The active lifestyle blog of Sierra Trading Post

Andrew Skurka is hiking the Great Western Loop with a purpose: to call attention to climate change and the negative effects that change will have on our magnificent wild lands. Worried about the future state of outdoor recreation in the West, he’s doing what he can to spread the word… by hiking his way around it.

An ambassador for Go Lite, Skurka has been hiking since April and is about three quarters of the way through the loop that stretches from the Grand Canyon to the Canadian border and back. The impressive loop connects 12 National Parks and 75 wilderness areas. Read more »

More costumes than a Halloween party… monster tires… multi-colored wigs… 10 foot tall unicycles… an endless sea of cruisers… must be Tour de Fat!

New Belgium Brewery’s tribute to cycling, Tour de Fat, took the streets of Fort Collins, CO by storm this weekend. Dressed in wacky and colorful costumes, over 4,500 participants rode through town celebrating the power of the bicycle. The crowd was so thick they set a new Guinness record for the largest bike parade in the world!

Tour de Fat, besides being a great time, promotes the use of the bike as an alternative to the automobile. For the past seven years, a biodiesel-fueled bus has been bringing the sustainable message of Tour de Fat to cities all over the West. After the costumed bike parade, New Belgium hosts an all-day party where bands play on solar-powered stages and 95% of the waste produced is either recycled or composted. Proceeds from the festivals are given to local bike and environmental charities. Read more »

Now is the best time of year to try and spot a moose or an elk (if that’s what you’re into). Up in Estes Park, CO, you can hear elk singing for mates, or bugling, right from town. That’s actually why this is the best time of year to go “moosing”–because the big guys are looking for love and won’t rest until they find it.

One lucky customer, Mary, spotted this mother and calf in Alaska in June and sent us this photo–one of the best moose mugshots I’ve ever seen. Sure looks like she got awfully close, though…

Here’s what Mary had to say: “I am no longer “Moose Challenged.” On a June Sierra Club trip to
Alaska I took this photo of mother & calf by the roadside near Denali National Park.
I’ve been visiting the backwoods of Minnesota for years & never saw a
moose. But on my July trip to Minnesota, I finally spotted a moose
there too.” Read more »

Last time we mentioned Tyler Bradt, it was because he took the veggie-fueled KAVU bus on a Pan-American road trip.

This time, we’re talking about Tyler because he just scored a new world record. He survived a 107 foot drop over Alexandra Falls in his kayak… and paddled away from it without even flipping. That’s him in the upper right hand corner of the photo–just a tiny little boat on a big, big river.

I suppose paddling over a waterfall is safer than going over in a barrel, but I’m not sure just how much safer. Bradt’s partner in crime, Rush Sturges, also went over but was ejected from his kayak upon impact and flung behind the falls and into a cave. He made four attempts to swim out before he was finally able to. He did say, however, that hitting the water didn’t hurt, but that it was “amazingly soft, like falling into a bunch of cotton or something.” Falling 107 feet into a giant pile of cotton–now that’s more like it. Read more »

There’s no better time to get outside and enjoy nature’s beauty than in the fall. The leaves are starting to turn, the air is crisp but not cold, and the sun is shining bright to welcome the change of season. This weekend marks the first day of fall and now’s the time to decide how you’re going to celebrate.

Hiking is a favorite fall activity, but you could also go horseback riding, camping, mountain biking, or trail running. Just be sure to get outside–don’t let fall pass you by!

GORP.com lists the nations Top 10 Best Fall Forests as:
Read more »