Frazil ice is a collection of loose, randomly oriented needle-shaped ice crystals in water. It resembles slush and has the appearance of being slightly oily when seen on the surface of water.
It sporadically forms in open, turbulent, supercooled water, which means that it usually forms in rivers, lakes and oceans, on clear nights when the weather is colder, and air temperature reaches –6°C or lower. Frazil ice is the first stage in the formation of sea ice. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. The most amazing bit is seeing the creek STOP flowing at 1min 50sec.
Thank George for sending us the link to this natural phenomenon.
A prototype unit just shown at the Outdoor Retailers show in Vegas Salt Lake City.
… The Bearier 700 is two polycarbonate halves (production models will likely be a translucent color) that can be carried separately while hiking.
Backpackers can split them up between hikers, or carry the halves separately in or on their packs, for easier access and packing while hiking …
… at less than 2 lbs, if the Bearier 700 passes the National Park Service’s bear test, it could be a contender for the lightest canister, space-to-weight. …
Terrible terrible news. I’m still bewildered, angry and in denial.
Lifelong friends, Rob and Mark Glaser, were killed in an avalanche on Saturday, January 15, 2011 in the area of Burstall Pass, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta.
Here’s the official notice:
The families of Mark and Rob Glaser are in deep shock at the news of their tragic passing. Both were loving husbands and fathers and will be greatly missed by their families and legions of friends. Both were seasoned back country hikers and skiers who shared a deep passion for the outdoors.
Mark lived in Calgary and was in the oil and gas industry for over 25 years including senior management positions in recent years. Rob lived in Bragg Creek and was a captain in the Calgary Fire Department.
The family respectfully requests privacy at this time. Please direct all media contacts through Ed Glaser (brother) at 403-470-3904.
Phone Ed or contact me. I’ll post updates here.
Mark Glaser
On this trip a few years ago Mark and Rob trained me in snow rescue techniques.
Rob was a firefighter, expert in all things backcountry. They had left their avalanche beacons in the car making family speculate that this ski was intended to be simply a short warm-up.
Saskatchewan Glacier
Over 30 years (1978–2007), avalanches have been responsible for 329 deaths in Canada, with a recent rate of 14 deaths per year. …
Avalanche accounts for over 90% of outdoor recreation deaths, most of those in Alberta or B.C.
I took a close look at Nordic Walking by Malin Svensson. (2009)
Paperback and Kindle editions.
… Yet I’m still not convinced I’d benefit from hiking canes. I’m still suspicious Nordic Waltzing is a bit of a fad, especially in Europe.
… On the other hand, I don’t see the popularity of poles on the trail in decline. There are more & more each year.
Perhaps I need to get injured before really giving poles a fair try.
🙂
One similar book is Nordic Walking for Total Fitness by Suzanne Nottingham & Alexandra Jurasin
UPDATE: Check the comments for advice on poles from people who have actually used them. Buzz points out that almost all long distance hikers consider them essential, … the same guys who sometimes feel that toilet paper is a luxury.
Huaraz is a trekkers’ paradise. On one side of the valley you have the White Mountains (Cordillera Blanca). On the other side, the Black Mountains (Cordillera Negra). We hike the White Mountains, mountain bike the Black Mountains.
And only a short distance away is the remote, high Cordillera Huayhuash, ideal for hard core trekkers.
Huaraz is located in the central-northern part of the country at an altitude of 3052 m (10,013 feet), some 420 km north of Lima. Huaraz sits in the agriculturally important Callejón de Huaylas valley, at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, which includes Huascarán, the highest mountain in Peru at 6768 m (22,204 feet). …
On May 31, 1970 the Ancash earthquake destroyed much of Huaraz, killing 10,000 people. Almost nothing was left of the old city with its narrow streets and big adobe casonas roofed with tiles. The main square was the only major structure that survived the earthquake so the city was rebuilt around it. …
Huaraz is connected to the rest of the country through the Panamerican Highway (187 km north of Lima) and can be reached from Lima … in seven hours. …
Huascarán National Park is a popular destination for tourism and trekking. Huaraz is a frequent base for expeditions to the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash. …
The population of the greater area is over 100,000 though you’d never guess it was that big. Huarez retains the feeling of a remote mountain town.
Following on the success of it’s weekend permit system the NPS has opted to extend the program requiring permits for all hikers who wish to ascend the cables to the top of Half Dome, not just weekend hikers. …
Last season weekend permit demand was high and permits were reserved months in advance. Hikers without permits will be turned around at the foot of the cables. …
Have you tried any of the new ‘barefoot’ shoes as yet?
Gear Junkie has a guest post on what’s available by journalist and author Bill Katovsky of ZERO DROP, a new blog about barefoot and minimalist running.
I wear a fairly flat, but conventional approach shoe myself. No plans to go even more minimal.
Certainly this concept, presumably by Nike, is out of the question:
besthike.com 