REI COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MARCH

SANDY CITY - The following presentations are offered free of charge to the public at the Sandy City REI store. REI is located at 10600 South & 230 West in the northwest corner of the South Towne Mall property. For more information, please call (801) 501-0850 or visit our website at www.rei.com and click on the stores & events link. Attendance is limited to fifty participants on a first- come first- served basis.


THE BASICS OF ICE CLIMBING

Thursday, March 1st, 7pm

This evening, Phil Schow from the Serac Club and Mat Gover, trainer and advanced ice climber, will be covering the basic skills and gear of technical ice climbing. In this presentation, they will feature; ice climbing equipment, the basics of beginning ice climbing technique, pro placement of ice screws, advanced ice and mixed climbing, safety issues, as well as highlighting local places to get out on the ice. Phil and Mat will also have some ice blocks so you can do some hands on placing of ice screws! A segment of "Comfortably Numb" a locally filmed and produced Ice Climbing movie will also be shown.



THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Thursday, March 8th, 7pm

Join adventurer Gary Scott as he shares slides, stories and video of his latest adventures from the four corners of the world. Hiking in the Alps and in Patagonia, parasailing in France, bungee jumping in New Zealand, rafting in Patagonia, zip-lining and exploring in Costa Rica and a ton of other exciting adventures. Gary will surely inspire you to get out there and see more of the world!



BASIC BIKE MAINTENANCE

Thursday, March 15th, 7pm

Maintaining your road or mountain bike can be a daunting task when you don’t know where to begin. Tonight’s presentation by REI shop techs will help to demystify the challenge of keeping your bicycle in good working order. By the end of the evening participants will be acquainted with the arts of flat tire repair, fine tune brake adjustment, and degreasing & lubrication.



HIKING THE WASATCH

Thursday, March 22nd, 7pm

Looking for a local hiking group where you can meet others and explore the Wasatch Front and more? Join Sheryl McGlochlin this evening to learn how she started this successful group four years ago and to see photos and hear stories of some of her favorite hikes.



SALT LAKE CITY - The following presentations are offered free of charge to the public at the Salt Lake City REI store. REI is located at 3285 East & 3300 South. For more information, please call 486-2100 or visit our website at www.rei.com and click on the stores & events link and select Salt Lake City.



BACKPACKING SKILLS FOR YOUTH

Tuesday, March 6th, 7pm

How do you prevent your hiking boots from causing blisters? What is the best way to load up your pack? What do you do if you encounter a moose on the trail? For answers to these questions and more, join the experts from REI tonight for some fun and useful tips on backpacking and camping. This evening’s presentation, designed for the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, will cover the ins and outs of gear essentials such as packs, tents, sleeping bags, stoves, footwear, and clothing layers. A special section titled “Respect It!” will highlight the seven principles of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. Families, youth groups and scout troops are encouraged to attend!



THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Tuesday, March 13th, 7pm

Join adventurer Gary Scott as he shares slides, stories and video of his latest adventures from the four corners of the world. Hiking in the Alps and in Patagonia, parasailing in France, bungee jumping in New Zealand, rafting in Patagonia, zip-lining and exploring in Costa Rica plus a ton of other exciting adventures. Gary will surely inspire you to get out there and see more of the world!


SKI TOURING THE ORTLER ALPS

Tuesday, March 20th, 7pm

If you are looking for an outstanding Alpine ski touring adventure in the Alps or an alternative to the often crowded Haute Route join Lincoln Clark of REI for the inside scoop on the Ortler traverse. The Ortles group of peaks is situated in between the Bernina group of St. Moritz to the west and the Dolomites to the west offer some outstanding ski mountaineering terrain. This tour offers fantastic glacial traverses combined with wonderful on ski descents. Several peaks close to 4000 meters offer an additional mountaineering challenge. The great skiing is only punctuated by the magical time in the huts or Refugio. Here we share the stories of our days adventures and enjoy a family dinning experience sampling the finest cuisine of Italy.


GPS 101

Thursday, March 22nd, 7pm

A Global Positioning System is a fun and accurate tool that can help you navigate through backcountry terrain or even down city streets. Join REI navigation expert John Higgins as he unveils the mysteries of this fun and fascinating piece of technology. This presentation will cover basic GPS functions such as determining latitude and longitude, programming routes, and recording travel.



THE SUPER SHERPA EXPEDITION OF EVEREST

Tuesday, March 27th, 7pm

Apa Sherpa, the man who has stood on the top of the world a record 16 times, and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who has summitted Everest in the record time of 10 hours, 56 minutes, and 46 seconds have announced that they will be joining together to make a summit attempt this spring. Their talk at REI this evening will be their send- off presentation in anticipation of this historic event. Both men will speak tonight about their life stories, the crucial role Sherpas have played in extreme altitude mountaineering since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa climbed Everest in 1953, as well as provide insight into Nepali culture & the recent changes in Nepali politics. A question and answer session will follow. This event is free and open to the public, and seating will be based on a first come first serve basis for 180 attendees.

REI SPECIAL EVENTS:

REI EMPLOYMENT OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, March 3rd, 11:00am

REI in Salt Lake City, one the world’s leading outdoor equipment retailers will be holding an Employment Open House on Saturday, March 3, 2007. The hour presentation begins at 11:00 a.m. Seasonal and part-time positions are available in Sales, Cashiering and Shop Services. Drop by to learn more about this exciting company. Applications will be accepted at this time. In 2007 REI placed #27 among the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America." in Fortune Magazine's Annual Survey. Please call (801)-486-2100 for more information.



REI ADULT CLIMBING NIGHT

Thursday, March 15th, 6:30pm-8:30pm

We would like to invite you to attend Adults-only (16 & up) climbing night at the Salt Lake City REI store. This is a perfect opportunity for beginners as well as experienced climbers to climb our one-of-a-kind wall on routes ranging from 5.5 to 5.13 in difficulty. You are welcome to invite your friends & family to attend. Please RSVP via email to espreng@rei.com so that as many of our REI certified belayers are available as necessary. Climbing harnesses of all sizes will be available at no charge, and climbing shoes can be rented for the evening at the low cost of only $2.00. Whether you are looking to start climbing, train for next summer, or meet people with similar interests come enjoy an evening of climbing & camaraderie with your friends at the Salt Lake City REI.



COMMUNITY EVENTS:

RADICAL REELS

Wednesday, March 14th, 7pm

Faster, steeper, higher, deeper - the Banff Mountain Film Festival Radical Reels tour is coming to Salt Lake City. Catch the steepest and deepest in high-adrenaline outdoor sport films when the 2007 Radical Reels Tour comes to Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah. Growing out of the famous Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Radical Reels screens the best in action sports filmmaking, audience-tested and programmed for maximum excitement. Tickets are available at Kingsbury Hall, REI Salt Lake City and Sandy and The Outdoor Program and are $7.50. For more information on the Radical Reels tour, visit www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/radicalreels.


CLASSES:



WINTER WILDLIFE TRACKING

Saturday, March 24th & Sunday, March 25th

The vast and ever-present array of wild "signatures" scattered about our local landscapes offer us an underused encyclopedia of behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary information. Through the mind of an animal tracker, we can make discoveries about animal behavior, adaptation, and inter-species relationships. Learn about animals' feet and how they move, when and where they rest, what they eat, and how animals in the wild make a living in their own specific way. Indoor and field sessions focus upon wildlife adaptations, diversity, and sign types complemented by firsthand explorations of the animals' habitats on or off-trail in various uneven terrain. Field session will be done on snowshoes (provided by REI at no extra charge). Appropriate footwear, warm clothing, a day pack, lunch, and a filled water bottle will be needed for field sessions. Field guides and cameras welcome. Tuition is $75 per participant; proceeds benefit the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. To register, please call REI at 486-2100 and ask to speak to our Customer Service department.



STAY SAFE IN THE OUTDOORS; WILDERNESS FIRST AID CLASS

Saturday, March 10th & 31st, 9am

Created for all outdoor enthusiasts, the Basic Wilderness Life Support® certification is a one day course designed to help you prevent and treat injuries and illnesses common in outdoor activities. Developed at the University of Utah, School of Medicine the course will teach you to prepare for your outing, assess injuries and scene safety, decide whether to evacuate or treat a patient, and methods of evacuation. The curriculum was developed from our advanced course used to train medical professionals and will be taught by one of our certified instructors. The course includes morning lectures at REI and an afternoon outdoors (weather permitting) participating in hands on scenarios. At the end of the day you will receive your BWLS certificate. Please register by calling REI’s customer service department at (801) 486-2100. Cost is $95 per person. For more information, please contact Bob Richards at AdventureMed, 801-990-2800 or visit www.bwls.org.



AVALANCHE AWARENESS CLASS

Friday & Saturday, March 9th & 10th

An introduction to rescue skills & avalanche beacon searches, route finding, snow pack evaluation and minimizing hazards. Cost is $99 per person. Please contact 801-550-EXUM (3986) or visit www.exum.ofutah.com for more information.



LEVEL 1 AVALANCHE COURSE

Friday March 23rd through Sunday March 25th

Learn safe travel in avalanche terrain; recognition of weather, snow pack and terrain factors contributing to avalanche hazard; dig snow pits and perform field tests to recognize weak and strong layers in snowpack and practice efficient rescue with avalanche beacons. Please contact 801-550-EXUM (3986) or visit www.exum.ofutah.com for more information.





COMMUNITY GROUP MEETINGS & PRESENTATIONS



UTAH NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY PRESENTS: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WILDFLOWER WORKSHOP

Wednesday, March 7th, 7pm

The Utah Native Plant Society is dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, conservation and responsible use of the native plant and plant communities found in the state of Utah and the Intermountain West. This evening, Ray Taggart, owner of Pixel’s Foto and Frame Shop in Sandy, will present a program on the fundamentals of digital photography and the applications of digital in wildflower photography. Following, Dr. Paul Zuckerman will give a brief presentation on the use of alternate lighting. This presentation is free and open to the public. Visit www.unps.org for more information.



UTAH STATEWIDE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: ANASAZI/FREMONT BIOLOGICAL AFFINITY

Wednesday, March 14th, 7pm

The Utah Statewide Archaeological Society (USAS) is an organization conceived for the individual who is curious about or wants to learn more about archaeology and the state’s prehistoric cultures. It is dedicated to the study and preservation of Utah’s past. This evening’s talk is titled Anasazi/Fremont Biological Affinity. Dr. Carlyle will discuss his dissertation work which consisted of extracting ancient DNA from several Anasazi (Ancestral Pueblo) museum specimens, utilizing variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to discern temporal and geographical lineage stability among the Anasazi in prehistory. The comparison of Great Salt Lake Fremont with various Anasazi groups reveals close biological affinity between the two groups--a fact that should not be surprising given the strong correlation between the Anasazi and Fremont noted in the archaeological record. Meetings and presentations are free of charge and open to the public. Visit www.utaharchaeology.org.