Yakima & NRS Founder Bill Parks
Whether to stream, river, lake, or ocean, Yakima has easily and safely been getting people to the water going on five wild, original decades.
July 30, 2019
Our Partners
Wild River Life – Roaming Free to Celebrate Our Rivers
The Wild & Scenic River Act is having its 50th anniversary, so Susan and Adam Elliot loaded up their ’91 Coachman RV and set out to paddle, float, and experience 50 of these pristine rivers. After two years and 19 states, they ticked off 47. Now they are off the road full-time, but still roaming to tick off those final three – and they won’t stop there. “Oh, we’re eager to paddle more and more Wild and Scenic all over the country,” says Susan. “We have yet to visit the Northeast, the Delaware, Westfield, Mississiquoi, and Allagash Rivers, for example. Or Alaska. Those are both high on the list for us.” Two years on the road roaming from river to river
August 13, 2018
Meet Outdoor Afro
Getting people Outdoors with Outdoor AFRO Yakima is a proud supporter and friend of Outdoor Afro, and we’re handing this one over to Yanira Castro, their Communications Director and a regional leader. She’s going to tell us who Outdoor Afro is, and how the organization inspired her – and others – to experience nature with a new perspective. Plus, she’ll give us a look at some big-time climbing and camping action. WE CONNECT THOUSANDS Outdoor Afro is built on a focused mission – to create and inspire Black connection and leadership in nature. We are the nation’s leading, cutting-edge network celebrating and inspiring African American connections and leadership in nature. We help people take better care of themselves, our communities,
June 20, 2018
Life in the SkyRise
FEELS LIKE HOME Randy Propster, Backpacker Magazine’s Get Out More Guru, practically lives in our SkyRise rooftop tent. In just about a year, he’s logged over 150 nights in his SkyRise. That’s more than anyone we know of. “It feels like home,” says Randy. “It better. I’m on the road for over 32 straight weeks right now. This year I have my SkyRise on top of my Turtleback Trailer and I’m pulling the whole kit around with a Ford Transit Connect van. I have a home everywhere I go.” The van his living room and garage (“I travel with 1000 pounds of ultralight backpacking gear”), the Turtleback his kitchen, and the SkyRise is the bedroom. “I climb that ladder,
June 5, 2018
Get Out More Tour
IT’S TIME TO GET OUT MORE WITH YAKIMA and BACKPACKER MAGAZINE It’s summer – time to get and explore and find new adventures, right? But before you head out, shake off winter’s rust at the Backpacker Get Out More Tour when it swings by a retailer near you. Led by Backpacker Magazine pro, Randy Propster, Get Out More crosses the country delivering tips and tricks, wisdom and inspiration, and an opportunity to get hands-on with – and even win – some sweet gear. THIS TOUR’S FOR YOU Randy tours because he loves to share his passion. “If you are an active or aspiring outdoor enthusiast and you’re looking for ways to enhance your experience on your next hiking, camping or backpacking
May 18, 2018
Future Wild & Scenic Rivers
Future Wild & Scenic Rivers By Susan Elliott, Wild River Life Sure, there are over 200 rivers across the country that our nation has decided to protect as Wild and Scenic. Rivers like the Middle Fork Salmon, one of the most popular multi-day rafting trips in the world, or the Appalachian classic Chattooga River, featured in the movie Deliverance and one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the Southeast. Yet, Wild and Scenic Rivers make up less than 1% of our waterways, even after 50 years since the signing of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. Our representatives signed the Act into law to create a balance between development and conservation. As we look back for this year’s
May 7, 2018
NICA – I wish I had this in high school
NICA, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, provides systems, procedures, leadership and services to help form regional leagues that put on competitive – and not so competitive – middle and high school mountain biking events and programs. They get students on bikes, so we are excited to support them by helping get the riders – and their rides – to the races and events. Their programs get students who both already love to ride and those that are new to cycling, an opportunity to be involved with an interscholastic team sport, and it offers students who are curious about mountain biking an avenue to get rolling. Plus, it brings a team ethic – and the camaraderie that comes with that –
November 3, 2017
Outdoor Afro: Rediscovering the Inner Nature Swagger
Outdoor Afro helps to reconnect people with their “inner nature swagger.” We’re psyched to partner with them, and recently joined them on a trip to Olympic National Park to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers. Started as a blog by Rue Mapp in 2009, Outdoor Afro leverages social media and technology to create an adaptive, responsive network of networks that gets African Americans involved with nature. It may start with going on a hike. It may simply be looking at pictures from someone else’s hike on Instagram or Facebook. How you initially connect doesn’t matter, what does matter is shifting the visual representation of who gets outdoors. You can get involved as deeply as you want, any way
June 29, 2017
TEAM RALLY RAV4 – GOING PLACES
Rally racing is a team sport. Christina Fate and Ryan Millen are Team Rally RAV4. They steer their two-wheel drive 2016 Toyota RAV4 SE – with no mechanical modifications – to podiums at rally events across the country. This weekend they head into the championships at Lake Superior Pro Rally in Michigan with 4 Wins and 3 Runner Up finishes total so far this year. They are currently tied for 1st place in the 2WD class and currently sitting in 4th place OVERALL. We caught up with them in Oregon this summer for a day of mountain biking, race prep and checking out our favorite places to eat in Portland. Like Yakima, they’re about going places, “It’s a fit,” says Christina.
August 23, 2016
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