Active NorCal January/February 2015

Northern California’s Sport, Fitness and Outdoor Magazine

™

January/February 2015 - Issue 7

Winter Dreaming on Mt. Shasta

Going Round with Shasta Roller Derby Crossfit—A Workout or a Lifestyle?

Not Those Kennedy Brothers

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digital

Active NorCal Online Find exclusive content at ActiveNorCal.net Like us on Facebook Active Norcal

Follow us on Twitter @ActiveNorCal

Upcoming Active Events Our goal for Active online is that it becomes the enduring answer to the question, “what should I do today?”

Sometimes it can prove difficult to find fun, active local events during

Throwback Articles

the winter, but we’re constantly looking for things to do, and giving

business. Can you believe it? That means we

you the rundown on

have six issues packed full of information for

what to expect. From

people on the go in the North State. Maybe

frosty runs to ice rinks

you forgot about an article from a past edi-

to “Wild” films, we have

tion that’s become relevant again, or perhaps

you covered.

t

Active NorCal just wrapped up its first year in

you just started reading the magazine. Either

way, each week, we’ll be connecting you with classic NorCal content through Facebook and Twitter.

t

January-February Digi Edition

Print is great and it’s nice to have a hard copy in front of you, but did you know you can also view every edition of Active NorCal on your laptop, tablet or smartphone for free on our website? Just visit activenorcal.net and click on the digital editions tab to see all of our content in a digital format.

Community Focus We’re all about strengthening the Northern California community, and we do that by highlighting local events, keeping you informed about active organizations in the area and getting the word out about important charitable causes. On our Facebook page, you’ll find the local stories you want to hear, and learn about ways that you can help improve the community.

Fantastic Photography: Check Facebook and Twitter everyday for some amazing shots of area landmarks and people.

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

1

2nd Annual

Expo Brought to you by Active NorCal Magazine

Find new: Fun clubs to join Events in the area Kids’ activities Don’t miss the demonstrations!

March 28, 2015 MT. SHASTA MALL 10 AM – 4 PM For more information, go to ActiveNorCal.net To reserve a booth or for sponsorship opportunities, call Kevin Reinhart at (530) 355-3018

contents

January/February 2015 Features

Departments

22 Winter Dreaming

We truly are living in a winter wonderland. From mountaineering to Nordic skiing, snowmobiling and ice-skating, Mt. Shasta and surrounding areas provide so many opportunities to enjoy an active winter season. Put on your best winter coat, and explore all the opportunities for winter fun in NorCal.

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6 Extreme 10 Sports 14 Fitness

pg. 22

36 Not Those Kennedy Brothers

It’s a classic tale of people leaving their old lives behind to live the dream.

Two of the foremost fishing guides in the area, Greg and Kris Kennedy are anglers that have found their calling among the many streams and rivers in the North State. Learn new approaches to NorCal angling, and follow the Kennedys on their epic journey to fishing paradise.

Publisher’s Note

pg. 48

pg. 14 44 Health 48 Humor

pg. 36 activenorcal.net

Cover photography by Anni Graham

January/February 2015 Active NorCal

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Publisher’s Note

Raising the Bar in 2015 It’s a new year and that means it’s time to celebrate the accomplishments and analyze the shortcomings of our first year. While I have deemed 2014 a huge success, I have come up with a few goals (or resolutions if you will) to make sure we don’t slow down in 2015. Here is what you can expect from Active NorCal in 2015:

Commitment to Digital I am a student of media, and I have watched over the years as the magazines I love and subscribe to put a bigger emphasis on online content and distribution. As a bi-monthly magazine, it is difficult to cover everything, every issue – especially events. If an event comes around at an inopportune time during the month, it doesn’t make sense to feature it in print. However, we still want to make sure we have a place for this sort of coverage.

In 2015, our goal is to give you more. Scratch that. In 2015, our goal is to give you MUCH more content via our website (activenorcal.net), social media feeds (via Facebook and twitter) and eNewsletter (Active Update).

This will include digital specific pieces, and a focus on creating compelling videos.

In our November/December issue we told the Taylor Andrews story, a tale of a local teen fighting cancer, and a community that has selflessly rallied around him and his family. I realize this article might not necessarily fall into the “active” category, but it was a story I was definitely not going to pass up.

I refuse to ignore stories like Taylor’s, stories that have the potential to inspire people in the area. We will always be of the mindset that sharing positive stories from NorCal supports the community as a whole. In the grand scheme, I think promoting active lifestyles is an essential part of nurturing the community, but it certainly isn’t the only way to make a difference. I believe telling local stories of immense generosity, courage and perseverance serves to stir the community into action when we need it the most.

If you have an idea for a story in 2015, please email me at zobrien@ activenorcal.net.

Growth of Distribution In 2015, we want as many people to read our magazine as possible. We are currently in over 150 locations from Yreka to Chico though we want to be in many more so we can continue to expand and find new audiences. We believe in the message of our magazine and we want more people to hear it.

If you would like to receive Active NorCal at your business, please email rlawrence@activenorcal.net.

Make 2015 your best year ever, And Stay Active!

Zach

Active NorCal January/February 2015

Zach O’Brien

Editor

Broaden our Editorial

4

Publisher

activenorcal.net

Chip O’Brien

Content Manager Ross Lawrence

Sales Manager Kevin Reinhart (530) 355-3018

Art Director Adrienne Rosone

Active NorCal is published bimonthly by Active NorCal, 1350 Placer Street, Redding, CA, 96001, (530) 247-7330, Copyright 2013.

All rights reserved.

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extreme

Round and Round They Go Catching Up With Shasta Roller Derby

By Ross Lawrence

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

Courtesy Shane Hays

Showing up for roller hockey at Big League Dreams in Redding on Sundays, I’d sometimes catch the end of the Shasta Roller Derby practices. Honestly, I knew nothing whatsoever about roller derby except through footage from the 70s and 80s. I’d seen skaters wearing flamboyant garb knocking each other over railings WWE style. What I witnessed at Big League Dreams was entirely different.

From glimpses of Shasta Roller Derby practices, the sport seemed to be filled with complex strategies and skillful participants. Somewhat of a novice on roller skates myself, I was impressed with the skating abilities of many of the derby participants. It also struck me that the roller derby women always seemed to be in a good mood – talking and laughing after practice, and truly enjoying the opportunity to get out on the rink. Serving as an example for other aspiring local sports leagues, Shasta Roller Derby has proven it’s possible to be competitive and shoot for the stars while at the same time retaining a fun, social environment.

Many unfamiliar with the sport hear “roller derby,” and think of old videos with over-the-top announcers narrating what looks like a tag team wrestling match on wheels. So, if not that, what is it? It’s a game that values team togetherness, skating skills, toughness and versatility. The four blockers, or nonscoring players on the track work together using a variety of different techniques to either slow down the opponents’ jammer or scorer, or help their own jammer pass the opposing team’s blockers as many times as possible. Effective blockers must

be able to skate forwards and backwards with ease, powerfully hip-check opponents and quickly coordinate blocks with teammates. Jammers must be fast, elusive skaters who can easily get past the other team’s pack of blockers.

“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about roller derby,” observed Amanda Harter (AKA Swift D. Mize), captain of Shasta Roller Derby. “The truth is – it’s a really competitive thing. There’s a lot

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of strategy. You have to cross train to get really good and you need to have endurance. I like that you get to play offense and defense at the same time.”

Started in 2010, Shasta Roller Derby is well on its way to realizing the dream of its founders. In the late 2000s, several of Shasta Roller Derby’s founding members headed down to Sacramento to watch some world-class derby bouts (roller derby matches/games). This excursion would

inevitably result in the creation of Shasta County’s first truly successful women’s roller derby organization.

“They were hosting the first Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Regionals in Sacramento where all the top-tier teams were playing,” recalled Angel DeLucia (AKA Vonda Kut-a-Vitch), charter member of Shasta Roller Derby. “I remember watching, and thinking, ‘Well, we could do that!’ So, some of the girls and I decided to start a league with the goal of joining WFTDA, and we’ve done that.”

Becoming a member of WFTDA, the international governing body for roller derby was a long and arduous journey for Shasta Roller Derby. Not only did the team have to recruit members, coaches and volunteers, but they needed to establish themselves as a 501(c)3 non profit, enter themselves into an apprentice league and prove that they could compete against quality opposition.

“It’s a long process to be accepted into WFTDA,” stated Amanda Harter, captain of Shasta Roller Derby. “You need let-

ters of recommendation, you have to get reviews, you have to host bouts against highly-rated teams and do a lot of other work. The fact that we got accepted this year is a really big deal. We’ve made it to kind of the NFL of roller derby.”

By creating an open, community environment, Shasta Roller Derby has been able to turn athletes of all backgrounds into successful roller derby competitors.

Younger recruits, those with families and older women are all welcomed with open arms. Members from as far as Sacramento make the trek to Big League Dreams every Sunday for mandatory practices highlighting the commitment and passion of derby participants.

People choose to join the team for a variety of reasons. Some join for the sense of camaraderie and female bonding, and end up continuing because they enjoy the sport. Others give roller derby a try because, for whatever reason, they didn’t hit their stride with traditional sports. The different positions in roller derby require players with a range of body types, and there’s no experience necessary to join.

Anyone, no matter her background, can try it out. You don’t even have to invest in gear right off the bat because many teams provide loner gear.

“Even if you’ve never roller-skated, you can still join the team – I wish more people realized that,” said Sharyn McCart (AKA Tankerbelle), member of Shasta Roller Derby. “The first time I watched roller derby, I thought to myself, ‘I’d love to do that, but I can’t skate.’ Then, I talked to a girl on the team, and she told me that they teach you absolutely everything you need to know.”

With the evolving nature of roller derby, it’s a sport that is impossible to master. Participants, even veterans, are constantly improving, and acquainting themselves with changes to the rules.

Oftentimes, someone that started as a jammer will become a blocker, or viceversa. Roller derby athletes must possess different skill sets so they can be of use in multiple roles. More experienced members put a great deal of time and effort into acclimating beginners to the sport, which is a challenge in itself. This prac-

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

activenorcal.net

tice also brings an inclusive, community feel to the game.

“You have to really want to play whether you’re a fresh person, or a person who has been competing for a while,” expressed DeLucia. “You’re always learning new things with your teammates whether it’s tactics or just learning how to skate better.”

Moving forward, Shasta Roller Derby hopes to get more volunteers to help with bouts, get their own facility, start a youth team and get into the top ten of the WFTDA rankings. Having traveled to places as far as Los Angeles and Seattle last season, the organization plans to continue the trend of facing teams from all over the West Coast. As for the North State, a number of teams have cropped up across the area including two teams in Chico, a Red Bluff team, two in Medford, a squad in Mt. Shasta and another in Humboldt illustrating the recent expansion of the sport. With so much nearby competition, the Shasta Roller Derby squad will be forcing their way up the world rankings in no time.

NORCAL

Roller Derby Basics Number of Players

Each team can have up to 14 players on its roster, but only five from each team can be on the track at any given time.

Positions

Jammers – Jammers are the scorers in roller derby. Their two-star helmet cover distinguishes them from the blockers. There is one jammer per team on the track at a time. The first jammer to pass the opponent’s “pack” is given the distinction of lead jammer. After the first pass beyond the “pack,” each jammer is given one point every time she passes an opposing blocker’s hips.

Blockers – There are four blockers on the track from each team at any given time during a bout (match/game); these blockers constitute a “pack.” Participants in this position must stay close to each other or risk getting a penalty. These players attempt to stop the opposing jammer from scoring by not allowing her to get past them. Blockers also try to help their own jammer progress through the opposition’s “pack” of blockers.

The Pivot – There is one pivot per team at any given time. This person is a blocker who can be identified by her striped helmet cover. The pivot sets the pace of the “pack” and decides her team’s strategy. The pivot can also become the jammer following a successful helmet cover switch with the original jammer.

General Gameplay

Five players from each team begin a jam or round by lining up on the pivot line. At the onset of the jam, both teams’ blockers and jammers begin to skate counterclockwise, and are immediately allowed to engage with other players (jams last two minutes unless stopped prematurely). Physical contact is acceptable, but you cannot use feet, hands, elbows or heads, and you are prohibited from contacting an opposing player from behind. Bouts are separated in two 30-minute periods. Jammers try to lap the opponent’s blockers as many times as possible within a jam in order to score.

The team with the most points at the end of the bout wins.

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

9

Sports

A Giant Epilogue

By Steven A Marcuz

Another year in the books for professional baseball, and this season ended with the San Francisco Giants hoisting their third World Series trophy in just five years. I wish I could say I saw this coming, but after all the ups and downs through the dog days of summer, there was serious doubt as to if the Giants could even make the playoffs let alone win it all. But in the end they reigned supreme and finished the year with a Game 7 victory over the Kansas City Royals, making this year’s title not only the most exciting, but the most deserved of the three championships.

Yes, it was more exciting than 2010 when San Francisco brought home their first World Series ring since 1954. And yes, it was even more incredible than 2012, which saw the Giants down two games to none against the Cincinnati Reds and then down 1-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals, only to sweep the Detroit Tigers for their second series title in three years. What those teams had in 2010 and 2012 were solid rotations,

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

timely hitting, and an even better bullpen. The 2014 Giants were not afforded those same luxuries. The bullpen has always been there, but what is usually the Giants’ main asset, starting pitching, was not what it once had been. With the shaky rotation, a lineup that could go hot and cold at a moment’s notice, and a bullpen that was almost perfect, except for the occasional untimely long ball (I’m pretty sure Hunter Strickland just gave up another HR) this World Series run was the most improbable, and will be the most memorable of the three.

San Francisco entered this postseason as the second wild card team, a position that four years ago would have meant the Giants would be the first team on the outside looking in when the season ended (Thanks Bud Selig!). A one game playoff has all the pressure of a Game 7, and the Giants turned to their ace, Madison Bumgarner. And Bumgarner didn’t let them down (a theme that would soon become a

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Zach made my new car buying a very pleasant experience. He showed me around the service department introduced me to the service guys, got the new car washed and full of gas. I would recommend Redding Subaru to anyone who would like to buy a Subaru, which is a great car, and have a great experience.” ~Toni Mayo ”We bought a 2015 outback. LOVE the car. Had a great experience buying it. The entire staff there were wonderful. They let us bring our dog in and treated her like a queen. Our Salesperson Ricky was genuinely happy for us and made sure we had a great new car buying experience.” ~Liz Churchill “We just purchased our second Subaru from your dealership. We have purchased nine new vehicles over the years and this is the first time that we bought from the same dealership. Every employee throughout this dealership administration, sales, service, lot are friendly and respectful and have always met any need we may have had. This the first time we have done 100% of our service at the dealership. If we are fortunate to purchase another Subaru it will be from Redding Subaru. This dealership should be the model of operation for all dealerships.” ~Steve Mentink

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This season was full of torture, just as we Giants fans like it, seeing the team play below .500 baseball starting June 9th through the end of the season. trend) throwing a complete Game 4 hit shutout and sending the Giants to the NL Division Series. The Washington Nationals hung around for a while, but the Giants were able to get past them 3-1 in a hard fought series in which only one game was decided by more than one run. San Francisco then found themselves up against a familiar opponent in the St. Louis Cardinals, the only other team to represent the National League in the World Series since 2010. But what was supposed to be a matchup of baseball superpowers ended with a National League Championship with a 4-1 series victory. The Giants had already accomplished more than any “expert” thought possible, and they were on their way to another World Series.

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

The Kansas City Royals were playing in their first World Series since 1985. There was excitement surrounding the team everywhere, and it seemed as if the whole country was rooting for them to overcome the odds and history, as they too made it to the Series as a wild card team. The matchup did not disappoint, as the series went its full length, Game 7, the most crucial and exciting event that sports has to offer. Although Kansas City was a really, really good team, they just didn’t have the one weapon that San Francisco did, and that was Madison Bumgarner (or MadBum as he’s often referred to). Bumgarner made three appearances total in that series, including the final five innings of that Game 7, giving up two hits and striking

activenorcal.net

out four, all on two days rest. He was the World Series MVP, deservedly so, and the Giants had completed the unthinkable; obtaining their third Commissioner’s Trophy in five years.

This season was full of torture, just as we Giants fans like it, seeing the team play below .500 baseball starting June 9th through the end of the season. But when the Giants get into the postseason, the ball always seems to bounce the right way. There were those moments, such as Michael Morse’s pinch hit home run to tie Game 5 against the Cardinals in the eighth inning of the NLCS followed

by Travis Ishikawa’s walk-off three-run shot that ended the game an inning later.

There was that amazing double play that

Joe Panik turned, which has Giants fans very excited about their second baseman going forward. But nothing can touch that mastery of MadBum. He had a postseason performance that was like nothing many of us had never seen. For the 2014 postseason, Bumgarner was 4-1, including a save, with a 1.03 ERA in 52 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 45 batters while walking six, a ratio of 7:1. In the World Series alone, he was 2-0 with a save, while posting an ERA of 0.43 in 21 innings pitched, all while giving up only nine hits, striking out 17, and walking one batter. One. It’s no wonder that Bumgarner got the MVP trophy for that series.

Baseball is very much a team sport, but when you have someone as dominant as MadBum, it’s possible for one man to shut a whole team down.

So as Giants fans around the world celebrate this recent championship, I’d only have one thing to ask. Embrace these years.

Embrace this run of success and never take it for granted. As we see these seasons of triumph, remember the years that we waited, and waited, and how some people

never got to live these moments, and how we very well might never get to see another one. We are extremely lucky to be part of this amazing run, and it’s important as fans to realize the magnitude of such an

accomplishment. So drink it up, soak it in, be there for not only the good times but also the bad, and just enjoy it. You never know what you have until it’s gone…..right Dodgers fans?

NORCAL

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

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fitness

Local Crossfit Gyms

Crossfit Redding 5211 Churn Creek Rd. Redding, CA 96002 (530) 244-1348

Anderson River Crossfit 19859 Hirsch Ct. Anderson, CA 96007 (530) 945-8228

Northstate Crossfit 3530 Railroad Ave. Redding, CA 96001 (530) 605-4717

Crossfit Chico 311 Otterson Dr. Ste. 40 South Chico (530) 520-3793

Jefferson State Crossfit 1828 Keystone Ct. Ste. B Redding, CA 96003 (530) 605-4661

North Rim Crossfit 2954 Hwy 32, Ste. 900 Chico, CA 95973

More Than Just a Workout Learning the Crossfit Lifestyle

By Ross Lawrence

Breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face and thoroughly exhausted, I stumbled through the last few steps of my lap around the parking lot, thus completing my very first crossfit workout.

It was a hot fall Friday in the North State, and I was scheduled to meet with the owner of Crossfit Redding, Bryan Schenone, for an interview. As a publication covering local activities, we have a philosophy at Active NorCal to “practice what we preach.” So, of course I’d accepted Bryan’s invitation to try what I’d been assured would be a “light workout.” I quickly learned there’s no such thing within the crossfit sphere. In between the pull-ups, lunges, burpees, kettlebell snatches, jumping jacks and laps, my weeks away from the gym began to show. Rounding out the routine, I looked at the clock, and couldn’t believe that only about 15 minutes had ticked off. It was the most grueling quarter hour of my life, but perhaps the most rewarding too, and it gave me a glimpse into why crossfit has become an obsession for so many.

A Sport for Everyone Looking around the gym at the start of my first crossfit workout, I noticed the diversity of the group. The crossfit vets could be identified by their “Greek godlike” physiques, but there were also people that seemed about at my fitness level, some below my level and others just above it. The class was split about 50/50 male to female, and had an age range of about 18 to 50.

One of the great things about crossfit is that it’s an activity for all shapes, sizes, sexes, ages and abilities. In fact, Schenone’s first recruit at Crossfit Redding was his mother who was in her sixties – she still trains daily. Those with only a passing knowl-

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

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Crossfit Northern Limits 1525-c Lucas Rd. Yreka, CA 96097 (916) 803-8622

Palo Cedro Crossfit 9452-B Deschutes Rd. Palo Cedro, CA 96073 (530) 547-1119

Crossfit Movements and Exercises Crossfit workouts are made up of different exercises. Here is a list of common movements, and basic directions for how to do them (I recommend watching instructional videos, or getting guidance from a trainer before attempting them):

Crossfit Tehama 215 South Main St. Red Bluff, CA 96080 530-529-0525

1. The Box Jump – This one’s simple – you start on the ground and jump onto a box of a particular height. Once you’re on the box, you can either stand up and then jump off, or immediately drop back down. This exercise helps with explosiveness.

2. The Handstand Pushup – For this exercise, get into a handstand position with your back against a wall so that you can balance yourself. Next, lower your body by bending your arms until your head touches the ground.

Then, quickly push off the ground, and straighten your arms until you return to the original handstand position.

3. Burpees – Start in an upright position with a wide stance. Start the motion by bending your knees and leaning forward. Once your arms are close to the ground (they should be in between your legs), place them down, and immediately swing your legs behind you until they fully extend so that you’re almost in a pushup position. Then, using your arms and legs, swing your legs forward back to their starting position, and stand up (your arms should remain narrower than your legs the entire time).

4. Regular Squat or Back Squat (from a rack) – The squat movement uses a barbell.

You should choose an amount of weight appropriate for your comfort level – start small. Your feet should be a bit wider than your shoulders, and both your feet need to be at a slight outward angle. Bend your knees, duck under the rack so that the barbell is positioned above your shoulders, and directly above your feet. With a medium grip, grab the weight with both hands, lift it off the rack and let it rest between your rear shoulder muscles and traps (your knuckles facing forward).

Keeping your upper back tight, squat your buttocks behind you and your hips down until your hips are a bit beyond parallel with your knees.

Then, drive straight back upwards using your hips (be sure to keep your back tight and chest up).

Repeat.

5. The Snatch – You should not attempt this exercise without previous training and proper guidance. Start with your feet hip-width apart. With a barbell of a suitable weight on the ground right in front of you, get down like you would during a squat, and grab the barbell­—your hands far apart on the bar.

Keeping your chest up and out, pull the weight towards your mid section with your arms in a fixed position. Then, all in one motion, driving with your hips, lift the bar above your head, and lock your arms so that the weight is high above your shoulders. The moment the bar is overhead at a fixed point, immediately do a squat. After returning to an upright position, drop the barbell on the floor in front of you.

istock.com

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

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istock.com

edge of the sport may assume that you have to already be in shape to do crossfit, but the instructors go out of their way to accommodate anyone that wants to give it a try.

“There’s a woman with a double hip replacement that comes in to our gym. We’ve had some people who have been very immobile,” said Jud Austin, coowner of Crossfit Chico. “We have kids as young as seven and adults as old as 64. On the other side of the spectrum, the Chico State girl’s rugby team comes in here twice a week.”

Another thing that opens crossfit to the masses is that it is universally scalable. Essentially, this means that a crossfitter can cater workouts to his or her own physical capabilities by choosing the size of the weights used and doing less taxing versions of certain exercises. For instance, during my group session, I could not do the amount of regular pull-ups that others could, so I did an easier, simplified version using gymnastic rings. And for the kettlebell exercises, I was able to choose a bell of an appropriate weight for my strength.

“If you can’t do a certain movement, we’ll have you do something that you can do so you can move up to that range of motion,” stated Austin. “That’s why the coaches have training and work hard to continue to learn so they can find the exercises that are suitable for each individual.”

Whether you’ve played sports your whole life, are a gym rat or rarely leave the couch, you can likely find a home at the right crossfit affiliate. Some think crossfit enthusiasts are meatheads who spend all day doing 500 lb. deadlifts, but the truth is it’s an activity for people with a wide range of fitness goals and previous experiences with athletics.

“I was a triathlete, and my first experience with crossfit was watching someone deadlift a huge barbell, so I wasn’t really all that into it right away. But I learned more about it, and realized that it’s so much

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more,” recalled Schenone. “We have military people, firefighters and cops, but we also get stay-at-home moms, kids and people who are really just getting off the couch for the first time.”

Crossfit Redding as well as other crossfit affiliates start beginners off with fundamentals classes before they are thrown into the regular classes. These lessons for novice crossfitters serve two purposes. First, the coaches seek to train students how to properly and safely perform common crossfit movements such as squats, deadlifts and cleans. Second, the crossfit instructors get beginners to a certain physical level so they don’t feel out of place when participating in the standard group classes. While I only had enough time to get a crash course in crossfit, both the coaches and others with more experience helped keep me on track and ensured that I was performing all of the movements properly. I can only imagine that after a four to eight-week fundamentals class I would have felt like a fish in water at the session.

“You have to start somewhere, so we have an eightweek class where we make sure you perfect all nine of the fundamental crossfit movements,” said Austin. “The coach’s most important job in each class is to make sure that everyone is moving safe and effectively.”

Globo-Gym vs. Crossfit Formerly a frequent visitor of a traditional gym, I have many times experienced roaming around a gym trying to find an alternative to my usual, monotonous routine, only to gravitate back to the same exercises. Just motivating myself to go to the gym on a consistent basis was difficult, but when I got bored with the same old gym habits, working out became a real chore. What’s more, I reached a point where I didn’t seem to be getting any stronger despite how much time and effort I put into my workouts. Many gym goers have this common experience of plateau-

activenorcal.net

Chiropractic is safe, effective, and NATURAL...

If you are pregnant and suffering from neck or back pain, you need to look at chiropractic. Chiropractic can be the right alternative to living in pain or masking your discomfort with medication.

Jason Rexroth and M.D. OB-GYN recommends chiropractic as an alternative. He says,

of chiropractic for these symptoms. As we all know, the less medications taken by a pregnant woman, the better it is for her yet-to-be born child.

Over the years, I have seen the benefits of the care only a doctor of chiropractic can provide significantly reduce a pregnant mother’s reliance upon pain and narcotic medications.”

Pregnant mothers should consider chiropractic care. The body changes and forward weight bearing stress on the neck and back can especially be improved with chiropractic treatments.

Sometimes all you need is an adjustment to bring better balance “I am very familiar with the chiropractic approach to health care. to your body, reduce pain symptoms without the need for As an OB-GYN, I know chiropractic care is the best treatment drugs and allow your developing baby to grow into your future for common backaches and joint problems experienced by many beautiful, healthy child. women during pregnancy. I refer all my patients to doctors

Learn the facts about chiropractic care and its vital role in America’s well being. Visit www.calchiro.org

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Courtesy Crossfit Redding

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crossfit to help with my PTSD. Any exercise is good for rehab, and I did the whole globo-gym 24-hour fitness thing. But it got to the point where I just got bored. Going in there, and trying to figure out what I was going to do – I just ended up doing the same things over and over. I found myself in a rut.”

The Culture After speaking with an avid crossfitter for more than five minutes, you begin to understand that it’s much more than a passing hobby or a trend. Crossfit enthusiasts are fanatical about the sport. From an outsider’s perspective, it can be difficult to see why people are so excited about what may be viewed as simply a “workout program.” The truth is that crossfit is not akin in any way to exercise fads such as Taebo, spinning or P90X. Not only is crossfit a sport with large-scale competitive events, but also, it’s a lifestyle that pervades nearly ever aspect of a crossfitter’s being.

Those that get into the sport become close friends with others from their gyms, attend social functions centered around crossfit and even adjust their diets and sleeping habits based on their dedication to the sport.

“We’re not trying to control people’s diets, or tell people, ‘Don’t eat this or eat that, and don’t do this or that.’ We don’t try to deprive people of anything like ice cream, which is delicious, or even drinks,” said Schenone of Crossfit Redding’s approach.

“What we notice though is that people at our gym realize that if they eat or drink to excess, the next day’s workout is going to be really difficult. So instead of having several drinks they only have one. The shift in overall health happens organically.”

One of the best ways to build a bond with others is by suffering through a workout side-by-side. This is the principal philosophy behind hazing, and an idea that has been a catalyst for some of the greatest teams in sports history (we do not condone hazing). Struggling through crossfit “Workouts of the Day” (W.O.D.) with the same group day in and day out fosters relationships that extend beyond the gym.

“There’s an element of camaraderie with crossfit because everyone knows how crappy it feels to be suffering through the workouts. No one wants to be last. But first or last, everyone is cheering for you the whole time,” observed Schenone. “Crossfit Redding is a really tight-knit group. We have barbeques and go to the movies together. We go out a lot, and it has become our social network.”

On the same subject, Austin added, “I think you make friends.

Misery loves company, and that whole mentality. You make a friend and you’re doing those same grueling workouts, and you find somebody of similar strength and capacity, and you kind of more or less team up and try to push each other to the next level.”

Competition is another big reason why people fall for the sport. Every time you go to a group session, you’re competing with yourself by attempting to improve your time, increase your reps and lift more weight. Additionally, crossfit gyms (AKA affiliates) have small, in-house contests as well as ones with nearby branches creating friendly rivalries between area gyms. These local clashes make it necessary for affiliates to interact and build positive relationships with each other. But in addition, they raise the level for all the crossfit athletes in the region by increasing the pool of those competing. Beyond these local bouts, crossfit members can

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enter into the Crossfit Games, which is an international contest that begins with several hundred thousand entrants, and culminates in a final showdown that determines the “fittest in the world” (see “What is the Crossfit Games?” for more information).

“There’s a segment of people that come in who have played sports, or do play sports, and have kind of stalled,” noted Schenone. “This group is looking to mix it up. We help them mix it up, put them into the crossfit groove of things and it creates a competitive spirit, which is really helpful for them.”

Primary among the reasons crossfit devotees are so committed is that they see results. Whatever your fitness goals may be, crossfit classes virtually guarantee that you will reach them. Though I certainly didn’t breeze through my first workout, the fact that I had a partner, guidance from the coaches and constant support from classmates ensured that I never felt disheartened. With methodical programming, the encouragement of fellow crossfitters and dedicated coaches, you can be rest assured that you’ll achieve things you once thought impossible in a short amount of time. When new recruits to the fitness movement realize lofty health objectives, it builds self-belief, which extends to other areas of their lives and ultimately solidifies their passion for and commitment to the sport.

NORCAL

What is the Crossfit Games?

The Crossfit Games were created to be an extensive test of physical fitness. While other competitions like decathlons test a wide range of athletic abilities and skills, they fail to test the whole range of fitness.

The physical condition of competitors in the Crossfit Games is assessed through events that have them go through a variety of functional movements. For example, participants may be required to do a certain amount of squats, climb up a rope using only their arms, drag a large sled across a field as quickly as possible, flip a heavy tire a certain amount of times or do deadlifts. Partakers in the Crossfit Games season often have to perform different movements within the same event (ex: 50 pull-ups then sled pulls).

Each year, the Crossfit Games “season” starts off in early spring, and includes three phases, the final one being the main event.

The Open The first stage leading up to the Crossfit Games is the Open, which is an international contest that lasts five weeks. Participants worldwide go through five different workouts over a five-week period. Those with the best performance overall of the five workouts are invited to compete in the Regionals. Because anyone from anywhere in the world can take part in the Open, it truly is an inclusive competition. However, all participants must have their performance validated by either going to a local affiliate

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for Scheduling and Subject Matter

where they are judged in person, or by sending in a video submission of their workouts.

The best 48 men, 48 women and top 30 teams from each region will earn a trip to one of the 17 regional competitions.

The Regionals For three days, Crossfit athletes that have qualified through the Open compete in Regional tournaments, which are held all around the world from Chile to South Africa.

Much like the Open, all the participants in the Regionals do the same workouts in their respective divisions. They are judged on how well they do relative to the other competitors. Fans of Crossfit as well as friends and family members often travel long distances to

attend Regionals. At the end of the tournaments, no more than three men, three women and three teams advance to the Crossfit Games Final from each region.

The Crossfit Games Final The 8th Annual Crossfit Games went down this year from July 22-27th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California with tens of thousands of spectators converging on the arena to watch athletes compete to be crowned the “fittest in the world.” 48 men, 48 women and 36 teams competed in the games this past year. With 209,585 total participants at the beginning of the 2014 Crossfit season, the Games determined one overall male winner, one female winner and a team winner. As most of the

spectators of the event are crossfitters themselves, the Crossfit Games are really a huge community event where each and every competitor is cheered on whether he or she finishes first or last. Even the competitors root for one another during the events. From squats to cleans, hundred meter runs and handstand pushups, those in the field must push themselves to the limit just to finish each event.

Typical Crossfit Games Event Push Pull Time cap: 11 minutes 7 handstand push-ups 50-foot sled pull 8 deficit handstand push-ups 50-foot sled pull 9 deficit handstand push-ups 50-foot sled pull 10 deficit handstand push-ups

50-foot sled pull Crossfit Redding Owner Bryan Schenone: “The Crossfit Games started in 2007. I want to say there were only about 150 people total with spectators and everything. I think the last years there were over 30,000 people. It was absolutely unbelievable, one of the best sporting events you’ll ever go to. It’s like the Superbowl on steroids, but not actually on steroids. The competitors are all perfect athletic specimens.

They have a huge crowd in the stands that are also really fit, and know exactly what the competitors are going through, because probably two weeks prior they were doing a workout that was really close or similar to what the participants are doing. It’s just an amazing experience.”

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winter dreaming

Winter Wonderland on Mt. Shasta

“When I first caught sight of Mount Shasta over the braided folds of the Sacramento Valley, my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.”

—John Muir, 1874

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Living in Beautiful Northern California, it’s easy to take for granted that we’re just a short drive away from a 14,000+ ft. mountain, and all the activities that come with it. Luckily, we’re here to remind and inform you about all the incredible opportunities Mt. Shasta and surrounding areas provide. It’s time to take to the mountain and make your dreams a reality.

Mt. Shasta Facts

Elevation: 14,179 ft.

Located in Northern California’s Cascade Mountain Range, Mt.

Shasta was first ascended in August 1854 by Captain Elias D. Pearce. Mt. Shasta is the fifth tallest mountain in California, and the 46th highest mountain in the United States.

Iwona Kellie

Considered a stratovolcano, Shasta has four

overlapping volcanic cones.

Mt. Shasta has had periodic eruptions over the last half million years or so. In fact, it has erupted once about every thousand years for the past 10 millennia. The presence of hot springs near the top of the mountain indicates that it is still active.

Over the years, many myths and stories have developed relating to Mt.

Shasta. Some believe that it contains a UFO landing pad. Others contest that the landmark is an entrance to a different dimension, and several people have put forth that it contains a complex network of underground tunnels where aliens and/or other “spiritual beings” dwell.

Mount Shasta City, Diversity Expected

F

ew places grasp the known facts about their own history with less intensity than Mt. Shasta City on the flanks of the great NorCal volcano. It’s not that they don’t care. On the contrary, they just approach it with a few notable differences. About the only things almost everyone agrees on is that there are numerous deeply-held viewpoints about its past, and that everyone is entitled to respect, and their own opinions. In fact, part of Mt. Shasta’s charm comes from how easily it cherishes differing viewpoints as the very seasoning that gives it such unique flavor.

Some historians will give you the textbook version of how things were in the past, first as part of the Okwanuchu Native Americans’ tribal territory. Later came Ross McCloud’s lumber mill followed by Sisson’s Hotel in the 1850s. Soon it was known as Strawberry Valley and then Berryvale, and only as late as 1925 was it known as the City of Mount Shasta. Since then it has become a Mecca for tourists, retirees and sojourners along I-5, and business that cater to each.

For an astonishing number of people, the history and significance of this mountain community was forever altered when

Photo opposite page; Anni Graham

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winter dreaming the Ascended Master St. Germain first appeared to Guy Ballard on the flanks of Mt. Shasta in 1934. Certain “truths” were revealed to Ballard over the course of approximately 3,000 sessions. Jesus is regarded as another Ascended Master, and since 1950, the “I Am Come!” pageant, a presentation of Beloved Jesus’ miracles of truth and healing has been held every summer, most recently in Mt. Shasta’s new G. W. Ballard Amphitheater.

In 1931 Wishar Spenle Cerve published the book “Lemuria, The Lost Continent of the Pacific” through the Rosecrucian Society. His account claims

there is an ancient, advanced civilization called Tellos beneath Mt. Shasta. The surviving Lumurians travel through high-speed underground tunnels to visit other colonies around the world, and sometimes reveal themselves to humans.

No matter what your viewpoint of the history of Mount Shasta City is, no one disputes the fact that it is a special and unique place. If you’re seeking outdoor adventure, snowboarding bliss, enlightenment or merely a good time. Mount Shasta City has it all, and then some.

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Mt. Shasta Hotels With it’s majestic views and access to the Mountain, Mt. Shasta, California serves as one of the best winter vacation destinations in NorCal. Relax and recover from a long day spent exploring the area at one of these affordable, local hotels: Strawberry Valley Inn 1142 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 (530) 926-2052

Mt. Shasta Hotel & Lodge 1121 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 (530) 926-3411

Mount Shasta Resort 1000 Siskiyou Lake Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 (530) 926-3030

Iwona Kellie

Best Western Plus Tree House 111 Morgan Way Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 (530) 926-3101

Restaurants Near Mt. Shasta Winter activities can certainly work up your appetite. Luckily, for skiers, hikers and snowmobilers alike, Mt. Shasta has a number of quality restaurants to help you round out a perfect day on the slopes.

Wayside Grill 2217 S. Mt. Shasta Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

Burger Express 415 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

Using fire grilling and a wood-fired brick oven, Wayside Grill serves up a variety of dishes including seafood, burgers and sandwiches, pasta, gourmet salads, ribs and steaks. Specialties include the ribeye and rancher steaks, lobster bisque, wild salmon filets, stir-fry and brick oven pizzas.

Simplicity is what you’ll find at Burger Express. It’s an old-fashioned burger joint serving delicious burgers and fries, and shakes made with real ice cream.

Maruti Restaurant 531 Chestnut St. Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

Ken Nejima

In the mood for Indian food after a long day of activities at Mt. Shasta? Maruti Restaurant offers an array of tasty vegetarian Indian plates while providing first-rate service as well.

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Trinity Café 622 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd.

Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 If you’re looking for something different than burgers, pizzas and salads, Trinity Café is a great option. With several exceptional gourmet veggie, seafood and meat entrees available, it’s hard to go wrong at this quaint Mt. Shasta eatery.

It’s worth trying the pork chops or scallops if they’re available.

winter dreaming

California’s Frozen Gem—The Siskiyou Ice Rink

W

hether it’s a sunny day under the shadow of Mt. Shasta or a cold night under bright, illuminating stars, the Siskiyou Ice Rink is one of a kind in our community. Heck, it’s one of a kind in the world. It’s a full-size ice rink that sits at the base of the beautiful mountain that towers over it. Being a person who lives in a hot valley and considers triple degree heat in the summer to be normal, being close to home and on an outdoor ice rink seems foreign. When you add to the spectacle the stunning view of Mount Shasta constantly hovering above, you realize that this isn’t just another ice rink.

At the Siskiyou Ice Rink, you can be a novice skater looking for a rare ice experience, an amateur looking to nail your first figure skating trick or a pro showing off your skills in a hockey game, this rink literally has something for everyone. Programs offered at the rink include open family skating, a full hockey program, learn-to-skate and figure skating classes, competitions and shows.

While the rink is typically only open for around

activenorcal.net

three months every year, the tourism effect is felt in Mt. Shasta City.

“For local business, the rink draws over half of its weekend skaters from outside Siskiyou County,” said John Stackfleth, Siskiyou Ice Rink Manager. “One restaurant owner told me that he noticed an increase in volume when the rink opens, and a decrease when it closes each year.”

The rink was first built in 2000, and its road to success has been a slow, bumpy process. The rink originally consisted of a set of boards around the rink, a chilling system and plumbing system to move coolant to the ice surface and a Zamboni to clean the ice.

The plumbing consisted of plastic tubes embedded in a sand floor. In 2004 a cement pad was poured below the ice, greatly improving its quality. Each addition and improvement to the rink was made possible by donations, grants and community fundraising.

The existence of the Siskiyou Ice rink is made possible by the participants, but you can’t forget the man hours the volunteers put in every day.

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Siskiyou Ice Rink Schedule and Pricing (may change due to weather or Holiday scheduling)

Mondays

9am-10am: Passholders Open Skate Time 10am-12pm & & 1-3pm: Group Skate Session (by reservation) For school, youth, church, special needs & private groups. Passholders welcome to skate unless rink is full.

5:30-7pm: Learn to Skate & Play Hockey Classes for Beginners. Co-ed classes for ages 4-adult. Drop-in $10 (free with All Access pass).

Tuesdays

9am-10am: Passholders Open Skate Time 10am-12pm & 1-3pm: Groups Skate Session (by reservation). For school, youth, church, special needs & private groups. Passholders welcome to skate if not full.

5:30-7pm: Learn to Skate & Play Hockey Classes for Intermediatelevel Players. Co-ed classes for ages 4-adult. Drop-in $10 (free with All Access pass).

Wednesdays

9am-10am: Passholders Open Skate Time 10am-12pm & 1-3pm: Groups Skate Session (by reservation). For school, youth, church, special needs & private groups. Passholdlers welcome to skate if not full.

5:30-7pm: Learn to Skate & Play Hockey Classes for Beginners. Coed classes for ages 4-adult. Dropin $10 (free with All Access pass).

Thursdays

9am-10am: Passholders Open Skate Time.

10am-12pm & 1-3pm: Groups Skate Sessions (by reservation). For school, youth, church, special needs & private groups. Passholdlers welcome to skate if not full.

5:30-7pm: Learn to Skate & Play Hockey Classes for Intermediatelevel Players. Co-ed classes for ages 4-adult. Drop-in $10, free with All Access pass.

7:30-9:30pm: Teen & Adult Pickup Hockey Games. Drop-in $10, free with All Access pass.

Fridays

9-10am: Adult Social Skate Session - with optional skate lesson! $5 skate-only; Special price of $10 includes lesson & skate rental.

10am-12pm & 1-2:30pm: Groups Skate Session (by reservation).

For school, youth, church, special needs & private groups. Passholdlers welcome to skate if not full.

3:15-5pm: Public Skate Session.

All ages and levels welcome.

Free for passholders; single

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entry: $9/adults; $7/teens (13-19) & seniors (65+);$6/child (4-12) & active military; under age 3 free w/adult; skate rentals +$2.

4-5pm: Youth Skate Lessons.

Ages 6 & up. Cost $12 drop-in, includes rental skates if needed & includes entrance to the following 6-9pm public skate.

6-6:30: Adult Skate Lessons.

Cost $12 drop-in, includes rental skates if needed & includes entrance to the 6-9pm public skate.

6-9pm: Public Skate Session. All ages and levels welcome. Free for passholders; single entry: $9/ adults; $7/teens (13-19) & seniors (65+);$6/child (4-12) & active military; under age 3 free w/ adult; skate rentals +$2.

Saturdays

8-10am: Hockey: Pick-games Games (adult/teen). Drop-in $10, free with All Access pass.

10:30am-12pm: Youth Hockey Games. Ages 4 & up, enrolled in hockey program.

12:30-1pm: Learn to Skate Class for Tots (ages 4-6) & Children (ages 7-12). Skaters grouped by skill level. Two coaches. Cost: $12 drop-in, includes rental skates if needed & entrance to the 1:30-3pm public skate that follows.

1-1:30pm: Skate Class for Teens & Adults (all levels). Skaters grouped by skill level. Cost: $12 drop-in, includes rental skates if needed & entrance to the 1:303pm public skate that follows.

1:30-5pm: Public Skate Sessions.

All ages and levels welcome.

Free for passholders; single entry: $9/adults; $7/teens (13-19) & seniors (65+);$6/child (4-12) & active military; under age 3 free w/adult; skate rentals +$2.

6-9pm: Public Skate Session. All ages and levels welcome. Free for passholders; single entry: $9/ adults; $7/teens (13-19) & seniors (65+);$6/child (4-12) & active military; under age 3 free w/ adult; skate rentals +$2.

Sundays

8-10am: Hockey Stick Time. From 8-10am the rink is reserved for hockey practice.

Bring sticks, pucks & skates & wear gear. By donation.

10-1:30: Groups & Passholder Skating. For those who schedule private groups and those with season passes.

1:30-5pm: Public Skate Sessions. All ages and levels welcome. Free for passholders; single entry: $9/adults; $7/teens (13-19) & seniors (65+);$6/child (4-12) & active military; under age 3 free w/adult; skate rentals +$2.

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“The operational costs of the rink are defrayed by admission fees, skate rentals and season passes,” explained Stackfleth. “However, Friends of Siskiyou Ice Rink, a non-profit organization, raises contingency funds for the purpose of covering operational deficits should they occur.”

The Friends of Siskiyou Ice Rink is a major part of this rink’s existence. Earlier this year, for example, the Shasta Regional Foundation awarded the nonprofit $11,300 for the purpose of sorely needed new rental skates. They raised $1,300 in donations to offer scholarships to kids for hockey and skating lessons. And in 2011 when the rink was forced to close due to a number of factors, it was “The Friends” who stepped up with a grassroots campaign to raise money and awareness in order to address the rinks problems.

Today, the rink is flourishing with out-of-towners and locals alike flocking to the rink to skate or play hockey. If you haven’t had a chance to experience one of the true winter gems of the Northstate, it is well worth the commute and potential cold weather. Dress warm and prepare for an experience you’ll never forget.

For more information on the Siskiyou Ice Rink and Friends of Siskiyou Ice Rink go to siskiyourink.org.

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For Any Level—Sliding Into Nordic Skiing

By Ross Lawrence

L

ike a long jog in the rain or a scenic river trail hike, Nordic skiing is an ideal way to get a workout while basking in the glory of North California’s unique landscape. Imagine – the wind at your back, a clear winter’s day, and you gracefully striding down a perfectly manicured snow trail with a breathtaking view of Mt. Shasta. Lucky for local Nordic skiing enthusiasts, the Mt. Shasta Nordic Center has made such experiences possible for almost a quarter century.

In 2006, a group of passionate cross-country skiers, snowshoers and skate skiers started the Mt. Shasta Nordic Ski Organization (Mt. Shasta Nordic), which operates the Nordic Center. A community based non-profit, Mt. Shasta Nordic works to increase interest in the sport of Nordic skiing by providing marked backcountry as well as groomed trails to a broad range of skiers.

During a snowy year, Mt. Shasta Nordic provides approximately 25 km of groomed trails, a rental facility, group lessons, drinks and snacks and special events.

“When we have snow on the mountain, we’re really busy,” stated Mt. Shasta Nordic’s Executive

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Director Justi Hansen. “We have a strong Nordic ski community locally, but we get visitors from as far away as the Bay Area and Oregon.”

Mt. Shasta Nordic is a community-oriented group.

The organization runs several programs for youth including one that allows entire school groups and mental health facilities to learn the fundamentals of cross-country skiing in a day. Instructors are able to design their curricula around an exercise-filled day of Nordic skiing.

“We have the Nordic Ski Youth Program that’s really popular,” noted Hansen. “We receive grants for the program which helps us provide scholarships and transportation for local schools and mental health organizations. Everyone learns how to ski, eats in the yurt and it’s really a lot of fun.”

Younger visitors to the Nordic Center may enjoy the Junior Skate Ski Program, which is an eight-week program where the same group of kids learns to skate ski. Mt. Shasta Nordic does not just host events and programs for kids though. People of all ages and abilities can enjoy cross-country skiing, skate skiing and

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winter dreaming Nordic Center Programs and Events Nordic Youth and Junior Skate Program 8-week program from January 12th through March 2nd 2015 for ages 7-16. $60 for non- members/$50 for members.

Contact info@mtshastanordic.org to sign up.

Details: This program teaches kids the technical aspects of skate skiing as well as team building and leadership development skills.

Backcountry Film Festival January 10th 2015. At the Sisson Museum in Mt. Shasta. Starts at 7 p.m.

Details: Watch several ski documentaries (fundraiser for the Nordic Center).

2015 Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (OISRA) Nordic Junior State Championships February 21st-22nd 2015.

Details: Junior Nordic Ski races.

Christine Alder on Flickr

Snowshoe Race February 22nd 2015.

Details: United States Snowshoe Association (U.S.S.S.A) qualifying race.

snowshoeing at the Nordic Center. In fact, affordable group and private lessons are offered to anyone from a four-year-old to an 84-year-old. Also, this year, Mt. Shasta Nordic plans on having a Veterans Day event where former service members will be able to ski for free. On Senior Day this year a biologist will come out to do a snow, nature and wildlife interpretation for snowshoers 65 and over.

“We get people of all ages, abilities and interests, and I think it’s because Nordic skiing and cross-country skiing in particular is a lot easier to learn than downhill skiing or snowboarding,” observed Hansen. “You can start with your skis wedged into a track, which makes it easier to get the hang of it if you’re a beginner.”

The availability of lessons with quality instructors combined with tracks in the groomed trails and lack of steep hills makes cross-country skiing readily accessible to novices. It’s why the Nordic Center can host large school groups, and by the end of the day kids that have never been to a ski park are skiing. As participants become more comfortable on cross-country skis or skate-skis though, a technical aspect and rhythm comes into it. Advanced cross-country skiers often seek a new challenge in skate skiing, which is more difficult than traditional skiing.

“With skate-skiing, you have really narrow skis.

It’s a more aerobic form, and it’s mostly on flat, but you can go up and down hills too,” said Hansen. “It’s almost like ballet on skis. You can get a lot of speed.

It’s an excellent workout and very intense.”

For new visitors to the Nordic Center, getting into the groove is easy. Rentals of cross-country skis, skate skis, boots, poles and snowshoes are available, and the trailhead fee is just $15 for adults. Additionally, private lessons start at $15 and group lessons range from $10$20 (lessons typically last an hour and a half). So, you can get your family out on the trails in no time, and because there’s rental gear you don’t have to invest a lot of money before you’ve even shown up at the trail.

If you find that Nordic skiing is your thing, a season pass only costs $75 for an adult or $150 for a family – a small price to pay for a whole season.

“We have a rich history of skiing at Mt. Shasta that’s embedded into the cultural past of the area,” expressed Hansen. “We want to continue building on that in addition to making the sport of skiing more accessible.

People need to see how beautiful it is up here.”

With all the hype and coverage of downhill skiing and snowboarding it can be easy to overlook Nordic skiing. For decades around Mt. Shasta, locals and tourists have been enjoying the scenic trails in the area on their snowshoes, skate skis and cross-country skis. Now, with resources provided by Mt. Shasta Nordic, trying the sport is as simple as ever. If you’re looking for something new this winter, hit your stride at the Mt. Shasta Nordic Center.

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winter dreaming

advencap on Flickr

Into Thin Air—Mountaineering on Mt. Shasta

S

ometimes the appropriate way to appreciate our beloved Mt. Shasta is to sit down, relax and enjoy its beauty. Sometimes the appropriate way to appreciate our beloved Mt. Shasta is to physically conquer the beast.

Mountaineering is no walk in the park. It’s sometimes dangerous, physically demanding and typically pretty cold. There are many different variables to the experience—weather, ice, lack of oxygen. So why would you put your life in potential danger, drag yourself to physical exhaustion and most likely be freezing cold in the process?

That’s simple—to experience what most people never get to experience. To be on place on this planet that very few have been. To see views that many most people will never get a chance to see. To be alive, in a moment, on one of the most respected mountains in the world.

Going Above The Clouds It’s a long journey up to the top of Mt. Shasta using crampons and an ice axe to maneuver through the rough terrain, so it’s good to have a professional by your side.

Timothy Keating, Founder and CEO of SWS Mountain Guides in Mt. Shasta, is one of the top experts on mountaineering on Mt. Shasta. His company guides trips all around the mountain year round.

“We climb in both winter and summer. The main difference is the winter climbs are up the ridge lines of Mt. Shasta to avoid the avalanche hazards which exist in the winter,” said Keating. “The winter climbs

are much more challenging due to colder conditions, weather and the requirement of a higher degree of technical skills.”

No matter if you want to experience an intermediate climbing experience or a hardcore challenge, conditioning is a large part of the process. The type of climb, course or expedition you are looking to experience will determine the level of conditioning needed.

It’s important to be in good to excellent physical condition, as the climbs and courses occur at altitude and in the mountain environment. Training before your embark on your adventure is a must. For advanced level courses or with altitudes above 14,000 feet, SWS Mountain Guides requires a conditioning and training program. The idea behind any conditioning program is to do some aerobic activity at least three to five times a week. Sitting at a desk or behind the steering wheel obviously does not add to your physical health or overall conditioning. And to be in the best condition for the climb can actually be pretty simple.

“We have found that some of our best conditioned climbers do a lot of walking,” said Keating. “Walk whenever possible. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Ride a bike or walk to work or to the store. Park your car at the farthest point in the parking lot at the office or the store and walk. The more walking that you do, the better trained you will be.”

A Life of Dedication Keating is the type of man you want to be with when you are in the elements of the mountain. He started

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his hobby turned career when he was 14 years old, in a Boy Scout Mountaineering Adventure Post. From there, he taught mountaineering as an assistant instructor at a local junior college in Southern California where he grew up. In 1980, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, and never returned, starting the SWS Mountain Guides 35 years ago at the fresh age of 21.

“I have over 34 plus years of guiding on Mt. Shasta,” recalls Keating. “And I am still doing what I love which is to show clients the wonders of the mountains.”

Keating will be quick to remind people, even those with years of experience, to respect the mountain at all times. He recalls his most humbling experience on the mountain when he was stuck in a snow cave on Mt. Shasta in the Cascade Gulch for over two days with three of his clients.

“It is a big mountain, and it can be beautiful, but it can also be as tough as any mountain in the world,” warns Keating. “I always have a healthy degree of respect for Mt. Shasta and I think a lot of folks forget that.”

Descending in Style Imagine standing at the top of Mount Shasta looking down at a 7,000 foot descent with only a set of skis to get you to the bottom and back to safety. I know, it sounds like a dream come true.

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Described by some as one of the finest descents in California, a Mt. Shasta ski descent is considered a must do for any real backcountry skier. It offers the advanced to expert alpine skier a descent of over 7,000 vertical feet.

Ski descents are a popular attraction for SWS Mountain Guides. Let’s face it; it’s any hardcore skier or snowboarder’s dream to descend all natural terrain with the elements providing a dangerous alternative to the comfort of a groomed black-diamond run.

“The most popular and basic route is the Avalanche Gulch Route -- mostly beginners on this route” explained Keating. “Our intermediate climbs include the Hotlum Bolum Ridge on the Northside of Mt. Shasta as well as the West Face, and Casaval Ridge.”

As for experience, you need to be a black-diamond to double-black-diamond skier.

“The angle of descent can reach up to 40 degrees in spots,” explain Keating. “To screen our clients for the descent we discuss their experience and level of skiing and then decide if the descent is appropriate for their skill level.”

A typical ski ascent and descent is a two-night trip costing $525.

For more information on Mt. Shasta mountaineering or SWS Mountain Guides go to swsmtns.com.

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winter dreaming

VistaLakeland on Flickr

A Winter World—Snowmobiling at Mt. Shasta

By Ross Lawrence

A

ttempting to overcome nature’s obstacles has been in man’s DNA for thousands of years.

Rivers blocked our paths so we built bridges.

Seas stifled intercontinental travel so we made boats, then airplanes. Six feet of powder prevented our progression up the mountain, so we manufactured snowmobiles, which ended up being one of the most fun winter tools (toys?) around. In truth, it’s easy to see how combining the adrenaline-pumping activity of motorcycling with mountains, beautiful winter vistas and tons of snow makes for great times. Fortunately for North State winter explorers, our own Mt. Shasta provides opportunities for incredible snowmobiling.

Your first stop for snowmobiling Mt. Shasta, Fun Factory Rentals has been providing service in the area for almost 20 years. Operating from Deer Mountain

Snow Mobile Park on the North Side of Mt. Shasta, Fun Factory Rentals offers on and off-site snowmobile rentals, a 101 snowmobile training course for all beginners, guided/self-guided tours, and helmets.

Everyone giving snowmobiling a try for the first time through Fun Factory Rentals should expect a comprehensive introduction to the sport.

“All of our snowmobile rentals come with 101 training where you learn to drive the snowmobile, use it safely and even fix little things so you know what to do if something goes wrong,” said Michele Valdez, Co-Owner of Fun Factory Rentals with her husband Daren. “After that, we have you drive around the parking lot for a few minutes to get a sense of how far we’re going to take you.”

Inevitably, which route you end up taking depends

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TimoNewton-Syms on Flickr

on how quickly you acclimate to the machine. People skilled at driving motorcycles might begin flying around corners and power sliding while others may have to take it slow. Either way, with over 280 miles of official, marked trails available to you, you’ll have no problem finding a ride that satisfies your thirst for excitement.

“For my normal clients, I send them to the lookout at the top of Pomeroy Ridge. Here, you can see Ash Creek Butte, the north side of Mt. Shasta and Butte Creek,” stated Valdez. “Then you can go to the play areas in the valley below, and continue to Butte Creek. The creek is beautiful in the winter because water cascades off the ice, which makes a big waterfall.”

Snowmobiling serves as a great way to get in touch with nature and see wildlife. At Butte Creek, snowmobilers can catch a glimpse of bear tracks in the snow, or even a sighting occasionally. Spend enough time out there, and you’re likely to find eagles and elk as well. Even with the sound of a revving machine,

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cruising through pines trees or an open meadow at mach speed on your snowmobile can be a peaceful experience.

“Four miles on a snowmobile really isn’t that far, but when you’re on the scenic trails in the snow it feels like your 50 miles out in the forest,” observed Valdez. “The feeling of being out in the middle of the forest, and the freedom that you have out there amongst the trees, the people and the animals – it just hypes you up.”

Almost anyone can go snowmobiling. Fun Factory Rentals often have small and large families come out to rent snowmobiles. You can even bring your K-9 buddy along with you. Two-seater snowmobiles make it possible for you to bring your small children along.

Also, sometimes there’s three or four generations of a family all out riding together. You may even catch husbands and wives, or fathers and sons drag racing each other in a big, open meadow. Michele and Daren as well as other snowmobilers around Mt. Shasta have nurtured a communal attitude among partici-

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winter dreaming

The U.S. Army on Flickr TimoNewton-Syms on Flickr

Paul Williams on Flickr

pants. Adults that started riding as young kids still make their ways up to Mt. Shasta each year to cruise around with old friends and relive old memories.

“We have families that have been coming to us for 18 years,” recalled Valdez. “Family or not, everyone out there is like, ‘Hey, you’re my brother or sister from another mother.’ If there’s a broken-down snowmobile, you’ll sometimes get 50 people helping because that’s the environment here. We take care of each other.”

If you’re already an avid snowmobiler, want to venture out further or try something new on your bike, Mt. Shasta has a virtually endless list of options.

You can join the Mt. Shasta Snowmobilers (www. mssc@snowcrest.net), which is a network of 168 snowmobilers from California and Oregon. They do large group rides, which adds a new dimension to the activity. Riding in a big group is similar to the feeling of cruising the open road with a motorcycle gang.

Three other snowmobile parks exist in the North State besides Deer Mountain including one at Four

Corners Park, Door Knob and Pilgrim Creek. Snowmobiles also allow you to take advantage of the many backcountry ski runs available on the north side of Mt. Shasta.

“There are trails that go to Mt. Shasta Ski Park. If you’re a competent snowmobiler, you can ride in the old ski bowl. You can have a friend drop you off up there and ski down,” said Valdez. “We have a good ski route just two miles from our park, and you can ride up there and ski back down on some great powder runs.”

Snowmobiling can open up a world that you never knew existed. On your machine you can visit places and see sights that you’d never be able to otherwise.

At Mt. Shasta, you’ll find a family of dedicated snowmobilers looking to ensure that your first experience on the trails is a positive one. Whether you’re looking for a new family activity, are a winter-sports junky or have just always wanted to try snowmobiling, Mt. Shasta is the place to be.

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Beer Brothers

brought to you by Redding Distributing

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Redding’s “Beer Brothers” are two of the most influential beer aficionados in the North State. Wesley Jensen is the Craft Manager for Redding Distributing Co. and oversees the best portfolio of craft beer brands in Northern California including Sierra Nevada, Fall River,

Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, Mad River, New Belgium, Lost Coast, and over a dozen more leading craft breweries. Wesley is a Certified Cicerone and a downright beer genius.

Chase Jensen is the President of their family business and is Cicerone Beer

Server Certified. He is a notorious beer hoarder and has a cellar of over 400 unique ales. Together they have been instrumental in growing the craft beer scene in Redding for years.

Over the next year, these two Redding beer connoisseurs are going

to share their adventures, opinions, and recommendations in this column, “Beer Brothers.” Here are three recommendations for your winter beer escapades.

B

eer often gets pigeonholed as a backyard BBQ summertime pleasure. In reality, it is an extremely sophisticated beverage that has a myriad of flavors and should be enjoyed with every occasion. Our favorite season for indulging in beer is actually the winter. Our go-to styles are typically higher alcohol and intensely flavorful varieties like imperial stouts, double IPAs, Iambics, and other Belgian style ales. There is no better season to enjoy a robust stout than a cold January night in Redding.

One of our new go-to beers each winter is Sierra Nevada’s Narwhal Imperial Stout. Its opaque, motor oil black pour is a telling sign of the dense chocolaty-espresso-malty flavors that ensue upon the first sip. Narwhal is a beast weighing in at 10.2 percent and it coats the

throat with gentle warmth like a fine whisky. What more could you ask for on a cold winter night? Narwhal can be hard to find, like the mysterious creature it takes its name from. Do not let this monster get away! Enjoy it while you can this winter.

Anchor Brewing’s annual Christmas ale is another winter favorite of ours. The recipe is a secret that the brewers have kept close to their chest for the last 40 years, but

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each year brings a new formula that is packed with rich spicy holiday flavors. Anchor Brewing from San Francisco, CA is considered the godfather of American craft and it would be sacrilegious to start a new year without cracking open this timeless legend. Try to score a magnum and break it open at your next large gathering.

If you want to toast to the New Year, but do not want champagne to get to your head or your wallet, venture out and try Calicraft’s Buzzerke-

ley Sparkling Ale. Buzzerkeley was formulated in the dorm room of founder Blaine Landberg when he was attending the University of California, Berkeley. It is a unique rendition of a Belgian strong golden ale that uses Champagne yeast and local California Starthistle from Glenn County. Buzzerkely is a light and zesty sparkling ale with a spicyfruit nose and a lovely dry finish.

Move over Dom Perignon.

For other delicious seasonal beers do not pass up New Belgian’s Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout, Ninkasi Sleigh’r, Lost Coast Winterbraun, Drake’s Jolly Rodger with Blue Bottle Coffee or Deschutes Jubelale.

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Fishing

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Not Those

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Kennedy Brothers

BY Chip O’Brien

Neither of these Kennedys has been President of the United States, Attorney General or heir to a fortune, but if you get to do what you love every day in NorCal’s splendid outdoor office space, that privilege might be almost as grand.

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D

Drive anywhere near the Sacramento River it’s hard not to notice the armada of drift boats ushering anglers down the sprightly riffles of our home water, almost every day of the year. People flock to NorCal for many reasons, not the least of which is world-class fishing.

Some have even dared imagine what it might be like to become a recognized expert, and sharing that knowledge and experience with others.

It takes a special sort of character to be a successful fly-fishing guide, and sometimes the right stuff runs in families. Brothers Kris and Greg Kennedy live the rugged, fanciful dream life of fly-fishing guides for The Fly Shop in Redding.

It’s probably difficult for people with more common occupations to visualize all you have to know and do to be a successful guide. While not required, there are actually schools around the country where people can go to learn how to be a successful fly-fishing guide. Guides obviously have to know fly-fishing very well, yet that’s not nearly enough to guarantee success. Guides have to work very hard, keep insane hours and schedules, go for weeks without a day off, possess all the right equipment like drift boats, trailers, extra rids and reels and enough of the right flies to outfit a fly shop.

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Successful guides become accomplished teachers.

Not everyone who hires a guide knows how to cast or even how to tie a fly on the end of his or her line.

Like other professions, there is a dictionary full of words and expressions common in fly-fishing that you might not hear anywhere else for the rest of your life. A non-fly fisher might overhear a conversation between two anglers and think they are listening to some foreign language. Guides learn to be sensitive to both what their clients know and don’t know.

Beyond just loving fly-fishing, successful guides have to love people.

“It just of kind of fell into place for us,” said Greg.

“Kris went to the fire academy here in Redding after high school. I went to school down in San Diego and pushed business alternatives, then got into real estate.

After a while I said ‘What the heck am I doing? Why am I chasing a dollar sign instead of a smile?’”

“Both of us just shook our heads,” Greg continued.

“We realized that we only have a short time here, and it’s about what we make of it. Money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness. We’ve had a lot of people in our lives that’ve had a lot of money, and they didn’t seem to be really satisfied with what they got out of life. We realized at a young age from both our mom

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and our dad that time spent with the people you love brings happiness.”

“We’re originally from Mammoth Lakes, California,” said Kris. “I moved here in ‘96 after I started guiding. Then my parents sold their fly shop (The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes, California), so I went back to help with that. I managed it for the new owners for a while, then came back up here and brought my brother Greg with me.”

“We’ve grown up in the industry,” said Greg.

“We thought, ‘Why not network ourselves?’ We’re associated with The Fly Shop and have an in with everybody in the industry, sales reps and fly-fishing companies. It’s great to be out there and people seem to really like our ads. We get a lot of really great feedback from our guests who tell us ‘You’ve got to write more! You’ve got to do more!’ With guiding it’s sometimes hard for us to do, but it’s fun balancing how we’re going to push more.”

“I’ve been guiding about fifteen years,” said Greg, “my brother about another five years longer. We cut our teeth fly-fishing the likes of Hot Creek and the upper Owens Rivers (near Mammoth Lakes). Kris guided a bunch on the East Walker River. Compared to the waters we use to delve into in out childhood, the big-

ger rivers like the Trinity and the Klamath were calling.

We said, ‘What the heck, we’re moving up.’”

Our back yard fishery “If I had to choose one river to guide for the rest of my life,” said Kris, “the Sac (Sacramento River) would be the one I’d choose. It literally fishes well from through the middle of town (Redding) to Chico. I could fish that and never leave, and I’d be a happy camper. The Sac has trout and steelhead, and not just any trout fishing. It’s some of the best. It’s the best in January. It’s the best in July. It’s the best in November.

There’s not a month (other than in the heat) that I don’t want to be out there. I would say it’s the most consistent year-round trout fishery in the world. If there’s another one out there, have people get ahold of me and I’ll go check it out.”

“They can’t even count the trout in the Sacramento River,” continued Kris. “It’s totally incalculable. They’ve tried to do studies. They’ve tried to do electroshocking, but the river’s so big and the fish are so migratory. It’s just ridiculous. On Hot Creek where I grew up there were 13,000 -15,000 fish per mile. The Sacramento has to dwarf that, and most people don’t even know it’s there.”

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“In March we have what we call March Madness,” Kris continued, “the ‘Blanket Caddis Hatch.’” [This refers to the Brachycentrus caddis hatch where there are so many bugs on the water they literally blanket the surface of the water. These same bugs leave a sticky green residue on car windshields in the springtime anywhere near the river. The trout, obviously, take notice.]

“Some of the other big hatches on the Sac,” continued Kris, “include the March Browns and other mayflies in the spring, then we’ll slowly move into the Pteronarcys, the big Salmonflies. Pale Morning Dun mayflies start showing up around this same time, but you never know. They could come off (hatch) one year, and then the next year they don’t or something else comes off. You’re like, ‘What the heck?’ It’s constantly, constantly changing, which as a guide keeps you on your toes.”

“We’ve seen huge Hex mayflies come off on the Sac,” Kris said, “and we have to say, you know, like, what the heck? There are huge cranefly hatches and midge hatches and then you have the big Salmonfly hatch which can be slow some years and absolutely ridiculous others. This last fall we started throwing dry droppers (floating flies with sinking flies tied to them). Most people just fish with nymphs and strike

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indicators (sinking flies tied to a bobber). We started sticking ‘em (hooking fish) with dry droppers and the technique works just as well. I think there are still untapped ways to fish the Sac.” Kris continued, “The only thing we can’t get Sac fish to eat consistently is streamers (swimming flies that imitate small fish). I think that’s because there’s so much other food in the river. We’ll go out there on our days off and try new techniques. We have days that are good, but then we go back and try to replicate that day and fail. It’s hard to get any consistency with it. We’ve gotten some big numbers of fish and caught some big fish, but can’t repeat those experiences day after day.

Other techniques are much more consistent.”

“We pretty much don’t like to say ‘no’ to our guests,” Greg said. “If someone comes to us and says ‘We want to fish here,’ we want to say ‘We’ll be more than happy to take you.’ If clients pick a specific river or lake, we try and excel at it, whether it’s bass fishing, trout fishing, steelhead fishing, you name it.”

“I started working for The Fly Shop,” said Kris, “around 2002. But being from 8,000 feet, Redding gets a little warm during summers. So I go to Alaska every year for typically three to four months. I go to the raw wilderness and fly around in floatplanes.”

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Tough duty avoiding the heat “Kris goes to Alaska in the summer months,” said Greg, “and I go to Kamchatka, Russia. It’s just like Kris’ deal in Alaska, except I jump out of helicopters instead of floatplanes. It’s pretty darned fun. Kris also guided down in South America. I think he did four seasons down there. Now Kris is guiding up in Alaska in the summer months for a place called Royal Wolf Lodge. It’s an awesome break from day-to-day life here in Northern California. As much as we love it around here, it’s just nice to get away and get a fresh brain and come back excited about Northern California again.”

Royal Wolf Lodge in southwestern Alaska is located in “the heart of the world’s greatest natural rainbow trout fishery.” Though they don’t target salmon in their operation, they do credit the incredible runs of sockeye salmon in the Bristol Bay drainage with making their trophy rainbow trout what it is.

The rainbows feed greedily on salmon eggs, salmon fry and eventually dead sockeye salmon carcasses in a year-round cycle of protein production.

From the Royal Wolf Lodge (RWL) web site: “Focusing on fly-out fly-fishing for rainbows, RWL fishes three main drainages; the Kvijack, the Alagnak and the Naknek. Located in the middle of all three, the lodge has access to many creeks, streams and rivers, the Nonvianuk, (home river fishing) is exceptional and within walking distance of the lodge.”

While Kris stays on US soil, brother Greg spends his summers hopping in and out of huge, orange and blue MI-8 helicopters in Russia’s eastern peninsula, an unspoiled landscape known as Kamchatka. Similar in many ways to Alaska, this region reaches south from Siberia into the Bering Sea and contains some of the best rainbow trout and steelhead fishing in the world.

Trips with either Kris in Alaska or Greg in Kamchatka can be booked locally through The Fly Shop.

Home again

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“I start over on the Trinity in September,” Kris said, “when I get back from Alaska. I’ve been doing probably half my fall trips on the Trinity and half on the Sac. Some days I’m driving 200 miles if I’m coming home that night. If I’m staying over on the Trinity I usually stay in Weaverville. I’m kinda’ like a ghost.”

“Come January we’ll start doing some other coastal streams,” added Kris. “We’ll do the Mad and the Eel and the Van Duzen. Once the coastal steelhead thing kind of fades, I don’t know, in March some time, we’ll switch back to the Sac and others, including the Pit and the upper Sac. We even do some warm water stuff like fishing for bass on the Shasta Lake.”

“We’ve got to keep it fresh,” Kris continued. “It’s one of the things. You know we love doing it, but once we go to the same spot over and over again, we try to think of where would we want to be on our day

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off? We think our clients might want to be doing the same thing. It’s still a job, and there are days we have to do things we might not want to do. But overall we’ve started collecting a group of clientele that appreciates the same things we do.”

“I would say I’m a people person,” stated Kris, “but I don’t like to fish around people. My favorite Sacramento River drifts are from Balls Ferry to Los Molinos.

They’re not always the biggest fish, but I get way from people and I don’t see houses. You have a lot more steelhead down there, so there’s always a chance for a really big fish. You’re going to have better numbers, too. An average day down there will be 30-plus fish on a normal day. You’re not going to see anybody else.

That’s the cool thing. I don’t know of any other place like it, and it’s right in the middle of California.”

“There are definitely a lot of great guides in the area who are our dear friends,” said Greg. “We kind of know everybody and stay on good terms. What I think we bring to the table that not everybody else does, is our perspective on what fishing represents to the human body. I think is refreshing. Its not always just about catching fish. We work very hard and get a lot of enjoyment out of it, but those times out on the water with good friends and people who appreciate the moment are the best. Sometimes being still and watching a bald eagle or watching a tree change colors, whatever, a rainstorm, all the natural beauty around here is what it’s all about.”

“We do everything through The Fly Shop, said Greg. “That makes sense. They keep a good hold on our calendar and take care of us when we’re gone or out of the office, when Kris is in Alaska and I’m in Russia. It’s nice to have their backing.”

Part of why we chose the Kennedy Brothers out of the hundreds of very capable guides in the area had to do with how well they market themselves. They maintain the web site fishkennedybrothers.com, and are continually posting stunning photos from their worldwide fishing adventures on Facebook.

“I think what makes it unique is that we both love to take photos,” said Kris. “We both love to share our experiences. Doing something you love with your brother is pretty unique.”

“There’s a bunch of great guides out there,” said Kris. “There’s a big cult following. With my brother and I it’s just the two of us, and we’re all over the place. There’s so much in NorCal, and fly-fishing’s definitely a big part of that. Redding’s an iconic flyfishing destination. It’s kinda’ crazy, but it is!”

When you talk with Kris or Greg Kennedy there is also an infectious enthusiasm you simply can’t help catching, along with lots and lots of fish. If their photos say anything about how they see their world and chosen occupation, they live and work in a land overflowing with color and wonder. Some might call it God’s Country.

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

43

Health

istock.com

New Year’s Resolutions Made Easy

By Annette Bryant

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

It is the start of a brand new year—again—which brings many of us to a point of evaluating our lives and committing to make changes for self-improvement, better known as New Year’s Resolutions. According to Statisticbrain.com, more than 45 percent of all Americans make some type of resolution at the start of each year. While making these self-promises is an admirable effort, only 14 percent of those over 50 years old are able to achieve them, many giving up within two weeks. Among the top resolutions that are made are to reduce stress, lose weight, live a healthy lifestyle, reduce debt (save money) and get organized.

It doesn’t seem that these goals are all that far-fetched, and yet so few people are able to reach their goals or stay with the program for very long. The reasons for that are varied, but most experts agree that in order for New Year’s Resolutions, or any decision to make life changes to work, there must be a plan; almost a science, to the manner in which they are executed. Many people set their goals with an almost magical thinking attitude.

If I wish it, it will come true. But just because you want something does not automatically change your behavior. Many people embark toward their new goal, but when they have one setback they feel like a failure and abandon the entire program. Occasional setbacks are not only common. In fact, they are inevitable.

One must expect them and make a plan for when they happen.

Changing behavior means re-programming your brain, and the process requires careful consideration in advance.

It has also been reported in an article in the Harvard Business Review that many people make New Year’s Resolutions because some-

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one has told them they need to make a change. Perhaps your doctor said you needed to lose weight, your spouse complained about too much debt or your boss thinks you are under too much stress. The fact is, to make a resolution work it has to come from your own self, and not because someone else wants you to do it. When an individual does their own self-evaluation and makes a decision to change, the chance of success skyrockets.

So how can you keep a New Year’s Resolution? The biggest problem with most of these promises is that they are too big, too vague. You give yourself a much better chance at success if you take your goal and break it down into simple, manageable behaviors. When making resolutions, why not commit to just the simplest of steps? Here are three of the most common life changes with a simple twist that can make a difference.

1. Lose weight. What does that mean exactly, one pound or fifty pounds? How are you going to achieve it? The fact of the matter is that there is a simple truth about losing weight; eat fewer calories. Exercise plays a big role in that as well, but let’s just concentrate on reducing calories, keeping it simple. Let’s focus on just 100 calories a day. If you cut 100 calories from your daily diet you will cut 3,000 from your monthly count. That constitutes almost a pound of weight lost. That would be 12 pounds a year. Doable?

Of course it is. Here are some simple ideas for reducing your daily calorie intake by 100 a day: Poach two large eggs in the morning (150 calories) instead of frying them in butter (250 calories).

Eat a ham sandwich for lunch (85 grams is 133 calories) instead of a hamburger (274 calories).

Switch one regular 30 ml cola (150 calories) for a glass of water (0 calories).

Grill a serving of salmon (150 calories) instead of a prime beef tenderloin (406 calories).

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NORCAL Northern California’s Sport, Fitness and Outdoor Magazine

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

Add a hard-boiled egg to a salad (78 calories) instead of an ounce of cheese (200 calories).

Drink two glasses of red wine (160 calories) instead of an extra dry martini (254 calories).

2. Reduce Stress. This one can be one of the most ambiguous of them all, but possibly the most important. High stress levels affect every part of our health from our blood pressure, heart rhythms, digestion and weight. Sources of stress are often difficult to pinpoint.

Why not commit to ten minutes of meditation every day as a jump-start to reducing stress? Meditation has been used for centuries in eastern cultures and has proven health benefits. It can reduce blood pressure 20 – 30 points, reduce the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body, help with insomnia, calm anxiety and depression and create an overall calm throughout the body. “But I can’t possibly meditate,” you say.

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Think again. It doesn’t have to be a mind-emptying Zen experience. Ten minutes of deep breathing, relaxing your muscles and clearing your mind is all that is needed. Lie down or sit comfortably in a chair. Eliminate any interruptions (phones, children,) and close your eyes. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold it for a count of four. Blow it out slowly through your mouth to a count a four. Do this three times, and then continue with deep breathing, in and out, while counting backwards from 100. If you concentrate on your breathing and counting there will be no room left in your brain for stressful thoughts. Ten minutes will have amazing health benefits. If you are having trouble doing it on your own, download a meditation from the guru Deepak Chopra.

3. Living healthy lifestyle. There are so many small changes that can be made in your life to achieve this one that the list is almost limitless. One of the most beneficial ways to get on the road to success is to add at least 20 minutes a day of activity (walking, jogging, dancing). When it comes to resolutions, this is one of the hardest to keep. Try breaking it down into two, 10-minute periods. Another aspect of living a healthy lifestyle is being mindful of the foods that we put into our bodies. Try making a list of everything you eat in a day (try an app for your mobile device to help) so you can begin to make sense of healthy food. Looking for a simple way to add one healthy food to your diet each day? Drink the juice of one lemon in lukewarm water each morning. Lemons are heavy on Vitamin C, which supports the immune system. They also have pectin for a healthy colon and help with weight loss.

It is a natural cleanser, which reduces toxins in the body, cleans your blood and liver, nourishes brain and nerve cells and balances PH levels in your body. It also enhances skin glow and texture. With lots of citric acid, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, it is a great nutritional source. Remember to drink it, not sip it, because it can be dangerous for tooth enamel. One lemon a day is all you need. How easy is that?

New Year’s Resolutions can be achieved and goals will be met if your resolutions have a manageable plan of attack. Starting with one small step, which is easy to incorporate into your life, will have measurable results. The great part of starting small is that you can be successful, which only makes you want to add more small steps to your plan to have even greater success.

One hundred calories a day becomes two hundred and 24 pounds lost in a year. Ten minutes of meditation becomes twenty minutes giving you a peaceful, spiritual experience. One lemon a day will encourage you to add another healthy food a day, and then another. Before you know it over half of your diet will be healthy foods.

It isn’t luck or even will power that produces lifechanging behaviors. It is having a plan to incorporate one small change into your life a day. You can do it!

NORCAL

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January/February 2015 Active NorCal

47

Humor

Wetsuit Wardrobe Malfunction Chip O’Brien

When you combine a pithy streak of spontaneity with a penchant for living life on the edge, bad things might happen. So might good things, if you live to tell about them.

How I decided to snorkel down Clear Creek Canyon west of Redding is still a mystery to me. I had fished both up from Clear Creek and down from Placer Road before, but had never actually seen the whole thing. The roughness of the canyon made it nearly impossible to hike it without getting in the water, and most of the water is too deep to wade. When I factored in all the poison oak and rattlesnakes in the canyon, swimming it didn’t seem all that crazy.

I parked at Clear Creek Road Bridge and hid my keys. Next, I donned my wetsuit and wading boots, then fixed goggles and snorkel to my head and climbed aboard my bike. The route was pretty straightforward. I went west on Clear Creek Road, right on Cloverdale, then right again on Placer to the bridge.

I might as well have been riding that bicycle buck-naked. Hadn’t folks ever seen a guy riding a bike on a hot summer day wearing a wetsuit and snorkeling gear? I was an instant sensation and got several honks and waves. It never occurred to me that wearing a wetsuit, goggles and snorkel on a bicycle was an epic fashion faux pas.

At Placer Road Bridge, I hid my bike in the brush. I would drive back to get it after.

Beneath the bridge I found the remains of a huge television someone had evidently tossed from the top. While I view most litter an egregious scar on the landscape, I had to admit I might have enjoyed watching it explode in a million pieces.

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Active NorCal January/February 2015

Lissa Jensen

Despite the blast-furnace heat of that typical NorCal summer day, the water was frigid. In the hours it took me to swim it, I had to get out of the water often to get warmed up. You could have fried an egg on the rocks on either side.

The world beneath the surface of Clear Creek was even more stunning than I’d imagined. Much of the creek is deep, and the sunlight provided an ever-changing light show of dancing reflections all around me. There were thousands of trout, too many to count, and some big ones. I saw a few immense, grotesquely misshapen salmon, which looked almost terrifying underwater. There was a place where the entire stream funneled through a crack in the rocks only a few feet wide,

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and who knows how deep. At least I had the good sense to hike around that part.

At last I realized I was getting close to Clear Creek Road.

I saw them before they saw me. By then I was feeling fairly giddy with the success of my adventure. There was a little family having a picnic along the stream just above my take-out spot.

Drifting soundlessly with only my snorkel visible above the water, I finally stood up when I was about fifteen feet from them. “Take me to your leader,” I managed to articulate through my snorkel. The woman dropped her sandwich.

As it turns out, wetsuits are not proper picnic attire either.

NORCAL

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