Imagine you are riding your mountain bike up a steep technical climb, when you see three horses coming down the trail towards you. Do you know what to do? What if you are running up your favorite single-track trail, and a line of mountain bikes are coming down towards you?

While guidelines will vary by location, generally the following can be applied to get you thinking in the right direction:

• Hikers, runners, and bikers should always yield to horses
• Bikers should yield to hikers and runners
• Downhill traffic should yield to uphill traffic

When approaching others from lower on the trail, a friendly greeting does wonders to let others know you are coming and common courtesy will always go a long way. From the North America Skills & Ethics Booklet: “Groups leading or riding livestock have the right-of-way on trails. Hikers and bicyclists should move to the downhill side and talk quietly to the riders as they pass, since horses and other pack stock frighten easily.” Additionally, the International Mountain Biking Association recommends, when riding single track, to come to a complete stop and then side step off the trail, as opposed to just riding off the side of trail, and as a result, widening it.

Moving to the downhill side, when letting horses by, reduces your size and appearance. The initial instinct may be to stay on the uphill side of such large animals, but being on the downhill side it makes them less likely to spook. With that in mind, it makes a lot more sense to move downhill! If you find yourself in an awkward or unsafe situation it is always best to communicate with the lead rider to ask them what they prefer, as they know their animals the best.

Of course, there are gray areas. What if a downhill hiker meets an uphill cyclist? The guidelines would say the biker yields, but for most, it’s a lot easier to stop and start hiking than it is when riding. As a result, many generally step off the trail in these encounters when hiking or running. Of course, the cyclist probably shouldn’t have an expectation that the hiker will let the cyclist pass, it might happen out of courtesy. Or what about when an uphill runner meets a large group hiking down the trail? Downhill traffic should yield, but for the solo runner impact of one person stepping off the trail is far less than a large group doing so.

However, the most important part of yielding to other traffic is to remember to always look for safe and durable surfaces to step onto!

The member-driven Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches people of all ages how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. This Leave No Trace article has been reprinted with the permission of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. For more information, visit: www.LNT.org.

We’re still digging out from under the ice in Seattle. So, today we’re featuring a guest post from David Wilkinson over at Switchback Travel. He recently headed out to Methow Valley in Washington for a cross country ski trip and sent us his thoughts.

The Methow Valley in the North Cascades is just beyond the weekend reach for most Seattlites, enough so that it remains an off the beaten path haven for those who love the outdoors. Rolling ranch land slowly narrows over the course of thirty miles before reaching the sheer walls of a box canyon. The terrain in between, fondly referred to simply as the Methow, elicits the far more famous Telluride in the Colorado Rockies. It’s difficult to say which is a more beautiful place.

The pride of the Methow is the over 200 kilometers of world-class trails used in the winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. A relatively flat valley floor is surrounded by high peaks, therefore the snow conditions mimic the mountains but with easy access to outdoor activities. An extensive network of ski trails—the Methow Community Trail and a number of nearby loops—is fastidiously managed and groomed for all levels of experience. The rest of the work is up to you.

The character of the Methow evolves as one heads up-valley and north toward the Cascades. At the mouth is the town of Methow, a dusty throwback to the time before many tourists made it there at all. Next up is Twisp, the most real town in the valley, home to old industry and new establishments serving organic food and microbrews. The next town north from Twisp is Winthrop, the hip tourist heart of the valley dominated by Subarus and historic buildings transformed into outdoor stores, shops, and restaurants. Mazama is the last stop, a prime location with the most snowfall in the valley and some of the premier trails.

For those new to the area or to cross-country skiing, there couldn’t be a better place to learn. Winthrop Sports on the main drag rents and sells all the requisite gear, and they will also get you trail passes and point you in the right direction of where to ski. Much of the terrain is comprised of soft rolling hills ideal for beginners and families. For those with some experience, Jack’s Trail near Mazama offers more change in elevation. The most difficult track is the Rendezvous Hut system, which makes for a great multi-day trip or a challenging 30-km day.

The Methow snow is legendary, but the valley is just as alive in the summer. Fly-fishing shops are abundant and many of the ski trails transform to accommodate hikers and mountain bikers. Eateries and watering holes open their patios, many facing the Methow River. Of course, when the snow melts there is far easier access to the surrounding North Cascades for all kinds of backcountry hiking and camping.

Aside from being active, the Methow Valley is a place to recharge, meet good people, and soak up the laid-back mountain town atmosphere that is not easily replicated. If you stop by the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop, one of two Methow breweries, you will likely end up in conversation with those who have made the permanent move there. The ease on their faces suggests that maybe it’s not such a bad idea, and many visitors spend the long drive back brainstorming on just how to make it happen.

More information on cross-country skiing and other activities in the Methow Valley can be found at www.mvsta.com.

Initially, waxing your own skis may seem like a daunting task, but the few hazards (like burning your bases) are easily avoided with proper technique and care. The benefits of waxing your skis yourself far outweigh the cons–you’ll save yourself the cash you are shelling out to ski shops to do it for you (after the initial set up costs), you’ll get to really know your skis, and experience the fruits of your labor on the slopes.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

- A ski vise (or some way to hold the skis steady while waxing them)
- A waxing iron (with adjustable temperature dial)
- Ski wax (of the appropriate temperature)
- Plastic scraper
- Nylon structure brush
- Drop cloth or plastic bags to “contain” the scraped wax (optional)

Before you get started, make sure your skis have come to room temperature. If you’ve just come in from a day of skiing, you’ll want to dry them off and wait till they warm up a bit. If you don’t wait for the skis to warm up, the wax won’t adhere properly. Once your skis are room temperature, set up all your supplies, plug in your waxing iron and set it to the temperature indicated on the box of ski wax. The scraping part of waxing skis can be quite messy, so you might want to set up a drop cloth or lay down some trash bags to catch the excess wax.

While you’re waiting for the iron to warm up, secure the first ski. We use a ski-specific vise that clamps onto the edge of a workbench, but there are larger free-standing models on the market as well. Give the ski a quick wipe down with a cloth to make sure it is free of dirt and debris before you start the process.

By now, your iron should be warmed up and ready to go. Heat the wax against the iron until it begins to melt, dripping it onto the entire length of the base of your ski. It’s better to go light on this step because you can always add more wax if you don’t have enough. If you use too much, you’ll be scraping your skis for a while to get rid of all that excess! If the wax ever starts to smoke as you’re melting it, turn down the temperature on the waxing iron.

Once you’ve dripped the wax onto your ski, smooth it over the base using the iron. The trick with this step is to go slow enough to let the wax be absorbed into the base, but not slow enough to burn your base.

Always keep the iron moving! The general rule of thumb is to have about an inch or two of melted wax behind your iron as you move along the base. Any more than that, and your iron is too hot; any less than that and your iron is too cool.

If you find that you need more wax in an area, drip some more onto the base in that area, and then continue smoothing the wax along the base with the iron. Your skis should look like this (image, left–click to enlarge) when you’ve finished this step.

After you’ve finished the first ski, remove it from the vise and repeat the same exact process with the remaining ski.

After you’ve applied the wax to both skis, turn off the iron and let the bases cool down to room temperature. Once they have cooled down completely, it’s time to start scraping.

Secure the first ski in the ski vise and grab your plastic scraper (always use plastic scrapers–metal scrapers can damage your base). Make sure there aren’t any burrs or dings on the edge of the scraper–that will be bad news when you’re trying to scrape the wax. Hold the scraper at about a 45-degree angle to the ski and move from the tip to the tail in overlapping motions. You can periodically wipe away the excess wax as it is being removed. It’s okay to scrape back and forth to remove wax from tricky spots, like the tip and tail. You’ll want to scrape the bulk of the wax you just added off the base. Once you’ve done that, use the notched corner of the scraper to remove any wax that melted onto the metal edges of your skis.

While you have the first ski in the vise, grab your nylon structure brush and buff the base only from tip to tail (direction matters in this step!). This last step buffs the wax out of any nooks and crannies on the base and creates miniature grooves in the base. These little grooves will reduce suction and improve performance (both turning and speed). Your first ski is ready to go–to complete the entire process, just repeat the scraping and buffing steps on the other ski.

So now you’ve waxed your skis! Once you get the hang of it, the process should only take about 20-30 minutes (not including time waiting for wax and skis to cool down before scraping). Plus, you’ll see the benefits on your next day on the slopes.

So how often should you wax your skis? While there is a bit of personal preference, we usually wax our skis about every five days of skiing. (We tend to ski pretty hard and it’s not always the best of conditions–this season has seen lots of icy slopes and thin snowpack). On the other end of the spectrum, if you aren’t skiing hard days, or if you’re skiing on really soft, lovely, groomed trails, you might be able to get away with waxing after about ten days of skiing. We wouldn’t recommend waxing your skis any less frequently than that.

The winner:

Bob Ullrich’s Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto

Bob submitted this recipe, which looks like something I would want to eat at home–but it’s easy enough to make on the trail, a real winner in my book. Here’s his recipe:

Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Arborio rice
• A handful of dried mushrooms (I like to use porcinis.)
• About 1/2 cup of freeze dried green peas
• 1 chicken bullion cube. (I use Knor Swiss.) No additional salt is needed.
• A couple packs of shelf stable Parmesan cheese.

Put dry ingredients into a zip lock bag. At camp, add enough water to cover ingredients by about 1/2 inch in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir constantly, adding water as necessary. Cook until rice is tender. It should be creamy when done. Top with Parmesan, and chow down. Delicious!

Bob’s notes: This is a little high on fuel expenditure, especially at high elevation, but oh so worth it. Also, This might take some practice, because it can be difficult to get most stoves to burn at low heat. If one is careful to not burn the rice, clean up is a breeze. In fact, you might just lick the pot.

This recipe works well as a main course or as a side to our chili mac recipe.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Cup mashed potato flakes
1/4 Cup powdered milk
3 Tbsp dehydrated butter
1 Tsp salt

Toppings (to taste):

Dehydrated sour cream
Dried chives
Freeze dried cheddar cheese
Pre-cooked bacon, crumbled

At Home:

Put the potato flakes and the salt in a zip top bag (remember to label the bag). If your potato flakes come prepackaged, put the salt in the bag with the milk.

Put the milk and butter in another zip top bag.

At Camp:

If you have dehydrated sour cream, prepare it according to the instructions.

Boil 2 3/4 cups water on your camp stove.

While waiting for the water to boil, pour 1 cup cold water in to an empty cup. Pour the bag containing the milk & butter in in the cup. Mix thoroughly.

Once the water has come to a boil, turn off the stove and pour the cup of milk & butter in to the boiling water. Mix briefly.

Slowly pour the bag containing the mashed potato flakes in to the boiling water, mix thoroughly. If you’re using freeze dried cheese as a topping, mix it in the potatoes now.

Top with your favorite toppings and eat.

Why purify or treat water?
No matter how clean or pure a water source looks in the backcountry, there is always the possibility of bacteria, microorganisms, and other water-borne pathogens that can cause serious problems on the trail. When you’re many miles and hours from medical assistance, the last thing you want is to get sick. One of the most common water-borne parasites is Giardia, which causes a whole host of intestinal problems (cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, the list goes on), with medical treatment to rid your system of the parasite taking weeks. No fun!

Options for treatment and/or purification
The options for water treatment and purification continue to expand, and many products are beginning to utilize new technology. There are quite a few different ways to purify your water:

• Heat. This might be the most basic and time-tested method. The Center for Disease Control lists (properly) boiled water right below bottled water in terms of safety. Boiling water kills bacteria and parasites that can cause intestinal problems. The CDC recommends boiling water “vigorously for 1 minute and allow it to cool to room temperature.”
• Filtration. Even though a water filter takes up precious space in a pack, they are easy to use and have the added benefit of filtering out any sediment that is in the water in addition to bacteria and protozoa. There are many styles to choose from, from the Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter to pump-style filters from Katadyn and MSR. The downside? Filters don’t block viruses that may be found in the water, so it’s recommended that filtration is used in conjunction with chemical treatments.
• Chemical treatment. The most popular chemical treatments are iodine and chlorine, though two years ago, the EU banned the use of iodine as a water treatment. (Consider using a different method of treatment if you’re planning a trip in the EU!) MSR markets a sodium hypochlorite solution, called the SweetWater Purification Solution to use with their SweetWater filtration systems for the one-two punch approach to water treatment. When it comes to chemical treatment, always follow the manufacturer instructions. If you’re using iodine to treat your water, a small amount (50 mg) of Vitamin C in the water after treatment will eliminate the flavor associated with iodine treatment.
• Battery-powered devices. More recently, devices like the SteriPEN and the MSR MIOX have become more popular methods of treatment because they take up considerably less space in a pack and are proven to be effective methods of treatement. These two products work differently. The SteriPEN uses ultraviolet light rays to treat the water in only a few minutes, depending on the amount of water you are treating. The MSR MIOX uses salt and an electric current to create an oxidant solution that treats water, though this process requires some patience while waiting for the solution to work it’s magic.

Bottom line
Choosing a system comes down to personal preference. Whether the deciding factor is space, weight, time, or flavor, it’s important to have some way to treat water while on the trail. One thing is certain–you won’t be able to get away with the common charcoal filters found in refrigerators and pitchers and now even waterbottles, as they filter for flavor, not bacteria, viruses, or protozoa. But most importantly, have fun! One of the many joys of backpacking is getting away from it all and enjoying nature…which is even easier when you know you have clean water to keep you hydrated along the way!

At the turn of the 20th century, Seattle was a quickly growing city in the wilderness of the Northwest. Between 1900 and 1910, the population of the city more than doubled. This many people meant that Seattle had an infrastructure problem on their hands. The city needed power, and it needed it quick. So, in 1910, the city authorized the building of a masonry dam over the Cedar River to generate electricity.

This is where Moncton comes in. The town of roughly 200 people was founded in 1906 and housed workers in the logging and rail industries. By 1915, the town had its own barber shop, restaurant, saloon, and indoor swimming pool. Unfortunately for the residents of Moncton, they lived down stream of the new dam being built by the city of Seattle.

In a rush to build the dam, the city seems to have skipped a few basic engineering studies that would have warned them of future problems with the dam. Chief among these were that they were building a dam on top of a glacial moraine. That is to say, they were building a dam on gravel and sand.

According to a newspaper article at the time:

No complete and thorough examination of the dam site had ever been made, nor had any even partially-complete engineering plans of any description been prepared, nor had any borings been made or test pits sunk along the north bank, which is a gravel plateau or moraine, very pervious to water

Alas, the city pushed on with the dam and in 1914 construction was started. By the spring of 1915, the pool behind the dam that would later become Chester Morse Lake, began to fill. Almost immediately, there were problems. Nearby residents started noticing springs erupting out of the ground. As the lake rose, springs turned into geysers. Leakage was so bad that the lake behind the dam started to lose water faster than it could fill up. The water was dropping as much as an inch an hour or 4.2 million cubic feet a day.

This is when the city noticed they had a problem on their hands. According to an article written a few years after the incident “while the dam was on a rock foundation,  that foundation was plainly but a spur of rock. From a point two miles east of the dam, on the north side, bedrock has not been touched, and in the explorations to locate its depth glacial deposits of more than 300 feet have been penetrated.” The hills literally leaked like a strainer for miles in either direction.

Unfortunately for the residents of Moncton, there wasn’t anywhere for the water to go but into nearby Rattlesnake Lake. So, the water in Rattlesnake Lake began to rise. The city came up with quite a few possible solutions to stopping the water. They thought of silting the bottom of the reservoir with clay, to prevent the water from getting to the moraine below. There wasn’t a nearby source of clay, so this plan was ultimately abandoned. Another plan was to inject liquid cement into the moraine, but costs ultimately stopped the plan before it began.

So, the town of Moncton was ultimately left to its ultimate fate as a lake bed. In May 1915, the water in Rattlesnake Lake was rising as much as a foot per day. Personal items were removed from houses via rowboat or barge. Eventually, some of the houses broke free of their foundations and floated in the lake like corks. Eventually, the city of Seattle paid the former residents of Moncton a little under $48,000 for their land.

Worried about contaminating the water in Chester Morse Lake, the city came back the following year to finish what the flood hadn’t. A few salvageable homes were moved to higher ground, but everything else was burned to the ground. All that remained were a few foundations.

Moncton today:

Today, the the town exists primarily under Rattlesnake Ledge. During dry summers, you can occasionally see the foundations of some of the original buildings, but not much else remains. If you hike to Rattlesnake Ledge, you can walk around the base of the lake and get an amazing view of where the town used to stand from the top of the ledge.

If you hike Cedar Butte, you start the hike near the old Cedar River station that serviced Moncton, and walk along the old rail line that the trains used to run. Unfortunately, the view towards Moncton has been mostly overgrown. So, if you want to see where the town used to stand, hike Cedar Butte in the winter when the leaves are off the trees.

Feeds: 2-4, depending on how hungry you are.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb pasta (I prefer macaroni)

1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 lb ground beef
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper (to taste)

freeze dried onions (to taste)
dehydrated/freeze dried garlic (to taste)

I usually pick macaroni for this pasta since they’re small shapes that rehydrate well and don’t crumble in the pack. However, you can use any type of pasta that you like.

The sauce is a bit more work, but still pretty easy. You can make your own sauce, but I’m way too lazy for that. So, I start out with a jar of marinara sauce. You can pick any sauce you want, but stay away from anything with onions in it. I’ve never had a lot of success with rehydrating onions so they taste normal once it’s prepared.

This is why the recipe calls for freeze dried onions. You can buy them a bunch of places online and they taste ten times better than making it yourself. Again, it’s not required but it does result in a better finished product (if you like onions).

At Home:

Start by boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Cook as per the instructions on the box. When the pasta is done, drain the water and let sit for a few minutes to get as much of the water out as possible.

Once that’s done, transfer the pasta to your dehydrator and turn it on to 155. It takes a few hours, but make sure the pasta is completely dry before you bag it. Separate into 2 zip-top bags that each contain a  dinner sized portion.

Next, cook the beef on a skillet with a bit of salt and pepper. Once browned all the way through, drain off the fat.

Pour the sauce into the pan with the beef. Add the parsley and the basil and mix thoroughly.

Pour the sauce from the pan onto the soup racks of your dehydrator. Dehydrate at 155. Check occasionally and mix with a spatula to make sure the sauce doesn’t adhere to the tray. After 5-6 hours, the sauce should be completely dried. Split between two zip top bags and put it with the pasta.

Note: If you’re not going to be using this for a while, the food will last a lot longer if you store it in your freezer. Just use a rubber band to keep the sauce and the pasta bags together in the freezer.

On the trail:

Once you’re in camp and ready to eat, take out the pasta bag. Pour it into your pot and fill with enough water to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes to rehydrate.

After 5 minutes, turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the sauce and mix with the pasta.

Let the water boil off until the sauce is thick again and test the pasta to see if it’s ready. If not, add a bit more water and turn the heat down to low. Otherwise, it’s time to eat. Total time to make on the trail should be less than 10 minutes.

Serves: 4

What you’ll need:

1 medium onion, diced
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 tbsp butter for sauteing onions
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
salt & pepper to taste
1 14 oz can dark red kidney beans
1 cup dry macaroni or pasta of your choice

At home:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, put a large pot over medium heat and saute diced onion in the butter until cooked.
3. Add in the ground beef and cook through.
4. One the meat has cooked, add in the diced tomatoes, chili powder, brown sugar, ground cloves and ground allspice. Mix well and bring to a boil.
5. Add the pasta to the now boiling pot of water
6. Reduce heat for the chili to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove lid and stir well.
7. Drain the pasta and set aside.
8. Let the chili simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Add the pasta and kidney beans to the chili. Simmer for 10 minutes
10. Add salt & pepper to taste.
11. Remove from heat and let cool
12. Pour onto plastic dehydrator trays (the ones for soup that come with your dehydrator)
13. Let dehydrate at 155 degrees for 5-6 hours until finished.
14. Bag into individual servings

At the trail:

The best part about this recipe is that the directions at the trail are just as easy as the pre-made freeze dried options:

1. Pour the chili into your pot and pour enough water to cover the chili
2. Mix and then let stand for 5 minutes to rehydrate
3. Turn on your stove and let the chili boil until most of the water boils off (you want the sauce to look like chili again)
4. Plate and eat.

Upgrade your chili mac:

Want a slightly better tasting chili mac? In our experience the onions don’t rehydrate as well as they should. They’re still tasty, but there’s a definite difference between fresh and re-hydrated. Get yourself a can of freeze-dried onions. Skip the step about cooking onions in the beginning and toss some of the freeze-dried onions in the bag once your chili is dehydrated.

Want an even better option? Cut back on the freeze dried onions and use some freeze dried shallots too. Tasty.

This doesn’t have to be the case. Pad Thai is a street food that can be made pretty easily with a Jetboil (or any other camping stove). The only sacrifice you’ll have to make is carrying a bit more liquid for the sauce. You might even be able to dehydrate the sauce, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Serves: 2

What you’ll need:

1/2 package rice noodles
2 tbsp tamarind
4 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried chili pepper
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp crushed peanuts
1 foil package chicken

At home:

1. Mix the tamarind, fish sauce, sugar, chili pepper, and ground pepper together. Put into a squeezable container. A zip-top bag works just fine as you can cut a corner off to squeeze out during the meal.

2. put the peanuts in another bag, and the rice noodles in another.

At Camp:

1. Boil a pot worth of water on your Jetboil/MSR/camp stove. Put the rice noodles in the water and boil for 5 minutes or until soft.

2. Pour out the water, leaving the noodles. Return pot to stove.

3. Add the sauce and the chicken to the noodles. Stir and heat through. (Note: Keep the stove on low at this point)

4. Plate the Pad Thai, top with the peanuts. Enjoy.

Sounds pretty easy, right? It is. Thankfully, fish sauce and tamarind don’t need to be refrigerated. So, there’s no reason to accept bad Pad Thai on the trail.

Don’t know where to get tamarind or fish sauce? Check out your nearest Asian grocery store. I’ve never been to one that doesn’t stock both.