REI Buys Grand Canyon Land

🏃 Happy leap day! The birds were genuinely “twitterpated” during our morning run today, chirping and chasing among the still-bare branches in the rising sun. It’s not quite March, but it might be time to start dusting off those hiking boots and mountain bikes real soon.

Unless, that is, you're near Tahoe. In that case, get ready to shovel!

📌 In today’s news, here’s one thing to:

• Read: Three Climbers Have Died On Mexico’s Highest Peak

• Watch: A Rare Sighting: Even the World’s Best Skier Falls Sometimes

• Share: Training For Spring Runs? The Shoes Will Get You There

REI Buys Real Estate

A pivotal moment? REI just bought 20 acres of land near the Grand Canyon. And while this may not be a huge departure for the co-op, the purchase does signal an expansion into some clever vertical integration.

Camping Gear < Campgrounds? REI will build a campground on this patch of land near Williams, Arizona. This isn’t REI’s first campground (it’s actually the fourth), but the expansion makes a lot of sense given the brand’s outdoor-loving clientele.

Adventure Investments:

• Newly added REI adventures include a trip to California’s wine country, Maine’s 100-mile Wilderness, and the Pacific Northwest.

• Last year, REI doubled the size of its Bryce Canyon National Park signature camp to meet ongoing demand.

• Currently, REI offers 14 Grand Canyon park trips, which sit about 60 miles from the new campground site.

Knife Laws Under Scrutiny

The United States has some squirrely laws. While most states allow you to carry and own a firearm in the vast majority of situations, in some places, you’d be breaking the law if you also happened to be carrying a knife.

That all may be about to change. U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez, known for his rulings on gun-related cases, reversed a previous decision, declaring California's ban on "billy clubs" unconstitutional as it wasn't old enough, contradicting his prior stance that upheld a similar ban due to its longstanding nature.

This marks a significant shift in the legal landscape for 2nd Amendment cases, extending beyond firearms to include challenges against bans on butterfly knives, switchblades, and other weapons.

What does this mean for knife nuts in the US? Well, not a lot just yet. But it’s worth watching to see how local knife ordinances are challenged thanks to this precedent.

Key Points:

• Critics argue the decision jeopardizes public safety, while proponents see it as upholding the constitutional right to bear arms for self-defense.

• The 2022 Supreme Court case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs. Bruen, emphasized the need for state restrictions to be deeply rooted in American history and tradition.

• The ruling represents a shift in the legal landscape for 2nd Amendment cases, extending challenges beyond firearms to butterfly knives, switchblades, and more.

Speedgoats Have Spikes!

Winter running often means a lot of slip’n’slide. And many runners use some form of Microspikes to handle the icy trails. But the HOKA Speedgoat 5 GTX Spike has super durable tungsten carbide spikes built into its outsole.

Speedgoat on ice? Tester Alex Tzelnic put the spiked-out yet iconic Speedgoat to the test. The first iteration of his shoe to get the winterized update to its undercarriage, these shoes excelled in all kinds of conditions.

Details:

• On hardened, icy trails, the shoe performed great especially in colder temps and subpar trail conditions.

• On mixed trails with softer snow, slush, or mud, the shoe was fine but imperfect. The spikes are for sure a helpful addition to the shoe.

• How much you’ll get out of the Speedgoat GTX Spikes really depends on the trail conditions.

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