COVERING FREE! UPSTATE NY MARCH SINCE 2000 2019 14TH ANNUAL SUMMER MARCH 16 & 17 EXPO MIND•BOD Saturday 10-5 TH•FITNESS HEAL TION SPIRITY Sunday 10-4 GREEN LIVING RECREAVEL TRA FREE ADMISSION SARATOGA SPRINGS CITY CENTER 522 Broadway Saratoga Springs Barry Koblenz/BaseTwelvePhoto.com See You at the Show! CONTENTS FROM THE PUBLISHER 1 Summer Expo appy Spring! It’s time to get outside and “Seize Hope to See You There! Hthe Daylight!” Please join us for our 14th annual 3 Athlete Profile SUMMER EXPO on Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17 Adventuring with at the Saratoga Springs City Center! The free-ad- Michael Baker and mission show has become upstate New York’s Stephanie Rios annual gathering of the sports, fitness and travel community! With 150 exhibitors representing recre- 5 News Briefs ational and competitive sports, outings, clubs, events 6-9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS and races, plus many health practitioners and a wide March to June variety of outdoor destinations across our beautiful region. This year’s Summer Things to Do! Expo features Mountainman Outdoors’ 2019 Canoe/Kayak/SUP Preview Sale. Many exhibitors will have sales on gear, clothing, footwear, race/event entries and much 11 Hiking & Ski Touring more. Enjoy the in-booth clinics, demos, family activities, and fill-out your entry Second Pond: A Trail ticket for a chance at $10,000 in prizes generously donated by many of our exhib- for All Seasons itors. For more info, visit AdkSports.com/summer-expo-attendees and like us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for reading us, attending our shows, and support- 12-15 SUMMER EXPO ing our advertisers/exhibitors for 19 years! This business has been one of the hard- ATTENDEE GUIDE est things I’ve ever done, but because of you it’s been one of the most personally Exhibitors, Activities, Parking rewarding! I hope to see you there. 17 Road & Mountain Biking Plan Your Cycling Season 19 Running & Walking Mother Runners 21 Great Walks & Day Hikes Vroman’s Nose: A Hidden Gem to Start Your Spring 23 Canoeing, Kayaking & SUP Paddlesport Racing: Try This Exciting, Low-Impact Sport AdkSports.com See SUMMER EXPO ATTENDEE GUIDE 12 ▶ Facebook.com/AdirondackSports 2 Adirondack Sports we are embarking on a new adventure. Buy any Rudy Project Sport Frame and Receive a Complimentary Backpack Learn more about our new degree program in Ecotourism and Adventure Travel. herkimer.edu/ecotourism www.herkimer.edu/social An equal opportunity institution. Ben Knute 315-574-4028 | herkimer.edu 1475 Western Ave #41 | Stuvesant Plaza | 518.489.8476 | Open 7 Days 19 Clifton Country Rd | Clifton Park | 518.373.0003 Spring Open House 595 New Loudon Rd | Latham | 518.783.0022 Saturday, April 6 3-Year Frame Warranty | Interchangeable Lenses - Plano & Prescription | Superior Optical Quality www.dinapoliopt.com Total266 Comfort, AdjustabilityDelaware & Customization Ave | Replacement | Delmar Lens Guarantee | Free | 518.439.6309Hard Case & Cleaning Cloth | Prescription Ready The 21st Annual Paddlefest & Outdoor Expo 2019 Saratoga Springs: April 27 & 28 • Old Forge: May 17, 18 & 19 America’s Largest On-Water Canoe, Kayak, Outdoor Gear & Clothing Sale! MARTIN, HARDING & MAZZOTTI, LLP® MountainmanOutdoors.com • Old Forge (315) 369-6672 • Saratoga Springs (518) 584-0600 MARCH 2019 3 ● ATHLETE PROFILE SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN, MAINE. SUMMER OF VAN CAMPING CRESTED A 14ER IN IN COLORADO. BUTTE, COLO. COLORADO. Michael Baker & Stephanie Rios By Shawne Camp Stephanie described how she got ZEKE’S FIRST from Massachusetts to New York. She MOUNTAIN y wife Janay and I met Michael and wanted to be closer to her new love ADVENTURE. Stephanie through cycling and we Michael and closer to the moun- Mbecame friends. Janay and I enjoy tains. For months, every single a nice hike, but these two adventurers take weekend they’d drive to each other, hiking to the next level. I’d wake up some six hours round-trip. When they AGE: Michael, 44 and Stephanie, 28 mornings and see photos of them already completed the 48 4,000-footers RESIDENCE: Ballston Spa on top of some mountain I’ve never heard (mostly in the White Mountains) LA PLATA PEAK, COLO. FAMILY: Blue Heeler dog named Zeke of, or dragging tires while snowshoeing, in seven consecutive week- OCCUPATION: Michael, Excavation and Stephanie, and think “these two are either crazy or ends, she’d drive three hours to Bartender and Personal Trainer crazy dedicated.” I knew they had some cool Michael’s place, then drive together four PRIMARY SPORTS: Hiking and Ultra Running accomplishments, but until I sat down over hours to New Hampshire. In one weekend text message for places SECONDARY SPORTS: Fat Biking, Alpine Touring, a beer and conducted the interview for this they hiked 32 miles and completed 13 of they should stop at, since I’m Snowshoeing story, I had no idea of the extent. the 48 peaks. When I asked Michael about originally from Colorado. I Michael’s passion for hiking started in Stephanie’s biggest strength, he responded told them they definitely needed to check saw it last year, it was pretty much an empty 1996 with a dare between him and his sister “she’s got grit!” out an awesome pizza place called “The Hot shell begging to be outfitted. Slowly and to hike up Mt. Marcy – which they did. Over In addition to the New Hampshire 48, Tomato” in Fruita, Colo. A couple hours later the course of the next four months, he had methodically, Stephanie and Michael have Stephanie was recently accompanied by I began receiving photos of pizza! The next completed half of the Adirondack High been doing much of the work themselves, Michael as she became an Adirondack 46’er. update I thought I’d read would be about Peaks. In 2010, Stephanie’s first hike was and occasionally it’s sent off to have more Michael has done five winter rounds of the the race, but the next message was about Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains, extreme modifications done. It now looks 46 High Peaks and two of them were in a how they were back in the Rockies. Michael and she’s been hooked ever since. She com- like a true adventure mobile! One that will single season. In October 2018 they com- described the temperatures in Fruita as over peted in track and cross country in high take you wherever and provide basically a pleted the 115ers, which are all 4,000+ foot 100 degrees, and he couldn’t stop thinking school “but I was never any good.” Stephanie home on wheels. Stephanie says Fluff origi- peaks located in New York, Vermont, New didn’t get seriously into running until she about the fun he and Stephanie had in the nally was a joke because the van is white and Hampshire and Maine. They celebrated with was an adult and discovered that “I might Rockies. They went back out to their van, like a big marshmallow or fluffernutter. Joke beer and food at Moat Mountain Brewery in not be extremely fast but I have endurance.” named “Fluff,” and said screw it lets go back or no joke the van’s name is now Fluff! New Hampshire. Currently, they are one Michael and Stephanie are both mem- to the mountains, where they completed Recently they picked up a new travel hike (Mahoosuc) from completing the North bers of “The Endurance Society,” an organiza- nine more peaks over 14,000 feet. partner named Zeke. Zeke is a young ener- East Ultra Eight; the eight toughest hikes in tion that’s dedicated to providing extraordi- So, what’s on the agenda for these go getic Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) the Northeastern US, and each hike must be nary physical and psychological adventures getters in 2019? Michael has the Beaverhead who’s super cute. They’ve been spending done in less than 24 hours. So, what’s their to the endurance community. They met 100K Endurance Race this July, on the a lot of time getting him trained, adjusted longest day hike? The Cranberry 50 – com- in 2016 while competing in Endurance Idaho-Montana border in the Beaverhead around other dogs, and going on hikes. His pleting it in an incredible 17 hours! Together Society’s 48-hour, 100-mile rugged trail race, Mountains. Stephanie is competing in favorite things are snacks, naps, snow, and they also completed the Georgia Death the “IMTUF” Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra called Infinitus in Brandon, Vt. Stephanie hanging out with his new parents. Race, which was 72 miles with close to Festival 100-miler in September, crossing was living in Chelmsford, Mass. at the time This summer Michael and Stephanie will 28,000 feet of elevation change in under 24 eight passes and gaining around 22,000 feet, and Michael in Ballston Spa. While Michael leave their jobs (with the ability to return to hours. Michael has also twice competed in which Michael will be crewing for. When described this grueling race, I was thinking them later), and load Zeke up in Fluff – along the Barkley Fall Classic which is a 50K trail asked about training, Michael told me train- to myself how bad my ribs hurt while doing with whatever they need – and hit the open race held in Tennessee – it’s designed to ing for both events has begun, but Stephanie a 5K. This was Stephanie’s first 100-miler and road. Destination? Out West! There are quite give the runner a taste of what the notorious has been training harder. This spring, they they both completed it. From this point on a few tall mountains in Colorado, so I have a they became friends and adventure partners.