If you're like me, the mountain adventures don't stop once the snow melts. In fact, underneath all the powder and moguls you'll find hiking trails, wildflowers, and mountain biking paths. So, why not get back out and stay active on and near your favorite resorts?
Since EpicMix only tracks winter rides up the chairlift, you may be wondering: what are some of the best ways to keep track of all your summertime activities? I've pulled together some of my favorite tools and others that you might find useful.
These GPS-enabled watches and hand-held units are typically multi-sport tracking devices allowing you to map your runs, hikes, bikes and more. In addition to a visual plot showing where you went, you can track changes in altitude, average pace, fastest miles, and so on. I find Garmin to be the among the consensus as the best all-around tracking devices and the devices include excellent software and online tools for storing your data. Plus, a handful of social networks allow uploading the GPS data (GPX and TCX files) to keep track of your activity and connect with friends.
Alternatives include handheld GPS devices and other sport watches from makers like TomTom.
This passive tracker allows you to get a measure (in "Fuel") of how much activity you completed in a day. By logging in online or pulling up the data on your smartphone, you can get a good sense of how far and how intense your hike was for the day. Since the pedometers are typically fixed on your body (clip to your waistband or on your wrist) you don't get a full range of activity, so these work best for walking sports. The FuelBand is especially fun since it provides a great way to brag to your friends and see a leaderboard of who was most active this week, similar to EpicMix.
Alternatives include pedometers, the FitBit, and the Jawbone Up.
One of my favorite parts of getting out and staying active is the ability to look back and visualize the things I've done. Maybe its vainity but there's something about seeing a chart of all the miles I've run and all the trails I've hiked. If you're like me then you should find a social network like Strava to store all your runs and rides and see how you stack up against your friends. Sites like these are great eye candy: everything from the charts, to reports, to maps, and more. If a hiker walks in the woods and doesn't post it online... did it really happen?
Alternatives include RunningAHEAD and Nike Plus.
Now that you have the tools to keep track of your summer activities, there's no excuse left: get out there and keep active!