The WildeBeat

Sun, Dec 25, 2005

We want to hear from you...

Posted at 16:30

/blog/news [link ]

When we first conceived The WildeBeat, we wanted a big part of it to be listener participation. Thanks to those of you who sent us some good ideas. But we really want to encourage a lot more.

As an experiment, we'd like to launch a second podcast feed. This second feed, as yet unnamed, will consist almost exclusively of listener-contributions of news and ideas that you leave on our comment line, or e-mail to us as audio or text files. (Please see our contribute page for help on commenting by e-mail.) Shows based on these contributions will be published irregularly, whenever we collect at least a couple of minutes of usable content, or whenever that content contains important breaking news.

We need to hear from you!

Contribution ideas:

1. Tell us about your favorite, under-appreciated, wilderness or backcountry area.
2. Solicit volunteers for an organization that helps people discover wilderness recreation.
3. Announce an outing or other activity your club or group is sponsoring.
4. Tell us about a special outdoors skill you have or wish to develop.
5. Provide news about conditions or issues relating to one of your local backcountry or wilderness areas.
6. Add to, comment on, or correct anything you hear on our shows.

We're interested in any comments you'd like to make about the WildeBeat, or about wilderness areas or activities. When we have enough listener-contributed material, we'll announce the new feed.

Thu, Dec 15, 2005

Drawing Lines in the Snow

Posted at 09:00

/shows/wild_places [link ]

This wild places program is about conflicts over the use of winter recreation areas in national forests. Backcountry skiers and snowshoe hikers can be disturbed by snowmobilers. But are they actually seeking such different things?

Bear Valley, California, is popular with snowmobilers, skiers, and snowshoe hikers alike. The National Forest and the community are looking for ways that they can all get along. Find out what happens next...

• Show number 23 [MP3 format; length 9:56; 2,384,272 bytes]
• Show number 23, high-fidelity stereo [MP3 format; length 9:56; 9,537,537 bytes]
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• To find out more...

Thu, Dec 08, 2005

The Year in Gear

Posted at 09:00

/shows/gear [link ]

This gear program might give you some holiday shopping ideas. Steve asked three volunteer editors from Backpack Gear Test to pick their favorites: Rick Allnutt¹, Jim Sabiston², and Edward Ripley-Duggan³. Out of thousands of reviews published on BGT this year, they recommended these:

1. Orikaso Fold Flat Picnic Set¹
2. Outdoor Research Airfoil Gloves²
3. Princeton Tec EOS Headlamp³
4. Vargo Jet-Ti Stove¹
5. Bozeman TorsoLite Sleeping Pad²
6. MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoe³
7. Tilley TH4 Hemp Hat¹
8. Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent²
9. Western Mountaineering Antelope Sleeping Bag³
10. Gossamer Gear Lightrek PLUS Poles¹

You can provide gear reviews as well. You'll start out by reviewing gear you already own, and then you might be able to get other free gear to review. Read: How to become a tester.

• Show number 22 [MP3 format; length 9:49; 2,359,194 bytes]
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Thu, Dec 01, 2005

Sierra Backcountry Ski Trails

Posted at 09:00

/shows/skills [link ]

This skills program is an interview with Marcus Libkind. Marcus wrote the most comprehensive and widely used trail guides for backcountry ski tours in the Sierra Nevada:

• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada, Volume 1: Lake Tahoe
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada, Volume 2: Carson Pass, Bear Valley, Pinecrest
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada, Volume 3: Yosemite, Huntington and Shaver Lakes, Kings Canyon, Sequoia
• Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada, Volume 4: East of the Sierra Crest
• Ski Tours in Lassen Volcanic National Park

If you want to explore the backcountry on skis, Marcus recommends getting lessons and practice at groomed-track cross-country ski resorts first. The Cross Country Ski Areas Association has a directory of them. One good beginner's guide to winter backcountry skills is Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book.

• Show number 21 [MP3 format; length 9:50; 2,360,239 bytes]
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