Eugene weekly., May 19, 2016, Page 20, Image 20

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The
Broad
Outdoors
Lo cal w rit er Ru by McCon n e l l p e n s
a han dy o utdo o r g u i de fo r wo men,
b u t m e n s h o u l d ta k e a l o o k , t o o
by Alex V. Cipolle
I
f Cheryl Strayed had access to A Women’s
Guide to The Wild: Your Complete Outdoor
Handbook, she probably wouldn’t have had so
many hardships on the Pacific Coast Trail to
write about in her bestseller Wild.
Instead of teetering under its weight, Strayed would have
learned how to pack a backpack efficiently, specifically for
a women’s body, which has a lower center of gravity than
a man’s. She could have read up on the proper footwear for
long-distance hiking, instead of wearing crappy boots that
left her tootsies a bloody pulp.
Those are just a few of the practical things addressed in
local writer (and dancer) Ruby McConnell’s fantastic new
women-centric guide to the outdoors.
A Women’s Guide, which was published by Sasquatch
Books earlier this year, is pithy, playful and frank. The
illustrations and diagrams of Teresa Grasseschi, which
are at once charming and useful, accompany McConnell’s
approachable prose. And while the book offers universally
valuable advice on everything from starting a campfire to
reading cloud formations, it also covers challenges that only
women face in the wild, but that are rarely written about.
For example — and this is a shocker — women get
their period while camping. Not like, all the time, or every
time, but sometimes the stars align just so.
“There is a stigma around it — most guides treat
menstruation as an illness or an inconvenient source of messes
and smells,” McConnell writes. “While it does come with a
couple of added complications … it shouldn’t be a source of
embarrassment or prevent you from getting outside.”
McConnell tackles the “Bear Myth,” debunking the
oft-bandied-about falsehood that menstruating in the
outdoors will attract bears, sharks, vampires, cyclops or
what have you.
House on
the River
“Why this is considered a bigger problem than any
other bathroom waste you might be carrying, I have
no idea,” McConnell points out. “I think it says more
about a pervasive lack of understanding and continued
squeamishness of our male counterparts than anything
else.”
McConnell even includes a nifty little guide for a “DIY
Menstruation Disposal Kit.”
The “How to Pee in the Woods” section is also quite
useful, advising on squat techniques and how to use
urinary flow directors, aka funnel tubes, so women can
stand tall and pee proud.
But let’s be clear: This is a handy guide for everyone,
not just the ladies. Men — camp guides, dads, spouses,
friends, etc. — who go into the great outdoors, with or
without female companions, could learn a great deal here
as well.
EUGENE'S RIV ER HOUSE
E u g e n e ’ s R i v e r H o u s e c e l e b r at e s
50 year s
by Kelsey Anne Rankin
A
h, Eugene, “a great city for the arts
and outdoors,” especially if you have
the right gear, training and financial
means to actually get down and dirty
in the area’s natural wonders.
One factor for enjoying the
outdoors is having access in the first place. The Eugene
Rec Outdoor Program provides just that for Eugeneans,
and the organization’s 50th anniversary is right around
the corner.
Originally established by clean-water advocate Mel
Jackson and the city of Eugene in the late 1960s, the
outdoor program later was expanded by the Eugene Parks
and Rec department. The group eventually acquired the
nickname River House, seeing as the building is smack
dab on the river. Canoeing, rock-climbing, white-water
rafting and other activities have been added to the
program’s activity list over time, and accessibility for the
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May 19, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com
courses is a consistent factor for the River House team.
“We have a goal of making our program inclusive and
accessible to anyone wanting to participate,” says program
supervisor Roger Bailey, who’s been with River House
for nearly 30 years. Bailey says he’s seen the positive
community influence that accessible outdoor programs
offer. “That is our mission,” Bailey says, “to help people
grow and to help make this community a better place to
live.”
For Bailey, this means approaching courses with
“cultural respect, accountability, honesty and integrity.”
He says more energy is going towards focusing on financial
accessibility, and a youth sailing course provided by the
outdoor program was recently able to share scholarships
for low-income children.
“Every walk of life comes here to take our programs,”
Bailey explains. River House programs provide people
with, as he puts it, skills that need to be learned outside
of school or work. Whether you’re feeling like honing
your outdoorsy side in town or want to put some spur-of-
the-moment REI purchase to the test out in the forest, the
program has activities for all levels, and few exceed a $40
price tag — not to mention the handful of courses that are
free to the public.
The River House’s 50th-anniversary celebration will
be 4 to 7 pm Saturday, July 23, at 301 N. Adams Street,
with food, circus arts, cake, kayaks and paddle boards
provided at the event; more info at eugene-or.gov.