Rick Mc

November 29, 2006

Wildebeat – recommended audiocast for hikers

Steve Sergeant is producer, host and is the voice of Wildebeat, a most professional audio podcast.

He combines a wealth of experience as a backpacker, backcountry skier, rock climber, and mountaineer with experience in the professional audio and broadcast industry.

Their mission:

The WildeBeat is an audio journal â€” like a radio news magazine â€” presenting news and features to help you explore the Earth’s remaining wild places. Each week, we publish a 10 minute documentary piece catered to the needs of people who enjoy wilderness recreation.

A typical outdoor recreation publication focuses on extraordinarily fit and highly-skilled people taking spectacular risks in distant or exotic places. Or they focus on the latest high-priced gear proffered by their supporting advertisers. Perhaps they sensationalize the brutality of wildlife and nature. Or they preach about environmental politics, and forget the enjoyment of natural settings in the process.

We show you that you don’t need to do extreme sports to enjoy nature and being outdoors; anyone can enjoy backcountry activities, such as camping, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, climbing, skiing, or snowshoeing. Listen to The WildeBeat to get enthused about exploring new places, learn safe and responsible skills, and get ready to get into the wilderness!

I subscribe to Wildebeat via iTunes, but check it out first on wildebeat.net.

November 28, 2006

Mt. Rainier flooded – Wonderland Trail closed?

Nearly 18in (45cm) of rain fell over 36 hours in November.

After seeing the Images of the Flood on the Mt. Ranier National Park website, I’m worried about next season. Will Wonderland open in 2007?

With millions of dollars damage to Park infrastructure, it may be some time before we know.

photo – landslide damage to highway SR123

(Thanks Park Remark – The Great Flood at Mt Rainier National Park)

The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier near Seattle, Washington is one of the best hikes in the world. Lets repair those trails as quickly as possible.

Leave a comment below if you hear anything the Wonderland trails.

November 28, 2006

photos – Mt. Kailash, Tibet

kailash north face, day 2

Originally uploaded by romana chapman.

Just browsed Romana Chapman’s fantastic photos of travels through China, Tibet, Bhutah, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Mongolia and Cambodia.

Wow!

I’ve always wanted to get to Mt. Kailash in Tibet, as they did.

More photos in the Mt. Kailash set.

Or browse all of Romana’s photos on flickr.

November 27, 2006

Tom Mangan’s photos

Me and my shadow

Originally uploaded by busybeingborn.

Tom Mangan is already the best connected hiking blogger.

Now he’s discovered social networking via photographs on flickr.

What better way to meet people with common interests than by browsing their photos?

Check out Tom’s busybeingborn sets on flickr

November 27, 2006

the “flashpacking” hiker

How long can it be before I am blogging from the trail?

“Flashpacking is just backpacking, with an awful lot of tech gear going along for the ride,” said Lee Gimpel, 29, a writer from Virginia who “flashpacked” around India for a few months and recorded his adventures online.

“I sometimes felt that half of what I was carrying was tech stuff: digital camera and memory cards, USB memory drive, a laptop, cell phone, three battery chargers, a dozen rechargeable batteries, a power adaptor, blank CD-RWs and a handful of cables and cords,” he said.

A survey completed earlier this year by 2,561 visitors to the Hostelworld.com Web site found that 21 percent of them travel with a laptop, 54 percent with an MP3 player, 83 percent with a mobile phone and 86 percent with a digital camera.

Discovery Channel :: News – Technology :: High-Tech “Flashpacking” Catches On

November 27, 2006January 5, 2010

coast-to-coast Vancouver Island?

Has anyone heard of such a route? Or do we need to pioneer one?

I’m looking at walking up to the Mt. Washington Ski Resort chair lift (marked A on map), then hiking across Strathcona Provincial Park to Hot Springs Cove via Della Falls.

After a good soak, we’d exit via private transport to Tofino.

Is this crazy?

Please tell me I’m crazy.

This line would necessitate, likely, a lot of bush whacking. (At least there are no trails marked on my Backroad Mapbook – Vancouver Island west of Strathcona Provincial Park.

I even considered carrying a light inflatable raft in case floating is easier than bush whacking.

Suggestions? (Leave a comment below.)

November 26, 2006

great National Park lodges

If I had the cash I’d tour all the great Park hotels of the world. What a trip that would be!

National Park Traveler’s top 10 USA National Park lodges:

1. The Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone.

2. Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park.

3. Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park.

4. The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yellowstone.

5. Bryce Canyon Lodge cabins.

6. Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley National Park.

7. Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone.

8. Zion Lodge, Zion National Park.

9. Wuksachi Lodge, Sequoia National Park.

10. Kalaloch Lodge, Olympic National Park.

The Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park would have made this list if not for being closed while much-needed renovations are completed. It is expected to reopen in 2008.

Some runners-up:

* Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins, Yellowstone

* Grand Canyon Lodge, Grand Canyon

* El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon

* Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier

* National Park Inn, Mount Rainier

* Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton

* Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, Yosemite

* Big Meadows Lodge, Shenandoah

National Parks Traveler: Time to Book Next Summer’s Vacation?

Old Faithful Lodge – by fieldsbh

more flickr photos tagged “Old Faithful Lodge”

November 25, 2006

which is the largest U.S. National Park?

An interesting graphic posted by ParkRemark.com, “News and Views on the National Park Service” in the States, puts things into perspective.

(via Gadling)

On a possibly related note, George Novak uses the U.S. National Park Service website to research future trips. For example, check out Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska, a World Heritage Site.

If you like freedom, know that Backcountry permits are NOT required to hike there. But travelers are encouraged to complete a “Backcountry Itinerary” available at any park office.

November 24, 2006

gear – “Ursack” – bear and bullet resistant food bag

Hard to believe, but here’s a food bag a bear cannot penetrate. Amazing.

No worries at all about rodents and other pesky varmints.

Ursack – bear-resistant containers

A 10.5 litre Ursack is now in stock in a gear shop in my town for about US$65. Price seems a tad steep. But I’ll likely get one before my next major hike. This is a big improvement over the sturdy kayak bag I use now to hold food.

You can also buy an aluminum liner for extra protection, but the weight is prohibitive, I feel. (For example, “the Ursack TKO 2.0 weighs 6.2 ounces. The aluminum liner adds 14.2 ounces.”)

The Ursack alone sounds like it will turn away all but the most persistent bear.