Category: cost

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Alpine Lakes Wilderness = BUGGY

Just finished a week hiking and biking out of Leavenworth, Washington. (Trip reports to come.)

… Alpine Lakes Wilderness … is one of the most popular outdoor recreational areas in the State of Washington.

Although this area has the wilderness designation and no motorized vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, or even bicycles can operate … there is heavy foot traffic and camping throughout. … managing the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area to preserve its integrity is very challenging. …

This being my first visit, there are a couple of lessons learned:

• Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are terrible anywhere near alpine lakes. Doh!

I’d hoped it was just this summer, buggy in August due to the long, late Spring. But one regular hiker in the area told me it’s always this bad.

• The Enchantments truly are the most popular destination, with fierce competition for camping permits.

The (grumpy) Rangers in Leavenworth leave pre-booked permits outside in a rustic wooden box. At least one was stolen this past weekend, the actual group that had booked and paid for it required to wait around a few hours before getting a replacement. (Parks needs to find a way to prevent this problem.)

One solution, I feel, is simply to open up more camping permits for the Enchantments. Is that high region really much more vulnerable to human damage than anywhere else in the Cascade Range? … Or have they created an artificial shortage.

I saw plenty of campsites, plenty of toilets up there.

related – Washington Trails Association – Enchantment Lakes

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42 day trek Dolpo, Mustang, Nepal $5550

If I had the cash, I’d definitely sign on for this guided adventure led by Jamie McGuinness.

Highlights

+ Upper Mustang
+ stunning, otherworldly scenery
+ remote, little trekked route
+ magical Dolpo
+ a landscape photographer’s paradise
+ REAL exploration!

Sept 25 – Nov 5, 2011

Watch Jamie’s HIGHLIGHT photos from the 2010 edition of this trek.

details on project-himalaya.com

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100+ State Parks to be closed

Treehugger posted a list of U.S. state parks set to be closed. And more that are threatened:

… The United States is home to 6,624 state parks and has an annual attendance of over 700 million. Yet state parks are being threatened by budget cuts and economic downturn. …

… the U.S. now has 41,725 miles of trail, 207,063 campsites, and 7,161 cabins and lodges across the state park system. …

Treehugger – The 100+ State Parks Facing Closure – Is Your Favorite Park on the List? [Updated]

U.S. governments do not have enough money to run them. What are the alternatives?

Privatization?

Would you become a “friend of ______ State Park” and volunteer your time?

Leave a comment if you have an opinion.

(via Daily Hiker)

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closing 70 California State Parks?

spence sends us the bad news:

Come fall, Californians could find themselves with fewer parks to visit and fewer services available at parks that are open. That was the tenor of the plan that California State Parks officials outlined Friday as they targeted for shutdown 70 of the state’s 278 parks because of budget problems.

The closure plan is far from final, and if it does come to pass the closures wouldn’t go into effect until September, said State Parks Director Ruth Coleman.

Coleman also raised the possibility of diminished services — i.e., closing bathrooms, lifeguard towers and other facilities …

read more – California State Parks closures target 70 of the state’s 278 parks

Castle Rock State Park is on the list

Mary Forgione posted the full list of Parks slated for shut down on the LA Times.

Under Schwarzenegger I never took these threats seriously. But Brown is much more courageous in cutting budget. The Parks are symbolic. He really might do it.

Check out Save California State Parks

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donate to Nature Conservancy

Alan Parker sends this appeal for donations:

Help Andrew Liveris plant a billion trees by donating $1 to the Nature Conservancy to plant 1 tree.

The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy works in more than 30 countries …

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hiking Iceland in June

Locked and loaded.

I fly out of Halifax on the red eye June 2nd one way to Reykjavik. ($315 direct on Iceland Air)

There are even cheaper fares out of Boston and Chicago on the discount airline, Iceland Express, but I had no luck contacting them by email or phone.

It’s not my style to book so early … but both the last two summers I found that airfares skyrocket around June 1st. And those flights fill quickly.

Laugavegur hike

I understand weather is a factor.

more interesting Iceland photos

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trekking Annapurna 2010

One of our top 10 hikes in the world, Annapurna in Nepal, has had some negative press in the media:

… It is a shame, then, that by 2012 a road will have been built on this path, destroying this experience and, according to many, placing the last nail in the coffin of what was once the greatest trek on earth. …

NY Times

hmm …

Are these reports of doom and gloom true?

Andrew Ostrowski sends us some notes from last year:

Oct 2010 when we hiked independently (no guides/porters, 10 kg pack plus water, total ~12 kg/person) the combined Circuit and Sanctuary trek in 21 days, hikers age 58 and 62 years old couple with average hiking experience in Canadian Rockies

electricity or back up system was available in all places, cell phones everywhere and carried by most guides/porters and others in case of emergency, expensive internet is readily available at almost all stops at Annapurna Circuit

padlocks and blankets were always provided

free medical high altitude clinic is daily offered at 3:00 PM in Manang in high season

there was no snow in the first week of Oct 2010 and temperature at Thorung La was around zero when we passed it around 11 AM

trekking independently is very easy, providing you do your homework/planning ahead of time

excellent maps are readily available everywhere, very difficult to get lost on the main trail, trails/lodges were busy

used cost effective UV light for water treatment every day with good results

you can take micro bus(Toyota/Nissan van) from Kathmandu bus station to Besisahar trail head (350 Rupees) and further down on the jeep (500 Rupees) if you wish

you can plan and see the whole trek on Google Earth, GPS tracks are easy to find on the web and plot on Google Earth and hundreds of pictures taken every 100 m are also shown

all gear (poles, back pack, jacket, sleeping bag) except hiking boots was rented in Kathmandu and is readily available from dozens of places, total cost for two person/23 days was 8320 Rupees($110) , all gear survived with no problems

daily cost on the trek for two persons (food + room) was 30 to 35 dollars, with no alcohol drinks, can be more if you order most expensive dishes/drinks

flying back 1/2 hr from Pokhara to Kathmandu is definitely worth ~$60 dollars ticket price vs seven hrs on the bus on busy and poor road

had no high altitude sickness problems, with acclimatization as recommended by guidebook only fatique/slow speed while passing Thorung La, we had to slow down and take 2 diamox pills each to speed up hike at critical ascent

overall great experience with no health or any other problems, lost few lbs

Rumours we’ve heard …

… Although people still circumvent the system, trekkers are now required to hire at least one Nepali staff member (a porter or guide) per group. …

… are not true.

Andrew never heard of any such regulation in 2010. They hiked independently. And they loved the adventure, independently.

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hiking Jostedalsbreen, Norway

Jostedalsbreen National Park, in the Sognefjord region of central Norway, is home to continental Europe’s largest ice sheet – the Jostedal glacier – which spills over from a high plateau into a succession of dramatic lake-filled valleys and fjords.

Although Jostedalsbreen is a popular tourist destination (you’ll see plenty of tour buses at the best-known spots) the hiking trails in the region – which given the forbidding topography tend to be steep and strenuous – don’t seem to be well-known outside Norway. …

A few good day hikes:

• Climbing the Skala
• Briksdalsbreen
• Storevatnet trail from Briksdalen

… Norway is expensive, …

Prices range from the merely high (hotel rooms, rental cars) to the eyewateringly exorbitant (restaurant meals, alcohol of any kind).

Camping is very popular in Norway (in addition to official campgrounds, you see impromptu campsites in many rural areas) so for a visit on the cheap you might consider taking a tent and buying food in supermarkets.

… read more

That’s all from the excellent site by Phil Armitage, landscape photographer.

Start on his home page.

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THE Definitive Guide to Hiking Torres del Paine

With a title like that, how could I not click.

ADAM SEPER:

A big part of our RTW trip, particularly in South America, was built around hiking and trekking. We hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon in Peru, and various hikes in and around El Chalten. All were in preparation for our biggest trek yet, hiking the “W” in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (TDP) in the Patagonia region of Chile.

In addition to being drop dead gorgeous, one of the other main appeals of hiking in TDP is that all hikers and trekkers can do it independently if they want. Sure, you can sign on with an expensive tour, but it’s unnecessary. Going at it without a guided tour is highly recommended so you can go at your own pace, take the route that’s right for you, and have a multitude of choices along the way. …

click through for more – Traveling Around the World for Couples

Related Posts linked from the bottom of that article:

A Trekking Guide (for those who like to eat and drink a lot)

Trekking Torres del Paine-Which Route to Take

Trekking Torres del Paine-What to Pack

Trekking Torres del Paine-Where to Sleep

Trekking Torres del Paine-Transportation, Admission, and Costs
Chile

There’s more to come.

That really is the most up-to-date guide for independent trekkers. Many are scared off making the long trip south due to lack of details on our Paine information page.

Thanks Adam.