It’s the “Gateway To That Part Of The West That Isn’t Kansas.” And if you can’t get to the mountains, which actually happens sometimes, you can get straight downtown and, hey, there’s whitewater.

Kind of.

Right where Cherry Creek and the South Platte meet, there’s this cool little plaza and some waves and a (tiny) hole.

There’s also a Starbucks and an REI and Confluence Kayaks and My Brother’s Bar.

Confluence Park is good for the following floatation devices: canoes, kayaks, rafts, SUP, inner-tubes, floaties, inflatable alligators, hydrobroncs, shredders, those foam egg-looking things you strap to your back, and the creature craft.

Some of those might be overkill.

Still and yet, hey, middle of the city, nice amenities and good people-watching.

You should check it out.

The post Confluence Park, Denver: Urban Wilderness appeared first on Take More Friends.

Sound familiar? No? Well, that’s ok.

Rock climbing is kind of in it’s own little isolated world of awesomeness. Still, it can be a pretty intimidating (and weird) environment in which to dip your toes without proper guidance. Fortunately, the climbing community is one of the most welcoming in the outdoor industry.

Take more friends? Yeah, climbers are all about that.

Let’s face it, everyone needs to start somewhere. No matter who you are, you can learn climbing. There are a lot of resources.

Go online to see if there is a local climbing wall or gym in your area. If that’s not an option, but you’re still looking to learn the ropes, head over to Mountain Project, a climbing-dedicated wiki that has a fantastic option to find partners in your area.

Once you get going, you may find all the knots, techy-looking equipment, and jargon intimidating. “Belay On!” and “bomber placements” are enough to bamboozle even the most adventurous first-timer, but don’t worry. It takes time. Your local climbing shop can connect you with the right books and the right people with ease.

Remember that friendly climbing community? That means more experience from which to draw.

According to a 2010 US Forest study, climbing’s most recent decade saw an almost 10% increase in participation, with more growth in the 2nd half of the decade. And it’s only going to continue growing.

This means there’s never been a better time to start climbing.

A group of friends hangs out at the top of a climb in Idaho. Photo by Climberpost.com

Resources:
a. http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/40453

The post Learning The Ropes, Literally appeared first on Take More Friends.

That’s 124 miles of colorful canyons, quirky restaurants, and every imaginable souvenir.

Established in 1991, The National Scenic Byways Program remains one of the best ways to see the beauty of the USA.

These roads are worth checking out. Seriously.

In many cases, you can hit these hidden gems of highway on one tank of gas, round trip.

This hoodoo in Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the many sites to see along Scenic Byway 12.

Don’t be afraid to take a detour next time you’re planning a road trip, and consider one of the 120+ scenic byways across the country.

You won’t regret it. Promise.

Have you ever taken a Scenic Byway? Tell us about it.

The post The Long-Cut: Scenic Byway 12 appeared first on Take More Friends.

“You don’t have to go over an initial set of passes to get into the heart of the Wind Rivers. It’s very accessible,” says Becca Cameron.

Taking a backseat to it’s neighbor Grand Teton National Park, the Wind River Range hosts some of the best hiking in the nation, as well as two routes on the 50 Classic Climbs of North America list.

Next time you’re heading to Wyoming, maybe consider skipping the Tetons and instead visiting the Winds.

The post Backpacking The Winds | Video appeared first on Take More Friends.

In the heart of southern West Virginia, on the winding backroads of US 60 near the New River Gorge, lurks the Mystery Hole, a roadside attraction straight out of the 1950s.

The name–and the sign–say it all. The Mystery Hole is sensational. It’s baffling. It’s mysterious. Seeing is believing. The Mystery Hole defies physics.

These enticements to explore the inside of this aging, gorilla-topped quonset hut might be laughed off if it were not for one thing: Our need to know what’s inside, whether we’ll get b-movie cheese or genuine weirdness. Or maybe, just maybe, both.

The Mystery Hole prohibits cameras of any kind inside, so you’ll just have to visit and see for yourself.

The post The Mystery Hole | Road Trip Oddities appeared first on Take More Friends.

– Nat King Cole

There is one essential road-tripping element all excursions must have—music. Whether it’s playing old Johnny Cash tapes, fist-pumping to Technotronic, or sprinkling your journey with, well, Journey, music makes the world go round, and, consequently, makes miles in a car go by faster.

Here are a couple tools to get you started and help keep the music flowing, whether you’re rocking out to Taylor Swift or Iron Maiden:

SiriusXM – Imagine hundreds of radio channels, all commercial-free, and available anywhere you could imagine driving. That’s the modern marvel that is SiriusXM Satellite Radio. If you have to have radio connectivity at all times, look no further than satelite radio.

Spotify – Ok, so you’re not down with the whole broadcasting thing; you like to customize your listening experience just a bit more. Have you checked out Spotify? For a monthly service fee, you can stream all your music to your mobile device instantly, and it syncs all your playlists.

iTunes Match – Alright, we get it. You just want to take your entire music collection, but you haven’t purchased a CD in years. That’s ok. If you’re rolling with an iPhone, you can use iTunes Match, a service that makes your music automatically available for streaming on all your mobile devices. You’ll never leave home without your entire collection of Dolly Parton albums ever again.

However you decide to hit the road, these three tips will keep the pressure on your eardrums, and the miles moving swiftly beneath your tires.

Head bobbin’ never felt so good.

The post Road Trip Tools #34 appeared first on Take More Friends.

But here’s the thing: You don’t have to take everything including the kitchen sink. Keep it light, fast, and ready to roll at all times.

Here are four essential road kitchen components:

Camp Stove 
Keys: durable stainless steel, collapsible, compact and easy to clean. Environmentally conscious chefs will opt for the white fuel variety over disposable propane canisters.

Cookware
Keys: 2 quart sauce pan with heavy bottom and tight fitting lid; high quality non-stick skillet. Well-seasoned cast iron works well, too.

Prep and clean-up kit

Prep kit Keys: cutting board, at least one sharp knife, a rubber/plastic spatula (especially if you’re packing non-stick), large spoon (wood, metal or plastic), an aluminum bowl (super durable and lightweight), a hot pad, a kitchen towel. Apron is optional.

Clean Up Kit Keys: dish soap and bleach (in film canisters if you can find them), scrubbies (plastic or metal), paper towels, and a collapsible water jug for low-flow dishwashing water.

Kitchen box:
Keys: tough container big enough to hold all your stuff  but not so big that you can’t lift it. Don’t forget essential dry goods (jars of steel cut oats, coffee and hot chocolate, and pancake mix, compact spice kit). To be uber-efficient, pre-measure your  ingredients and put them in individual containers .

Get all your ducks in a row with these tips and you’ll be master of the road, never worrying how far it is to your next meal again.

The post Road Trip Tools #33 appeared first on Take More Friends.

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Nor is it a walk in the park. The Lost Coast Trail traverses a stretch of wild seashore all but inaccessible to the outside world. Watch as the GearJunkie crew heads north to south for two days, battling bad weather, watching the tide, and dodging rogue waves along the way.

Are you a hiker? What other trails would you recommend?

The post Hiking The Lost Coast Of California | Video appeared first on Take More Friends.

In western Minnesota, a cult following of climbers seek out exposed bedrock and giant glacial stones on a landscape otherwise dominated by farm silos and fields of waving grains. Check it out in this episode of GearJunkie’s Off the Map Series

Where’s the most unique place you’ve been climbing?

The post Bouldering The Great Plains | Video appeared first on Take More Friends.