My brother, hard at work getting our tinder bundle ready.
We cooked a beautiful pot of ramen on this.
-J
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday Photo
My brother, hard at work getting our tinder bundle ready.
We cooked a beautiful pot of ramen on this.
-J
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Beer Review: Vicious by North Peak Brewing Co.
Be observant when pouring, it took me three separate pours due to the aggressive head that kept coming back.
Once you finally get the whole bottle poured you will smell strong pine and hints of citrus, I think that the citrus is certainly grapefruit, but reasonable minds may differ.
The coloring is opaque peach; a true unfiltered beauty.
I have a hard time getting the wheat taste out of this beer, most of the wheat that I get is right as the beer hits the mouth, there is a split second of sweet. However the wheat is quickly overtaken by the hops. Holy cow! Hops for days with this beer. The floral hops that are used provide a pleasant, crisp kick to the taste buds and alert them that this beer is not done with flavor yet!
The first hoppy flavor unmistakably provides you with the citrus flavor that was smelled upon pouring. After that your mouth will be treated to a soft caramel blanketing by another style of hops. Clearly this beer was made to refresh and please; two things that it accomplishes with each sip.
The stubby bottles that Vicious comes in are cool in a nostalgic way. The lycanthrope that graces the label pays homage to the dogmen that roam the woods of Northern Michigan. Not that that makes the beer taste any better, but it is cool to see a nod to local folklore.
This is a great beer with any sort of burger, pizza, steak, sandwich or anything for that matter. I prefer to drink them at room temperature.
-J
Pic of the day:
This is the beautiful north-facing view of the valley in The Arboretum in Ann Arbor. If you have time to kill; an afternoon, an hour or even a whole day, you should check this place out. Great refuge from the surrounding areas.
-J
The Holiday List
Are you looking of the right gift for that person on your list who kind of has everything? Or the person that does outdoorsy things? Those type of people hard to buy for, I should know.
Fear not gift givers, I have a solution; I will amass a list for you to peruse and select the perfect gift that that type of person. The monetary range varies so you will be able to find just what you are looking for.
Let's start with some gear: I suggest a pair of snowshoes if you live in a snowy clime. They are a great way to get out and see things that most other people don't get to. Trails are difficult to walk in when the powder is up to your knee, strap some of these on and that will be no problem. One of the best things about snowshoes is that there is little to no learning curve: open the present, strap them on and start exploring. Great gift to keep families active during the winter. This is the pair that I have, and I really enjoy them:
A good jacket: You cannot go wrong when you get someone a jacket. I prefer versatility and function, that is why I that buying a combo jacket is the best way to go. I am talking about a shell and some sort of fleece/ vest that zips inside. This one is a good place to start looking:
Base layer, base layer, base layer: There are many brands that make an equal amount of claims about the superiority of their base layering. However, I prefer a base layer that has a bit of a compression factor to it. I feel that the compression feature makes me feel like I am performing better. It rarely bunches up and feels like it wicks moisture very well.
The first set that I got were Under Armour, and I still use them. Great produce and fairly easy to find in the run-of-the-mill sports shop:
Gloves/ Mittens: Let's lump these together because you are looking for the same qualities in either. Gloves are a great gift because, like socks, everyone could always use another pair.
You want gloves that are waterproof and well insulated without inhibiting the mobility of the hands. (I am picturing the younger brother from Christmas Story)
This is a nice pair of heavy-duty gloves:
Hats: I personally prefer a headband, it helps to keep your body temp from getting too high while doing things. For activities that don't require a lot of movement something like this is just perfect:
Goggles: The type of activities that your gift receiver does will have a great bearing on what kind of goggles they will like.
For the avid skier/ snowboarder a nice high-end pair with wide panoramic lenses are the best.
For the snowshoer/ cross-country skier/ hiker:
Daybag: Everyone on your shopping list could use a daybag. Photographers, hikers, students, bikers, anyone. When looking for a daybag, I suggest a capacity of 35 liters or less, stretchy, mesh side pockets to carry drinks, wide array of compartments and pockets, a chest strap and a bright color for visibility.
A few suitable pics:
Stove: A light, backpacking style stove is a nice addition to any collection. They are great to make a nice cup of coffee or tea when you need a break, or to heat up some ramen.
Cup: A stove will not do you too much good without something to heat the water in. A simple aluminum cup will do the trick. If you can find one with a looped handle that is best as you can hang it off your pack to cool when you are done.
Well, this should get you started thinking about the kinds of things to buy the outdoorsy type. Of course, if they are into something specific like biking, climbing, kayaking or some other sport where components are hard to gauge and choose, it may be just at nice to get them a gift card or cash to pick out their own stuff.
Have a happy holiday season!
-J
Fear not gift givers, I have a solution; I will amass a list for you to peruse and select the perfect gift that that type of person. The monetary range varies so you will be able to find just what you are looking for.
Let's start with some gear: I suggest a pair of snowshoes if you live in a snowy clime. They are a great way to get out and see things that most other people don't get to. Trails are difficult to walk in when the powder is up to your knee, strap some of these on and that will be no problem. One of the best things about snowshoes is that there is little to no learning curve: open the present, strap them on and start exploring. Great gift to keep families active during the winter. This is the pair that I have, and I really enjoy them:
A good jacket: You cannot go wrong when you get someone a jacket. I prefer versatility and function, that is why I that buying a combo jacket is the best way to go. I am talking about a shell and some sort of fleece/ vest that zips inside. This one is a good place to start looking:
Jackets like this are great because they offer the perfect solution to whatever mother nature decides to throw at you.
Base layer, base layer, base layer: There are many brands that make an equal amount of claims about the superiority of their base layering. However, I prefer a base layer that has a bit of a compression factor to it. I feel that the compression feature makes me feel like I am performing better. It rarely bunches up and feels like it wicks moisture very well.
The first set that I got were Under Armour, and I still use them. Great produce and fairly easy to find in the run-of-the-mill sports shop:
Gloves/ Mittens: Let's lump these together because you are looking for the same qualities in either. Gloves are a great gift because, like socks, everyone could always use another pair.
You want gloves that are waterproof and well insulated without inhibiting the mobility of the hands. (I am picturing the younger brother from Christmas Story)
This is a nice pair of heavy-duty gloves:
Waterproof and insulated without being too bulky.
Good pair of waterproof softshells: more dexterity, less insulation.
Here we have a great pair of mittens, nothing fancy to look at, but they will definitely keep your fingers warm:
Hats: I personally prefer a headband, it helps to keep your body temp from getting too high while doing things. For activities that don't require a lot of movement something like this is just perfect:
Great concept, nice protection around the ears and a thin layer to keep the top of the head protected from the elements.
Goggles: The type of activities that your gift receiver does will have a great bearing on what kind of goggles they will like.
For the avid skier/ snowboarder a nice high-end pair with wide panoramic lenses are the best.
For the snowshoer/ cross-country skier/ hiker:
Daybag: Everyone on your shopping list could use a daybag. Photographers, hikers, students, bikers, anyone. When looking for a daybag, I suggest a capacity of 35 liters or less, stretchy, mesh side pockets to carry drinks, wide array of compartments and pockets, a chest strap and a bright color for visibility.
A few suitable pics:
Stove: A light, backpacking style stove is a nice addition to any collection. They are great to make a nice cup of coffee or tea when you need a break, or to heat up some ramen.
Cup: A stove will not do you too much good without something to heat the water in. A simple aluminum cup will do the trick. If you can find one with a looped handle that is best as you can hang it off your pack to cool when you are done.
Well, this should get you started thinking about the kinds of things to buy the outdoorsy type. Of course, if they are into something specific like biking, climbing, kayaking or some other sport where components are hard to gauge and choose, it may be just at nice to get them a gift card or cash to pick out their own stuff.
Have a happy holiday season!
-J
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New Addiction
We love the outdoors. We love gear, and we love Deals!
Wait, what's that you say, there is a sweet website that combines all of these things?
Holy cow!
Check out http://www.cleansnipe.com/
It rounds up deals that have time limits and gives you a crack at them. The items are usually on half hour timers, when the quantity runs out, or when the time is up, a new items pops up!
Give is a go, you will love it.
-J
Bugagloves Pics
While the weather does not quite warrant using these sweet gloves yet, I thought that I would at least show you how cool they are:
I love the Sci-Fi feeling of the glowing insignia!
Fall at Sleeping Bear
Named America's Most Beautiful Place (something that Michiganders have known for a long time) by Good Morning America, Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of Michigan's most unique assets.
In beauty, I think that it is only rivaled by Pictured Rocks in the UP.
Though the park offers a seemingly endless amount of hiking trails, most people catch glimpses of its beauty wile on the Pierce-Stocking drive. This is a great way to see a good portion of the area and economize your time. I have amassed some pictures from the Pierce-Stocking drive as well as the surrounding area.
You can clearly see the beauty of the park even on a gloomy fall day.
Enjoy:
In beauty, I think that it is only rivaled by Pictured Rocks in the UP.
Though the park offers a seemingly endless amount of hiking trails, most people catch glimpses of its beauty wile on the Pierce-Stocking drive. This is a great way to see a good portion of the area and economize your time. I have amassed some pictures from the Pierce-Stocking drive as well as the surrounding area.
You can clearly see the beauty of the park even on a gloomy fall day.
Enjoy:
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