Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.
Posted on

book – The Great Divide

Sarah of Trail Cooking was given a hard-to-find copy of this book.

The Great Divide: A Walk Along the Continental Divide of the United States (1987) by Stephen Pern

Sarah recommends it, saying on Facebook:

As you get into the heart of the book my mind thought of another book, Dances With Marmots – A Pacific Crest Trail Adventure. George’s book has a similar flow. If you liked Dances, you will enjoy this book.

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is a wild trail even today. I cannot imagine his walking it even in the 80’s, picking a path of his own to beat the weather and to be able to get food drops. There wasn’t much of a trail back then.

Posted on

Alaska-Yukon Expedition – Andrew Skurka

Andrew Skurka is the greatest hiker of all time. His 6,875-mile Great Western Loop was only one of many fantastic hiking accomplishments.

What could he do to top the Great Western Loop?

4,700 miles in 7 months via skis, foot, and a packraft

official Alaska-Yukon Expedition home page

… On Saturday, March 13, a small plane will land early morning in Kotzebue, Alaska. Andy Skurka will get off the airplane, put on his headlamp in the pre-dawn darkness, pull on some clothes in the zero degree temperature, and start skiing. He would ski for 12 hours straight, and do at least that every day for the next month and a half. Then he’ll hike and packraft 16 hours every day for the next 5 months.

He’s circumnavigating the entire state, crossing the entire Alaska Range, Brooks Range, and parts of the Yukon. An estimated 4,720 miles, in hopefully 6 1/2 months. Almost all off-trail. Plenty of bears, brush, snow, raging rivers, glaciers (and mosquitos). …

read more from Buzz on the Adventure Running Blog)

Posted on

hiking guidebooks – Kathy and Craig Copeland

Andrew Breen suggested I give a shout out for Kathy and Craig, popular hiking guidebook authors from my part of the world.

BestHike links to many of their guidebooks, but I’ve not mentioned them lately.

Kathy and Craig Copeland are dedicated to each other, and to hiking, in that order. Their second date was a 32-km (20-mile) dayhike in Arizona. Since then they haven’t stopped for long.

They’ve trekked through much of the world’s vertical topography, including the Himalayas, Patagonian Andes, Pyrenees, Swiss and French Alps, Scottish Highlands, Dolomites, Sierra Nevada, North Cascades, Colorado Rockies, New Zealand, and canyons of the American Southwest. In 1989, they moved from the U.S. to Canada, so they could live near the Canadian Rockies—the range that inspired the first of their refreshingly unconventional guidebooks.

authors

Here’s their list of current guidebooks:

Bear Safety
Bears Beware! (audio book)

Hiking
Done in a Day: Banff
Done in a Day: Jasper
Done in a Day: Whistler
Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies
Where Locals Hike in the Canadian Rockies
Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenay
Hiking from Here to WOW: North Cascades
Done in a Day: Moab
Hiking from Here to WOW: Utah Canyon Country

Cycling
Done in a Day: Calgary

Vehicle Camping
Camp Free in B.C.

It was news to me that they now offer mini-ebooks. I could download these to my iTouch.

Don’t Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies
Where Locals Hike in the Canadian Rockies
Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenay
Hiking from here to WOW: North Cascades

Everything is linked from their attractive, fast and easy-to-navigate home page: HikingCamping.com

Posted on

self-guided hiking in Europe

Last summer in Europe I met many hikers on “self-guided” trips. That concept is very popular there, not so much anywhere else.

Here’s how it works.

You hire a company to do all your logistics in advance: transportation, accommodation, some meals, etc.

They choose a “best” itinerary for you. No need to plan.

One example from Bredson Outdoor Adventures:

We will be offering a special one-time, 10 night/11 day, self-guided departure from July 18 – 28, 2010 that melds the best of our two existing French Pyrenees self-guided hiking itineraries with an opportunity to view two legs of the Tour de France as it passes through the Pyrenees. During this anniversary year of the Tour de France you’ll have an opportunity to see history in the making as the Tour celebrates its 100th year in the Pyrenees. This trip is rated moderate to strenuous. …

Ten nights, half board (breakfast and dinner).

Minimum two star hotels and likely one three star hotel, all with private bath; friendly, traditional accommodations in beautiful settings with very good food

Local transport and baggage shuttle included.

Price: $2,300 USD per person double occupancy. Minimum 2 people. No single rooms available. Price reductions available for more than two people.

Deposit of $500/person by the beginning of December in order to secure hotels.

details

TOUR DE FRANCE 16

This sounds ideal for someone who’s always wanted to hike the Pyrenees. AND who loves the Tour.

Check the cost, however. About $200/day plus extras. Not everything is covered in your package.

You could do a similar trip independently cheaper, … if you’ve got the gumption and language skillz.

Posted on

Baja Adventure

by site editor Rick McCharles

Have you seen the Baja Adventure Book?

The classic has not been updated since 1998, but it was a great inspiration for me. I recall reading it in a library many, many years ago.

I write from Loreto, Baja. Just arrived after a road trip of 3450km (2143mi) over 5 days. I’m here on holiday with my parents, but plan to get out for some serious hiking, biking and kayaking.

If you’ve got advice for me on the best Baja Adventures, please leave a comment.

Posted on

win a SPOT GPS Satellite Messenger, easy

Joe Mueller wants to give you a free SPOT GPS Satellite Messenger along with one year of service.

product details on Amazon – SPOT Personal Tracker

It’s a contest … but I can’t think of an easier contest.

All you need to do is make a comment on his blog stating why you would want one:

GPS for Today – Win A SPOT GPS Satellite Messenger

… Be sure to make a comment inferior to my own. I want to win this device!

Posted on

trekking support teams

by editor Rick McCharles

I normally hike independently, carrying my own pack, organizing my own logistics. And cooking my own (bad) food.

“Sir I like the freedom sir.”

What I miss, however, is close interaction with local people.

Aasmund Midttun Godal calls Roraima – “the best trek in my life. (period)”

He posted this excellent photo of his local guide / cook Marcos. Nice.

Posted on

Biking Across the Alaska Range

An inspiring photo by Bill Hatcher for National Geographic.

(Photograph taken on assignment for, but not published in, “Biking Across the Alaska Range: A Wild Ride,” May 1997, National Geographic magazine)

The team of Carl Tobin, Paul Adkins, and Roman Dial completed a 775-mile (1250-kilometer) bike trip across the Alaska Range in seven weeks. Their aim was to travel light, with feather-light titanium bikes and less than 20 pounds (8 kilograms) each in food, clothing, and gear.

Photo of the Day

Posted on

self-styled Survivorman found dead

Just before dawn …, Richard Code disappeared into the darkness and lit out for the Ontario wilderness, bringing little more than a few supplies and the skills he had learned from watching Survivorman, a reality show about subsisting in the bush. …

Richard Code with father, Mel Code.

… Code’s body was found in a marshy, snowed-in area just north of Huntsville.

Police say Code’s death is not considered suspicious at this time and his brother Stephen Code said OPP have informed him that the cause of death was hypothermia. …

The Star – Survivorman fan found dead in Muskoka wilderness

I don’t think anyone could blame Survivorman himself, Les Stroud.

Posted on

Great Himalaya Trail – Nepal

AMAR DEV SINGH tried to cross the entire length of the western Himalaya with a group of friends in 2007.

… While we were able to complete large sections of the trek we were ultimately beaten by the red tape and bureaucracy of the Indian government. …

He’s recommended World Expeditions, “the first commercial trip along the Nepal section” of the longer Great Himalaya Trail.

Contact World Expeditions and be specific in a request for information on the new Great Himalaya Trail adventure, if you are interested. They’ll take care of the logistics and paperwork.

map

In fact, Sierra Blogging Post says you can sign up for a 150 day Great Himalaya Trekking Thru Hike. If that happens, I’d have to declare it the “best thru hike” in the world.

Wow!

(via The Adventure Blog)