Eddie Bauer Guides, Athletes, and Leaders share their favorite outdoor dates, whether solo or with a significant other, and always with nature.

Adventures with: Angela Hawse

Climbing waterfall ice in the Ouray Ice Park is an experience shared by first-timers as well as world-class athletes.

“There is something for everyone, and coupled with close proximity to the amenities in Ouray (including hot springs!), it offers an incredibly accessible adventure. There is no better place to learn how to ice climb or hone your skills than the Ouray Ice Park.”

I first ice climbed there a decade before the Ouray Ice Park was created. It was steep and intimidating but the beauty of climbing a frozen waterfall was incredibly alluring, and now for over twenty years, since its creation, I’ve become a regular at the park. The town of Ouray, pre-ice park, was a virtual ghost town with businesses closed for the season, one or two hotels to choose from, and only a single bar with a small menu.

The Ouray Ice Park transformed Ouray, turning it into a bustling, year-round thriving community with great restaurants, accommodations, and plenty of other activities like an ice-skating rink and small ski hill. It’s a great destination for families. Experienced climbers also enjoy the abundance of classic backcountry ice climbs and, of course, the apré climbing hot springs to cap off a good day out.

Eric Shuette’s adventure write-up is full of good tips and details to get you primed for a visit to Ouray.”

Angela’s pro tips for a great first impression at Ouray Ice Park:
• A few key pieces of equipment such as Eddie Bauer’s Alchemist 40/55 Pack, the Downlight 2 Hooded Jacket, and a pair of Guide Gloves are recommended.
• Local guide services can provide you with all the instruction, supervision, and equipment you need for a fun day out and it’s a great activity for moderately fit, adventurous folks to check out.

Adventures with: Perry Cohen

Sand, Sunsets & Stars. Kayaking and Camping the Colorado River Glen Canyon to Lee’s Ferry.

“To celebrate our anniversary, my partner and I threw our gear in the truck and headed north from Flagstaff to find adventure. We were at an overlook gazing down at the Colorado River snaking around Horseshoe Bend, and there we noticed kayakers lounging on the banks of the river. Turning to each other, we simultaneously said, “Let’s do that!”

A quick search returned an outfitter and our last-minute adventure came to be. We booked the 8am shuttle to ferry us up the river and headed out to pitch our tent at the edge of Marble Canyon. Watching the sunset paint the canyon walls, we cracked open our beers, cooked dinner, and talked about our upcoming adventure.

The next morning, we met our shuttle driver at Lee’s Ferry. He shared bits of history and pointed out petroglyphs as we sped towards Glen Canyon. Once there, we gazed up the canyon walls and marveled at the natural wonder. My partner swelled with pride as she told me how her grandfather had courageously climbed the canyon walls to place the electrical poles we saw off in the distance, ensuring electricity for Arizonans.

We ate breakfast and hopped in our kayaks. The river was calm. We alternated between paddling and floating, our Eddie Bauer Sun Foils keeping our skin safe from the Arizona sun.

That night we camped at Mile 8 campground and scrambled up the red rocks to watch the sunset. For our anniversary dinner we grilled steaks over an open fire and lay on the sandy ground watching the stars. The next morning, we packed up the boats and decided to float the final 8 miles so that our trip would last as long as possible. It was sad to see the boat launch at Lee’s Ferry and realize our magical 24-hours was coming to a close. We returned our kayaks, waded out into the middle of the river, and vowed to return.”

Adventures with: Drew Tabke

Convenient access to nature at Ecker Hill Flag Pole. Park City, UT.

“This is an easy hike in the Pinebrook area of Park City, UT. A variety of trails crisscross the hill, giving you a few different options, but whatever trail you choose, it will be about 2.5 miles with 700’ of climbing. The top features the namesake flagpole and a beautiful view of the surrounding area – but it isn’t pure and unspoiled nature, with some Pinebrook homes just a few hundred feet away. More ambitious hikers and mountain bikers (these are multi-use trails) can choose to add virtually unlimited miles, as there are options to connect into the greater network of Park City-area trails.

Though it isn’t the most exciting trail in the world, I elected to share it here because I just love the easy access to nature available in this area. My wife and I previously lived in Seattle for 12 years, where getting out into the hills for a hike took 30 minutes of driving at least. I feel really grateful to be able to leave my house and hit a trail without needing to drive.

Winter 2021 has been interesting Utah so far, with very little snow. That means a lot of the hiking and biking trails that would normally be covered with snow by now are packed snow and ice that is actually really nice for hiking. I, of course, would love it if there were better snow for skiing, but I’ve been able to do a lot of hiking on these snow trails with my wife and my family, which is new to me but has been really fun.

Part of this new experience has been learning about finding ideal conditions on the snow trails. Though not always necessary, Yaktrax, winter shoes with studded soles, or some way to increase your grip can be a big help. Unless they are totally dry, or still have compact snow, avoiding the sunny trails is good practice as you don’t want to cause damage to trails by using them when they’re muddy. Somewhat counterintuitively, the best conditions tend to be the cold, shady trails. Compact snow is actually quite grippy, and if it hasn’t melted and refrozen, you’re less likely to find mud or slippery ice.

We aren’t superfast trail runners, we keep an average walking pace and on the gently-sloped, grippy sections we take it up to a job. Dress according to your pace: if you like to be aerobic and keep the pace up, you can dress with surprisingly light clothing in cold temps. For example: midweight running tights/pants and a light- or midweight softshell jacket, like the Eddie Bauer Sandstone Backbone Grid Hoodie. Lightweight gloves and a hat are key, too. If I’m going slow and taking in the views, I bring a warmer, packable down jacket like the Eddie Bauer Downlight.”