With the holidays behind us, and the new year upon us, thoughts go to new year’s resolutions and finding ways to live better, healthier, and happier.

How do you see yourself accomplishing your goals in 2016? For you, does living better mean acquiring the latest tech, appliance, or maybe a home reno? Maybe being happier and healthier comes with a new gym regime and improved diet. All of these make perfect sense – ultimately how you make 2016 great is uniquely personal with no wrong answer.

But let’s say for a second, being the best version of yourself in 2016, meant less things and more experiences. It could be as simple as foregoing the purchase of that new tablet, for a weekend family excursion, or deciding to hold off on a small reno to discover a new culture abroad. Whatever “experience” means to you, making personal growth a priority and creating memories, is never a negative.

So, in the spirit of personal development and betterment in 2016, here’s our 5 Reasons To Buy Less & Experience More In 2016.

Taking Risks Keep Us Growing.

It’s been proven that by testing your boundaries, taking risks, and exposing ourselves to new experiences, we become more creative and better able to handle adversity. Think back to when you achieved something really great – were you just going through the motions or trying something new? Likely you were stepping outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re defintiion of risk is trying an adventure travel vacation or taking up a new hobbie – by pushing your personal boundaries, you’re growing.

Things Collect Dust.

It’s really a no brainer – things get old, break down and become obsolete. In most cases we shelve them, where they collect dust after a few short months after the novelty wears off. Experiences however, take on new life by becoming stories, and stories rarely collect dust – told countless times in years to come to your kids, friends and relatives. Life experiences endure – things don’t.

Creating “Good Stress”.

There’s no doubt, moving into uncharted territory and trying new things can be stressful. Believe it or not, a little stress is good for your body. According to Daniela Kaufer, associate professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “Some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance.” (credit: Berkeley News) In other words, moving out of your comfort zone puts your brain and your body into a position of peak performance. Some exciting travel, trying a new sport, or even testing the waters in a new career, can benefit your brain and body.

Strengthening Relationships.

We’ve all heard the old saying “A family that plays together, stays together”. This especially rings true when opting to invest in experiences over things. By going beyond your own front door, and moving your eyes from a device to the real world, you’re not only taking in new people, places and things, but you have the opportunity to share and enjoy them with family and friends! With tech making virtual experiences more accessible every day, we run the risk of distancing ourselves from those around us. It’s so important, now more than ever, to unplug, create memories, and strengthen relationships. Not sure where to begin, especially in the frigid temps? Here’s a hot tip

Redefine Yourself.

Not all of us, but many of us in North America, have become defined by our possessions. It’s almost impossible not to get wrapped up in the newest, biggest, and fastest of what companies churn out on, what feels like, a daily basis. But what travellers will tell you, is that when they escape this – then return to it, they go through a sort of “reverse culture shock”. By trading things for experiences, you can’t help but risk an entire redefinition of what you see as valuable. The latest Ultra 4k HD 60” TV no longer has the same appeal after hiking the rim of the Grand Canyon  or taking a self guided bike tour through Piedmont wine country. 

Experience for yourself any number of our upcoming tours here!

The post 5 Reasons To Buy Less & Experience More In 2016 appeared first on Pure Adventures.

The Grand Canyon is like no other place on earth. Absolutely epic in every way, from the number of visitors (nearly 5 million a year) to it’s ancient geological history (2 billion years worth)  Arizona’s Grand Canyon is a dream hiking destination.

“It’s easy to think of the canyon as a hole in the ground, but when you’re there it’s so much more. Be ready to be blown away,” enthuses hiker John Soltys. “It’s hard to put into words. The scale is unlike anything I’d seen before.”

Hiking the Grand Canyon is an adventure that shouldn’t be taken lightly. At nearly a mile deep, the hiking down into – and then out of – the canyon challenges even the fittest hikers. The dramatic changes in elevation (South Rim is approximately 7000 ft in elevation and north Rim is 8000 ft in elevation), combined with soaring summer temperature are factors that play heavily into a hiker’s ability to complete a hiking trip of the Grand Canyon safely and happily. “Everyone who hikes in the canyon for the first time reports that it was more difficult than they expected,” reports the National Parks Service.

These tips from experienced Grand Canyon hikers and the National Parks Service will help prepare you for a safe summer hiking experience.

Stayed Well Hydrated
“Water, water and then more water!” advises Soltys, who recently visited the Grand Canyon with his young children. The National Parks Service suggests packing at least 2 liters of water in your day pack and know ahead of time where water bottle filling stations are located. Remember that the Park’s ban on the sale of single use water bottles means that picking up extra bottled water isn’t possible and pack accordingly. Alternate drinking water with drinking fluids with electrolytes (commercially-prepared or home-made) to maintain the salt levels in your body. Hyponatremia is just as dangerous as dehydration.

Add These Essentials to Your Day Pack
A flashlight, waterproof poncho, whistle or mirror, sunscreen, spray bottle and a detailed map are all must-haves in your day pack.

Match the Trail With Your Physical Ability
For Soltys, an easy Ranger-led hike was best for his family. Fit hikers seeking a challenge may want to try sections of either the Bright Angel Trail or the South Kaibab Trail, both offering distances ranging from 3 to 6 miles. If you prefer to stay above the rim, the trail along the South Rim offers amazing views along its paved 13 mile route.

Leave The Diet At Home
A hiking trip in the Grand Canyon is not the time to count calories. Salty, high calorie snacks such as trail mix and homemade or commercially prepared energy bars are popular choices. Balance out your food intake with water intake to avoid cramping and other stomach issues. While the descent into the Canyon may feel deceptively easy to some hikers, it’s important to remember that it take a lot of energy to climb back up.

Pick the Right Time To Hike…
With temperatures of the inner canyon peaking at a daytime high of 106F during the summer months, it’s important to hit the trail before sunrise – or shortly thereafter.  Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are serious health threats and can affect even the best prepared hikers. “Experienced desert hikers know that the timing of their hike is the most important factor in avoiding hazards,” writes the National Park Service on their Summer Hiking page. The National Park Service advises visitors to the Grand Canyon to avoid hiking between 10:00am and 4:00pm, when temperatures in the inner canyon are the highest. Stick to the shade during these times and remember to keep drinking water, even if you’re not on the move.

…And Then Take Your Time On The Trails
A general rule is to allow 1/3 of your time to hike into the Grand Canyon and 2/3 to hike out. If you’re finding the pace with your hiking group to be too fast, ask them to slow down. Follow the talk test – if you can’t keep a conversation going because you are winded, it’s time to slow down. Don’t be afraid to take frequent breaks – in the end you won’t lose anytime by slowing down and stopping.

Go On A Guided Trip
If proper planning and packing is done, a day trip in the Grand Canyon along the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails is achievable for many physically fit hikers. The next step in a Grand Canyon adventure would be a Rim to Rim hiking tour or Phantom Ranch tour with loop hikes, the logistics of which can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the Canyon’s trails. A guided trip takes away many of the worries of planning, which means you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime. Pure Adventures offers several guided trips of the Grand Canyon, each led by experienced guides with wilderness first aid training. Contact Pure Adventures to begin planning your summer vacation in the Grand Canyon.

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At Pure Adventures, we live and breathe mountain biking. Everything from our specially designed self-guided tours for mountain bikers to our staff and guides boasts our commitment to providing travelers with an authentic and exciting mountain biking vacation. For example, did you know our guides are pro mountain bike racers and Pure Adventures founder Loren Siekman races Cat 1 Masters?

The trails on our US self-guided tours in Sedona, the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran Desert are fast and flowy, offering cyclists of all abilities epic vacations –  but we recognize not every one is a pro when it comes to mountain bike handling skills. If you are new to mountain biking, or your handling skills are rusty from the off-season, check out these tips to help improve your mountain bike handling skills.

Look Where You Are Going

“The first thing every mountain biker needs to know is the bike will take you where you are looking!  If you are taking a hairpin corner, you need to look through the corner in the direction you are going so your wheel will follow.  And if you are staring down a big gnarly cholla cactus, you will more than likely steer directly into it,” says Scott Keller, a Pure Adventures guide in Sedona and professional mountain bike racer.

“In the rocky terrain of Sedona, it is vital that you seek the line of least resistance, by placing your front wheel into the crack of two rocks if you are going up a ledgy section. On the opposite end, if you are going down a steep slickrock or stairstep section, besides hanging your butt off the back, keep an eye on where you want the front wheel to go. That’s where it will take you!” advises Scott.

Relax

“Whether you are riding a rigid bike or a full suspension, the best suspension you have is your arms and legs,”  David Alden of Twin Cities Sports tells Active.com. Let the bike move beneath you and relax your grip on the handlebars. This lets the suspension absorb the shock (like it is supposed to) and prevents your hands and arms from early fatigue.

Smooth Out Your Pedal Strokes

“If you’re fairly new to the sport, you’re probably stomping hard on the down stroke,” Andy Wadsworth of What Mountain Bike tells Bike Radar. Remember that each pedal stroke is a full circle and that you need to push and pull evenly throughout the pedal stroke for optimum power. Drills are the best way to perfect your pedaling.

 Brake Better

“Novices are far more prone to panic braking, harsh use of the brakes at the last minute or in an emergency, which causes one or both wheels to skid leading to loss of control of the bike,” says MTB Techniques, a website dedicated to teaching new and novice riders the foundation of mountain biker. By spotting hazards, keeping one finger on your brake levers and braking progressively, you’ll reduce the risk of wiping out on the trail.

Master cornering

A whole blog post alone could be dedicated to the art of cornering, but if your cornering skills are shaky, a few simple tweaks to your position on the bike may be all that is needed to improve your time on the trails. “As you approach the corner, you want to have a low, aggressive position, with elbows bent and the inside pedal should be up with your knee pointing into the turn, pressing your foot into the outside pedal” advises MTB coach Martin Baker. “Keeping your center of mass outside can also help in quick transitions, allowing you to flick the bike back and forth more easily for fast riding on twisty single track.”

Pure Adventures offers five great self-guided and guided mountain biking tours to put your bike handling skills to the test:

• 8 nights Sedona & Grand Canyon Mountain Biking Tour Summer Self Guided. Starting at $1075 per person
• 3 day Scottsdale Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking Self Guided Deluxe. Starting at $945 per person
• 3 days Scottsdale Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking Self Guided Basic. Starting at $595 per person
• 5 day Guided Sonoran Desert Mountain Biking 5 Days Arizona. Starting at $895 per person
• 6 day Sedona Arizona Desert Winter Mountain Biking Tour. Starting at $799 per person
• Scotland Coast to Coast Mountain Biking – Guided.  Starting at $1775 per person

Click here to contact Pure Adventures to book a mountain biking vacation or fill out this form to have us create a custom mountain biking tour for you.

The post 5 steps to better mountain biking (plus 6 great tours to test your skills) appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Bryce Canyon National Park – Queen’s Trail and Rim Trail
Famous for its natural amphitheater and hoodoos, Bryce Canyon’s rock formations defy logic. The Rim Trail is one of the most popular trails in Bryce Canyon not only for it’s paved surface, but for its stunning views of the amphitheater below.  On Pure Adventures’ guided trip of Bryce Canyon, we hike in to the canyon on the 1.8 mile Queen’s Trail, the easiest way to hike in from the rim.

Zion National Park – Angel’s Landing and Emerald Pools Trails
While our own guided (and mostly traffic-free) bicycle ride across the bottom of the canyon in Zion National Park is best described as blissful, thrill seekers agree that a hike up the Angel’s Landing trail in Zion is a must-do. Not for the faint of heart, the 5-mile round trip trail isn’t technically challenging but does require physical and mental strength. The Emerald Pools is an easier and just as enchanting alternative to Angel’s Landing.

Yosemite National Park – Upper Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake Trails
The oldest park protected by the National Parks Service, more than 94% of Yosemite National Park is considered Designated Wilderness. Boasting 800 miles of trails, it would be hard to choose which ones to explore during this optional extension of our self-guided Passport to the American West tour. Upper Yosemite Falls Trail is one of the oldest in the Park, a strenuous 7.2 miles with 2,700 feet of elevation gain with rewarding views of the falls. Mirror Lake Trail is an easy paved trail ideal for families or hikers keen to spot wildlife.

Grand Canyon National Park – South Kaibab, Bright Angel and Rainbow Rim Trails
Boasting more than one million acres, there are endless ways to explore the extensive trail system in Grand Canyon National Park. Pure Adventures offers mountain biking, road cycling, rim-to-rim and rim loop tours of the Grand Canyon, all varying in length and difficulty. Hiking a loop of the Grand Canyon via the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails is considered the classic way to explore the park. Mountain bikers gravitate towards the Rainbow Rim, the only single track open to bikes. Road cyclists have the pleasure of riding away from the more congested areas while enjoying the panoramic views of the Grand Canyon unfold before them on our carefully crafted self-guided Sedona to Grand Canyon tour.

The post Best of the West: our 9 favorite trails in US National Parks appeared first on Pure Adventures.

On Pure Adventures’ Sedona to Grand Canyon self-guided road cycling tour, travelers follow a route that takes in many of the buildings that Colter designed in the Park. Read on to learn more about Coulter and the impression she left on the Grand Canyon.

Desert View Watchtower

At 70-feet tall, the 4 -story Desert Watchtower at the Grand Canon dwarfs any of Ancient Pueblo Peoples watchtowers it was modeled after. The tower was the last building in the visitor concession series designed by Colter, with construction completed in 1932. Colter spent six months researching prototypes and construction techniques before building a model of the site and even had a 70-foot  platform built to ensure spectacular views from the site. Visit the Desert Watchtower on day 4 of Pure Adventures’ self-guided cycling tour of the Grand Canyon.

Hermit’s Rest

“You can’t imagine what it cost to make it look this old,” Colter told critics of Hermit’s Rest’s aged-looking interior. Standing only a few feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon, partially buried in an earth mound, portions of Hermit’s Rest look like a natural rock formation. The stone arch is decorated with a broken bell that Colter salvaged from a Spanish mission in New Mexico. See Hermit’s Rest on day 5 of Pure Adventures’ self-guided Grand Canyon cycling tour.

Phantom Ranch

Originally called Roosevelt Ranch, the 1922 resort village of Phantom Ranch rests on land once used by Native Americans; pit houses and a ceremonial kiva dating from about 1050 have been found there. Colter suggested the name change because she felt it had a better “mental image” for visitors. Construction was difficult as all the building materials except rock had to be hauled down by mules. The popularity of Colter’s Phantom Ranch led to National Park’s staff instituting the permit system.

Hopi House

Built in 1905, Hopi House was the first of eight projects in the Park designed Colter. She hoped that Hopi House would act as a living museum, in which Hopi Indians could live while making and selling traditional crafts.

Lookout Studio

Built in 1914, Lookout Studio features Colter’s trademark use of jagged native rocks which blend in with their surroundings. Resting at the edge of Grand Canyon, the three level lookout is comprised of a gift shop, viewing area and observation tower. Unique to the Lookout Studio – in comparison to Colter’s other designs – is how brightly lit the interior is. Telescopes on its outdoor terrace allow visitors take in the Canyon’s sweeping views.

The post Mary Jane Colter’s Indelible Impression on the Grand Canyon appeared first on Pure Adventures.