coastal – Page 51 – besthike.com

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

map – SHTA.org

more photos – SHTA.org

September 17, 2007

Hike the Highlands Festival, Nova Scotia

Cape Breton’s 4th Annual Hike the Highlands Festival, Sept. 14-23, 2007 is on !!

31 hikers enjoyed the first hike of the festival – the Jack Pine Trail.

Opening ceremonies went well and attracted a large crowd and registration was brisk on the first day of the festival. The festival’s blog will have daily posts/articles each day during the festival including updates on next day’s weather forecast.

The Highlands of Cape Breton are situated on the world renowned Cabot Trail and offer some of the most spectacular coastal scenery and hiking trails in the world. …

Ten of the eighteen guided hikes featured in this year’s festival hiking schedule are within the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the second most pristine National Park in North America – ranked by National Geographic Traveler Magazine!

Hike the Highlands Festival Official Web Site, Cape Breton Island

map

September 9, 2007

top 10 hiking trails Big Sur, California

As recommended by the GO Blog:

… Beautiful site with stunning photos and info, all nicely put together the way a website should be designed. Elegent, but useful. Their top 10 trails are:

1. McWay Waterfall Trail (.64 mile)
2. Ewoldsen Trail (4.5 miles)
3. Pfeiffer Falls / Valley View Trails (2.4 miles)
4. Limekiln Trails (3 miles)
5. Tanbark Trail & Tin House (5.6 miles)
6. Andrew Molera Loop (8.8 miles)
7. Mill Creek Trail (3.2 miles)
8. Salmon Creek Trail (6.5 miles)
9. Cruickshank Trail to Villa Creek Camp (6 miles)
10. Pacific Valley Bluff Trail (.7 mile)

Get Outdoors – Top 10 Hiking Trails In Big Sur – Getoutdoors.com Outdoor Blog

McWay Waterfall Trail

September 4, 2007

the GOW (Great Ocean Walk), Australia

Frank Wall, his partner Sue and friends blogged the Great Ocean Walk, one of the NEW best hikes Down Under.

Wikipedia has a far-better-than-usual write up on the hike:

The GOW is a 91 kilometre track which stretches from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead, adjacent to the 12 Apostles, (actually 8 Apostles) and passes through the Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.

The GOW was launched in January 2006 and has become Victoriaâ€™s iconic long-distance coastal walk attracting many national and international walkers. …

One of the unique aspects of the GOW is that walkers can â€˜step on and step offâ€™ the trail, completing short, day, overnight or multi-day hikes, ranging from easy walks to difficult treks.

To complete the entire linear walk (approx. 91 kilometres) would take approximately eight days and seven nights.

Walkers will experience spectacular coast and forest scenery including rocky platforms, sheltered beaches, rivers, forests and coastal heathland.

Wikipedia

Frank reports that water was a bit of a problem. Weather and snakes a concern. But for Australia this is a cruisy walk. Using a vehicle to shuttle gear from campsite to campsite is easy.

Check Frank’s entertaining trip report and other posts tagged with Great Ocean Walk.

July 30, 2007

South Island weekend walks – New Zealand

There are many great hiking guidebooks for New Zealand including our top pick Lonely Planet Tramping in New Zealand.

Rather than compete directly against LP, a new speciality guide takes a different focus:

The reality for most New Zealand trampers is that their tramping often has to be fitted into weekends.

In recognition, Nick Groves, a leading New Zealand outdoor photographer, and now writer, has collected together the best of the South Island’s two or three day tramping trips.

These trips, selected from all over the South Island, range in difficulty to ensure that there are tramps for every ability. Essential information on length, grade, time, suitable maps, access and sources of information are provided for each tramp. This is followed by a more detailed description of the tramp and what you might expect to experience.

The book is heavily illustrated, with colour reference maps for each section and the author’s stunning photographs throughout.

South Island Weekend Tramps – New Zealand guide books, books and maps from Clearwater Tarn – Online shop

July 24, 2007

Wild Pacific Trail – actually quite tame

I recall when I first heard the name “Wild Pacific Trail”.

I conjured images of another West Coast Trail. Or at least Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.

Unfortunately, this “hike” would be more accurately called The “Ucluelet Municipal Walk”.

I feel the official website, brochure and other tourist bumpf misrepresent this hike (though at least it is along the coast, unlike the Sunshine Coast Trail):

The Wild Pacific Trail located in the District of Ucluelet is a seven phase trail system skirting the rugged cliffs and shoreline of the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Overlooking Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands to the east and the open Pacific Ocean to the south and west, it offers spectacular shoreline panoramas and seaward vistas through ancient cedar and spruce-framed viewing platforms constructed on the best headlands along the route.

Dian McCreary – photo

There could and should be a fantastic Trail here drawing tens of thousands of hikers every year. It’s planned to extend the trail to Halfmoon Bay in Pacific Rim National Park.

In fact, one could get off the plane in Victoria, walk the Galloping Goose municipal trail, the Juan de Fuca, the West Coast Trail, catch the ferry Bamfield to Ucluelet, then walk all the way to Tofino. Now that would be one of the best hiking adventures in the world!

But I fear condo developments and real estate speculators will deny that glad day. I feel this way based on how construction already squeezes the existing trail.

There’s no need for serious hikers to travel to Ucluelet. (Unless you want to get in on the real estate boom.)

more photos of my Ucluelet Municipal Walk on flickr.

Wild Pacific Trail – official website

July 22, 2007March 10, 2013

Great Coastal Hiking Trails of the World

Richard Nichols of California Coastal Trail links to other great coastal walks including these:

* Olympic National Park, Washington: Coastal Trail

* Nootka Island Coastal Trail, Vancouver Island

* West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island

* Western Australia Bibbulmun Track, 600 miles

* South Africa, Tsitsikamma National Park, Otter Trail

* Oregon Coastal Trail, Gold Beach, Brooking, Boardman SP

* England, Cornwall, The South West Coast Path, 630 miles

* Cape Chignecto, Nova Scotia

* The East Coast Trail, Newfoundland, Canada

People around the world are attracted to the coast, and consequently one can find many noteworthy coastal trails on almost every continent. Here are links to a few.

California Coastal Trail

Quite a good list, actually. Thanks Richard. We would recommend adding:

* South Coast Track, Tasmania, Australia

* Queen Charlotte Track, New Zealand

* Abel Tasman Track, New Zealand

At besthike our favourite trail of all is coastal. And we have a great fondness for all of the other wonderful seaside walks.

Any other amazing multi-day coastal walks come to mind? Leave a comment.

July 21, 2007

start in Seattle and walk NORTH

Married couple Erin McKittrick (Molecular Biologist turned jewelry artist) and Bretwood (Hig) Higman are incredible adventurers.

Where to begin …

Currently they are on a 9 month trip from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska by human power:

Journey on the Wild Coast will be an unprecedented four-thousand-mile expedition along the northern edge of the Pacific Ocean, through some of the most rugged terrain in the world. No road or trail follows this steep and fragmented coastline.

We’ll be traveling through forests, between islands, around glaciers, and across the tundra – by foot, packraft, and skis. No one has done this before.

Journey on the Wild Coast

more detailed itinerary

I’ve subscribed to their trip blog. It’s an expeditions to explore environmental issues.

I’ve you’ve any doubt Sig and Erin have the ability to finish it, check their previous Alaska Treks. Wow!

Blockade Glacier – 2005

July 18, 2007

how to hike The West Coast Trail in Canada

Nassib Elkadri works on the Parks Canada website.

He tells me they’ve launched a new start section for anyone looking to walk our favourite hike The West Coast Trail on the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada home page.

This information will be kept up-to-date.

Parks Canada – Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada – Home page

screenshot

We’ve added this new link (prominently) to our West Coast Trail information page. And tried to remove the old broken links.

Nassib. Tell the department poobahs there you want to update Parks Canada pages, but NOT change the URLS.

July 13, 2007

All-in-one Map Tool review

It’s very rare for me to add any item to my “base” hiking kit. (It’s too heavy already.)

The new essential must be very valuable. Or very light.

The All-in-one Map Tool is both. I carry it with my map and compass.

Bob Moseley from Brooks-Range Mountaineering Equipment Co. asked me to test this award winning product.

I took it with me on a solo kayak hiking trip out of Bamfield, British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. Since the weather was good, I was able to paddle directly to the Deer Island group, the closest to town.

It was a great, relaxing trip. I saw bear, seals, sea lions and nearly stepped on a baby puffin.

Normally mornings on this, the “Shipwreck Coast” are fogged in. On a previous trip to the nearby Broken Group Islands we were a number of times confused in the fog. It’s essential to know where you are on the map, have an exact compass bearing, and a good estimate of your speed and distance to the next island.

The All-in-one Map Tool is ideal in this situation as it has 6 different, easy-to-read map scale rulers to help estimate distance.

More photos from this trip – flickr

Sadly I had atypically excellent weather and did not need to do any dead reckoning in the morning.

So I’ll take it heli-hiking into the Tombstone Mountains in the Yukon in August. Certainly I should have a good chance to get lost there, having to rely on Topo, compass and map tool for survival.

All-in-one Map Tool – US$18 – Brooks Range Mountaineering Equipment Co.