fauna – Page 34 – besthike.com

October 13, 2008

What do you have that Wall Street canâ€™t touch?

Robert Scoble shared a touching post from Michael Hyatt.

Despite the economic collapse in the USA, Michael had an epiphany after happening upon an elk rut in the wilderness.

… Even though my financial worth had been decimated by the events of the last three weeks, I realized that nothing could touch the things that are most valuable to me. Experiencing the elk at dusk with people I love was a timely reminder.

I also realized that I have a choice: I can focus on what I have lost or I can focus on what I have. I started making a mental list:

I have my health.

I have a loving wife, who is also my best friend.

I have five wonderful daughters, two sons-in-law and (so far) two beautiful grandchildren. â€œI am particularly fond of each of them,â€ as Papa says in The Shack.

I have several profound friendships that encourage and challenge me.

I have meaningful work that I would do even if I wasnâ€™t getting paid.

I have incredibly competent co-workers whom I truly love and respect.

I have a church that grows dearer to me with each passing year. (We have been members there for 24 years.)

I have a relationship with God that is endlessly fascinating and fulfilling.

And the list goes on. I could name a hundred more things, but you get the idea.

My guess is that the financial crisis is going to get worse before it gets better. You and I have very little control over what happens in the external environment. But we do have control over what happens inside our hearts. It all depends on our mental focus.

What do you have that Wall Street canâ€™t touch?

September 28, 2008

rescuing a drowning bear

… Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Adam Warwick just couldn’t let the bear drown, so he took off his shirt and dive after it. The 375 lbs black bear had been spotted in a residential area, obviously looking for food, and was shot with a tranquilizer dart. Unfortunately, before it went under, it jumped in the water of the Gulf of Mexico. …

click through for more photos and a video – Man Saves 375 lbs Black Bear from Drowning – Treehugger

September 19, 2008

first bear attack on Vancouver Island

Hikers of the West Coast Trail and other great walks on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, take comfort that there are no Grizzly Bears on the island. And that the Black Bears are famously non-aggressive.

Until this attack on fisherman Blain Pharis:

… A black bear swam across Gordon River and climbed up onto the wharf as Pharis neared his vessel, said Hitchcock. The bear followed Pharis onto his boat and mauled him.

Four men armed with fishing gear including a filleting knife, gaff and hammer swarmed the bear and killed it.

The animal’s internal organs were examined in a necropsy and it was found to be elderly, at more than 10 years of age, and in poor health. …

Bear attack a first for the Island, expert says – Vancouver Sun

This was at Port Renfrew, the trailhead for the WCT.

Since 1986, eight people in B.C. have been killed by black bears and 75 have been injured.

September 1, 2008

trek Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

… widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country. The ecological variety is quite stunning. National Geographic has called it “the most biologically intense place on Earth”. Not only is the park very popular with tropical ecologists, a visitor can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. …

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Simon Thomsett posted a terrific trip report with photos:

Five of us, led by Guido Sabario, walked 18km into Corcovado National Park, to stay 2 nights at Sirena, the parkâ€™s central HQ. I was impressed by the lack of vehicle access to the park. It was only accessible by foot, or by boat or plane, no cars. To back-pack without park or local community guides among potentially dangerous wildlife is a luxury these days and virtually unacceptable in now over-regulated Africa. …

The reptiles had their fair share of lethal contenders, first and foremost the dreaded Fer-de-Lance, a pit viper responsible for more deaths than any other animal here. You do not mess with the Fer-de-Lance because it lies like a Puff Adder and chases like a Mamba. It strikes readily and boots are the formal wear. Being an old bush hand familiar with snakes, I wore sandals at first and scoffed at the chances of being hit. But as the days went on, I saw more snakes than one ever would see back home. I began to notice that macho young men strode about in gum boots and wore a huge panga (Machete) that hung from the belt almost to the ground. â€œGood for whacking the Fer-de-Lanceâ€ said Juanky. We were up in the hills one day and I was briefly allowed to lead the way when I saw, to my horror, that my left sandal was coming down in slow motion upon the back of a Fer-de-Lance. God intervened and I was able to …

Fer-de-Lance – larger image – flickr – puroticorico

read the rest of the trip report – Trekking through Corcovado NP

related sites:

Corcovado National Park

Trekking, Hiking and Camping information

August 23, 2008

meeting a bear on the Juan de Fuca Trail

In preparation for the longer West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, Matt made a 2-day dash on the adjacent Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. That’s 47km (29mi) of tough hiking.

One part of his trip report struck home:

…on the trail around 9:00. Sombrio River was quite low, so I opted to wade through it rather than trek up to the suspension bridge. The sun was shining, so I wasn’t too worried about wet feet. After a bit more beach walking, my spidey-sense was tingling. In a field of grey boulders, I saw one furry black boulder that looked out of place. Sure enough, a small bear was eating something, probably a dead seal. Luckily, the tide was out, so I was able to give him a wide berth. I had a chat with him on the way past, and we came to an understanding. I wouldn’t eat his dead seal, and he wouldn’t eat me. …

larger photo

read the entire trip report with more photos

On my only hike on the JdF I had an encounter, as well. A small black bear decided to climb a tall tree in the middle of the campground. I was the only camper.

A quick exit was prudent.

There are a lot of bears in that part of the world.

I just subscribed to Matt’s blog: Take a Load Off – Lightweight Backpacking

August 4, 2008

bear visits U.S. Senior Open Golf

The Broadmoor’s East Course was quite a bear Friday.

Difficult pin placements and faster, drier greens flustered the field and only five golfers managed to shoot below par, including Fred Funk, whose 1-under 69 gave him the lead at the halfway point of the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado Springs, Colo. …

Stealing the show, however, was a black bear that ambled out of the mountains in the morning and crossed the 13th fairway before checking out spectators outside the ropes.

Nobody was harmed, and neither was the bear.

“(Jack) Nicklaus isn’t here, so I guess that’s a substitute,” cracked Funk. …

Associated Press

August 3, 2008

Llama trekking in the Alps

Mellow mountain walking. But be careful not to get a stream of llama spit in the eye while on a narrow trail.

… The Eagle Way is a 1,480km trail through some of Europe’s most heart-stoppingly glorious scenery: distant clutches of chalets and spires engulfed by manicured, velvety meadows, verdant hillsides veined with tumbling glacial brooks and iridescent bursts of midsummer Alpine flora. And above it all a rearing backdrop of jagged, piebald peaks, among them Austria’s highest, the mighty Grossglockner. The sky was huge and blue, the air as crisp as apple strudel; it could not have been more Sound of Music. High on the hill with a lonely Guy-herd. …

read the article – Stick your neck out, Llama trekking in the Tyrol may sound like a joke but it’s seriously good fun, says Tim Moore -The Guardian

Tim and his new friend go for a stroll in the Alps. Photograph: Jan Erik Burger

Dolomiten Lama Trekking … dolomitenlama@aon.at) runs three day llama treks with half-board accommodation in mountain huts from â‚¬240pp for a group of seven minimum. Day trips from â‚¬38pp.

July 28, 2008September 15, 2020

walk up, ride down – Mt Washington, B.C.

I had a great half day on Vancouver Island. (Not at the much more famous Mt Washington in New Hampshire.)

Mt Washington is the home of the excellent Mount Washington Alpine Resort. It’s 25km from the Comox Valley, close to good hostels in Courtenay.

In summer the chair lift carries hikers and bikers. The view from the top is awesome.

The real highlight are the cheeky ‘Whiskey Jacks’ (Gray Jays) who happily alight on your hand, hoping for crumbs. (Don’t feed them.)

If you climb the mountain (45min) you can ride down for free. Otherwise, a trip is a reasonable $15.

Highly recommended.

more photos – flickr

Nearby is Paradise Meadows Trailhead, the best jumping off point for hiking the Forbidden Plateau. This is also the most popular trailhead of all in massive Strathcona Provincial Park.

July 22, 2008

bear attacks trail runner

An incident in the Canadian Rockies opens once again the debate on whether to “play dead” when being attacked by a bear.

A trail runner attacked and bitten up to eight times by a black bear near Lake Louise serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers the public face at this time of year when sharing space with wildlife in the mountain parks. …

D’hamers, a Belgian who has been living and working in the Lake Louise area for more than a year, was no stranger to the 10-kilometre Great Divide Trail, regularly running on the decommissioned stretch of road.

She was running alone on the closed stretch of Highway 1A between Lake Louise Drive and the Trans-Canada Highway when she came face-to-face with the animal around 6 p.m.

The 23-year-old initially began backing up, but when the bear followed her for about 100 metres, she decided instead to lay face down on the ground, according to Morrison.

The attack is unusual, he said, with the last bear mauling in the Lake Louise area taking place in 1995.

The plan to play dead backfired as the bear continued to approach her, sniffing and licking the back of her legs and eventually biting her multiple times on her upper legs and back.

“The young lady showed considerable wherewithal in that she realized her strategy wasn’t working early in the game,” Morrison said. “Playing dead is not recommended in most situations.”

D’hamers jumped back to her feet, yelling aggressively at the bear and continuing to back away. After nearly 30 minutes of D’hamers reversing, yelling and waving her arms, the bear finally retreated. D’hamers continued the final few kilometres back to the main road, where she flagged down a Parks Canada warden. …

Calgary Herald

(via A Trail Runner’s Blog)

larger original – flickr – jvh33

July 21, 2008

inspired by mountain goats

Olivia was inspired to post after seeing a great photo of mountain goats:

While hiking the San Juan mountains in Colorado, we spotted a small herd of mountain goats. …

We arrived at our campsite, wriggled our happy bare toes and snacked on cliff bars. Then the goats came. They didnâ€™t hunch in the bushes inspecting us, they just came right over and surrounded us. We were excited that we got to see them so close up. Until they wouldnâ€™t go away. We figured out what they wanted when Jack peed next to a bush. The goats wanted our urine! The crazy critters! They followed us around waiting for us to relieve ourselves, sometimes quite impatiently. Then they licked it up. Mustâ€™ve been the salt in it. Shrug.

I canâ€™t tell you how disconcerting it is to pee while surrounded by three goats huffing and stomping impatiently.

read the entire post on Backpack Reviews

In Canada we are often followed by Mule Deer for the same reason. Once salt starved, they get very demanding of human urine.

Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana – original – flickr – SqueakyMarmot