coastal – Page 50 – besthike.com

November 1, 2007

Ian McAllister – wildlife photographer

At the Banff Mountain Book Festival we were treated to one of the most amazing slideshows I’ve ever seen.

Ian McAllister gave an overview of his life story vis-a-vis bears and wolves.

He’s very angry about big game trophy hunting. (And Ian’s a hunter who kills deer to feed his family.) There’s no reason to tag bear or wolf.

Ian McAllister is a nature photographer, writer, and conservationist who has dedicated his life to exploring the remote wilds of the British Columbia coast. Born in Vancouver, his exploration and adventures in the provinceâ€™s rugged West Coast began at a young age, and inspired in him a passion for conservation which led him to become one of Canadaâ€™s leading advocates for rainforest protection.

With a keen interest in wildlife behaviour, ecology, and sailing, McAllister has spent much of the last 20 years travelling along the north coastline of British Columbia, observing the behaviour of coastal wolves and grizzly bears. For the last 17 years, McAllister has lived in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the last places on earth where wolves live relatively undisturbed by humans. In his latest book, The Last Wild Wolves, he documents the behaviour of two packs, one in the extreme outer coastal islands and another farther inland.

McAllisterâ€™s first book, The Great Bear Rainforest (1997), was instrumental in helping Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, Ian and Karen McAllisterâ€™s Raincoast Preservation Society, and other environmental groups to successfully lobby British Columbiaâ€™s provincial government to impose a moratorium on grizzly bear hunting and to designate a large portion of the provinceâ€™s mainland coast as parkland in 2001.

McAllister is a founding member of the Raincoast Conservation Society, and his images have appeared in numerous publications including International Wildlife, BBC Wildlife, Audubon, Sierra, and Beautiful British Columbia. Also a filmmaker, his footage has been used by National Geographic TV, Discovery Channel, and the BBC.

Mountain Festivals at The Banff Centre

His two books:

The Great Bear Rainforest: Canada’s Forgotten Coast

The Last Wild Wolves: Ghosts of the Rain Forest

October 28, 2007

hike the Aurland Trail, Norway

I cannot find much information on-line regarding the Aurland Trail in Norway.

I understand 30,000 hikers a year walk sections between Vassbygdi, Geiteryggen and further toward Hallingdal on an old East – West trail.

I enjoyed a well written trip report by Kathleen Hill Zichy. Part of her Travels with Wally series. (Wally is a Kiwi hiking guide.)

The hikes were spectacular and strenuous. Wally provided encouragement and a bit of light-hearted humor in an accent both charming and perplexing. Certain expressions had to be repeated several times before I could decipher them. He frequently powered out on the trail and then looped back to find the rest of us. As I was the least experienced hiker, Wally was elected by his co-leaders to the position of my guardian. He did so in a gentle and unobtrusive way that did not mark me as a quivering novice but gave me a little boost in confidence when I was facing a major drop-off or was lagging behind on the downhill.

I had never seen so much rock. We scrambled, stumbled, mumbled, crawled, held on by our fingernails as we slid over cliffs on the British Route, desperately clutching the famous cable-and hoping fervently that our insurance was paid up. At the bottom of the cliff after that hair-raising slide, we were greeted by a small party of Norwegian hikers. An older woman in that group with hair pulled back and greying at the temples asked me what I thought of my descent down the cable. “There’s nothing like that in Manhattan,” I replied. “We usually take the elevator.”

“This is the toughest hiking trail in all of Norway,” she informed me. Her statement was confirmed within minutes when we encountered a man with his head wrapped in bloody bandages, being led to the end of the trail by two fellow backpackers. …

The Long Trip Home: Archives

Unfortunately, the natural environment there has been much affected by hydroelectric development:

… the great waterfalls in the Aurlandsdalen have been silenced. The standing waves, spray and mist from the rapids and waterfalls has been substantially reduced. Due to diversion through tunnels, the water level in the river gorges is drastically reduced; dams restrain the thundering inferno that filled the gorges before the development. There are impacts beyond the loss of scenic beauty as well. The Aurlandselvi river is no longer one of the finest salmon rivers in Norway. Farmers no longer drive cattle, pigs and goats to spend the summer at Ã˜sterbÃ¸ and Stemberdalen. The pack horses, formerly a common sight in the valley, as Jon Fimreite and Knut SÃ¸nnerheim among others transported provisions and supplies to Steinbergdalshytta and Ã˜sterbÃ¸, have become part of history.

Aurlandsdalen has become like the most of the other valleys, characterized by traffic, tourists and gradual urbanisation. Only the remote NesbÃ¸-Vassbygdi region remains mostly undisturbed, if one ignores the strong reduction in the water flow in the Aurlandselvi and the visible stretch of highway between Berdalstunnellen (Berdal tunnel) and NesbÃ¸tunnellen (NesbÃ¸ tunnel) visible in the hillside from the path at HeimrebÃ¸.

Power development and environmental impacts – Wikipedia

There are plenty of pretty pictures tagged Aurland on flickr. Here’s my favourite:

Aurland downtown – larger original on flickr – Tom (Aurland resident)

related post – WOW – Aurland Lookout, Norway

October 10, 2007

by pack raft to Juneau, Alaska

I’ve been following The Journey on the Wild Coast blog since July. That’s the 9 month pack raft trip from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska by human power â€” Erin McKittrick and Bretwood (Hig) Higman.

I think this is their best post yet:

… After four months in the Inside Passage, we had come to wonder how much it had left to offer us: thinking of drizzly coastlines and thick forest brush, and turning our thoughts prematurely to the open Gulf of Alaska coastâ€¦ But there are always suprises. The ocean between Petersburg and Juneau was one of the most alive chunks of coast weâ€™ve seen the whole trip.

Humpback whales sang for us the rest of that night, and a good part of the next one. During the day, white columns of whale breath were visible everywhere we looked, cruising Stephens Passage. We could hear the spouting, honking, and squeals of the closest whales, watching their rounded backs and the occasional graceful flash of a tail.

Humpback whale tail

Just when we were wondering if we might get close enough for a picture, a humpback surfaced twenty feet from my packraft. Half of me was terrified it would flip me, while the other half marveled at the knobby texture of the whaleâ€™s skin, imagining that great big eye underwater, peering at my small yellow boatâ€¦

October 10, 2007

Abel Tasman Track – seen from space

High-res version linked from this post: The NEW Greatest and Most Unusual Travel Photo of All Time – Gadling

Abel Tasman Coast Track – besthike information page

September 28, 2007

non-hiker tackles the West Coast Trail

Janet Wilson, as part of her 50th birthday fitness program, decided to walk our #1 hike in the World.

She did the research, bought the gear, finished a series of training hikes (adding 5lbs each time), grabbed her husband … and headed for the wild Shipwreck Coast.

… I suggested to my husband that for my birthday he give me, not some extravagant present or party, but his support and partnership in tackling a big physical goal: hiking the West Coast Trail.

It was something I had always wanted to do, but now I was not at all sure my aging carcass could withstand the training, let alone reach a point where it could carry a 40 pound pack over rough terrain for 7 days. But I decided to try. I read every book and web account on the trail I could find.

… we bought all the rest of our gear: the Mutha Hubba tent and footprint, Exped 7 Downmats (a bit heavy, but I knew I needed a great sleep to recover at nights), MontBlanc DownHugger sleeping bags, a SilTarp II for the inevitable rainy days, MSR’s Superfly stove and fuel canisters (3), hiking poles (purchased last and on impulse, but one of the best purchases we made) and a Katadyn Vario MicroFilter …

See Janet’s entire trip report – WesternWilson – The West Coast Trail, September 2007

Congratulations. We are proud of you Janet!

We’ve linked Janet’s trip report to our West Coast Trail information page.

September 27, 2007

Top bull

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Top bull, originally uploaded by busybeingborn.

Hiking photos traipsing right through the middle of an Elk rut. (By the look of the photos.)

“A big bull elk, with some of his progeny. Looks like one half of his antlers has been worn smooth by combat.”

From Tom Mangan’s personal blog, Busy Being Born: All day on the Marin coast.

These guys are more dangerous than bears, Tom. Be careful out there.

September 27, 2007

my long awaited hiking kayak – Alpacka Raft

For over 2yrs I’ve been researching inflatable and foldable kayaks I might carry for paddle hiking. Getting to good hiking routes by paddling across the lake rather than walking around.

It’s here. But it’s a raft. (Now to find the $800. Or a cheaper used one.)

Erin & Hig convinced me. They’re using Alpacka rafts on a 4 thousand mile charity journey from Seattle to Alaska.

more Alpacka Raft PHOTOS

Alpacka rafts come in three sizes: Small (Alpaca); Medium (Yukon Yak); Large (Denali Llama). I want the smallest, lightest, the Alpacka, likely with spray skirt.

Total weight is between 4-6lbs plus paddle. I can carry that!

Always follow the packrafting rule of “don’t float it if you can’t swim it”. These boats are incredibly tough for their weight, but they can still puncture if you are not careful. Good packrafters try to avoid hitting obstacles. (A patch kit is included.)

If interested, check out these links:

Alpacka Rafts – about

Interview – Alaska businesswoman Sheri Tingey, Alpaca Raft Inc.

Alpacka packrat – June ’07 Canoe & Kayak Magazine

packraft – Wikipedia

September 22, 2007

hike Point Lobos, California mid-September

Another great post by Tom Mangan:

This could well be the best time of the year to drop in on the Point Lobos State Preserve south of Carmel — with lingering summery warmth but just enough of the fog layer remaining to make things interesting.

… Point Lobos tends to be redundantly spectacular — there’s a dozen little coves with swirling water, crashing surf, seagulls riding pieces of driftwood and sea lions barking in the distance — so even hacker with a cheap point-and-shoot can find a few choice images.

I like Tom’s folksy though detailed writing style. And I like his “hacker cheap point-and-shoot” photos even more …

See more … Two-Heel Drive: Point Lobos on a weekday in mid-September

September 20, 2007

damn the torpedoes – Farragut State Park, Idaho

Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (July 5, 1801 â€“ August 14, 1870) was the first senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and full admiral of the Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his possibly apocryphal order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”.

Wikipedia

Farragut must have been some sort of prodigy. When only 12-years-old, he was given command of a prize ship taken by USS Essex and brought her safely to port.

Many places and things are named in remembrance of the Admiral including a number of Starfleet ships on Star Trek the TV show.

Over the past couple of weeks we have been exploring Farragut State Park close to Athol, north Idaho. The Park’s a sprawling place beloved by trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers.

The park hosted the 1965 National Girl Scout Senior Roundup, 12th World Scout Jamboree in 1967, and the 1969 and 1973 National Scout Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America. The park still serves as the winter training “Klondyke” site for the scout troops of the Inland Northwest Council.

Farragut State Park – Wikipedia

Last Sunday we jog/hiked (“jiked”) the Highline Trail to Scout Trail, then backtracked to the Shoreline Trail. That was 90mins of jog / hiking.

Dave jumped in Lake Pend Oreille on finishing. Jeni announced she wanted to have her (future) wedding in the Park.

It is gorgeous.

Farragut State Park – official website

September 18, 2007

Superior Hiking Trail, Minnesota

The Superior Hiking Trail is a 235-mile long distance hiking trail along the rocky ridgeline above Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota. The trail is located within the Superior National Forest on both public and private lands, and is privately maintained. The trail currently begins near Two Harbors, Minnesota, extends along Lake Superior through seven state parks, including Split Rock and Tettegouche state parks. …

Ultimately the trail will begin on the Wisconsin border near Jay Cooke State Park, and will end by connecting to the Border Route Trail, which passes through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The SHT is a proposed segment of the 4,000-mile North Country Trail.

The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) is currently building 40 miles of trail through the forests and ridges of Duluth, MN. 22 miles of trail have been completed in and around Jay Cooke State Park and Duluth, MN. Future plans are to complete a segment of trail between Duluth and Two Harbors. When completed the trail will measure approximately 300 miles in length.

Considered one of the best hiking trails in the country, Backpacker Magazine named the Superior Hiking Trail the trail with the “Best Trail/Camp/Shelter conditions”, the trail with the “Best Signage” in the country, and one of the most scenic trails in the nation …

Wikipedia

If interested, get the guidebook:

Complete and up to date maps, info on campsites, and mile-by-mile description of the trail. The Guide can be used for both day hikes and backpacking.

Day hikes from trailhead to trailhead are 5-11 miles in length. A through-hike is 205 miles. Also includes the new 39-mile section of trail through Duluth built in 2004-2006. …

Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail details over 270 miles of wilderness footpath on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Mile-by-mile descriptions lead the casual hiker or ardent backpacker through hardwood forests of birch and maple, and into boreal forests of spruce, pine and fir–a region thriving with spectacular wildflowers and diverse wildlife. This landscape, once carved by ancient glaciers, is dominated by Lake Superior, the largest-area freshwater lake in the world. The Superior Hiking Trail weaves along the Sawtooth Mountain range–easily the most impressive scenery in the Midwest.

Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail provides information on trailhead access, parking accommodations, designated campsites, scenic overlooks and linkages to the seven Minnesota State Parks along the trail. Complete trail maps are included in each section. Whether you have two hours or two weeks, an afternoon or a weekend, this guide will enhance your hiking experience.

Fifth Edition