Matador Network's Blog, page 908

Events canceled due to coronavirus

Uncertainty surrounding the new coronavirus has led many companies, governments, and other organizations to cancel events all around the world. Since large gatherings are believed to be conducive to the spread of disease, people are wary of attending events that draw thousands of attendees. Even in areas where there are only a few cases of the coronavirus, events are being canceled or postponed simply as a precautionary measure. While all eyes are on the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as of now, the games are going ahead as scheduled. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere. Here is the list of all upcoming events being canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus.

This list is developing and subject to change.

In the US:

Ultra Music Festival, Miami, Florida (March 11-13, 2020)
58th Annual US Senate Youth Program, Washington DC (March 7, 2020)
Facebook Global Marketing Summit (March 9-12, 2020)
SXSW, Austin, Texas (March 13-22)

In Europe:

London Book Fair (March 10-12, 2020)
Tomorrowland Winter, France (March 14-21, 2020)
Paris Book Fair (March 20-23, 2020)
Geneva International Motor show (March 5-15, 2020)
Annual international TV conference MIPTV, France (March 30-April 2, 2020)
Pierra Menta, the iconic, annual ski race in France (March 11-14, 2020)
Ireland and England’s Six Nations Rugby Games in Italy (March 6-8 and 14-15, 2020)

In the Middle East:

Red Sea International Film Festival, Saudi Arabia (March 12-21, 2020)

In Asia:

Official cherry blossom festivals in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan (late March-April, 2020)
2011 Tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster anniversary ceremony, Tokyo, Japan (March 11, 2020)
Hong Kong Filmart postponed from late March to August 27-29, 2020
Full Moon Party, Thailand (March 8, 2020)
The International Indian Film Academy Awards is postponed until later this month
Delhi’s Fashion Week, scheduled on March 11, 2020, has also been postponed

Pop culture:

Release of latest James Bond movie No Time to Die has been delayed from April to November
K-pop band BTS canceled Seoul tour dates (April 11, 12, 18, 19, 2020)

Green Day cancels Asia dates on “Hello Mega” tour (March 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 22, 25, 27, 2020)



More like this: Everything travelers need to know about the coronavirus outbreak

The post All the major events around the world canceled due to the coronavirus so far appeared first on Matador Network.

Vietnamese coffee in the US

Making coffee is all about extraction. Hot water is poured over dried and ground coffee beans, taking flavor and caffeine from the grounds on the way to your cup. But your coffee cup is a long way away from the place the coffee beans were grown, the people who grew them, and the local culture that made that bean possible. In this umpteenth wave of coffee culture, it’s long past time to start recognizing how a place imbues flavor in every bean.

“There’s so much for us to learn about the actual culture of all the coffee-producing countries in the world,” says Sahra Nguyen, owner of the single-origin Vietnamese coffee brand Nguyen Coffee Supply. “How they drink coffee, how they’re brewing coffee, and if they even have access to enjoy the coffee they produce.”

This is one of the guiding principles of Nguyen Coffee Supply. In Nguyen’s case, that means showcasing the traditional Vietnamese phin brewing method, which typically incorporates condensed milk in the final drink. Nguyen also highlights robusta beans, the primary variety grown in Vietnam rather than the widely publicized and celebrated arabica, which is grown in coffee regions around the world. Even if you don’t know it by name, you likely know Vietnamese robusta by taste, as it’s present in coffees and espressos across the United States. It’s the hotel coffee or the cup from a restaurant chain — essentially anything that isn’t explicitly labeled arabica.

“It’s a very familiar profile, and [Americans] inherently know this taste,” Nguyen says. “It’s comforting. It’s nostalgic. It’s what people think about when they think about coffee, they’ve just never been able to attach the country of Vietnam to their experience.”

In 2016, Nguyen, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees, met a friend of her aunt’s in Da Lat, Vietnam. Their meeting led to a direct trade agreement to bring arabica and robusta beans to Brooklyn, where Nguyen roasts and distributes her beans. Today, Nguyen Coffee Supply sells three options: Courage, which is 100 percent arabica; Grit, 100 percent robusta; and Loyalty, 50 percent arabica and 50 percent robusta.

Photo: Nguyen Coffee Supply

The decision to highlight robusta is an intentional one. As coffee awareness grew in the US, so did the fetishization of arabica. Self-proclaimed coffee geeks toss aside robusta as inferior and mass-market swill, instead praising the lighter fruity flavors of arabica versus the strong, espresso-like dark coffee notes of robusta. However, if your bag of coffee beans doesn’t say 100 percent arabica on the label, then it’s likely at least in part robusta — and there’s a good chance it’s robusta from Vietnam.

“No one was including robusta coffee or even Vietnamese coffee in the craft coffee experience and conversation [when Nguyen Coffee Supply started],” Nguyen says. “If anything, on the internet there were so many negative connotations around Vietnamese coffee beans and whether or not it could be included in the craft specialty space.”

Judging by Nguyen’s dedicated and rapidly growing customer base, the interest in robusta is growing. Yet Nguyen is so far the only person in the US importing Vietnamese robusta beans and selling them as a specialty, single-origin product.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

In early February, I attended a Nguyen Coffee Supply experience with around 25 other people at a shared roasting space near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Nguyen and her team took each of us through four components of the brand: a Vietnamese coffee presentation, a roasting demo, a demo on how to use the Vietnamese phin (which is somewhat similar to a French press), and a coffee cupping to blind taste each type of roast at different stages of the brewing process. To the surprise of more than a couple of people, the maligned robusta bean was their favorite when tasted blind.

Nguyen is the last to fault people for not knowing more about robusta and its connection to Vietnam. There’s simply a dearth of information out there. During the cupping, I noticed a map by World Specialty-Coffee Maps above the tankless water heaters. The map, from 2018, purports to show the world’s “specialty coffee regions” and features nearly 30 countries, including Thailand, Yemen, Burundi, Brazil, and Ethiopia. It does not include Vietnam.

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

In 2019, Vietnam was the second-largest coffee producer in the world, and 97 percent of that coffee was robusta, according to the International Coffee Organization. The United States, according to the Department of Agriculture, was the second-largest importer of coffee beans in 2019. Fifteen percent of those beans came from Vietnam, the third most by country after Brazil and Colombia. In short: Americans are familiar with the taste of Vietnam’s signature coffee bean, even if they aren’t aware that’s what they’re drinking.

Nguyen launched her single-origin robusta at the New York Coffee Festival in October 2019. She was the only roaster that put robusta front and center, she says, and there were lines throughout the weekend. Numerous people told her that they had always heard robusta was gross or repeated things they had read online about the perception of quality — perceptions that changed quickly after tasting Nguyen’s coffee.

“That just gave us so much excitement,” Nguyen says. “It’s great to lean into what’s different, and it’s great to offer a diversity of coffee experiences and products because the world is diverse.”

Photo: Nguyen Coffee Supply

Her platform has helped increase transparency in the industry — transparency that’s often touted by specialty brands when it comes to location-specific arabica but is lacking when it comes to Vietnam and robusta. Nguyen centers on the people, their coffee culture, and the bean for what she calls a “holistic learning experience.”

And there hasn’t been a better time than now to make specialty Vietnamese coffee happen in the US. Nguyen says she is frequently contacted by people who have wanted to open their own Vietnamese restaurant or coffee shop but lacked access to specialty Vietnamese beans.

“A big part of it is timing and the fact that my generation, who are now in our 30s, we now have the desire and the means and the know-how to contribute to the cultural landscape in this way,” Nguyen says. “Before, who was thinking about doing this? It might have been my parents, but they didn’t have the means to. They were here focusing on survival. And my parents’ generation, they were the major group of Vietnamese people to come to the US.”

Photo: Nickolaus Hines

As one of the largest importers of Vietnamese coffee beans, there’s an established economic relationship between Vietnam and the US. What’s less established is the connection to why that relationship exists and the people who make it possible.

“Maybe it’s a cultural thing, or maybe a generational thing,” Nguyen says. She adds that even though people in the US have drunk Vietnamese coffee for years, “maybe it takes a generation like mine with roots in Vietnam and the experience of being an American to have the desire to push that economic relationship and be like, ‘Let’s talk about it more.’ Let’s open it up for cultural understanding and transparency and say, ‘Oh these beans that you’re consuming in this package comes from Vietnam, did you know that?’”


More like this: 7 unique ways people drink coffee around the world

The post appeared first on Matador Network.

Best things to do in Galway

Every year since 1985, at least one lucky city in the European Union has been crowned European Capital of Culture. Iconic destinations like Athens, Berlin, Paris, and Florence were all chosen within the first few years. But rather than return to these old favorites again and again, in recent years the EU has chosen to shine a light on cities that are often overlooked, but have just as much to offer.

Chosen Capitals of Culture put together a year-long calendar of cultural and artistic events showcasing the talents of local and international artists. The goal is to celebrate each city’s cultural heritage, pave the way for a culture-rich future, strengthen the sense of community, and generally put it on the map for international visitors.

One of the two cities chosen in 2020 is Galway, Ireland (the other one is Rijeka, Croatia).

Photo: Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture/Facebook

Located right in the middle of Ireland’s west coast, Galway is already a popular destination. It’s the midpoint of the Wild Atlantic Way, the coastal route that runs all along Ireland’s Atlantic coast. It’s a convenient base for exploring the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s top natural landmark. And the Aran Islands, home to traditional Gaelic communities, are a short boat ride away.

Many visitors, however, don’t hang around long enough to really see how much of a cultural hotspot Galway is. It’s Ireland’s only bilingual city since it falls within a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area. For centuries it has been considered Ireland’s cultural heart, with sounds of traditional music weaving through the medieval streets day and night. Nowadays 24 percent of its population was born outside of Ireland, adding some welcome and much-celebrated diversity to the city.

Photo: JordiCarrio/Shutterstock

The calendar of events to take place in Galway this year kicked off in February, but unfortunately, organizers were forced to cancel the opening ceremony due to the winter storm Ciara. With the stormy weather blown over, events across Galway are now in full swing.

The year’s cultural schedule has been organized according to the ancient Celtic calendar and its festivals: Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lughnasa, and Samhain. Imbolc marks the dawn of spring; Bealtaine celebrates the summer solstice; Lughnasa kicks off the harvest season, and Samhain brings it to an end while greeting winter.

There are also three broad themes which will be explored throughout the year’s events: Migration, Landscape, and Language.

“Migration” celebrates the diversity of cultures in Europe, using Galway, the city on the edge of the Atlantic, as its backdrop. “Landscape” encourages citizens to engage and be challenged by the rural and marine scenery of this corner of Europe. And “Language” promotes the diversity of languages in Europe and Galway, encouraging their use.

Photo: Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture/Facebook

Most events are free or low cost, and take place all over Galway county as well as the city itself.

During Imbolc (February to May), events run from talks given by Siobhan McSweeney (the actress who plays Sister Michael in the hilarious Derry Girls) to group swims in the chilly Atlantic waters, spectacular light installations by Finnish artist Kari Kola, and much, much more.

Bealtaine (May to July) will be filled with classical music, theater, and art installations like the one by artist David Best and the Galway community. Together they will create a temporary monument to a world without borders, conflict, and the pain of division, a topic Ireland is all too familiar with.

Lughnasa (August to October) will have a lantern spectacle, dance workshops and performances, storytelling events, and theater such as a performed reading of excerpts of Homer’s Odyssey on the beaches of the city.

During Samhain (November to January), Galway will celebrate the Celtic roots of Halloween with fire performances, and will have light installations brighten up the city, among many other events.

Throughout the year, a calendar highlight is sure to be “Comhaltas Ceili at the Crossroads.” Comhaltas is an international, nonprofit organization that nurtures Ireland’s cultural traditions across the globe. Ceili at the Crossroads will bring a celebration of traditional Irish music, as well as Irish dancing and the Irish language, to towns and villages across County Galway.

Beyond Capital of Culture activities, Galway still stands on its own as a hub for the artistic community. Every year the city hosts the Galway Film Fleadh and the Galway International Arts Festival, both of which happen in July this year.

Any time of year, a dose of Irish culture in Galway is only as far away as the nearest pub. Open any pub’s door and you’ll likely be greeted with traditional music, a cúpla focail (a “few words”) of Irish, and even some Irish dancing.


More like this: 9 places to catch incredible live music in Ireland

The post Galway, the cultural heart of Ireland, is Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2020 appeared first on Matador Network.

Positive environmental news

This is The Climate Win, the most positive sustainability news around the world every week.

It often seems as though each time water makes big news, it’s bad. That’s not the case this week. Also, two big steps lead the fifth installment of The Climate Win, one an announcement and the other an enactment. And, there’s now a way to not just offset your personal carbon emissions but also pull the carbon straight from the sky — and turn it into stone. From the Matador editorial team, here’s to longer days bringing an excuse to dust off those hiking boots.

A big-city farewell to the plastic bag

Our kudos this week goes to the state of New York, which implemented the first stage of its single-use plastic ban on March 1. The move will require some adjustment from people in New York City, where plastic bags are a fact of urban life — in use everywhere from bodegas to counter service restaurants. Shops and vendors have until April 1 to get their packaging in order before enforcement kicks in. Many will now offer customers a paper bag for a five-cent upcharge. According to CNN, New York state uses 23 billion plastic bags each year. If the country’s largest city, a place where plastic bags are a staple of the take-out culture, can give them up, no city — or state — has any excuse not to follow suit.

A major ski resort goes green

We also have a shout out to Big Sky Resort in Montana, which on Tuesday announced carbon offset purchases for all of its 38 lifts. Riding the tram up Lone Mountain has never sounded so good. The purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) is part of the resort’s long-term sustainability plan, The Big Picture, which aims to make the resort fully carbon neutral by 2030. The resort expects to take other big steps in the interim, though.

“Lifts are obviously essential to our business — and they are responsible for nearly a third of our total electrical consumption,” Kryn Dykema, Big Sky Resort’s sustainability specialist, said in a press release. “Our 2025 Vision has us replacing more consumptive lifts with the most efficient available… but that takes time.” Until they achieve their on-site reductions in energy use, Big Sky will buy RECs. This move, and the resort’s entire long-term plan, place Big Sky among the most active of major ski areas when it comes to sustainability. Looks like it’s time to think northward for that next ski trip.

Wind turbines are ramping up — and creating jobs

The next time someone says that a rapid transition away from fossil fuels would be an economic disaster, share with them this little piece of info about wind power. According to energy.gov, US wind power generation is expected to more than triple between now and 2050, topping 400 gigawatts (GW). Not only can this provide power and big money for turbine producers, electric coops, and landowners, but it also means there will be a lot of new jobs in the wind industry. Between now and 2028, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 57 percent growth in the need for wind-turbine technicians, which would be the second-fastest-growing job title in the country during that time period. The fastest? Solar-photovoltaic installers. As it turns out, solar panels are expected to remain quite popular as well.

Also on the windy front, Global Fiber Glass Inc. is working to solve the issue of what to do with wind turbine blades after they’ve lived their useful life. Currently, most old blades end up in landfills. The Colorado Sun reported this week that the company is working on ways to reuse them through recycling efforts to turn them into things like railroad ties or guardrails.

A tiny bit of water, a whole lot of power

Think about the last time you shut off the faucet in your kitchen sink. Did any droplets of water trickle down after you switched off the faucet? A team at City University in Hong Kong has developed a water-to-power system that could turn each of those drops into 140 volts of power, or enough to power 100 LED light bulbs. A report published in Science Daily in February reported on the research team’s creation of a “droplet-based electricity generator,” known as a DEG, that “allows for high energy-conversion efficiency.” So efficient, in fact, that if this idea were to scale and be used for mass power, all current hydroelectric power options would be obsolete. It could, the report noted, eventually help to solve an energy crisis as we transition away from fossil fuels.

Air New Zealand taking steps to curb inflight trash production

Last week we reported on Delta’s pledge to go carbon neutral. Air New Zealand launched its “Project Green” initiative in 2017 with the goal of redirecting as much waste as possible from landfills. The program has changed what happens to unused service items. Prior to the program’s launch, food and drink items loaded onto a flight were trashed upon landing, even when unused — a completely unjustifiable practice that sounds straight out of the ‘90s. The airline now uses them on a different flight. Along with other measures to reduce single-use waste both in-flight and pre-flight, the airline has kept more than 890 tons of trash out of landfills.

This week’s resource: Turn your carbon emissions into stone

The world needs new ways to clean carbon from the air, and a company from Switzerland has a solution that could solidify our path to success — literally. Climeworks, founded in Zurich in 2009, actually removes carbon from the air, mixes it with water, and turns it into stone to be buried underground. They call it Direct Air Capture technology, and it gives you as a traveler the chance to not only offset but remove the carbon you create during a trip. Currently, monthly subscriptions for their service are available starting at just $8. That amount removes 85 kilograms (187 pounds.) of CO2 per year.


More like this: The Climate Win: Delta is going carbon neutral, and urban farms rise up

The post The Climate Win: Big news from Big Sky and NY says goodbye to plastic bags appeared first on Matador Network.

Bhutan PM encourages dog adoption

The rich and famous tend to get extravagant gifts for their birthday, but what the king of Bhutan wanted for his 40th (which took place on February 21, 2020) was for people to do good.

On behalf of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering asked Bhutanese people to adopt a stray dog, plant a tree, or clean up neighborhood waste in honor of the king’s birthday. “Personal commitment such as this,” the PM wrote on Facebook, “would be the best gift for His Majesty.”

Bhutan has a stray dog problem, but the government is trying to address the issue with the launch of Bhutan’s National Dog Population Management Strategy last year. The plan aims to reduce the number of free-roaming dogs and improve their health and welfare through adoption and other humane initiatives, and the king’s birthday initiative is yet another example of these efforts.


More like this: End of the road: The changing lives of Bhutan’s yak herders

The post Bhutan’s prime minister wants people to adopt stray dogs for the king’s birthday appeared first on Matador Network.

3 days at Denali Backcountry Lodge

Venturing into the deep natural pockets of Denali National Park doesn’t have to mean completely leaving civilization behind. In fact, basing your stay in a high-altitude lodge gives you the ability to push as deep into the park as you wish to go, with a basecamp at which to recoup, refuel, and refresh over a glass of wine while planning the next day’s adventure. This itinerary is for the true backcountry enthusiast, with the proper gear and knowledge for three days in the wilderness, but also for people who’d rather sleep on a real bed instead of the ground. It starts bright and early with a bus ride, so you’ll want to have your gear packed up and ready to go the night before. This includes snacks and a raincoat. Each night, you’ll rest comfortably inside the Denali Backcountry Lodge.

Photo: Denali Backcountry Lodge/Facebook

Day One

Be ready to load onto the bus at Denali Cabins at 6:00 AM sharp. Don’t worry about grogginess — the crisp air will wake you up if the coffee doesn’t. The next six hours follow our one-day bus tour itinerary, with stops at Polychrome Pass, Toklat River, and the Eielson Visitor Center.

By 12:30 PM or so, you’ll reach your destination, the Denali Backcountry Lodge. A huge spread of food greets fresh arrivals along the back wall of the main dining room, from fresh hummus and platters of colorful vegan options to five kinds of sandwiches and Alaskan berry shortcake. Enjoy it thoroughly, as you’re going to burn plenty of calories over the next few days.

A sign-up sheet on the wall across from the check-in desk is where you need to head to register to burn those calories. There are loads of guided activities for each of the three days — the best course of action is to sign up for hikes and a two-day bike rental. Sign up right away for the Eagle Point to Wickersham Dome hike on day two, allowing a full day for it. On the afternoon of day one, squeeze in a two-hour easy hike to Blueberry Hill around 3:00 PM, allowing enough time to check-in, unpack, and take the first night pretty easy.

An introductory hike

Photo: Marc Cappelletti/Shutterstock

Your guide will meet you and fellow hikers outside the lodge later that afternoon to head out for the hike. They shuttle you to the edge of Wonder Lake, and the short and sweet 0.6 miles keeps both the water and Denali in the distance at all times. You’ll learn about each of the edible berries and plants used medicinally by Alaska’s various indigenous tribes, and try a few wild blueberries and cloudberries for yourself — they’re tangier than you’d expect. Despite these being your first real steps on the alpine tundra, the weather is likely to be pleasant and mild.

Dinner, drinks, and stories

Photo: Pursuit Alaska Collection/Facebook

The tour arrives back to the lodge around 5:00 PM and gives you a chance to mill about until dinner time. Grab a fresh cup of coffee and a bench along Moose Creek and let the sound of the water calm any nerves that aren’t already relaxed. A small bridge crosses it about a hundred yards away, with easy access to explore the nearby trails should you need a bit more physical exertion.

After a dinner of fresh-caught fish, catch the staff’s presentation on the adorable and increasingly endangered pika — the inspiration for Pikachu, you learn — and then head up to the upstairs lounge where the fireplace crackles, the wine flows, and the board game shelf is massive.

Day Two

Photo: FloridaStock/Shutterstock

You signed up for a doozy today: hiking Eagle Point to Wickersham Dome. This 7.5-hour guided hike meets outside the lodge at 8:00 AM. Be sure to bring lunch from the lodge packed in your bag.

The hike starts by crossing Friday Creek, through an alder thicket, and almost immediately up, up, and up. The vegetation is knee-high and the trail is occasionally muddy, but with a guide you’ll have no issues. The guide will stop frequently along the shoulders of the trail to discuss the native flora, fauna, and geological history of the park. You’ll be able to see Peters Dome, a mere sliver of a mountain compared to Denali — though still 10,000 feet tall. This “tiny” peak is equivalent to the highest point in all of Glacier National Park, to put into perspective the grandeur of the very terrain you’re walking on.

Rest at the top of the ridge and look down onto the Kantishna Valley. The lodge is a nice little orange speck from here. The tundra walk continues over the shoulder between Friday Ridge and Wickersham Dome, where there’s a nice spot for lunch. From here, it’s all descent. There’s an old mining road that’s steep and long but delivers you right back to the lodge.

Photo: Denali Backcountry Lodge/Facebook

You’ll arrive in time to shower quickly and head to dinner. Spend the rest of the day on the back porch or in front of the fireplace, barely moving a muscle.

Day Three
Breakfast

Sleep in a bit today — long hikes tend to demand that effect — and catch the breakfast smorgasbord in its last 20 or so minutes. Grab all the fresh fruit you can fit onto your plate between slices of French toast, and take your time. Before your first activity leaves in another hour or so, wander the botany trail on the edge of the lodge and try, probably with low success, to identify the plants the guide pointed out yesterday.

Paying tribute to a legend

Photo: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

Make your first activity today a quick trip to the Fannie Quigley cabin, named in honor of a woman who arrived during the 1905-06 gold rush and never left. She traveled from Nebraska to the West Coast to Dawson City, one of the few women in that time looking for an expedition wild enough to suit her. Miners were notorious for being unable to feed themselves, so she made quick cash as a cook in various miners’ pop-up villages. But eventually, she wanted the thrill of the rush herself, and settled in Kantishna.

She was a legend in her own time. She shot bears for lard for her pie crust, walked 800 miles down the Yukon, and crafted potato beer. She also played host to Jack London and other adventurers looking to get closer to Denali. She was “the little witch of Denali,” and everyone loved her. Today, her cabin still stands with many of her own personal items intact. The low counters are reminders of her small stature. She died in her small living room one night, the very room you’re standing in, as a local hero.

An adventurous bike ride

Photo: Pursuit Alaska Collection/Facebook

A quick walk back to both the lodge and to present-day, and it’s nearly time for lunch and your bike rental. Scope out the helmets and bikes named after various mountain critters, like moose or marmot, and pick out the right size. Sign the waiver and hop in the shuttle for a quick five-minute ride up the hill, and you’re off.

From here, it’s not far to the edge of Wonder Lake, your first stopping point. Plop your bike at the edge of the short trail to the dock and spend a granola bar’s worth of time gazing out over the water. Except for a few ducks and the ripple of the wind over the water’s surface, not much else is likely to be moving. If the clouds part, you’ll be able to see Denali in the distance.

Hop back on the bike and use the last of your energy to conquer the hill and the next couple of miles to Reflection Pond. It’s a tiny glacial crumb compared to Wonder Lake, but when it’s still, its name is well-deserved. Any photo you see of Denali over water is likely taken from right here.

Sunset is ridiculously late, so you won’t catch that phenomenon in all its glory, but the light is low enough to be a bit golden, and the water is calm. Hike a bit around the pond’s edges, and head back off.

Wine and reflection

Photo: Pursuit Alaska Collection/Facebook

You’ll see Blueberry Hill on your way back — stop here for another quick snack. By this time, the trail should be still beautiful, with the additional bonus of it being warmer and more golden than when you hiked it in the dead of afternoon. The trek back to the lodge is hilly and no shuttle picks you up near the lake this time — you’ll have to pedal the entire way back (don’t worry, it’s so beautiful you won’t feel your quads burn).

Slog onward through the spruce and aspen and over the drainage creek to the lodge. A quick turn left and you’re back on the loose gravel. From here, you’ll hear Moose Creek’s surprisingly loud current. Drop your bike off in the rack and your helmet along the wall, and catch a late dinner.

The next morning will see you on an early bus out of the park, so tonight’s an early one. One more glass of wine on the porch, and it’s in for the night.


More like this: How to spend three perfect days in Denali from a campground

The post How to spend 3 epic days based at the luxe Denali Backcountry Lodge appeared first on Matador Network.

Vancouver to Jasper overnight train

Modern travel is full of conveniences. Global air hubs connect travelers to faraway places in a matter of hours. But with all these modern conveniences, it’s easy to pass right by the things that make the actual travel part of the journey worthwhile in the first place. Vacation by Rail’s Winter Magic trip, operated onboard ViaRail’s overnight train from Vancouver to Jasper, seemed the ultimate way to take in Canada’s winter wilderness the slow, nostalgic way. On a trip in January, views of towering mountain peaks and river-carved valleys combined with a memorable onboard experience that sure beats cramming into a tiny airplane seat in economy. Here’s what to expect on the journey.

Finding zen (and breathtaking views) in western Canada

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

My breath puffed as I made my way to Track 5 at Vancouver’s train station and located the appropriate sleeper car. I was set to embark on the Winter Magic trip from Vancouver to Jasper, and once aboard, I was welcomed by Erik, our train car attendant for the journey. We departed Vancouver at 3:00 PM on the dot, and by 3:05 I was sipping a glass of welcome Champagne as we left the city blurred into the background. Due to the short winter daylight hours, the only landscape to absorb was the city outskirts and a fair amount of propane tanks.

The train car itself was reminiscent of the 1950s and rich with old-timey vibes. That had been the golden era of rail travel in Canada, and venturing from car to car was like a step back in time. It had a slight cruise ship feel to it, accented by the movement of the train, narrow hallways, and small sleeping spaces. But, the comparison stops there — the rest of the experience had more of a summer camp vibe with opportunities to mingle with other travelers, play games, and enjoy the rare luxury of free time.

This particular route spans Vancouver to Toronto (and vice versa) and is the second-longest train trip in the world, with the only stop between Vancouver and Jasper in Kamloops at around midnight. The entire route takes approximately four days; however, the Vancouver to Jasper portion of the trip was set to be about 19 hours — without any delays, that is.

Book a sleeper car for the best experience

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

“Is there a key for the rooms?” I asked Erik.

“No, you’re in Canada; you’re safe,” he joked, laughing through his impressive twisty mustache.

The tiny but effective cabins do, in fact, lock from the inside. Each car houses 13 sleeper cabins that impressively make use of their dollhouse size with many features doubling up to serve various purposes including bunk beds, small storage areas, and a window looking out on the passing countryside. You’re not going to be in your room much anyway as the purpose is to be social, meet fellow train travelers, and enjoy the landscape and on-board entertainment.

By day, the room is set up with chairs for gazing out your window if you so choose to gawk in privacy. The train attendant will then turn down your room when requested, transforming the cabin into your slumber space. I’m happy to report that it wasn’t the most uncomfortable bed I’ve slept in, and I was actually lulled to sleep by the movement and sound of the train chugging along.

Economy class ($156 CAD, about $116 from Vancouver to Jasper) is the cheapest and most basic way to ride, similar — though slower and with much more legroom — to booking a window or aisle seat on a plane. An upper berth in a sleeper cabin runs for about $458 while a lower berth is $538. Keep in mind that this does include food onboard. For a real splurge, consider the Prestige class cabins (which have a larger ensuite bathroom, television, and bigger window, which does make a difference) and a full-size bed instead of the bunk beds in the sleeper cabins. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, as well. You can book an entire nine-day itinerary through Vacations by Rail to include the train travel, lodging in Jasper, airport transfer, and all tours and experiences, from $1924.

The meals and entertainment put long-haul flights to shame

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Move over airplane food. The meals in the sleeper train were actually quite exquisite, complete with cloth napkins for an air of fanciness. Sleeper-class travelers have all of their meals included and can choose between two reservation times. Prestige-class customers get first preference for sittings, as well as a pre-dining appetizer service to feel extra special. Oh, and proximity to their very own bar car (priorities, folks). Entrees vary by season and trip, with options including Canadian Lake Trout, pan-seared duck, and stuffed portobello caps among those commonly available. In economy, sandwiches, pasta, and breakfasts are available take-out style.

“One thing people don’t do in Prestige is starve,” the head bartender Marty said while mixing up the most popular drink on board, the Maple Leaf. An elixir of Crown Royal, lemon juice, and maple syrup, it doesn’t get much more Canadian.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Other than the onboard drink service, it is possible to bring alcohol, given it’s kept and enjoyed in your room. Need a caffeine fix? Coffee and tea are readily available, or you can inquire about the favored “shot in the dark” espresso shot in a coffee, especially if you rise early to settle in the dome car for sunrise.

Although there is no WiFi and very limited cell service, there is plenty to do onboard. Play cards or one of the various games in the communal “hang out” car, listen to live music (yes, musicians are often hired to play), or learn to knit. A magician has been known to appear to do some tricks on board. This ride is also a prime chance to finish that book that’s been sitting on your bed stand for the past year. I passed the evening with Scattergories and listened to the singer in the lounge car; the seven episodes I had downloaded from Netflix remained unwatched. It was a truly unplugged travel experience.

You’ll spend plenty of time staring out the window

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The following morning, I made my way to the common area to watch the sunrise, coffee in hand. Stars dotted the sky, our route lit only by the train’s headlights. Even in the predawn calm, blue hour started to peel back the layer of darkness. At this point I wasn’t alone — several other passengers had emerged, sleepy-eyed, to witness this truly unique sun-up experience. We had another six hours to stare at this backcountry backdrop, and I planned not to blink the entire time.

If I hadn’t known better I’d have thought I was on board the polar express. Think snow-laden pines guiding the tracks cradled by mountain giants, steam rising from untouched rivers, snaking along the route. Plan to spend ample time gazing out the window, camera at hand, as you pass through small mountain villages and, with any luck, wildlife including moose and deer.

Along the way, the conductor, attendants, servers, and bartenders are happy to share notable points of interest. Watch out for Pyramid Falls, a 300-foot beast that cascades into, you guessed it, a pyramid. In the winter, the fall is frozen, adding to the absurd beauty.

Planning and booking your trip

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

If you’re anxious to hop aboard and experience slow travel with an incredible train ride yourself, step one would be to chat with Vacations by Rail. They’ll take care of planning everything down to your lodging outside of the train. You can choose, a la carte, the activities and stops you’d like to include. The excursions booked are independent, so you don’t have to deal with being thrown into a large group activity. It’s the best of both worlds, someone else planning for you while still holding onto the “choose your own adventure” aspect. They also take care of rebookings in the event of a train delay affecting your plans. There is real luxury in letting go of control and just enjoying the experience. Choose from outdoor options like an “ice walk” through Johnston Canyon or Maligne Canyon, and take a tour of the wildlife of both Banff and Jasper.

That said, plan early. Space fills up, especially in the summer months. In the summer season, cars are added on to accommodate extra travelers, and they’re generally at or near capacity. Splurge on sleeper or Prestige class — the amenities and extra comfort are well worth it. Consider going during the winter months for fewer crowds and otherworldly scenery. For the Vancouver to Jasper segment, five days is recommended at minimum to allow time in Jasper.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

If you’d like to experience multiple nights on the train, you can opt to stopover in Jasper before continuing on to Toronto. If you choose to explore Jasper (and you should), Vacations by Rail will help you make the most of your time there. Venture into Maligne Canyon or spot wildlife with Sundog Tours; watch the sunrise at Pyramid Lake; and sample beers at the first brewery to open in a national park, Jasper Brewery.

Priority one is revel in the joy of the journey and the Canadian winter wilderness. Who knew train travel could be zen? We arrived in Jasper to record-breaking cold temperatures (-45 degrees). It was actually sad to leave the no-WiFi bubble, but the train deposits riders at the edge of some of Canada’s most pristine wilderness, and there were ice tours, hiking, snowshoeing, and more to explore. Jasper National Park and a fair amount of wild elk were waiting.


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The post An overnight train is the best way to experience Canada’s winter wilderness appeared first on Matador Network.

Life-saving tips on off-piste skiing

When Hans Solmssen first went to Verbier, back in 1983, he brought a friend with him. Inside the famed Swiss ski resort, the two of them traversed towards a steep, open bowl of untracked powder. There, Somssen’s friend, skiing above him, set off an avalanche that engulfed Solmssen.

Trapped within the rushing flow of snow, Solmssen made every effort to keep his head up, arching his back and pointing his head upwards ever closer to his ski boots behind him. As soon as the avalanche stopped, the liquified snow froze solid. Hans’s body ached in this contorted posture, the back of his head close to the heels of his boots, but that position saved his life.

“My mouth was very near the surface. I was just making noise,” Solmssen explains. Because of this, his friend was able to hear him and determine his location. “He dug me out.”

Solmssen, who grew up in Hawaii but has been a Swiss certified mountain guide with his own guiding business in Verbier for nearly three decades, looks back at the event with a seasoned mountaineer’s attitude: “It was a good experience for me. It showed me the dynamics of an avalanche.”

Easily accessible danger

Photo: R Kristoffersen/Shutterstock

For those of us used to off-piste skiing in North America, what may be even more startling about this story than Solmssen’s nonchalant reaction is that he’d been skiing a slope easily accessible off a chairlift. He and his friend had skied down a groomed piste and then rounded a corner to their left to traverse into a wide bowl of fresh snow.

In North America, we tend to assume that if we are inside a resort and can ski off a lift, cross a steep face, and reach another slope, then that area is safe to ski — as long as no sign or rope indicates otherwise. Whether in Vail or Whistler, Snowbird or Jackson Hole, ski patrollers across the United States and Canada ensure that any skiable terrain within resort boundaries is either as avalanche safe as possible, or clearly marked as closed.

“In North America, a situation like that would either be permanently closed, or it would be controlled severely,” says Peter Storm on situations where a smaller slide could occur. Storm is a founder of Extremely Canadian, a Whistler-based mountain guide service that takes skiers to extreme resorts around the world.

Hardcore North American skiers among us are familiar with the welcome sound of avalanche bombs going off in the morning after an overnight snowfall. We may queue up at a chairlift that’s not yet running, hoping to be first to carve fresh tracks on a slope. Once that lift is opened, and no signage or ropes indicate otherwise, we assume that all the terrain we can access from it is safe to ski. We gleefully carve up the newly fallen snow, never once considering that perhaps we should be wearing a beacon or carrying other avalanche gear.

Of course, in-bounds avalanches do occur, and climate change may make them more likely, as we’ve written. But such events are extremely rare and are unlikely to change behavior at North American resorts any time soon.

It’s a different ball of snow

Photo: Roman Babakin/Shutterstock

However, if you’re coming to Europe and want to ski more than groomed slopes, you had better bring that avalanche equipment.

Smart of Extremely Canadian says the advice he would give to any off-piste skier traveling from North America is to prepare as if you’re skiing beyond the resort boundaries. “In reality, off-piste skiing in Europe should be treated as if you’re skiing out of bounds in North America, especially if you’re going in bigger terrain. Ski with your pack, peeps, probe, and shovel,” he says.

That’s because avalanche danger is much higher inside resort boundaries, for practical and cultural reasons. The practical reason is that many European resorts are massive, particularly those located in the Alps. Even North America’s biggest resorts can’t really compare. Whistler Blackcomb’s breadth may astonish skiers used to, say, Squaw Valley-sized resorts, but even Whistler has “only” two mountains to patrol.

A place like Verbier, says Hans Solmssen, has multiple mountains with slopes facing in every direction. Solmssen says the team controlling for avalanches actually excel in very challenging circumstances.

“I’m sure it’s difficult to imagine, coming from the States, the vast nature of the terrain, the impossibility of bombing it all. But when you see what they do do, you’re just like, ‘Oh my god.’ They fly helicopters after it snows, they’ll be bombing the next day — they do an amazing job,” says Solmssen.

Avalanche pockets left untouched

Photo: swissdrone/Shutterstock

With so much terrain, and such steep slopes, the preventive measures focus on the big slabs of snow. Ski patrol pays attention to villages, on-mountain facilities, roads, and groomed pistes that would be affected by a slide.

In fact, Solmssen says of the slope he was on when the avalanche swallowed him up, “They would have bombed from above, and they would have controlled it… It’s generally safe, but when you have a mountain that’s shaped like that, there’s no way they could bomb all of it.”

In other words, Solmssen was skiing on an avalanche-controlled slope, but the goal was to prevent a major event, not a minor snowslide. “Here, you have lift access, it’s unskied, it’s an unsecured slope, which you’re skiing directly off a lift. They’re bombing, but the terrain is so big that there’s a lot of stuff right next to the stuff that they’ve bombed. The avalanche that I got buried in was a tiny little thing.”

The avalanche that trapped Solmssen may have been minor, but had his friend not been there to dig him out, Solmssemn wouldn’t be here today to categorize its small size.

Smart calls these lesser, Class 1 Avalanches ”educational pockets,” and he says that you’ll find these at any resort in the world. “Avalanche mitigation that’s undertaken with explosives can affect the majority of the slope, and after that, it takes actual people on the slope to cut out all those isolated pockets. Now in some resorts, especially in North America, it’s become more and more common for ski patrol to become responsible for releasing those little pockets before they’ll open the terrain.”

In contrast, Smart says, it’s much less common for ski patrol in Europe to personally ski the slopes to loosen those pockets. He’s seen more of it in recent years, he says, but it’s nowhere near the level of pocket-by-pocket control as in the US and Canada.

Alpine mountain culture

Photo: mRGB/Shutterstock

Beyond the ability to more easily patrol the smaller-sized resorts we have in the US, the other reason for the increased level of supervision in North America is litigation, says Peter Smart. Smart says that skiers in Europe are more accustomed to taking personal responsibility for their actions.

In the past decade, the US state of Colorado has seen at least two resorts sued by bereaved families following an in-bounds avalanche. In Verbier, people die every single year, Solmssen says, but to his knowledge, neither the lift operator nor anyone else has ever been taken to court over it.

Andy MacMillan, a Canadian who’s called the area near Porte du Soleil home since the mid-’80s agrees that the attitude is different in Europe. “You’re kind of responsible for yourself and what you do. It’s not like North America… They kind of believe you should have common sense,” he says.

That belief in personal liability is what makes glaciated resorts like those in the French Alps viable. “In Chamonix, if you go off the piste, you could fall into a crevasse,” says MacMillan of the notoriously hardcore French ski area. In North America, he notes, “They would never have a resort there.”

MacMillan believes one reason skiers in Europe are expected to be accountable for their own actions is that traditionally they’ve had a better sense of the risks inherent in the mountains because many of them live so much closer to them.

“Being in the mountains is really part of the culture. We all live in this kind of environment,” says MacMillan. “In North America, the mountain always looks way over there; even in BC… Here, everyone’s living right in it.”

What you need to know to stay safe

Photo: Pusteflower9024/Shutterstock

If you do plan to ski off-piste in Europe, consider hiring a mountain guide for your first day. The guide will do more than show you the safe places to ski. They can explain to you the particulars of the resort, what types of ungroomed runs are safe, and what to look out for.

One of those mountain guides is Ute Heppke at Austria’s Arlberg resort, which includes the Lech and St. Anton ski areas. Heppke, who’s so highly sought after that skiers book her a year in advance, says that when she explains the differences of skiing off-piste to her North American clients, she scares a few of them off.

“Some do not want to go off-piste anymore once you tell them that they have to wear a beacon and bring a backpack with a shovel and a probe — preferably a backpack with a system like the ABS [avalanche balloon system]. Just the thought of needing this equipment gives them the feeling that they are putting their lives at risk,” she says.

Heppke thinks resorts like hers could do “a lot more” to ensure skiers coming from North America understand the off-piste dangers and where, in fact, they can ski.

For example, in a place like Alrberg, Heppke says skiers also have the option of going for a “Skiroute,” which gives you the benefits of ungroomed slopes but is more rigorously controlled for avalanches. That’s different from a groomed run, which is a “Skipiste.” However, the signage can be confusing. When Heppke looked up the explanation on the English page of Arlberg’s website so she could forward it to me, she was disappointed to see they hadn’t bothered to translate the signage guide; it was still in German.

For those skiers who do want to head off-piste, mountain guides anywhere in the Alps will outfit you with an avalanche backpack. Whether that backpack contains an ABS system depends on the resort and the guiding service, and how much time guides spend teaching skiers how to use the backpack’s contents can vary. If you’re unsure, slow down and take the time to learn it.

If you won’t be using a guide every day, rent or buy your own avalanche backpacks. As MacMillan says, “If people are coming here looking to bag some freshies in Europe, they should have a transceiver and know how to use it. They should have a shovel and probe and know how to use them.”


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Best activities across Hawaii

Replete with natural beauty from waterfalls to volcanoes, Hawaii is on many a traveler’s must-visit lists. It’s comprised of a number of islands but known for its famous six: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and Maui. The state is known as a place where a person can get away from it all, disconnect as much as they’d like, and rest without interruption. And while that’s certainly something you should do while in Hawaii, there’s so much more to it than just sitting on a beach and tanning in the sun.

Hawaii’s varied landscape lends itself to a myriad of experiences, all of which can be achieved no matter which island you decide to make your base. So don’t stress too much over googling the pros and cons of one island versus the other. No matter where you decide to go, here are eight experiences you can easily have — and need to have — on your first visit to Hawaii.

1. Start off the day by testing the limits of your flexibility.

Photo: Maridav/Shutterstock

As much as sleeping in may feel good, starting your morning with yoga on the beach will set the day’s tone and help you feel even better in the long run. Yoga has been proven to have health benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety, lessening chronic pains, bettering mood and energy, and improving respiration and circulatory health.

Due to the added obstacle of keeping steady while on sand, yoga on the beach will force you to truly forget about anything on your mind and bring you into the present moment, where the only worry you’ll have is whether or not you can reach your toes. You may not come out of it feeling like you’re ready to kickstart your new life as a traveling yogi, but hearing the ocean waves crash onto the beach and watching the sunrise as you give your body a much-needed stretch can’t even compare to the standard, indoor yoga of back home. The best part is that it can be done on any beach, and all you need is a mat. If you would like an instructor, however, or don’t have your own mat with you, this can be easily arranged through your accommodation or through a tour company.

2. Hike to beautiful vistas.

Photo: MH Anderson Photography/Shutterstock

For those not into waking up in the morning just to exercise, or for those that do and want to continue doing so, a hike is a great way to get the blood pumping and immerse yourself in nature. The opportunities for hiking in Hawaii are vast and, depending on the route you take, will have you traversing through valleys, forests, and meadows or past volcanoes, rivers, and waterfalls. Regardless, every single one is sure to provide you with gorgeous views of your surroundings. In particular, hikers love the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon on Kauai; Ka’au Crater and Waimea Falls on Oahu; Kalaupapa and the Moomomi sand dunes on Molokai; Puu Pehe and Koloiki Ridge on Lanai; Volcanoes National Park and Papakolea Beach on the Big Island; and Iao Valley and Haleakala on Maui, where you can also hike at night to see the sunrise over otherworldly terrain that’s reminiscent of Mars.

3. Chase waterfalls all day long.

Photo: Mohamed Selim/Shutterstock

Waterfalls are a perfect place to, if space allows, just sit and relax, read, have a picnic, or even cool off by getting into the water. Hawaii has a seemingly endless number of waterfalls on all of its islands, ranging in size and accessibility. The most popular ones are easier to get to, including Wailua Falls on Kauai, Pāpalaua on Molokai, Manoa on Oahu, Wailua on Maui, and Akaka on the Big Island. While those are all worthy of a visit in their own right, there are many others just as beautiful that take just a little more effort on your part to get to. If you’re not taking the self-driving route around Hawaii, tour companies like Hawaii Forest and Trail will do the work for you, with both specialized tours (like a waterfall-only tour that takes you to several of them) or well-rounded tours that include different pieces of what the island you’re has to offer, including a waterfall or two.

4. Learn all about rum, from harvest to the final product.

Photo: Kuleana Rum Works

Rum is made from sugarcane, which until the 1980s was one of Hawaii’s main exports. As of 2016, Hawaii’s last sugar plantation shut down, signaling the end of an industry. The remaining fields have been repurposed, but some companies have bought land to continue farming the product for other uses than just exporting sugar itself — such as rum production. There are several distilleries that offer tours detailing the process of making rum, with tastings included, though only a few take you through the fields themselves. Kuleana Rum Works, the first distillery on the Big Island, does all that and more, even offering a larger tour that takes participants to Pololu Valley Lookout, with scenic views, and includes an authentic Hawaiian meal and cocktails at its restaurant. Beyond the Big Island, there’s Koala Rum on Kauai; Kō Hana Distillers and Island Distillers on Oahu; and Hali’imaile Distilling Company on Maui, which produces vodka, whiskey, and gin in addition to rum.

5. Sail along calm waters and possibly spot a whale or two.

Photo: Joe West/Shutterstock

For a different kind of boating experience, take a catamaran, a spacious ship with two hulls basically built for relaxation, out onto the water. Entire catamarans can be rented out for you and your group for a truly unique outing, whether it’s for a day party on the water, a cruise to see the Hawaiian landscape from a different perspective, to spot some wildlife (whale season in Hawaii is from mid-December to mid-May), or all of the above, you’re likely to experience all of these regardless. If you’re riding solo or an entire catamaran is too much, there are group catamaran tours available for booking which can be arranged through wherever you’re staying or on your own.

6. Embrace your sporty side on the water.

Photo: EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock

Hawaii wouldn’t be Hawaii without water sports, and the list of things you can do runs long: surfing, paddle boarding, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and parasailing, among tons of others. It would almost be easier to list what you can’t do. If you’ve never done one of those particular water sports, fear not because experienced guides will be with you nearly every step of the way to ensure you have an exhilarating, yet safe, time. Booking one of these activities is as easy as walking down any beach, where you’ll see various outfitters next to gear just waiting to be rented out for the day.

7. Encounter wildlife ethically in a new way.

Photo: Dai Mar Tamarack/Shutterstock

With such a big world filled with so many different forms of life on it, it makes sense that people would want to interact with all that our planet has to offer. Unfortunately, the reality is that many of the various wildlife experiences offered around the world are unethical, treating the animals inhumanely for the sake of a profit. However, the silver lining is that not every experience is like that, and there are ways to interact with animals without negatively impacting their well-being.

On Hawaii’s Big Island, in particular, several outfitters provide unique opportunities to observe manta rays in their natural habitat at night, without disturbance. Manta Ray Advocates, a company dedicated to educating the public about manta rays, can assist with finding a reputable company to work with on the island of your choosing. You’ll either swim out to a point where the manta rays are known to feed, or take a small boat out first and then get out to either snorkel or dive and just observe. Manta rays are harmless, feeding on tiny organisms like plankton, so there’s nothing to fear — though they can swim up close to a person out of curiosity, they typically move away just as quickly as they came. No matter which island you choose, you can be certain there is an ethical wildlife experience you can book that isn’t riding dolphins.

8. Give back to the community.

Photo: Westin Hotels & Resorts

Giving back to the local community is something we should practice no matter where we are, because too often do we take for granted the places in the world we visit. We should leave these places better than we found them, and similar to a drop in the ocean creating a ripple effect of waves, every bit counts, no matter how small your part seems.

Giving back has many forms, from patronizing local businesses to assisting research centers, and everything in between. Besides being wellness-centric, the Westin hotel brand is one of the few that gives you opportunities to do so with a unique twist. The hotel chain recently debuted its Westin Waterman (and Woman) program at its Westin Maui Resort and Spa outpost, first led by Maui-born Zane Kekoa Schweitzer and now run by other locals as well, where participants will do their part by cleaning up Hawaii’s beaches after they’ve spent time on the water. In keeping with the Hawaiian culture of respecting the ocean, all water activities, such as canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding, are conducted with that in mind.


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When to wear a surgical mask

When an infectious disease is all over the news, it tends to leave us feeling relatively helpless. Washing our hands and using hand sanitizer might be the most effective courses of action, but these preventative measures feel too simple. If you watch any major news outlet, and keep up with the rising number of reported cases around the world, it seems like catching the coronavirus isn’t a matter of if but when. To stave off this inevitability, we feel we must take drastic measures beyond practicing simple hygiene. This is why frightened people, despite the advice of health officials, are going out and buying masks to protect themselves. The problem is, it’s actually doing more harm than good.

Masks are only advised for those who are already sick to prevent them from spreading their germs. And if you’ve been diagnosed with the coronavirus, you probably shouldn’t be walking around in public anyway — mask or no mask. Wearing a mask when you’re perfectly healthy is a far less effective preventative measure than washing your hands, using hand sanitizer with over 60 percent alcohol, and avoiding touching your face.

And if you’re thinking, “Better safe than sorry, right?” it turns out there actually is a downside to needlessly wearing a mask.

If you’re not sick, skip the mask

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, the agency “does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Face masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.”

Emily Scott, a registered nurse with a Diploma in Tropical Nursing at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett in Washington, told Matador Network, “Virus particles are very small and can pass through the material of most masks. Certain types of masks can block the virus, but unless people are trained to use them properly the mask won’t make a difference (they could even make things worse by using them incorrectly and contaminating themselves). We also worry that masks provide a false sense of security.”

The wearing of masks also contributes to mass hysteria. Being surrounded by people wearing masks tends to make people feel like a new Black Death threatens humanity with extinction.

As a medical professional, Scott believes that mask-wearing can create the impression that one is sick, even if that’s not the case, sparking undue panic. “I have heard many stories of racist comments and actions particularly against Asian people wearing masks,” she said, “And another nurse told me that they caught hospital visitors stealing masks and selling them at a huge markup. Some people are definitely taking advantage of the public’s fear.”

So, who does need a mask?

A panicked, global grab for masks has unfortunately resulted in a worldwide shortage. This mad rush for masks, however, is causing the items to sell out in pharmacies and on Amazon, and prices on remaining masks to spike to as high as $100 each. That means a lack of availability for hospitals and doctor’s offices, which actually need them.

According to Scott, “I have heard many stories from colleagues all over the world about a shortage of masks due to the general public buying them out and hoarding them. The hospital where I work is keeping a very careful eye on our masks because visitors try to take them […] If nurses are left without the proper masks to protect themselves, then nurses would begin to fall ill, and there would be no one left to care for the patients.”

The CDC echoes Scott’s concern, saying “the use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a healthcare facility).” With fewer facemasks available for those who actually need them, sick patients and doctors could be put even further at risk.


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