Skyblue's Weekly Adventure Roundup (8/28-9/3)

Field Notes | Weekly Roundup

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Each week, Skyblue brings you our most captivating discoveries in the areas of adventure, outdoor gear, travel, and wellness. Read on to find out what you may have missed this week and more!

Welcome to Skyblue’s Weekly Adventure Roundup!

This week’s (8/28-9/3) Skyblue Adventure Roundup brings the latest in adventure, outdoor gear, travel, and wellness. Read on for a roundup of Capitol Reef Byway exploration guide, Tonto National Forest saguaro restoration, British Columbia backcountry skiing base camps, and evoTrip Japan ski & snowboard trip packages to Furano, Hakuba, Myoko, and Niseko.

Highlights From The Week

Explorer’s Guide to the Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway. This week we published the next edition from our Explorer’s Guide Series, another amazing road trip adventure. Rev up your vehicles and get ready to explore the US with our Explorer’s Guides.

Exploring the Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway, I am reminded of its remote beauty. Water and wind have chiseled this wild country over eons, unseen by travelers from the east until the early 1900s. This journey is around 450 miles, not including any side trips.

The Endless Highway Route 24 through Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Scrambling the Arapaho Traverse, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado. We just updated our detailed trail review for the Arapaho Traverse in the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Nederland, Colorado. The Indian Peaks contain a wealth of scrambling. They are jagged, iconic, and aesthetic mountains (for the most part). One of the most popular and accessible scrambling challenges is the Arapaho Traverse, connecting the unofficially ranked South Arapaho Peak with its neighbor, the monarch of the Indian Peaks, North Arapaho Peak. Definitely one of the most popular routes in the area. It is an out-and-back hike with plenty of Class 3 scrambling and fantastic scenery.

The Arapaho Traverse, seen one of the Neva Lakes.

Can we count on you to help us bring back the Saguaros? We have a special opportunity to share with you: the National Forest Foundation needs help jump-starting a partner-led saguaro restoration program for wildfire recovery on the Tonto National Forest in Arizona.

In 2020, the Bush Fire engulfed more than 193,000 acres in flames, killing more than 80,000 saguaros on the Tonto. Saguaros play a similar role as trees in the desert ecosystem, providing food and homes for wildlife. That’s why the National Forest Foundation joined forces with National Restorations, a community-based local restoration non-profit organization, to plant (and rescue, as seen here) saguaros and other native cacti on the Tonto.

It costs about $65.00 per Saguaro to help restore this complex ecosystem and plant these beauties. Please note that this is different than the $1 per tree model with the Sapling Program, but you can join us by pledging one Saguaro to the Save Our Saguaros program.

Consider making a donation here!

Additionally, Natural Restorations has a Saguaro Planting Volunteer Event on November 4, 2023! To see what last year’s event was like, check out this blog.

National Forest Foundation needs help jump-starting a partner-led saguaro restoration program for wildfire recovery in the Tonto National Forest, Arizona.

Adventure Travel

Backcountry Skiing Base Camps in British Columbia: Backcountry base camps in British Columbia offer skiers the chance to shred fresh pow, sleep under the night sky, and explore ideal runs. Accessible via heli or snowmobile, these camps are the perfect way to experience BC’s renowned ski conditions. Tune in for a free webinar on September 21 , 2023 – 12:00 PM EDT to learn more about this far-out adventure. Get detailed info on getting there, what to bring, and finding your ideal runs.

Imagine Ski Touring From Asulkan Hut at Rogers Pass with a local guide, 40 feet of diamond dust powder, endless terrain options and long descents. Pemberton Lodge-Based Backcountry Skiing offers the perfect fusion of ski touring, heli-access and BC beauty of the Sea to Sky region. These are just a couple of examples of the possibilities.

Escape Campervans’ Summer’s Not Over Yet Sale! 25% OFF Your Last-Minute Campervan Adventure With Escape Campervans. There’s still plenty of time to pack in some serious fun with 25% OFF DAILY RATES on ALL rental campervans and locations!

Complete with a convenient kitchenette, a cozy bed, and versatile interior space to hang out, these rental campervans are like a home-away-from-home that’s always ready for an adventure. Start planning your late-summer road trip today and use code EXTENDSUMMER to save 25%! Pick up: Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Chicago, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.

Christy Sports Seasonal Rentals are now Live for 2024/2025 Winter Season! RESERVE ONLINE AND AVOID THE RUSH. Save Up to 20%! Reserve your season rental gear now so you can shred later. Pick up your equipment when the leaves change and return when spring has sprung!

evoTrip Japan Ski & Snowboard Trip Packages: evoTrip is thrilled to add Furano to their Japan trips this winter, in addition to their existing lineup of Hakuba, Myoko, and Niseko. Plus, they have extended the departure dates for even more choices and flexibility. For the first time, evoTrip are now offering private trips, which give you the chance to tailor your itinerary and schedule however you’d like, as well as travel with your own group.

Book today and come join evoTrip for an unforgettable journey in Japan

Discoveries

Global Rescue Travel Survey: Travelers are planning multiple trips in 2023, according to the Global Rescue Travelers Sentiment and Safety Survey. With travel fears nosediving, they are planning more adventure in more remote or less-traveled regions. Half of their members plan four or more trips this year and are using credit card reward points to help pay for them. A fifth of respondents will take six or more vacations, while 41% said they would take two-to-three. To offset expenses due to inflation, 64% use credit card reward programs.

A Global Rescue membership offers more than just financial protection. Travel insurance policies only protect your wallet; Global Rescue provides medical, evacuation and security experts in case of a travel emergency.

How to Kill, Cook and Eat Dungeness Crab: Fresh Dungeness crab is the best West Coast seafood, and this recipe will be worth the effort. Enjoy fresh crab meat seasoned with butter while your dinner guests get hands-on for a memorable experience. Serve with crusty grilled bread, chilled white wine, and friends who are ready to work for their food. Read more at the Filson Journal.

Music Monday: Edition No. 165 – Sunny Side Up: Every Monday, Ventura, California based, Iron & Resin, makes a wonderful Spotify playlist. This past Monday, they made this playlist as a reminder to keep the sunny side up. it pairs just as well with an empty house and bottle of something strong as it does an empty line-up with your favorite board.

Product News

Iron & Resin’s Fenceline Shirt Jacket is a hardworking favorite. The stylish cut and tailored fit feature heavy snap-front entry and reinforced western-style shoulder yokes, making it the perfect go-to for any day.

Iron & Resin’s Fenceline Shirt Jacket. Photo: Iron & Resin.

SEADON is an innovative, eco-friendly clothing brand that encourages outdoor adventures to soothe the soul. They create their story through travels around the world–hiking, climbing, paddling and surfing in beautiful places. They noticed pollution and destruction growing everywhere and wanted to make a difference in preserving our planet.

SEADON’s Gale VS Jacket ($104) is a featherlight, well-rounded jacket you would take anywhere, from cycling through city streets, to trail running an exposed ridgeline. Made from 100% recycled ripstop nylon The Traveler Merino LS Tee ($89) is a versatile tee for long journeys. It’s able to naturally adapt to your surroundings, weathering it through a wide range of temperatures, whilst being lightweight and extremely soft to wear. Featuring their unique blend of Tencel® + Merino Wool, this silky-soft tee regulates temperature and offers wash-free freshness for up to 7 days.

The Gale VS Jacket is the one jacket that never leaves your pack, or your back pocket. Photo: SEADON.

686’s Winter 23/24 Lookbook of their Team All-Mountain Picks is out, just a few days before their first product drop on 9/12/2023. Last year many GORE-TEX styles and other team favorites sold out before winter even hit. Sign up for their email list to give yourself the best chance at scoring your preferred size and you will be the first notified when these products drop and receive 10% off your first snow purchase. Snow Drop 1 is 9/12, Snow Drop 2 is 10/10, and curated collections to follow through winter.

686’s Winter 23/24 Lookbook of their Team All-Mountain Picks is out. Photo: 686.

Nomatic: Dive in and navigate their all-new Navy Collection of their popular Travel Pack and Backpack, available in 2 sizes (also available in Black and Olive colors). Rediscover the Travel Pack and Backpack’s sleek design elements in a bold new hue while knowing the superior durability and top-tier functionality you know and trust.

Photo: Nomatic.

Introducing Zionic trail shoes and boots: Keen’s lightest and most responsive footwear for hiking. With Zionic, take your hike further and faster in comfort and stability. Boasting KEEN.DRY waterproof technology, a breathable membrane, a High-traction TPU outsole for lightweight resilience, and 4mm multi-directional lugs for better grip on tough trails, Zionic is the springboard of choice for an enjoyable hike.

Keen’s Zionic Speed Hiking Shoe ($145) is a lightweight, waterproof hiking shoe built for moving quickly on the trails in complete comfort. Likewise for Keen ‘s Zionic Waterproof Hiking Boot ($170) boosts your hikes: fast, far and fun. Speed, stability and comfort make it a perfect trail buddy.

Introducing Zionic, Keen’s lightest, most responsive way to hike fast. Photo: Keen.

Bombas: Hiking in Bombas Merino Wool Hiking Socks is like having the perfect trail mix. The blend of Merino Wool, polyester, and spandex create a quick-drying, odor-resistant fit with arch support for any adventure—from afternoon strolls to scaling Kilimanjaro.

Bombas Merino Wool Hiking Socks. Photo: Bombas.

Skyblue Featured Video: Diagonal, An Uncharted Path Across Colorado

Colorado local India Wood bucks the traditional way of recreating and takes an unique and in-depth look at the world around her. India’s walk is a celebration of the originality that makes us human, and the delight that comes in doing things a little bit differently.