Rick Mc

April 28, 2010April 21, 2010

why children need wilderness

Frank ties together some very interesting and entertaining links on this topic.

Just one of those is a book by Richard Louv:

… Last Child in the Woods is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. …

Click through for the details and more links – Our Hiking Blog – Nature Deficit Disorder? Kids at risk without “wild places”?

This is 11yr-old Zach Bonner finishing his 600mi trek from Atlanta to Washington, DC on July 9, 2009

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April 27, 2010June 22, 2010

Lost Coast Trail, finally

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

For years I’d been trying to find the Lost Coast of California, listed by all one of the best Ocean walks in the world .

… The Lost Coast is a section of the California North Coast in Humboldt County, which includes the King Range. The steepness and related geotechnical challenges of the coastal mountains made this stretch of coastline too costly for state highway or county road builders to establish routes through the area, leaving it the most undeveloped portion of the California coast. …

Logistics are challenging:

• 25mi one way
• Mattole trailhead south to Shelter Cove

I arrived at the Bureau of Land Management office in Arcata, California after closing. One of the staff unlocked the door, answered all my questions on the hike, got me tide tables and the booklet called “What You Need To Know Before Backpacking The Lost Coast”.

Thanks BLM !!

A quick summary:

• camp anywhere you like, but in established sites
• beware Bear visits
• severe storms typical
• no bridges, many creek crossings
• be forewarned about ticks and Lyme disease
• all water must be treated
• don’t be surprised to find a rattle snake in a pile of driftwood
• mobile phone coverage unlikely
• it’s remote, rescue slow and difficult

A free self-service permit is required. Get it at either trailhead.

Hike the “low tide” sections while the tide is dropping. If you get “stuck”, you can simply wait for the beach to open.

We talked about the tragedy of 2000 when 2 student hikers and a parent were drowned. Terrible. The rip tides and so-called “rogue waves” are a real hazard here.

My insane plan to park at the North end, then mountain bike with full pack to the South, was … laughable.

Alternatives?

LostCoastTrail.com offers a one way shuttle. Cost about $100 and the vehicle is not always available.

Quickly I decided to hike in and out the North trailhead, doing only part of the Trail.

BLM advised I camp the night prior at Mattole campground. Pit toilets and potable drinking water.

Within minutes I was enjoying the tranquil California coast.

Minutes after that I was questioning my tolerance for hours of trudging in the sand.

Happily, there are often bypass trails higher up on the bluff. I walked a combination of beach and trail.

There is a lot of bird and sea life. I saw no sign of the world’s smartest bears while I was there. Bear vaults are mandatory.

The biggest “challenge” are the creek crossings. I brought a second pair of shoes for water but, in the end, did not use them. On some I simply tramped through. On others I went bare foot.

This ship must not have seen the Punta Gorda lighthouse.

About 3.5mi into the morning I spotted a fantastic campsite just being vacated by other hikers. I grabbed it.

Paradise.

After establishing my base camp and tying my tent down securely against the North wind, I spent the rest of the day with only a light pack. My turn around time was 3:30PM.

A gorgeous day on the Lost Coast. I’ll need to hike the south end next time.

See all 50 of my photos from this hike.

UPDATE from Buzz:

The BLM station at Shelter Cove is easiest info stop. Shuttle service works well tho the tides weren’t right for me to do the Coast in a day using the Shuttle, so I contrived a great loop starting at the S end. Ran up the fire roads and trails to the top of King Peak – highest in the range, old fire lookout, incredible views – then cranked down to the beach where strangely, someone owns a remarkable house accessible only by boat or small plane. Single bottle fanny pack was fine – all the water is drinkable.

• GORP – Lost Coast Romance

April 26, 2010April 18, 2010

Boy Scout Tree Trail, California

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

One thing I love about Tom Stienstra‘s Moon Hiking California guidebook is his list of “best ____ hikes”.

Why doesn’t every hiking guidebook have a list of best hikes?

I wanted a recommendation for a giant Redwood hike and was impressed to find that Tom picked the Boy Scout Tree Trail over the more famous Stout Grove Trail, next door.

Tom Stienstra:

“This is the kind of place where a nature lover can find religion; where the beauty is pure and untouched. The trail is a soft dirt path — often sprinkled with redwood needles — that allows hikers to penetrate deep into an old-grouth redwood forest, complete with a giant fern understory and high-limbed canopy.”

“… The trail feels wonderfully remote and is one of the most pristine old-growth trails in existence. There are only about three other trails in the world where you can walk through old-growth redwoods for five miles or more without hearing traffic noise or seeing any sign of development. …”

Redwood Hikes

I was happy to meet a father and his young daughter who were on a “big tree” hiking holiday from Washington State. Dad told me that Boy Scout would be their toughest hike, so they did it first.

Here’s the Boy Scout Tree … too huge to capture in a photo.

My best photos, so far this trip, I reckon. Click through to see the rest.

April 25, 2010April 24, 2010

Gear Junkie at Everest Base Camp

STEPHEN REGENOLD is on drugs.

… Acetazolamide. That’s what’s written on the bottle. Diamox is its more common commercial name, and because of its aid in acclimatization, the medication is among the most popular with trekkers and climbers in the Khumbu Region of Nepal.

In two weeks, I have come from Minneapolis to Mount Everest, from about 1,000 feet above sea level at home to the thin air of Base Camp. I pushed one day higher still to 18,600 feet, ascending a small peak near Everest (Kala Patthar) for a view of Mount Pumori and the stark black pyramid of Everest itself, an angle of rock piercing to 29,035 feet in the sky. …

click through to read about his trek – Thin Air: Essay on Everest Base Camp

I’m still waiting on a summary report from Kraig Becker, the Adventure Blogger, who was there about the same time.

April 24, 2010April 23, 2010

best hikes in Florida

In Gainesville for business, I contacted Florida hiking guru Sandra Friend for some local advice.

Hiking gurus hate this question: “What are the best hikes?”

The answer, of course, is “… it depends“.

But Sandra, to her credit, did post a list:

… If you can only do a hike or two in Florida, pick one of these.

1 Key Vista Nature Park
2 Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
3 Blowing Rocks Preserve
4 Clear Creek Nature Trail
5 Collier-Seminole State Park – Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail
6 Coquina Baywalk
7 Econfina Nature Trail
8 Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
9 Falling Waters State Park
10 Florida Trail, Big Oak Trail

There are more recommended. Click through to – Florida Hikes

I just bought her iPhone app released April 22nd, Florida State Parks (opens in iTunes). ($1.99) … Review coming soon.

April 23, 2010April 18, 2010

Crescent City dunes, California

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

I had been on my way to the Oregon Dunes, a hiking destination recommended by Lonely Planet Hiking USA. (It should be added to our best hikes list.)

But the rain was pounding down when I drove through Oregon. Instead I rolled on down the Redwood Highway into northern California, staying one night in the rather forgettable town of Crescent City.

Next morning when the rain stopped, I was pleased to discover several nearby hikes strongly recommended by Moon Hiking California, one of them coastal “dunes”.

This is the Lake Earl Wildlife Area.

Also called Pelican Bay Sand Dunes, Kellogg Beach, Fort Dick Beach, … and likely some other names. By whatever name, I sincerely enjoyed a morning walk there, all by my lonesome.

Listed at 2.5mi in my guidebook, in reality you hike from one of several parking lots to the beach wandering for as long as you like.

It felt like Oregon, even though I was something like 11mi south of the State line.

See all my photos from that day hike.

April 22, 2010April 18, 2010

hiking with an iPad

It’s got crazy long battery life.

If you want to write up your trip report each night in the tent, consider hauling along your 1.5lb (0.68kg) iPad.

A Wandering Knight, a software developer for the grandfather of this device, the Apple Newton, just tried it on the trail. And enjoyed the experience.

Click through for either text or audio – iPad’s First Backpacking Trip

You could get the Outside Magazine app.

… It’s not easy to upload your trail photos / videos, though.

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A smart phone seems a better gear choice, to me. I love my iTouch in the tent.

April 21, 2010April 22, 2010

KFC – Quadruple Down sandwich

I couldn’t resist.

… two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce. …

It’s as disgustingly delicious as it looks!

… the sodium content is high — a whopping 1,380 milligrams — more than a half-teaspoon’s worth of salt. For comparison’s sake, the American Heart Association recommends people eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium in an entire day.

Considering the rising consciousness on healthy eating — from rules that will require calorie counts on menus nationwide to Jamie Oliver teaching kids in West Virginia to make better food choices — it was pretty gutsy of KFC to market a product that sandwiches bacon and mayo-based sauce between two pieces of fried chicken.

Still, KFC’s new creation might surprise you a little on the nutritional front. At 540 calories, the Double Down, though not exactly a dieting food, is 90 calories lighter than McDonald’s Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. …

NPR – The Nutritional Lowdown On KFC’s Double Down

UPDATE – Is it really 540 calories? Or more like 1190 calories?

This crime against humanity will not be sold in Canada. America’s rank as the most obese major nation is safe, for now.

And just in case Wendy’s wants to challenge, KFC has this “sandwich” in the lab …

(via This is why you’re Fat)

You could eat one Quadruple Down, … then set out hiking for the weekend without needing to carry any more food.

April 19, 2010April 15, 2010

hiking Multnomah Falls, Oregon

You could drive right to the base of the famous Falls. Capture the photo …

… then drive on to a less crowded hiking adventure.

Or … you could do a nice day hike finishing with a “coffee” here while enjoying that vista.

Of many options, an easy circuit would be to park at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead. Climb up and up through the big trees, much higher than you would expect.

Traverse over to the top of Multnomah Falls …

And descend the “normal” trail to the restaurant.

Perhaps 2hrs, walking normally.

I enjoyed it.

April 18, 2010

new attraction at Red Rock, Vegas

The must go hiking destination only a few miles from the strip in Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

An attractive outdoor exhibition area just opened:

One of the walks leads to an observation deck where visitors can study a giant map of the parks trails etched into the floor with photo panels on a railing of what they’ll see on the trails and beyond the panoramic view.

… outdoor exhibits that bring sturdy replicas of some of the park’s most fragile features to the foreground: things such as American Indian rock art panels, desert tortoises in their natural habitat, and a life-size cougar that lurks atop one of the shade walls.

It’s all designed so people can touch, feel, see and understand the national conservation area from the perspective of earth, water, fire and air. …

Grand opening at Red Rock visitors center …

One exhibit has a desert tortoise. Visitors are taught what to do when this happens …

I carefully, slowly lifted the tortoise far off the highway in the direction I thought he was trying to go. … Unfortunately he seemed to be walking the yellow line when I found him.