…continued from Friday’s post. Ty and Andi’s responses to the first question typify the challenge of parenting, outdoor or otherwise. Their discussion also made me chuckle because Jennie and I have had nearly the same discussion many times. We love our spouses and our children. But we also have other goals and interests that are important to us. Our spouses often share those goals, but as parents...

Ultrarunner Ty Draney has had a pretty good year. In September, 2008, he won the 50 mile distance at the Grand Teton Races in record time. He followed that up with a win at the Bear 100 a few weeks later. This September he won the 100 mile distance at this year’s Grand Teton Races, setting a course record in the process. He’s also a member of the Patagonia ultrarunning team. But he won’t tell you any of...

…the final installment of Jason’s Alberts essay. A discussion I began to have frequently with my wife in Madagascar revolved around the premise of students becoming teachers and teachers becoming students. My middle school teaching career was interrupted to facilitate the Madagascar adventure. We explored the paradox of teachers and students: the notion of learning as an accumulation of discrete...

During a recent procrastination session, I stumbled upon the Edge of Never, a book and film by author Bill Kerig.  In 1996, free skiing pioneer Trevor Patterson died while attempting a line known as Glacier Ronde in Chamonix. He left behind a wife and two children. His son Kye has gone on to become a young ski talent. Edge of Never follows Kye’s journey to ski the line that took his father’s life....

We’ve been there.  Gauging your children’s endurance levels can be one of the most difficult tasks as a parent. Push them too hard and it can leave a permanent black mark on the outdoors. After all, nobody likes bonking. Yet, we all want to create outdoor experiences that create a sense of accomplishment.  Things can’t always be easy – many of these pursuits appeal to us because they involve effort,...

Wednesday, October 7 is International Walk to School Day.  Started in 1997 in Chicago, iWalk has participants in all 50 states joining 3 million international walkers. The day highlights the need for walkable routes within communities. Whether you’re motivated for a cleaner environment, healthier habits, safe streets, or all three, make sure the kids walk to school on Wednesday. If you’re motivated to think...

My walk to elementary school is composed of snapshot memories. The magnolia trees with limbs made for climbing. The very steep hill. Baseball bats cracking as I passed the little league field. Blackberries.  Towering redwood trees encompassing “Dark” Park. Dawdling and giggling with my sister on our way home. Partly out of necessity, and partly because it was just done that way, my sister and I walked or...

For the record, Fitz and I aren’t parents. Yet, even before planning to be a parent, I have an ideal image of the parent that I will strive to be. As our friends embark on parenthood, I continually refine my image with the do’s and the try really hard to avoid thats. We’ve all seen the wide-eyed Dad watching his toddler pummel the grocery store floor in a fit of sugar-crash-induced rage and thought “When...

I may be a bit strange — I like winter. I’m constantly inspired by freshly fallen snow, skiing, camping without bugs. Summer is great with its hot days, cool nights, and school vacations. Fall is my favorite for the golden leaves, crisply perfect temperatures, and weeks of blue sky. But I endure spring, with its mud, wind, allergies, and 40-degree temperature swings. The year’s first day-and-half...

“A case of Swine Flu has been confirmed late last night in a sixth grader at Madrona School. School officials have closed the school until Wednesday,” the NPR anchor said in clipped words that suggested he was trying his best to stay calm and not sound panicked or too excited. I went back to sleep. Whether or not the current alarm over the Swine Flu is warranted, it still seems a touch surreal. It’s...