Nootka on the northleft of Vancouver Island is like the West Coast Trail. But unofficial. And wilder.
Esperanza Ministries does a youth adventure program every year for 3 weeks (one week hiking the Nootka Trail, another week camping at Ferrier Point and another week canoeing back to Esperanza).
… In 2010 I was inspired by the trek you have posted on Navarino Island in the South of Chile. After some research my wife and I decided to take our Canadian winter vacation to Southern Chile and Argentina and see the wilderness of Navarino Island for ourselves. I have posted a short description along with some photos and videos of this trip on Everytrail. …
That’s an interactive map. Click on the image to see it.
I should mention that the weather was sometimes amazingly harsh.
Despite this, I think it was one of the nicest wilderness treks I have
done. I think you may find this post interesting in that I have
uploaded my GPS tracks for the entire trail. This is something I wish
I had had when I was on the trail myself as some sections were
difficult to navigate by map alone due to bad weather.
Flight Centre’s in-house copywriter Lyndon Barnett is an avid hiker. He recently visited Tropical North Queenslands Whitsunday Coast of the Great Barrier Reef, which is easy to reach with domestic flights from the major cities of Australia such as Sydney and Brisbane.
Most visitors come to the Whitsundays to relax on the islands and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef – both of which are perfectly legitimate reasons to appreciate this incredible destination. However hikers might also be interested to know that the region has some terrific day hikes.
Around two hour’s drive south of Airlie Beach is the Eungella National Park. I really enjoyed hiking the various walks through the sub-tropical rainforest – the views across the valley are spectacular. The park itself is part of the wider Great Dividing Range that stretches the entire east coast of Australia. One of the big attractions for kids of all ages is the opportunity to spot a wild platypus swimming in the nearby river.
Whitsunday Coast
About the Author: Lyndon Barnett has travelled independently to 68 countries and extensively throughout Australia. He currently resides in Brisbane, Queensland.
If winter’s chill finds you longing for summer’s sunny days, consider a trip south of the border to Baja. Greatly reduced temperatures make winter a far more pleasant time to hike at most Baja locations than summer. Autumn and spring are good times to hike there, too. It’s also a great place for enjoying a combination of outdoor activities.
I’ve discovered that my own favorite Baja combination adventure is kayaking and camping along the Sea of Cortez, stopping to hike and to snorkel at various locations along the way. …
Barefoot Jake doesn’t always go barefoot. On this weekend adventure out of Ozette Lake he wore his Luna ATS Huaraches and Vibram Five Finger KSO.
This terrain and climate is ideal for minimal footwear.
… over 90% Board Walk made up of new, old and really old planks that have been in place for probably longer than I have been born. Figured this would be a perfect opportunity to to break in my Luna ATS Huaraches further. Felt great to let the feet air out …
Also called “Cape Alava – Sand Point Loop“, the trailhead is Ozette Lake.
Ozette Lake offers several trails leading to the Pacific Coast Marine Sanctuary. I chose this adventure as it’s open year round. And because I was hiking alone, preferring a loop trail over an out-and-back.
With sea stacks, sea otters, sea lions, and ocean scenery for as far as you can see, the 9.4-mile Ozette Triangle is one of the finest hikes on the Olympic Coast. Easily accessible and a loop hike, the Triangle (named for the loop’s shape) is a perfect introduction to America’s wildest coastline south of Alaska. …
There are literally MILES of boardwalk.
A ranger warned me of the dangers of slipping … but (as a Canadian) even those slicked over with frost were fun for me. I ‘skated’ some of the downhill sections.
On arrival at Cape Alva, I decided to detour Tskawahan “island”. It’s actually connected to mainland at most tides.
I left a Summit Stone atop that feature, one of the westerly most points of land on the lower 48 States.
Beach walking is gorgeous. Nobody could believe this was early February — it looks like July!
There’s some fascinating flotsam or jetsam around every corner. This hot tub, for example.
… A doe and fawn passed our camp a few times. We also saw golden eagles, bald eagles, crabs, raccoons, and a fur seal pup on the beach.
Speaking of raccoons, they are as much a problem for campers as bears in the high country. (But at least you don’t have to worry about raccoons dragging your friends into the woods and mauling them.) Come prepared to hang your food and anything else scented in a tough container, like a bucket, day and night. Take your backpack into the tent with you at night, to keep the varmints from ripping it open with their razor-sharp little claws. During the day, leave your tent open and empty. I once lost an empty dome tent to raccoons who wanted to see what was inside. Don’t underestimate their tenacity or intelligence. …
At this point I was certain I’d not get back to the trailhead before dark. The sun was sinking fast.
Perhaps I should have camped here. There’s plenty of space and plenty of (tannin stained) water. 🙂
But I’d left the tent in my vehicle, so could only enjoy this vista before plunging back into the trees …
I’m inspired next time to hike Cape Alava all the way to Rialto Beach, a slow, but gorgeous, 20.2mi. That’s called “Olympic Coast North: The Shipwreck Coast“.
I might even add on “Olympic Coast South: The Wildcatter Coast”, another 17.5mi.
That’s the closet American equivalent to the West Coast Trailnot far away on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Whales, dolphins, myriad jungle flora and even yachts may be spotted on the six-hour coastal hike from Drake Bay to Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula.
… The views, too, are wild – unbroken, endless, to-the-horizon wild, an infinity of greens and blues painted with streaks of copper, beige or bronze sands. The sunsets here often suffuse the air all around with a golden glow that many people describe as unique to the area. Repetitive cloud formations over the 700-meter Agujas Peak often shine with double rainbows over the rain forest. Look the other way and you will see the sun setting into the fiery Pacific around distant Caño Island, with the clouds above lit with more colors than the rainbows.
Gazing at the sea from this trail, you are likely to see a humpback whale or two, or more. Groups of spotted dolphins hunt daily along this coast, often only meters off the rocks and beaches. Pseudorcas and orcas also cruise the rocky points, hunting big roosterfish. …
In April 2010 Greenland became the seventh chapter of the International Appalachian Trail. The route is on the Nussuaq Peninsula near Uummannaq Fjord.
Greenland was followed by Scotland in June, when the West Highland Way became the first IAT trail in Europe.
In October 2010 the IAT expanded further into Europe when nine new chapters joined … The new chapters include Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Wales, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
In 2011 the IAT plans to expand to Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
The Irish leg begins at the Slieve League cliffs in Co Donegal and proceeds eastwards along the Bluestacks Way and then the Ulster Way and finally the Causeway Coast Way terminating in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
I was in Macao only for 2 days, camping at Hac Sa beach. And was pleased to get out for even one hike.
With no guidebook, I headed directly to the A-Ma Statue atop Alto de Coloane (176m). It’s a 20m-high white jade statue of the goddess who gave Macau its name erected in 1998.
I worked my way randomly through two contiguous Parks, the signage and maps quite helpful.
I decided to leave a Summit Stone atop the boulder right … but found I couldn’t scramble it.
In the end, I tossed the Stone up top, a reward for the next bolder boulderer than I. 🙂
The hiking was much better than I expected. Yet uncrowded.
In 3hrs I saw only one other hiker, and one trail runner. It was perfect November weather on a Saturday.
Seems people do not go to Macao for walking, even though it’s next door to the hiking Mecca of Hong Kong.
If you research the topic, very quickly you’ll find this list:
MacLehose Trail (100km)
Lantau Trail (70km)
Hong Kong Trail (50km)
Wilson Trail (78km)
Some actually do those long trails end-to-end with backpacks. Staying at hostels or tenting (free).
Fragrant Campsite, Tai Mo Shan Country Park
But I’d recommend day hiking Hong Kong, cherry picking the best sections. It’s terrifically convenient to take public transport to and from trailheads.
In November — prime hiking season — special hiking events are scheduled. For example, FREE guided hikes are offered for tourists. (Sign up at Tourism Board Visitor Centres by Friday at 4pm.)
Without question Hong Kong is the best major city for urban hiking. Are there any other cities even close? … Leave a comment if you know of one.
A free booklet is widely available called The Inside Guide to Hikes and Walks in Hong Kong, in several different languages. It was all I used.
It recommends:
New Territories:
• MacLehose Trail – sections 1 & 2
• MacLehose Trail – section 2 (Tai Long Wan)
• Shing Mun Reservoir (TRIP) (highest section of the MacLehose Trail)
Hong Kong:
• Dragon’s Back (TRIP)
• Peak Circle Walk
Lantau Island
• Tung Chung
vista from atop Mt Davis
Highly addictive, mildly dangerous: four hiking gurus come clean about their obsession
besthike.com 