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revival
SISU Pronounced see’-soo. A Finnish term embodying the spirit of grit, guts, and perseverance. Sisu represents a human being’s ability to face any adventure riddled with hardship, hopelessness, and impossibility, yet they still choose to stay the course. It’s not a temporary state of courage, it’s a way of life. SISU MAGAZINE A collection of uninterrupted stories, brilliant photographs, and stunning art that evokes the indomitable human spirit that exists in all of us. An exploration into the experiences and perspectives about the outdoors, told by our contributing writers, photographers, and artists who represent a bold, insightful collective voice.
f r o n t a n d b ac k cov e r a rt wo r k by l au r e n b e l lo O k e r m a n @ @ @
I am more been in m efficient now th an ye a diminis ntire life. Hormo I have ever n h of others ing regard for t al anger + he wellbe when it c ing ome my dimini shed pati s at the expense ence = of sentenci ng withou An expedient t a jury. a n In doo r g ir l o n th o utd e oo rs 6 learning a new language Pag e 12
CONTENTS
A Lesson on Land Love by Jennifer Gurecki
10 ask jenny bruso
Trans on the Trail by
Jenny Bruso
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reduce, reuse, upcycle Sustainable Style by Erica Zazo
12 an indoor girl on the outdoors Letter to the Universe by Melanie Briggs 52 14 nature is a woman’s place Myth of Menstruation Outdoors with Margaret Seelie
20 livin’ la vida llama
Pack Animal
Parables by Jennifer Gurecki
22 mountain biking 101, 201, + 301 Lessons from Liv Ladies AllRide by Lindsey Richter
coming full circle
Running to Heal with
Shandi Kano by Jennifer Gurecki
56 poetry in motion Because by Chris Whalen
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the celeste barber of cycling Ironic Instagramming by Jennifer Gurecki
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summer camping essentials Gear for Getting Out by Madeline Kelty
26 birds of a feather
Avian Art by
Christina Armetta
32 doing the mountain
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who’s in charge
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fight for you
The Duo Behind
Outdoor Journal Tour by Jennifer Gurecki
Hoverboards and Higher
Purpose by Lynsey Dyer
DIY Fashion by Devin Bridson
38 dont let go
Deep Desert Imagery by
James Harnois
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making a comeback The Latest Old Thing by Samantha Romanowski
4 4 what’s in my pack
Snacks and Other
Important Stuff with Kenya and Michelle
4 8 the pitch
Indigenous Design with Yhi Creations
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summer reading roundup
Books
to Bask In by Jill Sanford
winterwondergoddess
Bridget
Law’s Community by Tibby Plasse
t don’ eople c I o 77 li “S ow p b u p h r care enjoy ou hem to 80 t o t t m n e e a s th choo , I just w o enjoy or them f t s 82 land t there, to fight .” s u d e o get sibly, an eed aris n on ma resp hen the Ll a a w id L
n’ ivi
marketplace
Shop It
eat, drink, + be merry A Refreshing Summer Sipper by Vanessa Barajas
that’s what he said
Sisu Suit Satire by
Andrew Pridgen
V 0 La e 2 Pag
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STAFF follow @sisumagazine #gritandguts
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Gurecki CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lauren Bello Okerman CONTENT EDITOR Jill Sanford
SUBSCRIBE Never miss an issue. Subscribe at SisuMagazine.com
CONTACT For general inquiries, write to hello@sisumagazine.com
SUBMISSIONS If you’d like to contribute, email us at submissions@sisumagazine.com
SPONSORS To enquire about advertising or sponsorships, get in touch at sponsor@sisumagazine.com
STOCKISTS If you’d like to stock Sisu Magazine, write to stockme@sisumagazine.com
CONTRIBUTORS Christina Armetta Vanessa Barajas Devan Bridson Melanie Briggs Jenny Bruso Lynsey Dyer Hasna Eltahany Lacey England Jen Kennedy Madeline Kelty Leah Koransky Victoria Plasse Andrew Pridgen Lindsey Richter Samantha Romanowski Jill Sanford Margaret Seelie Chris Whalen Erica Zazo
letters to the editor Send your letters to editor@sisumagazine.com and snail mail or gifts to 3983 S. Mccarran Blvd. #481 Reno, Nevada 89502
©2019 Sisu Magazine, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
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“Y
ou may shoot me with your words. You may
cut me with your eyes. You may kill me with your hatefulness. But still, like air, I’ll rise.” Maya Angelou American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist 1928-2014
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FROM THE EDITOR
Organized religion has never been my jam. I attended Sunday School only once when I was being cared for by dear family friends when my brother was born. My babysitter in elementary school was Mormon and my neighbors would gift me a Mormon bible every year for my birthday (I think they were trying to tell me something). I was raised in an agnostic household, and my spiritual-free childhood is likely due to the resting bitch face that my grandma Alice donned at my parents’ wedding. My mother was raised Jewish and my father Catholic, and no one was happy that they chose not to marry within their faith (along with my father’s inability to complete a sentence without dropping at least one four letter word). So they said fuck it and we celebrated holidays like Christmas and Easter for the food and presents and festive decorations. So you might wonder how we landed on Revival, a word laden with religious connotations, as the theme of Issue 3. Revive is the translation of chayah and means “to live” or “cause to live.” It’s the restoration to life (Genesis 45:27; Judges 15:19, etc.), of rebuilding (Nehemiah 4:2), of restoration to well-being (Psalms 85:6). I, like many of you, am revived when I spend time in nature. I become grounded, strengthened, and connected to something bigger than myself. Perhaps that’s why “going to church” has taken on a new meaning on those Sunday mornings when we choose to worship and revel in the wonders of our natural world. Inside this issue, we’ve curated stories about the people who share spiritual experiences similar to my own. They are breathing new life into the outdoors. Their experiences in nature are ones of endurance, strength, spirituality, and revitalization. The existence of Sisu Magazine is also a revival of sorts—we’re hoping to resurrect print into a tactile, analog experience that requires us to slow down and soak it all in. You also might notice that we are partnering with Merrell in Issue 3, and we can’t thank them enough for helping to bring this issue to life. Gone are the days of static, glossy print ads that act like hard stops in what should be a flow. We’re grateful that they understand our vision at Sisu Magazine and that they’ve chosen to support us and so many other people who are trying to create more inclusive and relevant outdoor experiences. We are excited to engage with the brands and the people behind them who are making a difference and living their values, and we hope you are too.
Jennifer Gurecki Editor-In-Chief
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FROM THE creative director Revival is the coveted state of hope, the gathering of energy, the surge towards re-creation, and the blossoming of promise. A perfect frame of mind with which to exit the hibernation of wintertime (god knows we love snow, but change is always good)––revival gives us the chance to redraw our lines and rewrite our verse into the productive months ahead. Sisu’s third issue, Revival, takes its lead from the spring and summer seasons and finds its creative muse in the bird, our feathered friend who appears as our days get longer and warmer. The only creature that travels through the sky, the bird is a universal symbol of hope, of peace, and of transcendence. In the art of the Pueblo people, the bird is part of the symbolic pantheon of moisture prayer. The “rain parrot” is a spiritual go-between to the upper gods to ask for rain—the great reviver of the earth and soil, the catalyst for corn and abundance for the people. From the other side of the world, we have the mythical Phoenix, the ultimate symbol of rebirth. Rising from the ashes of its predecessor’s fire, the Phoenix embodies the regenerative cycle of being and the power of flaming out and rebuilding. Christina Armetta’s bird illustrations on page 26 are a singularly jovial collection of personalities that highlight the diversity and humor of these creatures—how colorful and how exotic. How can our hearts and minds not be stirred to wild places? From a flamingo to a penguin, these animals excite our basic desire to fly, soar, and dive. So, as we always do, we look to nature to inspire us to move forward. Let’s take a note from our winged messengers from the sky and stay light, stay nimble, and keep our eyes on the horizon in this season of Revival. “I hope you love birds, too.” - Emily Dickinson
Lauren Bello Okerman Creative Director
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a g n i n r a e l e g a u g n a l new sisu
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ts, is t n e lists i a c n s r f jou mo a te a ives, and me ans to t cre a s what it n le ar he l and. t lov e
Jennifer Gurecki | @yogurecki
i
n the spring of 2018 Samantha Dwinnell, Anya Tyson, and Tennessee Jane Watson set out to follow one migratory animal—Deer 139—along the 85-mile migration path from her winter range in the sagebrush steppe outside LaBarge, Wyoming, up into and over the Wyoming Range, across the Greys River, to an alpine cirque in the Salt River Range. In the process they became keenly aware of what it’s like to post hole in sugar snow up to your crotch. Migratory ungulates have become popular in the larger conversations around conservation and management and understanding their struggle is part of a comprehensive study that is examining what makes their population grow and shrink: the environmental conditions that are affecting their recovery, the presence of humans on the landscape, and the connection they have with the land. Dwinnell (the scientist), Tyson (the citizen science project coordinator), and Watson (the 6
jayme dittmar
journalist and documentarian) were joined by Jayme Dittmar (the visual storyteller) and Morgan Heim (the photographer and videographer) on a mission to make this long and complex journey visible to not only the scientific world, but to anyone who shares a love of the land. Entire herds of deer take similar same steps each year, but Deer 139 stuck out to Dwinnell because every year she follows a route that is a quite daunting, including summiting two mountain passes and crossing multiple bodies of water that rage in the spring. Last year she did this all while carrying triplets. She’s a bit of an outlier, but many of these animals do really incredible things that no one realizes until their movements are tracked. “So much is missed if we’re not on the landscape seeing it first hand,” Dwinnell said. “They do crazy shit.”
Hans-Martin Kudlinski @hmkphotog
Following the migration route of one of these animals seemed (note the past tense here) like a really fun adventure to Dwinnell in order to understand the system that she’s been studying at the Haub School of Environment Resources at the University of Wyoming. Most research never leaves academic journals or classrooms, and Dwinnell morgan Heim wanted to get the science out of the scientific community and in front of a different audience that may not understand how their presence can potentially disrupt the connection of animals to the land.
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s for her co-conspirators Tyson and Watson, well they didn’t quite know what they were getting themselves into. For Watson, it felt like a call to arms to people who spend time outside to pay attention and connect to the land in a different way. “I don’t know enough about the natural world. It’s not really legible to me. When catastrophic changes are taking place, I don’t really notice them.” She said the Deer 139 Project is meant to help people connect to the natural world and understand it in a way that perhaps they’ve never considered. It also exists to help people see women differently. “As a feminist, i think it’s super important for women to be visible doing these types of adventures and doing this type of research. We’re building a body of work of as women adventurers and scientists,” she said.
in terms of understanding how we recreate, and for Tyson, the philosophical nature of the project was most compelling. “We wanted to ask people who already have some sort of a relationship with the natural world to take that relationship one step further, to ask them how you are actually taking care of these places?” she said. Tyson wants to encourage people to consider how they can do better by these places and get beyond the backdrops of Instagram pics. “We’re going to lure you in with mountain shots and post holing and suffering and then ask you why these details matter and then ask you to put your money where your mouth is,” she said.
"we went into t his knowing t hat deer 139 was a beast, a badass.”
Migratory species are such incredible role models
The three also love an adventure, the long-haulslogging-through-the-woods-beat-up-your-body kind of an adventure, and that’s exactly what they got. The trip did not unfold at all like how it was originally planned. Within the first five minutes, Dwinnell had sprained her ankle, most likely due to the weight of the packs. By the second night, they had only made
7 Hans-Martin Kudlinski @hmkphotog jayme dittmar
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ASK JENNY Bruso Questions and answers about life, the outdoors, and whatever from the creator of “Unlikely Hikers,” an online community for the underrepresented outdoorsperson JENNY BRUSO | @jennybruso
Dear Jenny Bruso, I’m a 64-year-old trans woman who is starting the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) soon. Truthfully, I’m scared to death. Yes, I have the usual concerns about being physically and mentally strong enough, but mostly I’m afraid that I will be an outsider. The political divide in this country is too great and violence against trans women is escalating in the name of religion and patriotism. I think I just want to hike solo, camp solo and enjoy life solo. After all, you can’t hurt me if you can’t get to me. It is my intention to hike the PCT in the same fashion I do most public events. I’ll keep my head down and my mouth shut. Being alone has pretty much been my lifestyle since transitioning. I might as well do it while thru-hiking and accomplish something. I don’t know if I’m asking for advice or validation or…? - Going it Alone Dear Alone, Deciding to hike the PCT takes mental fortitude beyond my imagination! After a few days of sleeping on the ground, I can’t wait to go home. I admire you, especially your willingness to do this despite some really valid safety concerns. As a #fatandoutdoorsy person, there have been many times I’ve chosen not to do something for fear of harassment or simply being “the only one.” But this isn’t about insecurities. In the US, trans women are more than 4.5 times more likely to be murdered than cis women (women who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth, “female”) and 2018 showed the highest known rates yet. It is important to note that more than 88% of those murdered are trans women of color. It’s fucking horrifying, to say the absolute least. 10
Women, all women, are far too often told we shouldn’t do outdoorsy things alone, but the truth is we’re more likely to be attacked by another person––let’s be real, a man––in our daily lives. Even going to the bathroom outside can put trans people at risk. How sad that this threat even has to be discussed when considering an endeavor like this. The trail isn’t actually an escape from society for folks who are threatened in daily life. With love and respect, you will be an outsider. I think that’s already understood from the rest of your letter, but I want to encourage you to embrace it. Your trek will be different than most people’s. Hike your own hike, they say. Maybe you’ll find more freedom on the trail than you do in your daily life because of the lack of people. Maybe not. Regardless, there are things you can do to feel safer and empowered: •
Keep at least one person in your life up to date on your whereabouts.
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I know you intend to keep your head down and your mouth shut. Please don’t. There’s a broad spectrum of things that can happen in the backcountry and all of them are more likely than being attacked: becoming injured, sick, lost, or encountering dangerous weather. Sign all of the trail books so you’re traceable. Say “hi” to folks even if to just send a message of ownership of your place on trail.
•
A SPOT device or Garmin inReach tracks your movements and can be used to get help in an emergency even without cell signal. These can be expensive, but I know some outdoor stores rent them. Or maybe you can buy one and then return it to a certain major outdoor company who takes all returns. Not naming any names.
•
Carry a good pocket knife and mace even if only
“You deserve to have support, allyship, validation, and solidarity. There are brighter possibilities in life you may not be in a place to consider yet. I want more for you.” for peace of mind. I keep mine hidden but easy to reach in one simple movement. Knowing they’re there makes me feel more confident. Bear spray works too. •
Trust your gut. If someone is hiking too close to you for too long or making you feel tense, though they—read: men—are very likely in their own head and not paying attention, step off trail for a bit to create distance. You can even pretend you’re taking a picture or fussing with your pack.
•
I don’t love advising trans people to call the police, but report any incidents or anything suspicious to local authorities, including park rangers, and call the PCTA (916-285-1846) to create a paper trail.
Now that I’ve covered all of the scary things, another major reality is that you will not be the only outsider. Not by a long shot. Wanting to do this hike on your own is one thing, but I’m tripped up over the part where you said being alone has become your lifestyle since transitioning. This suggests you had folks close to you who are no longer there, whether they withdrew from you or you from them. I don’t know your story, but everyone needs people. No exceptions. Everyone needs community, regardless of how much you choose to engage or prize your solitude. You deserve to have support, allyship, validation, and solidarity. There are brighter possibilities in life you may not be in a place to consider yet. I want more for you. I want to encourage you to link up with these resources even if only to have some representation in your life: •
TranSending 7 (@transending7, TranSending7. org)- a trans-affirming athletics platform and non -profit run by Erin Parisi, a trans woman, mountain climber, and athlete.
•
The Venture Out Project (@theventureoutproject , VentureOutProject.com)- a mostly trans-led
org providing backpacking and wilderness trips for the queer and transgender community. •
Queer Nature (@queernature, QueerNature. org)- an organization that designs and facilitates nature-based workshops and multi-day immersions intended to be financially, emotionally, and physically accessible to LGBTQ2+ people (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Two-Spirit) and QTBIPOCs (queer and trans black and indigenous people of color).
•
Unlikely Hikers (@unlikelyhikers)- a platform and hiking group for underrepresented outdoorspeople. This includes fat people, people of color, queer, trans, gender nonconforming folks, people with disabilities, neurodivergent folks, and beyond.
•
LGBTQ Thru-hikers (Find on Facebook)- a place to build community, share information about queer-friendly trail resources, and celebrate achievements.
Alone, as you embark on your journey, I want you to know I care deeply about you, your safety and experience. I’m likely not the only one. Allow people to support you when they offer it, even if it’s hard to accept. I hope the trail is full of surprises. Good ones. I hope you’ll tell us about them. Love, Jenny Bruso
Do you have questions for Jenny? Hit her up on Instagram at @jennybruso for a chance to have your questions answered. 11
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an indoor girl on the outdoors MELANIE BRIGGS
An Open Letter to the Entire Universe Re:
Your Collective Behavior, on Behalf of My Perimenopause
Dear Everything/one Within 10 feet of Me, Especially That Dude Who Said Some Shit to Me on the Street Corner A Few Weeks Ago, At the request of my perimenopause, please get it together. What is left of my patience has been sacrificed to seismic hormonal shifts, and if you continue to behave in your current manner, seriously, I will stab something/ someone/anything/anyone/ whatever is within stabbing distance of me, including but not limited to salad toppings, because how dare they? I remain unconcerned that I don’t have a proper stabbing instrument; I’ll just use my tweezers, because I never leave the house without them anymore now that I have a perimenopause goatee. I’m not laughing, Universe. I’m not laughing at the goatee. That was a dick move.
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And be prepared for a swift execution in the name of justice, whoever/ whatever you happen to be that does heed this warning, I am more efficient now than I have ever been in my entire life. Hormonal anger + a diminishing regard for the wellbeing of others when it comes at the expense of my diminished patience = An expedient sentencing without a jury. Just remember, you brought this on yourself, whoever you are. I cannot be expected to tolerate this kind of behavior. No, I will not expand on what that means, because you should already know. But to give you an idea, here is a list of my current grievances, which I started this morning: 1. Don’t you dare look at me that way, sunflower seeds. No, I will not put you on my salad. You are too small to pick up with a fork, you get stuck to my lip gloss, you can sit between my gums and my
cheek on the side of my mouth for hours before I notice you’re there, and you are not adding enough zesty crunch to my salad to warrant your existence, so just check your attitude because I have my tweezers in my pocket. 2. matt20018, did you really read a Washington Post article about caving and then leave a homophobic comment that also misspelled “gimp?” How did you even make that leap? How did you read that story and think it had anything to do with anyone’s sexuality and then think it was okay to make a derisive comment? How did you accomplish this, matt20018? Honestly, I don’t care, just get out of the comments section before I tweezer-stab you.
3. No thank you, I will not be putting together a different outfit every day. I will now be buying at least five of the exact same thing and wearing that exact thing every day. Because I’m effing exhausted and I can’t be bothered. I wear a uniform now. Handle my truth.
Street Corner. You are worse than sunflower seeds. And no, I highly doubt you “just want to have a conversation.” You don’t want to talk to me. You just want to watch me squirm under your gaze. You don’t get that from me anymore. You never should have in the first place. But now? Now I have tweezers and no selfregulation, so leave me alone. 5. No, no I do not want to get to know you or go out with you or even entertain the idea of giving you access to my naked body, Dude on Hinge. I’m sorry I put myself on Hinge for 12 hours to see if online dating was any different these days (it’s not), and the mere premise behind it makes me stabby. You want to get near me? You want to lay eyes on me? I’ll poke your eyes out with my tweezers and pee in your eye sockets before that happens, sir. You have been warned. Me and my perimenopause are not kidding. Get it together, everyone. Especially you, salad toppings.
4. Don’t you dare speak to me like that, Dude on the
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nature is ' a woman s place How the myth that bears and sharks are a danger to menstruating women spread Note to reader: The author would like to acknowledge that there are people who do not identify as women but who also menstruate or have menstruated. She wishes to invite, include, and empower everyone with this piece. MARGARET SEELIE | @margaretseelie
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Art by
Leah koransky | @leahkoransky
o you have a secret fear a bear will track and attack you when you’re menstruating in the wild? Or do you avoid going camping in bear country with menstruating women?
As a woman who surfs in California’s red triangle (known for regular shark attacks) and who loves hiking in the wild, this is a topic that I think about regularly. And I am embarrassed to admit that a few months ago, my answer to that first question was yes. I wasn’t alone in my ignorance about women and menstruation-related animal attacks. In 2017, pro surfer Laird Hamilton confidently told TMZ that “the biggest, most common reason to be bitten [by a shark] is a woman with her period.” When I set out find an answer to the bear question, most people I asked replied with some variation on, “Yeah it’s blood, so they can smell it.” A few people said, “I don’t know.” No one offered a definitive No—except for Caroline Byrd of Bozeman, Montana. But before we get to Byrd’s story, let me tell you about the night the menstruation myth I and others have bought into was born—The Night of the Grizzly. Almost 50 years ago, on August 13, 1967, two women—camping 20 miles apart from each other— were killed by grizzly bears in Glacier National Park. It was the first recorded bear attack since the park had opened in 1910. Both women were dragged into the woods by a grizzly and eaten. Was menstruation to blame? Michele Koons was menstruating that night and wearing a sanitary pad. She was camping with three men, one other woman, and a dog. One particular female bear had been harassing campers all summer, including Michele and her friends, so they left their camp and unrolled their sleeping bags along the banks of Trout Lake to sleep. When the first camper was awakened by the sound of the bear sniffing around his 14
sleeping bag, he panicked, jumped out of his bag, and climbed a tree. The bear moved on to the next camper, who also leapt from his bag and got away. Moving down the line of campers, like Goldilocks looking for the perfect meal, she came to the last camper. According to one of her friends, Paul Dunn, Michele couldn’t get her zipper undone and could not get out of her bag. Julie Helgeson was also attacked that night, but she wasn’t menstruating. She and Roy Duncat had set up camp near the Granite Park Chalet, whose employees had been dumping garbage in a nearby gully, attracting bears. When a mama bear and her two cubs attacked the couple that night, they went back and forth between the pair until Julie started to scream. The mama bear then dragged her to her death.
The National Park Service (NPS) was scrambling for answers about why these attacks took place, so they latched onto the coincidence that both victims were women. The Park’s report on the bear attacks reads, “The Trout Lake girl [Michele] was in her monthly menstrual period while the Granite Park victim [Julie] evidently expected her period to begin at any time.” Although grizzlies killed these women, the literature that emerged after this incident would imply that menstruation could also be implicated in their deaths. The NPS and the United States Forest Service (USFS) co-published “Grizzly, Grizzly, Grizzly,“ a six-page brochure containing information on how to be safe while camping, hiking, and exploring in bear country. It explicitly advised women to “stay out of bear country during their menstrual period.”
the image of a giant white polar bear noshing on a used tampon is both unsettlingly hilarious and terrifying..
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mountain biking 101, 201, + 301
'Cause we all gotTA start somewhere Lindsey Richter | @ladiesallride Founder of Liv Ladies AllRide Mountain Bike Skills Camps: Powered by SRAM
M
ountain biking can be an intimidating sport to get involved with, but for me it is truly a life-changing activity. I lost my fitness and self-esteem in college after being a celebrated high school athlete and didn’t know how to get it back. I started racing mountain bikes as a way to force me to get fit during the week hoping that I wouldn’t suck too badly at the races on the weekends. Turns out the sport gave me so much more
than fitness. It helped me understand how to face and conquer fears, how to be kind and patient with myself while learning something new, how to trust in my abilities, and how to change negative, fear-based thoughts to positive ones in order to keep the wheels rolling forward. Not only did this intimidating sport bring fitness and finesse back into my life, it also introduced me to a community of awesome people who welcomed me into the sport with open arms. If you’re new to the sport, here are a few pieces of advice and some
riding pointers to get you started on your path to becoming a ripping shredder.
The bike When you add in rocks, roots, steep hills and exposure, mountain biking is not “just riding a bike.” A poorer-quality bike can inhibit your experience, but the price of a new mountain bike is definitely a barrier to entry. If you don’t own a bike, begin by visiting a few different bike shops near you and demo a bunch to see what feels good. I recommend a new entry level or decent used full-suspension bike, so you get the feel for mountain biking on a comfortable bike. Hardtails (bikes with no rear suspension) are less expensive and great buys, but they can be a bit uncomfortable and more challenging to handle if you decide to ride more technical terrain (trails with rocks, roots, and obstacles) in the future. Make sure the suspension is tuned for your weight before heading out and learn how to change a flat tire just in case.
Proper gear This is another investment, but many times the gear you get will last a long time. Think about borrowing or buying some basic gear to get you started. A decent helmet 22
is a must because protecting your noggin is important. The right shoes to go with the pedals on the bike make a huge difference. If you don’t know how to ride clipped in, start with flat pedals and good, stiff rubber soled shoes. A hydration pack is nice for easy access to water, snacks, and tools. Gloves are pretty important for a solid grip and protection from branches brushing against your fingers. And of course, knee, shin, and elbow pads aren’t a bad idea because they’ll protect you if you fall and will give you more confidence to try new things. Not everyone loves riding with padding between their legs, but I do recommend a chamois that’s not too bulky to get your bum region accustomed to sitting in a bike saddle.
Take a lesson People believe that since they already know how to pedal a bike, they will pick up mountain biking quickly. Trial and error on a mountain bike can be dangerous so I recommend taking a lesson or two to make sure you’re developing good habits and have a deeper understanding of how to approach mountain biking as safely as possible. Here are a few organizations who can help: LadiesAllRide.com and www.GritClinics.com.
•
Only use one finger, your pointer finger, on each brake and gently see how they respond when used one at a time and then together.
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Stand on your pedals while coasting and move your body up and down, forward, and back above the saddle.
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Drop your heels a little for support, especially when practicing braking. Learn to move around above the bike and also move the bike beneath you.
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It also helps to bounce around and stomp your feet on the pedals to get comfortable with the suspension.
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All of this will help you understand that the light bike needs to be controlled by you, the strong capable human. You are the pilot, not the passenger.
As you progress, learning to get the front wheel up onto obstacles opens the door to more challenging terrain. Here's how to
make that happen Here’s how first clinic
to
rock
↝
your
•
Practice a few basic skills in a safe place like grass before you head out on the trails.
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First, the bike doesn’t have a brain or eyes, so always look ahead where you want to go, NOT at the things you don’t want to hit. Your bike goes where your eyes go.
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Pedal around and play with the gears and brakes so you understand how they work.
Liv Ladies AllRide is a movement dedicated to growing the community of female mountain bikers across the globe. Liv Ladies AllRide: Powered by SRAM puts on a series of energizing and inspirational mountain bike skills camps for women. Complete with the best coaches in the business, these events bring women together in a welcoming environment to enhance their lives on and off the bikes. There are twelve signature Ladies AllRide events in epic riding locations across the U.S. Come play on bikes with us because ladies should All Ride Bikes! LadiesAllRide.com // GritClinics.com.
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“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul—and sings the tunes without the words—and never stops at all. ”
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birds o f a feather
hristina Armetta is a textile and graphic designer based out of Missoula, Montana. She loves to keep her hands busy and her heart full. “I love creating art where you can see and feel the hands that shaped it, and where you can tell that there has been passion and precision throughout the entire process. I am driven by the wonderful patterns, colors and connections around me. Collaboration, I believe, is one of the ways that the whole world can be connected.” Christina has been designing snowboards for Coalition Snow since 2015, and for this issue of Sisu Magazine we are showcasing some of her latest designs that you can find in their 2019/20 collection. When contemplating her designs for the snowboards, Christina was inspired by the air and the water. “The bird art falls into the air category, and as I drew them, I felt a connection with each of them and even gave each of them names. In astrology, air signs are all about action, ideas, and motion—they are the winds of change. Air signs are similar to the wind in the sense that you can’t quite catch them, and you never know where they’ll drop you once they sweep you up. They are very sporadic and always up for the adventure!” When she’s not designing artwork for Coalition Snow, you can find her dyeing scarves, mostly silk scarves. She is currently experimenting with avocado stones, skins, Indigo, rust, turmeric, pea flowers, roses, and poppies. She treats her plant based fibers through alchemical dye sessions, shibori techniques, and bundle dyeing. You can find her on Instagram at @walrussssssbby and on Etsy as WalrusBaby. From first page to last : Ernie, Gizmo, Eggburt, Henry, Fredrick, Lucinda, and Trent—my friends!
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d i c k i n s o n , a m e r i c a n p o e t, 18 3 0 -18 6 6
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James Harnois PhotographY |
@jamesharnoisphoto
JENNIFER GURECKI | @yogurecki
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f you find yourself on Stone Mountain in Atlanta, GA, don’t say that you’re hiking. It’s called “doing the mountain,” and that slight nuance means everything to Kenya and Michelle Jackson-Saulters, founders of the Outdoor Journal Tour and the We Hike to Heal movement.
Outdoor Journal Tour (ODJT for short) is part outdoor recreation, part spiritual healing. Founded in 2015, ODJT is ushering in a new way to approach doing the outdoors. It’s designed for women who want to explore scenic landscapes and hiking trails, and at the same time want to dive deeper into their personal development but are bored with traditional self-help methods. Kenya and Michelle’s calling is to help women learn the importance of “praying with their energy,” as they say, which simply translates into living each day as if you already embody all of your future goals. It’s no secret that women are caregivers, to their families, to their co-workers, and to their communities. They prioritize serving others, but often don’t spend the same level of energy on themselves. ODJT provides a sacred and safe space for women to reconnect with themselves and with nature. Their tours challenge women to think outside of the box. 32
HerStories It’s no wonder that ODJT blends outdoor recreation and self-care. When you dig into the herstories of Kenya and Michelle, this pair makes perfect sense. The two met on Match in 2010, long before the swiping left and right scorned our souls. Unbeknown to Kenya, Michelle was way into spending time in the outdoors. “I always had been a curvy girl and had a complex with that. I was always active— it was about losing weight and then it became around how it made me feel. It made me feel really good and really strong.” It was Michelle who would drag Kenya on walks and runs. Michelle recalls it as comical, but it obviously turned into more than that. When Kenya first moved to Atlanta, things weren’t so smooth. She recalls failing miserably and struggling with her self-worth. It was at this time that she began to pursue interests in wellness work as a reiki master and spiritual healer. In 2015, as Kenya celebrated the Summer Solstice with friends, she led her group in a small meditation. When they opened their eyes, two new people stood beside them and they asked how they could join. “I felt like it was a calling, a sign.”
"Because we are not always thinking of the highest mountain, longest distance, most extreme experience, we can think about women who have lost their mothers and summer solstice—what women like us would need, want, and come to. We feed a niche in that way. That’s our sweet spot.”
In August of that year Kenya and Michelle organized their first event and the same thing happened. A woman, child in tow, approached the group and spoke to them about detailed counts of abuse as if they had known each other for a lifetime. “In that moment, I thought this is what we need to be doing,” said Kenya. If ODJT wasn’t enough, Kenya and Michelle also launched We Hike To Heal in 2018, a month-long campaign that takes place every March that combines mindfulness and movement, nature, and introspective work. It was a way for women, regardless of their location, to not only get involved in group hikes, but engage around weekly emails with exercises, journal prompts, mindfulness content, and videos, all in the name of getting in the space of healing so that they could focus on themselves. On We Hike To Heal Day 2019 (March 30th), Kenya and Michelle asked everyone—and by everyone we mean thousands of women across 36 locations—to get outside and find solace in the connections created by the mindfulness exercises. “There was this intuitive thing that you knew that whether you were in Cleveland or Canada, you felt like you were connected because you were doing something together. You’re part of something bigger than you, bigger than your city,” Michelle said.
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Kenya and Michelle don’t just “do the mountain,” they “do the desert.” In April, Michelle and Kenya joined the Merrell team, putting their work in practice as they hiked the Bear Canyon to Seven Falls trail in Tucson, AZ on O’odham, Tohono O’odham (Papago), and Hohokam land.
All photos by James Harnois Photography.
Yes, It’s a Thing Kenya says it’s important to note that when they launched ODJT and We Hike To Heal, they didn’t approach it from being Black and outside, and gay and outside, and women and outside. “We didn’t even know that was a thing,” she said.
and so is seeing other people like you in the space,” Michelle said. “The outdoors were an avenue in which we were creating this healing spaces, not a taking back our rights. Now it’s important to make space for women of all backgrounds.”
Girl, lots of people in the outdoors don’t know it’s a thing. But as Michelle points out, people of color, women, and all underrepresented people have always been in the outdoors. We just didn’t see them in photos or magazines or marketing.
“Because we are not always thinking of the highest mountain, longest distance, most extreme experience, we can think about women who have lost their mothers and summer solstice,” Kenya said. “What women like us would need, want, and come to. We feed a niche in that way. That’s our sweet spot.”
“It really was something that we were doing because we needed it and it was something we wanted to do for ourselves. Diversity is important 34
Who Holds The Knowledge? Doing looks different to everyone. It’s bound in our lived experiences, a culmination of the neighborhoods we grew up in, what our parents considered fun, our circle of friends. As Kenya and Michelle began to cultivate a community of women in the outdoors, they became more aware of the nuances of what it meant to “do the outdoors,” like Leave No Trace (LNT). While this may seem like common knowledge, LNT, just as every other outdoor-specific term, is coded and learned. It’s not something that makes it into every K-12 curriculum; it’s unique to people who identify with the outdoors. The super bloom in California this spring brought this issue front and center as giddy hikers stepped off trail into delicate soil. Voyeurs rubbed their gratuitous wealth in our faces as they illegally landed their helicopters in the middle of the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in California. While both violated LNT principles, we have to understand that what might seem obvious to some— like staying on trail—is actually a learned behavior. And with anything that is learned, there are always teachers.
"We want to enjoy the space and we want them to return. We want to instill a respect for the space that we’re in.”
“I think that you have to explain. People don’t have the same passions about things. A lot of women are worried about being single mothers or having to work a lot or trying to manage their marriage. They’re not thinking about stepping on poppies,” Michelle said. “We want to enjoy the space and we want them to return. We want to instill a respect for the space that we’re in. It starts with talking to those whose land it started off as and what happened on those lands and a general respect for the space. There’s a much bigger problem than people stepping on the poppies, but once these spaces are ruined…” For Kenya, she is recognizing that there isn’t a lack of resistance to adopting indigenous ways of respecting and caring for the land. “For our community, specifically the women we steward, they are absolutely 100% open to whatever information we share with them. If we say pick up every damn thing, they are sweeping up things with their hands. But they don’t see themselves as conservationists,” Kenya added. 35
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Stay hydrated!
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Chime and hammock to get your zen on.
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Don’t let the sun go down on your adventure!
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Snacks!
Exercise mindfulness with the We Hike To Heal Journal. Start your own journey with select worksheets on the following pages →
Kenya & Michelle never hit the trail without their best feet forward in their Merrell shoes. 44
What’s In Your Pack? with
Kenya and Michelle
Jackson-Saulters
Michelle: A journal, a hammock, cell phone (with AllTrails maps), snacks (usually popcorn, trail mix, or fruit), small first aid kit, an extra layer depending on the time of year, portable phone charger, Cottonelle Wipes, and a ziplock baggie for trash, headlamp, a tiny thing of sunblock, a tiny thing of bug spray, and water—either a bladder or Hydroflask depending on the distance. Kenya: A journal, cell phone, meditation chime, water, and snacks. (Clearly Michelle is the one carrying the pack.)
What Can’t You Live Without?
Michelle
Michelle: A cell phone—I take soooooo many photos when I’m out on a trail, and I use the AllTrails app for trail maps, so yeah, I totally need my phone! Kenya: Journal! I like being able to capture my thoughts at all times.
What Tips Do You Have? Michelle: Do what you need to make yourself comfortable. Test your shoes on short hikes, wear layers, bring extra snacks/water. When I’m comfy I have more fun. Also, enjoy it; go slow if you have to. Stop and look up at the trees or out at the vista. Enjoy yourself and the space you are in! Kenya: Bring a journal with you if you can. Find a beautiful place to stop and soak in the view and spend a few minutes reflecting in your journal. It’s a great opportunity to be introspective.
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THE PITCH
yhi creations
An interview with
Yhi | @yhi_creations
'YHI' is an Aboriginal word from the Gamilaroi (Kamilaroi) nation that translates to goddess of light and creation.
Give us your best elevator pitch. Yhi (whee) aims to be a leader in Indigenous business for sustainability by launching a clothing brand with a twist: No clothes will be made. Founded by Ella Bancroft, a Bundjalung woman from Australia who has passion for sustainable fashion and has taken to the streets with this new label for activism and change. The whole concept of Yhi is to utilize recycled garments and existing clothing; it provides prints, repatching, and reworking of the garments to give them a new life. This is not just a clothing line. It is clothing made with the intention to create change. Yhi is an Indigenous owned and run business operating out of Byron Bay. At Yhi, we believe in protecting the planet and using our clothing as a form of activism to create change and entice conversation. Each t-shirt campaign is created to combat white supremacy, racism, ethnic cleansing, genocide, slavery, land theft, imposed treaties, broken promises, relocation, forced assimilation, government manipulation, corporate control, and environmental pollution. How are you using your products as a platform to bring awareness to your indigenous heritage? There is no doubt that the connection between Indige48
nous people and the earth is the foundation of the entire culture. The inspiration for this project has evolved from this rich culture embedded in our country that is more than 60 thousand years old. The Earth cycle’s survival is dependent upon our community embracing a more sustainable future. We are walking our talk. As an Indigenous-led organization, is it important that we intertwine our belief into our products. This is not about joining the system of the colonizer, it is about creating in a way that is sustainable and respectful to our earth. The campaign “Decolonise To Survive” and the t-shirt is about bringing awareness to the assimilation that has and still continues to occur in this country [Australia]. It is bringing awareness to the fact that colonization is still our major mainstream thinking; its the social norm to have a colonial mindset. We’re seeing a big push in business to move away from a singular financial bottom line
and into a more holistic triple bottom line that integrates social and environmental impact in addition to the financial. How have you accomplished this through your business? Yes completely, we are a social enterprise business and our structure works in a way that we carbon offset and use compostable packaging for our clothing. We are putting the environment first. Yhi also collaborates with charities and organizations and gives a portion of sales from t-shirts to these organizations. In relation to our Decolonise To Survive shirt, for every t-shirt we sell, we give one away to an Indigenous Australian. Collaboration is the new competition. How have you developed partnerships with other womxn-owned businesses and why is that important to you? I love that, collaboration is the new competition. Last year Yhi did a collaboration with the US brand Madre Mudra. Madre Mudra makes eco-luxury and affordable intimates for women. The intimates are now 100% organic cotton, and the founder Breanne Meulink does all of the natural dyes herself. She began sewing every pair of panties and has now teamed up with an amazing crew of creators to help make her products. We created high waisted organic cotton and hemp blend underwear with a screen print of a uterus on the front of the panties. The vision came from wanting to empower women by actively creating a visualization piece they could wear on their womb with pride and the high waisted design makes you feel held and safe. This year we are partnering up with an Indigenous doula’s organization to help create and make a change in the birth space for Indigenous women by helping them reclaim back their birth spaces.
Anything else you want to tell us? I bravely want to open up the conversation about community and the planet. I want to dig deeper into our human intentions to create and ask ourselves are we doing this for the benefit of the community, the earth, and future generations, or is it purely going to be self-serving? I would love to inspire actual change within our communities, more support of local businesses, more support of small sustainable companies, more support of those who are actually wanting to make a change. I open up my heart in the hope you can open yours too, connect to country and protect your country. Find Yhi at YhiCreation.com and shop her Give a Fuck tee at SisuMagazine.com. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
I love working with women. It fuels my desire to make a change and I love collaborating with women who share the same morals and views as me, more often than not, they end up becoming my best friends. What’s been surprisingly difficult about your business? The hardest thing has been securing a space. Finding somewhere I can set up the screen printing, sewing machines, and keep my stock. What’s been the greatest reward so far? Sending a portion of our collected profits to Take3 for the Sea, an awesome organization that helps protect the seas and we vowed to give a portion of our Give a Fuck t-shirts to them.
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Coming Full Circle jennifer gurecki | @yogurecki
J ay dash
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here are very few times in life—if any at all— when you would want to return to the place where you started. We’re not meant to go backwards. It’s perceived as a sign of failure and it’s bound in pain and trauma. Yet it’s exactly what Shandi Kano had to endure to become the person she is today. Kano, an elite athlete who found herself emotionally and physically broken after attempting to run the Boston Marathon in three hours, laid on a gurney in a medical tent, her body rebelling, limbs firing, nurses holding her down. It was April 15, 2013. The first bomb goes off. Then the second. It was only when she was told to move to make room for the injured that it started to make sense. Martin Richard died during those very same moments. He was 8-years-old and standing at the marathon finish line, cheering on the runners with his family just as the second bomb detonated. His sister lost her leg. His mother suffered brain injuries and blindness in one eye from shrapnel. And his father lost some of his hearing. As Kano and her father stood outside the medical tent, the police came by and told them to run. You can’t be here, they said. But she couldn’t run. So she hobbled to a hotel, only to get kicked out. The city was on lock down and she couldn’t go anywhere. The train station was the only place people were allowed, so she sat with her father and waited for hours. Next to her sat a nurse on the phone who
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was sobbing and telling the person on the other end that he was only 8-years-old. He died on the table in front of her. It took a while for this to all set in. By this, Kano means terrorism—to understand what terrorism really does to you. While at home a few days later, she watched the news that featured the chase of the police looking for the bombers. “I was so terrified to be outside. I thought the sky was going to fall on me. Like I couldn’t live my life. I thought, this is how terrorism is supposed to work. You can’t live your life.’”
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ack at work a week later, Kano’s boss gave her a Post-It note of what he wanted her to do that week. She ripped it up and said it didn’t fucking matter. “I threw it at his face, and that’s not good.” “He took me outside and said that they should ‘talk about what’s best for you right now.’” She paused, thinking, “No, I’m the X Games girl you need now.” Her mindset was, “this is who I am, I have to be here, and I have to do this work and prove myself.” So it was hard to agree to take the time off. But she acquiesced, taking a few weeks off that turned into three months and then six. The more time Kano spent with her therapist, the more she began to understand what she had to deal with. “Things began to unravel in a really hard but beautiful way.” At that point, Kano realized she needed time with herself—a lot more time—to find and feel out who
she was post-Boston Marathon. Her doctors told her that she couldn’t exercise because her nervous system was essentially broken. She suffered from 25 food allergies. Her circadian rhythms were off. Anytime she’d be on a phone or laptop she’d tremor. All she could do was practice yoga and eat avocados. So she sat on her front porch and waited for an original thought to come to her mind. And when it didn’t, the anxiety set in. Anxiety breeds a life of its own. Her neurologist told her to go outside and look at the trees—to smell them and listen to them. She traveled Utah, where she was instructed to just focus on trees in the distance, spend time outside, and “put her bare feet on the ground to soak up the earth’s elements.” During a yoga class back in Connecticut, she had a vision of herself sitting up at Lake Blanche under Sundial Peak in Utah, a place where she felt an immense amount of peace and an understanding of who she was. She laid on the floor of the yoga studio and cried. “That’s where I need to be. That’s going to connect me to who I am.” And then it started to happen after that yoga class. She could hear the birds, she was present, and original thoughts started to come to her. But by the time she was ready to go back to work, Global X was no more and she was laid off. So she packed up her bags, left the East Coast, and moved to Utah. “Prioritizing what I needed became the new game changer for me. Where could my soul be happy? It was hard but absolutely the right thing for me to give up that identity of who I thought I was at work and as a runner.”
Jay dash
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he last time Kano had enjoyed road running was in 2011, during the New York Marathon. She wanted to go back in time to when she was happy and enjoyed the sport. “I didn’t know I had any talent. I was having a good time and that’s when I performed my best anyways. I just wanted to love it again.” Last fall, 4 years after she had returned to Boston to run the marathon on the one-year anniversary of the bombs, she found herself back in New York City, ready to run again. “I had done a lot of the healing and teachings that my therapist gave me and put it into place. I wanted to go back on my own terms to prove to myself that I had it in me still. I needed to face what this all meant to me as the person that I am now.”
Sometimes you have to travel back to where you stopped to start all over again.
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the celeste barber of cycling An interview with
@gravel_tryhard
s
he’s not anybody that you would have ever heard of in the cycling world, but today this amateur racer is lighting up Instagram with her ironic, indignant posts that call out the misogyny in the cycling world. When she started, she admittedly didn’t have a clear vision, but within a few months (and after a profile in Bicycling Magazine) her online presence jumped from 3.5k to 10,000k followers. And it just keeps growing. While she might think that was the weirdest day of her life, we bet that the more people who fall in love with the Celeste Barber of the cycling world, life may get a little more hectic. Why did you start the Instagram account @gravel_tryhard? I have never been a social media person. I don’t have a Facebook account and I virtually never used social media. But I’m part of a close-knit circle of cyclists who do use it, and it’s often a joke or topic of conversation of whatever account is posting provocative pictures of women posing next to their bikes, often with a tight focus on their asses. We’d share the more ridiculous ones among ourselves. Then at one point, a friend of mine had borrowed my camera and I wanted it back. He said, “I’ll give it back to you, but you have to take interesting photos and post them on Instagram.” So I said, “OK if you give me back my camera next week I’ll make an Instagram.” Somehow, those two com-
pletely innocuous ideas collided in my brain: bike babes, and suddenly having to do something interesting on Instagram. Originally the focus of my account wasn’t as clear as it is now. My first thought, which didn’t last very long, was actually, “I bet some of these women are making bank and getting a bunch of free bike stuff and maybe I could just set aside my ethics and be one of them.” I had this idea that I’d do bike babe photos, but every photo would have some weird, subtle detail that made it obvious that I was actually just joking. But then I started to think a lot harder about what I was doing, and I also started to observe which posts people responded most strongly to. And about two weeks after creating the account, I had focused in on creating photos that conveyed to other female cyclists, “here’s what this bike babe photo looks like to me. It makes me laugh, and I want to show you exactly why.” Why the emphasis on anonymity? I have a day job and stodgy family members. My name and face are out there in public. I wouldn’t get fired but I don’t want those two worlds to collide. I keep what I do on my personal time in a nice box. I have a responsibility to other people as well: I don’t want my family or friends to feel like they’ve been involved in this project if they don’t want to be. I’m not embarrassed or have to keep a secret; it’s just a healthy separation. 59