Posts filed under 'Top 10 Lists'
I wish I would have thought of this one myself. The Gear Junkie has posted the 10 Most Dangerous Mountains on his website. I think the list is pretty comprehensive. Although I’m sure that the Trango Towers might argue that they should be on there. But all in all, a great list.
I noticed that Mt Washington in New Hampshire made the list. I climbed Mt Washington several years ago in the summer. Now it is pretty dangerous in the winter, with extreme temps and the highest recorded wind speeds in the US. But in summer it’s just a hike and a scramble for anyone in good physical shape. Hit it up if you can. Then you can say you climbed one of the 10 most dangerous mountains in the world. 
January 28th, 2008
We’re wrapping up the list of trailhead grub spots today with 5 places you can’t go wrong with. I’m getting HUNGRY!
5. Miguel’s - Red River Gorge, KY
Why? Endercore says “Best pizzia in the world, amazing topping selection, and run by a great family who are nothing but supportive to the climbing community, and the community in general. Miguel employees a staff of climbers who are always really nice. Miguels IS the outdoorzy spot in the red, so proximity is no issue, price is good, and he rarely runs out. Don’t forget to admire his woodcarvings while you’re there. Plus you can camp in the back for 2 bucks a night.”
4. The Pizza Factory - Lone Pine, CA
Why? Summiting Mt Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48, is no easy chore. But getting down a big greasy peperoni laden pie with a tall pitcher of whatever beer you like IS an easy chore. After the Whitney adventure, stop here for some great food and lots of pictures of all the old western movie stars that used to film in the area. It’s right at the end of Whitney Portal Road, can’t miss it.
3. Ocoee Dam Deli - Ocoee, TN
Why? According to Endercore “It is about 5 miles from the takeout for the middle ocoee river in TN. Its this little shack of a place with a gravel parking lot, a lovely porch, and a bunch of TV’s on the inside that are constantly playing boating videos. Its awesome because they have 2 or 3 diffrent videos playing at once, and one is almost always a rafting carnage video from the ocoee, so you can sit and reminisce on getting your ass kicked in the very same hole earlier that day, or freak your self out about getting caught in this keeper hole, getting run over by a raft, and being recirculated while some stoned raft guide misses you with his throw bag 10 times before finally rescuing you.”
2. K’s Dairy Delight - Buena Vista, CO
Why? Well it sits in the shadow of the Collegiate 14ers in Colorado, has a whitewater river at its back door and plenty of rock climbing all around. Then there’s the food. Burgers, fries, onion rings, and ice cream cap off your adventure. They also give you the name of a movie star when you show up and when they call out your name, say… “Robert Redford”, you go get your food. Feeling like crap, but treated like a star.
AND #1 (at least on this list…)
Calamity Jane’s - Mt Hood, OR
Why? After skiing all day at Timbeline Lodge, hiking the 45 mile Timbeline Trail, or summiting Mt Hood… a 1 lb burger as big as your head is the only thing you need. That and some neosporin… Serving giant burgers just a few miles down the road from Mt Hood and doing it all with a smile. This rustic building has the charm and the calories to get you back on your sore feet again.
And for all the detail Endercore went into, he wins the MSR Alpine Kitchen Set compliments of MSR! Just message me Endercore to claim your prize.
Thanks for the help of all the Outdoorzies that put their two cents in on the forum!
January 10th, 2008
After a difficult summit, run, hike, mtb ride, or day on the slopes there’s nothing like a big fat-filled, cheese-covered meal to satisfy your calorie deficit. Many of you probably have your favorite spot to eat after a tough day. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best trailhead grub spots (with the help of some of our members). Atmosphere, food quality, food quantity, and proximity to the trailhead all went into the hat to help us decide on these. These are all in the US and Canada. We may do an international list down the road.
Below are #s 10-6…. #s 5-1 to come tomorrow.
10. Pig Diner - Pig, Ky
Why? Any place with named “Pig” in a town named “Pig” has to at least get a nod. Not to mention the amazing greasy breakfast selection and the killer Beef Manhattan. Wash it all down with a glass of sweet tea that your spoon could stand up in it’s so thick and you’re ready to re-enter society. This place is about 5 minutes outside of the south entrance to Mammoth Cave National Park.
9. Adair’s Wilderness Lodge - Waterford, NB (Canada)
Why? Fundyguy25 says - “Great spot to eat with homemade desserts, soups, and all the standards. Friendly knowledgable staff that know the area and some even do some guiding. There is on-site tenting as well as a couple of cottages. They offer a shuttle service to and from many trail heads and often serve as headquarters when S&R teams are needed. The building sits next to a pond and is on a dirt road (may be chipsealed soon though), and is a log building.”
8. Nate’s Grille - Skagway, AK
Why? JoshuatheNomad says “The guy who own’s the place is uber-groovy. The place has a coffee shop/mom & pop greasy spoon atmosphere with constant great tunes, amazing deep fried deserts: oreos, snickers, reeses cups, twinkies…
And Nate makes by far the best fries in Skagway, maybe in the world! accompany that with his black and bleu HUGE burger and a PBR from around the corner at Moe’s Frontier Bar and you’ve got an Alaskan delight. I’ve never met a nicer, more genuine restaurant owner anywhere. And there was movies, by theme, every Friday and Saturday night this summer.”
7. The Blue Spruce - Frisco, CO
Why? Grensap says “I like the blue spruce its got a old time feel. Close to all the ski slopes, trails, the blue river, and lake dillon. It great for a nice sit down dinner, but the bar has great prices and there Colorado wings are awesome. I know the price look high but its some of the best food around. Also I guess I really like it because it is right infront of my house.”
6. Pies & Pints - Fayettville, WV
Why? JoshuatheNomad says “The name answers the why. Pizza and Beer. Parking isn’t great but the food and beer selection counters that issue. Also, on a nice spring or fall day, they have a porch and other outside seating [i think], not the greatest view but I personally love to sit outSiDe and down some beer and pizza after a long day of calorie burning fun. And you can basically make your own work of art with the plethora of toppings they have to offer.”
January 9th, 2008
So the New Year is here. Some people make resolutions, some don’t. But what is a resolution? Well, when it comes down to it, a resolution is nothing more than a short term goal that you resolve to accomplish within a set time frame. One year.
Often New Year’s resolutions are made and forgotten fairly quickly. My personal resolutions often revolve around travel or some sort of athletic goal like a triathlon or summit. I always accomplish these goals. Maybe I’m just setting my goals too low… or maybe I actually have a good method of reaching those goals? (Don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical… )There are various ways we can accomplish these goals. I’ve come up with a common sense list of 10 ways to get you there. You probably already know these things, but keep them in mind as you work toward you resolution this year.
Be reasonable! - Don’t decide to climb Everest if you’ve never even run a mile. Set a goal that is obtainable. Don’t be too conservative though. Set one you would be proud of and excited to talk to others about.
Tell others! - Tell your friends and family about it. Send an email out asking all of them to support you and to pester you about it. The support from those who care about you most will motivate you.
Write it down! - So many people form a resolution or goal in their minds, but by the time they get around to accomplishing it they’ve revised it so much it isn’t quite as great as it was when they first thought of it.
Display it! - Don’t just write it down in a notebook you’ll never see. Put it on 20 sticky notes and put them around your house or workplace. Put one in your wallet or purse. Make a poster that hangs on the wall at the end of your bed if that’s what it takes. Make it your screensaver or wallpaper. You need constant reminders to work on your resolution.
Schedule tasks! - Make a calendar with smaller goals that you need to reach to obtain the larger one.
Start today! - Don’t say “I’ll start this next week.” Start today. If your goal is to run a 10k but it’s raining… suck it up! Get out there and start running now.
Partner up! - Find someone who is in your daily life to share this resolution with. Your significant other, friend, or co-worker will keep you in line on the days you want to slack, and you’ll do the same for them.
Role model! - So you want to cycle across your state? Lance might be a good motivator? Want to climb a major peak? What about Ed Viesters? A role model can motivate you in ways that your buddies can’t. Buy a book about this person, or rent a dvd.
Take a break! - Well, not for too long. But seriously, so many people burn out early on with resolutions. You don’t want to be one of those. Take a day off, or a weekend off from your efforts to reach your goal.
Be positive! - This is probably the most important one for me personally. Avoid getting down. You may get tired of working so hard for this goal and start to think “This isn’t worth it.” But go back to the reason you are doing it. Think about the end result. Take a deep breath.
January 4th, 2008
Well the ole Outdoorzy Blog was born in 2006, but was mostly used to keep people updated on our progress building, testing, and rolling the site out. In 2007 we really got shakin and started posting regularly.
So, we thought we’d recap 2007 by showing the 10 Outdoorzy blog posts that received the most traffic.
10. One Thousand, and T-Shirt Giveaways
9. Top 10 Outdoor Blogs
8. Vote for Outdoorzy at the Crunchies
7. Gear Review - Solio
6. Top 10 Outdoorzy Rides - Trucks/Vans/SUVs Edition
5. 10 Ways to Reduce Your Ecological Footprint
4. Into the Wild Review
3. How to Run Your First 5k
2. Into the Wild Movie Trailer Released
and #1. Camping Out in the Elements
Other high-traffic honorable mentions that almost made the top 10…
Whatever
Welcome to Survivor Dude
Survivor Dudes, The Results
I Missed You Too
Thanks again to all the other bloggers who have been contributing to the Outdoorzy Blog.
December 31st, 2007
Well it has been raining alot where I’m located. And with ski resorts being a flight away from here and opening up late, I’ve been enjoying a few “indoorzy” activities. Now, I don’t mind getting wet. I even went jogging in the rain this week. But sometimes I just want to stay in and do nothing but sit on my arse. So, without further adieu, here are 10 things you could do indoors if you can’t get outside…
10. Play an outdoor oriented video game like Wild Water Adrenaline or Downhill Domination and pretend you are better than you are.
9. Rent Touching the Void and be glad you are sitting on the couch.
8. Go to Starbucks and sip your hot caramel machiatto with the teenage guys wearing those choppy haircuts and really tight jeans.
7. Sleep, real sleep too… drool-on-your-pillow sleep…
6. Eat crappy foods. Because you know you’ll burn them off in the spring.
5. Grow a beard… (males only please)
4. Play around with your Outdoorzy.com profile… this one is obvious, but had to include it.
3. Yoga. Get your stretch on.
2. Shop… for yourself.
1. Plan your next adventure.
November 28th, 2007
Old School
5. 1987 Jeep Wrangler
Jeep…the ultimate outdoorzy vehicle. The freedom of a convertible without all the hassle of driving a college girls 21st birthday present from mommy and daddy. Throw on a winch and a jack up front and you are out of any situation the outdoors could throw at you in this ride.
4. 1999 Isuzu VehiCROSS
I will be honest here. I have no idea if this is good for the outdoors or not. It is a 4×4, so that is good I guess, but other than that I got nothing. I can’t guarantee that it will haul your canoe, but I can guarantee that you will at least get looked at each time you pull up anywhere to park.
3. 1995 Land Rover Range Rover
Newer Range Rovers are going to cost you 70K +, but you can get a 13 year old one for around 7K. If you are going to be outdoors and in the thick of it all, you might as well look good doing it. Range Rovers are one of the nicer looking outdoor vehicles and some of the more unique.
2. 1983 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Oh it’s a thing of beauty. It’s large enough to haul just about anything or anyone and can also tow a ton of junk behind it. Just look at that wood paneling, that alone tells you this thing is ready for business or pleasure. Of all the old school rides, this would be my personal choice!
1. 1960 VW Vanagon
This is the official dream ride of Outdoorzy.com. With a Luggage rack up top, sleeping room for a few friends and windows for days this machine is the tool to make outdoor memories galore. Once ODZY blows up, we will have a fleet of these bad boys.
New School
5. 2008 4-door Jeep Wrangler
The new 4 door Jeeps are very nice. All the amenities of the regular Jeep Wranglers except a little more room for your friends. And by your friends I mean your gear. The friends can drive themselves.
4. 2006 Honda Element EXP AWD
This may not be a true SUV or Truck, but it is a nice ride, which is what you can expect from Honda. The inside of an Element is very forgiving on those muddy trips down the river banks since there is an option for rubbery type flooring (read quick clean up). The inside height is also great for those of the taller persuasion.
3. 2007 Hummer H3
If you have to have a Hummer you might as well get the baby one. Who really needs one of the other two? This one is big enough for any job you might have for it. Honestly I have to say, for a Hummer, this one isn’t that bad looking. I’ve seen worse…I’m talking to you Pontiac Aztek.
2. 2008 Mini Traveller
Not much is known about this new mini, however it should be a hit with those who already love the Mini Coopers but need some extra room for their longer equipment (skis, boards, and what not). I know I would love to get one of these whips if they had a little more leg room up front. Hopefully that is taken care of with this new version.
1. 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
When this came out from Toyota a few years ago I was in LOVE. In the next few years when I get rid of my truck, the FJ is what I would like to get. That and maybe that Mini Traveller…and maybe the Grand Wagoneer. There are too many choices.
Let us know in the comments what your favorite Outdoorzy vehicle is and if you have any of the ones mentioned above, what your thoughts on them are.
October 28th, 2007
And why… according to me.
(In no particular order)
September 19th, 2007
I have big FEET! It looks like my ecological footprint is huge. Even though I buy food at a farmers market often, drive a fuel efficient car, ride a bike to work sometimes, recycle, and buy energy efficient bulbs. To find out I went to Ecofoot.org and took the quiz. Here are my results…
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 5.9 PLANETS.
In the words Christopher Walken as The Continental on SNL, “Wowee Wow Wow”. I thought I was green. Going through this helped me realize that I’m not green at all, I am making some big Eco Faux Pas. For instance, here is where my sins lie; Traveling by plane, Eating Meat often, Living in a big house. I live with my wife, and the two of us share a 2,000 square foot home, I travel for work alot and take at least one international flight per year, and I eat meat two meals a day. The meat part usually throws people off. What does that have to do with anything? Well, there are a couple of reasons. For one, animals take up space. Cows, chickens, and pigs need acres of farmland. They also produce quite a bit of waste which accounts for a huge portion of the worlds greenhouse gases. As the population grows, the more meat eaters we have, the more need we have for animals, and thus, the more greenhouse gases we produce, and the more forest we cut down.
Here are 10 easy ways you can reduce your footprint:
- Each time you replace a bulb in your home put an energy efficient bulb in its place.
- Reduce the amount of meat you eat. I love chicken people. But I think I could eat veggies 3 or 4 more times a week.
- Next car you buy, buy one that gets better gas mileage.
- Next house you buy, downsize. How much space do you really need. We have a guest room AND an office. Couldn’t we just have one room for that?
- Remove one plane trip from your itinerary this year. Cut out a business trip, or take a local trip rather than flying for vacation.
- Ride your bike. This one is a no-brainer. Ride your bike to work, over to a friends house, or down to the store to pick up a 6er. Seriously. It’s alot of fun. It’s exercise. And it’s good for the earth.
- Cancel your newspaper subscription and cut down on junk mail. Don’t give your mailing address out unless you know they won’t sell it. This will reduce the amount of junk you get in your mailbox and reduce the number of trees being cut. And read your news online rather than in print.
- Buy locally. This one is really easy too, and can be a fun process. Visit the local farmers market to buy your veggies. Look for local products in the grocery and take a trip out into the country and buy produce or baked goods from the local farmers.
- Recycle. I can’t say how easy this is. My household produces one 13 gallon bag of trash per week or less. We produce double that in recyclced materials. Just call your local recycling company and sign up for pick-up. If you don’t have it, then just save your stuff in big totes and take it in once a month. You’ll feel better about yourself.
- And here’s one all of us can do. Vote for candidates that want to make real change for the environment. We all have our political affiliations. But things are getting bad with global warming and we can’t stop what’s going to happen in the next 50 years. But for our kids and grandkids sakes, we can at least try to make some policy changes that force big companies to make more eco-friendly decisions so 100 years from now we don’t have mass famine and drought.
And here’s a bonus tip: Do like I just did, spread the word to your friends. I’ve bookmarked Ecofoot.org so I can go back everytime I make a lifestyle change and see how my footprint shrinks. My goal is go get down to two planets this year.
September 17th, 2007
School is starting back up for some. The business world is coming off Summer vacations with no hope of a break in the near future. And family, money, and relationship stresses are always on us in some capacity. So, how can you relax, release some of the tension? Often the things we think of as relaxing don’t slow us down too much (watching TV, movies, music, games, competitive events, video games). Sometimes you have to think outside the box, or just think in a more basic way. Here are a few ideas…
- Take a Hike - Not a difficult hike. No Gu or Powerbars allowed. Just a stroll in the woods. Where you can just slow down and take a gander at all that is nature. Stop and pick a flower.
- Yoga - Some people think yoga is dumb. Those people haven’t tried yoga. It is a slow form of exercise which doesn’t stress the body. It works you out through slow stretches and poses.
- Take a Bath - Yeah, just run some hot water in the tub and get in. Don’t take a book or magazine, don’t talk to anyone. Just lay there and close your eyes. Bubbles optional.
- Meditate - People have been meditating for thousands of years. It requires one thing, sitting. The Buddhists think it is the path to enlightenment. Many other religions such as Hinduism and Christianity use it to reach into themselves and find their faith. But meditation can be an amazing relaxation technique. Just sit, close your eyes or crack them, breathe deeply, and try not to think about anything.
- Hammock Time - In nice weather this is an awesome relaxation method. All that is needed is a hammock, two trees, and a few hours to nap or stare at the clouds or swaying branches. Cold-uns recommended.
- Napping - This doesn’t mean fall asleep because you are exhausted in front of the tube. It doesn’t mean going to bed early. It means taking some time after work or on a weekend afternoon and going to your bedroom, drawing the shades, and sleeping. Don’t set the alarm, just wake up whenever your body is ready. Seriously, just forget about that “stuff” you have to do for a few hours.
- Religious Visit - If you are religious, visit a holy place. Don’t go seeking an answer this time. Don’t go to talk to anyone. Just go and walk around or sit. Be in the presence of something bigger.
- Massage - I got a massage recently, I did a 3 hours day spa while in Peru… ahhhhhh. It was the first time I had been through anything like that. Stone massages, hot tubs, Swedish massage, aromatherapy, reflexology… they all work.
- Pet Time - If you have a pet, you know how they can stress you out sometimes. But on the flip side, they can be extremely calming. Just lay on the floor with your pooch or kitty for a while and chill.
- Plan a Vacation - Pick a place on your top 10 list of places to go, or just spin the globe and point at a place. Hop online and look for deals. Grab the calendar and set a date. Get your significant other or friends on board. Ask for time off work. And make a deposit on the trip to commit yourself. Travel is easier than most people think, and it gives you something to be excited about and look forward to.
Obviously everyone has their own way to relax. But trying a new or different way to relax can be a great way to reward yourself or get away from it all.
August 22nd, 2007
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