Hiking · Eco-Chick

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Green Tahoe!

by Ann Benoit · 06/12/08

I hit up south Lake Tahoe this past weekend for some great hiking and R&R and was super happy I went. Right now is a great time to go since it’s right after the ski season has ended but before the summer crowd takes over the town (waay cheaper + less crowded).

A few fun things to make sure to check out if you’re there:

Hiking! The area has some of the most amazing views I’ve seen since I’ve been in Cali. Make sure you bring lots of water if you’re not used to the altitude change— (Lake Tahoe hiking is about 7,000 feet above sea level depending on where you hike) it’ll help with the adjustment.

Vikingsholm Trail: This is a good way to ease into Tahoe hiking. About a mile down to a really cool replica of a Viking castle on the shore of the lake. Coming back up is a little more strenuous.

Food! We had a kitchen and cooked most of the time, but the Wide Awake Organic Cafe was amazing and well worth spending a little extra $$ on. We ate here twice and I was psyched to learn that everything except the bagels are organic (soon they’ll be switching to vegan + organic bagels). My favorite here was the asparagus frittata. Their fair trade organic lattes were also amazing enough to end my caffeine-free stint!

I had heard about Elevation 6310, but didn’t have a chance to check it out just over the Nevada border. Their specialty is late dinner and organic cocktails. Mmmm… organic fruit-infusion vodkas!

Biking: there seemed to be some really great bike trails in the area which I’m looking forward to checking out the next time we visit. Bike trails amidst amazing views of the lake + forest sounds good to me!

cocktails, epa, Fair Trade, farm, Food, fruit, Hiking, News, Organic, spa, summer, vegan, water

Patagonia and Howie's

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by Starre Vartan · 02/05/07

It’s been awhile since I’ve hit the trail, but I’ve got a spring break this year, and dammit, I’m going to use it. Since I’m a student again, I have to vacation on the cheap, and so I’m headed to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee/North Carolina. I’ve never really been to either state (I drove through NC once) so I’m looking forward to checking out the South (where it will hopefully be warmer in a month’s time!)

I’ve learned that any outdoor activity is better when you’re prepared for the varying weather conditions Mother Nature throws at you, and while I don’t need much, a couple new items are in order, especially those undies that wick away moisture (see below). When you’re hiking you need an extra layer, but cotton undies get damp and uncomfortable almost immediately.

After getting some great Christmas gifts at Patagonia this year for my boyfriend, I headed back to their site to check out what they had lined up for Spring, and there’s lots of cute and perfect-for-a-week-on-the-trail stuff. All of Patagonia’s cotton is organic (and super-soft too) and most of their fleeces are recycled (and recyclable). When I was in my local store, they informed me about how one tree only makes a few hundred paper bags (and then stuffed all my purchases into one, instead of using two or three), encouraged me to see An Inconvenient Truth, and convinced me to get a recycled cloth bag to use as gift-wrap (the bags are made from the scraps of material that are left over after huge bolts of cloth are cut up to make their clothes). They also have a great section on their site about the company’s activism, and you can search for clothes that are made with recycled materials or organic cotton separately, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Figure-flattering coat made with recycled polyester.

Sweat-wicking undies

This pretty “Hempdons” dress is made from hemp, recycled polyester, and organic cotton.

Climbing top of organic cotton with a bit of spandex.

Howie’s is a UK-based outdoor clothing company who also has a strong environmental commitment. As they say on their site, their clothes are for bikers, snowboarders, and skaters (but I’m sure it’s OK if you wear them for other activities). They also have a cute blog and a sweet philosophy they call the “Rocking Chair Test”: when they look back when they are old and grey they want to be proud of their company and products. Howies also donates 10% of pre-tax profits to environmental causes.

Too-adorable mushroom hoodie made from leftover cotton fabric (pre-consumer recycling!)

Down-home cowgirl shirt in organic cotton

organic cotton canvan “Freerider” jacket.

activism, bags, car, Christmas, clothes, clothing, cotton, dress, epa, fabric, farm, Hair, hemp, Hiking, Home, local, media, north carolina, Organic, organic cotton, paper, recycle, recycled, Recycling, spa, spring, Tea, weather, women

Shift Media Brings the Green into Holiday Shopping

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by Danelle Brown · 11/26/06

If you were like me and did not want to brace the ‘black Friday’ shoppers, yet you wanted to find the greatest deals and holiday gifts, have I got a great holiday shopping site for you. SHIFT Media has introduced ShiftYourGift.com, a sustainable shopping site that allows you to do your holiday shopping, donate 5% of your purchase to the Non-Profit Organization of your choice, and promote a healthier eco-friendly and ethical lifestyle in one simple transaction.

Here is everyone’s chance to make a difference. It’s quite simple and only requires the click of your mouse and a credit or debit card.

Take a look at some of the innovative products you will find on line:

The SOLIO Portable Hybrid Solar Charger allows you to save energy, save money, and avoid having to carry multiple chargers ever again. Small, light-weight and with a sleek modern design, the SOLIO charger allows you to store and use the sun’s natural energy to charge anything: IPod, cell phone, PDA, PSP and digital camera- anytime, anywhere. (www.solio.com)
Awarded the 2005 Shiny Telewest “Green Gadget of the Year,” VOLTAIC Solar Bags are mobile power generators that integrate light-weight, tough, waterproof solar panels to the outer pockets of stylish backpacks and messenger bags. Good for travel, hiking, camping, or just walking around the city, each solar bag includes a Lithium Ion battery pack that stores any surplus power generated, as well as a set of 11 standard adaptors for charging common small electronic devices like: cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and PDA’s. (www.voltaicsystems.com)
Made in the USA, aGaiN NYC’s (fRoM JunK tO FunK) limited edition handbags and accessories are environmentally and socially conscious products made from rescued and repurposed materials (JunK) transformed into stylish accessories for modern life (FunK).

Other featured products will be Citizen Solar Watches, Heavenly Touch Soy Candles and Lotions by EO Products, Forever Flashlights, Recycled Leather Bound Journals from ScribesDelight.com, Organic Cotton Stuffed Bunny from PeaceToys.com, and more.

Have fun shopping and making a difference in many people’s lives this holiday season!.

accessories, bags, candles, car, cotton, design, Eco-Chick, Energy, ethical, handbags, health, Hiking, holiday, junk, leather, lotion, media, NYC, Organic, organic cotton, recycle, recycled, repurposed, Shopping, soy, spa, style, sustainable, travel, water

It's a Brave New Backcountry

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by Brianne Goodspeed · 07/10/06

Edward Abbey

I sometimes wonder what Edward Abbey would say if he could see Appalachian Trail thru-hikers resting cozily in their sleeping bags at night with the stars and moon above, tapping away on their tiny PocketMail devices so that they can post their daily blogs. So far from the asphalt superhighway, and yet still on it.

Well, who cares what Edward Abbey—the old grump—would say because it’s now a lot easier to learn about all of America’s long distance hiking trails at sites like Trailjournals. Started by two AT thru-hikers, “Leif” and “Zipdrive,” Trailjournals now hosts about 137,000 journal entries, and represents about 1,000 hikers and 1,500,000 miles trekked. It’s not just the Appalachian Trail either. You can read about the Long Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the John Muir Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, you name it. Besides learning about the trails from the people who are on them, it’s pretty funny to see photos of hikers just starting out—often a little chubby, clean-shaven, and smiling—versus when they finish (looking a little bit like old Ed Abbey himself.)

Checking out this year’s crop of hikers, “Red Dane,” has a good site, as does “Stumpknocker,” an AT legend who has hiked the trail at least four times, and this year is walking all the way to Newfoundland. I met “Mango,” a recent retiree from Tennessee, in the White Mountains a week ago. My own trailjournal from 2004 is still up, though it’s sporadic since I relied on public libraries, rather than pocket mail.

bags, car, Hiking, magazine, rum, sleep

Fave Resource #1

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by Starre Vartan · 10/04/05

I love the Real Goods catalog. I think it’s because I can find both a suitable wedding gift (like recycled maple measuring spoons), a huge variety of solar panels, organic cotton bathrobes and a stovetop water distiller, all in one place. They also have those cool backpacks and bags with solar panels on them that I so want so I can go hiking and power up my laptop while I walk mountain ridges.

Reware