Five years ago we were halfway through our ski expedition on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. In fact, we were getting dumped at the 208th kilometer on Kamchatka’s only highway – in the middle of nowhere looking for two things: Good weather and skiable slopes. (Check out the October 2008 issue of Backcountry …
On the Run
Exploring Portland's Forest Park Finding myself in Oregon's Portland with a morning free of commitments, I decided to explore. My nearly new copy of One City's Wilderness: Portland's Forest Park was warped from earmarks I'd folded over the last couple of days. Each tag advocating a trail worthy of running. I always turn to running …
На здоровье or Sláinte
Learning Russian is the one thing I covet most - every year I swear I am going to teach myself the language - and the single inspiration where I've experienced the most failure. Sure, when I'm traveling in Russia I pick up a bit of the lingo. Although, I confess to having a tendency to …
Malawi Bound
Jordan Romero is at it again; this time with his mom, Leigh Anne Drake. The pair leave for Malawi, Africa in late June to build a school. “We’ll be digging trenches and making bricks by hand,” says Jordan; “resulting in a school where there wasn’t one before.” Leigh Anne and Jordan will be traveling with …
Wunderkid(s)
I live in a small mountain town - Big Bear Lake - that seems to be producing a number of kids (and young adults) who are kicking ass in the world of sports. Pretty sure it's the altitude and the freedom to roam forests, meadows and mountain slopes. Leading the legacy of Big Bear's wunderkids is …
All things Kamchatka
While the last couple of years have been calm when it comes to my travel adventures, I am ramping up to have an inspiring and journey-filled 2013 chasing two book projects (details to follow, I promise) and a number of other assignments. First stop, San Francisco. As many of you know, when it comes to …
Inspired to Run
It's nice when life imitates art. As I was working through final edits on my piece for Runner's World (in the January 2013 issue of the magazine), I was also visiting family on the east coast. Each day I was able to carve out enough time for a solitary run around a small lake in …
Doors of Tallinn
I recently spent time wandering around Tallinn, Estonia. A capital city with eight hundred years of history. As one of the oldest cities in eastern Europe, I was quite taken by the architecture - from 11th century medieval towers to 17th century halls. Renting a bike provided the swiftest way to explore as much of …
If they build it, will you come?
I live in a small mountain town and the community is pondering this question. In simple terms: They want to build a new trail in the forest that will attract visitors and adventurers from near and afar, which could mean money and economic development. It's a good idea but it's not really that simple. The …
Ski Season Ends
It's a little sad - the end of a season that was for some and wasn't for the rest of us. While I got to make some unforgettable turns, it wasn't always epic and it wasn't like last year. That's okay; there's next year to look forward to and there's years gone-by to remember, like AdventureJournal.com's homage …
Cathleen Calkins 