Journalist

The New York Times - A 13-Year-Old Takes On Everest, and Sets Off a Debate. By Stefani Jackenthal

Published: May 19, 2010

For many 13-year-old boys, the journey from childhood to manhood begins with their first job, shaving feathery whiskers or discovering girls. But for Jordan Romero, it is unfolding in an attempt to become the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. On Saturday he departed base camp with his father, Paul Romero, and Paul’s companion and professional adventure racing teammate, Karen Lundgren. Read the rest of my story here: www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/sports/20climber.html?src=me&ref=homepage

Go Green - Santa Cruz, CA - Demo Reel (HD TV Series)

Check out our Go Green (HD TV Series) demo reel and join me as we discover the best eco-friendly weekends on the planet, action packed with fun outdoor activities, great food & wine. Adventures and culinary explorations were never so good for you and the earth!

Check out our website: www.thegogreenshow.com

Check out our website: www.thegogreenshow.com

TASMANIA – November 2009!

I’m packing my bag (a big one) and flying to Tasmania tomorrow for two weeks of outdoor adventure, wine and seafood. My journey thru OZ starts in Sydney, staying the weekend with foodie friends who will show me around town - stopping into their favourite wine bars and restaurants. Another pal will take me kayaking on the Sydney Harbor.

Then it’s off to Launceston, Tassie’s wine country in the Tamar Valley, where I’ll zipline through the treetops, meet and greet winemakers at Goaty Hill and Strathalynn wineries - and I’m sure swirl, sniff and sip their flinty, minerally Riesling and rustic, cherry Pinot Noirs.

The remainder of my Tassie tour will be spent hiking, kayaking, Mt. biking and running through the pristine wilderness. An island, roughly the size of West Virginia - off the southeast corner of mainland Australia - Tasmania has over a third of its land protected in national parks and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Making it a wild wonderland peppered with ancient forests, brilliant white sand coastlines, craggy mountains, gushing rivers and offering endless outdoor activities.

One day I’ll hike Cradle Mountain with swift-trekking and technically tricky trails weaving through stunning glacial carved rock, which at its peak (5069 ft) overlooks most of northwest Tasmania. On an overnight kayaking trip in Freycinet National Park, we’ll splash along the northeast coast, past Wineglass Bay’s white granite sand beaches, overhanging pink granite mountains and dock boats to explore the terrific hiking trails. It will be an amazing adventure hopefully filled with wallabies, penguins and eek! Tasmanian Devils!  

Blackburn Challenge – Gloucester, MA (20 miles Kayak Race around Cape Ann) – July 18th

At 8:35 on a foggy Saturday morning in mid-July, I slowly paddled over to the fleet of long, skinny surfskis hovering around the starting area for the 23^rd Annual Blackburn Challenge, a 20 mile open ocean kayak race around Cape Ann, in Massachusetts. Nervously adjusting my grip on my carbon paddle, I lined up alongside internationally seasoned and local elite paddlers with skills far beyond my comprehension.  

A newbie to kayak racing, this was my first open ocean competition and first race in my Kool-Aide orange, grey bellied Think Evo surfki, which at 20.6 feet long, 19 inches wide, scared the hell out of me just months earlier. Of the 46 surfski racers, I was perhaps, the least experienced and the most petrified about tipping out of my boat in rough seas - and getting lost.  Nearly all of my savvy compadres had longer, skinnier boats, which many paddled with the grace of a Baryshnikov and speed of Usain Bolt.

After the fast single kayaks started, it was our time to “Go!” At the sound of the command, the fast guys and gals were off in a splashing flash. The mass of boats funneled into to a ragged paceline. I paddled equally hard, but quickly lost contact with the lead group and settled near the back of the pack. Much to my delight, the race started with six miles in the protect Annisquam River sporting calm, flat water. We crossed under a bridge and past boats docked to piers that were peppered with enthusiastic cheering spectators. “It was fun to start on the river lined with people,” said Patrick Hemmens, a 30 year surfski racing veteran, who flew in from Costa Mesa, CA for the race. “There are so many races to do and this has been on my list.” Hemmens was setting pace upfront when I lost sight of him within the first half-mile.

Upon reaching the Atlantic Ocean, I followed a smattering of surfskis clockwise. The rolling swells rhythmically slapped the left side of my boat, momentarily lifting it up and pushing it around as if it were a tiny toy vessel. I sat tall, straining to stay balanced against the wind and reminding myself to relax. “Stay relaxed and keep loose hips,” was the advice from my friend Joe Glickman, an elite longtime marathon paddler who was upfront, hammering with the leaders. “Remember, the boat wants to stay up.” His words looped in my head like the Mister Softee song.

The rest of the story can be found at http://www.active.com/outdoors/Articles/Blackburn-Challenge-A-Must-Do-Race-for-Paddlers.htm.

Iceland! June 3-9th Hiking to the summit of Hvannadalshnúkur

In early June, I’m flying to Iceland on assignment for Oxygen magazine to hike to the summit of Hvannadalshnúkur (6,922-ft.), Iceland’s highest peak. I’m anticipating an amazing athletic and visual experience. The 14-mile hike is said to be packed with panoramic views, as we hoof past Vatnajökull glacier overlooking glaciated rivers, boundless sandy plains, and various Icelandic wonders. While in Iceland, I’ll also take adventure trips with the Icelandic Search & Rescue Organization (SAR), leaving from Skaftafell, to the highlands small fishing villages on an actual search and rescue mission. Before returning to the NYC’s Urban Jungle, my trip will wrap up with a revitalizing visit to the Blue Lagoon, the legendary geothermal source of seawater known for its healing power, wellness and beauty. Eye candy for the body and soul. Now we’re talking!

10 Best Winter Activities in New York!

If New York City is the city that never sleeps, than New York state is the state that never rests, even in the hibernation-friendly months of winter. With nearly 55,000 square miles of rolling farmland, snow-dusted forests, craggy mountains, fish-stocked lakes, and sleepy towns, life outside of New York's titular city offers more outdoor activities than you're likely to accomplish in a lifetime—never mind a single season. The Adirondacks' granite rock faces shimmering with a thick coat of climbable ice, pristine cross-country and snowshoeing over the snow-covered Tugg Hill Plateau, over half a dozen ice rinks that keep city and suburban dwellers gliding straight through March, Lake Placid's Winter Olympics allure… The list really is infinite, which is why we've honed in on the state's ten best—and included honorable mentions as well (just to widen your options). You can read the rest of my story on Away.com: http://away.com/feature/top-ten-winter-activities-new-york-state-1.html

Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoes thru Finger Lakes Wine Country!

With more than 100 wineries and endless networks of trails winding past splashing waterfalls and cavernous gorges, New York's Finger Lakes region during the winter is a sipping, snow-covered mecca for outdoor-obsessed oenophiles. Almost all of the allure can be attributed to the area's geography; 11 finger-shaped lakes, each dubbed with Native American names, define the landscape to create a natural playground that has drawn the active-obsessed, 365 days a year, for as long as humankind has known it exists. And vineyards have been there since the 1860s, naturally fortified by the sunshine that reflects off the lakes onto the vines.

The deep lakes also absorb considerable amounts of heat, which is then released during the winter to maintain moderate microclimates and prevent early frost in hillside vineyards—geographically unique conditions that help produce a variety of award-winning wines, from Riesling and Gewürztraminer to chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet franc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and a grab bag of indigenous varietals. You can read the rest of my story on Away.com: http://away.com/feature-article/cross-country-skiing-vineyards-finger-lakes-region-new-york-1.html

Tubbs Romp to Stomp ~ Snowshoeing Family Adventure!

"Go Team Grandma Helene!" "Go Team Grandma Helene!" chanted my niece and nephew with every step my out-of-breath mom took as she raced along the 3K Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer Snowshoe. That crisp, sunny morning, my mother, Helene, a breast cancer survivor who is currently battling lung cancer, strapped on snowshoes for the first time in her life.

 

"These are pretty cool," she said, tapping them together fascinated with their sleek, lightweight design. "They're not what I expected." She envisioned wooden slabs with leather mesh. Give her a break; she lives in the Sunshine State and doesn't see much snow.

 

You can read the rest of the article on Active.com:

www.active.com/running/Articles/Snowshoe_Series_Aims_to_Stomp_Out_Breast_Cancer.htm

 

6th Annual Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer – Snowshowing for the Cause!

On February 7th I’ll be in Salt Lake City, UT participating in the Tubbs Romp to Stomp snowshoe walk with my Mom (a Breast Cancer survivor), brothers, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. We thought it would be a fun day to spend as a family, while raising money and awareness for Breast Cancer. The event takes place in five cities around the country (NJ, VT, OR, CO & UT), offering a 3K or 5K benefit snowshoe walk or a 3k race along gentle, marked trails along. Tubbs supplies free snowshoe demos for newbies to experts. Since 2003, the Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer has raised nearly three quarters of a million dollars for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and its Affiliates and inspired thousands of to get out snowshoeing. I told my Mom, who lives in Florida, "Don't worry, it's as easy as walking!"

New Jersey: Jan. 24; Vermont: Jan. 31; Utah: Feb. 7, Oregon: Feb.21; Colorado: Mar. 7

www.tubbsromptostomp.com

Biking Colorado Wine Country!

I spent three summer days spinning and sipping through Palisade, Colorado’s wine country. It was a great opportunity to ride through some of America’s most beautiful landscape, sandwiched between the Book Cliff Mountains and Grand Mesa, and taste terrific wine while chatting with winemakers. My article appeared in The New York Times Travel section (October 5, 2008). http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/travel/05biking.html