By Alexander Kwapis 2018 Michigan Ice Festival Nestled on the edge of Lake Superior’s frozen south coast, surrounded by cliffs and foothills blanketed in snow is the home of Michigan’s premier outdoor ice climbing. The nearby city of Munising, which hosts the yearly ice festival, sits at the edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (@picturedrocksnps) and the giant Hiawatha National Forest. After my trip, as I told friends and strangers alike, I realized that many people don’t even know what ice climbing is. So here is a quick explanation. Ice climbing is a sport where an individual or small team use a variety of gear such as ropes, ice axes, and crampons ( basically daggers on your boots) to climb their way up frozen waterfalls and ice walls just so they can then repel back down and repeat as they wish. The Michigan Ice Climbing Festival (@michiganicefest) is the largest festival of its kind. Climbers travel from all over the world, including a far as India. This year the Festival ran five days in the middle of February. During the day the fest is a great place to get outside and learn to ice climb on naturally occurring ice walls and frozen waterfalls, as I did, or hone your current ice climbing skills with guides and instructors. Before my class I visited several climbing routes with names like Dryer Hose, the Curtains, and the Amphitheater, were ice climbers of a variety of skill levels were making their way up the ice. Over twenty five well known climbing gear and clothing manufacturers, such as the festival’s title sponsor Black Diamond (@blackdiamond), abound at this event. You can check out their latest products, chat up their reps, or demo gear for about $50 a day. You can literally demo everything from harnesses, ice axes, boots to jackets, gloves and more. Welcome to the Space Station If you are lucky, as I was, you could also hang out with the good people at Mountain Hardware (@mountainhardwear) in their 15 person Space Station Domed warming hut. Get toasty next to the fireplace, have some hot chocolate , and enjoy some great convos with fellow climbers. If you are feeling peckish you can head down to the Curtains demo climbing area for a RedBull (@redbull) and a kielbasa from Mountain Hardware as well. New this year with admission to the festival are free courses such as yoga for climbers and Belay Station Transition And Multipitch training. Paid half and full day classes range from Into To Ice, to Rigging For Rescues And Photography, to A Backcountry Adventure training. There are even women taught all women courses for a variety of experience levels. I took the full day Light And Fast course which was instructed by two great alpinist; Nate Smith and Ben Erdmann. I learned how to properly pack our bag for speed and peppered throughout the course were loads of little tips and tricks these two seasoned climbers have learned over the years. After a fourth five minute ride on a Kawasaki four track machine. Nate and Ben had us hike into a route called the Potato Patch which consisted of wall ice climbing and a frozen waterfall column with a moving core. We had some practical crampon training, ice screw demonstrations and a variety of gear and anchoring conversations. It was a blast and really lit a fire under me to learn more about ice climbing. Besides for lots of classes and demo climbing during the day the fest boasts a great evening program as well. The festival brings well known sponsored athletes to present after the sun sets. World Climbing Champion Sasha Digiulian (@sashadigiulian) was one of the big names brought in this year. She showed her journey in a RedBull sponsored video that documented her progression as she learned to ice climb in the area with the amazing Angela Vanwiemeersch (@angela_vanwiemeersch). If you are a fanboy you can wait in line for signatures from these fine climbers after their presentations. I got a poster that Freddie a Wilkinon (@freddiewilkinson) autographed after he spoke on Friday about his upcoming article in National Geographic. If you are feeling social you can rub shoulders with great climbers while getting a free beer during the after parties each night from one of the local breweries. If that’s not your style you can have a beer and a dip in a hot tub after a long day in the cold and hang out with other sore muscled fellow climbers. This was my tactic and I shared a cold beer and a soak with Jesse Huey, one of the sponsored athletes that presented Friday night. This is my take away from the Festival. No matter if you have Climbed Mt. Everest, as one of my classmates In the Light And Fast Alpinism class had, or you have never held an ice axe in your life this Ice Festival is a lot of fun and very inspirational. #climbing #iceclimbing #Michigan

Let’s talk benefits of rPET Those eye-opening numbers you saw in part 2 of this series is the reason why using recycled bottles to make recycled polyester (rPET) has become so popular. It prevents the bottles from ending up in landfills or the oceans and therefore it also helps reduce the toxic emissions from incinerators. As well as it reduces the industry’s consumption of oil and contributes to lessening the extraction of natural gas from the Earth to make even more plastic. HOW MANY POP BOTTLES WERE USED TO MAKE YOUR T-SHIRT? According to Fashion United, “five pop bottles yield enough fiber for one extra large T-shirt”. How shocking is that? Recycled polyester has become a sustainable alternative , and the opportunity –together with other recycled fibers– to lower our dependence on petroleum as a source of raw materials. This fiber can be used for a variety of products and blends perfectly with natural fabrics, such as cotton. Recycled polyester sums up everything we were looking for and allows us to stand by our beliefs. That is creating recreational equipment and outdoor apparel that not only protects the Earth but also respects it. We designed in nature and for nature. Using this fiber also lets us manufacture lightweight products, which is great for activities and traveling in the wild. In addition, the materials are not only light, but they can dry faster than other garments. It's a new day for outdoor apparel and The Wild Dirt is bringing sustainability to everything we make.

If you’ve gone camping at a state or national park anytime in the last twenty-plus years, I am sure you have seen or heard the words Leave No Trace (LNT). What you might not know is all the other things that the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics provides. They are a resource for proven research, education, and protection of the outdoors. Nine out of ten people who visit the wilderness are uninformed about minimizing their impact on the land. I first experienced Leave No Trace shortly after joining the Boy Scouts. I care so deeply about the wild places we visit that I took an LNT Trainer course. The trainer course was a two-day program that is a condensed version of their Master Educator Course. It was not only an in-depth course on the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace, but it always gave me skills on educating others on ways to reduce our impact on the natural world around us. With that knowledge, I became a leader to anyone that would listen on the ways of the Leave No Trace. When I go backpacking, I still carry these plastic LNT tags that describe the principles, and I will give them away to those I meet on the trail as a gesture for them to also take care of the places we are visiting. Seven Principles of Leave No Trace plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife , be considerate of other visitors. I’m recommitting to my knowledge of the LNT Principles by taking their Online Awareness Course . The training will freshen me up on ways to better understand recreation-related impacts, the Seven Principles, and how LNT skills and ethics protect the wild places I visit. Here is a breakdown of what the course covers: Learn why Leave No Trace is an important program that protects the environment. Be able to identify ways you can apply the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. Learn how Leave No Trace addresses issues in your region so that you may take action to minimize the impact, where you are. Learn how the mission and approach of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (The Center) helps to promote people to responsibly enjoy the outdoors. Recognize the different educational programs offered by the Center to find out the best way to get involved with the Leave No Trace program. The natural world is facing severe threats. Making sure people know and practice Leave No Trace is critical, so we all can enjoy these places today and in the future.

Your Top 8 Mountain Biking Questions Answered Let us answer some of your mountain biking (MTB) questions before you hit the trails. Photo by Tom Conway on Unsplash 1. Do I need a mountain bike? You want to get out and explore your local MTB trails and not sure if you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a new mountain bike. Answer: You probably shouldn’t ride dirt trails with a regular 10-speed, though anyone that had one as a kid most likely did once or twice. Maybe you still have an old mountain bike in their garage from when they were younger. Of course, you can ride that bike. That’s the beauty of mountain biking; it’s a low barrier to entry sport. After, you have gone on a few rides and start to get the hang of things head down to your local bike shop (LBS) and have them help you pick out and upgrade. Or see if your LBS rents bikes and try a few out to get a feel for the type of ride that will work best for you. 2. Do I need to wear lycra? Street bicyclists riding in groups early in the morning is a common sight in the suburbs and cities across America. While the peak of mountain biking was in the ’90s, it’s still a trending activity. However, in most cities, the public doesn’t see mountain bikers because the activity typically takes place off the beaten path. Because of this, the image of bicycling in most peoples minds is that of the street rider. As soon as you start to discuss bicycling, of any type, with the general public, the question about wearing lycra will always come up. Photo by Daniel Frank Answer: The majority of mountain bikers don’t wear lycra. Instead, you find them wearing an activewear shirt and shorts/pants. It’s also totally normal to see people wearing their favorite brewery shirt while on the trails. Because of the nature of the sport, you do see some cautious people wearing protective gear like knee pads, padded shorts, gloves, and always a helmet. 3. Do I need clip-in shoes? If you are familiar with cyclists whizzing past you on your favorite local paved pathway, you will notice they are wearing clip-in shoes. If you want to go for a fun ride on your local MTB trail, you may start to ask yourself if you also need special shoes. Answer: The short answer is no. You can ride with regular shoes using your bicycles existing pedals. Later after you find out how much you love mountain biking and want to get even more power out of every pedal, then you can upgrade to mountain bike clip-in shoes. MTB shoes are more fashionable and easier to hop off your bike and walk into your local brewery after an exhilarating mountain bike ride than the typical street cyclists clip-ins are. 4. Do I need to train? You might be stuck at home and came across articles or videos of mountain bikers sharing their shelter-in-place training routines, and as it starts to get nicer out, you have the itch to hit the trails on your mountain bike. However, you are not sure if you need to train for this new sport. Photo by Thomas Schweighofer Answer: With anything, if you want to get better, training will help. Also, there are certain tips, tricks, moves, etc. that, if practiced, you will get better at riding. 5. Will I fall a lot? No one wants to fall, and this is a new activity for you, so it should be expected that you won’t be perfect. What you ou might really be wondering is what is the potential risk for serious injury. Photo by Tim Foster Answer: Everyone falls. But just because your ride doesn’t mean you are going to end up sprawled out on the trail. Going back to the training question, you can practice how to position your body on the bike while going up or down hills can increase your coordination and reduce falling. Also, wearing the proper safety equipment can help to protect you when you do fall. Helmets, glasses, gloves, padded shorts, knee, and elbow pads are typical safety equipment seen on the singletrack. Throw on some old rollerblade knee pads the first few times you ride till you figure out what gear makes sense for you. 6. Is there trail etiquette? You don’t want to go on your first ride and stand out; we get it. You also want to make sure you are riding safely Photo by Razvan Chisu Answer. A local group manages most mountain biking trails, and they usually post signs that tell you which way to go. That is a big part of biking etiquette. Often they will also have a map denoting the difficulty of the trail or sections of the track. You should ride within your level of experience. If you are new to the sport, you sho uld start with the easier paths till you have your footing and then go up from there. Getting off the trail when not riding would be another rule for any considerate rider. Some singletracks are multi-use, so don’t be surprised if you see a hiker coming the other way. Always pay attention to your surroundings. Another tip is to ask your LBS about specific trails and local etiquette. 7. How do I find MTB trails to ride? Now you are excited to ride. You have done the research. You have your gear in the car and your bike on the rack. But you are not sure where to go ride. Answer Check your local MTB group’s website or ask your LBS to help point you to the local singletrack. 8. Do I wash my bike after I ride? You just went on your first ride, and you’re hooked on mountain biking. There is dirt splattered all over your back, and you didn’t fall once. You are not sure if you should clean up after or toss your bike in the garage and call it a day. Photo by Tim Foster Answer Like any outdoor sport, you should try to clean up as much as you can before getting into your car. It keeps dirt and debris out of your vehicle but also reduces the instances where you are accidentally transporting insects or plant seeds to new locations. Also, cleaning and reviewing your gear to make sure it’s in good working order before and after any activity where you are trusting it won’t fail on you is a no-brainer. We are all navigating the wild in our own ways. Hopefully this quick list of common questions helps you feel more confident next time you want to enjoy some flow in the woods. #MountainBiking #MTB

The Garmin inReach Explorer+ is like a swiss army knife of a digital tool. It’s your Global Positioning System, weather forecaster, satellite SMS communicator, and emergency beacon. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” — Eleanor Roosevelt When the team from The Wild Dirt went to the Olympic National Park we outfitted ourselves with the Explorer+. We all loved being able to check the way points that we set up before the hike. We set them to identify known water sources, campsites, and other features. The Explorer+ is more than just a GPS. Because it has a satellite connection you can communicate globally by sending SMS and/or email messages. We fired off daily status and positioning messages to family and friends. Since phone service was so spotty this gave a peace of mind to those back home. Lastly, we checked the weather forecast every few days to have a heads up on temperature and precipitation fluctuations that could be coming our way. Being out on the Olympic Peninsula the weather can change fast and we wanted to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw at us. The Explorer+ allows you to confidently look fear in the face and come back home stronger and more courageous.