Category — Camping

Here we are on the cusp of another day of thanks and it seems the norm for folks to stuff them selves silly sit in front of the boob tube and watch their muscles atrophy as the fat grows.

Fortunately we have a bit of a tradition, well this is the second year of it. We ascend the Manitou Incline for a cold beer toast on the top then head down to the local pub for a feast!

Last year one of our UpaDowna devout, BLOS (see photo above) won a turkey in a local turkey trot race decided to cook it up and share it with us all and well the tradition was born! Each person usually brings a dish of something but not everyone, but if you don’t bring food we simply ask for a beer! And while the majority of the attendees are without families we sometimes get a few with families in tow. So come one come all and join the fun this year. I’ll be handing out UpaDowna stickers to those in attendance!

The cloudy skies will part and the angels will sing when you bust out this great trail snack. I found this on Backpacker’s Daily Dirt.

Bacon Cookies with Maple Icing
Adapted from barbaricgulp.com

4 slices thick-cut, lean bacon, chopped
2 cups flour
1 stick butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 large egg
3 tablespoons heavy cream

At home
Fry bacon until crisp, then dry on paper towels. In a bowl, combine flour, butter, egg, and cream and mix until well-blended. Add the bacon and knead until dough is soft and bacon is evenly distributed. Roll the dough into one or two 1.5-inch-thick logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm (about two hours).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Maple Icing
Combine about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with about 3 tablespoons real maple syrup (experiment until you get the right consistency). Spread over cookies when they’re completely cool.

—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Thank You Elisabeth and Thank You Daily Dirt.

Now please bow your head and pray that some day soon you too will be enjoying this luscious treat.

Not sure if you have noticed but I have had a link to Mud, Sweat, and Beers up on the “like minded folks” section here on the site for a while and I just wanted to give a shout out to Mike.

Having never met him I think it is a safe bet that Mike is a stand up guy. Why? You might ask.

• A: He loves Beer
• B: He loves cycling
• C: He knows bacon makes everything better
• D: Re-read A, B, and C
• E: He makes cool stuff like this biorhythm

If you need more reasons forget about it. I just thought you guys more than likely were looking for yet another way to waste mindless hours on the interwebs.

All Hail MUD SWEAT AND BEERS!!!

Our pals over at Spadout are joining forces with Timmy O’Neill who is undeniably one of the best climbers around! Even if you’re not a rock junkie this guy is FN hilarious and will be sure to entertain so stay posted and we will bring you the shiz.

Here is where it will all happen Timmy Tuesdays.

Oh yeah and here is an older video of Timmy so well er you get to know the host!

Be sure and check back often and if unfamiliar with what Spadout is all about check our previous write up.

A new danger lurks in our national forests. Long have people secretly feared things in the outdoors: wild animals, falling trees, inclement weather, injury, the occasional serial killer, now add to that ever growing list spam eating illegal immigrants toting automatic weapons. Yep you read correctly, according to numerous reports hikers are encountering vast fields of irrigated marijuana fields dutifully guarded by gun toting men.

This is very near my house!!

For years I have heard reports of these illegal operations scattered here and there, in fact I have had friends make serious attempts at finding them, always to no avail. But it appears that now it has reached epidemic proportions with millions of dollars of marijuana fields discovered weekly. You might be assuming that this is in areas that see little to no traffic and would be very secluded, in reality some of these fields have been located closer than 1/2 mile from popular and well traveled tourist destinations.

To make matters worse these “farmers” are serious bringing in irrigation systems and motion sensing equipment. Reports lately have linked operations as far north as Washington state with definitive ties to numerous drug cartels based in Mexico.

Another unfortunate side effect is the fact that all of this policing by the U.S. to eradicate these illegal pot farms is costing us tons of cash. Up to $1 million in Sequioa N.P. alone since 2006! Not to mention all of the damage the fields do to the valuable ecosystems disrupted by the operations.

Some of the signs that you may be nearing one of these operations are ( and I am being serious here) tortilla wrappers, spam cans, empty beers cans, blue tarps and irrigation pipes. Officials are recommending if you come across a marijuana field leave the area immediately and call police once you are safe back in your vehicle. Do not stay to investigate as the “farmers” are usually armed and willing to shoot first.

Seriously this is a real problem and it should be a real concern to anyone that ventures into the great outdoors.

This cracks me up!! We all know of the exhausting media concerning BPA in plastics and how it has been linked to cancer and other nastiness. Nalgene was the major offender in this matter. To which competitor SIGG came out swinging bashing Nalgene for killing babies and giving all of us fun loving outdoor folks cancer. And now you have probably heard about the SIGG treachery lately when it was revealed that their bottles contained liners that contained BPA as well.

Now it is CamelBak’s turn!! CamelBak has decided that if you send in a photo of an aluminum water bottle with the offending BPA infused liner being recycled they will send you a replacement CamelBak stainless steel water bottle.

September 3, 2009

Trade Your Aluminum BPA “Clunker” for a Free CamelBak® Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

PETALUMA, Calif. (September 3, 2009) – Now that Cash for Clunkers has come to an end, CamelBak^® is offering a great way to replace more of America’s old metal.

CamelBak introduced its “Steel of a Deal” program today, offering a free CamelBak insulated stainless steel water bottle to consumers who send in a photo of their aluminum water bottle with a liner containing Bisphenol A (BPA). The photos should depict ways in which consumers are recycling these aluminum bottles.

The first 500 participating consumers will receive an insulated CamelBak Better Bottle™ Stainless water bottle, a $30 retail value, absolutely free.  CamelBak’s stainless steel bottles are made with medical-grade stainless steel which, unlike aluminum bottles, does not need an epoxy liner.

CamelBak’s “Steel of a Deal” program is in response to recent reports that aluminum water bottles sold in the U.S. under various brand names through August 2008 were made with liners containing BPA. Consumers are asked to email photos of their aluminum water bottles containing BPA liners to promotions@camelbak.com. A list of bottles that contain liners with BPA is available at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/sigg-bottles-now-bpa-free.php.

For complete details about participating in CamelBak’s “Steel of a Deal” program, please visit the CamelBak Products FaceBook Page or call the CamelBak consumer services team at 800.767.8725. Contest Terms and Conditions

Introduced in May 2009, CamelBak’s new insulated stainless steel bottle features a micro-welded double wall that’s vacuum-sealed to keep beverages – not hands – cold for hours.  The dual-wall design eliminates condensation on the outside, keeping gym bags, table tops, clothing and hands dry.  Additionally, stainless steel bottles are dent-resistant, stain-resistant and taste-free.

The bottle is the newest product in CamelBak’s line of BPA-free, phthalate-free reusable bottles that come in adult and kids’ sizes, in both stainless steel and plastic.  For reusable plastic water bottle fans, CamelBak was first-to-market with a BPA-free hard plastic bottle in January 2008.  Those bottles are made with a copolyester polymer called Tritan™, which is both BPA-free and phthalate-free. CamelBak bottle caps and bite valves are also BPA-free.

“We’re obviously taking a light-hearted approach to a serious issue.  We want to make sure people aren’t confused by the recent news about aluminum bottle liners, and ultimately turn away from reusable metal bottles,” said Sally McCoy, CEO for CamelBak. “Our broader mission is to make disposable plastic water bottles obsolete. Using a BPA-free plastic or stainless steel reusable water bottle is one of the easiest ways to do something good for the environment and for your own personal hydration and health.”

Beyond being BPA-free, CamelBak’s bottles can help consumers stay better hydrated.  A study recently conducted at Pepperdine University revealed that participants drank up to 24 percent more water with CamelBak reusable water bottles than with other reusable and disposable bottles tested.

Dr. Holden MacRae, professor of sports medicine at Pepperdine University, conducted the first-of-its-kind study to test the effects of water bottle design on personal fluid consumption. More study subjects preferred the CamelBak Better Bottle, saying it was easier to use, didn’t spill even when open, and that the bottle’s Big Bite™ Valve drinking spout was more fun to drink from.

Their lighthearted approach to the BPA issue is a welcome one and their “Steel of a Deal” will no doubt have great results!