Category: health & safety

Hiking downhill used to really bother my knees. However, with improved mechanics, I usually descend painlessly now, but a lot slower. Especially when going downhill, I am mindful of my “heel strike”. The heel strike is the motion of the foot contacting the ground with each step taken. The lighter or softer the heel strike, the less jarring, torque or force (whatever you want to call it) gets transferred up to the knee. When going downhill, I walk like I’m on hot coals or thin ice, putting my foot down very gently. I avoid like the plague what I call “galloping downhill momentum”. There is a natural tendency to speed up on downhills to compensate for the time it took to go uphill and just because it’s easy and feels good.

Rainmaker’s Hiking Mechanics

Bodywork: Your Knees – Care and Maintenance – Outside magazine

One of the most confusing and controversial dangers to hikers is Lyme disease.

In western North America we did not think much about the risk until we heard of a hiker who got Lyme disease hiking the West Coast Trail — one of the most unlikely geographical locales possible.

Hike aware.

Hard-bodied … ticks are the primary Lyme disease vectors. In Europe, Ixodes ricinus, known commonly as the sheep tick, castor bean tick, or European castor bean tick is the transmitter. In North America, Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick or deer tick) has been identified as the key to the disease’s spread on the east coast, while on the west coast the primary vector is Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged tick). Another possible vector is Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick), which is found throughout the southeastern U.S. as far west as Texas, and increasingly in northeastern states as well.

The longer the duration of tick attachment, the greater the risk of disease transmission, but, typically, for the spirochete to be transferred, the tick must be attached for a minimum of 12 hours, … Unfortunately only 20% of those infected with Lyme by the deer tick are aware of any tick bite, making early detection difficult in the absence of a rash. Tick bites usually go unnoticed due to the small size of the tick in its nymphal stage, as well as tick secretions that prevent the host from feeling any itch or pain from the bite.

Lyme disease – Wikipedia

adult tick

Trailex encourages users to share information about trail safety in the Bow Valley (from Banff to Bragg Creek in Canada). The goal is to keep humans and wildlife safe.

Examples of information you should post:

* Bear, cougar, wolf, aggressive elk or moose sightings
* Dead animal carcasses that may indicate a large carnivore is in the area
* Grizzly bear diggings or other signs of large carnivores
* Recent trail closures, bear or cougar traps, or bear aversive conditioning

Trailex

Good idea.

Canadian international mining company Barrick Gold wants to “relocate” three glaciers in the mountain range between Argentina and Chile to gain access to 17.6 million oz. of rich gold and silver deposits.

Chilean farmers and residents of the surrounding Huasco Valley are strongly opposed. Glacial water is used for irrigation.

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics (Pascua-Lama)

click for larger image

Original article on CorpWatch.org

In the hiking mecca of Huaraz, Peru, Barrick Gold does everything they can to portrait themselves a good corporate citizen. The trash bins in town are donated by Barrick.

The history of mining in South America is very grim. We cannot get the fantastic Huayhuash range in Peru declared a National Park because of mining interests.

I say, hold Barrick’s feet to the fire on this one.