Innehållsförteckning för July/August 2019 från Outside

You might notice something a little different about this year’s iteration of our Best Cities coverage (page 20): there are no towns, only big urban centers. That’s a pretty radical departure, especially given that our annual list has always put a premium on delivering the small-town fantasy. Places we’ve highlighted in the past, like Salida, Colorado, or Middlebury, Vermont, are truly sensational locations to call home—thriving communities surrounded by vast open spaces—but they’re not exactly practical targets for relocation. Jobs in these types of dream burgs are hard to come by, which is largely why they’ve remained small. For most of our audience, pulling up stakes and heading to one of these locales isn’t possible, and just reading about utopian small-town life provides all the escapism we really crave. This…

MIAMI, FLORIDA POPULATION: 463,354 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $40,327 PARK ACREAGE: 1,500 Stereotypical Resident: The tanned triathlete-yogi-marathoner-SUPer who does everything but surf. What’s Happening: Sure, Miami has beaches, but public officials are also busily connecting hundreds of miles of urban trails, making it possible to explore oceanfront parks, cross Biscayne Bay, and then grab a delicious Cuban pastelito puff pastry—all on multi-use paths. The Neighborhood: You’ll find bungalows, Spanish architecture, old-growth trees, and quirky parks in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest neighborhood, on the city’s southeastern shore. The Bohemian vibe comes with great recreation, including runs along the five-mile Commodore Trail and 20-mile out-and-back rides to Key Biscayne on the Rickenbacker Causeway. But you’ll have to pony up. Coconut Grove is one of the city’s hottest housing markets; the average single-family home…

“As a kid in L.A., I was into sports like football and basketball. Then I saw my dad, an elite amateur cyclist, race for the first time. I was transfixed. He wouldn’t let me ride outside on a road bike until I proved that I was dedicated, so at age 13, I spent two months on his trainer. Then he took me on my first road ride: 70 miles along the Pacific Coast Highway. Twenty miles from home I cramped up, my aunt came and got me, and my dad rode on. I started racing a few months later, and I’ve been cycling in L.A. ever since. My city has a spotty reputation among cyclists, since it’s highway heavy and most people rely on their cars. But the infrastructure is…

Most cameras are utilitarian and, truth be told, quite ugly. Not the Olympus Pen-F. This mirrorless digital shooter is a throwback to the first iteration, released in 1963. And like the original, it looks just as good as it works, with a metal body, old-school dials, and leather accents. Opportunities for great photos can arise suddenly as you’re wandering the city, so you want something unobtrusive enough to carry everywhere. The Pen-F is no high-speed action camera, but its svelte frame fits neatly in a pocket (sans lens). So does your smartphone, of course, but this camera’s sensor is significantly larger (20 megapixels) than what you’ll find in, say, Apple’s latest handsets, which means it captures more defined low-light images and richer daytime colors. And thanks to those dials up…

A. Tern Vektron S10 e-bike $3,000 E-bikes tend to be bulky. Not this model from Tern, which folds small enough to store under a desk or behind the couch. The motor gives pedaling assistance up to 20 miles per hour. B. Primus Kamoto OpenFire pit $130 Elevate car camping or tailgating with this sleek fire pit. The stainless-steel Kamoto collapses flat and pops up in seconds. An integrated ash pan helps leave no trace. C. Alpacka Oryx raft $1,600 Storing a large boat is impractical unless you have a garage or rent a storage unit. Alpacka’s new two-person raft deflates to the size of two paper towel rolls, weighs just under 11 pounds, and capably navigates flat rivers and lakes. D. Trango City Sender pack $130 As you leave for…

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA POPULATION: 4 MILLION MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $60,197 PARK ACREAGE: 37,021 Stereotypical Resident: The tan, Tesla-driving publicist with a spinning addiction. What’s Happening: L.A. is speeding up major transit projects to reduce the city’s infamous traffic in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympics. The Neighborhood: Venice is home to laid-back surfers and trendy eateries, but a tiny beach bungalow there will cost you $2 million. Instead, head 20 miles inland to up-and-coming Highland Park, where you’ll find taquerias, walkable streets, easy access to 282-acre Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, and ranch homes for around $500,000. The Workout: “The Santa Monica stairs are so popular for exercising that they have their own Yelp page,” says Janel Holcomb, a former professional cyclist who works with Liv Cycling. “Anyone and everyone is…

Though a vocal segment of cyclists still decry e-bikes as lazy, demand continues to swell. That’s partly because the technologies are improving so rapidly: motor systems are becoming seamlessly smooth, lithium-ion batteries continue to shrink in size while providing more range, and designs are so refined that it’s sometimes impossible to tell an electric model from an analog one. “They are game changers in so many ways, making cycling more accessible and practical,” says Larry Pizzi, who chairs the e-bike committee for the Bicycle Products Suppliers Association. “They have become a genuine car alternative, enabling bike commuting over distances and terrain that might otherwise be impractical.” That’s definitely true of the Yuba Spicy Curry Bosch, the veritable minivan of e-bikes. The ten-speed, 250-watt Bosch motor isn’t the biggest around, but…

FERRY TALE Washington State Ferries runs 13 routes in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and British Columbia, including two that leave right from downtown Seattle. Here, filmmaker-photographer Brittany Delph and artist manager Himi Martin (opposite) are bound for Bainbridge Island’s low-key beaches and hiking. FOLLOW the lead of elite ultimate Frisbee player Hana Kawai and pick up a good read at a downtown bookstore before heading aboard. But don’t get too engrossed—the ferry crosses the water in 35 minutes. That makes it easy for professional treehouse builders Charlie and Henry Nelson (opposite), whose family business is featured on the Animal Planet series Treehouse Masters, to leave the city lights in the distance. HIKE Bainbridge’s 240-acre Grand Forest Park, which offers eight miles of trail. But why stop there? Take…

With the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop, Fort Point is one of the most scenic surf spots in the world. It can also be deceptively dangerous. “A lot of water moves out of San Francisco Bay as the tide switches,” Burkard says. “If you’re sitting in the wrong spot, you can get swept straight out to sea.” Add in the frigid Pacific, an often gnarly entry over jagged wet boulders, and a lineup pockmarked with submerged rocks, and you get a spot tailor-made for experts. —EMILY REED…

The list of famous Chicago attractions is long: Wrigley Field, the Willis Tower, Kanye. Less appreciated is the city’s impressive recreational space. Among the highlights is Lake Michigan, the fifth-largest lake in the world and a liquid playground for sailing, kayaking, diving, and surfing. “People who haven’t seen it think it’s just a little pond,” says Killion, who has lived and surfed near Chicago since he was a teenager. “But you can’t see the other side. It might as well be an ocean.” —EMILY REED…

DENVER, COLORADO POPULATION: 704,621 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $65,224 PARK ACREAGE: 6,238 Stereotypical Resident: The twentysomething transplant who works at a startup and Instagrams mountain vistas at least twice a month. What’s Happening: Denver has gained more than 100,000 residents in the past eight years, and the city—which is now home to the winter and summer editions of the Outdoor Retailer trade show—has become the country’s most important hub for the gear industry. The Neighborhood: A decade ago, Sloan’s Lake, in west Denver, was a middle-to-lower-income community. Today its median home price is nearly $600,000. The residential area has taken on new life, with trendy spots to sip craft beer and coffee, along with easy access to Sloan’s Lake Park, one of Denver’s most popular spots for running, cycling, and paddleboarding.…

Dog ownership in the city may seem like a fool’s errand. Square footage is tiny, neighbors are close, and yards are practically nonexistent. But with the right training, some breeds are great urban companions. Canines that are low energy and easygoing—but large enough to tackle hikes—can thrive. We asked two Denver-area trainers for a few that fit the bill. Golden Retriever Goldens are popular for a reason: their laid-back personality is great for walks that involve encountering lots of strangers. “Just avoid field-bred Goldens, which are selected for hunting,” says Ted Terroux, co-owner of Terroux Dog Training. “They’re higher energy than show and pet retrievers.” Greyhound This racing breed doesn’t actually need tons of activity—perfect for days when you have time for only a short walk. “Most greys enjoy outdoor…

TUCSON, ARIZONA POPULATION: 535,676 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $41,613 PARK ACREAGE: 4,610 Stereotypical Resident: The burrito-fueled cyclist who’s unafraid of hill climbs, cactus needles, or riding singletrack at night to escape the summer heat. What’s Happening: In 2015, Tucson was designated a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy—the first American city to earn such an honor—in recognition of its unique blend of Native American, northern Sonoran, and colonial Spanish cuisines. The Neighborhood: Menlo Park, close to open space on Tucson’s west side, is just minutes from the Loop, a newly completed 131-mile bike path that circles the city. The Ride: The route that really put Tucson cycling on the map is the 29-mile, 6,600-foot climb up Mount Lemmon. You start among saguaros and end among ponderosas. Riders who get this far are…

The average American commutes nearly an hour per day. That adds up to nine days a year. But your trip to work doesn’t have to involve cramming your face into someone’s armpit on a packed train or suppressing road rage on a clogged freeway. Make like these four professionals and turn it into a mini adventure. NICHOLAS THOMPSON, editor in chief at Wired, New York City “My boss is Anna Wintour,” Thompson says. “I’m supposed to look good.” But at the risk of mussing his hair, he runs nine miles round-trip between his home in Brooklyn and his Manhattan office nearly every day, no matter the weather. Thompson does a marathon once or twice a year, and these daily jaunts are a big training help. “I’m able to stay in…

In part because of a frequent temperature inversion in the skies above Los Angeles, the city has the worst smog of any metropolis in the country. In winter, though, strong winds occasionally clear the air. So when Ceselin woke up to bluebird skies last January, he headed straight for Griffith Conservatory, a 1930s-era public planetarium, observatory, and exhibition space located 20 minutes from downtown. “I got to the top of a hill and had this amazing view that I almost never see,” Ceselin says. “It was magnificent.” —EMILY REED…

If you’ve ever participated in a big-city marathon, you’ve had the thrilling—and vaguely postapocalyptic—experience of logging miles on vast avenues that are miraculously purged of traffic. There’s something to be said for creating this kind of unobstructed running environment. But if you’re like native New Yorker Joe DiNoto, 42, you might argue that having to navigate a city’s messy energy on foot is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of its soul. In 2011, while working as a bartender in the Lower East Side, DiNoto founded the Orchard Street Runners, an organization that has become known for its unsanctioned races. (It hosts five to ten each year.) The events have no clearly delineated course. Runners are only obligated to reach certain checkpoints—how they get there is up to them. As…

RENO, NEVADA POPULATION: 248,860 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $57,125 PARK ACREAGE: 3,446 Stereotypical Resident: The tattooed thirtysomething with a fixed-gear bike and a bartending job, or the cowboy-hat-wearing rancher with a truck and a gun rack. What’s Happening: A new Amazon fulfillment center and the Tesla Gigafactory have brought tech jobs and higher home prices, but the Biggest Little City is still inexpensive, with two-bedrooms renting for just over a grand a month. The Neighborhood: Once known for its strip clubs and seedy bars, Midtown Reno has been reinvented with maker spaces, coffee shops, apartment buildings, and great food. “I love the Eddy, a beer garden and community space with bocce ball and live music,” says Zoe Richards, a ski patroller at nearby Mount Rose. “Like everywhere in Reno, you can…

SWIMQUEST London-based SwimQuest has the most varied offerings, with trips all over the globe and stays ranging from four to eight days, plus itineraries to help swimmers train for long-distance events (from $1,165). SWIMVACATION The only U.S. outfitter on this list, SwimVacation hosts upscale trips across the planet, each with gourmet food and craft cocktails. In Hawaii, you’ll swim over coral reefs, complete the infamous Kona Ironman swimming route, and relax in an airy beachfront home (from $3,995 for seven days). STREL SWIMMING Founded by Martin Strel, famous for swimming the Amazon and Mississippi Rivers, this UK company hosts trips off the coasts of Croatia, Turkey, Montenegro, and Greece. Don’t like salt water? Try Lake Powell (from $1,090 for four days). SWIMTREK Based in Brighton, England, SwimTrek charters trips to…

IF IT WASN’T FOR THE PHOTO UNCLE DICK TOOK, I WOULDN’T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THOSE TWO CANADIAN GUYS LOOKED LIKE, AND I CAN’T RECALL THEIR NAMES. Which is odd, since I still have vivid memories of them and the 33-mile Alaska-to-Yukon hike I did in the 1970s, on the Chil-koot Trail. The opening stage of the thing: a long, welcome-to-low-self-esteem uphill out of Dyea that to my ten-year-old legs felt like an assault on the Matterhorn. My brother, Mike, and I breaking camp on the foggy second morning, after Dick temporarily shut down with a nasty migraine (probably embellished a little to force a lesson in self-reliance on us boys). For all the milestone memories, though, it’s the fleeting yet intense friendship we forged with the Canadians that has remained…

“The key thing for people’s outcome is the number of minutes their temperature is over 105 degrees,” says Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute, named after the Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman who died of heatstroke during an August 2001 training camp. Survival is highly likely if the core temperature is brought below 104 degrees within 30 minutes. Here are Casa’s tips on prevention and treatment. 1. Avoid exercising in high temperatures, or choose cooler parts of the day and stay in the shade. If you do exercise in the heat, wear pale-colored, loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, and acclimate to the conditions by gradually increasing your output over 7 to 14 days. 2. How much water to drink is the subject of some debate. For recreational athletes,…