Heart-pumping adventures to share outside

Adventure with Angela Hawse

Climbing waterfall ice in the Ouray Ice Park. An experience shared by first timers and world-class athletes.

Eddie Bauer Alpine Guide, Angela Hawse, is an AMGA/IFMGA guide (that's the American Mountain Guides Association and International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), President of the AMGA, and one of only 11 women certified in all three AMGA disciplines—alpine, rock, and ski guiding. See what Angela is up to on Insta.

"There is something for everyone, and coupled with close proximity to the amenities in Ouray (including hot springs!), it offers an incredibly accessible adventure. There is no better place to learn how to ice climb or hone your skills than the Ouray Ice Park.

I first ice climbed there a decade before the Ouray Ice Park was created, on the natural climbs in the gorge. It was steep and intimidating but the beauty of climbing a frozen waterfall was incredibly alluring and ever since I’ve become a regular at the Ouray Ice Park, now for over twenty years since its creation. The town of Ouray, pre ice park, was a virtual ghost town with businesses closed for the season, one or two hotels and only a single bar with a small menu.

The Ouray Ice Park transformed Ouray, turning it into a bustling year-round thriving community with great restaurants, accommodations and plenty of other activities like an ice skating rink and small ski hill, great for families. Experienced climbers frequent Ouray also to enjoy the abundance of classic backcountry ice climbs and of course the apre climbing hot springs to cap off a good day out.

Eric Shuette’s adventure write-up is full of good tips and details to get you primed for a visit to Ouray."

Angela's pro tips for a great first impression at Ouray Ice Park:

• A few key pieces of equipment such as Eddie Bauer’s Alchemist 40/55 Pack, the Downlight 2 Hooded Jacket and a pair of Guide Gloves are recommended.
• Local guide services can provide you with all the instruction, supervision and equipment you need for a fun day out and it’s a great activity for moderately fit, adventurous folks to check out.

Adventure with Perry Cohen

Sand, sunsets, and stars.

Eddie Bauer One Outside Leader, Perry Cohen, is Founder of The Venture Out Project, an organization committed to providing a safe, fun place for queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ people to experience the outdoors. See what Perry is up to on Insta.

"To celebrate our anniversary, my partner and I threw our gear in the truck and headed north from Flagstaff to find adventure. We found ourselves on an overlook gazing down at the Colorado River snaking around Horseshoe Bend. There, we noticed kayakers lounging on the banks of the river. Turning to each other, we simultaneously said, “Let’s do that!”

A quick search returned an outfitter and our last minute adventure came to be. We booked the 8am shuttle to ferry us up the river and headed out to pitch our tent at the edge of Marble Canyon. Watching the sunset paint the canyon walls, we cracked open our beers, cooked dinner, and talked about our upcoming adventure.

The next morning, we met our shuttle driver at Lee’s Ferry. He shared bits of history and pointed out petroglyphs as we sped towards Glen Canyon. Once there, we gazed up the canyon walls and marveled at the natural wonder. My partner swelled with pride as she told me how her grandfather had courageously climbed the canyon walls to place the electrical poles we saw off in the distance, ensuring electricity for Arizonans.

We ate breakfast and hopped in our kayaks. The river was calm. We alternated between paddling and floating, our Eddie Bauer Sun Foils keeping our skin safe from the Arizona sun.

That night we camped at Mile 8 campground and scrambled up the red rocks to watch the sunset. For our anniversary dinner we grilled steaks over an open fire and lay on the sandy ground watching the stars. The next morning we packed up the boats and decided to float the final 8 miles so our trip would last as long as possible. It was sad to see the boat launch at Lee’s Ferry and realize our magical 24-hours was coming to a close. We returned our kayaks, waded out into the middle of the river, and vowed to return."

Adventures with Drew Tabke

Easy escape to nature at Ecker Hill Flag Pole, Park City, Utah

Eddie Bauer Athlete, Drew Tabke, is a two-time freeskiing world champ who has circled the globe in search of the burliest big-mountain venues—from Chile to Switzerland. See what Drew is up to on Insta.

"This is an easy hike in the Pinebrook area of Park City, UT. A variety of trails crisscross the hill, giving you a few different options, but however you go it will be about 2.5 miles with 700’ of climbing. The top features the namesake flagpole and a beautiful view of the surrounding area -- but it isn’t pure, unspoiled nature, with some Pinebrook homes just a few hundred feet away. More ambitious hikers (and mountain bikers - these are multi-use trails) can choose to add virtually unlimited miles, as there are options to connect into the greater network of Park City-area trails.

Though it isn’t the most exciting trail in the world, I elected to share it here because I just love the easy access to nature available in this area. My wife and I previously lived in Seattle for 12 years, where getting out into the hills for a hike took 30 minutes of driving at least. I feel really grateful to be able to leave my house and hit a trail without needing to drive.

It’s been an interesting winter so far in Utah in 2021, with very little snow. That means a lot of the hiking and biking trails that would normally be covered with snow by now are packed snow and ice that is actually really nice for hiking. I of course would love it if there were better snow for skiing, but I’ve been able to do a lot of hiking on these snow trails with my wife and my family, which is new to me but has been really fun.

Part of this new experience has been learning about finding ideal conditions on the snow trails. Though not always necessary, Yaktrax, winter shoes with studded soles, or some way to increase your grip can be a big help. Unless they are totally dry, or still have compact snow, avoiding the sunny trails is good practice, as you don’t want to cause damage to trails by using them when they’re muddy. Somewhat counterintuitively, the best conditions tend to be the cold, shady trails. Compact snow is actually quite grippy, and if it hasn’t melted and refrozen, you’re less likely to find mud or slippery ice."

Drew's pro tip for staying comfortable: Dress according to your pace.

"We aren’t super-fast trail runners, we keep an average walking pace and on the gently-sloped, grippy sections we take it up to a job. 

If you like to be aerobic and keep the pace up, you can dress with surprisingly light clothing in cold temps; for example midweight running tights/pants and a light- or midweight softshell jacket, like the Eddie Bauer Sandstone Backbone Grid Hoodie. Lightweight gloves and a hat are key, too. If I’m going slow and taking in the views I bring a warmer, packable down jacket like the Eddie Bauer Downlight."