The Volcanic Tablelands is one of the coolest areas outside of Bishop. Primarily known for its climbing, specifically in the Happys and the Sads, the Volcanic Tablelands are more than that. It is home to a large collection of petroglyphs from ancestors of the Paiute-Shoshone tribe who are the original inhabitants of Payahuunadü, or the Owens Valley.
Pillows are kind of a thing of luxury when you’re out in the wilderness. Why pack extra weight when you can just stuff some clothes into a stuff sack or your down jacket into its hood and call it a night? With the Pillow Plus, you can call those uncomfortable nights a thing of the past.
For winter 2015, Outdoor Research added the Essence Tights to their lineup of women’s base layers. As a merino wool fiend, I was extra stoked when they sent me a pair to test as a part of #ORInsightLab.
Google Mono Lake and the first thing you’ll see is the South Tufa. Some would argue that if there was one thing you absolutely had to do here, it’s visiting the tufa grove. Is it a must do? I’m not sure; the Black Point Fissures were pretty cool. But if you’re hard pressed for time, visiting the South Tufa will only take you about an hour or so. The hike to the crazy, alienesque tufa is short (one mile), flat, and family-friendly.
I’m a pretty particular person when it comes to things that go on my head. I had a bunch of beanies accumulating around my house from years past, but none of them were quite right. One 20% off REI coupon last winter had me trying on every cold weather hat in the store. That’s when I stumbled across the Arc’teryx Bird Head Toque. This has been the best beanie I’ve tried yet.