Home Up October 2001 December 2001 January 2002 March 2002 April 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 December 2002 March 2003 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 Sept 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 October 2007 November 2007 March 2008 Newsletter Photos

 

Greetings from Oregon,

This is the first issue of the Oregon Peak Adventures email Newsletter. You are receiving this because you have either gone on a trip with us or have requested information about our trips.

We are reasonably sure that you already receive more email than you want to read and will strive to keep communications from OPA short and informative. We will provide information every month or so about upcoming trips and activities, as well as backcountry tips and information.

If, after reading this missive, you decide that you wish to be removed from the distribution list, please reply with "remove" on the subject line and we will take you off. You are also welcome to forward the Newsletter to whomever you think might be interested.

A special thanks for all of you who went adventuring with us this year. We appreciate getting to know you and being able to spend time together in this beautiful country.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you as well.

 

TANZANIA ADVENTURE

We still have space for more folks on our trip to Tanzania scheduled for February 3-23, 2002. The entire trip consists of a nine-day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a five-day safari, and four days on the island of Zanzibar. See more details at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/Tanzania.htm.

We will present slides from our last trip to Tanzania at 7 PM, Friday, November 2, 2001 at the Mazama Clubrooms, 2nd Floor, 909 NW 19th, Portland, OR. Come to see great slides and get more information.

WINTER SCHEDULE

As soon as the snow comes, we will start Snowshoeing, Snow Camping, and Cross-Country Skiing. We plan to go snowshoeing every Saturday and can do trips at any time, as long as we have enough notice to arrange for a guide. Snowshoeing is a great activity for family and work groups as well since it's very easy and quite fun.

We will also offer Expedition Climbing Training in January. We are offering some of the activities in cooperation with Portland Community College (PCC), Wilsonville Parks and Recreation, and Sandy Parks and Recreation.

And, of course, we can hike at the Oregon coast, in the Columbia River Gorge, and in the Portland area all year round, especially if you don't mind a bit of dampness!

For more information go to http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/winter.htm.

YOU'RE AS OLD AS YOUR KNEES - THE JOY OF TREKKING POLES

As George Orwell says in Animal Farm, "Four legs good; two Legs baaad!"

Those of you who have gone on trips with us are aware that I am an avid fan of trekking poles. And those of you, who perhaps skeptically conceded to try them out, have become dedicated users as well. The poles are invaluable in rugged steep terrain, especially if you are carrying a heavy pack. They provide stability for stream crossings, on exposed trails, and when descending loose rock and scree. Ergonomically, they reduce the shock on your knees when making big steps and make you more efficient since you are using your arms to help propel you along. They're also very handy for carrying extra duct tape and propping up your pack.

When you use them, make sure you put your hand up through the wrist loop from underneath so that it provides support to your hand without having to grip the pole.

There are many brands of trekking poles available and most work well. My personal favorite is the Leki Super Makalu model. It is a three-section adjustable pole, spring-loaded for shock absorption and the handle is angled 15 degrees to be more comfortable for the wrist.

For use in snow, you can replace the small trekking baskets with the larger "snowflake" design. You can also replace the tips if they break off and it's a good idea to carry a spare. When the poles are collapsed, be very careful about over tightening them as they can be very difficult to loosen up again. This is especially true of the Kompredell brand poles.

We're looking forward to playing in the snow with you this winter.

Best Regards,

Joe Whittington