Blog

Two tree huggers have the ultimate date nightAre you a box of chocolates kinda person or do you veer more towards crunchy granola? Perhaps you’re both or neither but your answer is likely to determine your upcoming plans this month.January is over, which means Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s time to start making reservations and buying gifts. If you’re stumped on what to get your special someone, relax; we’ve got you covered (Bivouac Gift Guides via Instagram). Whether you plan on s … 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

I am a bit of black sheep in the outdoors community. I like hiking; I live for thin air and ascents through the timber line. I set pre-dawn alarms so I can watch a summit sunrise. But all of that goes out the window the second I say the following: I like front country hiking. My ideal day consists of waking up pre-dawn, hitting the trail as soon as possible, and hiking until afternoon convection currents (and the thunderstorms they generate) physically force me off the summit. Where I go once … read more

For the first leg of my Colorado trip, I got the chance to spend 24 hours in one of America’s legendary outdoors towns: Boulder, CO! Boulder became a household name in the 1970’s for its hippie town character and active outdoors endurance sports community. Specialty shops of all shapes and sizes dot downtown Boulder, and iconic local small businesses like Peppercorn and the Boulder Bookstore keep the town’s “mountain West” identity firmly rooted, even as the downtown area (now a swanky pedestria … read more

This June, I had the opportunity to go on my first ever mountaineering excursion. The hill? Mt. Adams, a nearly 12,500′ peak in Washington State’s Cascade Range. Mt. Adams is the largest active volcano in the Cascades, although its last eruption was over 3,800 years ago. On a clear day, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Saint Helens are all visible from the summit. As far as “first peaks” go, I picked a mighty good one.Before I even bought my plane tickets, I had to meticulously research and plan t … read more