DIGEST

• Outdoor library: walk amid nature, then order room service

  

  Some hikers like to overnight in the woods, nestled in their sleeping bags. On the hard ground. With critters creeping around. ...

• Guitar begs you to take it to the river

  

  If you've gone music-less on camping or whitewater rafting trips because you're afraid your guitar will get chewed on by a black bear or smashed by a rock, check this out.

• Gorillapod keeps camera steady outdoors

  

  The view is perfect. You set up the camera, adjust the timer, stand back and smile. Only later do you realize the frame is completely lopsided.

• Dr. Collins: Find the right fit for your bike

  Properly fitted equipment - from kayaks to ski poles - is important in everything we do in sports.

• Defining Ecotourism, Costa Rica 411

  DEFINING ECOTOURISM

• Adventure Web: Adventure Center

  

  Online Adventure site of the week: Adventure Center (adventurecenter.com)

• No shoes required

  

  As I was hanging hundreds of feet above firm ground, dangling by two pieces of steel and preparing to plunge myself into the treetops of a Costa Rican rainforest, I thought of a former co-worker. During a company retreat, I had been stunned to discover that this New York City bred guy had never walked in the woods, or even stepped outdoors without shoes.

• WiFi at some Idaho state parks: Stay connected while camping

  

  Need to surf online for a quick Dutch oven cooking recipe or check out Idaho Outdoors while camping? Now you can do it at some state parks.

• Cascade Pass: The long and winding road

  CASCADE PASS, Wash. - "When you feel uncomfortable screw your ego." As Ed Gastellum uttered this blunt backcountry proverb, Darrin Beene seemed to cheer up a bit.

• It's an Xterra world

  Xterra has snuck in under the radar. Arguably the largest race series in the world, it is changing the face of triathlons.

• Best times for anglers

  This table lists top fishing times and days for the coming weeks. For best results, begin fishing one hour before and continue one hour after the times given. Times apply to all time zones (X indicates best days).

• Expect the unexpected with dogs on a ride

  Cyclists have plenty of reasons for remaining alert when out for a ride. Avoiding Joggers, walkers, motorists and even other bike riders can prove tricky when out for a ride. The same holds true to dogs, both leashed and unleashed.

• Hands-on fishing for Miami angler Manny Puig, literally

  There are easier ways to catch a grouper dinner than the method used by Manny Puig. He could employ a spear, a fishing rod, or a handline. But no, that would be too easy and not sporting at all. Puig, cable television's Tarzan of the Seas, holds his breath, dives about 12 feet and pulls the wriggling fish out of a hole in Biscayne Bay's limestone bottom using gloved hands. He has to bypass a toothy moray eel and a nurse shark to get the job done.

• On the Big Piney River, hunters get a leg up on the frogs

  

  "I'll go hunting those frogs some night. With a light real bright, I can see just right.

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