Preparing for an international trip that involves outdoor activities like hiking and biking requires a blend of smart travel logistics and targeted gear selection. Many Park City Mountain Sports Club members are preparing now for exciting international travel, including epic hiking and biking trips. Notably, about 45 of our Club members will be heading to Majorca, Spain at the end of September for six days of biking around the stunning island and its mountains. Others are planning equally exciting, active trips to a myriad of places abroad.

Although many of you are seasoned international travelers, we thought it might be useful to have a reminder of how to prepare and what to have in your backpacks. For others, it might serve as your checklist. No matter what adventure you have planned, feeling confident and prepared for both the travel piece and the adventure should help you feel relaxed, excited, and ready to go. Thanks to Jackie Oken for contributing this section.

BEFORE YOU GO

• Airport Ease: If you don't have Global Entry, go to https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry to apply.  Global Entry expedites your return to the U.S. after international travel. Instead of waiting in long lines, you use touchless kiosks or a mobile app to verify your identity and bypass paper forms. Membership also automatically includes TSA PreCheck for faster domestic security screening. The cost is $120 for five years and many credit card companies reimburse cardholders in full. Once pre-approved, one must make an appointment for an in-person interview which could take months. If you regularly use another airport apart from SLC, it’s worth checking their avails for appointments too.
• Financial Preparedness: Carry at least two separate, unrelated credit/debit cards with no transaction fees and keep a small back up stash of local currency or US cash. This is especially helpful for tipping your local guides. Inform your banks of your travel dates to avoid fraud blocks. Note – take at least two types of cards eg Visa and Amex, or Mastercard and Visa – not everywhere takes all card types. 
• Digital and Physical Redundancies: Keep digital scans of your passport, visas, travel insurance policy, and vaccination records, as needed, emailed to yourself or stored in an offline cloud folder. Carry physical photocopies in a completely separate place from the originals, in case of loss or theft of the originals. I always carry my passport and docs with me even when hiking, unless you use a hotel safe. However, one time a friend forgot to collect the stuff from her safe and had to drive back to get it and missed a flight.
• Power and Connectivity: Pack a universal plug adapter and a portable power bank (the latter always in your carry-on luggage). Check your mobile carrier's international roaming options and arrange accordingly or purchase a Minternational Pass for any Mint Mobile subscribers or pick up a local SIM/eSIM upon arrival.
• Prohibited Items and Gear Prep: Hazardous materials like camp stove fuel, pressurized canisters, and bear spray cannot be flown. Purchase or rent these at your destination. To save clean up later, ensure your hiking boots and bike tires are thoroughly cleaned before packing. Also some airports check shoes to prevent diseases being brought in (eg if you have been near farm animals).
• Airplane Comfort: Most of you certainly already know this but for those overnight flights, don't forget your travel pillow and blanket, eye mask, ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones, compression socks, and sleep aid for those who have pre-tested them. Note: don’t take the sleep aid till you have actually taken off – I heard a story about someone taking ambien before take off and then the plane had a mechanical issue and they couldn’t be woken up, so the new plane went without them!           

WHAT TO PUT IN A DAYPACK FOR HIKING - When you are out on the trail abroad, your daypack should cover you for safety, weather changes, and hydration.

• Navigation: A downloaded offline trail map on your phone, as well as your power bank, and a physical map/compass as a backup. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many countries you can use AllTrails in – Europe, LatAm, even Hong Kong. I’m sure this applies to many other navigational apps too.
• Hydration and Nutrition: A hydration bladder (check before you go for leaks) or water bottles, plus a lightweight water filtration/purification method (like purifying tablets or a squeeze filter) and electrolytes. Also, high-energy, easy-to-digest snacks like nuts, bars, trail mix, and PB&J.
• First Aid and Health: A compact first-aid kit to include blister treatments, personal medications and ibuprofen, tweezers, antiseptic wipes, and anti-diarrheal medication. Having a small bit of duct tape handy has proven helpful in many scenarios.
• Sun and Bug Protection: Sunglasses, sunscreen, SPF lip balm, sun hat, sun gloves, and insect repellent.
• Emergency Gear: A lightweight headlamp with an extra set of batteries, a multi-tool or knife, matches or a lighter in a waterproof case, and a space blanket or emergency bivy. Again, you can purchase bear spray and other deterrents once abroad.
• Weather Layers: A packable, waterproof hardshell rain jacket and an extra lightweight fleece or insulation layer, even if you anticipate the weather to start out warm.

WHAT TO PUT IN A BACKPACK/PANNIER FOR BIKING - Whether you are day-riding or multi-day touring, a biking pack needs to ensure mechanical self-reliance and comfort over long hours in the saddle.

• On-Bike Mechanical and Repair Kit: A multi-tool with a chain breaker, tire levers and 1-2 spare inner tubes (sized correctly for your wheels), a compact hand pump or CO2 inflator kit, a patch kit and tire boot for sidewall repairs, and a quick link for your specific chain speed.
• Personal and Comfort Items: Chamois butter/anti-chafe balm which can be a lifesaver on multi-day rides, padded cycling gloves and clear or tinted riding glasses to keep wind and bugs out of your eyes, a high-visibility wind-shell vest or jacket, and electrolyte drink mixes or chews for sustained energy.
• Electronics and Navigation: Handlebar mount or secure pocket for a GPS computer or phone that is running offline cycling maps and compact, front and back bike lights for unexpected delays or riding in low-light conditions.

Traveling internationally with your outdoor gear packed and ready to go opens the door to incredible adventures and unforgettable landscapes. By taking care of the logistics ahead of time and packing thoughtfully, you can depart with total peace of mind - ready to embrace every trail, turn, and new horizon that comes your way. Bon voyage and safe, well-prepared travels to all our Club wanderlusters!

A huge thank you goes to Jeri and Rob Brooke for generously hosting the annual Independence Day event at their home. Talking to Jeri, we’re not sure how many years they’ve hosted this, but it is more than ten! It is a huge organizational feat.  Four hikes (one moderate plus, two moderate, one easy), one MTB, one road bike event and a horseshoe tournament. All the events kick off at different times with the goal of all finishing at around the same time for brats and potluck. As always, it was a delicious spread. Thank you also to the volunteers that helped make it happen – from activity leaders to set up to kitchen help, to grilling and serving to clean up. Thanks to Tony Edwards, Sheree Anshel, Dean Fogel, Lisa Hunter, Ruth Mather, Ellen Sherk, Sheri Thomas, Dan Albano, Chuck Mollard, Marvin Kabatznick, Rob, Mike Benson, Kathy Ritter, Dennis Fish, Cheri Dostal, Vince Gilotti, Ann Deutschlander, Barb Maben and Stan Hooley, and anyone I inadvertently missed. We’ve counted this as one event below but really it is seven events in one, plus a barbecue!

It’s been great seeing new events come on the calendar this year – from backcountry skiing in the winter to fly-fishing, rock-climbing, motor bike riding, a barn dance and now running. If you are interested in leading a new event, please let me know on stephensonkate38@gmail.com.

You can see photos of many of these events on our Club private Facebook group:

www.facebook.com/groups/parkcitymountainsportsClub/

July Events

There were 58 events in July. They comprised 11 hikes, 10 MTB, 10 road bike events, 5 golf events, 2 tennis round robins, 4 pickleball sessions, 4 rock climbing, 3 paddling, 1 fly fishing, 1 running event, 1 en plein air painting event, 1 knit and stitch, 4 TGIFs, and 1 special event.

Sports Events

Hiking:

There were 11 hikes this month, two moderate plus led by Ellen Sherk (1) and Kate Stephenson and Jim McClave (1), four moderate, including one history hike led by Michael O’Malley, three other moderate led by Chuck Mollard (1), Ellen Sherk (1), and Jon Scarlett (1), and five easy led by Tony Edwards (3) Kathy Holmes (1) and Chuck Mollard showing us the wildflowers (1).

MTB:

There were 10 MTB events; six moderate plus let by Don Winsor (3), Lauren Nadler (1), Michele Levasseur (1) and Diane Jamail and Ray Naudain (1), one moderate led by Lauren Nadler (1), and three women only led by Kas Shanks (3).

Road Bike Rides:

There were ten bike rides in July. Four B+/A level led by Caprice Benz (4), two B+/B level led by Lauren Nadler (2), three B level led by Geri Manning (3) and one easy led by Tony Edwards (1).

Golf:

There were five weekly golf sessions at Park City Municipal course led by John Logan, Jeri Brooke and Ann Deutschlander.

Tennis:

Two round robin tennis events were held, organized by MJ Chapman.

Pickleball:

There were four pickleball events led by Maureen Sheehan-Bickner.

Paddling:

There were three paddling events at the Jordanelle, East Canyon and Smith and Moorhouse led by Becky Solomon, Jim McClave, Kate Stephenson, Ray DeJaco and Ray Naudain.

Fly-Fishing:

Andrew Stephens led a combined hiking and fly-fishing trip in the Uintas.

Rock-Climbing:

There were four indoor rock-climbing events led by Jeff Green.  

Running:

Steve Parker led the first Club running event.

Social Events

Painting:

Lauren Nadler led one en plein air painting event.

Knit & Stitch:

One Knit & Stitch event at the Deer Valley Pond gazebo organized by Caryn Harkins and Jennifer Gurss.

TGIF:

There were four TGIFs this month, hosted by Karen and Jay Zorzy, Lisa Power and Mike Benson, Michele and Bjorn Liencres and a barn dance at Bill Silliman’s barn.

Special Events:

A huge thank you goes to Jeri and Rob Brooke for generously hosting the annual Independence Day event at their home. Thank you to all the volunteers that made it happen. Tony Edwards, Sheree Anshel, Dean Fogel, Lisa Hunter, Ruth Mather, Ellen Sherk, Sheri Thomas, Dan Albano, Chuck Mollard, Marvin Kabatznick, Rob, Mike Benson, Kathy Ritter, Dennis Fish, Cheri Dostal, Vince Gilotti, Ann Deutschlander, Barb Maben, Stan Hooley.

We also want to thank Summer Sports Director Jackie Oken, and the summer activity coordinators:  Don Winsor - Mountain Biking, Steve Holmes – July hiking coordinator, Bill Benz - Road Biking, Michael Garcia, John Logan, Jeri Brooke and Ann Deutschlander – Golf, Jeff Green – rock climbing, Andrew Stephens – fly fishing, Maureen Bickner – Pickleball, MJ Chapman – Tennis, Becky Solomon, Kate Stephenson and Jim McClave – Paddling, Steve Parker – running, Lauren Nadler - painting. Thanks also to Caryn Harkins and Jennifer Gurss who lead Knit & Stitch throughout the year.

Until next month.

Kate Stephenson

President