Trailmix.Net

Purifying Water when Hiking, Camping, or Backpacking with Kids

Mike Barlow — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:32:00 GMT

Dehydration is a common backcountry problem that affects children and adults alike. It can lead to fatigue, headaches, lethargy, irritability, and more serious injuries if left untreated. Your first line of defense is to keep your group hydrated by drinking plenty of water. For extended trips you may not always be able to bring enough water for the group and you will need to find additional sources in the backcountry. Staying hydrated on the trail is a high priority, but drinking water from backcountry sources carries some risks of its own.

Although there is some debate about the extent of microbiological contamination of backcountry water sources, it is generally accepted that the days when you could simply dip your water bottle into the stream for a cool refreshing drink without any risk of illness are gone.

Purifying water isn't difficult and you're better off being safe than sorry. Here are four basic strategies for purifying drinking water on the trail.

Boiling Drinking Water in the Backcountry
Boiling drinking water before use is the most reliable method of backcountry water treatment. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of fuel and can be extremely time consuming.

When hiking and backpacking we always carry matches and aluminum foil. If you find yourself in a position where you don't have alternative methods of water purification, the foil can be folded into a bowl and placed over a small fire. As long as you don't boil all of the water off, the foil will not burn and can be re-used multiple times. It takes a little practice, but many people have used this method when other options of water purification were not available.

Bringing the water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill all common waterborne pathogens.

Chemical Disinfection of Drinking Water in the Backcountry
Chemical disinfection of water in the backcountry is usually accomplished through the use of chlorine or iodine products. These types of products are inexpensive and can be found in most sporting goods stores.

The effectiveness of chlorine products will vary with the pH, temperature, and turbidity of the water that you intend to purify and therefore can produce varying results. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and note that the product may be less effective after long term storage or use at high/low temperatures.

Iodine products tend to be less sensitive to pH, but do not reliably kill Cryptosporidium. Again, follow the manufacturer's instructions closely for best results. It is recommended that iodine purification of water be used only periodically, and not as a long-term disinfectant solution. If you or a member of your family has a thyroid problem, are taking lithium, are allergic to shellfish, or are pregnant you should consult a physician prior to using iodine for water purification.

Whether you are using a chlorine or iodine based treatment process, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Filtration of Drinking Water in the Backcountry
Filtration of drinking water in the backcountry is a well established method of removing pathogenic microorganisms by "trapping them" with physical barriers.

There are essentially two types of filtration strategies used in commercial backcountry water filters: Membrane filtration and depth filtration. Membrane filtration occurs when thin sheets of porous material "strain" contaminants as the water passes through. Because membrane filters tend to trap particles on a membrane surface, they tend to clog easier.

On the other hand, a depth filter will only capture some of the particles on the surface. Depth filters have multiple layers of material configured in a matrix that capture particles throughout.

When purchasing a backcountry water filter, it is also important to note that there is a difference between a water filter and water purifier. Water filters alone will not protect you from viral contaminants. However, a good water purifier will filter protozoa and bacteria and will also inactivate virus through a secondary mechanism (usually through exposure to an iodine compound).

Pay close attention to the labeling and claims made by the manufacturer. According to the CDC:

"filters that are designed to remove Cryptosporidium and Giardia carry one of the four messages below-verbatim-on the package label.

Reverse osmosis
Absolute pore size of ≤1 micron
Tested and certified by NSF International (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) Standard 53 or NSF Standard 58 for cyst removal
Tested and certified by NSF Standard 53 or NSF Standard 58 for cyst reduction

Filters may not be designed to remove Cryptosporidium and Giardia if they are labeled only with these words:

Nominal pore size of ≤1 micron
One-micron filter
Effective against Giardia
Effective against parasites
Carbon filter
Water purifier
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved (Caution: EPA does not approve or test filters.)
EPA-registered (Caution: EPA does not register filters for Cryptosporidium removal)
Activated carbon
Removes chlorine
Ultraviolet light
Pentiodide resins
Water softener "

Source: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh2-FoodWaterRisks.aspx#Drinking

UV Sanitization of Drinking Water in the Backcountry
There is a relative newcomer to the backcountry water purification family. Previously, the only options available to the backcountry traveler were boiling, chemical disinfection, or filtration, but now we can add ultraviolet sanitization as a strategy.

For about $100, you can purchase a steriPEN. The manufacturer of steriPEN, Hydro-photon inc. claims that their product "purifies clear water in the most remote environments by destroying viruses, bacteria and protozoa-including Giardia and Cryptosporidium-in seconds."

The steriPEN works by emitting a germacidal dose of high-energy ultraviolet light into a sample of water. The UV rays destroy the DNA of the microbes contaminating the water. Without functional DNA, the microbes can't reproduce and make you sick.

If this is true, this is a remarkable breakthrough in backcountry water purification because the steriPEN weighs only 4.5 ounces.

Always Have a Backup Plan for Backcountry Water Purification
When out hiking with the family, we always have a water plan. We usually start by carrying 3-5 liters from home in a pack for a typical day-hike. As a backup we carry iodine tablets or a filter depending on the length of the trail. As a backup to this, we carry matches and some aluminum foil in the bottom of a pack.

You can use any combination of options listed above to create your own plan. The key is that you carry the right components, you know how to use them, and you know what to do if one should fail. By having a plan like this, you can easily mitigate the risks associated with dehydration in the backcountry.

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Is the Weather Bad? Bring Your Child’s Outdoor Activities Inside with an Uncle Milton Ant Farm

Mike Barlow — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:16:00 GMT

The fall colors are vibrant and winter is just around the corner. For many of us, this means that our backyards, parks, trails, and other favorite stomping grounds are about to get soaked by rain and snow. Don't let the weather disrupt your educational expeditions; bring the study of the outdoors into your home by setting up an Uncle Milton 50^th Anniversary Ant Farm!

One of the Classic Science Toys
At a family picnic on the Fourth of July in 1956, Milton Levine noticed a colony of ants marching and foraging for food. This gave him the idea to build an ant habitat that would allow children to watch the industrious little creatures up-close. Although he didn't know it at the time, Milton Levine had created one of the world's first "nature toys". Twenty million ant farms later, Levine's innovation has inspired many a child and is considered an American classic.

A Myrmecologist Without a Formicarium is Like a Baseball Player Without a Bat
People who study the behavior of ants are known as myrmecologists and the technical term for an ant farm is "formicarium". When you set up an ant farm, you become an amateur myrmecologist and create an educational experience that can last a lifetime for your children.

Ants are social insects that live in communities called a colony. When you set up an ant farm for a child, you are setting the stage for learning and scientific observation. Over the course of weeks and months, the colony will display a number of ant behaviors such as tunneling, mound building, feeding, and the construction of underground caverns in the sand. Some ants can even lift 50 times their weight while working on the daily business of the colony.

If you are a mom, dad, or teacher, the process of setting up and maintaining an ant farm will provide you with a number of learning opportunities. A single ant farm can provide lessons on habitats, communities, responsibility, patience, problem solving, endurance, effort, cooperation, and social networks.... The list of learning topics that can be generated from a single ant farm is almost endless.

Getting an ant farm is simple. Just drop by the Trailmix.Net store and place an order.

Helpful Tips for Setting Up and Maintaining Your Ant Farm

Preparing Your Ant Farm: Never pack the sand into the ant farm, this can cause spreading of the side plates which may result in an ant escape.
When Your Ants Arrive: Ants are amazingly nimble. When your ants get delivered, make sure you let them cool off in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This slows down their metabolism so that you can easily transfer them into the ant farm.
Maintaining Your Ant Farm: Keep the temperature of your ant farm tightly regulated by keeping it in a safe place away from direct sunlight, heating ducts, etc.

Join the other twenty million people who have brought the study of the outdoors inside with an Uncle Milton ant Farm. While you are there, check out the other Biology Toys in the Trailmix.Net store.

Fossilized Insects in Amber: The Perfect Gift for an Aspiring Indiana Jones

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Tips for Hiking Kids: A Thirty Second Investment that Could Save a Life

Mike Barlow — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:39:00 GMT

The thought of searching for a lost child after a backpacking, camping or hiking trip is agonizing, to say the least. But part of managing risk is confronting the potential problem and taking steps to control the outcome if it does happen. One step that you can proactively take to increase the probability that a lost child will be found is to keep an accurate record of the pattern on the sole of your child's hiking boots.

Why Keep a Record of Your Child's Boot Print?
When somebody gets lost, search teams will work to define a search area. The larger the search area, the more resources and time it will likely take to find the missing person in that area. It is always advantageous to reduce the size of the search area. Sometimes that can be done when searchers in the field find clues such as footprints that indicate a direction of travel.

In an ideal situation, the search team will have two things: a good set of footprints and a high degree of confidence that the footprints belong to the missing person. You can proactively help with the second part by creating and maintaining an accurate record of the sole of your children's hiking boots. Here's how.

How To Create a Record of Your Child's Boot Print
Take a strip of aluminum foil and place it on the ground. We found that carpet provides a great surface. Have your child (wearing their hiking boots) step onto the foil. Take the impression (right and left foot) and place it in a safe place. We keep ours in the glove compartment of our car.

If for some reason you do become separated from your child and a search is initiated, this "signature" of your child's boot print is a valuable piece of information that you can provide. During a search, the print can be copied and quickly distributed to all of the field teams. Searchers can use it to differentiate the important footprints along a trail from "noise". It may even be used to validate a print found in the field, resulting in a smaller and more focused search area .

Parents who hike with their children should take this simple, thirty second step each time their child gets a new set of hiking footwear. Odds are you will never need this information, but if you do you will be very glad that you have it.

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Hiking With Kids in California Gold Country: Exploring the Monroe Ridge Trail

Mike Barlow — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:28:00 GMT

In 1848 a carpenter named James Marshall was inspecting the progress of a sawmill he was constructing on the banks of the American River in Coloma, CA. As he gazed into the water, he noticed something that would change the world forever.

Glittering in the sunlight were the nuggets of gold that would start the California gold rush. When the news of the discovery broke, immigrants from around the world swarmed to the California gold fields to seek their fortune. Following closely behind them were merchants and businesses. Before long Marshall's discovery had sparked the greatest mass migration of people in history.

The site of Marshall's discovery is now managed by the California State Parks system and known as the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. The visitors center and actual gold discovery site are easily accessible from the parking areas off of Highway 49, but the adventurous can take the road less traveled to get some fresh air, a feel for the terrain, and a bird's eye view of this historical place.

The 2.9 mile Monroe Ridge Trail follows the perimeter of the park. Along the trail you will see mining ditches, an abandoned mine, vistas that overlook Coloma, and the Marshall Monument. In the final quarter mile, the trail brings you to the visitors center, the replica of Sutter's Mill, and the actual sites on the American River where the mill was constructed and gold was first discovered.

Monroe Ridge Trail Conditions
The Monroe Ridge Trail is well maintained packed dirt and duff. It isn't fit for strollers, so parents hiking with small children will need a child carrier.

As you hike the Monroe Ridge Trail, you will travel a distance of 2.9 miles and climb about 600 feet in elevation. If you do plan to take the trail with a backpack style child carrier, you might want to review the rest step technique to help navigate the switchbacks that you will encounter along the way. If you are planning this hike with young kids, be sure to assess their capabilities to ensure that this hike is appropriate for each member of the family.

Action Scenery and Geocaching Opportunities:
Action scenery helps kids break a long hike into smaller, more manageable portions. By getting children to actively seek wildlife, trail markers, and species of plants and trees you can make the hike more fun and help keep spirits high. Be on the lookout for wild turkeys, squirrel, and deer. If you don't see any wildlife, look for the red, smooth bark of Manzanita trees.

If your family Geocaches, you can also break up the hike by finding any of the several hidden caches along this trail. If you are geocaching in the area, don't miss the earthcache at the end of the hike. If you don't know how to Geocache, but want to learn you can watch our free Geocaching seminar here.

Educational Opportunities
The park and visitors center are loaded with opportunities for hands-on history and geology.

The museum contains Indian and mining exhibits. Historical structures and structural remains are scattered throughout the park. The Monroe Ridge Trail will take you over mining ditches, near an abandoned mine, and to several historical structures. In the last half mile of the hike you will walk near the Wah Hop store, restored to re-create a shopping experience in the late 1800s. Next to it, you will see the Man Lee mining exhibit. Be sure to take a break here, both are worthy of attention.

This final leg of the trail also brings you near the actual gold discovery site. Here you can look at a replica of the mill, look at actual timbers salvaged from the original site, see where the mill stood, and see where gold was actually discovered by Marshall in 1848.

Hazards

You may want to review precautions that should be taken when hiking in Mountain Lion habitat.
If you don't know how, you can learn to identify poison oak by watching this free seminar.
Along the trail, you will cross two mining ditches and walk near an open mine shaft. Keep children (and adults) on the safe side of the fence when you are exploring these areas. Never enter abandoned mines.
Keep a eye on children if you get close to the river near the original mill site or the gold discovery site.

Getting There and Mapping Info
The Monroe Ridge Trailhead is only an hour from Sacramento.

From Sacramento, Take US 50 east to Placerville, CA. Take Highway 49 North to Coloma. There is a $5 parking fee. The trailhead is located on the opposite side of Highway 49 from the northern parking area (near north beach).

Park Website
Map of the park and park brochure
Mapquest

Coordinates of the Parking Area: N 38° 48.284, W 120° 53.670

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A Walk In the Park Improves Attention in Children With ADHD

Mike Barlow — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:31:00 GMT

In 2006 when we began building Trailmix.Net, we pulled together a number of research papers about children and the outdoors. It was during this time that we first began following the research of Andrea Faber Taylor and Francis Kuo which documented an interesting connection between outdoor play in green settings and reduced ADHD symptoms.

Kuo and Fabor-Taylor recently published a study in the Journal of Attention Disorders that examines this observation more methodically. The study shows (using more controlled experimental methods) that children with ADHD truly do demonstrate improved attention after a walk in a park.

...."What this particular study tells us is that the physical environment matters," said Kuo. "We don't know what it is about the park, exactly - the greenness or lack of buildings - that seems to improve attention, but the study tells us that even though everything else was the same - who the child was with, the levels of noise, the length of time, the time of day, whether the child was on medication - if we kept everything else the same, we just changed the environment, we still saw a measurable difference in children's symptoms. And that's completely new. No one has done a study looking at a child in different environments, in a controlled comparison where everything else is the same."

You can read the full press release announcing publication of this study at the American Academy of Sciences Eurekalert!

Carving out time for Family Outdoor Activities: Three Planning tips for Busy Parents

Hiking with Kids: Setting Realistic Expectations

Wildlife Watching With Children: Three Tips

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Fossilized Insects in Amber: The Perfect Gift for an Aspiring Indiana Jones

Mike Barlow — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:32:00 GMT

If you haven't noticed, we've been doing a lot of work in the Trailmix.Net store lately. We're on a quest to become the number one company in the niche of Premium Expedition Toys and Games. By Premium, we mean the best. By Expedition Toys and Games, we mean providing products that ignite the imagination and natural curiosity of children through the exploration of nature, natural history, history, and the sciences.

We are happy to announce that today we opened the Natural History wing of the Trailmix.Net store. Our first products in this category are both unique and unusual.... You'll have a very hard time finding anything like them at most toy and hobby shops.

Trailmix.Net has acquired a shipment of amber, which is fossilized tree resin. Each sample includes the remains of at least one ancient insect.

If you have ever read the book or seen the movie Jurassic Park in which the DNA of Dinosaurs was extracted from tiny fossilized mosquitoes, you are going to love our collection which carries some much larger specimens. This is a unique opportunity to purchase an item that is both educational and, like all unique-one of a kind-limited supply items, could increase in value as worldwide supplies shrink.

If you are thinking about creating archeological or natural history collection, fossiliferous amber is a great place to start. Even if you aren't, it certainly is fun to look at. Odds are if you found this blog, we're stocking the type of stuff in our store that would minimally spark your curiosity..... Click here to check it out.

Children detach from natural world as they explore the virtual one

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Revised and Updated: Identifying and Avoiding Poison Oak

Mike Barlow — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:01:00 GMT

The most popular of our free seminars, "How to Identify and Avoid Poison Oak" has been reorganized, updated, and revised. The seminar helps you understand the mechanism of poison oak exposure, learn how to identify poison oak, and learn what to do in the event that you or your kids are exposed. Be sure to take the Trailmix.Net Poison Oak Challenge at the end of the presentation.

Here is a summary of what you will learn:

The Mechanism of Poison Oak Exposure
The rash associated with poison oak is caused by contacting an oily resin found in the roots, leaves, or stems called urushiol. It takes only 1 billionth of a gram to trigger a rash. Urushiol oil does not evaporate and can remain active on clothes and outdoor equipment for up to a year.

In most people (roughly 90%), contact with urushiol triggers an allergic reaction. The cycle of poison oak exposure lasts about 10 days. Within two days of skin exposure to urushiol, a rash will begin. The symptoms will peak in intensity at or around day five. After about ten days, the symptoms will begin to decline.

A common myth is that poison oak is contagious. Although it is possible to transfer residual urushiol oil from one area to another, you can manage the problem by managing the urushiol oil.

How to Identify Poison Oak

Poison oak is found all along the Pacific Coast of North America from Canada to the Baja Peninsula. It also happens to be the most abundant shrub in California.

The first thing that you look for when identifying poison oak are the three leaves. Remember the saying "leaves of three, leave them be..." Once you have identified the three leaves, examine the edges. Poison oak has a distinct scalloped or toothy edge.

Poison oak leaves will change color as the season progresses from green in the spring, to yellow in the summer, and bright red in the fall. The morphology can vary and poison oak can be found growing as a vine, bush, or shrub.

What to do if You are Exposed to Poison Oak

The best way to manage poison oak risk is to focus on prevention.

Learn to recognize the three Poison Oak leaflets and avoid contact. If you know you will be hiking near poison oak, wear shirts with sleeves and long pants. Commercially available prevention cremes such as Ivy Block can be helpful in binding up the urushiol oils before they penetrate the skin.

You should also wash any gear that you suspect has been exposed to poison oak. It has been demonstrated that washing gear or clothing with a detergent will remove urushiol oil and prevent a subsequent re-exposure.

If you suspect that you have had contact with Poison Oak, wash your skin with cold water. Be sure to use cold water and be thorough. Special poison oak soaps such as Technu can be helpful in removing the urushiol. These are most effective if used between 2-8 hours after contact.

If you are exposed and have a rash, there are a number of commercially available Over the Counter products that can help with itching and swelling.

Severe cases of poison oak exposure require medical attention. Call a doctor immediately in cases where an adult or child has trouble breathing, the rash is affecting the face, eyes, lips, or genitals, or the rash shows any signs of infection. The presentation should not be used as a substitute for medical consultation. If there is any doubt, see a doctor.

A poison oak rash is the price that many people pay to enjoy the outdoors. But you really don't need to. Understanding the mechanism of exposure, how to identify and avoid poison oak, and understanding what to do if you or your children become exposed can save you ten days of obsessive scratching.

We are always trying to make our seminars more useful. If you watch the seminar, please leave a comment to let us know what you thought of it (registration isn't necessary). Also, if you want to share it with a friend, youth group, scout troop, etc. the direct link to the presentation is http://poisonoak.trailmix.net/ .

Inspired by toxidendron diversilobum

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How to Locate Railroads that Have Been Converted into Walking and Biking Trails

Mike Barlow — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:27:00 GMT

Over the last week we've been exploring the concept of "creating a stomping ground." Your stomping ground is the public land nearest to your home that you can turn to for quick, easy, and dependable outdoor activities with kids. Establishing a stomping ground is a strategy for managing time and prioritizing family outdoor recreation.

As I mentioned before, our stomping ground is the American River Parkway. There is nothing like a 25+ mile trail and park system for a base of operations, in our opinion. So, if you were looking, how would you find one of these gems?

A hat tip to Squidoo user Mulburry for creating a very cool Squidoo lens about the Rails to Trails conservancy:

"...A rail trail is simply an old railroad bed that is no longer used and has been converted into a path for people to use for recreational purposes. Actually some rail trails can provide functional transportation for one point to another in some instances. A rail trail is not used for vehicular traffic. Instead traffic on a rail trail consists of runners, walkers, inline skaters, and bicyclists....

Finding a rail trail is very easy. The Rails to Trails Conservancy has a website that allows you to simply input your destination and the type of trail you prefer to locate trails in the area...."

Related Posts:

More Reading:

Chautauqua Rails to Trails « New York Outdoors Blog - Chautauqua Rails to Trails. October 29, 2008 by newyorkoutdoors. CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY is blessed with beautiful unused rail corridors winding through picturesque countryside and villages. Click here to find out about the ones that are now ...
BikePortland.org » Blog Archive » Rails-to-Trails conference ... - Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on November 3rd, 2006 at 10:59 am. [Coming to Portland]. It’s not on their website yet and hasn’t been officially announced, but I’ve just heard from a reliable source that the Rails-to-Trails ...
BikePortland.org » Blog Archive » Springwater Corridor in Rails to ... - Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on May 15th, 2006 at 7:40 am. [Photo: Paul Souders]. Portland’s very own Springwater Corridor Trail is the subject of a beautiful cover photo and feature story in the Summer issue of Rails to Trails ...

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Back Yard Big Game: Testing the Uncle Milton Ladybug Playground

Mike Barlow — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:50:00 GMT

It's not exactly the same as fishing for mahseer in the Himalayas, but a backyard bug safari is different only in scale.

When we started stocking the Trailmix.Net Store with science and nature toys we didn't expect our bug jugs to become one of the most popular items. Maybe it's because Take a Child Outside Week is right around the corner or maybe its just because creatures with more than four legs are strange and interesting.... Whatever the reason, when it comes to outdoor activities with kids, catching bugs in the garden is a great sport.

After an enthusiastic and detailed description of a roly-poly playground safari by one of our customers (Thanks Kyla!), we decided to get into the action. One ladybug playground, raisin, and drop of water later and we were ready to roll film...

[Go to the site to view embedded media]

Ladybug Playgrounds, Roly-Poly Playgrounds, Frog Habitats, Ant Farms, and many other toys that require an outdoor expedition or indoor scientific evaluation are available in the Trailmix.Net store.

If you are a parent that enjoys this type of thing (kids, science, exploration, expeditions, etc.) be sure to check out The Trail Guide, the Trailmix.Net Newsletter.

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Support Your Local Non Profits: Notes from the American River Parkway in Sacramento, California

Mike Barlow — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:13:00 GMT

The other day I wrote a post about establishing your Stomping Ground on the public lands nearest to your home. Today's post is about supporting your Stomping Ground.

If you didn't read the post, here's the gist. Your "Stomping Ground", from a Trailmix.Net prospective, is your home turf. It's the place that is most accessible. It's the dependable standby. The place that you go to get the kids on the trail when they have cabin fever and there isn't time for an elaborate plan. It's quick, it's convenient, and it has enough space and activities to keep little (and big) explorers engaged for hours on end.

We consider the American River Parkway in Sacramento our stomping ground. A short distance from home, we can always find something new in this 23 mile chain of trails and interconnected parks bordering the American River. It's a gem and in our opinion, the coolest thing about living in Sacramento.

As we walked along the trail on Sunday, I started to think about how many memories we had created as a family walking, biking, and geocaching along this trail. As far as the American River Parkway goes, we have taken much, much more from it than we have ever given.

Soooo.... After a quick online search for organizations that support the American River Parkway, we are now proud members of the American River Natural History Association. The ARNHA is a nonprofit organization started in 1981 to support educational and interpretive activities in the American River Parkway.

I share this thought not to brag, but rather to persuade others to do the same. Identify your stomping ground, find the group that keeps it clean, organizes the volunteers, and builds exhibits to educate the children, and support them in some way. Perhaps (as in our case) it's just a basic membership and subscription to their newsletter, I can tell you from experience with other non-profits that every little bit helps.

If this post compels you to support your stomping ground, please leave a comment below. It would be cool to create a little momentum of giving..... Of course, if you have the bug but can't think of a cause to support, please feel free to donate to one of ours.

Related Links:

Guest Commentary: Parkway Plan Update | The Rancho Cordova Post - When I learned—during a term as president of the American River Natural History Association in 2001—that the Parkway Plan had not been updated since then, I was very concerned, as it was obvious that many of the issues troubling me ...
2008 Sacramento Salmon Festival - We arrived at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery at 3:45 PM on Sunday at closing time and talked briefly with a member of the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA). Their newsletter contains an article on the plight of the salmon, ...
one parkway portal - ... increasing the difficulty of the public to ascertain what is going on, where, and when. here are some of the several portals. sacramento county parks american river parkway foundation american river natural history association ...
valley nisenan (maidu) educator's guide - it was created by the effie yeaw nature center and the american river natural history association in 1988, and the version i have was from a 2002 revision. main sections of the book include:. a 32-page teacher information section ...

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Carving out time for Family Outdoor Activities: Three Planning tips for Busy Parents

Mike Barlow — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:58:00 GMT

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and found yourself mentally escaping with the kids to long trails, green trees, and mountain lakes. Just when you think that you can smell the pine needles somebody honks and before you know it you are rushing off to the next thing on your to-do list.

I have spent the last couple of years conducting informal studies on the subject of work-life balance. Sometimes my experiments worked wonderfully, and sometimes they failed dismally. I can tell you from experience that the common element in each of the successful outcomes was great planning and time management.

If you are one of the many millions of parents who are trying to use family outdoor recreation to balance your life, here are three tips to help you carve time out of a busy schedule.

Tip #1: Buy 1-3 Guide Books about Family Outdoor Activities in Your Immediate Area
Go to your favorite bookstore. Find the "local" section. Select a couple of guidebooks that list hiking, biking, paddling, or any other outdoor activities that your family enjoys that are located within a two to three hour radius from your home.

I'm a big fan of online discount bookstores, but in my opinion the procurement of good outdoor literature is a case where the brick and mortar business model has the online model beat. Thumb through several examples side by side and select 1-3 that cover a range of activities in your radius.

Over time you may want to build a library of diverse guidebooks, but these "close to home" guides will become the cornerstone. This will set you back fifteen to forty dollars, but it's money well spent. We have a copy of California Hiking that we have been using for over ten years. If you divide the cost by the number of times we have referenced the book, we are talking pennies per use.

Tip #2: Develop a "Stomping Ground" in a Nearby State Park, National Park, or other Public Land
Find the closest National Park, State Park, or other public land near your home and make it your "stomping ground". Your stomping ground is the place that you visit frequently enough to develop a strong familiarity. More importantly for the calendar-challenged, the stomping ground is the perfect alternative destination when the elaborate plans just can't be met.

Here's a hypothetical that illustrates the need for a stomping ground. Imagine that you have a plan for a big family hike three to four hours from home. A project at work runs you ragged all week. By the time Saturday rolls around you are exhausted, you oversleep, and one of the kids isn't feeling well. Before you know it, the original plan has broken down and can not be salvaged.

Rather than abort the plan and sacrafice the day to cable television, you can quickly turn to your stomping ground for an easy to implement alternate activity. Because of your familiarity with this area and its accessability, pulling together another plan is simple. You can reschedule the elaborate plan for another time and still salvage the day.

Prioritize a Single Activity- Block out Time
Over the course of this year, our family has been lucky enough to go on some hiking, biking, rock climbing, geocaching, animal watching, and tidal pool expeditions. It's fun to mix it up, but each activity requires a little different skill set, equipment, and learning curve. If you are a beginner or introducing young children to the outdoors, avoid taking on too much at once and burning out.

If outdoor recreation as a family is something that you are transitioning into, I recommend selecting one activity to get started. Over time feel free to mix it up but as with any new routine or habit, selecting something that you can start and develop into a routine is the key.

If you are like most people, time is scarce. I know people whose weekends are booked months in advance. It's a classic catch-22: if you don't prioritize and set aside time for recreation and leisure, you miss the benefits. This, in turn, causes you to feel like you have less time for recreation and leisure. The way out of this trap is prioritization.

Block out time in your calendar with the diligence of a doctors appointment or job interview. Consider the following:

"Parents already feel besieged by the difficulty of balancing work and family life. Understandably, they may resist the idea of adding any to-dos to their long list of chores. So here is another way of viewing the challenge: Nature as antidote. Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life - these are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into children's lives."

-Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

Implementing these simple steps can make a huge difference in the frequency and quality of your family outdoor recreation time. When you feel like there just isn't any time to pack up the kids for that hike, turn to your local guidebooks for inspiration, head to your stomping ground for convenience, and block out your time with diligence and inflexability. Before you know it the smell of pine needles will be real.

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Using the right materials

JulietteVR — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:14:00 GMT

The British climate can often be very wet and cold, especially in winter. These effects can be greatly enhanced when you are out in the open country, high up in the hills. As an avid hiker, I always want to be protected from the wind-chill and rain as much as possible when I am out on a hike, but at the same time I also want to be left comfortable and relatively sweat free. I want to enjoy my hike as much as possible. There are many outdoor jackets on the market, all with their separate features and specifications. The major thing for me when buying an outdoor jacket is the material used. There is a large variety of different materials used for hiking jackets and some of them are better than others. If the material is cheap then it will not do the job that I want then will not keep me warm or dry, which isn’t what I expect from an outdoor jacket. So, whatever material is used is seriously going to affect my decision. Let’s see why. Many of the cheaper hiking jackets are made from polyester. This really is not a very food material for hiking jackets and should be avoided! Polyester is not a material that has been designed with outdoor jackets in mind, so it never really was going to excel right from the start. The problem with polyester is that it is made up from various different strands that are clumped together. This means that there are tiny little spaces in which water droplets can seep through. Furthermore, as polyester is a plastic, the material can quickly stretch and snap which means that the material isn’t very durable either.

Another material is used for hiking jackets is Gore-Tex. This is perhaps the most well known of material used. This material is a step up from the cheap polyester; Gore-Tex is waterproof and extremely durable. Gore-Tex is made up from four different layers. Gore-Tex material is designed so that the water droplets are repelled by the inner layers of the material so that the water droplets are held on the surface of the material, so they can be easily brushed off. This means that you can stay dry in even the heaviest of downpours. Obviously, because Gore-Tex is made up of four layers, it will be durable and give you a lot more wear than polyester. However, the only downfall of Gore-Tex is that it is extremely heavy for a material and because of its thickness; it can make you sweat in large amounts!

This is where the materials used are taken to the highest level; Nikwax. This is an excellent material, used only on the most expensive of hiking jackets. Nikwax provides you with all of the water protection and durability of Gore-Tex but is better in important areas. Nikwax is extremely breathable; if you are sweating then the Nikwax fabric will draw the sweat off of your skin and it will seep through the material and evaporate into the air. Alternatively, if you are feeling cold, the cold sweat is drawn away from your skin giving you a drier, warmer feeling. It is like your own body temperature regulator! Furthermore, Nikwax is about 30% lighter than the other materials so as an added bonus it hardly feels like you are even wearing an outdoor jacket. As you can see, the type of material used for a hiking jacket can drastically change the experience that you have when hiking. A cheap material can leave you wet and sweaty whereas a top material can leave you feeling comfortable at all times and perfectly dry. Therefore, this is a big factor for me when choosing myself a hiking jacket, for if it doesn’t have the right material then I won’t be buying it.

Introducing the Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt

Mike Barlow — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:23:00 GMT

We are happy to announce that the Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt is now available in the Trailmix.Net Store. For those who are just joining the conversation, or who might not yet have subscribed to The Trail Guide (our quarterly newsletter), here is a rundown on what it is and why you might want one ...

What is the Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt Kit?The Trailmix.Net scavenger hunt helps parents create memorable educational experiences with their children while visiting the park. The kit consists of a booklet of riddles, and online tools and information. The scavenger hunt leads families to seven locations in Yosemite valley. At each location, the family is presented with a riddle. When all of the riddles are solved, a unique code is generated that can be uploaded later at the Trailmix.Net website. Uploading the code triggers shipment of a collectible prize.

Why go on a Scavenger Hunt in Yosemite National Park?The Trailmix.Net Yosemite National Park scavenger hunt is the best way to introduce your children to the Yosemite Valley. While working through the hunt, children learn about the geology of Yosemite, about plants found in the Sierra Nevada Region, about Yosemite Falls, the history of the National Parks System, how to identify wildlife in Yosemite, and how to shoot a postcard perfect photograph.

Go to the park, solve the riddles, upload the code, and we send you a prize! Learn more here...

Book Review: Live Your Road Trip Dream – Travel for a year for the cost of staying home

Mike Barlow — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:43:00 GMT

Have you ever had the desire to exchange your day to day routine for one of extended travel? Do the words "Road Trip" conjure up magical images of National Park hopping, sunsets, and long stretches of time to reflect?

For most of us, there is a gap between the utopia of extended, uninterrupted world exploration and our actual day to day routine. The dream of the open road is brought back to reality when faced with the responsibilities of feeding the dogs, PTA meetings, and paying the bills. As with most big ideas, the key to actually doing something of this magnitude lies in proper planning and goal setting.

Photo By DennisSylvesterHurd

If a major road trip is your goal, Live Your Road Trip Dream should be on your reading list.

Live Your Road Trip Dream is the work of Phil and Carol White. They're experts on the topic of yearlong travel. After careers in business they "opted for the road less traveled", so to speak. After a significant amount of research and planning, they packed the essentials into a 19 Foot Chevy Class B van and hit the open road for a year. In their travels they drove from the West Coast to the East Coast, and everywhere in between including more than 35 National Parks.

Live Your Road Trip Dream is both a blueprint that explains how to plan an extended road trip, as well as a chronicle of their trip.

How they did it.

The first half of the book focuses heavily on planning. They systematically consider the logistics of financing an extended trip, transferring important responsibilities, constructing a realistic budget, and planning an itinerary. As they dissect these topics, they share their approach and specifics about how they solved each problem. In addition to discussing things and places, they also spend a fair amount of time exploring the "people" element such as breaking the news to family members, missing important events, and, of course, the obvious issue of getting along with a traveling companion 24-7-365. One of the most valuable elements of the book, in my opinion, is the detailed planning worksheets that are found in the appendix. These include sample budgets, to-do lists, a list of supplies, and even a primer for RV systems.

Their Trip

The White's make a point early in the first chapter that the purpose of the book is to help the reader build a plan for their own adventure. The second half of the book, a journal of the White's trip, is offered as a guide to spark the imagination. Although I appreciated the planning techniques, it was the journal that I enjoyed the most.

Since they started their trip in the Pacific Northwest and immediately started working their way south to Yosemite, most of the journal entries early in the second half are places that I am very familiar with. I enjoyed seeing these places through their eyes. Our family recently drove through Eureka California, a topic in one of the "Phil-osophies" sections of the book. Although Phil's story about a summer job in Eureka is only a couple of paragraphs long, it seems like this could easily be the topic of a prequel novel. The journal entries were also the subject matter of a column in their local newspaper called "On the Road with the Whites". As their adventures began to unfold, it quickly became the most popular column in the paper. I can see why.

Setting a big audacious goal always carries an element of risk. The proper response to risk is to make a plan. When you have a big goal and proper planning, wonderful things can happen. At its core, Live Your Road Trip Dream is a book about doing just that: Turning a dream into a plan, and turning that plan into reality. If your big goal involves a long road trip, Live Your Road Trip Dream should be on your reading list. You can pick up a copy of LYRTD at Amazon.com or you can buy directly from Phil and Carol White by visiting their website at http://www.roadtripdream.com/.

How to Subscribe to The Trailmix.Net Blog by E-mail...

Mike Barlow — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:16:00 GMT

The Trailmix.Net blog can always be accessed by going to the Trailmix.Net home page. In it, you will find tips, techniques, interviews, new seminar announcements, and all kinds of other useful information. In an effort to make using Trailmix.Net as easy as possible, we have signed up with Feedburner.com e-mail service.

Now, if you like, you can have Trailmix.Net blog emailed to you so you never miss a post. As with The Trail Guide, email subscription to the Trailmix.Net Blog is spam free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Click here to subscribe.

Nature Photography: Don’t get so focused the details that you miss the obvious

Mike Barlow — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:48:00 GMT

I love nature photography. I love to look at and shoot photos of plants, animals, mountains and seascapes. This week I have been practicing sunset photography on the Oregon Coast. As I tend to do when I am having fun with a hobby, I was completely immersed in the moment and in this case was searching for the right light to silhouette my subject, Haystack Rock. A very big mistake, I would learn a short five minutes later.

The sunset last night was alright. It wasn't bad, but it didn't have the strawberry cotton candy pinks that I was hoping for. At one moment I heard some excitement from the people behind me. I was fumbling with my camera settings and completely focused on the reflection from the water that I ignored the movement on my left.

When I finally got around to looking at the disturbance, I was just in time to watch a bald eagle take flight..... on Cannon Beach..... at sunset...... with Haystack rock as a backdrop.... Less than 150 feet away... And my camera was attached to a tripod pointed in the wrong direction.

I think that I could have pulled this shot off. The light was intense and it is possible that this magnificent bird would have been washed out from the intense sun, but I am pretty sure that minimally I could have caught a silhouette shortly after take off. Instead I left with a big fish story about the one that got away.

Lesson learned:
Don't get so focused on shooting one subject that you miss the obvious. One thing that I love about nature photography is that, like fishing, you can have good days and bad days. Some days you won't return home with anything remarkable and other days you will not believe how lucky you are. But once in a great while you will be presented with a rare opportunity and to capture something spectacular. And as they say about fishing, a bad day shooting sunsets is always better than a good day at work.

Geocaching with Kids: The Free Trailmix.Net Online Seminar

Mike Barlow — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Have you been wanting to take up the sport of Geocaching but were intimidated by the terms, jargon, and technology? Check out our new free seminar: Geocaching 101- Caching with Kids.

As readers of this blog and long time subscribers to the Trail Guide know, we discovered Geocaching while doing research for Trailmix.Net. That was over a year ago and in that time we have developed a love for the sport. Because of its suitability for children and sometimes technical jargon, it made perfect sense to add an introductory geocaching seminar to our portfolio of outdoor e-learning courses for parents.

This e-learning seminar is divided into three sections: what to do before you find a cache, when you find a cache, and when you return from your hunt.

Before You Go

The Before You Go section of the seminar covers how to prioritize the selection of technology, how to set up your Geocaching.com account and profile, and provides some guidance on how to identify and load your first Geocache into your GPSr.

What to do when you Find a Geocache

The What To Do When You Find a Cache section of the seminar provides some guidance on finding your first cache in the field. This section provides a couple of tips for parents who are planning to Geocache with their kids including setting expectations for fair trade, what to do when you are looking for a cache, and where (or where not) to look for your first find.

When You Return

This section covers the art of signing the log, uploading photos, and provides some guidance on managing trackable items such as geocoins or travelbugs.

If you are a first time Geocacher and are planning to Geocache with kids, this seminar will provide an orientation to the sport.

Download Geocaching 101: Caching with Kids for free here.