Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Outside

USED TO BE grilling was a dark art. The coals had to be just so, the sauce made from a recipe handed down through the generations. It made for good eats, but it was time-consuming and, frankly, a little intimidating. Like most everything else, however, tech is making it easier. “Nowadays,” says Max Good, owner of Black Swan, which produces a line of premium sauces, “you can throw some meat on the grill and check the temp with your phone.” Indeed, a host of new devices—not to mention Bluetooth everything—allow you to orchestrate an entire Fourth of July cookout from your deck chair: set the lighting, mix the tunes, light up a cozy firepit, even operate the ’cue. Here’s a look at what’s outfitting this summer’s high-tech patio parties.…

Skeptics might dismiss it as religious posturing, but prayer works. When believers pray, something happens in their brains that actually makes them better athletes. BEFORE THE SIDE cramp hit and he started Ryan Hall to panic, Ryan Hall felt like he was running better than he ever had in his life. It was mile ten of the 2007 Houston half marathon, and he was in first place, averaging 4:30 per mile. Hall didn’t typically suffer from cramps, so when he felt one coming on, he ignored it and kept pushing. But the discomfort persisted, then got worse. Panic took hold. So Hall prayed. He was direct: Lord, please help me get to the finish line without my stomach blowing up. He focused and repeated it again to himself. A minute…

Stromer ST1 X $4,999 BEST FOR: Geeks with a need for speed. THE TEST: The ST1 X epitomizes integra tion. The futuristic aluminum chassis, complete with through-axles, hides a high-capacity 618-watt-hour battery in the chunky down tube, a proprietary 500-watt motor—among the most powerful on the market—in the rear hub, and an LCD touchscreen in the top tube that displays battery level and assist power. With the accompanying app (Android and iOS), you can tune the engine performance to make it accelerate faster or maximize efficiency. You can also lock out the brakes, so it can’t be rolled away by thieves, and track the bike via the built-in GPS, should it go missing anyway. Of course, all that tech - nology—plus beefy fenders and a bombproof rack—comes at a price:…

This year we turned to four experts to help pick America’s best towns. Each suggested 20 of their favorites, and the ones that received at least two nominations became finalists. Who are these sage individuals? Glad you asked. Jenn Dice is the vice president for business network and government relations at PeopleForBikes, an organization that promotes pro-bike policies and infrastructure. A cyclist herself, she has ten Leadville 100 finisher’s buckles. “I’ve been lucky to travel the country for work and have gotten to know towns that are great for biking.” She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Ron Jeffries owns Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales and collaborates with breweries across the country. “I wanted my nominations to have really great food, great beer, and an opportunity to go for a run or get…

Peter Sagan is late,and the crowd is getting antsy. About 50 kids, ages seven to thirteen, are eyeing a row of gleaming new Specialized mountain bikes that are about to become theirs—if and when this “Peter” kid shows up. Small skirmishes break out as parents try to restrain their offspring from lunging at the precious pink and orange rides. It’s November 2016, and Sagan is in Southern California to host an exclusive charity ride. Two hundred fans have ponied up as much as $3,000 apiece to spend the weekend rolling and schmoozing with the twotime world champion, a 27-year-old from Slovakia who is the closest thing to a cycling celebrity since the days of you-know-who. The ride was supposed to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, including this…

WHEN ALEX HONNOLD free-solos, climbing unroped, he has pretty limited options for retreat. He’s either got to climb up to the top or, maybe in a pinch, back down to the bottom or onto a ledge to await rescue. So far he hasn’t encountered any trouble he couldn’t get out of by himself. For anybody who’s ever climbed, whether at a gym or on a local crag, the idea that you could go year after year, soloing routes as long as 2,500 feet and as difficult as 5.13, without ever falling would require magical thinking. Honnold’s continued solo-climbing practice has caused his friends to wonder whether his brain is wired differently, or whether he’s got a streak of pathological focus. A few years ago, I accompanied Honnold, who is now…

IT’S FROTHY-DRINK season. And while you may be tempted to throw whatever you’ve got lying around into a blender, anyone who has ever choked down a gritty glass of wilted veggies knows there’s more to it than that. We enlisted three athletes to share their best liquid performance boosters. THE CHEF: Runner Sara Hall BEST FOR: Recovery. “I really like this smoothie after a tough morning workout, when you’re hitting an energy lull but you still have a full day ahead,” says Hall. Research shows that caffeine paired with carbs can prompt your body to store more glycogen after intense ef fort. This recipe’s combo of milk, nut butter, and oats is the perfect match to replenish depleted muscles, says Nicole Lund, a nutritionist at New York University’s Langone Sports…

I grew up paddling the scenic waterways of New England. But a move to a cramped Santa Fe apartment forced my handme- down kayak into storage in my parents’ barn. And while the Land of Enchantment’s high desert wants for water, summers are hot enough that even the murky Rio Grande, which snakes its way south outside town, looks enticing. This led me to Oru Kayak, whose famously foldable boats promised to change the game for space-strapped paddlers like myself. Early-2012 models weren't a slam-dunk—they lacked the sturdy responsiveness of fiberglass. So I’m thanking the water gods for the newly redesigned Bay ST, which lives up to the versatility legacy and adds a few tweaks for capability and ease of assembly. The asymmetrical, rockered design raises the bow, helping the…

The Best Get Better There’s no such thing as a perfect place to live. I know this because I’ve been lucky enough to call home several of the places this magazine has showcased over the years in our Best Towns package (“Brought to You by the Committee for Better Living,” page 48). I grew up in Portland, Oregon (traffic issues), and after college I resided in Austin, Texas (almost zero public land), and Boulder, Colorado (they don’t call it the Boulder Bubble for nothing). Eventually, I moved to Santa Fe, home to Outside’s headquarters and the place I finally set down roots to raise a family. Here, I can walk my kids to school and still get in an hourlong trail run before work. (I could go on, but I…

THE SINAI TRAIL Completed in 2015; 140 miles Route: From the Gulf of Aqaba to the top of Mount Catherine, Egypt’s 8,625-foot high point. Difficulty: 4/10. A through-hike can be completed in less than two weeks. Payoff: Biblical. You climb Mount Sinai, where many believe Moses received the Ten Commandments. Logistics: Water is scarce, and you won’t come upon any towns, so hire a trained Bedouin guide, who will bring pack camels and everything else you need. THE BAJA DIVIDE Completed in 2015; 1,700 miles Route: From San Diego to San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Difficulty: 7/10. The trail’s vehicle-width tracks are roomy, sure, but the terrain can be sandy, rocky, and slow going. The longest stretch without food and water is 126 miles. The whole thing…

ON APRIL 30, alpinism lost one of its finest when Swiss climber Ueli Steck fell to his death while acclimatizing alone on the 25,791-foot Nepalese peak Nuptse. He was preparing to solo Willi Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein’s 1963 route up Mount Everest’s West Ridge, then continue up neighboring 27,940-foot Lhotse. Steck is survived by his wife, Nicole, who is also a climber, and will be remembered for his two Piolet d’Or awards—one for pioneering a new alpine route on 21,283-foot Tengkangpoche in 2008, the other for the first solo ascent, in 2013, of the south face of 26,545- foot Annapurna, statistically the deadliest of the world’s high peaks. At 40, he was still in the prime of his high- altitude career and no doubt would have tacked other extensions onto…

FAST+LIGHT Altra Superior 3.0 $110 The Superior is a low-swooping speedster, though it’s only for midfoot strikers—the thin foam and lack of drop don’t pair well with backof- the-foot pounders. But don’t think these shoes are weak on defense. While the Superior (women's model shown) doesn’t get much liftoff, there’s a rock plate in the forefoot for confidence on scree and just enough cush to forget the trail without losing precision while moving quickly. A nimble dancer this is not, as the combination of loose fit and structureless upper makes the Superior a little squirrelly on slopes, especially for narrow feet. A thicker sock helps. 9.2 oz (men’s) / 8 oz (women’s); zero drop Saucony Peregrine 7 $120 There’s a reason the Peregrine continues to top testers’ rankings each year:…

BEST MULTI-SPORT TOWN Bend, Oregon Population: 90,000 Median home value: $271,000 Median household income: $53,000 Council says: “There are a ton of great craft breweries. It’s one of the country’s better scenes.” —RON JEFFRIES Bend is one of the fastest- growing cities in the country for a reason. It has a whitewater park right in town. Nearby Mount Bachelor has expanded its downhill bike park—and got a new lift last winter, which opened up 600 acres. And 150 miles of trails have been built in the Deschutes National Forest in the past decade. Not enough? Smith Rock State Park and its hundreds of climbing routes are just 30 miles north (though 20,000- square-foot Bend Rock Gym is closer), and the trail running is so good that ultramarathoners train here. “There…

STEP ONE EMBRACE YOUR AMBITION One night in March 2015, housemates Jainee Dial and Lindsey Elliott were sitting on a leather couch in front of a woodstove in their Northern California home, sipping Bulleit bourbon, eating Mexican food, and hashing out the details of their plan to infiltrate the outdoor industry. “We need to work with companies striving for social and environmental impact,” Elliott said. “And we want them to be disruptive,” Dial added. She took a sip of bourbon and rested her glass on the coffee table. Then reality began to sink in. “Holy shit,” said Dial. “We’re up against giants.” There was good reason for trepidation. The duo were hatching the business they’d ulti mately call Wylder Goods, the world’s first online outdoor-gear retailer for women. Over the…