Walking a tightrope around tricky issues the team talks cold weather clothing, ‘nimby’-ism, and summer adventure plans. Too soon? It’s never too soon to dream of sunny days. They are ahead!

Most mornings I wake up. This is not out of the ordinary. I have done it for the overwhelmingly majority of my time alive. Out of the 14,000+ days of my life, the one at the start of each week has notoriously been the hardest. Garfield famously moans, from his bed that is shaped like a miniature covered-wagon, “Mondays.”

While we may never know why an animated cat dislikes the day, I dislike Monday mornings because they feel the farthest from adventure and nature. To solve this feeling of emptiness, I started setting goals for myself most Monday mornings. This past week, my goal was to catch every sunset. 

December 5th, 2019, is a good day. On this day, 126,500 acres, 19 rivers and their major tributaries, a total of 464 river miles, got a little closer to becoming more protected and wild. The river valleys, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, received some good news out of D.C. The Wild Olympics Bill was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee! 

America’s Favorite Podcasters^(TM) take on La Sportiva shoes, gyms for millennials and overpriced Xmas presents. What to do when encountering  grizzlies and hunters while on a run and what not to do when getting lost on a long trail race.

Also: New trail races for 2020!

I love crazy colors and any outdoor brand that can deliver on that point will have my attention. Combine that with a long history of mountaineering in the Alps and you’ve got La Sportiva, one of the best gear brands for trail runners. You’ve seen their shoes on granite cliffs on Yosemite and on high altitude glaciers in the Himalayas. This shows La Sportiva’s experience and commitment to serious adventuring. A company born in the Dolomites and still family-run up until this day.

Each year, when daylight hours start to dwindle and the temperature hovers around freezing, an excitement builds around the Pacific Northwest. As news reports whip us into a frenzy over incoming winter weather conditions, the freezing level starts falling toward sea-level, raising our expectations for a chance to experience a winter wonderland. When it snows in the Pacific Northwest, our normal world, full of endless green, transforms, wrapping itself in a silent blanket of white. The first winter snowfall on our favorite trails leads us into an unexpected wonderland, inspiring snowy adventures in what no feels like a foreign landscape.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy ‘Gift Guide Part 2’. Here are a few more of our favorite things, packaged, dissected, recommended and reviewed. Part 1 can be found here. We love all this stuff and we hope you will love it too. If you do, buy it via the direct links on this page.

This one ran away from us a bit and went a wee bit long, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. So, we’re cutting the show into two, more manageable portions, releasing them this week and next. We’re nice like that. This week drops part 1. Thanksgiving week you will get part 2. For a full list of all the products including pictures and links to purchase come right this way.

Here it is folks, our glorious The Outdoor Society Gift Guide for 2019. We’re excited to be partnering with several cool gear companies to bring you useful, sustainable, fun, practical and backcountry proven gifts for trail runners, camping enthusiasts and outdoor lovers.

We’re sure there’s something in there you will fall in love with. In fact, we recommend you to just forward this entire page to your family as your holiday wish list. You’re welcome!

For the audio version with a full length discussion on all the products in this guide, and lots of laughter, tune in to episode #83 and #84 of our award winning and losing podcast Singletrack.

In the cold and dark of winter, let’s light the fire of adventure. Get inspired for a new year filled with glorious sunsets, spectacular mountains, and winding trails among trees.