Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Tom Kotynski of the Out There With Tom blog posted a great photo.
I love unique and bizarre trees.
Mark Hertenstein examines a snow-whipped tree. That’s Highwood Baldy, our destination, in the background.
Leave a comment if you have other great tree photos to share.
I find hoverflies on most hikes. And almost everywhere in the world.
They like landing on sweaty skin, sampling the salt. A few times I’ve been able to get one to land on the tip of my nose.
This makes for a scary image as they look like a small wasp. (Sadly, some run away or try to kill the innocent fly, not knowing it is harmless.)
Flies in the Diptera family Syrphidae are commonly known as hoverflies, flower flies, or Syrphid flies. …
Many Syrphids mimic bees or wasps in appearance. It is thought that this mimicry protects hover flies from falling prey to birds and other insectivores which avoid eating true wasps because of their sting. …
Hover flies get their name from their characteristic flight pattern of hovering nearly still, then darting a short distance very rapidly only to start hovering again, a pattern not seen in the wasps and bees they mimic.
This fantastic moment, captured by a young Australian photographer, won 3rd place in the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2006 competition.
Leave a comment if have any other favourite insects.
(We’re not going to get into the most hated insects.)
My interest was tweaked when I kept seeing an unusual little day hike on “best hikes in Utah” lists.
The name is surprising too: Negro Bill’s Canyon. (I will lobbyinglobby for a name change to Mitt Romney Canyon if he wins the Presidency in 2008.)
It’s popular for a number of reasons:
Despite the plentiful poison ivy, this is a very popular hike for those owning dogs and/or children.
Ultimately, it’s a nice change from the dry, hot desert environment outside the canyon. And 3.2mi (5.15km) is a nice distance for a short walk.
Morning Glory Natural Bridge … or, more accurately, …
This is not a natural bridge, but it is a very large alcove arch. Robert Vreeland measured the span of this arch and reported it to be 243 feet in Volume 5 of his book series, Natures Bridges and Arches. This volume is now out of print. Jay Wilbur of NABS has confirmed this measurement.
I plan to travel to Alaska in August. Number one on my MUST HIKE list is Chena Dome Trail.
But this one recommended by National Geographic looks intriguing. Especially because there is not much information about it on the internet.
Hiking Denali’s Empty Quarter
To secure a permit for Denali’s vast backcountry, hikers must choose between 87 separate divisions, wait out temporary closures due to bear sightings and river floodings, and nab a pass just one day in advance (you often have to wait 3 days – editor) with no reservations accepted (www.nps.gov/dena).
Consider it minor bureaucratic penance for a chance at wilderness heaven. To choose a route—a challenge in its own right in a 6.1-million-acre (2.5-million-hectare) wildland without trails—pick up the classic Backcountry Companion: Backcountry companion: Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska at the permit office near the park entrance or online ($9; www.earthsonglodge.com).
Opt for the Sanctuary River and Anderson Pass Loop, a weeklong trek that starts when you step off the backpackers’ bus at Sanctuary River on Sheldon’s beloved north slope.
The winding route teeter-totters across both sides of the Alaska Range through Foggy Pass and Easy Pass before ending at the headwaters of the West Fork of Glacier Creek.
You’ll spot grizzly tracks, tufts of wool from Dall sheep, and alder thickets bulldozed by moose, all the while keeping your eyes wide open for the mountain to make an appearance through the clouds.
Need to Know: Old-timer’s guide to bear identification: If it climbs the tree to kill you, it’s a black bear. If it knocks the tree over first, then kills you, it’s a griz.
Alaska – Alaska Range – National Geographic Adventure Magazine
(via The Adventure Blog)
Alpenglow magazine (HTML version)
Eu-Jin Goh had the same reaction as I did when he visited Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.
He wished he’d stayed an additional day on the island.
We took the boat to the southern end of Isla del Sol and walked up the stairs to Yumani. In Yumani, we stayed in Inti Kala, which is at the northern end of the village (at the time it was the last hostal). We dropped our bags and then walked to the northern end of the island to the Chincana ruins and then hiked back around sunset.
The trail running North-South is one of the best day hikes we’ve done; it follows the ridgeline closely and spectacular views abound on both sides. We had a really relaxing time on Isla del Sol and wished that we had planned to stay an additional day on the island. Isla del Sol is also great for acclimitization because its extensive hiking trails are around 4000 meters.
larger original – by Serene Koh
Isla del Sol, Bolivia – gorgeous photos and trip report by Eu-Jin Goh
Everything you need to know to get there is on our Isla del Sol information page.
The most famous attraction in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch.
But the best hike, I feel, is Devil’s Garden – Primitive Loop. That’s 7.2mi (11.5km) plus extra sidetrips.
The feature attraction is possibly the longest and certainly the most “impossible” arch in the world.
It seems Landscape Arch could fall anytime. (Several pieces have dropped since 1991 and the trail under the arch has been closed.)
Anyone can make the easy day hike to walk to Landscape Arch and back. Confident hikers should continue at least as far as Double O Arch. (Some like the sidetrip to Dark Angel tower, some do not.)
And best of all is to add the Primitive Loop rather than backtrack.
larger map on Climb-Utah.com
It might take as long as 5hrs to do everything adding off-trail rock scrambles above some of the arches.
I returned via Primitive Loop. But reversing direction would have been even better, I think, saving the arches for last. Start at first light when animals are active and the trail still cool.
Primitive Loop is well named. I managed to get lost once or twice. It is challenging. And gorgeous. In some ways this is the best part of the walk.
Be sure to carry a map and desert survival gear. You don’t want to end up like Aron Ralston.
The excellent Utah.com site posted a video: Hike the Devil’s Garden.
EVERYONE in Utah knows Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It’s on the licence plates.
The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.
Yet many do not visit, intimidated by the rugged 3mi (4.8km) return trail.
The start of the walk is ugly. I was wondering if it was going to be a colossal let down.
But the trek improves considerably when you hit steep slickrock. And again when you reach a rock ledge path.
… The arch comes into view suddenly around a corner in the trail and frames the La Sal Mountains to the southeast. The immediate area around the Arch offers views of the southern expanse of the park, and has unguarded cliffs plunging one hundred feet or more.
Fantastic!
The location looks like a set built for the old Startrek TV series.
I had the arch to myself late in the afternoon and was tempted to free climb it. Unfortunately that plan had been ruined by Dean Potter accused in 2006 of letting his team fix protection from a top rope draped over the formation, possibly damaging the structure. (Potter denies the charge.)
On the return I bypassed the cattle trail and took instead to the rocky ridge that runs parallel. A nice loop.
Delicate Arch is one of the best hikes in the world, not to be missed by anyone passing through Moab.
Oh, and climbing arches is now strictly forbidden.
Andy from Germany while in New Zealand:
I found this toilet when I was camping at the start of the Cass saddle track and thought it would make a nice picture …
Having never been there, I was envious reading Kraig Becker’s Kili trip reports on his Adventure Blogger site.
Now he’s been interviewed on The Outdoor Weblog:
Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this trip for four years now. I saw an IMAX film by David Breashears on Kilimanjaro and I was fascinated with the thought of trekking and climbing the mountain. I think I went home and started researching it right after seeing the movie.
The Outdoor Weblog: The Outdoor Enthusiast Next Door: Kraig Becker (Part 2)
Kraig and guides Peter and Zawadi at the Lava Tower:
photo by Colm Donohoe
My turn is coming. One day. …
I want to try for a double: Mt. Meru followed by Kilimanjaro.
The Four Corners is the wild convergence of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
It’s mostly Indian land.
Last year I hiked out of Page, Arizona. This year Moab, Utah.
In Utah, the best site I’ve found on hiking is Utah.com — concise, well organized, easy-to-read.
If you’ve never been to the Four Corners, the best reference is Moon Handbooks Four Corners
I’m a Lonely Planet guidebook fanatic. But, for some parts of the world, Moon is better.
In the Moon guide, check their Suggested Reading section on Hiking. This will help you narrow the many choices of hiking guidebooks available.
There are dozens of good hiking guidebooks for the region. But no GREAT ones. At least none I’ve found yet. (And I write from Moab Public Library.)
Almost inevitably you’ll end up as I did with one of the Falcon Hiking Guides: Exploring Canyonlands and Arches National Parks by Schneider.
I’ll head first for Arches:
Taking its name from the hundreds of naturally formed sandstone arches scattered here, Arches National Park is the most feature-packed of southern Utah’s national parks.
Ranging in size from around three feet to nearly 300 feet in span, the arches are the result of erosion over millions of years, the same agent that formed the thousands of brilliantly colored spires, pinnacles, and canyons that cover southeast Utah.
Piñon pines and junipers add a splash of green to the red and brown backdrop, but mostly what you see are red stone and blue sky—lots and lots of both.
besthike.com 