Monday, February 18, 2013

Sick Mountain Biking Video...

Courtesy - fatman2ironman.com

When the urge hits, but due to work or whatever reason I'm unable to get out and ride, I just love to scour the web for sick mountain biking videos.

I stumbled on this video on such a day. I found it on YouTube and I've watched it at least a dozen times.

This video is very well shot and has 4 sick riders just tearing it up...

Check it out below!





Sunday, February 17, 2013

Burn-off Planned for Mustang Island...

A pre-planned burn is coming soon for Mustang Island State Park in Texas says the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.

Pre-planned burns are sometimes necessary to help restore growth and prevent wildfires.

Here is the press release from the TPWD...

"Feb. 15, 2013
Prescribed burn planned for Mustang Island State Park
CORPUS CHRISTI - Park Superintendent Damon Reeves announced today that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Mustang Island State Park during February or March. The burn is expected to be conducted and completed in two to three days.
Prescribed burns are used as a management tool in state parks to improve habitat for wildlife by restoring forest and prairie habitats that were historically maintained by natural fires. They also are conducted to reduce the amount of available fuels, such as leaf litter, fallen branches, understory growth and dead trees that accumulate naturally and from storms. By reducing the amount of available fuels, prescribed burns lower the likelihood of a potentially destructive wildfire.
Park staff already has begun preparing for the upcoming burn by clearing vegetation and other fuels from the fire breaks established around the perimeter of each area (burn unit) that will be burned this year. Fuels and vegetation also are cleared away from utility poles, structures, signs and sensitive resources to protect them during the prescribed burns.
Prescribed burns on state parks are conducted by TPWD personnel who have undergone training and met national wildland firefighting certification standards. The park's prescribed fire plan defines the conditions under which a prescribed burn may be conducted, taking into account wind speeds and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, and fuel moisture levels. The plan also guides the fire crew members in managing burns to prevent them from escaping into adjacent properties and to minimize the effect of smoke in nearby residential areas.
Because specific weather conditions are required to conduct an effective and safe prescribed burn, TPWD staff cannot provide a specific date for the burn at this time. However, local emergency management officials will be notified before the prescribed fire is implemented. Reeves noted that during the burn, some areas of the park would be closed to the public. During the burn there may be smoke that reduces visibility on neighboring roads and the superintendent cautions travelers to reduce their speed and use their headlights when smoke is present.
For more information regarding the planned burn or to request notification on the days when fires are ignited, please contact the park at (361) 749-5246 or by e-mail damon.reeves@tpwd.state.tx.us"



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

President Picks Adventurer Sally Jewell for Interior Secretary...

Photo Courtesy of University of Denver

We here at Human Spirit of Adventure prefer not to delve into the political arena. We believe that Adventure Sports should be for testing a persons intestinal fortitude instead of political gain. However, we cannot help but notice that President Obama has picked Sally Jewell to replace Ken Salazar as Interior Secretary.

Jewell, an avid adventurer who counts kayaking and climbing among her favorite adventure sports, is president and CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), one of the nation’s largest outdoor and recreational retailers. She’s on a handful of corporate and nonprofit boards, including the National Parks Conservation Association.

The Interior position is usually held by a politician from a Western state. Jewell is not a politician, but she is a Westerner and grew up in an outdoorsy family in Washington State.

As top-dog of an outdoor supply company that counts millions of hunters and fishermen as customers, Jewell represents a conservation agenda that could unite political parties. When it comes to protecting the environment, environmentalists and sportsmen groups often join efforts to protect America’s wilderness areas, which is something most, if not all adventurers can agree needs protecting.

So congratulations to Sally Jewell, we hope that political office will not uproot your love for the wilderness, environment, and the trail.




Sunday, February 3, 2013

Upcoming Projects for 2013...

Human Spirit of Adventure has a few projects on tap for 2013.

We are currently working out the details for a video series of DIY survival videos, How-to videos, and will be putting together a small documentary on Adventure Sports in Texas.

The documentary will feature surfing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and much much more!

We do not yet have any final release dates for any of these projects, as they are still in the planning stages, but our tentative timeline is to begin posting the survival and how-to videos around June and to have the documentary release by the end of the year. We will definitely announce them here and on our Facebook Page as the details become clear.

We are very excited about these projects and hope you will enjoy them and find them useful as you adventure forward!

Thank you all for your support!