You're 50 miles from home on your bike, enjoying a day-long ride through the countryside, perhaps on your own. And then your bike fails you. Maybe it develops a persistent knocking sound with each revolution of the cranks. Or the front derailleur cable snaps. Or you hit a deep pothole and snap a spoke on the drive-side of your rear wheel. What do you do? Pull out your cellphone and call someone to come pick you up and carry you home? Is there cellphone coverage where you're likely break down? So what now?…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/13/tools/ The air is cool, the wind is rambunctious, but the sun shines and spring is on its way. Bob Angel of the Mobile Studio Travels of the Carolina Considered Project caught this evocative and lovely scene on a walk through Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/12/angel_boardwalk/

This is the story of a bike tour I made in February 2010 in Rio Grande do Sul highlands, in Brazil. I have gone on this ride three times—in 2009, in 2008, and also in 2007—which I named Pedalada Serramar Sierra-to-the-sea ride, because it goes from the highlands of southern Brazil to the shores of Rio Grande do Sul. Due to logistical problems I had to change the route this year to make the departure and arrival locations the same. However, for sentimental reasons I kept the name "Serramar."

My goal was to reach the town of São José dos Ausentes, RS, a city located in the highest and coldest part of the state. I did try this twice before without success…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/11/netto_serramar/

I've been poking around in the backcountry all of my life, usually with some specific end in mind. Most of the time I'm hoping to learn more about wild things: Wild birds and wild animals. Wild trees and wildflowers. Wild woodlands and wild waterways. I usually have a pretty wild time of it, too. This winter has been no exception. I've been getting to know a pocket wilderness in my corner of Canoe Country — the forested hills overlooking one of the swiftest reaches of The River. It's been a fruitful season. I now know where the porcupines go to find shelter and food, where the foxes make their dens, and where the deer yard up when the cold begins to bite. I've also learned where the red squirrels cache their cones, where the chickadees and mourning doves roost, and where the turkeys scratch for food when the snow drifts deep. This local knowledge pays off. Because I'm on "speaking terms" with so many of the woodland's full‑time residents, I'm quick to sense when something disturbs their forest community, and lately I've felt a thrill of apprehension in the air — a current of alarm, even of outright fear. It's what I call a Macbeth moment, after the familiar couplet from the Scottish play:

By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.

And that's exactly the feeling I got, starting about three months ago. Something wicked had entered the woods, and I wanted to find out what — or who — it was…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/10/fisher/

Sometimes you just don't want to fuss over a meal, but you want something hearty that will stick to your ribs. It helps if the meal is delicious, too, and who would argue against it being healthy? One of my old reliables is a black bean mix that can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and used all week to make any number of easy meals. The best thing of all is that this is one bean mix that comes together fast, just the way I like it.

Prep time is minimal, so folks who have an aversion to cooking can make it. If your pantry is well stocked, you probably don't even need to go to the store to buy anything. Here's what you need…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/09/blackbeans/

The days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere as General Winter retreats, but daytime temperatures are still cold enough to require tights, fleece, woolens, full-fingered gloves, and wind shells when bicycling. And mornings are downright icy, so it's not time just yet to remove the studded tires if you're commuting early or late in the day.

When conditions are chilly, it's difficult to imagine sweltering under a roasting sun on a shadeless road. But it will come, and when it does, it pays to be armed with ways to combat the full blast of the sun's heat. After a long winter, I like the feel of the sun on my bare skin during those first opportunities to go outside in shirtsleeves. But however good it feels, and however cool it is to show off the classic cyclist's tan, it's not wise to court burns or cancer by exposing skin to the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. I've been using sunscreen to combat the threat, but it's greasy and eventually washes off as I sweat, and I don't much like it. I could wear long-sleeved jerseys, but I don't own any summer-weight ones, and they're pricey. But when I learned about arm coolers, I knew that I'd found a solution that I could live with…]]> http://www.tamiasoutside.com/2010/03/08/armcoolers/