Add “bikes in wilderness” to religion, politics, and other topics unsafe to discuss in polite company. You may very well have your own strong opinion on the matter, yes? To follow the progress of HR 1349 through Congress, drop by govtrack.us.
Not sure who to call to make your voice heard? The place to go is findmyrepresentative.com.
Author Aaron Teasdale writes frequently on environmental and other issues facing the American West. @aaronteasdale
Photos: Steve Fassbinder, republicofdoom.com, @republicofdoom; Joey Schusler, joeyschusler.com, @joeyschusler
One thing about Syncro Vanagons: They sure aren’t making any more of them. Despite the currently high prices for vans in any condition, odds are they’re going to continue to appreciate. When we checked the classifieds on the Samba—your best resource—the cheapest asking price was $20,000, and that was for a rust bucket project van. More common: $60K and up. thesamba.com
If you have the bank, GoWesty restorations roll out of their shop with a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty on parts and labor. Even if you don’t, their online library is a fantastic resource for learning about these wonderful but finicky vehicles. gowesty.com
David Roberts is one of the most prolific and respected adventure writers of the modern era. His acutely discriminating gaze has fallen mostly on climbing—his mountaineering C.V. is every bit as impressive as his writing’s—and on the Southwest, but his curiosity is wide-ranging, as evidenced in his most recent book, Limits of the Known, which looks at man’s (and Roberts’) relationship with risk. @davidrobertsauthor
Shawnté Salabert writes about her fears and trepidations in this story, her first for AJ, but we suspect those might be slightly inflated as narrative devices. This is a gal, after all, who rocked an industry roller derby in a tutu and also logged nearly a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, much of it solo, and then wrote a book about it. The latter was not done on skates, but still. shawntesalabert.com, @shawntesalabert
The decision by California’s Fish and Game Commission to ban abalone harvesting in 2018 was unanimous, and the closure was widely reported, but that didn’t stop at least three poachers from going after the threatened mollusk in January 2018, one of whom was busted because he got trapped by the incoming tide and had to be rescued. Two were sent to jail, and fines for the three totaled $70,000. For more on the health of California’s abalone population, visit wildlife.ca.gov.
Winning a Pulitzer Prize for excellence in journalism is the ultimate honor for us ink-stained wretches. Bob Sipchen, who worked for many years at the Los Angeles Times and also as the editor of Sierra, has won two. Dang. Double fist bump, good sir.
Matthew Rangel’s body of work is far, far greater than we could share with you here. rangelstudio.com is your destination for more.
Justin Housman is a staff writer for Adventure Journal. His last story for AJ, a profile of artist Obi Kaufmann, appeared in issue seven. @hzahorseman
Photos: Chris Burkard, chrisburkard.com, @chrisburkard; Nick LaVecchia, nicklavecchia.com, @nick_lavecchia; Marcus Paladino, marcuspaladino.com, @marcuspaladino
Warning, what we’re about to share with you could blow the rest of your entire day. There are panda cams! Yes, panda cams. The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has more than 20 livestreaming cameras pointed at both adult pandas and wee little ones. The cams can be inconsistent, but when they’re on, it’s…pandamonium. ipanda.com
After you’ve allowed yourselves that cuteness overload, you can learn how to help support efforts to save and protect this ridiculously adorable creature at the World Wildlife Fund’s panda resource center, wwf.panda.org
As for Ms. Ami Vitale, this is her second report for Adventure Journal. Her first, on the protection of elephants and rhinos and the success of Kenya’s anti-poaching programs, appeared in AJ 01. amivitale.com, @amivitale
Before he was Semi-Rad, he was fully Brendan. In the past year, Mr. Leonard has written two books, run 100 miles all at once, created a film on running 100 miles all at once, gone to Australia and back, and penned a story on the joys of alpine huts for Adventure Journal. There’s more, but to find out you’ll have to go to semi-rad.com and @semi_rad
Menus are produced, written, and photographed by Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet, who after living full time on the road for several years have settled in Bend, Oregon. freshoffthegrid.com
There’s a lot more to Gab Scanu’s photography than just aerials—see more at gabscanu.com, @gabscanu
41 issues. 10 years. Independently owned. Printed on 70lb uncoated paper with a soft-touch cover, solar-powered, and shipped in a brown paper envelope. Free domestic shipping.