Articles tagged “adventure travel”

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January is learn to ski and snowboard month!

by Kraig Becker on

Ever wanted to strap on a pair of skis and hit the slopes, but don’t have the necessary skills to survive a single trip down the hill? Well, you’re in luck, as January has been declared learn to ski and snowboard month with dozens of resorts across the country offering discounted, or even free, lessons in hopes of attracing newbies during a traditionally slow time for the industry.

The official website for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month has plenty of information for those looking to participate. For instance, the site offers guides on how to get started in both alpine skiing and snowboarding, as well as information on how to dress and what equipment you’ll be using while on the slopes. There is even a section just for kids and they’re also giving away a set of skis courtesy of Head Ski Company.

Best off all, if you’re wondering where you can go to take part in this month-long event, the site includes a list of places that are participating. With resorts in more than 30 states taking part in Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, you’re bound to find a destination not far from where you live. To see a list of those sites simply click here.

The post holiday period is often a slow one for ski resorts across the country. Many travelers have time off during the week between Christmas and New Years Day and they often spend time on the slopes to take advantage of that break. This event is one way to drum up some business during that down time while also introducing people to the sport for the first time. If you’re looking for something to do during the month of January, and sitting inside isn’t an option, then why not hit the slopes? With the option for free lessons, you’re starting to run out of excuses.

[Photo credit: Ripley119 via WikiMedia]

Another east coast ski lift breaks down

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week a ski lift broke down at Lake Placid’s Whiteface Mountain, stranding skiers and snowboarders high above the slopes and prompting staff to evacuate 76 visitors from the malfunctioning machine. This news comes hot on the heels of the collapse of a chairlift at Maine’s Sugarloaf Resort just a day earlier, but fortunately this time out no one was hurt.

The 30+ year old chairlift is 4100 feet in length and can deliver 800 passengers to the top of the mountian each hour of operation. This particular lift also happens to provide access to the resort’s most popular and challenging runs and is generally quite crowded with skiers and snowboarders. On Wednesday, the lift malfunctioned at approximately 11 AM and the last passenger was lowered to the ground, using a rope and pulley system about an hour and 45 minutes later.

The news of two chairlift malfunctions in one week prompted the New York Department of Labor to issue a statement reassuring skiers that the lifts are indeed safe. In fact, the state says that it conducts more than 450 inspections each and every year in an effort to ensure safety on the slopes, but acknowledges that break downs do occur from time to time.

While obviously we all know that machines can break and malfunctions do happen, nothing can ruin a holiday ski trip like being stuck on a lift for a couple of hours, dangling in the cold wind while you wait for a rescue. Especially if it is the only day you have on the slopes. Hopefully the folks involved in both the Sugarloaf and Whiteface incidences were able to still enjoy a little winter fun.

[Photo credit: Petersent via WikiMedia]

New Years Resolution: Add more adventure to your life

by Kraig Becker on

Now that 2010 is officially behind us, and another new year has gotten underway, it’s time to get those annual resolutions in order. Along with the usual vows to lose weight and exercise more, I have one other recommendation, one that is simple in premise but opens up a host of possibilities, especially for travelers. In 2011, lets all make a New Years Resolution to put a little more adventure into our lives.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Adding more “adventure” sounds like a risky proposition. After all, the very word adventure conjures up images of Indiana Jones hacking his way through dense jungles, machete in hand, while fending off hostile natives and giant snakes – not to mention malaria. But that’s only one, albeit extreme, vision of what an adventure can be. The trick is to define what the word means to you, and then pursue a few adventures of your own.

For example, my 2010 adventures saw me trekking through the Himalaya to Everest Base Camp, riding jet skis in the Florida Keys, and spotting wolves in Yellowstone, amongst others. For some Gadling readers those probably sound like fun, exciting activities, but for others they likely don’t seem all that enjoyable at all. You see, we all have our own definition of what adventure means to us, and what works for me, doesn’t necessarily work for you.

Perhaps your idea of an adventure is sampling new and unusual foods while exploring a South American country. Maybe it’s traveling through Europe by train without any kind of pre-set itinerary or cycling through Asia along the ancient Silk Road. Maybe it is as simple as going on a Caribbean cruise or as extreme as climbing a mountain. Or perhaps your adventure involves finally getting a passport of your very own and visiting a foreign country for the first time.

The point is, in 2011, make an effort to not only define what adventure means to you, but pursue a few more of your own. That can include everything from a day trip to a local hiking trail, a weekend escape to a nearby vineyard, or a weeks long journey to explore a destination you’ve always wanted to experience. It’ll make for a more interesting and exciting year to say the least, and you may find that it is a more fulfilling one as well.

Happy New Year everyone! Have an adventurous 2011!

Gadling t-shirts go on adventure travel around the world

by Sean McLachlan on


One of the best things about blogging for Gadling is seeing where my coworkers are off to next. Like me, they’re sure to pack that essential item for every adventure traveler’s kit: the Gadling t-shirt.

We’ve collected photos of Gadlingers flying their colors in some of the most remote parts of the world, and some places that are not so remote but equally rugged, such as the waiting area at JFK airport. Above we see Mike Barish in Rotorua, New Zealand , with his new girlfriend an ostrich who looks very jealous of Mike’s stylish choice in adventure apparel. Check out the gallery for a photo of him getting up close and personal with a lizard on the Tiwi Islands, Australia.

Mike says, “Something about my Gadling shirt seems to attract wildlife (sadly, that has also included mosquitoes). These two critters behaved themselves while I posed with them, but neither seemed particularly thrilled to share the spotlight with me. “

Also in the gallery you’ll see Annie Scott on the Zambezi River, Zambia, and at JFK; Jeremy Kressmann at Kuang Si waterfall near Luang Prabang, Laos; Sean McLachlan in Somaliland and the Jesse James Farm, Missouri; and Tom Johansmeyer heading to the airport.

We’re all busy planning our trips for 2011, so if you have any place you’d like us to write up, drop us a line. Our dance cards aren’t full yet and we’re a pretty flexible bunch. At least that’s what the ostrich says about Mike.

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Snow and ice strand travelers in their Smoky Mountain cabins

by Kraig Becker on

Dozens of travelers to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee were left stranded in their rental cabins earlier this week thanks to snow and ice covered roads. Most had a minimal supply of food and were unsure when they could resupply thanks to the treacherous conditions.

Winter storms dumped several inches of snow on the region, but it was the ice that posed the real danger. The narrow and winding mountain roads became impassable thanks to a thick coat of ice which caused many vehicles to slide off the pavement and become stuck in ditches. Without ice chains on their tires, most vehicles were useless on the slick surface, which meant that visitors to the Majestic Mountain Lodges near Gatlinburg were forced to stay in their cabins and wait for assistance.

Some couldn’t wait however. Running low on food, many of people set out on foot for the nearby town, pulling sleds behind them as they went. Once they made the walk into Gatlinburg, they would purchase their needed supplies and then hike back up the mountain to their cabin. That round-trip trek would take several hours to complete.

Slowly the conditions have begun to improve over the past few days, but even salt trucks and plows have had problems getting up the steep mountain roads. For now, most of the visitors have had to stay in their cabins and wait for the ice to clear.

Would this kind of ice storm be a fun winter adventure or leave you with severe cabin fever? It seems that if you were well stocked on food and supplies, it would be fine just relaxing by the fire. But if you were running low on those things, it wouldn’t be much fun at all. I’d hate to be the guy that drew the short straw to make the beer run.