What you’ll need and how to do it for your next mountain adventure
It’s time to head for the hills…or mountains. The snow is
melting quickly and more mountain trails are opening up every day. Green Lakes
trail is now snow free and the route up South Sister is in prime
condition. This is the time of year I
enjoy spending hours trekking through the High Cascades and exploring new areas
I’ve never been before. More and more runners are eschewing the traditional
methods of reaching the backcountry like heavy day packs, big hiking boots, and
all the other accessories that go along with a day in the woods. To be safe
however, there is still a minimal amount of gear that a runner should consider
taking as well as couple pieces of gear that have changed dramatically with
respect to weight to make climbing mountains a bit easier for a light and fast
approach.
First, always consider that you may be stuck out overnight
and be sure to carry back up safety gear that could save your life. The ten
essentials won’t necessarily keep you comfortable but can be a welcome addition
should you need them.
Second, weather can be a factor anytime you enter the
mountains and having adequate protection can be a necessary life saving
addition. Lucky for you, the runner, gear has become so specialized, lightweight,
and comfortable that bringing a few pieces along in a pack is just a
no-brainer.
Ultra-lightweight wind shells can make all the difference
between becoming a hypothermic popsicle and getting down out of a fast moving
weather cell comfortably and quickly. Carrying a 2oz jacket, hat and gloves can
now pack down to the size of a baseball.
Trekking poles are something that runners consider to be
reserved for the elderly hiker but it’s quickly becoming a piece of essential
gear for runners headed up…or down. Their usefulness is quickly justified in
just one outing of climbing up South Sister or Bachelor and can be used during
running and hiking. Four legs are better than two, poles will save valuable
energy going up and your quads and balance going down. With Black Diamond’s
Ultra Distance Poles you can quickly break them down during a full on run and
at 8oz you won’t notice the addition to your pack during flat sections.
Having a comfortable pack for long, or short, outings is
essential because any soreness should be reserved for your legs, not your
shoulders or hips. Hydration packs have become so specialized in recent years
that you can find the right one for you and the right one for whatever distance
you might want to go. While we all wish we didn’t have to carry water or food
at all, the reality is we need it, and from this necessity, a full range of
hydration and food carrying devices have sprung forth. From 10L epic run packs,
to 2L a-bladder-is-all-I-need packs, to waist belts, to hand-helds there is
something out there you’ll find suitable.
Keeping stuff out of shoes is always a challenge and a
nuisance in the mountains. Usually we’ll just stop by the side of a nice
babbling brook to empty out our shoes but wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t
have to stop to empty shoes, you could just stop and enjoy the brook instead,
and if you could keep all that annoying stuff from getting in your shoe in the
first place. Wait, there is a way.
They’re called gaiters and they aren’t just for mountain climbers or
tele-skiers. The small breathable gaiters that wraps over the top of the shoe
and your ankle are so easy to put on and flexible that you won’t even notice
they’re their. It’s an inexpensive and easy solution to keeping a little piece
of the Cascades from coming home with you. Both Salomon and Montrail make a
great little gaiter for mountain travel.
Finally, there’s shoes. Last on the list because we’re all
aware that your feet are the only thing touching the ground (unless you have
poles now) and what you put on them makes a big difference in the mountains.
And here’s what you already know, the lava that our Cascade Range is so famous
for is very hard on mesh running shoes. Sometimes our running shoe shelf can
resemble a quiver of arrows, and that’s a good thing because shoes too have their
specialized uses. Sure there are shoes that work for a variety of surfaces but
sometimes it’s nice to reserve a pair of shoes for the mountains due to their
unique challenges. Pick a shoe with a durable and well lugged outsole for the
loose scree slopes, a tightly woven upper to prevent the fine dust from filling
your shoe, and possibly some water resistance if traveling through the snow.
While that’s not all the gear you’ll need heading into the
mountains, these are the pieces of gear we often overlook or didn’t even know
could help use move more easily, more comfortably, and more efficiently in the
mountains. When you do head up make sure you’re prepared with the minimum
essentials for safety. Good gear that helps you move faster in the mountains can
also help you to be safer as well. Have
fun, be safe. The mountains are a beautiful place to explore. Go Run.
Max
We are reinventing running and exploring with kids. And the Bend community of runners is part of our vision; a high performance running machine for hands/arms free running with kids from 6 months to about 4 years old. The current prototype is 70% complete and has run hundreds of miles on roads, trails, beaches and snow/ice. It weighs 30% less than traditional push strollers, fits in a backpack and is designed for safety, beauty and agility. We want your feedback, ideas and experiences running with kids and traditional push strollers. 
It all started four years ago when my daughter was six months old. My wife and I were avid runners but immediately discovered that pushing an awkward, traditional stroller was miserable. We stopped running together so we could trade off and avoid pushing. When we did push, we ran less and felt worse. Our shoulders hurt, we got a poor workout and we were limited to paved roads only. So I started drawing new ideas for a better way to run with kids. KidRunner was born! Several prototypes and two patents later, we are getting closer to reinventing running and exploring with kids. 
