Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
I’d been shopping for a hooded down jacket for months on a recommendation from Rob Glaser. Could not resist this one at the bargain sale price of $107.
Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL Down Parka – Men’s
Actually, only the women’s version was on sale. It fits me great.
I’ve used it several times now, even sleeping in it on our Mt. Adams climb.
I’ll carry a relatively light sleeping bag to offset the weight of this relatively heavy jacket.
A GPS Unit Even Your Mother Could Use
Finally, a SIMPLE GPS.
Bushnell 36-0050 BackTrack GPS Navigation System
(via Popgadget to Ohgizmo to The Goat to Adventure Blog)
I’ve added this to my Christmas wish list. I could certainly have used one in the past.
… 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. …
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 park’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. “Good for whacking the Fer-de-Lance†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:
We climbed Mt. Adams in the Cascades in beautiful weather. But our guide Matt insisted we haul survival gear up to the summit including parkas, emergency sleeping bag, stove, fuel.
On the descent Matt suggested a future trip up to Camp Muir on Rainier. No doubt he’d insist we carry survival gear yet again.
Here’s why …
Wikipedia
Park rangers say the three — two men and a woman — planned a day hike Monday to Camp Muir, which stands at about 10,000 feet feet on the 14,410-foot mountain and has a shelter. However, a wintry storm that blew in pinned them down near that location. Park officials say the storm dumped 2 feet of snow and created 5-foot drifts at Paradise and generated winds of 70 mph at Camp Muir.
At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday the trio, which dug a snow shelter to avoid the brunt of the storm, managed to get through to park rangers with a 911 emergency call; but because of heavy snow and near zero visibility rangers were unable to safely initiate a search at that time. At about 7:15 a.m. one member of the party found his way to Camp Muir and was able to direct a search team, made up of climbing guides and park rangers stationed at Camp Muir, to the party’s location near Anvil Rock.
All three of the stranded hikers were under shelter at Camp Muir by 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, though all suffered hypothermia and frostbite and one was unconscious and unresponsive and ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The man who died was the husband of the surviving woman. All three were in their early 30s and from Bellevue, Washington. They all were experienced mountaineers who had visited Camp Muir in the past and enjoy hiking on Mount Rainier. …Day Hike Turns Fatal at Mount Rainier National Park – National Parks Traveler
That site has a Category called: Missteps in the Parks
From Crow:
Dig a hole. I have found the little plastic orange shovel is useless for digging a hole. When the digging is good, my foot, a stick, or a rock will work just as well and when the digging is hard, the shovel is worthless. When the digging is hard, I look for natural holes like uprooted trees, or turn over rocks that have sunk into the earth.
For toilet paper, I use a stick or rock big enough to keep my hands away from any chance of fecal contamination. There is speculation that it isn’t the water that makes hikers sick but their own feces.
For when I feel a need for toilet paper, I carry a few paper towels in a ziplock sandwich bag. When I’m in a situation were a stick won’t do, paper towels work much better than toilet paper, travel better, and can be wetted for a more thorough cleaning. It is thought of as a good practice to pack out any paper that you use. You can however, bury it if you wish, confident that you won’t be causing any more harm to the environment then encasing it in plastic and carrying it with you. Some people have burnt it and caused huge forest fires. (there is a sign on the PCT that says, “this forest fire started by a PCT thru-hiker burning his toilet paper†) If there is any chance of fecal contamination to my hands, I bring out my wash kit and wash them.
If I have used the hole from an uprooted tree, there is lots of loose soil to bury my poo in. If I have used the hole from a rock, I rake what surface duff and dead leaves I can find over the poo and put the rock back on top of all of it.
As The Crow Flies» Blog Archive » How to poo in the woods.
I’ve never had to resort to a stick as TP, myself. I burn the toilet paper. Carefully. And cover with the biggest, flattest rock I can find to try to prevent the evidence being dug up by critters. I always keep the TP, lighter and hand sanitizer together in one emergency ziplock. And use the sanitizer before and after.
Recently we had mandatory human waste pack-out bags for climbing Mt. Adams, Washington. Those were a great source of amusement for our group, three of whom had never used them before.
I had. And donated an odor proof, leak proof kayak bag for carrying our “droppings”. For some reason people packed it down in plastic bags, one of which broke.
Oops.
related: How to Shit in the Woods – Amazon
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. …
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
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. …
Keep cool on the Trail.
Kevin Pringles of Chill Factor Clothing emailed:
We have developed a cooling hat that keeps people cooler and safer in the heat, so it is perfect for hikers. The hats have a crystal material inside that absorb water and turn into a cooling gel. When soaked in ice water, the hats get very cold and they can protect people from heat related injuries. For more information, check out the following link:
more hat styles – photo Gallery
Backpacker magazine recommends a 55mi stretch of the infamous 800+mi Hayduke Trail in the American S.W.
The otherworldly terrain in southern Utah’s labyrinthine canyon country–slots, hoodoos, mesas, bizarre sandstone formations–is as confusing as it is captivating. Get off-track or miss one of the infrequent water sources, and you have real problems. This 55-mile, roughly eight-day stretch of the Hayduke Trail serves up both extremes. You’ll travel mostly off-trail, with steep, loose scrambles, deep sand slogs, and a paucity of distinctive terrain features. Long stretches are waterless–including the first 25 miles. In return, you get bragging rights for a spectacularly remote and rarely traveled journey.
Tech assist Use ExpertGPS (expertgps.com) to plot routes using topo and aerial photographs, then send data to your GPS. Plan best-case routes and alternates, since the complex terrain may present obstacles you can’t identify on screen. Example: See
backpacker.com/haydukefor our custom file with multiple off-trail routes.Start in Canyonlands’s Needles District, where multicolored sandstone towers stand like 200-foot candles above the desert. You’ll pass under Seldom Seen Bridge and trek by the cliff dwellings and rock art of Fable Valley. Mark water caches (drop one pretrip to avoid carrying three days’ supply at the start) and critical water sources (at miles 24.7, 34.1, and 42).
Tip: Waypoint your vehicle at trip’s end as well. …
read more – Backpacker
I’m currently reading The Monkey Wrench Gang (P.S.), the book that inspired this adventure.
I’m no Brian Frankle. This 55mi section for wimps sounds plenty tough enough for me.
(via The Adventure Blog)
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. …
(via A Trail Runner’s Blog)
larger original – flickr – jvh33
besthike.com 
