Category: health & safety

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Iceland of the midnight sun

This is a graphic representation of the hours of darkness in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The months are represented across the bottom (Jan = I, Dec = XII)

Now in June (VI) there are no hours of darkness. You could golf all night.

Many find it difficult to fall asleep during the night when the sun is shining. In general, visitors and newcomers are most affected. Some natives are also affected, but in general to a lesser degree….

Wikipedia – Midnight sun

I’ve hiked in Alaska, Yukon and Patagonia during long days, but it’s never been this bright at night.

Weird.

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no go Landmannalaugar

The most famous hike in Iceland opens June 15th. Or 17th. Or 20th. Or later.

It’s been a hard, cold Spring.

I had hoped to do the trek before the official opening, to avoid the hordes. That’s not going to happen.

Today I drove to the campground at Skogar, one of the trailheads. Two young German guys had just come out. There’s still a LOT of snow and mud. It’s not fun.

They convinced me not to go.

… so I’m looking for an alternative backcountry hike, perhaps 75km, over the next few days.

I fly out on the 17th.

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climbing Bear Mountain, Arizona

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

Length: 2.5 miles one way
Rating: Strenuous
Season: All year
Hiking time: 4 1/2 hours round trip

Pass required to park at trailhead

After checking with the Rangers in the Sedona Visitor Centre, very quickly I settled on Bear Mountain as my first hike in the region.

LOVED it.

But the weather was unsettled. I feared lightning (check a trip report by Justin Wright – Hiking In A Lightning Storm) but, happily, I only got a few drops of rain.

In good weather I’d call it a challenging hike due to elevation, but certainly no scramble. On the other hand, some hikers have had to be rescued. And one medic was killed by a chopper blade during evacuation. Heat emergency is the greatest danger as there’s very little shade.

Happily, I had a cool day.

via Sedona Hiking Trails

larger image

I left a Summit Stone in a tree. (PHOTO)

more photos from this day hike

official hike website

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climbing Mt Baldy, Los Angeles

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Mount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at 10,068 ft (3,069 m), is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County. …

Hiking trails access the summit from three sides of the mountain and one route is assisted on summer weekends by the availability of a running ski-area chair lift …

I checked Modern Hiker for details:

– Distance: 10.33 miles
– Elevation Gain: 3950 feet

… Most of the trails are very clearly marked and easy to follow. There are a few places where you might get off the beaten path, but generally you can find your way back with ease. The Devil’s Backbone Trail has a few dangerous spots that deserve extra attention. Do not attempt this trail when there is ice or snow present. A single slip on the Backbone when it’s icy could spell serious trouble …

I was concerned about snow on May 5th, 2011. People have died here.

I was ready to switch to a safer trail, if advised to do so at the Visitor’s Center. … Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the office is currently closed Tue/Wed/Thur. (I arrived on a Thursday. Merde.)

… I decided to climb as high as possible, turning back if unsafe.

The most popular trailhead for those not CHEATING by taking the lift is Manker Flats, Antonio Falls road. It’s relatively easy to get up to Mt. Baldy Ski Resort, (not to be confused with the one in Canada).

The weather was perfect. Very little wind.

The highlight for me, though, were the ridge walk sections. Happily, all clear of snow.

Conditions were safe. I found myself on the summit in 3hrs.

I’m not saying there was no snow. Rather that there was almost no snow in any position of exposure.

I stashed a Summit Stone at 10,064 feet. (PHOTO)

This hike is highly recommended. I loved it.

more photos

A much better trip report than mine is posted on Modern Hiker. 🙂

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Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau

Buzz recommends this guidebook, though it’s not been revised since 1999. The author’s been called controversial.

This is a canyon hiking guide to the Colorado Plateau, which covers the southeastern half of Utah, the northern half of Arizona, the western 1/5 of Colorado, and a small part of NW New Mexico. …

Amazon

Michael R. Kelsey

… on June 9, 1970 he put a pack on his back and started traveling. Since then he has seen 223 countries, republics, islands, or island groups. When not traveling the world he is seeking out and exploring the canyon countries of the Southwest’s Colorado Plateau. All his wanderings have resulted in a very successful series of 16 self-published books. …

Michael R. Kelsey

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new FUNNY video – The Naturist

The Naturist has been called a lot of things. Hack. Jackass. Oaf. Bumbling, uninformed mouth-breather. Genius. (That was his mom).

But one thing he’s never been called: dead. That’s because even after all he’s been through, he’s survived. Sure, he may have a few completely unnecessary scars and a horrible, degenerative kidney disease, but he’s still ticking. That’s why we thought that it was Teva’s duty to bring his unique and unorthodox viewpoints to you for another round of informational videos. His tactics may not align with “survival experts” or “common sense,” but he’s still breathing, so he must be doing something right.

…Right?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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best hiking guidebooks

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’ve updated this list, my first revision since 2007.

At besthike we are assessing hiking guidebooks all the time. Most are poor: too much dense text, lousy maps, too few photos and graphics.

The worst of the worst are lists of dozens of hikes in a region with a short summary of each. There is no recommendation on “best hikes” because the author has (presumably) not walked them all.

Sadly, there’s no shortage of bad hiking guidebooks.

How do you find the BEST hiking guidebooks?

We often START by looking at the Lonely Planet walking guides.

Lonely Planet books are brilliantly succinct, have great maps and a high standard of quality control. And from the LP website you can buy just specific chapters as PDFs, if you wish.
And in some cases, the Lonely Planet guide is the best available. As an example, Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes.

The very best hiking guidebooks we’ve seen are the newest editions of Chapman’s guides to Australia.

Overland Track and Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair

The Overland Track guide, for example: 64 pages, 48 colour photos, 9 colour topographic maps, costs only A$17.95 including tax. Chapman is the undisputed expert on the region.

Chapman wrote the first editions of the Lonely Planet guides in Australia, later deciding to self-publish along with his wife and other co-authors. These guidebooks are near perfect, both informational and inspirational. Elevation profiles, history, climate, vegetation, geology, wildlife.

Other “best” guidebooks that come to mind include Blisters and Bliss, the beloved, venerable guidebook to the West Coast Trail. It uses humour to best effect.

The most compact format for a guidebook is published by Rucksack: waterproof, lightweight, open-flat with built-in map. (Exploring the Inca Trail, for example.)

But the VERY best format WAS The Canadian Rockies SuperGuide, by Graeme Pole, which WAS offered in a 3-ring binder (with a plastic sleeve for carrying only those pages you need).

It’s no longer available in the binder form. These days I’m back to photocopying the pages I need from his newest edition (2011).

Do you have a favourite guidebook? If so, leave a comment below.

… The future, obviously, is digital.

I’ve just bought a new iPod Touch (no GPS) and will be experimenting with Apps and other digital guides this season.

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adventure hiking for women

I saw this on Appalachian Ski & Outdoors (AppOutdoors.com) … FREE seminars at Penn State put on by a Women’s Adventure Club.

details

I’m not sure that hiking will every appeal much to young people. (I only started seriously at age-40) But it’s ideal for older women, at least those who still have healthy ankles, knees and backs.

That’s the demographic we need to target if the numbers of walkers on trails is to increase significantly.

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Can hiking cure the U.S. health-care crisis?

Tom Mangan ponders a future where your Boss at work demands:

… take up hiking or we yank your health coverage.

Sounds extreme? I call it a logical extension of what we already know:

• The U.S. has no political will to confront spiraling health costs.

• Prevention is the only proven way to keep the doctor away.

• Simply going on walks regularly can significantly improve physical health and reduce risk of developing expensive maladies like heart disease and diabetes.

read more on Two-Heel Drive


(via Boing Boing)

Brilliant.

It reminds me of my own bold proposal to end racism by making inter-racial marriage mandatory.