Sometimes it can be fun to go on walks or hikes in the outdoors without a planned route or destination. However, such an adventure only stays fun as long as you can navigate your way to where you need to be. Being able to determine your cardinal directions (north, south, east or west) without a compass is one of the most important navigational tools.

You’ve probably heard about this one: moss grows thicker on the north side of the tree. This tip is handy if you live in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, otherwise it might not do you any good. Moss grows thicker on the north side because it grows better in shade; this side, in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, receives the least amount of light. However, if you’re in a thick forest, all sides of the tree will receive the same amount and that quick trick won’t do you any good.

If you don’t have a compass but you have a watch on you, that can be just as useful. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the first step is to hold your watch horizontally. Then, rotate the watch until the hour hand is pointing towards the sun. South will lie exactly halfway between the half hand and the numeral twelve on the watch. (If it is a digital watch you will have to imagine where the hour hand would be on an analog watch.) From this, you can determine the other three points of the compass you have created from your watch. In the Southern hemisphere, the same first few steps will lead you to the North rather than the South.

RunThePlanet.com encourages avid hikers to take advantage of the expansive outdoors that our planet has provided for us. For more navigation tips, you can read their article “Outdoor Navigation Tips” that explains a method of finding North without a watch. There are also methods to keep course with clouds so you don’t need to know your cardinal directions at all! Know a way out of the woods before you go in.

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Nature is an art in itself. However, the Andres Institute of Art, located on Big Bear Mountain in Brookline, NH, takes this idea a step further. At the Andres Institute of Art, anyone can take a nature stroll and enjoy countless artistic surprises along the trails.

The Institute is a privately owned, but publicly open, land that is nearly 140 acres. The founder, engineer and innovator Paul Andrew purchased the area in 1996 with the idea of placing sculptures throughout the landscape, based on a previously founded love of nature and art. Fortunately, there was a sculptor already living there, John M. Weidman. In 1998, they co-founded the Andres Institute of Art.  It quickly grew to encompass large permanent sculptures, but also has smaller sculptures that come and go.

Each year, the Andres Institute of Art invites artists from around the world to come and design their own art during their annual symposium. The artists are paid a small amount, but their true reward is being allowed the freedom to place their art on the park wherever they please. They are provided with the tools and materials, thus all they need to bring is their own creativity. You can imagine that this symposium brings great results.

The Andres Institute of Art is open to the public every day of the year from dusk to dawn. There are trails that take just 15 minutes, such as the Picnic Trail, the Halfway Trail, the Headwall Spur Trail, and the South Way Trail, while others can take up to an hour, such as the Summit Loop Trail and the Parkway Road Trail. Many decades before, the Big Bear Mountain was used for skiing, and just like its former slopes, the trails range from easy to difficult. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a visit, and if you ever come back, it is worth another one. The views around the park change drastically with the changing of the seasons, and the sculptures themselves change, coming from different artists, new and familiar.

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In the past three days Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire, has received over eighteen inches of fresh snow! Over eighteen! Add that to a base depth between 18-30 inches, and you have got some amazing snow conditions!

With forty-five new trails open, 274 acres open, 21 miles open, 3 parks open, and the weather being not too cold and windy– the conditions are looking good for one of New Hampshire’s biggest resorts.

I have a college pass. At a low $329 for unlimited skiing at Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf, this is probably the best deal you could ever get at mountains like these but not everyone is fortunate enough to be in college. If you are not someone who is looking for an unlimited ski pass because they do get a little pricey, one way to save a lot of money is to invest in a Frequent Skier Pass. You can get them at any time, and they are definitely worth the cost of one. All you have to do is go skiing twice, and you already have made back your money! At around $90, this pass is valid for one free ski or snowboard pass. After that, it becomes a discount card.

What happens is on weekends you can receive a lift ticket for $15 off by presenting a card and a valid form of identification. During the weekdays you can get $25 off. So, just by going skiing on one weekend day and one weekday day, you have made your money back! This, of course, is assuming that the lift ticket you buy is around $75–which it probably will be.

The frequent skier card is perfect for someone who knows that they will go skiing or snowboarding a handful of times. However, if you are a college student like I am, buying that college pass is the best decision you ever could make!

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Note: This article is focused on Mont-Tremblant, the mountain itself as a ski resort. For more about the surrounding pedestrian village, visit our sister site, GoodLifeReview.com.

In English, “Mont Tremblant” translates to “trembling mountain”. With a peak of 875 meters, Mont Tremblant is one of the tallest mountains in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, making it an ideal mountain for the Mont Tremblant Resort. This past weekend, my family decided to make the drive there. (It’s about a 1.5 hour drive from Montréal.) My final reactions to the resort are a bit muddled.

Before visiting Mont Tremblant, I only had heard great things about the mountain. I heard that the trails were awesome, and the surrounding village was quite cute. My experience on the mountain was quite different. A large portion of the trails was closed, and the majority of the open trails were simple greens and blues. I realize that going during December vacation, without any recent precipitation (aside from rain), explains my less than positive reaction to the mountain. The conditions were less than ideal. I can imagine that with another layer of snow, this mountain would be tremendous fun; however, the ice I dealt with was not.

Though the views are incredible, those strictly looking for a solid mountain to ski or snowboard on should look elsewhere. The lodging and dining around the mountain is extremely expensive; this certainly would be considered a luxurious, if not extravagant, destination. Experienced skiers will find themselves quickly running out of interesting options when most of the difficult trails are closed.

The lifts are quick, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant, but I would not go back unless I knew that the conditions were considerably improved. The lesson learned from this experience is that, even if a mountain has been consistently, positively reviewed, bad conditions can sour the visit quickly. If you do decide to ski or ride at Mont Tremblant or any other expensive ski resort, you should check to see if the conditions are fair, and that most of the trails are open, before you book.

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There is a constant struggle in my family to get the youngsters out of the house.  The TV and computer offer significant competition.  And to be completely honest, my own exhaustion after a long day at the office can lead me to be less than forceful in suggesting a trip outside.

One successful approach I have found to getting the potatoes off the couch is tying an outdoor activity into one of their favorite indoor pass times.  I’ve written before about my love for Ninja Warrior.  As much as I enjoy watching it on TV, it does nothing to slim down my love handles.  When I suggest a trip to the park, I generally get some shrugs and “Ummm, maybe later”s.  But if I suggest we go try out our own Ninja Warrior course at the park, well, the boys can’t get dressed and ready to go fast enough.

Whatever the kids are interested in, you can find a corresponding outdoor activity if you look hard enough.  Of course, it isn’t just the kids that need some incentive sometimes to get off the couch and get outside.  I know that I’ve found it easier to motivate myself to get out and get some exercise if I’m looking forward to some ‘alone time’ to listen to a new album I’ve recently downloaded to my iPod.  Or if I need to clear my head to come up with some ideas to meet a writing deadline.

If you’re a regular reader of this site, you are a person who loves to spend time outdoors.  If you’re like me, however, you sometimes find yourself sacrificing your outdoor activities just to try to keep up with the hectic pace of life.  When you find yourself in that situation, give yourself an incentive to make the time you need to get outside and do the things you enjoy.

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That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, skiing season has started in New England!  I am a skier and thought I should do an article to help start kids’ skiing.

Now, if you are a parent with kids who ski and you need a way to get them skiing, as you are too busy, I would suggest using school ski programs to get kids skiing.  They are really helpful, as they take the kid skiing, let him/her hang out with friends, and teach them new things.  When I started skiing, I started via my school’s ski program.  My program bussed us to Pat’s Peak, a medium mountain (good for beginners), offered lessons, and took us home at 8 o’clock.  Rentals had a reduced price though the program, and there was a similar meal program.  Also, we got one free day there and two free days at other mountains.  We were allowed to travel around the mountain without chaperons, but there were still strict rules preventing unruly behavior.  Most ski programs are similar.

Now if your child does ski, he/she needs gear.  If they belong to a program, it is easy to rent but having your own gear is nice.  In the case of kids, buying used is best, as we tend to outgrow it (less so in the case of helmets, goggles, and coats).  I have my own gear, and when I outgrow it, we can trade it into a swap program, where it is much less.  Many ski stores have a way into the swaps.  Do, remember, don’t go crazy expensive, we are kids.

Traveling in groups is very fun as kids.  We like to roam mountains in herds.  So, when your kids (teens!) want to go skiing, let a friend or two come, especially if you are a parent who doesn’t ski.  That way, your kid can go off with a friend while you stay warm in the lodge, sipping hot chocolate.  Also, going around in groups is safer, and you learn from each other.

Skiing is a fun sport, and there are many cost effective ways for kids to take part.  Let them have fun, especially with friends!

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There are a few basic techniques to ice climbing. One thing to note is that you are not going to learn how to ice climb by reading books or articles. You probably should take a class or go on an outdoor trip to learn how to climb. However, these are four techniques that you should be familiar with even before you take an outdoor class.

Tying in: Tying in is what it sounds like it is. When you tie-in, this means that you are attaching your rope to the climbing harness. The typical knot that is used is a figure 8 knot that is extremely easy to do but effective. After attaching yourself to the harness, you then have to create a belay loop. Speaking of belaying…

Belaying: If you know what belaying is in terms of rock climbing, you pretty much know what belaying on ice is. In ice climbing, there are a few methods of belaying. In a fixed belay, there is a belayer, points of protection, and a belay anchor that is attached to the cliff. In a running belay, there is a leader who is in charge of putting in the protection and who takes the safety precautions. The person behind the leader is then in charge of picking up the equipment as the two progress through the climb. There should be a least two points of protection between the two climbers.

Leading: Leading is a technique that was described above. Leading is done in sections, and during each section, the leader is the one who places the protection points. The sections are divided by “pitches” in the sense that the leader places protection points until he/she reaches the next pitch. Once the leader is at the top, he belays the second climber by building a belay anchor. As the second climber climbs, he removes the protection points.

Abseiling: Abseiling deals with going down. It uses a fixed rope to descend down a cliff. Going down can be extremely dangerous, so it is important to be very careful when abseiling.

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There are times when I think that my friend is crazy. She is a rock climber–an avid one at that–who also has parents who are very much into climbing. Her parents are so into climbing that they once left her alone in her house for 9 weeks during her senior year of high school to go ice climbing in Russia. There was a point in time when my friend was so incredibly distraught for an entire week because she had lost all sources of communication that she had with her parents. She thought that she had lost them forever, but then she finally received word via someone else that they were okay.

My friend has experienced what it feels like to think that you have lost someone in a freak accident, in this case, ice climbing, but for some reason, she still continues to ice climb. What is it about this sport that makes it so addicting to some people?

Ice climbing is exactly what it sounds like. It is your, or the people you are with, responsibility to drill spikes into the ice, frozen waterfalls, ice covered cliffs, and icy rock slab to make your way up the side of the mountain. Ice climbing requires certain conditions as well. The best time to go is after the the ice has a chance to melt and then re-freeze. That is the safest time to go.

Going ice climbing requires a lot of training and knowledge of the sport. One also has to be a good rock climber first before one attempts ice climbing. Some of the techniques are similar, but overall, ice climbing is its own sport. Some of the skills and knowledge one would need for ice climbing include knowledge of the rope systems and how they work and how to tie in, belay, lead, abseil (using a fixed rope to come down), and lower.

Please do not attempt to ice climb by yourself!

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that 90% of the world’s water is contaminated in some way. The water might look clear, but chances are that there are microscopic dangers, lurking unseen. There are three basic methods of water purification: boiling, filtering, and using chemical additives. All have pros and cons.

Boiling is the age-old method, which always has proven effective. Bringing water to a boil kills whatever is living inside of it. However, boiling water takes time. You’ll need a device to boil the water, and it probably will be a hassle. On a hot day, who would want to drink warm water over the cool water from the stream? Boiling is safe, and might be ideal for hot drinks such as coffee or tea, but might not be worth the effort.

Mountain Safety Research has a variety of water purifier options. The MIOX purifier is a pocket-sized, easy-to-use, battery-powered device that quickly kills protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. With a battery life good for approximately 200 liters, it really packs a punch. It was recognized by Popular Science as the 2003 winner in “The Best of What’s New.”

Water filters need to do more than just take out the sediment in water, especially if you want to take care of the culprits that give water an odd odor or taste. Filtration is more expensive than boiling, but is very easy and portable. The filters can be very ergonomic; click here to see an example, and they often remove the taste that chemical purifiers can create.

Chemical purifiers use either chlorine or iodine as the major disinfectant. Chlorine tablets are very compact, but many have short life spans. After collecting the water and adding the tablets, the chemicals should be allowed at least a half hour to work. Tablets often cause a bad taste; the taste can be improved by adding salt or other flavoring such as a lemonade mix. The chemical are more effective in warmer water.

You should choose your purification methods based on your needs, and never choose the risk of not purifying the water you drink.

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Parkour is the art of moving. Parkour enthusiasts practice the art by maneuvering their way over, around, and through obstacles in the most efficient way possible. The sport requires no special equipment or playing surface. It typically is played in cities, which by their nature provide a suitable series of obstacles.

Parkour originated in France in the late 20th century and retains the original French terminology for many of the moves. The object of Parkour is to move in such a way as you would in an emergency, when every second counts. Practitioners, called “traceurs” for reasons that I don’t know, run as if trying to catch or escape from someone else moving at peak efficiency.

The originators of Parkour resist the idea of Parkour as a competitive sport, instead considering it to be a self-development activity. Predictably, Americans generally don’t view it that way. Here, we consider any physical activity worth doing is worth doing competitively, and competitive Parkour tournaments are making their rounds in cities across the country.

In America, Parkour has evolved/melded into Free Running. The primary difference between the two is that while true Parkour places the highest emphasis on efficient movement, Free Running values creative movement above all else. Parkour features a few predetermined moves, including vaults, drops and rolls. Free Running is constantly generating new and increasingly spectacular movements, which generally don’t have names and often cannot be duplicated.

In the Rowe family, European Parkour, American Free Running, and an episode of “The Office” have merged into something else altogether. Rokour, which is the official name for our own particular brand of the sport, involves my two sons running through the park, going out of their way to jump on and over every obstacle within sight, and yelling “Parkour!” at maximum volume upon encountering each obstacle.

There is no particular scoring in Rokour. There are no winners or losers, per se. The game usually ends when the little one falls down and starts to cry. The game resumes again when he realizes it didn’t really hurt that bad and his big brother is getting away. I highly recommend Rokour for your next family outing. Just be sure to bring the video camera… and the first aid kit.

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