besthike.com - the blog

Every time I get to Lost Wages, I spend at least one day at Red Rock. It’s only a few miles from the strip to 197,000 acres of beautiful desert wilderness.
While most outdoors folk go for the bouldering, you can quickly access great hiking, as well.
Branch Whitney posted his favourite hikes there:
Easy Hikes
Calico […]

I’m on the record as boycotting Man vs. Wild, fearing that the TV show will encourage people to do things far more dangerous than those filmed by Bear’s crew.
But I found myself watching a full episode, lately:
In Mexico, Bear must find his way out of Copper Canyon, and his only supplies are a water bottle, […]

I’ve always been suspicious of “waterproof socks” for hiking:

Seirus Stormsock Waterproof Sock
Crow confirms “they stink”: Waterproof socks: A bad idea
She likes neoprene socks. As do I.
It was an accident that started me wearing neoprene, actually. I took normal hiking footwear and water walking shoes on the West Coast Trail. And ended up wearing my […]

Just subscribed to an excellent blog:

A Little Closer to Heaven
One trip was inspired by this photo:

… A slot canyon in Arkansas?
That’s what I thought too until I came across this beautiful picture taken by Tim Ernst a few months back. I had to know where it was and check it out for myself. So I […]

South West USA

Capitol Reef, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon, White Sands National Monument, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. This part of the world is awesome.
We hike the SW USA every year and have yet to be disappointed.
Fascinating, diverse and mind-boggling. The best WOW geological zone we’ve seen anywhere. […]

American Hiking Society posted a list of under appreciated hikes. Under appreciated because they are not in “Parks”, but are regulated by the Bureau of Land Management.

Many BLM lands are unique and wild, offering exceptional views, few people, and a rare opportunity to experience the “wild west” in the same way the pioneers did […]

by Rick McCharles, editor
I was a minor contributor to a gorgeous new National Geographic coffee table book.

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips
One chapter describes Adventures on Foot. I helped write the Paria Canyon hike description.

My own 2006 trip report was used as a reference.
Though any experienced hiker will […]

Graywolf likes, as one of the best hikes in the world, the Thunder River/Deer Creek Loop in the Grand Canyon:

It is a very demanding and beautiful 26 to 43 (w/side trips) mile hike from the North Rim to the river and back. Awesome scenery, beautiful river, creeks, and falls and a wonderful play area in […]

Will of the excellent Mental Wanderings blog posted some tips on river walking our favourite track in the Southwest USA.
If you are planning on hiking Paria Canyon sometime in the future, be sure to check it out. Here’s a summary:
Tip #1 - River Water Is Gross
Tip #2 – Filtering From Rivers In the Desert Sucks
Tip […]

The independent Zion National Park website has added an attractive blog.
This endorsement by Bo for a slot canyon walk caught my eye:

Parunuweap Canyon “is my favorite hike of all times. After hiking just about everything in Zion and nearby and doing this one several times using different ways in and out, I can […]