Hardwear Sessions

This morning, Freddie Wilkinson revealed that he's recently began writing for the Huffington Post's "Green" page. He has a nice opinion piece on China's "Olympic" summit, and another on "Yard Sale economics."

These pieces show a different side of Freddie. if you've enjoyed Freddie's pieces on climbing, you'll like these pieces.

For the first time in its history, the Western States 100 has been cancelled. (Montrail, Mountain Hardwear's sister company, sponsors the Western State 100.) The organizers cancelled the race for 3 reasons: "1. Proximity of the fire to the race course...2. Air quality deterioration...3. Safety of our runners."

This photograph, by Kari Niles, a Western States 100 volunteer, gives us some idea of the air quality in Auburn, California. You can't see the smoke here, just haze, but you can see that the particulates have shifted the light, transforming the sun into a reddish disk.

View Mat's photos on Flickr

By Mat Peterson, Mountain Hardwear Planning Team

My wife and I made the quick drive up to Lake Tahoe to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and renew our vows at the top of Mount Tallac. In my mind Tallac is the by far the most majestic of peaks shooting up of the base of Lake Tahoe.

After working out the early morning kinks from our previous days Mountain bike ride on North Shores Spooner Rim trail we got started on our journey up Tallac, an absolutely stunning peak that shoots up off the lake about 3,800 feet and peaks out around 9,800 feet. It was a perfect day for hiking, 79 degrees and balmy. The plan was to get to the top, renew our vows, eat lunch, hang out for a bit, and make our way back. Little did we know there was bit of adventure in store. About half way up just after we passed of the ridge over looking beautiful Falling Leaf Lake we met Frank.

This weekend, dry lightning ignited a swarm of wildfires in Northern California. By Monday morning, Cal Fire (the California agency responsible for tracking and fighting wildfires) counted approximately 90 small fires in Mendocino county, and another 75 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (View Calfire's map of current, active wildfires.)

Fires burned closer to home, in Napa County, in Santa Cruz (the third devastating wildfire in recent weeks), and in Brisbane, a small city south of San Francisco.

Last night, we drove up into the Berkeley hills and sat near the top of Grizzly Peak, "just because." (We were also out on a hunt for banana cream pie, but that's irrelevant.) From Grizzly Peak, we could see an enormous plume of smoke rising from the peninsula. It was the smoke from the Brisbane fire.

By Monday morning, the Brisbane fire had been contained, and firefighters reported that their containment efforts, aided by cooler weather (and the return of the Bay Area's usual summer fog), were beginning to rein in the Napa and Santa Cruz fires.

As of this moment, the air is still hazy with smoke, a reminder of fire's undeniable place in the California landscape. It is not a pleasant experience. The particulates cloud the air, sting the eyes, and settle in the throat. As global warming continues and Northern California's climate grows hotter and drier, scientists expect more wildfires in our region.

View Julia's photographs from Alaska

By Julia Niles

There is something about Alaska that is magical. Alaska is a warm, gooey amoeba that envelops you sucking you in to great times and good people. Strangers are unreasonably friendly and friends show up in the unlikeliest of places. This trip to Alaska proved the theory.

By Will Meinen

It pretty much rained the entire month of May here in the Rockies, so I headed South to Utah with my buddy Brent for a relaxing trip up some classic Zion big walls.

It's still snowing in the Canadian Rockies. I'm headed to Squamish, BC for some sunshine and granite cracks on the Chief.

Enjoy the video.

Summer's here and we're ready to hit the road. Call us old-fashioned, but we like to tuck a few books into our luggage, for those in-between moments in the airport, or the quiet hours after dark, when we're safe in our tents. We like everything from high literature to noir, with a little classic mountaineering literature thrown into the mix. What are you reading this summer?

Sam Magro, Alpinist/Climber

Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates--by Tom Robbins

If you expect to be spending some time in a tent I would suggest some of the wild fiction by Tom Robbins. This particular novel takes place all over the world from the jungles of Peru, to the deserts of Syria, and even passes through the Vatican in Rome. After reading this book during on a road trip I later named some new rock routes after the title as I had just returned to Montana after some hot climbing in California.....enjoy.

Freddie Wilkinson, Alpinist/Climber

Solo Faces - James Salter

I know, I know: climbing fiction is hokey, no doubt about it. But this tale, loosely based on the life of the beatnik alpinist Gary Hemming, defies the typically underwhelming standards of the genre. The reason probably has to do with Salter's mastery of language -- he's a writer, not a climber. Yet alpine climbing is a pursuit that dovetails nicely with the post-modern themes prevalent in Salter's other works: the moral void that fosters excessive risk-taking, self-loathing, suicide, and lots of steamy, meaningless sex. His is a world where individuals wander through life alone, strangers to themselves as much as the alien world around them. Set primarily on the cold, grey north faces of the Alps, this is simply the best book ever written about the darker side of alpinism.

Andrew McLean, Ski Mountaineer

A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin

The adventure book to end all adventure books! If you think being stuck in a small tent in Antarctica is a wild adventure, try strapping yourself to the top of a 300' tall tower of explosives and getting blasted into space where rescue isn't an option. This book reminded me of a 2,000 person expedition to the wildest location possible with the astronauts acting as a summit team with a huge basecamp support crew which included some of the most brilliant visionary minds of the time.

More Photos from Will & Cory's big adventure

By Will Meinen

When a couple of New England athletes came to the Rockies for a Mountain Hardwear Photo Shoot, photographer Cory Richards asked me if I would rope gun for a day and help him set up his riggings. Although it's more glamorous to be the subject in photos, someone also has to be the behind-the-scenes man to help prep the stage (so to speak).

Over some pints Cory and I discussed different climbs in hopes of finding something worthy of Freddie and company. We eventually decided on Hydrophobia. It's long, sustained, remote, dramatic, and exposed. It had all the ingredients we were looking for.

"Do you want me to drive?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," Cory said. "We'll take my truck."

I always end up driving into the ghost because most of my partners don't have suitable vehicles so I figured it would be a nice change to be the passenger for once.

View Jessa's Photographs from Red Rocks

By Jessa Goebel

Winters in Boone can be grim. Every year as soon as spring hits and the weather is warmer off the mountain it is time to make an exodus to the warmer sunnier Western US. The spring is usually means it is time to go out west and climb something 'big'. This year I was lucky enough to be able to go to Red Rocks outside Las Vegas, NV. For years I have had friends tell me how great the climbing in Red Rocks was, this year I would go see what it was about.

We make tents. So, in the wake of the terrible earthquake in Sichuan, China, it's only natural that we should send tents to help house those left homeless by the quake. On June 2nd, 2008, 628 two- and three-person tents arrived in China. The UPS Foundation paid for the shipment. In total, the UPS Foundation moved 125,216 pounds of donated supplies.

Tents and other relief supplies, exiting the hold

View more photographs

By Sean McDevitt, MHW Tent Designer

In the days leading up to the Coolest 24 Hour Race Against Cancer, I thought about my love for racing my mountain bike for 24 hours. I am no young up and coming racer, I have a full time career designing and developing tents and bivies for Mountain Hardwear. As a life long athlete, I have never been good with moderation. I am either full in or not. When I ran, I ran marathons and ultra marathons, when I climbed, I free-climbed El Capitan or Lost Arrow Spire. But in regards to my love of 24 solo bike racing, I am reminded of a quote from Steve Prefontaine:

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."
- Steve Prefontaine

At noon on May 3rd I rolled out in the back of the pack of 24 solo riders as the race began. It was my third 24 solo bike race since September. I had improved at every race; I was hoping to better my 16th place at Old Pueblo. I took my time as I slowly reeled rider after rider in. Half way through the lap the top teams relay riders caught me and passed me. I was just trying ride within myself. I finished the lap with my buddy Pat who was racing 8 hour duo and doubling with Jonas as my pit crew.

Lap after lap I tried not to think about going 24 hours. I had learned to turn my brain off; 24 hours was just too much to bear psychologically. After 3 or 4 hours of racing in 90F weather the fresh legs gave way to a two pronged attack of nausea and cramping legs. After the 5th time I gagged trying to swallow Endurolyte pills I started chewing them. After chewing maybe 20 pills I rolled into my pit to try some crackers to settle my stomach. It was a bad sign that I had trouble swallowing; but a good sign that I had done 78 miles of mountain biking in roughly 7 hours.

Around 8pm I rolled into camp for a quick dinner; change of kit and to put on lights. As I shoveled tortellini, I heard over a speaker "And in first place 8 hour duo, my grandma rules." Grinning from ear to ear, medals in hand, Pat and Jonas strolled into camp then quickly got me rolling with fresh bottles and lights. At midnight I rolled into camp and changed batteries and forced down more tortellini and bread. As I rolled out for more Jonas mentioned that they were crashing for the night. They had prepped all my bottles, food and batteries for the remainder of the night. It was up to me; all I had to do was to pedal.

A few weeks ago, three guys from Vertical Solutions showed up at our headquarters to build us a bouldering wall. Al Liu photographed the process, and we'd like to share Al's photos with you.

Click here to view the photo set

Ethan Pringle joined the Mountain Hardwear team in February. Rather than put words in his mouth, I'll just let Ethan introduce himself.

By Ethan Pringle

Born and raised in the Mission district of San Francisco, I was introduced to the wonders of nature before I could walk. My parents -- semi professional windsurfers and outdoor enthusiasts -- brought me everywhere. As an infant, I was in a backpack on hikes and on the back of my mom's bicycle on coastal rides. They took me on their adventure trips in the Sierras, on the wild California coast, and abroad. By the time I was five I'd been to Canada, Mexico, Australia and several Caribbean islands, places that most people don't get to visit in their entire lives. As a toddler, I scrambled over crags at Donner Pass and over rocky shores accessible only at low tide. I loved watching wildlife and enjoying the beauty of undeveloped land. My parents taught me to ski at age three. At six, I taught myself to snowboard on an oversize board and Sorrels - back then the sport was so new that child-sized equipment was unavailable. I became fond of being high off the ground, flying through the air over table-top jumps in Tahoe freestyle parks and even entered competitions - grommet division. At seven, I fell in love with Roller hockey. I played center on a championship team and was a complete 'rink' rat, spending every minute I could on my skates.

Then I discovered climbing. I first set foot in Mission Cliffs at age eight. Mission cliffs was and still is one of the premier climbing gyms in the country and happens to be only Four blocks from my home. We stopped in there out of curiosity on my way home from hockey practice. I was instantly hooked. To me climbing made perfect sense. I got my first pair of climbing shoes (5.10 Diamonds -- woman's shoes), and harness (Petzl Hirundos, pink). Soon afterward, climbing eclipsed everything else and Mission Cliffs became my second home. I still snowboarded, but my hockey skates got dusty and were forgotten.

The Outnback crew goes canyoneering in Escalante...with a little help from Mountain Hardwear.

Click here to view more photographs from the Portland store

We're hanging out our own shingle--and opening our first store in Portland, Oregon. Join us for a series of special events!

Mike Wallenfels, our company president, will lead the ribbon cutting on April 11th, 2008. Portland's own KNRK will broadcast from the Portland store from noon until 2 pm. On April 12th, catch a slideshow by Mike Libecki. On April 13th, listen to Montrail athlete Matt Hart talk about his experiences. From April 11th through 13th, the first 25 customers through the door will receive a Defender day pack. From April 14th through 17th, the first 25 customers through the door will receive a Rugger day pack. Plus, we will donate 10% of our sales for the entire month of April to Multnomah County's Friends of Outdoor School, a local organization that sends 6th graders to science camp.*

Find our new store at 722 SW Taylor in downtown Portland.

Here are some conceptual sketches, to whet your appetite. Check back for photographs.

Welcome to our new store

Click Image to Enlarge

An elevation view of our store

Click Image to Enlarge

After recently moving up the waterfront to a new office building, we realized that we now had plenty of space - the kind of space that you want to use for good times and recreating. We'd been mulling over the idea of installing a climbing wall for quite some time, and our new building has allowed that plan to finally take shape.

We were insanely fortunate to acquire the services of Vertical Solutions. To say these guys know how to build a wall is an understatement. They can work wood like it's nobody's business but their own. The custom designs they create are based on simple, elegant curves. Lots of heart, sweat, thought and focus go into each wall they design and build. Ours is certainly no exception. Many of us here are almost reluctant to climb on it - being something akin to scrambling over a public statue. This reluctance will last a good two seconds once the holds go up though.

We want to extend a HUGE thanks to John and his crew at Vertical Solutions. They drove all the way out from Salt Lake City, braving sub-par hotels, long hours, and overpriced lumber yards to create for us a lasting statement to our brand and a sport we love. We want to thank Dustin at 3DVO for putting up with us and getting this project moving. A dedication to good service and a good, unique product is a hallmark trait for these guys.

Now enjoy a few pictures of a wall being born! We'll show you the finished wall once some routes are set!

Andrew treats us to a little something from the weekend. Enjoy!

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Cardboard boxes. Construction dust. Loud noises generated by heavy machinery. These can only mean one thing -- we've finally moved into our new offices.

Moving is always a logistical nightmare. What do you do when you are moving large numbers of people and equipment? Answer: You shut down your operations for one day. But what do you do with all those people?

Some of us took the time off. Others, like myself, decided to take advantage of Mountain Hardwear's generous Gives Back program, and volunteer our services for one day.

Five of us--Valerie, Caitlin, Sean, Adrian, and myself--signed up to work with the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association. The BPWA is a grassroots organized dedicated to preserving and maintaining Berkeley's footpaths.

By Sean McDevitt

The Return

At noon on Saturday February 15th, outside of Tucson, Arizona, I ran down a dirt road with a thousand other bike racers. I was racing in the worlds largest 24 hour mountain bike race solo; 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Can a product developer/designer be competitive with world class athletes? Prepared with months of structured training, seasoned with a year of 24 hour racing, I had come with the confidence that I could do more than survive riding my mountain bike for 24 hours; I was aiming for a top 10 finish.

The Preparation

I am not a full time pro-mountain biker; I have a full time day job as a product developer/designer at Mountain Hardwear. I have fallen into the pattern of doing 3-4 24 solo mountain bike races per year. My training consists of riding 30 minutes to work, riding at lunch for a hour, 30 minutes home then a 2 hour night ride on my mountain bike. I ride 6 days a week, about 20 hours, come rain, sleet or snow. The weeks of rain and abnormally low temperatures have definitely put up the question "How bad do you want it?" As I pedaled my S08 Cannondale Carbon Scalped through patches of ice and snow on the closed road of Mt Abel the day after Christmas, I guess I wanted it bad.

View More Pictures of MHW's new Headquarters

By B. James Bottoms, Mountain Hardwear Director of Operations

On March 17, 2008 Mountain Hardwear is moving our headquarters to the Ford Assembly Plant in Richmond, California.

The Ford Plant is located directly on the San Francisco Bay and is connected to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will host the visitor/education center and bookstore for the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.

The Ford Assembly Plant was designed by the renowned architect Albert Kahn in 1930. It is a quarter of a mile long and contains 560,000 square feet. Kahn included features that would be considered sustainable today such as the saw tooth roof design with large northern skylights which provide incredible natural light and hinged windows along the western and northern walls which draw in the cool bay breeze. The Ford Motor Company built automobiles in the plant from 1931 to 1955 except for the three years from 1942 to 1945 when the plant was converted to war-time production. The building is an icon of design and fortitude. To learn more about the building and its history, please visit Rosietheriveter.org's Ford Assembly Plant History page.

By re-appropriating some of open factory space, the original suite of managers' offices and the former product showroom, all of which had been practically abandoned for more than 25 years, we were able to design and build our space with a focus on sustainability.

More Pictures

Julia Niles and Andrew McLean bravely set off for a mid-winter MHW photoshoot. Andrew sent some great photographs and this short note:

The first day started off with very discouraging weather as it was flat, cloudy light and crusty snow down low. But, in the time it took us to make the first climb, the upper elevation clouds burned off and created a very cool lighting scenario with clouds on one side of the ridge and clear, sunny slopes on the other. We ended up on the summit of Mt. Superior which is one of the more classic peaks in the Wasatch, and much to my surprise, the skiing down the backside was excellent. I was expecting crusty, wind-jacked snow, but it was silky smooth old powder.

After skiing, we went down to Lone Star Taqueria, which is the Mexi-food place of choice for skiers and boarders. Once we got there, Julia all of a sudden goes, "Shit! I left that entire bag of samples in the parking lot!" We drove back to the Big Cottonwood Park & Ride, and there, half an hour later, was the bag of MHW samples sitting untouched right in the middle of the lot! Julia was psyched, to say the least.

The next day we ate more Mexi-food, cruised around downtown SLC and then went back up into Little Cottonwood Canyon. The weather service had issued a Winter Storm warning to start at 2:00pm and it arrived almost to the minute. We set up some tents near the LCC stream and it proceed to dump at a rate of about 2" per hour, so we also got some good bad weather photos.

Andrew decides to ski without a helmet. Watch the results.

By William Meinen

With a new year came many new challenges. My first challenge was learning to walk again. My second challenge was learning to climb again. The physio was going well, and I was starting to hobble around sans crutches. Bob (my physiotherapist) was impressed with my progress. I asked him if it would be alright for me to start climbing again.

"Whoa there tiger. I wouldn't push things too quickly." Bob replied. "You'll want to ease yourself back into things very slowly."

"Can I go skiing?" I asked, knowing very well what he would say.

"That's even worse. Try swimming some laps at the pool first."

"What about some XC skiing?" I was getting desperate.

"Hmm. I suppose you could try it and see how it goes."

My partner Brandon Pullan always has something up his sleeve. When I told him of my physical status, he quickly set a plan in motion for the weekend. His web savvy skills helped him find a new area with supposed 'great potential for mixed climbing'. The report also said the approach was a bit on the long side but do-able via skis.

"Let's just ski in and take a look to see if it's worth while. It'll be good for you to get some exercise." Brandon said convincingly. He also convinced a mutual friend, Danny, to join us. With our bags packed with some ice climbing gear (just in case) we headed into the Evan Thomas Creek area.

I've been on several scouting missions with Brandon before. Most of the time they just end up in a wild goose chase that results in nothing but a frustrating bushwhack. Every once in a while we stumble across a magical area.

by Victor Ichioka

Tent designer Martin Zemitis says, "I love the mountains, and backpacking is the best way to explore the High Sierras." He recalls signing up for a Sierra Club backpacking trip when he was 11. That trip to the backcountry of Kings Canyon National Park planted the seed of a love for wilderness that grew exponentially in the following years. At the age of 14, Martin was taken by neighbors on a rafting trip down the San Juan River in Utah. On that adventure, the feeling of remoteness, the beauty of the surroundings, the sense of exploration, all nourished his growing connection to the outdoors. By the time he was 16, Martin was working summers for a river-running company. He has been rafting, kayaking, backpacking, and flyfishing ever since.

In high school, with a couple of friends, he started an outdoor equipment company, Sierra Mountaineering, building backpacking accessories and small day packs. "We rented an industrial sewing machine and taught ourselves to sew," says Zemitis. The impetus for this enterprise was the desire to have gear that met their needs. On their forays into the backcountry, he and his friends realized they needed pieces of equipment that were not available on the market. Their solution? Make the gear themselves.

By Cynthia Houng

Food in a can--one of camping's greatest culinary pleasures! Who can resist such classic recipes as "spam on a stick" or "spam and eggs with onion"? I had a friend who was quite proud of his Spam and Velveeta recipe.

But why limit yourself to Spam? My friend Eric came across Gizmodo's review of a new German product, "Cheeseburger in a can" ("Cheeseburger in der Dose"). You may laugh at the "cheeseburger in a can" concept now, as you're cozy behind a computer screen, but I guarantee that after a day-long trek, you'll be happy to sit down and ingest your share of sodium-laden processed meat.

"Cheeseburger in a Can" comes to us from Germany, a land that not only approves of canned meats, but sells canned meat products in every possible iteration. Canned weiners, canned ham, canned herring, canned goulash--it was only a matter of time before German food technology evolved to create canned cheeseburgers. Just think of it this way--it's a cheeseburger that will never go bad. In the event of a nuclear war, you can curl up under your fleece blankets, share a canned cheeseburger with the roaches, and settle back to watch the stars.

Find yourself moved to acquire this product? "Cheeseburger in der Dose" can be yours for just 3.50...euros. (That's like five dollars, but can you really put a price on convenience?)

What is your favorite canned meat product?

Comedy Central seems to like our athletes. Last night, Andrew McLean appeared on "The Colbert Report." We always enjoy watching Andrew do his thing, and we like Stephen, too, so we thought we'd share a short segment from last night's show.

By Victor Ichioka

Sean McDevitt is part of our tent design team, the self-described "detail guy" of the group. He is also a mad cyclist. He generally makes a two-wheel commute to and from work and is often part of the lunch-hour ride that some of the folks at Mountain Hardwear have instituted. In addition, Sean is currently in training for his second 24-hour mountain-bike race (he described his first one on this blog earlier in the year / "24 Hours in Old Pueblo").

Sean first got interested in cycling while in the US Army. While stationed in Germany in 1990, when a bike manufacturer was offering great deals to soldiers, Sean picked up a road machine to tool around the Bavarian country roads. He ended up on a long road trip through Germany and Austria to Switzerland. And he recounts that he took the train back to the base.

Jessa on Boldfingers.

View More Photos from Rumbling Bald.

By Jessa Goebel

Finally winter is here. Temperatures are in the 20s and 30s during the day and it's wet, snowy, and windy. It's either time to get motivated and train in the gym and migrate to warmer more ideal conditions, or sit on the couch and practice sport drinking. Since the Triple Crown has been over, all I have wanted to do is get back into route shape. So, that is all that I have been doing; training in the gym and roping up outside.

Rumbling Bald, NC is the winter spot for many Boonies. The Bald just so happens to have some of the very best single pitch mixed and trad climbs around, with the occasional classic sport route to fill in the gaps. Oh, and there is the boulder field below the cliff, packed with dozens of five star problems.

Recently a few routes there have caught my attention. The route Boldfingers is one route that has been in the back of my mind since the first time on it a year ago. Boldfingers is notorious for being hard right off the ground and having a committing crux with hard technical moves far out from gear. Even though the fall is nothing but air, if one were to come off the rock, the result would be a huge fall. Needless to say, many climbers have a hard time committing and have to back off the route.

View Ryan's Photographs from Kauai

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

Being the pale skinned walking sunblock ad that I am, I do my best to avoid the sun. I also have a hard time sitting still for too long when there are places to see and things to do. So, on our recent family trip to Kauai over the holidays I needed something other then baking in the sun to keep me busy. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hike down the Napali Coast, which ended up being one of the most unique hiking experiences I have ever had.

A Pale Pink Camellia sasanqua Blossom

View More Plants on Cynthia's Flickr Site.

By Cynthia Houng

We live in a small ranch house in the East Bay Hills. I've lived here for about three years, and it took me that long to tackle our front yard. (We must be very popular with our neighbors!) Rank with weeds, it is one of the ugliest yards on our block. This summer, after we returned from a long trip to the Sierras, I began to crave something more aesthetic in my immediate environment. Since our jobs are located in the Bay Area, we can't actually live in the mountains 365 days a year. We need some other way to integrate nature into our lives.

A typical suburban neighborhood, our area features blocks upon blocks of single-family homes, plopped onto skimpy lots. For such an artificial environment, our neighborhood is surprisingly rich with wildlife. Hummingbirds nest in both the front and back yards, and there are squirrels, chickadees, hawks, even deer.

During my first flush of enthusiasm, I bought a copy of Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook's Designing California Native Gardens. I became obsessed with the idea of "restoring" habitat, or at least transforming our postage stamp lot into something wilder, more native, and potentially more inviting to native birds, bees, and other wildlife.

Like so many new gardeners, I picked my plants without much regard for planting schemes--or my local climate. I simply went to the local nursery and let my eye wander. I couldn't make up my mind and choose a garden theme. I wanted to grow the tropical plants that reminded me of home. I found myself admiring manicured Japanese gardens, with their tableaux. I also wanted a cutting garden filled with herbs and flowers. Before long, I'd abandoned my scheme to "go native," and purchased a truckload of exotics.

View More Photographs of our Intrepid Young Explorer

By Joy Gray

The days were getting shorter and nights colder. The calendar was getting close to the end and there were only a few days left before the Christmas Fantasy would be gone.

If young Benjamin didn't go now, he would have to wait it out for another 12 months. He carefully put on his gear-- his Mountain Hardwear baby suit, custom made for this epic adventure by the production team at Mountain Hardwear, and his fuzzy gorilla hat and mittens. He assembled his team of sherpas, Mom and Dad, and made sure they were equally equipped in their Mountain Hardwear insulated outerwear.

Complete with diaper bag and faithful scout Bogey, they ventured out into the Berkeley Hills in search of the Christmas Fantasy. After many minutes of harrowing twists and turns through the narrow switchbacks of Kensington, the group crested a hill and saw the lights in the distance. They had arrived! The full spectacle of the Christmas Fantasy was reveled and within minutes, they were whirling through the brisk winter air atop carousel stallions. As little Benjamin clung to the ride for dear life, he wondered if he would make it back alive.

Luckily the arctic resident known as Santa Claus came to the rescue. Benjamin was warmed and reassured that he would make it home safely. The return trip was much less eventful as the group took the longer route, via noodle-bowl peak and Bev-mo falls. Thanks to Mountain Hardwear and their tremendously warm jackets, the team arrived back at base camp is good spirits with many pictures and stories to tell.