Biking around town with BIKETOWN

July 22, 2016Stay Wild

Delivering the magazine around town with BIKETOWN

by Scrappers

I used Portland’s new bike share program called BIKETOWN to deliver magazines downtown. Everywhere I went people came up to ask about the bike.

Here’s what they said:

“How heavy is it?”

One old man insisted on picking it up to confirm that it’s super freaking heavy. These bike are designed to hold up like public transportation. They are built solid like tanks.

“How many people can we get on it?”

Two large guys borrowed it to ride down the sidewalk. One sat on the seat the other on the back fender’s solar panel. I bet you could get at least 4 people on one of these. The basket is heavy duty and would make a great place to rest your ass.

“Is it better than having your own bike?”

BIKETOWN is a great alternative to using a taxi, Smart Car, or any sort of oil-powered contraption to get around the city. No parking trouble. No traffic trouble. Heck, it’s faster than the buss. Is it better than my bike? No freaking way broh! My vintage 10-speed with the rainbow stripe and burger-shaped bell is the only bike I will ever love.

“How do you get the bike?”

It’s super easy. Just download the BIKETOWN app on your phone. It took me 5 minutes to set up my account and 5 minutes to walk to the nearest bike rack. See for yourself >>>

“The bright orange makes the bikes more visible on the road.”

Totally, it’s like a silent protest for bike commuters.

“Too bad about the logo”

Yeah, but I can’t think of a bike logo that I love. But then again, I don’t love any logos.

“I heard they designed the bike after a Nike shoe box.”

Oh, yeah. I guess so. I just thought it was orange.

“How do you like the NIKE bike? Swooooosh….”

Oh my gawd! I really don’t give a shit about the big company that helped fund this awesome project. People. Can we please go beyond the superficial look of the bike and look at what this bike program does for the environment and for the general health of the community?

“How much does it cost”

$2.50 for a half hour. $12 for 24 hours, but you only get 180 minutes with each bike. (I rode a bike for longer and got charged a small fee.) $12 a month for a year (90 minutes a day).

"Are there gears?"

Yeah, there are 8 speeds that shift from the handle grip. Lot's of feature are built into the bike like the lights and a friendly bell. Heck, even the part that turns the wheel is built in, so you'll never have to mess with the chain derailing.

“They don’t supply helmets?”

Nope. And sidewalks don’t supply shoes either. I brought my own helmet, but haven’t seen anyone else ride a BIKETOWN bike with a helmet. So it’s totally your call.

“Want to trade?”

A newspaper delivery guy with a bike cart I was peddling next to handed me a Portland Mercury in trade for a Stay Wild.

BIKETOWN is really cool. You should take one for a ride. But be prepared to talk to random people about the bike. Sign up today >>>

Walking with Ginew

July 21, 2016Stay Wild

Walking & Talking with Ginew to Ponytail Falls

Photos & Words by Justin "Scrappers" Morrison

The corn bread was dark blue like indigo denim. The corn was personally picked up from the Colorado mill it was made at and brought to this Portland kitchen to bake and eat with friends and family. Erik & Amanda’s brand Ginew is a lot like that cornbread; locally & personally sourced ingredients, intentionally made well, fulfilling, and tasty.

A buffalo skull hangs in their living room. It’s from their wedding in Wisconsin. “We ate that buffalo” Erik tells me as Amanda describes the traditional wild rice and other dishes they made. Their wedding buffalo did more than feed their friends and family though, it helped launch their brand by providing the leather they made their first line of belts from.

Once the hide was prepared, tanned, and hand dried, Erik took it to a leather workshop. “You’re making real buffalo belts? I’ll give you $200 for one right now”, said a guy passing through. And with that a business was born.

Since Ginew’s beginning in 2010 their line has grown beyond leather belts. Their jackets and vests are American made of wax canvas, selvedge denim, and Pendleton wool. Each piece has a strong story holding it up. The rider jacket I wear pays respect to Amanda’s grandfather who commuted weekly from the Mohican reservation to weld for Harley Davidson during the 1950's and 1960's.

Erik is Minnesota Chippewa. Amanda is Oneida & Stockbridge-Munsee. The oak leaf in their brand’s logo is from the tree they were married under. Their cultural heritage influences everything they do. Maybe that’s why the goods Ginew makes are made so well?

Before leaving for work today I told my son that someday he will inherit my jacket. Right then I understood it was built for generations.

Visit Ginew and Ponytail Falls at the Stay Wild EXPO

Aug 26-28 in Portland, Oregon.

Look at the sun

July 16, 2016Stay Wild

The universe is freaking awesome when you get a good view of it! The fine folks at Celestron make stuff that helps you see stars, microscopic things, birds, and the actual sun. Yeah, they help you look at that bright orb in the sky that hurts to look at!

According to Jarred Donkersley from Celestron you'll be able to look at the sun and see, "Hydrogen Alpha which is a very small segment or wavelength of the red portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is achieved with specialized telescopes that allow people to observe and image fine details on the surface and limb of the Sun, otherwise invisible with white light solar filters on normal telescopes (which only show sunspots).

This is a fine tuned stack of multiple exposures (taken with our camera). You can see granulation on the surface, and features (if present) like whirls, prominences (flares on the side), filaments (dark crags), and sunspots."