the GearCaster

Isis Riviera Skirt Review

For the past 6 months, I have practically lived in the Isis Riviera Skirt. With a simple, wrap around, Velcro closure style, the skirt is easy to throw on over just about anything to add a bit more coverage and take you from playtime to running errands in a snap.

Cycling Up The Haleakala Volcano In Maui

"Please let there be a flat bit around the corner!" I found myself saying this on numerous occasions, futily hoping for just a small section where I could stop pedaling and coast for a brief few seconds. My wish never came true, as once you leave the beach in Paia, you are climbing continually for 36.6 miles and 10,023 feet straight to the summit of Haleakala. 

Backpacking The Hetch Hetchy Area Of Yosemite

Want to visit Yosemite but looking to avoid the 3.7 million tourists that coat the valley floor each year? Hetch Hetchy is your answer. Located in the Northwest corner of the park, Hetch Hetchy sees much less traffic throughout the year, but offers all of the classic beauty that Yosemite landscapes have to offer. 

A Base Backpacking Gear Kit For Summer

Snow may still be dumping on much of the country, but backpacking season is already in full swing here in California. With a bunch of summer backpacking adventures lined up, I put together a gear kit that will form the base of every trip. I took the gear out for a test backpacking run in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite earlier this week and had a blast. Below you will find my base gear list.  

A History of Ice Climbing in the Vail Valley

Today's guest post is from Michael Mote, instructor and guide with Apex Mountain School in Vail, CO. Apex Mountain School offers ice climbing and mixed climbing outings for climbers of all ability levels in this historic region. You can check out their website to learn more. 

Ice climbing comes from humble beginnings. In the 16th century, shepherds crafted shoes with iron spikes to make travel on icy slopes feasible while tending flocks. Throughout the late 1800s, the “Golden Age” of climbing was characterized by the first ascents throughout the Alps, and was followed by the invention of the 10-point crampon by Oscar Eckenstean in 1908. Crampons were made available commercially by Henry Grivel, whose son, Lauret Grivel, later introduced the twelve-point crampon.