, the one place that we can’t wait to revisit would be the small Greek island of Santorini. We visited the black beaches on the east side of the island, the sand of which looks like poppy seeds. The island of Santorini is small and quaint, and white structures with blue roofs dot the hillside. The architecture was amazing to witness. The residents build their villages right along the ridgeline, a ridge that is towering 800+ feet above the sea; a picturesque image.

Each place carries its own story, its own taste of European culture; its own adventure and memories. It wasn’t the type of adventure that we typically take part in and write about but it was surprisingly a great change of pace for the two of us. If you haven’t traveled through southern Europe you need to put it on your list.

But nearing the end of the trip we quickly began to realize that our next big adventure will include three of us. We have traveled many places throughout the world, stood atop amazing mountains, and found ourselves in breathtaking places, but I can only image what the adventure that we are about to enter into is like. Hopefully we can pass off our own sense of adventure to the next generation!