Genevieve Martland

Black Diamond Women’s Mercury Mitt

There are a lot of things sexier than a new pair of gloves, but few things can make or break a day in the snow than a warm pair of mitts. When the weather gets cold and we head to the mountains, my “go to” gloves for the past ten years had been a pair of XL men’s mittens from the local outdoor outfitter. I’d throw a thin pair of gloves underneath and hope I’d be able shove my fingers far enough in to grip my ski poles. Perhaps they were warm ten years ago, but I can’t recall, for as far as my memory serves my fingers have been cold.

Backpacks, Boulders, and Bribes: The Sugarloaf Trail, NH

Hiking with a four-year-old and a seven-year-old can be exhilarating, educational, and, at times, exhausting—and that’s before you even leave trailhead. Trekking up the Sugarloaf trail in Carroll, NH is a great family hike and a nice way to test out just how ready the troops are for one of the 4,000-footers down the street.

Gushing About Hiking in Yellowstone

Bug spray: check, sunscreen: check, Bear spray: check. It was while reading the directions on the back of the bear spray that I began to have second thoughts. Just how safe were we, bringing our five and eight year olds hiking through Yellowstone, let alone my late sixties in laws in tow, when each trail was emblazoned with reminders of the dangers of Bear Country? It didn’t help that we had already seen a grizzly on the side of the road and had also met a black bear who strolled down a hill to the street and leisurely crossed the road in front of the car. The bears were active in Yellowstone and we were taking the family on a backwoods hike to see some of the park’s great sites.