Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.
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snow in Death Valley

Jim Burnett on national parks traveler:

… the first words you read on the park website—”Hottest, Driest, Lowest“—don’t sound much like winter. That makes the park scene on January 3, 2011, a bit out of the ordinary. …

The snow level was at 2,000 feet in the hottest, driest, and lowest region in the Western Hemisphere.”

The lower elevations of Death Valley rarely get snow—only about once a decade on the valley floor—and that’s usually just a dusting. In contrast, the neighboring community of Pahrump, about 60 miles away, had four to six inches of snow from the recent storm. …

Snow-capped Mountains Offer a Different Look at Death Valley National Park

It even snowed in Vegas.

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best photos 2010

Here’s a favourite of photographer G Dan Mitchell:

A daily photograph, news, observations, and ideas about photography

see more – G Dan Mitchell Photography

Photographer Michael Frye …

… asks you to click through to his 46 Best Photos of the past year, … and select the 10 you like best. (Leave your picks in the comments of that post.)

(via Tom Mangan on Facebook)

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do you want a hiking Kindle?

Andy Howell has been using one for a few months … and gives it quite a favourable review:

… The key to the Kindle is its weight. This is a properly portable machine which can slip into your case or pack quite happily. …

First off, this is a very light way of carrying a lot of books …

With the wifi link usually off I have been able to get three weeks usage without any problems at all. If you are backpacking you should be able to rely on three weeks, maybe four, so long as you keep the machine warm at night, although I must say I’ve not noticed any great degrading of battery performance in the cold.

When backpacking you will want to keep the Kindle in a waterproof sleeve of some kind — I use an Ortlieb map carrier which I know to be watertight. Phil Turner has devised his own protection system details of which he has published here so you can knock one up yourself. …

The really big downside is that you can’t share books or pass them on to someone else. You can register up to 6 Kindles with one Amazon account, which might get around things a little. But this system is still far too inflexible and Amazon need to sort this out quickly, even if it is to let you pass books on a limited number of times. …

read the rest of the review

I’m quite happy with audio books and podcasts on my iPods (normally carrying two) but wouldn’t mind trying a kindle on a longer adventure.

I mostly read in the tent. And it seems a pain that a headlamp is required to read a kindle. In fact, that might even be a deal breaker for me. Perhaps I’d use the built-in audio jack or rear speakers to listen to my audio books via Kindle.

Leave a comment if you’ve tried taking a Kindle on the Trail. Either here or over on Andy’s review.

_____

DAVE PIDGEON will not take his iPad on the Trail.

Compass Points Media via flickr – original photo

But he does review a few Apps on this post – A Backpacker’s iPad

(via Tom Mangan on Facebook)

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walking 12,500mi across the U.S.

Sam’s goal:

click for larger version

… 25-year-old Samuel Gardner will embark on a journey, starting the New Year off with a resolution unlike any other. On January 1st, Gardner will begin hiking westward from New York on the North Country trail–starting his more than 12,500-mile journey that will take him, solo, by foot, across the four longest walking paths in the United States.

This epic hike is called the All-In Trek, and, according to Gardner, it’s never been done before in this manner. He plans to do it entirely unassisted, and to hike each trail end-to-end and back-to-back. The route will take him through three mountain ranges and one desert, from the east coast to the west. Gardner hopes to finish his goal in one year’s time but his ultimate goal is to finish it all in one continuous trek. …

WEND

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hiking Chamonix to Zermatt

Jed Micka sends us his trip report from 2003.

He did the classic Hiker’s Haute Route … without cheating.

… This route begins in the Mecca of mountaineering in Europe (or at least the mountaineering tourist capital): Chamonix, France. It then winds its way across eleven alpine passes, through over 180km of grueling terrain, nearly 12km of elevation gain, and two weeks of excruciating effort to a stunning conclusion at the other Mecca of mountaineering in Europe: Zermatt, Switzerland.

The route passes many of the 4000-meter peaks in Europe, including Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and the Grand Combin. It meanders amongst alpine lakes and Swiss chalets. It sneaks beneath, above, around, and even across (provided you have the gear) glaciers. While under its charm you will spend nights in villages or alpine huts. You will encounter hordes of walkers on some days, and scarcely a soul on others. Beauty, solitude, nature, physical challenge, stunning vistas, depressingly steep paths, marmots, thunderstorms, and crystal clear alpine air – this route has all the hallmarks of a world-class trek. …

… Val des Dix may have had the most gorgeous scenery in the entire hike. I could hardly ask for a better birthday present. …

… Most people think that hiking is about getting to some place – for me it is the opposite. It gives you an opportunity to rid your mind of the day-to-day worries of life. And, when your body is numb from exhaustion, your muscles dripping in lactic acid, and your joints jarred into a relenting submission, your mind achieves a remarkable clarity. So hiking, for me, becomes the ideal means of achieving the clarity required for enlightened thinking. …

Read the entire excellent and philosophical trip report – A Personal Narrative of a Journey from Chamonix to Zermatt

If you want to plan a High Route for yourself, start with out Haute Route information page.

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10 hazardous hikes USA

Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mountains, TN

Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ

Buckskin Gulch, UT

Huckleberry Mountain, Apgar Range, MT

Kalalau Trail, Kauai, HI

The Maze, UT

Mist Trail, Half Dome, CA

Mt. Washington, NH

Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier, WA

Backpacker has links to each.

I’ve posted similar lists in the past. Be careful out there!

There’s never been a confirmed hiking fatality on the Kalalau Trail. The Na Pali coast has a bit of exposure, but it’s not that bad. I’d take kids.

The Kalalau trail and Na Pali coast

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hiking job in Cusco, Peru

Looking for an excuse to move to the Andes?

In Cusco, all hikers visit the South American Explorers clubhouse.

Guys like me hang out there half the day reading trip reports and hearing the buzz on what’s happening on different trails as members stop by. It’s very welcoming.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

They’re looking for a Clubhouse Manager. Application deadline January 10, 2011.

Education requirements … 4-year degree

Language skills: native standard English and an good level of written and spoken Spanish.

Don’t be deterred by the $500 monthly salary. A free spirit like you can easily live on that in Peru.

details – Idealist – Cusco Clubhouse Manager

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ART OF WALKING – Great Ocean Walk, Australia

The Great Ocean Walk opened in 2006. A gorgeous 104 kilometres (65 mi).

You can do it guided or independently. But only east to west. And carrying enough water is a logistical challenge.

A one hour TV special promoting the tourist attraction premiered on Australian and New Zealand’s National Geographic Channel on 2 May 2010.

ART OF WALKING, Great Ocean Walk, Victoria.

This unique documentary follows in the footsteps of three remarkable walkers, John Francis, Katarina Witt and Michael Milton as they take a journey along Australia’s most spectacular coastline.

theartofwalking.com.au

Is there an art to walking? This unique documentary follows three remarkable walkers along Australia’s most spectacular coastline as they explore walking as art, inspiration and self-discovery.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.



I think we need more celebrities hiking. Justin Beiber doing the West Coast Trail while Gaga does the East Coast Trail in Canada.

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17 famous Mountain Peaks

Lindi Horton over on the wonderful Matador Network did a recap & review of our World’s Top 10 Hiking Towns.

It’s GREAT. I learned new things about our own list.

Matador – The World’s Top 10 Hiking Towns

Lindi linked to another terrific Matador post – Photo Essay: 17 of the World’s Most Recognizable Mountain Peaks

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no Monowalker for Christmas

I’m disappointed that nobody was thoughtful enough to gift me one of these …

Perhaps it’s the price … $1000 and up.

… Weight: 7 kg/ 15.5 lb

Payload: 45 kg/ 100 lb

Upgrade: Can be reconstructed as backpack or bicycle trailer

Monowalker.com

… the Monowalker is specifically geared towards hikers, trekkers and backpackers who want to hike without weight on their shoulders. Instead of busting your back and shoulders to the next campsite, the Monowalker places all of the weight of your equipment on your hips and on the back wheel of the contraption.

The makers of the Monowalker claim they haven’t found one trail in the Alps that has stopped the Monowalker from following them – this includes scree and root covered trails. …

Smokey Mountain Hiking Blog