The Blog

Annie and I had a relatively quick and painless 8-hour drive over to Salt Lake City on Friday as I was readying to race the Antelope Island 50 mile the next day. We had been out to Antelope Island (a gigantic island on the Great Salt Lake) one other time about three years ago with my parents and one thing we all took away from that visit was a sense of how large the Salt Lake actually is and how cool it is that there are Buffalo out on the island. That visit three years ago was the day I decided I wanted to one-day race in the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 mile.

Voluntourism, dedicating your vacation time to volunteer for a worthy cause, is a growing trend because it gives travelers fun and exciting opportunities to give back. Planning your own outdoor service adventure, however, can be time-intensive and expensive, so why not let an organization with over 30 years of experience help you out? American Hiking Society does the trip planning for you, making it easier than ever to take part in budget-friendly Volunteer Vacations, aimed to improve America’s natural landscapes and hiking trails.

Entering exclusive footwear partnerships with Backpacker’s Get Out More Tour and American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacations, Vasque renews its commitment to America’s trails in 2011.

Vasque footwear, a family-owned company with 45 years of experience in the outdoor performance footwear sector, is staying true to its trail ready roots by participating in the 25th anniversary of the Appalachian Trail Days, May 12 – 14in Damascus, VA with a booth and a “Tales from the Trail” giveaway.

Vasque footwear is a sponsor of the Rock/Creek Scenic City Marathon. This beautiful marathon / half-marathon trail race is set in the scenic mountains outside of Chattanooga, TN, and is the perfect race to run in our Mindbenders.