I had a chance to try one on. And was impressed.
But who’d want to hike in a white jacket? A polar bear researcher? Those who HATE PFCs?
21 recycled plastic bottles are used in manufacture.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Epic Grand Canyon Hike
Have you been following Peter McBride & Kevin Fedarko?
Epic Grand Canyon Hike: A 650-Mile Challenge (Part 1)
Epic Grand Canyon Hike: Frozen Shoes and Low on Food (Part 2)
I liked the 3rd and final instalment best.
Click PLAY or watch Thirst and Threats in the Godscape on YouTube.
Patagonia boycotts Outdoor Retailer
Patagonia has just become the first retailer to pull out of a big industry trade show in Utah to protest state leaders’ efforts to strip federal protection of public land. …
The company’s announcement Tuesday came after its founder, Yvon Chouinard, wrote an open letter last month urging Utah governor Gary Herbert to stop trying to undo the decision by former president Obama to create the Bears Ears National Monument. …
It’s time for Outdoor Retailer shows to move out of Utah. Utah governor Gary Herbert @HerbertForUtah and most of his Republican colleagues hate Outdoor Recreation.
scramble Siphon Draw to Flatiron, Phoenix
trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
- Length: 6 miles (round trip)
- Trailhead Elevation: 2,080 ft.
- Gain/Loss: +2,900 ft.
- Difficulty: Difficult
Flatiron, aka Siphon Draw, is one of the most popular and exhilarating hikes in the Superstition Wilderness. This trail puts you on top of one of the most prominent rock features of the range called Flatiron due to the fact it looks like an upside down iron. …
The Flatiron trail begins at the westernmost side of the Superstition Wilderness at the Lost Dutchman’s State Park.
Lost Dutchman’s is a lovely Park and campground. Up and up.
It doesn’t take long to reach the big cliffs.
The Siphon Draw Trail is not much of a trail. It’s mostly a scramble up the rocky chute.
As you can see, it’s very popular on a nice January day. A number of these folks were challenged by the physical demands. A few had poor footwear.
The crux of the scramble is at the very top. No doubt a few turn back there. 😦
Top of Flatiron. Here’s the view over the Phoenix sprawl.
I continued up into these weird eroded towers.
I left a Summit Stone atop a cairn. Then made my way down as rapidly as possible.
The descent is much more dangerous than the climb. I fell once. Most people fall more than once.
The sun was dropping rapidly by the time I reached the trailhead. Beautiful light.
We’ve added Siphon Draw to Flatiron to our list of the best hikes in North America. It’s highly memorable and unique.
Republicans are enemies of the Outdoors
Land totaling the size of Connecticut has been targeted in a new bill in the Republican House, uniting hunters and conservationists in opposition
Now that Republicans have quietly drawn a path to give away much of Americans’ public land, US representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah — @jasoninthehouse —has introduced what the Wilderness Society is calling “step two” in the GOP’s plan to offload federal property. …
Chaffetz introduced the bill alongside a second piece of legislation that would strip the BLM and the US Forest Service of law enforcement capabilities …
The 10 states affected are Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. …
Republicans move to sell off 3.3m acres of national land, sparking rallies
Perhaps not ALL Republicans:
The bill seems to run in direct opposition to Interior Secretary appointee Ryan Zinke’s (R-Montana) initiatives. In his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Zinke said: “I am absolutely against transfer and sale of public lands. I can’t be more clear.” …
Outdoor Life – House Bill Would Sell 3.3 Million Acres of Federal Public Land
will the U.S. Congress sell federal land, including National Parks?
Alan Rowsome, senior director of government relations at The Wilderness Society:
“This is the worst Congress for public lands ever.”
Congress just made it easier to sell off federal land, including national parks
State Of The USA National Parks
Kurt Repanshek posted a comprehensive overview:
The arrival of 2017 has opened a new chapter for the National Park Service and the National Park System, one that in the first days of the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress is fraught with concern over both the stability of the agency and the health of the parks.
- The administration wants to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
- Nominees for key agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy could support initiatives detrimental to natural resources.
- Republicans in Congress are pushing to limit, if not entirely do away with, use of the Antiquities Act by presidents to designate national monuments.
- Budget increases for the Park Service, feeble during the past eight years, could be even more meager.
It’s too early to say how these will play out, but they all bear watching. …
Personally, I’m very worried for ALL the American Parks. Republicans are not often friends of outdoor recreation. 😦
boycott Utah
Support Patagonia and Black Diamond.
The company this week threatened to pull out of Salt Lake City’s biannual Outdoor Retailer Show, a trade show that brings in 45,000 visitors spending more than $40 million each year. …
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes (R) vowed to sue the White House last month after Obama set aside 1.35 million acres, including sacred tribal lands, to become Bears Ears National Monument. The Navajo Nation and conservationists alike hailed the designation as a victory. But Reyes, later joined by the state’s Republican governor and lawmakers in Washington, D.C., denounced the move …
Patagonia Is Gearing Up For War With Utah Republicans Over National Monument
Most Republicans in the USA seek to sell of public lands to the highest bidder. 😦
Obama a friend to hikers
Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.
Republicans over the next 2 years will do everything they can to sell off public lands. 😦
on bikepacking
I spent 10 days on the bike this summer camping illegally every night. It was wonderful.
The Guardian posted an excellent article on the pursuit.
Bikepacking: the perfect autumn adventure in the UK
A new fusion of wild camping and off-road touring, bikepacking gets you close to nature and far from the stresses of modern life. And autumn is the ideal time to go.
besthike.com 