coastal – Page 46 – besthike.com

August 6, 2008

hike the Rubicon Trail, Lake Tahoe

… NOT to be confused with the Rubicon four-by-four trail.

We were looking for a good trail run close to Squaw Valley. A local Adventure Racer, Todd Jackson, sent us to cross the Rubicon.

Good call.

In the 1880s, a Sacramento newsman compared Lake Tahoe’s sapphire depths to bluing solution, so astonishing was the color. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) said Lake Tahoe’s air was pure enough for angels. Clear sky and water still startle the senses here, especially when you spend the day close to shore on the 6 1/2-mile Rubicon Trail. …

Lake Tahoe trail casts a spell – Laura Read

It was crowded with families, hikers, leashed dogs. But gorgeous.

vista from high on the trail

I loved it.

Adventure Racers cooling off after the run

Kevin Gong has an excellent trip report with photos: Rubicon Trail, D.L. Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay State Park

August 5, 2008

hike the West Coast Trail Aug. 23rd

From email:

I have a two-person permit for the West Coast Trail for park entry from Port Renfrew on Saturday August 23rd, 2008. Unfortunately I have broken my ankle and will not be able to make the trip. I am also no longer able to obtain a refund as I am within the 21 day cancellation window. I thought that you might be connected to a network of folks who may be interested in using my reservation as I know they are difficult to come by. My cost was $300 US, but I would consider any reasonable offer. Thank you for your time.

Nick Juhle

734.717.7294

July 20, 2008

friends hiking the Na Pali coast, Hawaii

No details yet.

But on Facebook I did get to see a few photos from the Glaser clan bandana hike on the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, Hawaii. It’s the best on the islands.

Michael

Full trip report later.

Here’s my own trip report from April – paradise – the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii

July 18, 2008

400mi Oregon Coast Trail

Al LePage, director of the National Coast Trail Association will be hiking the entire 400-mile Oregon Coast Trail as an “Oregon Coast Legacy Hike” from July 14th to August 12th, 2008 to promote the need both for an “Oregon Coast Legacy Conservation Plan” to preserve the Oregon coast and for everyone to work together.

He will be starting the hike exactly on the same date, and doing it over the same 30-day period, he first hiked it’s entire length twenty years ago in 1988 and will explore and share how it has changed in one generation.

LePage will offer free public events, “Oregon Coast Legacy Hike: Stories and Songs” which are scheduled in Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, Newport, Florence, Coos Bay, Gold Beach and Brookings from 7-9 PM while he’s actually enroute to talk with residents about conservation, share his experiences along the trail and sing some songs.

The planned day-by-day intinerary is available on-line at www.coasttrails.org. …

Al LePage

Press Release

July 3, 2008

Alpacka Raft for hiking

AT bought an Alpacka Raft.

I’m jealous.

Alpacka rafts are ultra-light inflatable rafts designed for wilderness boating. They are ightweight (about 2kg), very durable, repairable in the field, and suitable for running whitewater. In certain terrains (such as Lapland), packrafts tremendously expand your exploration options. The unique virtue of the packraft is its portability. Alpacka Raft is designed to be carried for extended distances, along with its propulsion system (usually collapsable paddles or lightweight oars).

Wanderlust

Ouch. $790 retail. I still can’t afford one.

Alpacka Raft – official website

July 2, 2008

hike Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Brian recommends an adventure I’ve never heard about.

Even getting there is a bit daunting:

Isle Royale is different than most national parks in that it requires real planning and preparation to visit. The park, actually an archipelago of 200 islands, is quite remote. Just getting to one of its three ports of departure â€” Houghton, Michigan, Copper Harbor, Michigan, or Grand Harbor, Minnesota â€” requires some planning. Once visitors arrive in their chosen port town, they take a passenger ferry or a seaplane (from Houghton only) to the narrow, 45-mile-long island. …

GORP

The Greenstone Ridge is the longest and most popular of Isle Royale’s “long” trails. The trail runs along the spine of the island, spanning some 40 miles from the northeast at Lookout Louise to the southwest at Windigo. “The Greenstone,” as it is called by hikers, winds through forests of maple and birch, past swamps and bogs, and up 1,394-foot Mount Desor, the highest point on the island. …

GORP – Onto the Greenstone Ridge

atop-mt-desor-on-isle-royal-np-overlooking-lake-superior.jpg
atop Desor – photo from Johnny Molloy’s trip report

Moose are one of Isle Royale’s main attractions. The “infamous blackflies and mosquitoes” the main reason to stay home.

July 1, 2008

Wikipedia used my photo of Bamfield

Nice.

I had no idea that one of my Creative Commons licensed pictures was being used on the Bamfield, British Columbia Wikipedia page.

That’s cool. They linked back to the original photo.

The only problem was that the caption on the photo was incorrect. I simply went into Wikipedia and deleted the wrong caption.

That’s cool too. Thank’s Brooke Cameron.

Bamfield is one of the trailheads for the West Coast Trail, by the way.

June 20, 2008

California Bay Area hikes

Tom Mangan just posted a map of the hikes he’s written up for his Mercury News column.

screenshot

All new map of Two Heel Drive hikes

June 19, 2008

Cape Split Trail, Nova Scotia

One of the best hiking trails in Nova Scotia outside of Cape Breton Island is a 16km trail called the Cape Split trail. This 4-5 hour hike takes you through a beautiful forest ending at a tremendous overlook into the Bay of Fundy, where you can witness one of the most amazing tidal bores in the world.

trip report and more photos – Guitarfish.org

Cape Split Trail – NovaTrails.com

April 20, 2008

hiking the Marin Headlands in California

A few pics from my hike today with Tom Mangan of Two-Heel Drive.

We headed across the Golden Gate Bridge en route to Point Bonita Lighthouse, touted in my guidebook the “most sensational easy hike in the Bay area”.

Tom concurred.

lighthouse

It’s only open a few hours each day, access blocked by a locked tunnel. Once through the rock, you need cross a suspension bridge deemed so untrustworthy that only two hikers (or three) should cross together at one time. If it collapses, this is what you face below.

sea arch