Last Ride

Robert Craig Knievel Jr., the Butte, Mont. daredevil who was given the nickname, Evil, by a police officer who had come to know the young Knievel all too well, passed away today at the age of 69, the New York Times reports. The stunt man, who coined his nickname as Evel, once was comatose for 29 days after trying to jump his motorcycle over a series of fountains outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. And though he retired a few years before the 1980's, he still managed to become a cultlike hero to almost any kid with a new bike, a few bricks, and a solid piece of wood to use as a ramp.
--Jason Kerkmans

Birds of Prey Attacks

Three days after Reigning World Cup Champion Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway crashed while training for the Birds of Prey Downhill event in Beaver Creek, Colo., the Austrian Michael Walchhofer won the only World Cup Downhill title given on U.S. snow. Walchhofer beat Steven Nyman of Provo, Utah, by 0.05 seconds to become the first non-American to win at Beaver Creek since 2002 - the same year Walchhofer took silver at Birds of Prey.
    The Austrian won on a course that was shortened by rules officials after strong winds and heavy snow disrupted the competition this morning. And while more snow is in the forecast before tomorrow's Super G, clear skies covered the mountain on Tuesday when Svindal crashed on the Golden Eagle Jump. The crash left the World Cup overall champ with multiple broken bones in his face and a severe laceration on his leg according to the Vail Valley Medical Center. Svindal is expected to recover fully from the crash, which can be seen in this Norwegian-language video from Tuesday.

--Jason Kerkmans
 

Copper Pipes Are Open

It's time...Finally. Copper Mountain Resort in Summit County, Colo., has opened the first superpipe in North America. With the unveiling of its 2008 Mein Vein superpipe, Copper's Catalyst Terrain Park team along with Snowpark Technologies have created the first pipe to open on the continent for the past three years in a row, according to the Denver Post. And if you're still not ready for this much delayed season? Check out Outside's Winter Buyer's Guide and get stocked up.
--Jason Kerkmans
 

Safe

He spent more than seven days in the Chuka forest near Mount Kenya, but Kenyan Wildlife Services helicopter pilot Major Solomon Nyanjui has been found and is recovering from injuries that resulted from the crash and the subsequent week he spent without eating, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation is reporting. As a trained soldier and one of the country's best helicopter pilots, Nyanjui knew not to leave the crash site, but the dense jungle and poor weather conditions affected rescue efforts.

Also rescued today were more than 100 passengers and the full crew of the Canadian cruise ship, M/S Explorer off the coast of King George Island near Antarctica. A Norwegian passenger ship located five hours away from the listing cruise ship answered the Explorer's distress call early this morning and successfully rescued the entire crew and all the passengers from the Explorer's lifeboats. CNN reports that a company spokesperson for the Explorer's owner, G.A.P. Adventures, denied earlier reports that the nearly 40-year-old ship hit an iceberg, claiming instead that it ran into a, "submerged piece of ice."

--Jason Kerkmans

Win Jack Johnson's Guitar! Save the World!

One Percent For The Planet--a coalition of businesses committed to donating 1% of their revenues to environmental groups--is hosting an online auction with all kinds of cool gear on the block, including a signed guitar from Jack Johnson, a custom Firewire surfboard, a surf session with Yvon Chouinard and Chris Malloy, a Jackson Hole getaway or a helicopter ride over the nation's capital. Go to www.onepercentfortheplanet.org and click the "Auction" button. Bidding ends December 5th, plenty of time to snag some sweet Christmas presents (or get yourself a little QT with Yvon).

Search and Rescue

For more than five days the search has been on for missing Kenyan Wildlife Services helicopter pilot Major Solomon Nyanjui. As reported by the state-run Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Nyanjui and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company-owned helicopter he was flying went missing within an hour after dropping off the country's Youth Affairs Minister Mohammed Kuti in the town of Isiolo. The helicopter is believed to have gone down in the dense jungle area surrounding Mount Kenya, which along with poor weather has made search and recovery efforts difficult.

On the near-opposite end of the earth, more foul weather, this time in the form of a rare williwaw windstorm, capsized Alaskan fisherman Alan Ryden's 42-foot boat on Friday. The sudden burst of cold hurricane-force wind left Ryden with just enough time to climb into his survival suit and radio a mayday distress call before his submerging boat sunk below what were believed to have been 16-foot swells. As reported by the Anchorage Daily News, Ryden was fishing alone roughly a mile off the Alaska Peninsula shore, 70 miles southwest of Kodiak Island. And in a case of multiple safety malfunctions, neither Ryden's mayday radio call nor the boat's automatically deployed Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon signal were received by the United States Coast Guard until Ryden had been in the water for six hours. It was another four hours before the 20-year commercial fishing veteran was pulled from the frigid waters; in all, he had drifted 14 miles away from shore.

While search efforts are still underway in Kenya, the work of rescuers like the Coast Guard, Ryden's  own determination to live, and other Outside survival stories provide hope for the safety of Major Nyanjui.
--Jason Kerkmans

Shackleton Redux (without the bad stuff)

A century after Sir Ernest Shackleton's epic--but ultimately doomed--route to the South Pole, James Fox and Richard Dunwoody are setting out to reattempt the fateful expedition. The two Brits will depart on November 20th and, after joining Doug Stoup, tackle Shackleton's infamous 1915 route that ended when the great explorer's boat, Endurance, was trapped and crushed by ice. Dubbed "Beyond Shackleton," Fox, Dunwoody and Stoup's 60-day journey will take the men across the Great Crevasse Field, up a 10,000-ft ascent and across the vast, icy expanse of the South Pole. Like Shackleton, the crew will battle extraordinarily tough conditions: temperatures as cold as -58 and Katabic (descending) winds that clock in at upwards of 100 mph, all while dragging sleds weighing about 250 pounds. Presumably, they'll skip the part where they get stranded on the ice, fend off killer whales and have to paddle 800 miles in a lifeboat.
--Damon Tabor

Anchors Away...For Now

Hawaii Superferry, an inter-island ferry which hopes to transport people and automobiles between the islands will resume service on December 1st. Now operating under a state court ruling, the ferry will be able to access Maui's Kahului Harbor - for its initial Oahu to Maui route - while an environmental assessment is being completed. As Outside posted in August, a group of surfers, kayakers, swimmers and environmentalists had initially blocked the ferry's arrival into Kauai's Nawiliwili Harbor amid concerns that the ferry would endanger whales and damage the pristine waters. The protests provided support to the Hawaiian Supreme Court's judgment that the state should have required an environmental impact study prior to the initial ferry service.
    By offering an alternative form of transportation between islands, Hawaii Superferry hopes to attract previous airplane-only travelers aboard its three-hour tours from Oahu to Maui. Future route plans include service from Oahu to Kauai and, in 2009, to the Big Island. And with current inter-island air travel remaining relatively unstable, given the sky-high price-cutting battles that the Mesa Airlines offshoot go! has waged with Hawaiian and Aloha airlines (and Hawaiian's subsequent $80-million favorable damages ruling), travel around the archipelago may soon revert to the outrigger canoe.

--Jason Kerkmans

Now, You Can Eat More Than One

Frito-Lay is embarking on an ambitious plan to create an environmentally benign potato chip. According to a New York Times article, the company wants to pull the plant off the power grid and run it almost entirely on renewable fuels and recycled water. Dubbed Net Zero, the plan calls for installing high-tech filters that will recycle most of the water used to wash potatoes (and the corn used to make Doritos), and then burn the leftover sludge to create methane gas to run the plant’s boiler. Frito-Lay also intends to build at least 50 acres of solar concentrators behind the plant to generate solar power, as well as a biomass generator that can burn agricultural waste and use it for renewable fuel. According to the company, retrofitting the Casa Grande factory--scheduled for completion by 2010--will reduce electricity and water consumption by 90 percent, natural gas use by 80 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent to 75 percent.
--Damon Tabor

Outside's Owner on CNBC

Want an inside look at Outside? Our founder and editor-in-chief, Larry Burke, will appear on CNBC's Big Idea with Donny Deutsch tonight at 10 p.m. ET to talk about how Outside's success can be a roadmap to the American dream. The program will also re-air again at 1 a.m. ET Sunday morning. And for more on Burke and Outside, watch his CBS Sunday Morning segment or listen to our podcast interview with the man himself.

Cup Coming with a Green Light

The seventh annual Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colo., will host the first World Cup Climbing event to be held in the United States in the past 20 years. And if that's not enough numbers, how about the fact that the World Cup climbers will join an expected 2,000 other athletes competing in over 21 different events in 2008. Or that, from June 4th through 8th, they will also be joining a number of four-legged athletes competing in events like the Diving Dog Challenge. All numbers aside, in addition to seeing some world-class climbing competition and dogs that fly fearlessly through the thin mountain air, spectators will be able to experience the Green Light District, a new interactive green experience at the Teva Mountain Games.
--Jason Kerkmans

We're Touched By the Thought

Former SNL funnyman Chris Elliot has just published a new book called "Into Hot Air: Mounting Mount Everest," a send-up of Outside Editor at Large Jon Krakauer's famous work of nearly the same name. The book imagines it wasn't Hillary and Tenzing Norgay who first bagged Everest's summit, but Elliot's adventurous and stone-crazy Great Uncle Percy Brackett Elliott, who subsequently disappeared. Hoping to solve the mystery, Elliot the younger sets off to hike the mountain with a cast of characters including Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Kirsten Dunst and Tony Danza. Entertainment Weekly's says: "Think Caleb Carr meets Monty Python." Thanks for thinking of us, Chris.
--Damon Tabor

The Week in Expeditions

The Antarctic: Hoping to raise awareness about climate change, Philadelphia-based entrepreneur Todd Carmichael and veteran explorer Jason Carteret from London will set out on November 20th to break the world record for an unassisted trek to South Pole. Dubbed the “Sub-Zero Antarctic Expedition,” Carmichael and Carteret will attempt to trek from the coast of Antarctic to the South Pole by skiing 14 hours each day across the ice and hauling 300 pounds of supplies, all while enduring temperatures that reach -65°F, and 100 mph winds gusts. Daily blog updates and ARGOS Satelllite-enabled map at www.subzeroexped.com.

New Zealand: James Castrission, 25, and Justin Jones, 24, both from Sydney, Australia, will attempt a first-ever kayaking expedition across the Tasman Sea from  Australia to New Zealand. Calling their trip "Crossing the Ditch," the two Sydney men embarked on November 13th in a monster, 2-person custom-built kayak and, after paddling nearly 1,250 miles, plan on hitting the coast of Auckland in time for Christmas. Dispatches and TracPlus-enabled tracking at www.crossingtheditch.com.au/.

The South Pole: Explorer Adrian Hayes has begun his trek to the South Pole as part of an attempt to reach the so-called "three poles"--the North Pole, the South Pole, and Mt Everest. Hayes, a Dubai-based life coach and former Gurkha Officer and special forces soldier in the British Army, hopes to be the fastest ever to reach all three points on the Earth, while also raising money for the Children’s Hope Foundation and Friends of Cancer Patients charities. More info at www.adrianhayes.com.

The Amazon: The members of Expedition Amazonas reached the remote town of San Francisco in Peru this week, closing in on their 7-month attempt to paddle the entire length of the 4,350-mile Amazon River. After navigating Grade 6 rapids on the Apurimac and paddling through the Ene River, a hotbed of militia and rebel activity, the team is now entering a long stretch of flat water all the way to the Atlantic. More information and updates at www.expeditionamazonas.com
--Damon Tabor

Ironman 70.3 Delivers

The 2007 Ironmman World Championship 70.3 delivered on the excitement. And more stories than we expected have come out of this past weekend's race in Clearwater, Fla. Mirinda Carfrae, of Boulder, Colo., swam, peddled and ran as if her name was carefree. In doing so, she set a new world best time of 4:07:25            78. On the men's side Andy Potts sprinted ahead of Oscar Galindez at the finish line to win. And as was to be expected, but nonetheless specatacular, 67-year-old Dick Hoyt crossed the line with his son Rick. There was also Sister Madonna Buder crossing the line as the oldest woman to complete the race. And not to be outdone by any youngsters, Robert McKeague finished at 82 years young.
--Jason Kerkmans

Gear Guy: Can the addition of a bivy make my three-season tent usable year-round?

I have a Marmot EOS 1 tent that I love for three-season camping in Colorado. I would like to use the EOS occasionally for winter camping, but I wonder how well the EOS would protect me from blowing snow. Would it be a wise investment for me to purchase a bivy to use inside my EOS for those few times I may camp in the winter?

— Sherry
Parker, Colorado

Yeah, that’s a good point. Three-season tents such as the otherwise excellent Marmot EOS 1 ($225; marmot.com) often have too much mesh to be good winter tents. But it does have a full-coverage fly, so that should help quite a bit. If you’re camped on snow, for instance, you can heap some snow around the perimeter of the fly to form a better seal. That will prevent wind from blowing up between the fly and the tent body, bringing snow with it.

Certainly, taking some sort of bivy bag or sleeping bag cover wouldn’t hurt. But I wouldn’t get a fully bivy bag; it’s too heavy and expensive. Outdoor Research (outdoorresearch.com) makes just the right thing: the MicroNight Bivy.

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Photo: MicroNight Bivy, courtesy Outdoor Research

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The 5,000-mile Chocolate-Powered Expedition

Forget ethanol, two Brits are using chocolate to make a 4,568-mile biofuel-powered cannonball run from the U.K to Timbuktu in Mali, West Africa. At the end of November, Andy Pag, 34, and John Grimshaw, 39, will take off on in a salvaged vehicle they've dubbed the BioTruck, which runs off a specially prepared biodeisel made with waste chocolate, to raise awareness about cutting carbon emissions.
“A lot of people don't realise that when Biodiesel is made correctly, any unmodified diesel engine will run on it," Pag said. Once in Mali, the team will also deliver a small production unit that will allow a local charity to produce biodiesel locally from sustainable sources. And Snickers bars, we presume.
--Damon Tabor

Made of Iron

   
There is no shortage of compelling storylines behind Saturday's Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place in Clearwater, Florida. As the culmination of the Ironman 70.3 Series, the World Championship will feature 1,800 competitors who have qualified for the intense triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run) at one of 22 previous events held around the world. And though the new 70.3 Series is still growing in exposure, some of its athletes are hardly unknown. Case in point: Dick and Rick Hoyt. The father/son team from Massachusetts has already been profiled many times during the nearly 1,000 events in which Dick, 67, has pulled, pushed, and peddled his son Rick, who has cerebral palsy. And if that’s not enough inspiration to get you on your own bike or to make you lace up your own shoes, then read about John Towart and his recovery from cancer patient to triathlete, or Florida news anchorwoman Wendy Chioji’s battle back from breast cancer to compete in the 70.3 Series, and then get outside and go. Photo by: Bakke-Svensson/Ironman

--Jason Kerkmans
 

Veto Dirty Coasts

Yesterday's Congressional override of President Bush's veto on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495) was historic. Being the first time Bush has had his presidential veto overridden made the event newsworthy in and of itself, but this bill—the first new water bill in seven years to be passed by Congress—provides the opportunity for restoration projects in Florida’s Everglades, flood-control projects in the Gulf States and much more to be appropriated. And the impact from these projects might prove even more historic than the news of their overridden birth. The president has derided the bill as filled with Congressional pork (like the authorization for a third visitor center in Morgan City, Louisiana). But the bill only approves $23 billion for water resource management without dividing it among the projects—including restoration for 800 miles of the Mississippi River that, according to the National Audubon Society, could benefit 300 bird species and 100 fish species—but likely not make the river any easier to swim across. So now it is up to Congress turn what may look like pork back into water.
--Jason Kerkmans

Everest 5-0

Chinese authorities have decided to post the mountaineering equivalent of a mall security guard on Mount Everest after a spate of recent gear thefts. During this year's climbing season, expedition teams complained about the mysterious disappearance of vital equipment like oxygen bottles, food and cooking gas.
"Last spring season we received four reports of theft above the base camp on the Tibetan side but we couldn't do anything," Ang Tshering Sherpa, head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, told South Africa's News 24.
Beginning in 2008, the "liason officer" will have the power to investigate complaints of theft and search those accused of stealing, not to mention the enviable task of chasing down any fleeing thieves at 21,000 feet. Thefts will be reported to Chinese police, but no word yet on penalties for offenders....chances are high it will involve the Poop Doctors. Rumor also has it the officer will apply the "broken windows" method of policing made famous in New York City and arrest anyone for fart snaffling in the tent, peeing in the wrong Nalgene or saying "Because it's there" for any reason.  --Damon Tabor

Ran vs. The Mountain (redux)

Ranulph Fiennes, climbing legend and all-around madman, plans on once again having a go at the world's highest mountain in April 2008. Sir Ranulph hopes to raise more than $6 million for cancer and, if he successfully summits, will add "oldest Brit on Everest" to an already impressive adventure C.V. that includes treks to both poles, the discovery of a lost city in Oman, a 7 marathons-in-7-days-on-7-continents bonanza, knocking off the Eiger at age 62 and a slog through the Antarctic in which the intrepid explorer spent four months dragging a sled weighing as much as three men across broken polar ice in -40 temperatures (rumor had he was also up for a role as the next Bond). In 2003, Fiennes tried adding an Everest notch on his belt but was turned back because of health issues and logistical problems. It should be noted, however, this is the same fellow who spent five days sawing off his own fingers with a fretsaw. We've got 5-to-1 on Ran.
--Damon Tabor

Gear Guy: Which snow shovel would you take into the backcountry?

I'm in the market for a new snow shovel and am debating between a collapsible and a removable handle. Any suggestions? And what is the best/easiest way to pack it in the Black Diamond Covert 22 Bag w/Avalung?

— Seth
New York, New York

Interesting question. Life-Link’s updated 3DXS ($40; life-link.com) is sort of the gold standard in winter shovels. It has a polycarbonate blade and aluminum handle that detaches or collapses, and weighs a mere 22 ounces. I’ve used a Life-Link for years; it’s tough, light, and perfectly suitable for winter use.

The folks at Black Diamond decided to have a go from a blank slate. The Deploy 3 ($60; bdel.com) has both a blade and handle made from aluminum. And it weighs about the same as the Life-Link (20 ounces).

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Photo: Snow Claw Guide (courtesy, Snow Claw)

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Don't Even Think About Schlepping That Surfboard

Daydreaming about re-tracing the ASP World Tour's turns in France and Spain? Stop drooling, unless you plan on renting an over-sized foamie in embarassing electric blue. British Airways (BA) has just strapped a ban on checking surfboards on BA flights due to the sticks's "size and weight" along with other water toys like kayaks, canoes, and windsurfing equipment, CNN reported Tuesday. The British Surfing Association (BSA) is hashing back with a nod to the fact that heavier and sometimes longer items, such as skis and golf clubs, are still making it past the check-in counter. BA's somewhat erratic decision came out of left field and surfers are questioning why they can't dole out money towards an extra fee, like on most other airlines, to have their bulky, but beloved, boards take the same flight. To get your board boarded, sign the BSA's petition here. You know we did. --Alicia Carr

World Record Run: Base Camp to Kathmandu

North Face ultra-runner Elizabeth "Lizzy" Hawker followed a successful summit bid up Nepal's Ama Dablam (22,467 ft) with a record-breaking run  from Everest Base to Kathmandu in three days. Hawker, winner of the 2007 Mountain Marathon Cup--a summer-long series of grueling high-mountain marathons in Europe--left Base Camp on October 25th and reached Kathmandu's National Sports Stadium in a record 3 days, 2 hours and 35 minutes. During the run, Hawker covered 188 miles and rollercoasted over 32,800 vertical feet of ascent and 46,000 vertical feet of descent. Damn, Lizzy!
--Damon Tabor

Mick Fanning Takes the 2007 Surfing World Title

Twenty-six year-old, Australian surfer Mick Fanning clinched his first ASP World Title today at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil. Prepping out in the water for a semifinal against longtime friend Joel Parkinson, Fanning was being lapped by a dolphin when Taj Burrow--second in line for the champion title--was eliminated after surfing against Australia's Tom Whitaker handing Fanning the crown. "I woke up this morning and I just had a good feeling it was going to happen today," Fanning told reporters.

Fanning's victory comes as almost no surprise given the young talent's track record. He stormed onto the tour in 2002 placing 5th in his first year--the highest rookie results of all time, which he now shares with 2006's Rookie of the Year Bobby Martinez ("Not One of the Gang", August 2007). In 2003, Fanning placed 4th in the world followed by 3rd place finishes in 2005 and 2006. With the World Title in the bag, Fanning surfed on to bump his ASP World Tour event wins to nine. --Alicia Carr

Gatherings: Bioneer Spirit

Two weeks after returning from the 18th annual Bioneers conference in San Rafael, California, my backpack still smells a little bit like patchouli. And I'm still craving the smooth Cafe Mam coffee from Oregon's Royal Blue Organics—Fair Trade and organically grown, of course—served each morning. (Maybe if I'd made it to the 7 a.m. yoga sessions, or the 8 a.m. meditation gatherings, I wouldn't have needed caffeine to start my day.) But mostly, I'm still processing the ideas I soaked up at the three-day gathering of environmental and social activists. I'm from the progressive hot spot of Santa Fe, and still I was blown away by the scene: 3,000 people, from as far away as Japan, aiming to work together to change the world.

Over the course of the conference, more than 175 speakers discussed issues from ocean conservation to pesticide pollution to fair-wage farming and using art to promote social change. Attendees met in one huge auditorium each morning; after opening remarks from Bioneers founders Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, and an indigenous prayer for the health of the planet, individual speakers took turns telling their personal stories onstage. We split into smaller groups each afternoon, attending panel discussions with titles like "From Ecovillages to Ecocities," "The Ocean Revolution," and "Eco-Art Strageties: Towards a Culture of Sustainability."