GEARHUB: Take the plunge
Before this year, I’d never completed a long hike plagued by multiple water crossings—the kind of water crossings that never end, that plunge you in up to your shin, knees, or even upper thighs over and over again for miles. Since May, I’ve hiked almost almost 30 miles of crisscross water-sauce. Turns out, they don’t…
Get Outside – Summer/Fall 2024
Troubled trails Motorcycles have been riding in the Salinas Riverbed for as long as anyone can remember, but an uptick in incidents with other trail users in Atascadero and homeowners along the riverbed has law enforcement focused on illegal riders on the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic Trail. In this issue, we talk to stakeholders…
FEATURE: Cal Poly computer science major Andrew Okerlund is the youngest and second fastest climber to complete The Bulger List of Washington State’s 100 highest peaks in a single season
Seven hundred miles. An elevation gain of 400,000 feet. A total of 100 separate peaks. All in 85 days. From June 18 through Sept. 11, 2023, then-20-year-old Cal Poly computer science major Andrew Okerlund, now 21, took on The Bulger List, Washington State’s 100 highest peaks, becoming the youngest and second fastest climber to achieve…
TRAILBLAZING: Local, outdoor rock climbing spots
If you want step up from climbing in a gym to spending more time outside on actual rocks, the Central Coast is filled with outdoor routes for all skill levels. SLO County is home to more than 330 climbing routes with a variety of skill levels and styles, according to Mountain Project (mountainproject.com), a website…
FEATURE: Evergreen ending
REST IN NATURE Visit Destination Destiny Memorials at destinationdestinymemorials.com to learn more about its natural burial services and spaces. Destination Destiny Memorials founder Ed Bixby may not have chosen to get into the natural burial business but his family’s centuries-old connection to cemeteries couldn’t be ignored. In 2007, the New Jersey real estate broker and…
OUTDOOR KITCHEN: The burger hype at Jalama Beach is well-justified
Surf and turf The Jalama Beach Store is located at 9991 Jalama Road near Lompoc. Visit jalamabeachstore.com for more info. The home of the world-famous Jalama burger is no secret. The same can’t be said about its signature condiment, known as the Jalama secret sauce—a staple feature of the burger since its debut at Jalama…
FEATURE: LGBTQ-plus rock climbing club Queer Ascents provides community and promotes accessibility
Join the next meet-up Follow @queer.ascents on Instagram to stay up to date with meet-ups and events. Editor’s note: Queer Ascents is made up of people who are close friends with the author. Cricket Pihl spent a lot of their time growing up climbing on everything they could find; eventually, they started rock climbing in…
GEAR HUB: The State Library Parks Pass will continue providing free access to state parks
This was almost the final summer that people can walk into their public libraries and get free state parks passes, said Rachel Norton, the executive director of the California State Parks Foundation. Thanks to $6.75 million in last-minute funding, the program will be around for another year. Since 2021, more than 1,000 public library branches…
TRAILBLAZING: A national park near you
How far is too far to drive for a weekend trip? It likely depends on what’s waiting for you on the other end of the pavement. For a national park, I’m going to call it at four hours. In four hours, you can drive to no less than three national parks from our perch in…
FEATURE: A long-standing trail use conflict erupts along the Salinas Riverbed in Atascadero
Knobby tire tracks crisscross through soft sand. Intermingled with foot, paw, and hoof prints, they occasionally overlook the late spring remnants of the Salinas River as it runs through Atascadero. Some of those hoof prints were left by Kathryn McGinnis’ “big bay ranch horse,” which she takes to the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic Trail…
OUTDOOR KITCHEN: Paso Robles’ Sextant Wines widens its horizon by becoming the official wine for U.S. Sailing
With a love for all things nautical, it was only a matter of time before Sextant Wines founder Craig Stoller struck up a partnership with U.S. Sailing. “It’s such a natural fit,” Sextant Director of Sales Chris Blake said. “Obviously the tie to sailing and the tie to the ocean, and then we found a…
OUTDOOR KITCHEN: The acorn diet
Chowing down on an acorn probably conjures up images of squirrels grabbing one off the ground and running up a tree to eat it. Believe it or not, acorns were once a focal point of the local human diet. Although acorns are bitter as they contain lots of tannins, they can be turned into a…
TRAILBLAZING: Morro Bay’s SeaLife Stewards program produces kayaking volunteers who help visitors carefully enjoy the estuary
The waters of Morro Bay are doubling as a vast classroom for kayakers, stand-up paddle boarders, boaters, and surfers for the ninth year this summer. From the end of May through October, 22 volunteers of the SeaLife Stewards program launch kayaks from the marina behind Bayside Café and from Coleman Beach between the stacks and…
