Category: books and magazines

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check out Four Corners, USA

fourcorners-us.jpgThe 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

Including Navajo and Hopi Country, Moab, and Lake Powell (Moon Handbooks)

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.

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Road Trip USA

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best hikes in Florida

If you travel to Canada, the BEST thing to do is get into the outdoors.

But when I travel to Florida, hiking is the LAST thing on my mind. (I’m on my way to Cirque du Soleil in Orlando.)

That’s a shame. There’s great hiking in Florida.

Guidebook author Sandy Friend recommends some of her personal favourites:

Florida Trail, Big Cypress National Preserve. Wading a watery wilderness festooned with tropical plants. Close to Miami.

Florida Trail, Ocala National Forest: Prairies and pines in the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest. Very popular.

Florida Trail, Suwannee River: 60mi clambering in and out of floodplain channels on high bluffs with giant trees.

Florida Trail, Eglin Air Force Base: Diverse habitats and coastal scenery.

Torreya Hiking Trail: Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Trail: Rugged ravines, bluffs, and ridgelines.

Garden of Eden Trail: Difficult day hike. Serious topography.

Citrus Hiking Trail: Great karst formations on a 43-mile loop. You can walk pack-on into one cave and explore many others.

Myakka Hiking Trail: Backpacking through broad open prairies in Central Florida

Florida Trail, Lake Okeechobee: More than 100mi around one of the nation’s largest lakes; great views the whole time.

This post is just an appetizer. If you really want to research hiking in Florida, get one of Sandy’s guidebooks:

50 Hikes in South Florida: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition

50 Hikes in Central Florida: Hikes, Walks, and Backpacks in the Heart of the Peninsula

50 Hikes in North Florida: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Northern Florida Peninsula

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Lake Okeechobee – FTA / Bob Coveney

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Way of St. James pilgrimage, Spain

Researching the famous walk in Spain, I started (as usual) with Wikipedia:

The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way, often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are said to be buried.

Way of St. James – Wikipedia

The standard route — the Camino Francés (French Way) — is 800km route from Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees. But there are many variations starting as far away as France, Germany, and further afield.

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(larger version – Regenisis.org.au)

I got interested in this walk, more religious pilgrimage than “best hike”, after reading an excerpt from a new book by Ward called All the Good Pilgrims : Tales of the Camino de Santiago.

Robert Ward has always enjoyed travelling, especially on foot. When he discovered the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago in Spain, he felt compelled to walk and experience this historic road. From his first journey along the Camino de Santiago, Ward fell in love with the pace, landscape, history, art, and romance of this old pilgrimage path.

Above all, however, Ward fell in love with the people of the Camino—both the welcoming Spaniards and the pilgrims who come from all over the world to find out what it means to travel five hundred miles, one step at a time.

In All the Good Pilgrims, Ward returns to Spain to walk the Camino for the fifth time. He thinks he knows what he’s getting into but, as his many Camino journeys have taught him, the Camino never runs out of surprises. Each day brings new lessons, friendships, questions, memories, gifts and challenges, reminding Ward that it isn’t the pilgrim who walks the Camino—it’s the Camino that walks the pilgrim.

An engaging travel narrative, All the Good Pilgrims is a personal and insightful tour of the Camino de Santiago, as Ward takes readers on a secular pilgrimage in which he reflects on his past journeys and contemplates the mysterious and enduring allure of this ancient and historic road.

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Amazon.ca

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check out Florida Hikes

Guidebook author Sandra Friend runs the Florida Hikes website. We’ve linked to it under WEBSITES on the right hand navigation.

She’s just revamped the site and it looks great.

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Happily, Sandra will be advising besthike.com on the very best hikes in Florida. And will introduce us to other experts in the region.

She’s is always on the trail in Florida and networks with the SE hiking community. Sandra’s friends with Mike DeWitt of Florida Trail video fame.

Sandra got a good photo of Mike, exposing the fact that he is no ultralight walker:

Now here’s a real comparison in pack weight for long distance hikers. To the left, Mike “Smileage” DeWitt, with a pack that many of us gals could crawl into and sleep in, it’s so danged big. He won’t say but I’m guessing it tips the scales past 50 pounds. To the right, the esteemed Nimblewill Nomad and his pack, roughly 12 pounds with water. I split the difference when I’m hiking….

floridahikes.com » Pack Weight

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Florida Hikes! – website

Here’s just one of Sandra’s guidebooks:

Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition

50 Hikes in South Florida: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition

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gear – hiking with kids

Many of our contributors stopped hiking nearly so much … AFTER they had children.

Others find a way to get out into the wild with their kids.

upside-order.jpgIt’s getting easier. Stephen Gilfus let us know of a site catering to little hikers:

Taking your children with you into the backcountry can be an exciting and rewarding adventure for children and parents, alike.

… Most of the widely available products don’t meet the needs of little outdoor adventurers, kids backpacks are like book bags and most sleeping bags are for indoor use.

UpsideOver has worked hard to provide you with the best selection of kids camping gear and camping gear for kids!

You should equip your child with proper hiking footwear, socks like SmartWool, hiking poles for kids, and an appropriate outdoor kids sleeping bag. The quality of the pack for your child is also important. Think about other accessories like kids hiking poles and kids water bottles specifically sized for children.

UpSideOver.com

Actually, they are looking for family gear testers:

… recieve select gear at a fraction of the cost they would normally pay. … A huge discount (15% to 40% ) towards your purchase of the gear you are going to test and review.

Gear Reviews

And we like their impressive list of recommended books for hiking with kids including Best Hikes With Children in Arizona.

Best Hikes With Children in Arizona (Best Hikes with Children)

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waterfalls of New Zealand

When I lived in New Zealand I strongly felt the least appreciated wonder of the country were waterfalls.

Rarely are they highlighted in any list of “tourist attractions”.

That wrong has finally been righted.

A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls

A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls

JOHNNY T. Cheng is a waterfall enthusiast who has published books on falls in Norway and Yosemite National Park in California.

His A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls is a foray into New Zealand that covers more than 100 falls. This is a practical guide, with maps and clear driving directions plus the small details needed for choosing your visit and negotiating the falls once you get there.

Judith Elen in The Australian

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movie – A Walk in the Woods

Essential reading for all hikers is A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson.

It’s the hilarious, somewhat fictionalized recounting of a failed attempt on the AT. Everyone loves Bryson’s buddy, the anti-hiker Katz (Matt Angerer).

Without question the immense popularity of Bryson brought thru-hiking to the attention of the world and even increased numbers on the AT.

There’s been a bit of buzz about a movie:

In 2005 Robert Redford announced that he was interested in adapting Bryson’s book into a film, and in playing Bryson himself. He also hoped that his erstwhile co-star and friend, Paul Newman, would team up with him to play the role of Katz, although he jokingly expressed doubt as to whether the health-conscious Newman would consider putting on enough weight (and eating enough donuts) to accurately portray the rotund Katz.

Wikipedia

Personally, I would cast John Hodgeman as Bryson, and Jack Black as Katz.

Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

A Walk in the Woods

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Grey Owl Trail, Saskatchewan

DSD of the wonderful Summit Stones & Adventure Musings blog recommended we add the Grey Owl Trail to our list of the best hikes in the world.

And we have.

You might think this a surprising addition. It’s a relatively easy 40km (25mi) walk along Kingsmere lake in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. (This is the rugged, rocky “Canadian Shield” — not the flat prairies.)

More information on Trailpeak.com – Grey Owl Trail

One of the criteria for inclusion on besthike is historical significance. The destination — pilgrimage you might even say — is Grey Owl’s cabin.

His is one of the greatest stories of wilderness lore. A British white man born Archibald Belaney (1888) who took on a First Nations identity. Grey Owl wrote books eventually becoming a spokesperson for conservation and the traditional lifestyle of indigenous peoples.

Our contributors from Saskatoon have hiked the Grey Owl Trail many times. Their favourite itinerary is to hike one way, paddle a canoe the other. Half of your hiking group walks, half paddles. (Packs are transported by canoe.)

The Mystery of Archie Belaney

Grey Owl: The Mystery of Archie Belaney

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books on ultralight Backpacking

The two most popular books on Amazon.com right now are:

  • 1) The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail, Ryel Kestenbaum, 2001
  • 2) Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide), Don Ladigin, 2005

    • Of the two, I prefer the Ladigin as it is more accessible to beginners, friendlier in format and … weighs only 8oz. (It’s published by Falcon, a company we often criticize on this site. Good job with this book.)

    A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking

    Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide)

    In Australia I was surprised to see the vast majority of hikers with heavy, traditional (out-of-date) gear. The lightweight movement clearly has not reached Down Under.

    Experienced ultralight hikers will find more of interest on-line. But the inexpensive Ladigin book would be an ideal gift for any hiker you know who could easily reduce the size of their base pack weight.

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    concerned – West Coast Trail

    Those who love the West Coast Trail are happy it MIGHT open May 1st on schedule for it’s 100 year anniversary.

    Bill Fox, manager of marine assets at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, told Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District directors Wednesday that contractors and First Nations are rebuilding and repairing 10 bridges, three cable cars and clearing thousands of fallen trees along the West Coast Trail.

    “We might open as of May 1,” said Fox. “The West Coast Trail experience will be different for a while, probably for much of our lifetimes.”

    West Coast Trail May Open May 1 – Westcoaster.ca

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    larger version – flickr – BluePeak

    Among those of us concerned is Bob Bannon, author of The West Coast Trail – One Step at a Time.

    If you’re looking for inspiration, this is the book for you. It’s a feature length trip report including a bear encounter and the antics of “hockey stick hikers”.

    The book reminds me of the best-seller Marley and Me — the life story of a dog named Marley which might have been written by any dog owner.

    Likewise, anyone could write a book about an intense week on the West Coast Trail. Bob and his buddy Gord were neophyte hikers, deeply uncertain about their ability to complete a physical challenge like the WCT. They had some tough times on the trail but ultimately conquered their fears … and the dozens of steep ladders.

    We heartily recommend The West Coast Trail – One Step at a Time.

    The author sells it directly on his website for C$20. Or you can pick it up in book and gear shops in Western Canada.

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