Earlier this week, Mount Bachelor ski resort, outside Bend, Oregon, announced a new offering for guests: Fast Tracks passes that allow customers to skip lift lines. The passes start at $49 per day and will rise in price depending on demand throughout the season. It’s part of a bigger initiative being rolled out by Powdr, the ski-resort conglomerate that owns Mount Bachelor along with ten other resorts. Powdr is introducing similar passes at three other areas this year: Utah’s Snowbird, Vermont’s Killington, and Colorado’s Copper Mountain.

Locals are, predictably, mad. Dan Cochrane, a snowboarder and real estate appraiser in Bend, that has garnered over 5,000 signatures, asking the mountain to walk back the policy. Cochrane and other critics see the passes as a blatant money grab—offering the same experience (lift-accessed skiing) and finding new ways to upcharge for it. Even U.S. senator for Oregon Ron Wyden weighed in, issuing a letter imploring the chairman and founder of Powdr, John Cumming, to reconsider the policy.

“A two-tiered system of access to public lands based on financial ability is antithetical to equity in the outdoors, leaving those who cannot afford to pay for the pass being literally sent to the back of the line,” he wrote. “While I understand that Mt. Bachelor needs the ability to charge guests for use of its infrastructure in order to create and maintain safe access to the mountain, I firmly believe these fees should not be set higher than necessary nor give preferential access to the wealthy, especially given that the resort operates on public land owned by every American.”

David Marchi, owner and founder of Crow’s Feet gear shop��in Bend, explains that the passes make the resort’s—and Powdr’s—priorities clear. And in Marchi’s eyes, the passes create an economic stratification among skiers.

“At the core of it, it blatantly shows that shareholders are who these corporations are talking to,” he says. “It’s a cause for division—the separation between people that have money and don’t have money. People are gonna run through that line, and I think they are gonna feel embarrassed.”

Skiing has wrestled with privilege for years. The sport is difficult for most people to afford. A weeklong ski trip for a family of four in Colorado will run you about , according to number crunching by the .

Historically, one way to get around skiing’s steep price has been to live near a ski resort. The more committed you are to the sport and involved in the industry and community, the cheaper it gets. A job at a resort often comes with a free season pass. Friends in the industry provide good hand-me-downs and pro deals. A gig as a guide means that your backcountry days put money back into your pocket. At the very least, if you’re local, you can buy an early-bird discounted season pass and carpool to the resort.

“It’s why you live here, it’s why you choose to work your ass off and make ends meet,” says Marchi. “If you’re a skier, the mountains drive all your decisions.”

But rising housing prices in ski towns, poor wages for critical workers like ski patrollers, and major shifts in ski-pass pricing and policies have made ski towns increasingly inhospitable environments for locals. While the lift line is not as important an arena as, say, the job or housing market, the optics of an elite lane mirror an overall sense that ski resorts and mountain towns cater to vacationers first and locals last.

A PR representative for Powdr resorts, Alana Watkins, explained that the Fast Track passes are available to all customers—you can add it on to any type of pass or ticket. But she also acknowledged that season-pass holders are less likely to utilize it.

“There are plenty of skiers/riders who ski/ride often, and this might not be valuable [to] them. But for a family that is coming for a week’s vacation or a long weekend this could be the ultimate upgrade to help them get more out of their experience,” she wrote in an email.

A ski resort is a business, and businesses have to consider their bottom line. And at Mount Bachelor—and almost every other ski area in the U.S.—local management now has to answer to more distant corporate ownership. These dynamics make it harder for resort managements to serve their communities in the way many skiers hope they will. But a ski area is also a de facto cultural hub and community center, and policies that price people out limit accessibility and diversity.

“I understand that management has to say yes to the corporation, but they also know the local culture, and for them to not draw the line and say this is not good for our community is disappointing,” Marchi says. “Mount Bachelor has statues of the guy that created the ski area. If he could, that statue would walk away right now. It’s so far removed from what the skiing culture was founded on.”

The post At Four Ski Areas, You Can Pay to Skip the Lift Line. Locals Are Pissed. appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

It’s no surprise that mountain towns across the West have a problem. The pandemic-fueled real estate boom has priced out locals from Bozeman, Montana, to Bend, Oregon. In the Colorado towns of Ouray and Telluride, housing shortages have led to worker shortages, forcing businesses to operate at reduced capacity. And in Crested Butte, Colorado, the 2021 school year began��without school buses, because the district can’t find anyone in the area to hire to drive them.

But for some mountain-town residents, this problem is nothing new.

Karla Garcia Gonzales moved from Peru to Telluride in 2004, where she began working as a cultural outreach coordinator and organizing for immigrants’ rights. For more than a decade she tried to bridge the Latino community with the wealth and opportunity that exist in Telluride. But she could never reconcile the fact that she could casually talk to a billionaire at the coffee shop and then walk down the block to help a single mother with multiple jobs figure out how to make rent.

San Miguel County, where Telluride is located, ranked eighth in the nation in highest income inequality, according to a . And it isn’t exactly the most racially equitable either. The Latino population there makes up a significant percentage of the local workforce but until recently not have access to federally funded affordable housing because many of them are undocumented, leaving few options in an already limited workforce-housing market. Many are forced to commute long distances or share housing. Meanwhile, Black residents make up less than 1 percent of the population.

Eventually, for Gonzalez, the wealth inequality was “too much in her face.” She worked tirelessly for her community but couldn’t afford to buy a home. In 2011, she moved to Denver, away from the friends and landscape she loved.

“The joys of skiing and small-mountain-town living have disproportionately been conferred to wealthy white people,” says Willa Williford, an affordable-housing consultant for mountain communities across Colorado.

Many of these mountain towns began to address racial and social inequities more seriously in response to the Black Lives Matter groundswell in 2020. Now they are struggling to house even the longtime locals (who are largely white and middle class). Yet what feels like two separate losing battles actually creates one collective opportunity. If these places can find a way to stop catering to the ultrarich and instead create more accessible, just, and equitable atmospheres for BIPOC residents and visitors, they may have a chance to save what is left of their middle-class souls.

In Williford’s opinion, the first thing to address is affordable housing. In Telluride, where the median household income is $66,000 and the average residential property sells for $2.1 million (not to mention the many houses listed in the area at $36 million), the pain of inequality is felt by nearly all of the full-time residents making local wages.

Williford says that many mountain communities where she works are keenly aware of the ways that state and federal resources don’t adequately address housing needs; as a result, local leaders are innovating solutions that could be applied elsewhere. In Steamboat Springs, is working on housing-advocacy programs for its��Latino community. In Leadville, are negotiating with a mining company to donate land for a project aimed at increasing the rental pool. In Crested Butte, is exploring ideas to provide housing specifically to attract BIPOC folks. And in Bozeman, creators of an innovative, are hoping to further prove that smart, equitable growth is possible.

“I think we need to do a white paper on the cost to these places of keeping people out,” says Christine Walker, former director of the Jackson/Teton County Housing Authority, in Wyoming, and now a workforce-housing consultant. She notes that to be inclusive, you must increase density, a concept that most mountain communities fiercely resist to such an extent that residents have often relocated in an effort to escape crowds. In the end, though, this exclusivity hurts all members of the community.

Low-density zoning policies in many mountain-resort towns favor large, expensive single-family homes that are often used as second homes and vacation rentals. (Generally one- to two-thirds of housing stock in ski-resort communities aren’t occupied year-round, according to a conducted by the Colorado Association of Ski Towns and the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments.) The simple equation of finite land and increased demand for housing means that a local wage is not enough to buy a home, and workers are forced downvalley. Small-town perks like biking to work or living next to friends are lost. Business owners struggle to find employees. Water and energy are used inefficiently, traffic increases, carbon dioxide emissions rise, and wildlife collisions increase.

When a community has to import its workforce, it leaves residents, commuters, and visitors exposed. For example, when a massive storm is expected to roll through the Tetons, emergency responders employed in Jackson—many of whom live outside Teton County—have to decide whether they will go home for the night and risk sketchy or closed roads in the morning, or stay somewhere in town (local hotels offer discounted rates for these occasions). One such storm could prohibit 20 percent of teachers from getting to school, 18 of 21��Teton County patrol officers from reporting for duty, and almost half of its hospital employees and critical workers, like snowplow drivers and mechanics, from getting to their jobs.

In San Francisco, a city notorious for its absurd housing prices and the resulting gentrification, a 2018 report showed that an average teacher could afford just 0.7 percent of the available housing, and first responders could afford 2.4 percent of the currently listed housing. To help solve their housing crises, voters a ballot measure that increased taxes on property sales worth over $10 million. This revenue will help fund rent relief and affordable housing for low- and middle-income residents. Seattle passed in July, imposing an additional tax on high-income earners that will then go toward community development, local business assistance, and workforce housing. Vancouver, British Columbia, Oakland, California, and Washington, D.C., have implemented taxes on homes that remain vacant a majority of the year. Mountain towns need to follow suit.

Fortunately, some are. A Teton County legislator is proposing a second-home fee, and Breckenridge, Colorado, is buying houses in town and converting them to deed-restricted dwellings to increase the number of diverse inhabitants year-round. Other places, including Summit County, Colorado, Truckee, California, and Steamboat Springs and Crested Butte, have all elected to tax themselves and/or visitors to create dedicated local funding sources for housing.

An increasing amount of demonstrate that individuals who interact with different socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds, whether at school, work, or in neighborhoods, fare better in mental health, personal finances, academics, and employment rates. There’s evidence that corporations with better gender and racial representation have higher profits and are more , that children who attend more integrated schools develop more , and that diversity fosters more and consensus building.

Inclusivity is also good for business. Even Rob Katz, the CEO of Vail Resorts, admits��that the ski industry has waited far too long to invest in communities of color. Katz wrote an to his employees, acknowledging that the lack of diversity in the ski industry is “not only a moral and societal issue, but a business issue.” The U.S. Census Bureau projects that more than half of the country will be non-white by 2044, and according to a report by the National Ski Areas Association, visits by people of color have remained fairly stagnant in the past decade and are not tracking with the growth of minority populations in the U.S. Katz recognizes that the ski industry must broaden its base to more skiers of color if it wants to survive. Similarly, the mountain-biking, climbing, hunting, and fishing industries, all of which feed mountain towns’ tourism economies, have remained mostly white while the face of America becomes increasingly diverse.

Geographically isolated mountain communities once thought exclusionary practices could insulate them from modern and urban hardships—this is clearly no longer the case. Safety nets that previously held communities together are being stretched thin and tearing as wealth pours in and inequitable practices endure. Gonzales stresses that we cannot use old solutions for new problems, and that these communities have the power to level the playing field. She believes that bringing people to the table “not because they think like you or look like you, but because they are different” is key to the survival of mountain towns. “We are in this mess together,” she says. “Let’s work together, so we can learn and build together.”

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National parks were some of the hottest U.S.��destinations of spring, summer, and fall, with a number of sites . As temperatures dipped, their showed no signs of slowing down. There are many��benefits to visiting these parks in the winter—fewer crowds, more wildlife, and a��chance to experience their��iconic landscapes in a new light.��With the proper cold-weather��car-camping upgrades, you can take advantage of easier-to-book campgrounds��or check into an Airbnb nearby. To help you get out there, we’ve compiled some tips for nearly a dozen��national parks that are ideal to visit this time of year,��from soaking in hot springs at Big Bend��to cross-country skiing at Rocky Mountain, in addition to a link where you can read��our��comprehensive guide of��each.

Yellowstone

While most of the park’s roads are closed from late fall to late spring due to snow and subzero temperatures, Yellowstone’s headquarters at�� (near the north entrance, in Montana) and Highway 212 from Mammoth to Cooke City (at the east entrance, in Wyoming) are open year-round. Highway 212 traverses the��, where you’ll find some of the park’s finest wildlife watching. The remainder of Yellowstone��opens in mid-December for oversnow travel by skis,��snowshoes, snowmobile, or snowcoach—vehicles with tanklike tracks in lieu of wheels. For lodging, only two hotels, and , are open, though visitors are welcome to camp with a��, which are free in winter. (One advantage to sleeping outdoors this time of year: the grizzlies are hibernating.) Wolf watchers prefer winter, when deep snow makes for good tracking and easy visibility. —Frederick Reimers��

Find our full guide here.

Zion��

With 4.5 million people filing into this Utah park every year, most of whom come during the spring and fall months and avoid summer, when the canyon will sometimes see triple digits, winter offers a reprieve from both the crowds and the heat. December through February marks the park’s low season, when temperatures range from 50 to 30 degrees (including subfreezing nights) and there’s frequent precipitation. But the brave souls who persevere are rewarded with the high-contrast splendor of stark white snow decorating bright red cliffs. While some of Zion’s��high-elevation roads (including Kolob Canyons Road and part of Kolob Terrace Road) close once snowfall accumulates, Zion Canyon stays open for business.��—Shawnté Salabert

Find our full guide here.

Joshua Tree��

Hearty locals and curious visitors cruise this park in Southern California year-round (even during its sultry summer season, when temperatures often hit 100 degrees), but crowds swell in the more temperate fall and spring months, which maintain a range��of 50 to 85 degrees, dipping only during the harshest winter conditions, when it can get as low as 35 degrees.��The months of December and January are mercurial: one day you’re playing lizard on a sunny rock, and the next you’re swaddled in a pile of down. Layers are key. Biting winds, rainstorms, and snow showers aren’t uncommon, but the upside for those prepared for the finicky elements is that cold temperatures and precipitation keep the shoulder season’s larger throngs��at bay (though you won’t be completely alone on trails or at camp).�����.��.

Find our full guide here.

Big Bend��

While temperatures in this tip��of Texas are mild and days are often sunny from November to February, conditions can fluctuate from below freezing at night to 80 degrees during the day, so bring layers and sunscreen. There’s a bizarre temperature inversion here during the winter, in that the cold air settles in the valley surrounding the Rio Grande, and warmer air occupies the higher-elevation Chisos Basin. It goes without saying that a visit to the hot springs is a must during these cooler months.��—Graham Averill��

Find our full guide here.

Rocky Mountain��

If you really want to escape the crowds and don’t mind temperatures in the teens,����at Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park is your jam. Trail Ridge Road, the only road that crosses the park, is typically closed from the end of October to May due to snow, while avalanches are a concern and snow depth affects trail access. But many of the park’s byways, like�� and even portions of Trail Ridge Road, become cross-country skiing and snowshoeing playgrounds during the winter. There’s even an abandoned ski resort, Hidden Valley, located on the east side of the park, that attracts sledders and backcountry skiers. Grand Lake, the town on the western side of the park, has a bona fide�� with 22 miles of groomed trails.��—G.A.��

Find our full guide here.

Death Valley��

Unlike most national parks, winter is high season for Death Valley, which straddles the California-Nevada border; but at��3.4 million acres, most of them designated wilderness,��there’s plenty of room to roam. The months of November to February bring��cooler temperatures,��ranging between 40 and 77 degrees, along with potential snowfall at high elevations. Despite Death Valley’s general dryness, precipitation is most likely in winter. And because of the area’s topography, heavy rainfall can prove dangerous, so be sure to check weather conditions before you go.�����.��.

Find our full guide here.

Everglades��

There are two main seasons in the Florida Everglades: the wet and the dry. From April to October, it is so hot and humid that even short excursions can be draining, and some park facilities, such as the remote Flamingo Visitor Center, are staffed only intermittently.��The dry season, which runs November through March, can be idyllic and mild, with lows in the fifties��and highs in the seventies. You’ll also see fewer��mosquitos and plenty of wildlife during these months. —Tony D’Souza

Find our full guide here.

Grand Canyon��

A bucket-list item for many, the vintage cabins and restaurant at , a cottage-style 1920s lodge located at the bottom of Arizona’s��, typically require a lottery just to snag a stay. In the winter season, however, cancellations are more frequent. Avid backpackers can often nab last-minute permits to camp at the storied as well, enjoying the sunny weather close to��the (it’s a shocking 20 degrees warmer than the rim). If you’re not looking to hike nearly 5,000 vertical feet to the canyon’s floor, just take in the panoramic views from the park’s South Rim, open year-round, on the family-friendly , which��spans from stunning South Kaibab to the stone ruins at Hermits Rest.��—F.R.��

Find our full guide here.

Volcanoes

This is Hawaii, so the weather doesn’t vary much month to month, with temperatures averaging between 66 to 85 degrees throughout the year. It does snow on Hawaii Island in the winter months—at the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea—but that likely won’t affect your visit. Unlike other U.S. national parks that see��an influx of visitors during certain seasons, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is busy year-round, thanks to the island’s��sublime weather and moderate climate. —Catherine Toth Fox��

Find our full guide here.

If You’re Visiting Arches or Canyonlands: Moab��

While this Utah outpost��shines in the��shoulder seasons—that is, spring and fall, when the weather is at its best and temperatures are at their most benign—it has its winter draws, too. A January trip, for example, can entail backcountry skiing in the nearby La Sal Mountains and biking sunbaked slickrock trails in the same day. —Nick Heil��

Find our full guide to this jumping-off point��here.

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“The cross-country ski industry is expecting a significant increase in skiers this season, based on the increased interest in outdoor activities,” says Reese Brown, executive director of the��. But don’t worry: there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out.��If you’ve never considered cross-country skiing before, this might be the winter you do. It’s a good way to get outside and explore local areas, and it’s naturally a crowd-free activity. While you can ski through the woods on your own, a designated cross-country ski area comes with grooming, trail maps, gear rental, and instruction. Either way, picture empty trails through a wide-open��forest and, unlike downhill ski resorts, little in the ways of lines, lodges, and costly tickets. Here are seven of our favorite places to enjoy this sport.

Tahoe XC

Tahoe City, California

(day tickets from $36) isn’t the biggest area on this list—it offers��around 30 miles of groomed trails, about a quarter the size of better-known��, 45 minutes away—but it’s full of character and charm. Located in Tahoe City, California, it’s about three and a half hours from San Francisco. From the top of the Lakeview climb, you’ll earn a panoramic view of North America’s largest alpine lake��and a wooden bench to catch your breath on. You’ll find three warming huts, snowshoe-specific trails, and six miles of dog-friendly trails. The homemade chocolate chip cookies normally available from a jar in the lodge will be served to go this year.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch

Tabernash, Colorado

The best way to explore the 75 miles of cross-country ski trails at is by staying on the property. The resort has 15 private cabins of various��sizes, as well as lodge rooms (from $279). Spa treatments like massages and body soaks are currently being offered for lodge guests only, with COVID-19 protocols in place. But you don’t need to be an overnight guest to enjoy the trails, which are open to day visitors for a $30 ticket. Gear rental and instruction can be added. There’s also the option of fat-tire biking on the trails, as the resort offers bike rentals and guided outings. You’re just 20 minutes from downhill skiing at Winter Park Resort and less than two hours from Denver.

Methow Trails

Winthrop, Washington

It’ll take you four hours to get to��Methow Valley from Seattle, but it’s worth the haul. This remote corner of northern Washington looks like Switzerland, with its jagged, snowy peaks. Home to the largest cross-country ski area in North America,����boasts��more than 125 miles of trails (day tickets from $25; those under 17 or over 75 ski for free). Sections of the system allow fat-tire biking, snowshoeing, and skiing with your dog. The slopeside��—which you can connect for a hut-to-hut ski experience—get booked months in advance. Instead, check out the six sleek, architect-designed�� (from $145), nine miles northwest, or search for other lodging in the nearby towns of Winthrop, Twisp, or Mazama.

Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You won’t find better cross-country skiing this close to a major metropolis. The extensive trail system within the state’s�� (day tickets from $20) has over 20 miles of trails that weave through secluded woods, all with views of the Minneapolis skyline. The��, a partner of the park, offers cross-country ski lessons for all ages. A World Cup cross-country ski event was slated to take place here last March—it would have been the first Nordic World Cup in the U.S. in nearly two decades—but was canceled due to COVID-19.

Galena Lodge

Ketchum, Idaho

You’ll come to Idaho’s (day tickets from $18) for the cross-country skiing—there are over 30 miles of perfectly groomed trails through a stunning section of —but you’ll stay for the food. The house restaurant serves up steaming bowls of curry, soup, and chili, plus European-style charcuterie platters and freshly baked pastries. This winter��there will also be a food truck in a vintage camper offering��easy grab-and-go service. Stay in a yurt on the property (from $150) or in the nearby town of Ketchum. Downhill skiing at is just 30 minutes away.

Green Woodlands

Dorchester, New Hampshire

There is so much to love about��, a plot of private land between the towns of Lyme and Dorchester, New Hampshire, about two hours north of Boston. The family that runs the Green Woodlands Foundation has opened the land up to mountain bikers in the summer and nordic skiers in the winter, grooming about 30 miles of trails and stocking four warming huts with hot chocolate. There’s no fee to ski here—all that’s asked of you is a positive attitude on the trail. The trails were designed by a longtime Dartmouth College ski coach and Olympic biathlete named John Morton.

Meissner Nordic

Bend, Oregon

You can also ski for free at��, a trail network on U.S. Forest Service land 14 miles west of Bend,��along the Cascade Lakes Highway en route to the Mount Bachelor Ski Area. You will need a $4�� to park here, though, and donations for trail use are encouraged. The club that maintains the area also stocks the trailside warming huts with firewood. Show up for a full-moon night ski, when the trails are lined with candle-lit luminary bags, or opt for the free learn-to-ski days, where volunteers teach lessons and local ski shops hand out courtesy rentals.

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“You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy a hike on the PCT,” says Eli Boschetto, author of . “In many locations, it’s very accessible, and it can be hiked in smaller portions that visit some of the most scenic locations.” With 2,650 miles of path to traverse, the Pacific Crest Trail is daunting to many, despite its convenience��for��the entire West Coast. For those who like the idea of exploring the PCT��but aren’t mentally or physically��prepared for the full Cheryl Strayed Wild experience, there are plenty of short treks to consider. According to the ,��none of the following��routes have been directly impacted by the recent wildfires.��From the North Cascades to the Sierra, here are our favorite day hikes along the PCT.

Kendall Katwalk

Length: 12 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Strenuous

Trailhead: Kittitas County, Washington��(47.4278, -121.4135)

One of the lengthier hikes on the��list, offers incredible views of Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Rugged peaks and old-growth forest are decorated��with wildflowers in the summer and vibrant foliage in the fall. Best tackled between June and November, this hike has a 2,700-foot elevation gain that’s spread out over nearly seven miles and��features��360-degree views of the rocky cliff faces and surrounding wilderness. To get to the trailhead, head east on I-90 and take Exit 52 for Snoqualmie Pass, where you’ll find a marked Pacific Crest Trail parking lot. Though only about an hour from Seattle, travelers can also bunk up in the quaint town of North Bend, about 23 miles west of the trailhead.

Chinook Pass to Crown Point

Length: 16 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Trailhead: Between Enumclaw and Naches (Yakima County), Washington��(46.872222, -121.516389)

This on Mount Rainier may be the longest on the list, but it’s also one of the most scenic sections of the PCT. The eight-mile path from the Naches Peak Loop Trailhead in Chinook Pass to Crown Point in the is home to many alpine lakes and sprawling meadows—including Sheep Lake, Sourdough Gap, and Basin Lake—as well as elk and mountain goats. Once you reach Bear Gap Junction, about five miles in, continue along the PCT to Bullion Basin and Crown Point, where you’ll be surrounded by��views of mountains, wildflowers, and wilderness. Be sure to pick up a either online or at a local Forest Service office before heading out.

Indian Heaven Trail

Length: 3.3-plus��miles one-way

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Trailhead: Skamania County, Washington��(46.047000, -121.756300)

A favorite of the Pacific Crest Trail Association, begins at Cultus Creek Campground, on the border of in the South Cascades, about 100 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. Start on Indian Heaven Trail��33 by the campground, where huckleberries and wildflower meadows are accompanied by views of Mount Rainier and Goat Rocks, an extinct volcano in the Cascade Range��to the north. The hike has a significant��1,500-foot elevation gain, but you can tack on a few extra miles by continuing on the PCT at either Deer Lake or Cultus Creek Trail 108 to make a loop. Be sure to have a Northwest Forest Pass on hand.

Timberline Lodge to Zigzag Canyon

Length: 5 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Trailhead: Government Camp, Oregon��(45.332892, -121.711432)

Known primarily for its wildflowers and breathtaking meadow expanses, this out-and-back hike��on Mount Hood is best tackled between July and October. Great for birdwatchers and casual hikers, the path is moderately trafficked, and the nearly 885 feet of��elevation gain��results in a pretty significant workout. For more serious hikers, continue past Zigzag Canyon to Paradise Park—an area full of scenic��alpine meadows—by taking Paradise Park Trail 757, about four miles in.

McKenzie Pass to Little Belknap��

Length: 4.6 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Trailhead: Sisters, Oregon��(44.260404, -121.810006)

About 18 miles west of the town of Sisters, this hike��begins where the PCT crosses Route 242 at McKenzie Pass. Hike through ancient lava fields, with extensive views of the Three Sisters range and Mount Washington, before coming upon the��stunning panoramas��of Black Butte and Black Crater at the Little Belknap Crater summit. Note that because the trail is quite rocky and exposed, temperatures can get high, so opt to tackle this route in the spring or fall. A��newly implemented��Central Cascades Permit System is being delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19, so make sure you read up on before you head out next year.

Mount Ashland Meadows

Length: 8.1 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Trailhead: Jackson County, Oregon��(42.07349, -122.69715)

This section��is a favorite of Matt Wastradowski, coauthor of Moon’s guide. As the highest peak in the Siskiyou Mountains, Mount Ashland offers panoramic views of Black Butte, Mount Shasta, and the surrounding Klamath National Forest. Start at the Pacific Crest Trailhead where it intersects with Mount��Ashland Ski Road, making your way through a mix of woods and meadows��for the first few miles before the path opens up at Grouse Gap, a popular shelter and picnic area. Because the trail is mostly flat and the meadows make for easy turnaround points, it’s a great hike for families with kids.

Castle Dome via Crags Trail

Length: 5.6 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Trailhead: Castella (Shasta County), California��(41.162455, -122.298590)

This short route��in Northern California is known for its exposed granite cliffs��and sweeping valleys. From the entrance near Vista Point Road, follow the sign that says Crags Trail. The path becomes harder to distinguish as you enter Castle Crags Wilderness in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, where you’ll find monolithic cliffs, crevices, and jagged rock formations, as well as the unbeatable views of Mount Shasta in clear conditions. Those who aren’t sure about the 2,100-foot elevation gain can head west for a couple of miles at the PCT intersection (about a mile in) and still catch some great views of Castle Crags. No permit is required, and��dogs and bikes are not allowed.

Carson Pass to Lake Winnemucca

Length: 5 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Trailhead: South Lake Tahoe/Kirkwood, California��(38.694303, -119.988829)

About 30 miles south of Lake Tahoe, this popular path��is leisurely enough for both families and novice hikers. The trail is known for its gorgeous wildflowers in the summer, though it’s also beautiful in the fall, when the leaves begin to change and the weather starts to cool. Lake Winnemucca makes for an ideal lunch break, and it’s��popular for swimming and fishing. If you’re hiking with little ones or older parents, there’s always the option to cut it short and stop at Frog Lake instead. Just make sure to arrive early, as this hike is a favorite among locals and the parking lot off California Highway 88 fills up fast.

Storm Canyon Lookout to Kwaaymii Point

Length: 11.2 miles round-trip

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Trailhead: San Diego County, California��(32.896192, -116.448812)

Located in the , less than 60 miles east of San Diego, is fitting for day hikers and amateur backpackers. The hike begins at the Storm Canyon Vista Trailhead, along Sunrise Highway, and continues north along a wide track��with little elevation gain, eventually passing Pioneer Mail Picnic Area, site of a historic stagecoach route. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy epic views of the Anza-Borrego��desert and the surrounding Cleveland National Forest throughout the hike. Dispersed camping restrictions begin at mile 13.5 and end at mile 53.2, north of Pioneer Mail Picnic Area, so your best bet is to��camp��at Laguna Campground (from $26)��in the Laguna Mountain Recreation��Area.

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While��many��gyms across the country are��still��closed, athletes and trainers are getting creative.��Kathleen Stabler, a certified instructor and the owner of in Albuquerque, New Mexico, put together this full-body routine using nothing but a pull-up bar and a bedsheet. “You can target everything in your body, head to toe, front and back, with this routine,” she says. “You can give yourself an excellent workout with little to no equipment—and sometimes a far better one than what you might get by mindlessly moving around weights that are too heavy for you to maneuver properly.”

Perform��the following routine, which��incorporates a mix of bodyweight moves and pull-ups, twice a week for a combination��of strength training and conditioning. Don’t skip the warm-up (outlined below), and stick to the exercise order. “Paying attention to form is the key to making these effective,” Stabler says. “It doesn’t look like a lot, but this is a hard workout.”

The Warm-Up

Begin with this circuit to get your��blood flowing and your muscles warm: 30 seconds of jumping jacks, 30 seconds of jogging in place or high knees, and 30 seconds of mountain climbers. Do the exercises back-to-back��or with 30 seconds of rest in between��if needed.��Complete three to five rounds, gradually increasing the pace and intensity each time.

The Moves

Pull-Ups

What they��do: Strengthen��the lats, biceps, forearms, shoulders, upper back, and core.

How to do them: Grip the pull-up bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing away. Hang with straight arms, and engage your shoulders and core. Slowly pull up until your chin is over your hands, then lower yourself with��control back to the starting position for one repetition. Continue to engage your core and back to keep your body as still as possible throughout the movement.��If you can’t complete ten��reps in a row, do as many as you can unassisted, then��use the jump-and-lower technique outlined in the next paragraph��to finish out the set.

Negatives are a great way to build up to pull-ups:��grab the bar, jump up until your chin is over your hands, then lower yourself as slowly as possible to work the eccentric phase of the movement.��You may have��to place a chair or box beneath the bar to get the height you need.

Volume: Five��sets of ten��reps. Rest for one to two��minutes between sets.

Bodyweight-Row and Push-Up Ladders

What they do: The inverted bodyweight row strengthens the back, shoulders, biceps, forearms (grip), and core. The push-up strengthens the chest, triceps, shoulders, back, and core.

How to do them: The idea here is to perform these exercises together, going down the rep ladder for the rows (start with ten reps, and decrease by one rep each round until you work down to one) and doing the opposite for the push-ups (start with one rep, and add one each round until you reach ten). Do ten rows and one push-up, then nine rows and two push-ups, then eight rows and three push-ups, and so forth, all back-to-back.

If you have a fixed pull-up bar (i.e., it’s wall mounted or on a power tower), loop a bedsheet��over the top of the bar so that both ends hang evenly to each side. Or just use a closed door for your setup (see photos):����at��one end of the bedsheet, place the knot over the top of the door, then close the door to jam the knot on the other side.

To do the bodyweight row, stand facing the door, grip the edges of the bedsheet, then walk your feet toward the door to adjust the inclination of your body (the more horizontal you are, the more difficult the exercise will be). Engage your core and back, and hold your body in a straight line from heels to head. Start with your arms fully extended, then bend your elbows and retract your shoulder blades to pull your chest all the way to the bedsheet. Pause for a second, then slowly reverse the movement for one repetition.

To do the push-up, start in a standard push-up position��on the floor, with your arms straight, your hands below your shoulders, and your feet together or no more than 12 inches apart. Bend your elbows to lower your chest until it’s an inch or two from the ground. Then push back up to the starting position for one repetition. Maintain a rigid plank from your head to your heels throughout the movement (no lifting, sagging, or twisting the hips). For an added challenge, instead of placing your palms on the floor, wrap them in the ends of the bedsheet and perform push-ups like you would using��TRX or suspension straps.

Volume:��Decrease ladder rows from ten to one, and increase ladder push-ups from one to ten.

Complete the next four exercises as a mini circuit, cycling from one to the next in the given order, for five rounds total. For example, do 15 squats, 15 frog jumps, 15 lunges (with each leg), 15 sit-ups, and repeat.

One-and-One-Half Squats��

What they��do: Primarily strengthen��the quads and glutes��and engage��the hamstrings, inner thighs, calves, and core.

How to do them: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Hold your chest and head high, pull your shoulders back and down, and keep your spine stacked in a neutral position. Then bend your knees to lower into a squat until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor (or as low as you can go with good form). Come up halfway, lower yourself back down until your��thighs are once again parallel (or to your low point), then finally stand all the way up for one repetition.

Add weight to make it harder. You can hold a gallon jug of water in front of your chest like you’re doing a��goblet squat, or use or wear a loaded backpack, holding it in front of your chest or wearing it backward��to better center the load.

Volume: Five��sets of 15 reps.

Frog Jumps (Touch-Jump-Touch)

What they��do: Strengthen��the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core while training explosive power in the legs. The wider stance also puts more emphasis on the hip adductors.

How to do them: Start beneath��the pull-up bar and just outside the doorframe, in a wide stance with your toes angled out slightly. Squat as described above, and��touch the floor with your fingertips. Keep your back straight and your torso as upright as possible. Then jump vertically to touch the��bar��(if you’re using a doorframe pull-up bar and have a low doorframe, aim for the ceiling so you can jump as high as possible). Land softly, immediately lower into another squat, and repeat.

Volume: Five��sets of 15 reps.

Alternating Lunges

What they do: Primarily strengthen��the glutes, quads, and adductores magni��(inner thighs)��while working the hamstrings, calves, hip stabilizers, and core.

How to do them: Take a large step backward to enter a stationary lunge��stance. Square your hips and engage your core. Then bend your knees to lower your hips until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the ground and your back knee is hovering just an inch or two off the floor. Reverse the movement to the starting position, switch leg positions, and repeat. Alternate legs each rep. Keep your chest high, your pelvis neutral, and your back straight throughout the movement. Wear a weighted��backpack to make it harder.

Volume: Five��sets of 15 reps per leg.

Sit-Up Pillow Toss

What it does: Primarily strengthens the abs and engages the rest of the core while training forward-flexion power.

How to do it: Grab a pillow, and lie on your back beneath the pull-up bar, with your knees bent between 70 and 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the pillow with straight or slightly-bent arms above��your head.��Sit up quickly,��and throw the pillow at the pull-up bar. Then catch the pillow and reverse the movement for one repetition. Focus on getting this to flow smoothly, which is more challenging than it sounds.

Volume: Five sets of 15 reps.

Dead Hang

What it does: Primarily trains grip strength and��works the shoulders, back, and core.

How to do it: Grab the pull-up bar��with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward. Hang with straight arms until failure. Keep your shoulders and back engaged. Think of squeezing your shoulder blades together, tilting your chest slightly up toward the bar, and lifting your ears up and away from your shoulders. Wear a weighted backpack to make it harder.

For the��climbers out there, this will feel ridiculously easy. If you have a hang board, complete the dead hangs on the edges of a hang board, or substitute in your favorite hang-board routine.

Volume: Five��hangs��until failure. Rest for one to two��minutes between efforts.

The post How to Use a Pull-Up Bar for a Full-Body Workout�� appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The best climbers and skiers aren’t just strong—they can harness and coordinate their strength through complex movements. “When it comes to mountain sports, we’re moving through three-dimensional terrain and dealing with a high degree of instability and off-axis movement,” says Zahan Billimoria, an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations–certified��mountain guide��and the owner of . “So we need to integrate the athleticism of our sports into the way we train.”

Billimoria, who recently launched a��bodyweight training program��targeted toward climbers, skiers,��and other mountain athletes, considers the pistol squat one of the three foundational movement patterns for functional fitness, alongside a plank progression and balance work on a stability ball.

The unilateral movement strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip adductors (the muscles along the inner thigh), calves, and core muscles through a full range of motion, while training balance and stability. But��even if two-leg air squats are��too easy for you, the single-leg pistol squat can be��difficult, since it essentially doubles the load on one leg. Leaping from one to the other can feel out of the question. “It’s like curling a 100-pound dumbbell one day, and saying, ‘Hey,��I’m going to jump to a 200-pound dumbbell the next day,’” Billimoria says. “That’s just too big of an adaptation for the body to make overnight.”

Usually, you’d work your way into a pistol squat by increasing the weight used��during a two-legged squat until��a one-legged squat was within��reach. But if you don’t have access to a gym or equipment—like many of us who are stuck at home right now—you can still gradually progress��into a pistol squat. Just follow this series of moves developed by Billimoria.

Start by mastering a standard squat,��then work your way through the levels below. Don’t move to the next level until you’re able to complete three to five sets of each��exercise with good form.��“In order to benefit from the exercise, you want to do high-quality reps with excellent body control, and stop one rep short of total failure,” says Billimoria. Add the exercise you’re��working on��to your leg day or your��bodyweight��program, or mix it into��rest periods during a hang-board workout.

Billimoria recommends doing the exercises barefoot on a firm surface to train stability and develop��neuromuscular control. “Training is really another word for practice,” he says. “If you’re standing on a soft surface and wildly out of control, you’ll just be reinforcing negative movement patterns. Good practice allows us to reinforce the behaviors we want to cultivate.”

Preliminary Ankle-Mobility Assessment

Even if your legs are��strong enough to perform a full pistol squat, ankle-joint mobility, otherwise known as dorsiflexion range, can be a common roadblock��to doing it correctly. Before you dive into the progression, complete the weight-bearing lunge test (knee-to-wall test) on both legs to assess your ankle-joint mobility and symmetry. If the distance is anything less than five inches, or if it differs between ankles, work through a routine of ankle mobilization and calf-stretch exercises (outlined here)��until it improves.

Stiff ankles will push your body backward, throw your weight��off-center, and make the exercise feel all but impossible. Limited dorsiflexion range not only inhibits your ability to perform a full pistol squat��but can also lead to a whole host of injuries farther up the kinetic chain, in the ankles and shins, knees, hamstrings, and hips.

The Moves

Air Squat

What it does: Strengthens the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles.

How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Hold your chest and head high, pull your shoulders back and down, and engage your core muscles. (Think of pulling your belly button in toward your spine.) Bend your knees, and hinge forward at the hips like you’re sitting down in a chair. Hold your arms out in front of you for counterbalance��if needed. Continue lowering, keeping your back straight and your torso upright��until your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground or as far as you can with good form. Engage your glutes, and push through your heels to stand��for one repetition.

Once you can manage three sets of 15 repetitions, progress to the next level.

Volume: Eight��to twelve��reps

Single-Leg Isometric Hold

What it does: Strengthens the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core muscles.

How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed forward, then squat using both legs, as described above, until your knees are bent to around 120 degrees. Maintain this joint angle, and lift one foot off the ground. Hold this position on one leg for six to eight seconds. Then return your free leg to the ground, and stand using both legs. The idea is to approach maximal effort with the single-leg hold, but stop short of complete failure.

Keep your torso straight��and your knee centered and stable throughout the movement. If your knee wobbles excessively or tracks inward so that it’s out of line with your hip and ankle, it could lead to joint pain. If that’s the case, first work on side steps and backward skates��with a resistance band to strengthen your knee stabilizers before continuing with the pistol-squat progression.

The closer you get to a 90-degree knee angle, the more difficult the squat will become. Starting at an obtuse angle, such as 120 degrees, makes the exercise easier. Try to go a little lower each training session until you can comfortably complete the exercise with your knee bent to 90 degrees, then move on to the next level.

Volume: Three��to five��reps on��each leg. Rest for ten to twenty��seconds between each rep so you can maintain maximal effort.

Single-Leg Squat to Box (Assisted Pistol Squat)

What it does: Strengthens the same muscle groups mentioned above��in both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (standing) movement phases, while limiting joint angle to modify the difficulty.

How to do it: Stand with your back to a chair, box, or bench that’s around knee height (the higher, the easier). Complete a single-leg squat: move slowly and maintain control all the way down, lightly tap the box with your butt (but don’t weight it), then slowly push back up to standing for one repetition. Complete all reps on one leg, then switch to the other.

Progress the exercise by decreasing the height of the box. An easy way to do this at home is to start with a low box or chair and stack textbooks on top. As you get stronger, remove a book from the stack to increase the depth of the squat. Once you can do five solid reps with your knee at 90 degrees or less, bump up to the next exercise.

Volume: Three��to five��reps on��each leg

Rolling Pistol Squat

What it does: Uses the complete range of motion and momentum to aid in the more difficult concentric phase of the movement (standing) as you build up to a full, unassisted pistol squat.

How to do it: Stand on one foot, and lower into a squat. Continue all the way to the bottom of the squat (when your butt touches or nearly touches your heel), slowly and in control, then gently roll onto your back. Roll forward, and carry your momentum to come back up onto your foot and stand up��for one repetition. Complete all reps on one leg, then switch to the other.

To make the exercise harder, progressively use less speed��to bring yourself back up into��the pistol squat. When you can come back up onto one foot, stabilize for a second or two, and then stand, you’re ready for the real deal.

Volume: Three��to five��reps on��each leg

Pistol Squat

What it does: Strengthens the glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip adductors, calves, and core muscles while training balance and stability.

How to do it: Stand on one foot, and extend the opposite leg in front of you. Hold your chest and head high, pull your shoulders back and down, and engage your core muscles. Then bend your knee, and hinge forward at the hips to lower into a squat. Hold your arms straight out in front of you for counterbalance. Continue lowering, keeping your back straight and your torso as upright as possible, until you reach the bottom of the squat, with your butt at your heel (the complete range of motion). Engage your glutes, and push through your heel to stand.

Volume: Three��to five��reps on��each leg. Complete all reps on one side, then switch to the other.

If you’d like learn some more about this awesome movement, and see it all in action, check out the video below!

The post How to Progress into a Pistol Squat appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The first time I went fly fishing, my buddy summed up the sport in five words: “hurling money into the river.” That definitely felt like the case as I proceeded to lose $10 worth of store-bought flies in two hours. One day, I ran out of flies almost immediately and felt too ashamed to bum one, so I continued to faux fish with nothing on the line. When a game warden pulled up to inspect our licenses and make sure our rigs were legal, I sheepishly mumbled something about practicing my casting. That was the moment I resolved to learn how to tie my own damn flies.

For my first attempt, I chose the —a grublike yarn body with a fluffy marabou-feather tail. I picked it because it’s the smaller, simpler sibling of the wooly bugger, which my local fly shop recommended for imitating small fish and big bugs (your local shop can help you determine which colors and fly patterns are best for your local waters and season). It was my gateway drug. Next I tied the —a killer bugger sans tail—which earned me a small trout when the water was running fast and muddy. Then, on a whim, I tried a riff on the killer bug, adding a feather tuft at the head to resemble legs or wings or whatever else a fish might imagine. I call it the killer buggle, a bug on its way to becoming a fancy-tailed killer bugger. To a trout, I thought, these might seem like leggy larvae or baby flies. I was not wrong: I’ve tied scores of these and made more catches with them than with all other flies combined. Five years later, I’m still filling my fly box with killer buggles because they’re a trifecta of effective, easy, and darn cheap—less than 30 cents each.

With just a few materials and tools, you can start making your own in no time. To get started, here’s everything you need and instructions for how to tie the killer buggle.

Materials

Vise

I went four years without a store-bought fly vise. Taking the gist from these , I snapped a 1.25-inch binder clip to the top cover of a hardbound book, threaded a through the clip’s wire grips, and used the tip of the handle to hold the hook. It looks janky but works just fine for non-fiddly patterns like basic bugs. (If you would prefer to use a vise right off the bat, try from Riverruns for $50.)

Daiichi 1190 Barbless Dry Fly Hook Size 12��($6 for 25)

The straight shank and U-bend of a nymph hook work well to present the body of a bug. are made of carbon steel and have a reputation for being strong and incredibly sharp. I love the 1190 because I : it’s less damaging to the fish’s mouth and much, much easier to unhook from clothing and human flesh. (If you can’t get 1190s, the barbed is the same shape and the barb crimps down easily with pliers.) Size 12 is a solid Goldilocks for general-purpose trout fishing.

Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift Yarn��($7)

is beloved by fly tyers. It comes in realistic colors with mottled heathering that adds dimension to your flies. The strand is thin enough to neatly and securely wrap a hook shank, with enough loft to give a realistic rounded body shape. Its fibers also hold up incredibly well to the abuse of fish teeth and algae snags—I have a few flies I’ve been fishing for four-plus seasons, and they still look great. Plus this yarn is 100 percent wool, so you can feel good that you’re not contributing plastic microfibers to the ecosystem. The three colors I’ve been using loyally since I started tying: 101 Shetland Black, 290 Oyster, and 259 Leprechaun. If your fish like olive bugs more than mine do, 231 Bracken is your color (for the general theory of visibility in the water, here’s a brief primer from ). You only need about five inches of yarn per fly, so a 115-yard ball should yield more than 800 flies.

Hareline Wooly Bugger Marabou��($6 and up)

Here’s where it starts to get fun. These fluffy boa-type feathers undulate beautifully in the water and make your fly look alive. comes in a slew of rainbow hues, but the workhorses are black, olive, and white, because they resemble the legs and wings found in nature. Look for or marabou that’s labeled for wooly buggers—this will give you nice tapered length and volume for an appealing tail. I’ve got a quarter-ounce bag of black marabou from Hareline Dubbin that I’m just starting to put a dent in.

UTC Ultra Wire Small��($2)

All-copper adds a flashy, bite-inducing finish. Choose the small diameter for tying bugs; the copper color goes with every yarn color; for some variety, red adds a bright visual pop to Jamieson’s Oyster. Most fly tiers mount their wire on a ($10), which allows you to let go of it without the whole thing unspooling. This is useful, but it’s a pain to thread (unless you spring for a ) and unspooling without kinking the wire is a bit of a learning curve. Using a piece of electrical tape to secure the wire to the spool does the same job, if less elegantly. You’ll use a few inches of wire per fly, so a spool should last you a few seasons.

Japonesque Pro Performance Beauty Scissors ($9)

For neatly trimming yarn and wire, big ol’ paper scissors will not do. You can pick up a great pair of tiny snips from a fly shop for under $20 (such as the ), or save a few bucks and grab a pair of cuticle scissors from the beauty aisle. has curved blades, which get in close and hug the fly body to cleanly trim feather nibs. Pro tip: use the back of the jaws to cut wire, which will dull the blades over time, and keep the front tips sharp for snipping feathers.

Optional: Gorilla Superglue ($4)

Tightly wrapped Ultra Wire helps keep the fly from slipping down the hook shank while you’re tying and casting. But as the fly breaks in, it’ll loosen up and you’ll have to pause to wiggle things back into place. A fine slick of superglue on the wire will help delay the inevitable, though it’ll add a few minutes of dry time to your tying. If you go this route, make sure your tube has a precision tip, like .

Instructions

1. Clamp the hook into the vise or X-Acto handle so the sharp tip is covered. (This prevents snagging while you’re tying.)

2. Start wrapping the copper wire at the eye and move down the hook shank toward the curve. To get nice, tight wraps, it helps to begin with a long tail of wire held against the shank. Once you’ve got it started, make sure your wraps line up next to each other. Continue wrapping until the wire is just shy of the curve. Set the wire spool to the side. (Optional: Apply a bead of superglue along the length of the wire. Let dry completely.)

3. Wrap the yarn in the same fashion as the wire, beginning at the eye and proceeding down the length of the shank until you’re about one width of yarn from where the wire ends.

4. Wrap the yarn back up the shank toward the eye, stopping one width of yarn short of the eye. This will give you a nice tapered body shape. Wrap back down the shank all the way to where the wire ends. Holding the yarn tension firm, pick up the wire and wrap the wire around the yarn tail five times.

5. Wind the wire up the body toward the eye, ending where the head tapers. For a size 12 hook, you should have four or five wire wraps. Set the wire down.

6. With your fingers, peel a half-inch strip of fluff from a marabou feather. (If you peel a strip of quill along with the feathers, that’s a good thing: it helps keep the feathers together during tying, and you’ll trim it off when you finish.) Pinch in the sides to make a bundle.

7. Place the bundle on top of the fly with the quill end over the hook eye. The feathers should extend to about the U of the hook; if not, scoot the bundle forward or backward. Wrap with wire over the bundle three times to secure.

8. Tie off the wire in front of the feathers with a , snip the wire and yarn, and trim the feather ends close to the fly body in front of the wire wrap toward the eye. Go forth and catch many fish.

The post How to Tie a Basic Trout Fly appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)��is a quick and effective way to combine cardio with strength work.��It’s also��easy to personalize based on your goals and fitness level.��The overarching idea behind HIIT��is simple: try hard, rest, repeat. It’s characterized by short bursts of near-maximum exertion (around 90 percent), followed by periods of rest, explains��, a fitness instructor and co-owner of�� in New Mexico.��Hill sprints, four-by-fours at the climbing gym, and an all-out interval workout in the pool are all examples of HIIT, but��it’s probably most familiar as a circuit workout with minimalist moves.

Gurule, who has been teaching HIIT-style classes for 14 years, recommends the workout below, which you can do at home with minimal equipment. Complete this as a circuit: perform each exercise for 20 to 30 seconds, moving from one to the next with no rest in between. Then rest for two to three minutes between each set. Aim for two to six rounds in total.

Warm up first by going for a jog, jumping rope, or riding a stationary bike for 15 minutes until you begin to break a light sweat. During the workout, move quickly and push��yourself, but choose a pace and/or weight��that allows you to complete each exercise at a consistent cadence with good form. Progress by adding more rounds to the circuit��or by increasing the weight, pace, or duration of each exercise.

Tools Needed

• Dumbbells��
• Kettlebell

The Moves

Push-Up

What it does: Primarily strengthens the chest, triceps, and shoulders, as well as the core and back muscles.

How to do it: Start in a��standard push-up position, with your arms straight, hands flat on the floor below your shoulders, and feet together or no more than 12 inches apart A wider stance is��easier for stability.��Maintain a rigid plank—your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Inhale as you bend your elbows,��keeping��them close to your sides to emphasize the triceps or out in a T-shape to bias the pecs. Lower your body until it’s roughly parallel to the floor. Then exhale as you push back up to the starting position for one repetition. Keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement.

Renegade Row

What it does: Primarily strengthens the upper back, shoulders,��core muscles, and glutes.

How to do it: Start in a push-up position, with your hands on dumbbells below your shoulders and your feet roughly two feet apart. Engage your core, pull a dumbbell up to your armpit, then return it to the floor slowly. Keep your hips and shoulders level throughout the movement. If your hips or torso rotate as you lift the dumbbell, widen your stance��or choose a lighter weight—proper plank form is key to engaging the target muscles. Alternate arms each rep.

Dumbbell Squat

What it does: Primarily strengthens��the quads and glutes��and engages��the calves,��hamstrings, core,��back, and��shoulders.

How to do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them just above shoulder level,��with your elbows pointed forward and bent to around 90 degrees (the backs of the dumbbells can rest on your shoulders). Stand with your feet hip-width apart or slightly wider and your toes either parallel or angled out to the sides. Hold your chest and head high, pull your shoulders back and down, and keep your spine stacked in a neutral position (that is, no rounding forward). Then shift your weight over your heels and lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as you can go with good form—make sure your knees don’t dive inward or move beyond your toes). Engage your glutes and press through your heels to stand up for one repetition.

Move slowly and with��control.��Proper form is key to protect the knees and back��and to engage the target muscles. If the exercise is too challenging, ditch the weights and cross your arms over your chest.

Bodyweight Squat Jump

What it does: Builds��strength and power in the legs.

How to do it: Start in an athletic stance and lower into a squat, as described above. (Go as low as you can with good form.)��Then jump as high as you can. Land on your forefoot with soft knees��and shift your weight to your heels. Immediately lower into another squat��and explode upward once again. Keep a consistent pace and intensity throughout the duration without��compromising form.

Kettlebell Squat, Catch, and Overhead Press

What it does: Strengthens the legs, back, core, shoulders, and arms.

How to do it: Start in a squat stance��with a kettlebell between your feet. Grab the top of the handle with both hands and an overhand grip. Hold your chest and head high, pull your shoulders back and down, and keep your spine stacked in a neutral position. Then engage your glutes and press through your heels to stand up rapidly. In one fluid motion, use the weight’s momentum to lift it to chest level. At its apex, switch your grip to the sides of the handle, then press the weight overhead until your arms are fully extended. Slowly and in control, reverse the movement to lightly tap the weight on the floor at the bottom of the squat, then repeat. Remember to drop your hips into a full squat, and lift with your legs,��not from your lower back.

Burpee

What it does: The ultimate��full-body exercise, the burpee��strengthens the legs, core, upper back, arms, and chest, while developing��explosive power and training high-intensity cardio.

How to do it: Start in an athletic stance, with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Crouch and place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Hop your feet directly behind you to straighten your legs and enter a push-up position. (To make it easier, step back one foot at a time.)��Complete a full push-up, as described above. Then jump your feet forward (or step one at a time) to just behind your hands. Reach your arms overhead, then jump vertically as high as you can. Land with soft knees (this marks one repetition)��and immediately crouch again to repeat the process. Move fluidly with purpose and no pause between stages or reps, but pay attention to form and adjust your pace accordingly.

The post This Simple HIIT Workout Is Fast and Perfect for Home appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The best thing about road trips? You don’t have to plan every little detail. Pick a few highlights—sights you definitely want to see, towns you’d like to stay in for a few days, and maybe the highway��café��with the best nachos—and the rest can unfold naturally, wherever the route��takes you. In the Pacific Northwest, roadways lead up and down rugged coastlines, toward jagged mountain ranges, across vast stretches of volcano-filled wilderness, and into throwback fishing towns filled with oyster farms and coffee shops. All you have to do is decide what area��and type of activities you’re after.

For Mountain Bikers

Oakridge to Mount��Hood, Oregon

Mountain bikers love the Pacific Northwest for its dense, year-round trail networks that wind through old-growth forests. Start in central Oregon at the singletrack hub of Oakridge, an hour southeast of��Eugene. Stay at the eight-room�� (from $109), where the on-site Mountain Market has beers and sandwiches and a yoga studio. From the lodge, the shuttle service�� will take��you to the top of the 15-mile��. Next��hit up Bend,��two hours east by car, for its 277 miles (and counting) of mountain-bike trails, ranging from rolling cross-country to a�� on Mount��Bachelor.�� has all your bike-gear needs��plus trail beta. Or stay at�� (bunks from $50, private rooms from $110) for its on-site bike-demo fleet. For your third stop, the Columbia River Gorge, three hours north of��Bend near Mount��Hood, has a wide variety of trails, like the�� near the town of Hood River. All 41 rooms at the historic (from $99) have recently been restored.

For Surfers

Westport, Washington, to Tofino, British Columbia

Surfing in the PNW isn’t for everyone. You’ll need a thick wetsuit and considerable��resilience for the coast’s hard-to-access beaches, cold temperatures, and wet conditions��in and out of the water. If you’re up for all of that, the Northwest has empty and world-class surf spots waiting for you. There are to choose from in Westport, on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where you can rent a board and a wetsuit from the surf shop��. Pick up clam chowder and a dozen oysters at, 30 minutes east, in Aberdeen, for your 125-mile drive north on scenic Highway 101, en route to the town of Forks. The (from $129) has cabins, tent sites, and rooms just a few miles from the reef break at�� From there��it’s a stunning eight-hour drive, which includes a one-hour ferry ride from Port Angeles, Washington, to Victoria, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, to reach��, an old fishing village that’s morphed into the Northwest’s premier surf spot.�� (from $127) has beachfront cedar cabins, where you can have a post-surf bonfire on MacKenzie Beach.

For Climbers

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon, to Squamish, British Columbia

, in central Oregon’s high desert, is a basalt gorge with rock spires that have long been a haven for sport climbers. Pitch a tent alongside others at the��, the walk-in, year-round campground inside the park, or stay in�� studio (from $72), a 15-minute drive south, in Redmond. In the adjacent town of Terrebonne,�� has gear, a massage studio, and beer and kombucha on tap. Don’t miss the pulled-pork nachos at nearby��, which is now owned by a couple of climbers. Hit the road northbound for five hours to North Bend, Washington, where you can climb 30 minutes from downtown Seattle at Exit 32 off Interstate 90, in an overhanging zone called��, before picking up sprinkled mochi doughnuts at the newly opened�� in Seattle’s International District. Beeline it four hours north and across the border into��, where you can find everything from easy-access bouldering to giant, multi-pitch walls. Stay in a cabin along the Cheakamus River at�� (from $86) or get a ski- or mountain-bike-themed room at the revamped����(from $79), which opened��in October.

For Skiers

Crystal Mountain, Washington, to Revelstoke, British Columbia

Begin your winter road trip at��, a snow-drenched ski area two hours southeast of��Seattle under the shadows of Mount Rainier. End your day with nachos at the steamy��, below the Alpine Inn at the base of the mountain, and a soak in the pool-size��hot tub in front of your condo at�� (from $300). Next��it’s off to Washington’s low-key��, 200 miles north. The six-room�� (from $99) or the condos at (from $145), in the tiny town of Glacier at the base of the ski area’s access road, are next door to��, the go-to après-ski spot for a slice and a pint. It’s another 350 miles north to reach��, which is opening a new intermediate-friendly lift this winter called the Stellar chair��from the top of the gondola.�� (from $82) in town has a free breakfast spread and dog-friendly rooms.

For Trail Runners

Boise, Idaho, to Leavenworth, Washington

Find excellent trail running five minutes north of��downtown Boise��when you start at�� and head 1.5 miles to Hull’s Gulch Reserve. Stay at the�� (from $155), a restored property��with newly added apartments and a hip late-night cocktail scene in the city’s Linen District. In the morning, grab a coffee at��, owned by former pro skateboarder Lucas Erlebach and housed in an old auto-body shop. It’s a 450-mile haul from there to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth,��but you can stop en route for a run in the Wallowa Mountains of eastern Oregon. (The 10.5-mile�� into Eagle Cap Wilderness is a standout for its views.) Once you make it to Leavenworth, you’ll find hundreds of miles of trails; after,��have a few steins of beer at��.�� (from $193) has lofted rooms and cabins that fit the whole family.

For Paddlers

Rogue River, Oregon, to Forks of Salmon, California

You cannot beat a four-day day float down Oregon’s Wild and Scenic–designated Rogue River to kick off a road trip.�� offers guided adventures��from $1,095. Stay in a rustic riverside cabin at�� (from $129) before you put in. Afterward��enjoy a dramatic150-mile drive south through the Klamath Mountains to reach the tiny Northern California town of Forks of Salmon, located at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Salmon River.�� (from $2,490 for an all-inclusive stay and instruction) runs��a whitewater-kayaking school for everyone from rookies to kids to experienced paddlers. The lodge itself sleeps up to 14 and features��catered meals and a wood-fired sauna.

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