It just wasn’t going to happen. Shamane and I turned the newly built chair every-which-way, but there was no getting it up the stairs and through the narrow door from the basement.

“I hate to tell you this hun,” she said. “But I think you need to take the arms off.”

My wife is every bit as smart as she is beautiful. Twelve years of marriage has taught me not to argue. Repeatedly muttering a single syllable expletive, I backed us down the steps and skulked over to my workbench. The precision Japanese handsaw I cherish would make quick work of this.

After two solid weeks on an extended Joy Trip I spent my first Saturday at home building an Adirondack chair. The simple but classic design is a one-day project I could knock out in 8 hours from first cut to finish. The practice of woodworking is a wonderfully active meditation that frees the mind while transforming thought into reality. Ironically, the creation of this comfy lawn chair was a roundabout way of settling my overloaded brain to contemplate and then report on the many adventures I discovered in my recent travels.

Since my earliest training back at Berkeley my instructors and student colleagues warned of becoming an armchair anthropologist. Without reservation we shunned those who conducted research in the science of human behavior from the comfort of their laboratories or the library. Worse perhaps were those who sit prattling on and on about their once great findings of the distant past told as adventure stories, safe in a plush wingback. The very thought of becoming that kind of douche bag usually brings me up short and makes me desperate to get my facts straight. The goal is to be an active participant and not merely an observer of the issues about which I write, to be more than just an armchair adventurer.

Reporting like anthropology is storytelling. Though writing in a seated position I aspire to bring you stories that are interesting, compelling and accurate. Derived from my personal point of view while traveling I hope these stories give you a little perspective into the lives of those I meet, people who have actively engaged themselves in outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living. I hope that from the stories I share you can draw your own conclusions and perhaps learn something from the characters I encounter that might help to inform your own life’s journey wherever you might be headed.

Me, I’m just casting about trying to find some direction. Over two weeks I drove 3,000 miles to connect with dozens of amazing people who have written books, produced films, created works of art or physically guide others through adventures in the natural world. Professional kayaker Corey Volt patiently taught me the finer points of rolling a boat through whitewater in Golden Colorado.

Corey Volt

“Remember kayakers are the laziest people in the world,” Corey said. “Use as little energy as possible to pull the paddle through the water. Don’t just use your arms. Use your whole body.”

Total emersion, the perspective of life from ground level offers infinite clarity. While connecting with people directly who are passionate in their work it’s possible to glean true understanding of the characteristics that make them successful at what they do.

“I produced the shit out of that film,” said Tony Mark maker of the 2009 Academy Award-winner for best picture The Hurt Locker. “I had a great script and really made the most of it. We could talk for 10,000 hours and I’d never know anything about you or your life. Good writing, a good script makes your story come alive.”

When I had the chance to talk to Mark over cocktails at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride I naturally had to ask him what made his movie a better picture than the blockbuster Avatar also up for an Oscar for the best movie of the year.

Tony Mark (second from left) with fellow filmmakers

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved Avatar. It was an amazing visual spectacle,” he said. “But the Hurt Locker was a different kind of film. It’s real. I didn’t set out to make a movie about the war. I didn’t come down on whether it was good or bad, whether or not these guys are heroes. I just wanted to tell a story about four guys in a bad situation doing a really tough job and doing it very, very well.”

from left Jeb Berrier Tom Shadyac and Suzan Beraza

That conversation set the tone for the days that followed. At Mountain Film I watched a number of movies that conveyed the passion not only of the characters, most real people and not actors, but the filmmakers themselves.  Suzan Beraza’s film Bag It tells the story of the harm that plastic is doing to the environment and the general health of human beings around the world. The movie I Am by director Tom Shadyac leads viewers on a personal odyssey through the American dream that explores our patterns of over consumption and penchant for selfish behavior that’s ruining the planet.

First Ascent: The Point of No Return is a gripping documentary from Mark Rosen and Peter Mortimer of Sender Films. This made-for-TV movie shares the final days of climbers Jonny Copp, Micha Dash and cameraman Wade Johnson, all of whom perished while on expedition in an avalanche last year in China.

“It wasn’t the story to begin with…it turned out quite different,” Rosen said. “When we went to China to recover their bodies and all their belongings we ended up finding this huge trove of footage that Wade Johnson had shot. When we looked at it we saw that Wade had recorded this amazing document of this expedition, this adventure they were on… Almost begrudgingly we decided to make a movie of their lives and their deaths.”

Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer

As each story unfolded, those shared on the screen and others recounted interview, I found myself both inspired and overwhelmed by the raw human emotion behind these talented artists. Taking on issues and adventures with dire mortal consequences ordinary people discover and accomplish amazing things that put into context for those of us who sit and watch lives of great substance and intrinsic value. Their stories prompt us up from our armchairs, off our butts and into the fray, convinced that nothing in the world will change unless we ourselves take action.

The arms came off the Adirondack chair with long steady strokes of the Japanese handsaw, two neat piles of sawdust on the basement floor. Up the stairs, through the narrow doorway, into the kitchen, onto the patio and then the lawn, the chair now sits. And so do I. My armchair adventure continues, writing accounts of people engaged in the business art and culture of the sustainable active lifestyle. My job, the role I’ve assumed in the world of adventure, is to tell their stories and whenever possible, every day, aspire to live by their example.

I’ll get wet, dirty, go hungry, suffer the cold, at least for a few hours. I’ll climb, ski, paddle, mountain bike, but never really risk my life. That’s not the point. The example I am to emulate is much more daunting than that. I aspire to live actively engaged in the world around me, recognizing the impact my very existence has on the planet and my fellow human beings. The adventure lies in getting off your butt and making better lifestyle choices that not only maintain your health and well-being but also conserves energy, minimizes waste and reduces environmental pollution.

Over the next several weeks I’ll roll out a number of interviews and film reviews collected from this most recent Joy Trip. I hope you’ll follow along and share the stories I’ve discovered with your friends. Perhaps you’ll be inspired as well.  -JEM

Despite two inches of new snow overnight the spring growing season in Madison officially began today. The annual Eagle Heights Community Garden Seed Fair opened to a capacity crowd of hobby gardeners eager to till the soil in the warmer days yet to come.

“I am SO pumped for this!” said our plot mate Jennifer Harrington. “We’re gunna have SO much yummy produce.”

My wife Shamane and I share a patch of land about two miles from our home with friends near the University of Wisconsin campus. More than 1,300 plots are available for area residents to grow a modest garden of vegetables or flowers. The cost is a mere $35 for the season. And local organizers during the fair provide an assortment of seeds free for the taking.

I showed up at the Eagle Heights Community Center about 20 minutes before the doors opened to public at 10AM. There were more than 60 people already in line and about 100 more filled in behind me. Those waiting were primarily people of Asian decent, the families of foreign students and faculty who maintain the agricultural traditions of their homeland. The rest were those liberal-minded consumers who hope to work the land, get some exercise in the sunshine and grow healthy organic produce for their families.

The spinach and tomato seeds were the first to go. Then hands snatched up the lettuce, peppers and cucumbers. Beets and radishes went next along with corn, melons, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Last to go were the squashes, with pumpkins and copious bags of zucchini still fresh in our memories of fall.

Now in its 50^th season the Eagle Heights Community garden is a wonderful local tradition well suited to our modern times and an active lifestyle. Set right along the Capital City Bike Trail near picnic point it’s a short peddle from our house. Compost, mulch and water are provided. Really all we have to do is put in the physical effort. After a day of deskwork gardening is a great way to relax. And it’s even good way to either warm up or cool down from a workout of running or swimming.

For us gardening brings our lives full circle. As we let our imaginations run wild to come up with what aim to grow, we set in motion plans for months ahead. In just a few weeks after the first planting we’ll have fresh herbs and salad greens. By mid summer will be able to make pesto and then salsa. We’ll can dilled green beans and beets in the fall. And we’ll likely polish off the last jar of tomato sauce on a homemade pizza in December.

It’s that kind of long range thinking that allows us to slow down the pace of life in the present. Gardening and planning out our meals in step with the progress of the seasons and the Earth’s annual trip around the Sun brings a calming sense of balance that is so welcome in these manic hectic times. Slow down, the fall harvest begins long before with seeds we plant in spring.

For more than a year now it’s been my pleasure to bring you the stories behind the selfless causes of people trying to make the world a better place. The mission of the Joy Trip Project is to explore the lives of those who blend their passion for adventure with their desire to work for the benefit of others or toward the preservation of life on our planet. In my own way I hope that I have contributed to the success of their causes by bringing them to your attention and encouraging you to participate. So in the spirit of that mission I’m pleased to announce a new Joy Trip Project initiative.

On August 29, 2010 I will join a small group of climbers to ascend the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan. Organized by the non-profit Love Hope Strength this event aims to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. Fuji Rocks! is the lasted in a series of climbs that feature a base-camp live music concert along with a drive to register new bone marrow donors to the national database of those willing to help a leukemia patient in need of a bone marrow transplant. It is my plan that with your help over the next five months The Joy Trip Project will raise $6,000 to $10,000 for this cause and register at least 1,000 new donors.

In a recent edition of the podcast I shared with you an interview with Love Hope Strength executive director Shannon Foley (Love Hope Strength). Having reported on her organization in the past I’ve been well aware of her work and the desperate need for more people to register as bone marrow donors. But what has most struck me personally is the very low number of African-Americans currently in the database, less than eight percent. As a bone marrow transplant requires a close genetic match it’s vitally important that the donor database be as diverse as possible. With so few available donors many African-Americans will die waiting for a transplant.

As a climber and a person color I felt that this would be an excellent opportunity to help in true Joy Trip fashion. While raising money and awareness for bone marrow donation I also hope to encourage more African-Americans to participate in sports like climbing, backpacking and camping as part of a healthy active lifestyle.

Though an ascent of Mount Fuji is a fine physical challenge the true adventure will be in the journey getting there. Though in the past I’ve climbed higher than the summit’s 12,000 feet, the real mission will be in rallying the attention of those who might support this initiative either by making a financial contribution or by becoming a bone marrow donor or by simply sharing the story behind this project with their friends through their social networks.

Over the next five months several editions of the Joy Trip Project podcast and blog will be dedicated to the stories of others on similar journeys. In keeping with the project’s mission I’ll continue to develop stories for publication in print and broadcast for radio. And with your support both financial and moral I know that the Fuji Rocks! project will be a great success.

Please write at your next opportunity with your pledge of support to info@joytripproject.com. I’ll have an online donation service set up soon, but for now drop me a line to let me know that I can count on you. Without your help this Joy Trip will not happen. I’ll need to raise the capital to cover my travel expenses just to make the climb. But if this story sounds like something you’d like to support a contribution of any amount will help pave the way. I count my wealth in my number of friends, the cultivation of my talents and my ability to share all of what I have with those who need it most. You can help me make that happen. Be in touch. But for now, take care.

Yours most truly,

James

For more information on Mt. Fuji Rocks! visit: http://www.lovehopestrength.org/site/fujirocks/

Jennifer Jones Austin is a complete stranger to me. But in the coming months you’re going to hear me talk a great deal about people just like her. At the age of 41 this mother of two is suffering from leukemia. Though with this serious form of cancer Jennifer’s prospects for survival will increase dramatically if she receives a bone marrow transplant.
But first she needs a donor. A successful transplant requires a very specific tissue match. The most likely donor candidate will be a person who shares her genetic ancestry. Unfortunately, African-Americans represent only 2 percent of the pool of registered donors in the United States. The chances of Jennifer finding a match are quite low.

Unless more people of color, African-Americans in particular, sign up as bone marrow donors tens of thousands of people like Jennifer will die waiting for a transplant. But a new medical procedure now makes bone marrow donation a simple and significantly less invasive procedure that requires only a few injections and a needle extraction. It’s no longer the risky painful surgical procedure it once was. Bone marrow can be donated with only a few short hospital visits and without missing a single day of work. It’s really that simple. But first you must register and that’s even easier!
Watch this video and write in with your questions. I’m registered. I hope you will be too.

The Icla da Silva Foundation www.icla.org is recruting bone marrow donors and provides support survices to children and adults with leukemia and other diseases that can be treated by marrow transplants.

]]> http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/02/24/be-a-bone-marrow-donor/feed/ 0 http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/no-speed-limits/ http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/no-speed-limits/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:51:19 +0000 joytripproject http://joytripproject.org/blog/?p=2474

This video just had to be shared. These guys redefine all notions of urban extreme. Here posts the first Joy Trip Project safety disclaimer.   PLEASE DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

]]> http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/01/26/no-speed-limits/feed/ 0 http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/01/21/all-mountain-demo-at-orwinter/ http://joytripproject.org/blog/2010/01/21/all-mountain-demo-at-orwinter/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:57:34 +0000 joytripproject http://joytripproject.org/blog/?p=2451

These are the CRAZIEST days of the year. I’m up at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City Utah. Check out the first round of photographs on the Joy Trip Project Facebook page.

Through weekend I’m connecting with old friends and building new relationships with some of the incredible people in business of outdoor recreation. I’ll continue to post pictures and stories as time and energy allow. But you can follow the goings on at the live Twitter feed sponsored by Channel Signal.

Search for #ORWinter on Twitter pull down the conversation coming direct from the show floor. You can participate in the conversation and find out what’s new from your favorite outdoor companies. Let me know if there’s anything you want to know about products coming out for 2011. I’ll also keep you posted on some amazing new initiatives to get kids outside and work being done on behalf of the environment. Just drop me a tweet www.twitter.com/joytripproject

Where ever you are today, make sure you get OUTSIDE!

This show promises to allow attendees to be better connected than ever before. Several different platforms both online and on the show floor have been established to network new ideas and messages. Bloggers and tweeters of all varieties are going to post detailed information about the latest outdoor products in real time over the Internet. When the show opens on Thursday outdoor manufacturers and their retail customers will have an unprecedented opportunity to build strong brand identity and communicate their company’s compelling proposition. All anyone has to do is post a thoughtful message over Twitter with the call sign #ORWinter, and the conversation will take care of itself.

“Having the #ORWinter channel to communicate about events and what’s cool is a fantastic use of the technology,” said Seattle-based blogger Sara Lingafelter(@theclimbergirl) in a recent post. “It’s completely appropriate for brands to use that channel wisely… this time around, someone is definitely listening.”

The feed is being monitored and managed by the new social media company Channel Signal. The wisdom of following the conversation comes when people on the show floor share their thoughts on what they’ve seen or heard and allow others to comment. But industry professionals like independent sales rep Megan Kress(@repgirl) are concerned that any good information she might glean will be drowned out by all the noise.

“I’ve been watching the tidal wave of #ORWinter tweeting this week and a couple things have caught my attention. But so much of the time it seems like regurgitation of press releases and self-promotion,” she said in response to Lingafelter’s post. “I’m curious if “they” are listening. And will “they” have time to listen at the show where it’s running from one side of the Salt Palace to another?”

There’s nothing technology can do to slow down the frantic pace of OR. But as you’re race-walking to your next appointment or standing in line for coffee there will be brief moments when you can jot down and post an observation to the feed. In the morning while checking your email take a few seconds and respond to a thought someone else has shared about an event or a new product that interests you.

There will be three flat screen monitors set in high-visibility locations on the show floor. Plus you can always use your web-equipped cell phone or wireless connection on your laptop to stay connected to the feed and get involved.

Retailers like Darren Bush (@canoelover) of Rutabaga here in Madison recognize the value of social media. But he doesn’t look at it as a silver bullet that will instantly bring success to his business.

“It’s just another (means) to get your message out there in a different way,” he said in a text exchange on Facebook. “Your message, I believe, should reflect who you are as a person, group, or corporation. If done correctly, it’s great. If it’s done poorly, it’s a complete waste of time.”

Re-tweeting press releases shouldn’t be your only contribution to the feed. Any observation that reflects your personal opinion is value added to the conversation. Even short expressions like Loved it! Hated it! Good concept but flawed application!, help to move the conversation forward. Just make yourself heard.

By sharing your thoughts you’re encouraging others at the show to share ideas about your business as well. The benefit to you is a candid analysis of the things you can do to improve the quality of your product. Or perhaps you’ll get feedback that affirms the decisions you’ve made to keep moving forward in a positive direction.

And if you absolutely have nothing to offer, you can always work at connecting with the many influencers out there who have nothing but opinions to share. Many are professional journalists. Some are athletes. All will be chiming-in with their thoughts, suggestions and criticisms. There will be hundreds of blog and twitter posts uploaded to the Internet throughout the week. Make a good impression. Tell your story. Talk up your products. But if you want to be heard above the noise share ideas that are interesting, thoughtful and compelling enough for those who listen to share them others. This week at OR even your silence will be saying something.

There are literally thousands of new products coming out on the market for 2010. And everyday there are subtle shifts in the attitudes of people who live work and play in the outdoors. And with the advent of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and You Tube we now have the ability to take many points of view and share them simultaneously.

Using sophisticated monitoring tools, at Channel Signal we can effectively track the course, speed and heading of emerging trends in the world of outdoor recreation and report on what we find. Despite the technology though, at the heart of our analyses are the thoughts and opinions of very smart and knowledgeable people we follow online. Most are reporters. Many are sponsored athletes. Some are just ordinary people with a passion for technical gear and life in the wild world. Each writes about his or her experiences on a blog, web site, podcast or twitter feed. All have the ability to influence others and help them come to a better understanding of the rapidly changing landscape of outdoor recreation

Over the next several weeks during and after the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market there are several individuals I plan to follow. Each is skilled at sharing their ideas on the things they discover.  The 20 outdoor influencers below are currently at the top of my list. What do you think? Anyone I missed. Feel free to add a few of your own in the comments section. If there’s someone you think that should be on this list that’s not be sure to let me know. Anyone you think shouldn’t be on this list? Tell me why, but make it good. These 20 men and women (listed alphabetically by Twitter name) are standout influencers and all have done a great deal already to move the conversation forward.

http://twitter.com/adventuregrrl

climber | backpacker | almost skiier | wannabe mountaineer | TerraMar guide | introvert w/extrovert tendencies | NOT affiliated w/AdventureGirl.com

http://www.anadventuregrrl.com/

http://twitter.com/adventurevida

“The blog for real outdoor adventure–news, gear, people, photography, outdoor iPhone apps, more—by National Geographic ADVENTURE’s West Coast editor.”

http://www.theadventurelife.org/

http://twitter.com/alan_arnette

“Speaker, Alzheimer’s Advocate, Mountaineer at www.alanarnette.com”

http://www.alanarnette.com/

http://twitter.com/cupcakemafia “I like to read, watch horror movies,bike, climb, hike, knit, and volunteer. I love to indulge in yoga and cupcakes”

http://mycupcakemafia.com/

http://twitter.com/DerrickQuix Quixotic Kayaking & Paddle Mythology

http://www.KayakQuixotica.com/

http://twitter.com/dirtbagdiaries

“Voice of adventure, face of misadventure”

http://www.dirtbagdiaries.com/

http://twitter.com/highsteph

“climber, BASE jumper, wingsuit flyer, blogger and writer. friend of dogs!”

http://highinfatuation.com/

http://twitter.com/kriswagner

” I’m a multimedia editor/project manager at Backpacker, Bicycling, and Mountain Bike magazines. Expert in GPS, maps, and mobile content.”

http://twitter.com/nsmonkeygirl

“Rock climber, trail/road runner, attorney, occasional knitter, lover of Scotch, toast and PIE!…It’s your hand, Buckaroo.”            http://www.bluemonkeygirl.com/blog/

http://twitter.com/outdoorafro

Outdoorafro where black people and nature meet

http://outdoorafro.com/

http://twitter.com/paukku

“Husband, father, artist, rock climber, runner, swimmer, photographer, anarcho-capitalist. I live for my wife and daughter. They are my moon and my sun.”

http://www.hirvimaki.com/

http://twitter.com/RedheadWriting

” Writer, disruptive presence, devil’s advocate (the devil, on occasion), snarkmeister, hash tag abuser in a 10 step program because I can’t commit to 12.”

http://redheadwriting.com/

http://twitter.com/rockgrrl

“Climber, outdoors gal, graphic designer, photographer, writer, entrepreneur, geek, gamer”

http://www.rockgrrl.com/

http://twitter.com/scottsemple

“Climber & business geek. Founder of @massivemouse, partner at @amblermw, creator of @getgoodnick”

http://www.massivemouse.com/

http://twitter.com/sheriherndon

Social artist/architect; conscious evolutionary; designing new social DNA; collective intelligence practitioner; visionary; innovation strategist; thrivability

http://twitter.com/snewsman

The most trusted outdoor and fitness industry news source since 1984

http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/index.html

http://twitter.com/theclimbergirl

“Writer, climber, blogger, lawyer. I’m like an onion, so many layers.”

http://www.rockclimbergirl.com/

http://twitter.com/TheGearcaster

News on emerging companies and technologies in the sports industry.

http://www.thegearcaster.com/

http://twitter.com/thegearjunkie

“Journalist (outdoors, gear, adventure). Founder and Editor, GearJunkie.com. Contributor to New York Times. Runner, skier, cyclist, father, husband. Minnesotan.”

http://gearjunkie.com/

https://twitter.com/PembaServes

We’re brand evangelists and business consultants for the outdoor industry.

http://www.pembaserves.com/

The Joy Trip Project and Channel Signal want to connect with the connectors

The social media mainstream is a force to recon with. In a crashing wave of millions individuals are making their opinions known around the world.  Using Internet-ready smartphones, laptops and other web surfing devices Bloggers, Tweeters, Facebookers, Flickrphiles, Podcasters and YouTubers set the course of the info-stream even while they’re navigating it. With clever ideas expressed in less than140 characters or lengthy web log commentaries these jacked-in data hawks are moving the flow of conversation to new and exciting places. The best and brightest among them are the influencers, those individuals whose content is thoughtful, compelling and worth passing along to others.

It’s these influencers that I follow to keep up to speed on what’s going on in the world outdoors. Even though they’re fully wired, outdoor influencers can put their gizmos down long enough to get outside for a long trail run, a mountain bike ride, a few telemark turns or even just a dogwalk to the local farmer’s market. When they come back they post their experiences to share with others and fuel the conversation. And now as a new media analyst for Channel Signal I’m looking to connect with as many outdoor influencers as I can. I know quite a few, but I aim to find more, many, many more.

A few weeks back you may have read a story on The Joy Trip Project about my friend Steph Davis. She’s a professional base-jumper and wingsuit flier out of Moab, Utah. Her blog and video posts on the web site High Infatuation make for a popular landing stop for those inspired by a fully engaged active lifestyle. Her site caught fire in a blaze of discussion when she reported that her entire kit of base gear was lost on a United Airlines flight from Zurich to Washington/Dulles airport.

“The whole bag had my custom wingsuit and a parachute with my sponsor’s logo printed on it,” Steph said in an interview. “There was some climbing gear and other stuff. All included it was worth about $12,000. At first United was only going to give me a $250 travel voucher. I said uh-huh! This is how I make my living.”

Over the course of a week or more hundreds of people posted their comments online and expressed their displeasure with United’s indifference to Steph’s circumstances. Most pledged never to fly the airline again until her gear was returned or compensated in full. The Twitter posts came in a flood that pretty much overwhelmed United with bad publicity and the executives in customer service finally caved. They wrote Steph a check for the replacement cost of her gear and she’s back to jumping out of planes.

Steph Davis is an influencer. Using the power of social media she was able to shift the tide of a bad deal in her favor and may have made it a little better for the rest of us. How likely will it be that United, or any other airline for that matter, blow off customer complaints in the future?

It’s influencers like Steph who can raise awareness for a variety of different issues and causes that are important. People like Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, have successfully used social media to help educated people on the harmful effects of climate change. Organizations like Conservation Next and Changents have created social media platforms to get people involved and keep them motivated to work toward positive change on a local level in their communities. Individuals working alone or in small groups can help to influence those around them to make a difference in the world.

These are the people I’m looking for, influencers who prompt their friends and acquaintances to get involved and take some kind of action. In the outdoor space this includes people who are engaged in conservation initiatives, those working toward environmental justice, anyone pushing the performance envelope in exploration or adventure, someone with a bright idea about how a piece of gear might be improved or made better, or just some random guy with an ax to grind who can make a concise compelling argument that makes good sense. Maybe it’s someone like you or someone you know.

I’m putting together a list of outdoor influencers. Drop me a note with a Twitter ID, Blog address, Facebook page profile or a solid point of contact and I’ll check them out. Write to info@joytripproject.com. Give me an idea of what makes them a good outdoor influencer and I’ll get in touch. As we get fully into the 2010 year in adventure lets get the conversation rolling.   ~JEM

The weather application on my iPhone says it’s 4 degrees above zero. But spirits in Northern Wisconsin are high. With full sun and no wind the “Joy Index” makes it feel like 20 as the 10th Annual 24-Hours of Telemark Cross Country ski race gets underway.

“We won’t have a weather cancellation,” said co-race director Harry Spehar during the pre-race briefing. “But if gets to 20 below tonight we’ll postpone until it warms up. We want everyone to be safe out there.”

Harry Spehar

Skiing laps around a 5-kilometer course along the Birkebeiner Trail in the town of Cable, 275 participants set off on an overnight adventure that’s become a major highlight of the season. Based that the Telemark Lodge male, female and co-ed teams of individuals, pairs, fours and sixes skate or classic in a timed endurance race. The most number of laps skied in divisions of 3, 6, 12 and 24 Hours takes top prizes.

“There’s also bragging rights,” Shear said.

For most it’s badge of honor just to finish this one. Many racers will ski through the night, snatching what food and sleep they can as the hours drag by. Teams relay their course positions between members to ski as many laps as possible in the allotted time. Individual skiers just keep moving the best they can with help of support crews to keep them motivated.

Around 4:30 in the evening racers will switch on headlamps and ski in the dark. At that point it becomes a different kind of race. With only a dozen or so other skiers on the course you’re out there pretty much out their by yourself. As night falls the temperatures will plummet making it harder to abandon a warm bed to brave the cold when your number comes up in the rotation. But in this friendly competition race participants make a night of the event with potluck meals in every room of the hotel and beers in the bar until way into the early morning.

Co-race director Harry Spehar says participant numbers are up significantly from last year. New divisions for racers include family teams of four and a college cup competition with the University of Wisconsin racing against Carlton College of Minnesota. Also new this year is a competition for best costume. Stay linked to the Joy Trip Project feed for pictures and race updates throughout the event. Look for photos on Facebook or follow the Twitter feed with #T24’10 ~ JEM