AARP-eligible adventurer currently attempting first winter solo attempt of Denali
It’s probably too soon to be talking about Lonnie Dupre’s epic/insane attempt to be the first person to climb the highest peak in North America…in the winter…by himself. He’s still in the early stages of the ascent, at 12,300 feet, so it’s like talking about a no-hitter in the seventh...
Our vote for the Nat Geo adventurer of the year
The Age of Exploration—at least geographic exploration—is pretty much over. The white spaces have been filled in, by footprints or by Google Earth. But there is still plenty of adventure out there, and every year National Geographic lets us vote on who has done the best job of firing up...
Sunday quote: December 25, 2011
“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.” ~Garrison Keillor
Saturday stew: December 24, 2011
For those who don’t want more Christmas pudding, here’s another helping of Recreati stew. Digestible, delectable and full of good cheer: Don’t blame the holidays for your gut, Canadians. In a study conducted by Molson (yes, the brewer), most people say they’ll gain from one to nine pounds over...
Doing well with less: older runners slower but just as efficient
When olds are active…really active…they are a special class. They don’t perform like younger athletes. They don’t recuperate like younger athletes. And they shouldn’t train like younger athletes. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t similarities. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (and summarized in yesterday’s New...
Saturday Stew: December 17, 2011
Hey, this week we’re out on schedule with our week’s collection of miscellaneous bits and pieces. Don’t tell us there’s no such thing as progress. Or discipline. Or time on our hands. Years ago, we read a reference to the preposterous number of calories chocked into a single serving of...
Toward a new definition of extreme sports
Two stories this week raise the issue of what we are talking about when we talk about extreme sports. Typically, the term is used to describe anything really dangerous and really unusual: physical activities pursued by a few people at the far end of the bell curve of crazy. (Base...
Winter kills
Winter is the odd season when the mere act of stepping outside can cause pain; it is also, often, void of smell. And it’s a time of death. Extreme heat may make for more dramatic photographs and garner bigger headlines but—in the developed world—cold is a bigger killer. (In fact,...
Sunday quote: December 11, 2011
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” ~ Henry David Thoreau,...
Saturday stew: December 10, 2011
Yes, we are debuting a new feature: an assortment, a stew, a bouillabaisse of delectable items that we’ve collected over the week . In another example of bad timing—or perhaps hesitancy—we’re launching it a day late. But we’ll do better later. Meanwhile, enjoy: Winter routes: In the summer, we’re inclined to...
The secret to a reasonable retirement: flee the country
As America ages—and it’s really aging—America’s newspapers and websites are churning out lists of great places to retire. Sadly, these survey stories are meaningless for a large proportion of older folks because (as reported a few weeks ago) a staggeringly high percentage of Americans have only a pittance set aside for retirement....
Sunday Quote: December 4, 2011
“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” ~ Cartoonist Bill Watterson Photo by Gwen and James Anderson, via Wikimedia Commons
