Our Great National Parks is a five-part Netflix documentary series about some of the world’s national parks and their wildlife presented by former president of the United States Barack Obama.
I really enjoyed it.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Surviving Vancouver Island Wilderness – ALONE TV
Alone (TV series) … follows the self-documented daily struggles of 10 individuals (seven paired teams in season 4) as they survive alone in the wilderness for as long as possible using a limited amount of survival equipment. …
They may “tap out” at any time, or be removed due to failing a medical check-in. The contestant who remains the longest wins a grand prize of $500,000. …
Seasons 1, 2 and 4 were shot on Vancouver Island.
The first season premiered 2015.
They were dropped on Quatsino Sound in Northern Vancouver Island, Canada, only accessible by boat or float plane.
As I hike and cycle a lot on the Island, I was keen to see how mere mortals could live off the land in a remote rain forest.
Starting a fire was the first big challenge. EVERYTHING is wet all the time.
Food was the long term challenge.
Lucas was by far the most skilled in season 1. He built a boat, yurt and even a musical instrument.
But Lucas didn’t take home the $500K first prize. That went to the contestant that was psychologically strongest. I do believe he could have lasted weeks longer — though he lost over 60 pounds.
The 10 people selected for season 2 were better prepared. The challenge was the same — remote, wet Vancouver Island. Though the weather was better.
The final four all found ways to last a long time. But as winter approached, the food supply dwindled.
Nicole was one of my favourites. Marine biologist. Expert in intertidal zone ecosystem. Knows what plants to eat. What plants not to eat.
She had the luxury of letting a big salmon go free one day. Wow.
I was cheering Jose, as well, a Spaniard who had adopted the ways of the North American indigenous peoples. His kayak is amazing.
In the end, missing loved ones at home was the final reason to tap out.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Season 4 had seven teams of family members competing against one another.
Same geographical location.
Personally, I found the pairs stories less interesting. Did not finish the season.
Hiking the Faroe Islands
If Iceland seems too tame for you, consider hiking the Faroe Islands, an autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark.
I’m hoping to get there myself next summer.
Click PLAY or get a glimpse via Rannvá Joensen on YouTube. (4K)
Some of the best hikes include:
- Lake Sørvágsvatn, Bøsdalafossur Waterfall
- Kallur Lighthouse, island of Kalsoy
- Slættaratindur (882m)
- Mykines Lighthouse
- Draganir (Sea Stacks)
Here’s a hiking map of the islands.
It’s included in an excellent free hiking guide (PDF).
I’m planning to arrive by ferry from Denmark on my touring bicycle.
Dreaming …
Vermont’s Long Trail
I met Alan Wechsler on the John Muir Trail this past summer. I hiked in parallel with his group, finishing the same day at Whitney Portal.
Alan convinced me to put Vermont’s Long Trail in autumn on my personal life list. He suggested I follow the changing of the leaves starting late September and hiking south.
272 miles (437 km). 70 backcountry campsites.
Alan is a writer and photographer based in the Northeast. He recently spent a year section-hiking the Long Trail in various seasons. His 73-page narrative describes the challenge and history of the trail, along with the people he met along the way, and is generously illustrated with his photos. Download the e-book here:
19 Days on the JOHN MUIR TRAIL
Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
INTRODUCTION
The John Muir Trail in California is our #2 hike in the world.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Though I’d hiked almost every segment over the years, this was my first time hiking over 200 miles continually.
There are hundreds of excellent JMT Trip Reports online. For example, I enjoyed Jai’s joyful photo journal from Aug 11-30, 2021.
Rather than post a detailed day-by-day account, here I’ll simply recount some of my own HIGHLIGHTS.
If this page is too long 😀 … watch highlights of my trip in less than 5 minutes.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
FIRE & DROUGHT
Jai’s group finished one day before Forest Fire closures were announced.
We were lucky too. Aug 7 – 24, 2021. No closures. Haziest day was Aug 23rd near Whitney.
Climate change will — in future — increasingly make thru hikes of the John Muir Trail more difficult.
LIGHTNING
The other big worry on the JMT is afternoon lightning. This season Nicholas Torchia, 37-years-old, died after trying to take cover by leaning against a tree while hiking close to the John Muir Trail.
FRIENDS
For this adventure, I was happy to have my old hiking buddies Brian and Rocco join me for the first week.
Hiking with friends is more fun. But logistics more complicated.
Under my failed leadership in the past, we are known as the Backcountry Bunglers. AND we managed to bungle logistics again — though the hiking itself was superb.
We had Pacific Crest Trail 500+ mile permits rather than JMT permits. PCT are much easier to get. BUT require that you start exactly the day and trailhead on the permit. Also, you have to carry a print copy. Lessons learned.
Near Reds Meadows we made the short detour to Rainbow Falls.
And Devil’s Postpile.
TREES
Rocco is a student of flora and fauna. He particularly enjoyed the many kinds of beautiful (and weird) trees.
FOOD
When in town we felt obliged to CARBO LOAD in advance of our freeze dried future.
One of our favourite restaurants was Breakfast Club in Mammoth.
On the trail my dinners were mostly based on ramen, instant mashed potatoes and instant stuffing. REAL bacon pieces were one of my treats as were Jelly Belly.
FEET
Critical to a successful hike is footwear and foot management.
What worked best for me in the California dry heat was trail runners and Injiji toe socks. In fact, I left my usual Merrell Moabs in Mammoth after the first 5 days.
I cleaned and cooled my feet as often as possible during the day.
Mid-day I’d stop for about an hour to use solar power to recharge my devices.
CAMPSITES
In the Sierra Nevada there are plenty of opportunities to wild camp. Set up your tent anywhere not too close to water. … Unless it’s posted.
Late afternoon we had set up our tents … before noticing this sign.
It’s EASY to find fantastic places to tent. Actually.
SIDE TRIPS
Many on the JMT stick to the trail, unwilling to miss even a single official step. Not me.
I took 4 side trips:
- Reds – Thousand Island lake on the PCT
- southern Red Cone from Lower Crater Meadow junction
- Goodale Trail to Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR) because the boat wasn’t running
- Mt Whitney
VERMILLION VALLEY RESORT (VVR)
On past hikes I’d never made the famed side trip to VVR.
On arrival, the new owners welcome you warmly and offer a free cold beer.
I’m really glad I did VVR this time, taking a ZERO miles recovery day. I met more people there than the rest of the days combined. Found myself at the same table with PhD students and veteran thru hikers.
I stayed for the Saturday night all-you-can-eat barbecue. $26.
Due to drought and low snow fall the previous winter, governments had held back water from Lake Thomas Edison. When this happens, the ferry can’t shuttle hikers to VVR. It’s a half day extra walking.
For me it was well worth the side trip.
I skipped the Ranch.
SUNSET, NIGHT SKY & SUNRISE
Highlights for one and all. Yet I’m disappointed I didn’t take more photos. I should have woken up more often to see the Milky Way.
PASSES
The story of the southern JMT is climbing a high pass every day.
I enjoyed it. By Seldon I was feeling fit. My feet were great. In fact, I was in the BEST physical shape for hiking at the end of 19 days. It would have seemed EASY to hike back north.
MUIR PASS
Weather was good — but cold and windy when I reached famed Muir Pass hut.
PEAKFINDER APP
Navigation is easy on the John Muir trail with most of the popular hiking apps.
I used Guthook and the free Maps.me app.
Another I really appreciated is the free PeakFinder app. You must download the regional data when online as there’s very little service on the JMT.
FIN DOME
Of many, many impressive peaks en route — including Whitney — my favourite was Fin Dome.
BOOKS & WHITNEY
The south gets higher and bleaker. I re-read DUNE on this section as it was appropriate to the environment. Hiking alone I was able to finish quite a few audio books, in fact.
Here’s the final push to the top of Whitney.
I was briefly the highest person in the lower 48.
Since the weather was good, I decided to have dinner atop the peak. Stay for sunset. It was very hazy.
A highlight, however, was walking down to Trail Camp on the far side of the mountain by headlamp and moonlight. My only night hiking of the trip.
Next morning I was up for dawn to enjoy my final morning on the John Muir Trail.
Finally down at Portal, we celebrated with the traditional burger and fries. Relived highlights with hikers whom I’d been walking with in parallel for many days.
A wonderful trip.
Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland
… At just over 100 miles long, and taking 7 to 10 days to complete, the Arctic Circle Trail crosses the largest ice-free patch of West Greenland.
This splendid backpacking route, lying 25-30 miles north of the Arctic Circle runs from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut – both with airport access.
a summer walk, ideally from mid-June to mid-September, when the tundra is bursting with life; during the long winter, snow and ice, short days and bitter cold are the norm …
Bo Normander posted an excellent trip report from 2017:
GUIDE TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL IN GREENLAND
Lisa Germany (from Australia) posted her trip report.
Or you can listen to an interview where she describes Greenland and the ACT in detail.
The Wonderment of Walking with Torbjørn Ekelund – The 10Adventures Podcast
On today’s episode, we discuss the power of walking with Torbjørn Ekelund, author of In Praise of Paths: Walking through Time and Nature. After an unexpected epilepsy diagnosis affected his ability to drive, Torbjørn began walking—everywhere. For the past 6 years, our guest has rediscovered the wonderment of walking and the benefits of travelling by foot.
In addition to the obvious mental and physical benefits, Torbjørn details how walking permits a more immersive and intentional practice, engendering reconnection, reflection, and meditation. This inspiring podcast romanticizes going by foot, and by the end of the episode, you’ll be reaching for your walking shoes.
Check out Torbjørn’s website and don’t forget to grab a copy of his book!
documentary – Surviving the Outback
Michael Atkinson places himself in the historic predicament of two stranded German aviators in 1932 to see if the his skills as a survival instructor, pilot and adventurer will allow him to escape to the nearest civilization.
It is a gripping film.
I learned a lot about surviving in the harsh Australian coastal wilderness.
The most remarkable feature of this documentary is its mode of filming. It is not performed by any film crew that follows his journey. It is single-handedly managed by Mike through drones and cameras so it preserves the natural element. The breathtaking pictures of the ocean, varied shades of the waters, flora and fauna of marine sea and the natural cliffs along the coast paint an excellent landscape for the viewers. It manages to take one to an unexplored world …
Watch the hour long documentary FREE on TubiTV.
Documentary – Into the Canyon
Premiered February 2019.
VERY entertaining.
You might be able to find it on the National Geographic Channel.
In 2016 filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko set out on a 750-mile journey on foot through the entire length of the Grand Canyon.
From the outset, the challenge was far more than they bargained for. More people have stood on the moon than have completed a continuous through hike of the Canyon.
… But their quest was more than just an endurance test – it was also a way to draw attention to the unprecedented threats facing one of our most revered landscapes. …
Uranium mines, tourist development, maintaining indigenous flora and fauna. Native peoples are interviewed thoughout.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.
EVERYONE should support planting more TREES
No matter what your opinion on CO2 levels higher than they been for at least the past three million years, you can support planting more trees.
Trees are good in MANY ways, including pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, some guy who got popular on YouTube, started a campaign that raised enough money for more than 20 million trees to be planted across the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Haiti, Indonesia, Ireland, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and the United Kingdom.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Secondly, we should STOP subsidizing fossil fuel industries. One study calculated $5 trillion / year in subsidy worldwide.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Greta Thunberg has inspired millions of students to become environmental activists for climate change.
I love to see how some previously unknown teenager scares so many of the rich and powerful worldwide.
She’s the youngest individual Time Person of the Year.
Thunberg was also nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
trekking the Mangoky River, Madagascar
Raising awareness of the loss of wildlife and wild lands across Africa.
Chaz Powell, Emilie Gorse and Justin True walked the length of the Mangoky River in Madagascar, covering some 800 km (497 miles) in the process. …
besthike.com 