*This review originally appeared in Dirt Rag Magazine in 2018. Whether you’re going bikepacking or doing a long winter ride in ever-changing conditions, a packable yet very warm jacket is an invaluable piece of gear for when you reach camp for the night or the temperature suddenly drops 20 degrees high in the mountains. There …
The Quehanna Wild Area is the largest state forest wild area in the state of Pennsylvania, covering just over 48,000 acres and boasting herds of native elk, the largest stand of white birch in the eastern United States and an interesting nuclear history. In the 50's, the land that would eventually become the wild area …
Last Saturday, I did my first trail running event since Hyner in 2013 – the Mile Run Trail Challenge half marathon. Those 13 miles and the training run I did of the same distance a few weeks ago were also the farthest I've run at all since 2013. I rediscovered mountain biking that year so …
I got dropped from the beginning. Now, just to be clear, not "dropped" in the traditional roadie sense of the word that implies that my group just kept going without any regard as to if I made the correct turn or was okay or not. I don't ride with people who would do that. But …
To use a favorite analogy of my coworker Karl, life is like spinning a bunch of plates in the air, trying to keep them from crashing to the ground and shattering into a million pieces. I tend to think of my own life like a Venn diagram with five circles: Exercise/outdoor adventure, work, home, a …
I took a break from my run and stood in the middle of the trail, looking at the unending ribbon of slush-covered rocks ahead. My feet and ankles were starting to ache from sliding and trying to catch my balance. I'd gone about 2 miles but it felt like 10. I looked at my phone for …
We've had a streak of extra cold temps lately, with daytime highs in the 10-15 degree Fahrenheit range and lows at night regularly dipping below zero. In fact, I can't remember the last time it was above freezing. Before Christmas, I guess. When it comes to getting outside for my usual outdoor activities, the uber-freezing …
New Years Resolutions are funny things. When I was younger I'd fully subscribe to the "New Year, New You" notion, make my list of all the things I wanted to achieve in the next 365 days, believe that with the turning of the calendar from one number to the next, everything would change. Starting today, …
I got the Soma Condor bars to review for Dirt Rag Magazine in spring 2017. I expected to ride them for the review period, not really like them, then take them off after writing the review. Two years later, the bars are still on my gravel bike. I have ridden them on countless all day …
Riding my bike is my best attempt to defy my weaknesses. This thought popped into my head one morning earlier this summer as I was enjoying a solo "ride before the ride" on the Allegrippis Trails. Later, I'd be meeting up with some friends for what I knew would be a pretty casual roll, so …
helena kotala 