Shift Gears at the Outdoor Gear Swap

A Soroptomist Miracle

I still remember the one floating turn on a rental snowboard, a bunch of years ago, that turned me to the dark side. It just felt so good. The skis went into storage and that was that.

Fast forward bunches of years. I’m floundering up a slope on snowshoes with my board on my back, watching friends on skis became little dots in the distance. It did not feel nearly as good as that one turn. So I wanted to go back to skiing.

Gearboat guru Todd Kruger helped find me some alpine touring skis and bindings this year, but I was having a rough go locating AT boots. Conley Brown listened to what I was looking for in terms of size and price. His take: “Duuuude, you’re looking for a ski swap miracle.”

CB was right. And it happened. I found these at the Soroptomist thrift store a couple months ago. Hardly been used. Fit ever so nicely. I actually heard classical music when I picked them up. It would have been even more miraculous if we’d had, I don’t know . . . snow this year. But one thing at a time.

Look for your next gear find Saturday, April 18 at the Winding Waters boathouse. Buy new stuff and turn loose of old equimpent you don’t use anymore so it can get back in the game. This gear shuffle is being put on by the Enterprise-Joseph Lions Club. Actual lions will be on hand, so bring a chair and a whip to keep them at bay.

Everything related to snowsports, water activities or things you do on land for kicks is welcome. Not guns, though. The swap will be at the WWRE boathouse in Joseph, the quonset hut a couple blocks on your right as you head out the Imnaha Highway. Buy things from 11am to 4 pm Saturday the 18th. Check out the flyer below for deets on dropping things off.

 Climbing the Walls

Check out the recent addition of a climbing wall at WWRE while you’re at the swap. Pictured below is NOT the WWRE wall, rather a scene from a recent WREN excursion over to the Eastern Oregon University climbing wall. 28 Wallowa County kids took turns bouldering, roping up and practicing on a slack line. Good times, good times.

Steelhead Countdown

Getting down there on days left of the steelhead season. Sure been a good one. But you’ve got to reel it in on the 15th. So drop your taxes in the mail and go make a few last casts.

Parting Shot: Some lake or another

Not sure what this one is called, but it’s not bad as far as bodies of water go.

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