Ring of Fire
They called it the Ring of Fire. Skiers Chris Davenport, Jess McMillan and a rotating crew of friends recently completed a tour of the Pacific Northwest's volcanoes. They climbed and skied 15 volcanoes in all over the course of two weeks, summiting their final peak, Washington's Mount Baker, on May 19.
During their trip, they climbed 78,674 vertical feet and hiked more than 141 miles. Thankfully, they were well fed (Whole Foods, along with Spyder, was a sponsor of the trip).
"For those of you thinking about a similar goal, we have two recommendations: First, definitely build a couple of rest days into your plan," Davenport wrote on Spyder's blog. "Climbing and skiing days can be long and your body needs to recover so you can keep up the pace. Sleep is crucial, even if you never seem to get enough. Second, make sure you are getting enough calories, and the right kind of calories, to fuel your adventure."
They climbed volcanoes through California, Oregon and Washington, including Mount Shasta, Mount Bachelor, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and more. The crew traveled between peaks via the comfy seats of Spyder's massive RV they dubbed The Land Yacht.
"Chris dreamed up the Volcano Tour a couple of years ago," writes Jess McMillan. "He wanted it to be a road trip of a lifetime: reconnecting with old friends, checking out all of the sights to see and, of course, fun. He gathered all of the ingredients: Spyder's Land Yacht, the volcanoes and the support. If you build it, they will come."
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