February 2021 Big Bear Today Magazine

Page 10—February 2021
Winter hiking a Breeze with Vasque boot
Snowshoeing, winter hikes, even just
running errands in winter demand the right
seasonal footwear.
While summer hiking shoes and boots
can work during winter they’re hardly
ideal, especially when it’s really cold out.
Sure water-resistant summer footwear will
keep your feet dry when it’s deep, but will
those boots keep you warm?
Vasque’s new Breeze WT GTX will.
These new winter specific hiking boots
sport 200 grams of Thinsulate insulation
to make sure tootsies stay toasty. As you’d
expect there’s GORE-TEX extended comfort
waterproof membrane to make sure
feet stay not just warm but dry.
Plus Vasque’s exclusive Vibram Contact
Grip outsole with Megagrip compound.
and Nubuck leather upper with Ripstop
mesh for breathability makes them
comfortable. All designed to take adventures
deep into the depths of winter, either
snowy hikes or snowshoe treks.
And yet the most premium winter boot
from Vasque, a longtime heavyweight in
the adventure footwear industry known for
innovative purpose-built boots, packs all
this into a mere 2 lbs. 14 oz. for men’s 10,
less for women’s sizes. Surprisingly light
for boots in this category, showing winter
exploration doesn’t have to mean packing
a lot of extra weight on your feet.
All-Terrain compound midsole with
EVA cushioning pods make the Breeze surprisingly
comfortable for such a stout boot.
As do dual density EVA footbeds, surprising
quality for stock out-of-the-box. The
TPU shank provides stability in rugged
conditions while Megagrip technology offers
good traction even on rocky or loose
dirt or while bouldering.
Snow was what was on my mind when
I took a pair of Breezes out after last
month’s volumous storms left feet of white
stuff around Big Bear.
The aggressive tread is impressive,
like four-wheel drive traction for your feet.
Each step is confident with good traction,
Free forest access for vets, Gold Star families
Veterans get more than just a day of
appreciation from the Forest Service for
their service and sacrifice.
Beginning Veteran’s Day 2020 and
continuing indefinitely, men and women
who have served their country enjoy free
access to their national forests and grasslands.
Gold Star Families who have endured
the ultimate sacrifice also receive
fee-free, unlimited access to public land
and waters.
Trailheads, picnic grounds, visitor
centers and most other day-use recreation
sites are free including local Adventure
Pass locations. The Forest Service manages
18 National Forests in the Pacific
Southwest Region, encompasseing over
20 million acres across California. National
forests supply 50 percent of the water
in California and form the watershed
of most major aqueducts and more than
2,400 reservoirs throughout the state.
To access the benefit, veterans need
just present any of several government issued
documents verifying veteran status.
Gold Star families can download and print
a voucher to show a ranger or place on
the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites.
“This country is deeply indebted to
the dedicated men and women who have
served in the military, and to the families
of those who made the ultimate sacrifice
in defense of our nation,” said Forest Service
Chief Vicki Christiansen. “We are
pleased to offer this free access opportunity
as a way to honor them and to encourage
them to explore our Nation’s big
backyard.”
For more information, visit the Forest
Service at www.fs.usda.gov/R5.
even on slicker surfaces including ice that
I found. Stable thanks to the rigid shank,
the boot exudes confidence.
And warmth! Treks in 20° temperatures
and snow couldn’t chill my toes,
something I can’t say about my ski boots.
Toes were toasty and fluff stayed out of
my boots even when I stepped into aboveankle
deep. And the Breeze is comfortable
enough that I left the boots on for hours
after adventure was done for break-in.
A nitpick would be that the laces could
be a tad longer for those of us who like to
double-tie at multi-lace points. Some have
complained that the Breeze runs narrow,
not a problem for me. Otherwise these
Vasque beauties have vast potential for
whatever winter you care to throw at it.
Vasque has other winter hiking footwear
besides the Breeze, which comes in
men’s and women’s designs and priced at
$199. The Coldspark Ultradry for instance
is another high-performance design that’s
waterproof with aggressive traction, priced
at $139.
In addition there’s gender-specific
Ultradry models from Vasque, the Suburban
II for men and Laplander for women.
Big Bear Today
Stout and sturdy but also super comfortable:
the new Breeze WT GTX is
perfect for snowshoes and winter hikes
but also just wearing around town
Each is priced at $159 and waterproof, insulated
and meant to move in winter.
—by Marcus Dietz
Zoo open again...
Continued from page 6
are returned to the wild during rescue and
rehabilitation efforts—the new zoo has
expanded medical and rehab facilities plus
food preparation room. In all the property
sits on about 10 acres with the eastern end
left as empty space for flood mitigation.
Guests find a new parking lot on the
property’s east side next to Rathbun Creek
as well. There’s a path and bridge leading
to the new welcome center.
The zoo’s price tag, once expected to
be around $8 million, soared to over $18
million after several years of delays. Plans
were drawn by renowned firm PGAV
Designers, same company that created the
famous Georgia Aquarium.
The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m.-4
p.m. Admission is $15, $10 ages 3-10/60
and over, under three free.
The zoo is at 747 Clubview Dr. at
Moonridge Rd. Call (909) 584-1299.
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