Blog

On her 20th birthday, Natalie woke up to fresh white snow, deep in the Tennessee woods, just south of the Virginia border. It had been just one day shy of a month since she started hiking and she had well over 1,000 miles left to go. When most college students want to take a semester away from Ann Arbor they enroll in a study abroad program. Our women’s tech employee Natalie Burr, however, didn’t cross any international borders when she went through the incredibly transformative experience of hi … read more

Words by Natalie Burr, Women’s Technical EmployeeBefore I left for the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail less than two weeks ago, I picked up a couple last minute items at the Bivouac. These were mostly small things that I hadn’t put much thought into, unlike the months of planning that I took for most of my gear and my itinerary. Among the little things I picked up were the Joshua Tree climbing salve and SPF lip balm, two additions to my gear that have proved essential so far. I starte … read more

Written by TravisAdventures in YosemiteFrom June 7th to 10th of this year, I along with a college friend had the opportunity to hike a forty-ish mile stretch of the Tuolumne river, through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River from White Wolf to Glen Aulin in Yosemite National Park. More than anything else, this trip was a testament to the versatility of myself, my hiking partner, and the equipment that we carried.The hike started at White Wolf, a trailhead six miles from the wall of the canyon … read more

Every good adventure, hero, invention, seems to have a grand origin story. I would like to say the origin story of Miyagi & Aquarius, a.k.a Lindsey and Dave is just as grand as those of legend, and in some ways it is. But really, it’s a simple boy meets girl…girl rebuffs boy multiple times…boy is persistent…girl gives into boys advances after his backpacking trip story. The key ingredient in this relationship recipe is of course, common ground, and that ground just happened to be an independent … read more

Written by Helen DeMarshClimbing… in Michigan? No way, you might say–it’s all flat and/or snowy. That is not entirely the case, however: at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, there is world-class ice climbing to be found.It is true that most of the state is geologically unsuitable for climbing. The entire Lower Peninsula (and parts of the eastern Upper Peninsula) is dominated by a large limestone basin centered on the ‘palm’ of the Mitten. This is topped by a heterogenous mixture of gravel, boul … read more