Family Travel | Expect Experience

Making Sure Your Trip Goes Smoothly

Never wondering and simply going on your trip is great, if living in the moment is your general style. However, for many people there is more to it than that. There are many logistical concerns that any reasonable person will bring to the table on occasions when they are set to go on a trip. Among them is will you be able to afford it? If you don’t have enough money to pay the bills you already have, you don’t have any business going on trips in the first place. But once that issue is settled, you also have a few others to contend with.

For one, is your vehicle up to snuff? If you do not have a vehicle that is reliable enough to carry you from where you are to where you want to be, then you have a real problem on your hands. You might even need to check out new car prices online, and see if perhaps getting a new vehicle would be a good idea. Not that you would buy a car just for one trip, but if it won’t take you a few hundred miles, it’s probably on its last legs (or perhaps its last tires) anyway. This is not something you can just let slide.

For another, where do you actually want to go? So many people pick their vacation destination just because it’s somewhere they have heard about and considered visiting. But is it somewhere you actually want to be for awhile? If you have any reservations about going, they will cause resistance in your own mind, and your vacation as a whole will suffer for it. Overall, you need to be certain that you take enough time to really think carefully about where you want to take your trip before you go on it. There really is no hurry, when it comes to this sort of thing.

Filed Under: Adventures, Family Travel Tagged With: Travel, Travelogues, Vehicle

To Pack Light or Heavy for Ski Holidays

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Many backpackers have polarized themselves into one of two camps: the light travelers and the heavy travelers. The lights think that the less you bring with you, and the lighter that stuff is, the better time you will have. After all, it can be a real irritation to have to lug what feels like a soldier’s ruck up a mountain. While it’s great to experience a challenge, there is a fine line between “a challenge” and “a death march.” The heavies are quite the opposite, though. Not only do they thrive on the challenge of carrying plenty of things with them, they can also live like trailside royalty on what they’ve brought.

Ski holidays inspire a similar divergence of thought. On the one hand, some people like to cross country ski for days at a time, as if they were a spy during the Second World War, escaping the Nazis across the Alps. Some other people prefer to travel as lightly as possible, and even go so far as to take one of those tents that weigh less than a pound as their only means of shelter. While this is very efficient, it can also cause them to be a little wanting for supplies. This may just be the difference between knowing that your car is a mile or two away, versus wanting to go off the trail for a couple of days and see where you can end up.

There is plenty of validity to the ideas of both camps. If you have anything on your back, you have a chance of getting some blisters. And after a couple of hours of skiing, wearing a piece of paper on your back would be an amount of weight that your muscles would certainly notice. It may just end up coming down to wanting two different kinds of experiences. You can always take another trip later.

Filed Under: Adventures, Air Travel, Family Travel, Gambling, Hiking Techniques Tagged With: Alps, Cross-country skiing, Nazism, Ski, Sports, United States, Winter Sports, World War II

Bet Less For Sports Investing Success

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As with any form of gambling, success at sports investing requires discipline. The defining point between sports betting and sports investing is that the latter involves planning, research and strict money management. With someone who bets casually or without skill, their methods are basically “hit or miss”, so it’s no wonder their winnings are the same. Sports investing takes time and considerable mathematical skill; those with a background in statistics will make sense of the numbers much quicker than those with whom numbers don’t come easily.

The successful sports investor thoroughly researches the players and teams that will be involved in a game before placing any bets. The money management part comes in here; sports investors commonly have an established bankroll with a set amount of money in it, and all bets must come from the bankroll. By having a set amount of money to work with, the sports investor can decide what percentage of his bankroll he’s willing to risk for the chance to win a bet on a given game. This percentage of the bankroll is referred to by sports investors as a “unit”. A sports investor may establish one unit as any percentage of her bankroll, and will typically bet one unit per game.

It’s a common pitfall of beginners to bet too much per game. Professional sports investors advise to bet no more than 5 percent of your bankroll on any one game, and that less than this amount — maybe 2 or 3 percent — is the ideal amount to bet on average. It’s wise to make the size of your unit flexible; if your bankroll grows from more wins, you bet more per unit because five percent of a larger number will equal a slightly larger amount of money, and if your bankroll shrinks, you’ll bet slightly less. In this way, you’ll effectively protect yourself from suffering heavy losses.

Filed Under: Adventures, Air Travel, All About Hiking, Boating, Family Travel Tagged With: Betting, Betting strategy, Bookmaker, Gambling, Game, Money management, Sport, Sports betting

What Will They Think of Next? Betting on Fishing Events

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Head to one of the many sports betting sites and you’re sure to be greeted with an array of events, sports and items to bet on. There’s the ability to bet on professional sports, college sports, Olympic sports and even extreme sports. But what about the ability to bet on fishing?

These sites are always thinking of popular items that the public will want to bet on. While fishing doesn’t seem like the obvious choice for betting sites it could quickly become the new thing to bet on. To the outside world fishing is just a relaxing past time that many people use as a form of vacation or to get away from the stress of daily living. The public quickly forgets that there are events out there like fly fishing and competitive bass fishing.

It would be very easy for a sports betting site to be able to take advantage of the ability to bet on fishing by allowing betters to come in and place bets on who catches the biggest fish, who catches the first fish, etc.

Everyone is looking for a way to be able to make a quick buck or two. Sports betting sites, although illegal in many states, are quickly becoming a person’s fall back to make a decent buck or two. In their hopes of making it big by placing bets people will place bets on anything and everything. This is the main reason that the possibility of seeing fishing on a betting site is something that people may see in the future.

While it hasn’t happened yet, fishing as a sport that can be bet on is sure to be the next hot item to betting item when it comes to online sports betting. Who knows maybe someone will become rich off of picking what the weight of that huge bass was!

Filed Under: Adventures, Family Travel, Gambling Tagged With: Betting, Betting strategy, Bookmaker, Fish, Gambling, Recreation and Sports, Sport, Sports betting

Red Butte Zen-Out

If you want a rugged view of the Continental Divide with its ghostly barren walls, find trailhead 203, a mile north of Indian Point Meadows in Northern Montana. It’s a hike of just over nine miles with an elevation gain of 2,186 feet. It’s not heavily used, although it gets its share of traffic in good weather. It’s not a light hearted day hike. If you are in shape and want untouched wilderness, this is a place to begin.

Rocky Mountain Ranger District can get you all the information you need to make the trek and to see if the trails are open. It is always a good idea to check the status of any wilderness trail and its accessibility due to fluctuations in both weather and the economy that supports the ranger districts.

The hike begins with a map of Prairie Reef, Haystack Mountain. Don’t go it without map and compass unless you know the area. Know your stuff. Be prepared for a stay. The physical trip begins at The West Fork of the Sun with the western destination of the White River. This trip cuts across the Divide leaving you with views of Flathead Alps and Haystack Mountain. You will begin your trip by fording the swift and knee high portion of the West Fork of the Sun, then wander through lodgepole pine forest heading toward Red Butte. Crossing a stream at the butte, you enter a rough wasteland that is a good part of the payoff. You are now nowhere! That is why you do this, correct?

You will pass a thin waterfall on Indian Creek and then the experience becomes mind boggling where the bedrock lays bare showing you it’s origin with ripple marks in the rock. It was once a shallow seafloor. Passing through meadows and dry slopes of beargrass, with a north turn and a steep climb along the western wall of the basin, you will eventually find White River Pass with the view of a huge white monolith. This is a journey of the body and the mind a good place to Zen out.

Filed Under: Air Travel, Family Travel Tagged With: Red Butte, Zen-Out

The Bane of Backpackers

Any backpacker who has been around the block already knows this. For the newbie, listen up: Giardia. You don’t want this! Giardia is a microscopic parasite that when ingested will ruin your month. Diarrhea is the major symptom. It is picked up worldwide in a number of ways, mostly due to poor hygiene. But in the backpacking world, it’s in the water of most streams, even at high altitudes. It originates from feces and causes an infection called giardiasis. Once the parasite is in your intestines, it thrives there. The parasite is protected by an outer shell, consequently it can survive in and outside the body for long months. Symptoms are diarrhea, stomach or abdominal cramps, Gas or flatulence, upset stomach or nausea, and greasy stools that tend to float. Yes, pretty gross and a good way to ruin your trip. Unfortunately you can also have it and have no symptom. It’s a tricky little bugger.

Avoid it. Have a good hike. The old way to destroy Giardia used to be putting iodine or chlorine in the water before drinking it or using it in cooking. But the amount of the chemical that has to be used to do this makes the water pretty disgusting to drink. Of course boiling the water before use also does the trick and many backpackers still do this regularly. But today’s technology has created an easier way with giardia filters.

Prices on giardia filters vary widely, ranging from around $65 to nearly $300. There are some cheaper but be careful. The filter must have an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller or needs to be NSF rated for “cyst removal.” Don’t shortcut on this. It’s a shortcut to your health and when in the wilderness, shortcutting health can be a disaster. Backpacking already has its share of difficulties with painful results in the form of muscle fatigue and blisters. You needn’t ad interior pain to the list of challenges.

Filed Under: Family Travel Tagged With: Bane of Backpackers

Exploring the Wonder and Staying Alive

Backpacking has become a hugely popular sport in the Cascade Range. One small example is the climb from Paradise to Camp Muir on Rainier. Decades ago it was mostly reserved for true climbers. Now it is not unusual to see hundreds of people there in a good week. The frightening part: a noticeable percentage makes the five mile climb and one mile elevation gain across Muir Snow Field in tennis shoes, tank tops and shorts. You want to invite death on Rainier? That is a good way to do it.

People get enthralled with the magnificence of a place like Muir. They get to the edge and decide to go just a little further. Once onto the snow field, the adrenaline rush is blinding and so the unprepared wander on.

One suggestion: Don’t.

If you go to Paradise or any other place similar in the Cascades, Olympics or Rockies, take your time. Get a taste for what this is all about. If you have never backpacked or climbed, investigate the full potential of the sport and go into it knowing what you are doing so that you can come down to share your stories.

Climbs like Muir are too easy to get to for the novice and too difficult to know when to turn back. Take a year to learn about equipment. Boots, socks, tents, backpacks, food and every protection for the body are essential for a trip that could be the event of a lifetime. It is worth the effort to go to places like Muir, but only if you are prepared. Muir alone can make storms in a matter of minutes. Prepared with the right equipment, you can sit it out and learn what life outside of civilization really is. Get caught in the storm with a tank-top, shorts and tennis shoes and learning ends.

Begin with local ranger stations and climbing clubs. You will find some of the most wonderful people in both and they are fully willing to help you get started so you can so you can continue see the wonder . . . alive.

Filed Under: Family Travel, Seasonal Hiking Tagged With: Exploring the Wonder, Staying Alive

Boots, Socks, Adhesive Tape and No Pain

It is amazing to see what people go through when they decide to backpack without honestly making the effort to be prepared first. Your feet? They are either your Road Ranger or a skate board with broken wheels. Which do you want when you are ten miles from the trial head?

You can go to the specialty stores and purchase the best boots imaginable and spend hundreds doing so. Asolo, Vasque, Patagonia, Soloman . . . the brand names are endless, but the brand name does not get you what you need. Each manufacturer creates boots for certain specialties. That means you need to go to the store knowing the kind of terrain you are going to travel. Which will you get for high alpine climbs on snow fields? Vasque Breeze Gore-Tex or Asolo TPS 520 GVs? You better know the difference. You also need to know that the best boot will leave you disabled if it has not been fitted by a professional. This is not retail rhetoric. It’s a reality. Let the wisdom sink in so you don’t have bleeding toes!

Socks are critical to the safety of the two things that transport you up and down again. A big thick pair of wool socks, right? Maybe. Maybe not. If you have never hiked or are not an avid runner, you need to know about layering of socks: a very thin synthetic on the foot covered by wool or cotton on top. That way the socks rub on socks instead of boot and sock rubbing on skin. However, even that precaution will not protect your feet completely. You need to have worn the boots enough to know where the rub-spots are and cover those spots with adhesive tape for further protection. And if your feet are most tender, don’t forget to pack Second Skin.

The comfort and safety of your feet is perhaps the number one item on your list of to-dos before gearing up with any other of the needed items. Without your feet, you’re in painful nowhere. Do your research. Enjoy your journey.

Filed Under: Air Travel, Family Travel, Sports Tagged With: Adhesive Tape, Boots, No Pain, Socks

Tents are Fun . . . and Expensive!

When was the last time you walked into the local back-packing outfitter? If you are just entering the world of backpacking and climbing, prepare to be there for a couple hours. Leave your wallet in the car. Just look.

Boots, back packs, sleeping bags and tents have gone through massive technological changes in the past few decades. They are amazing items, but the one item that will catch your eye like a magnet is the tent. They are amazing! Rip stop in multiple colors with doors that open in various ways and wall inside. Some have entry ways, little porches to keep your boots! The rain flies are cool too and the shock poles come in lots of colors! There are six-person domes and one person flashlights. There are tents for parties and some that are combination sleeping bag and tent in one. Guess what? You can drop over six hundred dollars on these nifty toys. That is why you left the wallet in the car.

Are you new at this? What’s the difference between a two-season tent and a four-season tent? Price is clearly one difference and if you are hiking a beach in Maui you don’t need a four-season North Face or Sierra Designs. They are amazing tents to be sure and if you have money to burn, go for it. Most people don’t care to drop six hundred dollars on a onetime event.

If you are just deciding to enter backpacking and don’t really know if it is something for you, rent the tent and don’t rent more than you need. Every ounce in your back pack is an ounce closer to pain. If you really need the four-season tent, you are not a novice. Get it? So rent wisely. This goes for the back pack as well. Make sure you have spent plenty of time getting fitted. Know what feels good to you and then see what the outfitter rents. Dropping two or three hundred on a back pack you use only once? You could hang it on the wall of the living room as art!

Filed Under: Family Travel, Train Travel Tagged With: Expensive, Tents

Dawson-Pitamakan Passes Trail

It is described in some trail books as a day-hike. Don’t count on it for a couple reasons. One, it is almost nineteen miles long which is doable for those in good shape not a newbie. But reason two is the motive to go prepared to camp: it’s huge in expanse and places to explore along the way. If you make it a day hike, you are going to miss a good deal of the reason you made the trip.

It is a expeditionary loop from the north shore of Two Medicine Lake to Dawson Pass, to Pitamakan Pass and back again. It is a choice of hikes for many hikers because the elevation gain will not kill you at just under 3,000 feet. No, it is not for the novice. If you want maps, you will need Cut Bank Pass, Mount Rockwell and Squaw Mountain USGS Quads. Glacier National Park in Montana can help you out with that.

Since it is a popular run, you will not be alone but it is popular for reasons that will draw you there. The views are stunning and the off route trails lead to other “stunning” that will make you want to turn this into a few day trip rather than a single day slog.

Clearing Two Medicine Lake, about a two mile run, you will pass Twin Falls. Just before Twin Falls is a trail that leads to Upper Two Medicine Lake, one of the detours along the way. Stay to the right for Dawson Pass. It is a steep run that follows the west face of the Continental Divide. From there to Pitamakan Pass, you will be in high barren country with wide views of terrain that are worth the camera you took with you. It is this rough faced moonscape with glaciers that drew you.

There are campgrounds at Upper Medicine Lake, No Name Lake, and just through Pitamakan Pass at Old Man Lake. You can easily turn this into a two night trip. You will see many rugged peaks where bighorn sheep reside, making you want to live there yourself.

Filed Under: Family Travel, Train Travel Tagged With: Dawson-Pitamakan, Passes Trail