One of the great things about the outdoors is happening upon weird cloud formations.
A few captures posted by flickr photographers:
See many more on webdesigner depot – The Weirdest Clouds that You’ll Ever See
Thanks Frank Wall of Our Hiking Blog.
hike Waterton National Park in Canada
Continuous with Glacier National Park in Montana, Waterton in Alberta is one of our favourite hiking destinations.
It’s home to our #6 best hike in the world, Glacier North Circle.
Rachel Tynan from Waterton Park Inns and Resorts recommends the ExperienceWaterton.com hiking page:
Waterton Lakes National Park boasts world class hiking trails with unparalled scenery and the opportunity for many wildlife encounters. There are 255 km (191 miles) of managed trails in Waterton Lakes National Park. Ranging in difficulty from short jaunts to steep advanced treks that can take days. …
Our other favorite hikes in that park:
• Tamarack Trail
• Crypt Lake
• Carthew/Alderson
Besthike world headquarters is Calgary, Canada. We’ve been hiking Waterton for decades. Like Glacier, it’s one of the very best places in the world to see wildlife. (One day we saw 6 bears!)
more Waterton photos
beautiful Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Two million people a year visit Multnomah Falls.
I’ve never been one of them. … Until now.
It’s one of the most scenic waterfalls anywhere. Perfection.
… two major steps, split into an upper falls of 542 feet (165 m) and a lower falls of 69 feet (21 m), with a gradual 9 foot (3 m) drop in elevation between the two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620 feet (189 m). Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the State of Oregon. …
weird, wild Saguaro cactus
I feel lucky to have just finished a driving tour of the exact range of the crazy beautiful Saguaro cactus, definitely one of my favourite flora.
… a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California …
Harming a saguaro in any manner, including cactus plugging, is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected. …
7 Strong Men Rock Formation – Russia
Have you ever heard of this unique natural attraction?
Manpupuner and the 7 Strong Men Rock Formations
Deemed one of the Seven Wonders of Russia, Komi Republic (map) is home to Manpupuner (Man-Pupu-Nyer), a mysterious site in the northern Ural mountains, in the Troitsko-Pechorsky District, made out of seven rock towers bursting out of the flat plateau known as the “7 strong men“.
Manpupuner is a very popular attraction in Russia, but not on an international level and information regarding its origin is scarce. We know however that their height and abnormal shapes make the top of these rock giants inaccessible even to experienced rock-climbers. Manpupuner is very hard to reach, it lies in a very harsh environment, …
Thanks George.
trek the Curzon Trail, India
Henry Wismayer authored an excellent article published by The Telegraph: Garhwal Himalayas: trekking the Curzon Trail
He points out how the Garhwal Himalayas in India might have been as popular with hikers as Nepal. This is an entertaining read.
… this five-day trek is the marquee route along the western rim of the Unesco-prescribed Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve – but there isn’t much accommodation in these parts so everything we need, including food, cooking rings and an antiquated A-frame tent, is coming with us.
It pays to come prepared. On the next terrace down are three bearded Bavarians who set off from the Ghat trailhead expecting the amenities of Annapurna.
“There is nowhere to buy food here?” had come the incredulous reply …
I’d love to hike there.
… There is no tourist paraphernalia in the mountain settlements – no tea-houses selling pizza and home-made chang – just corncobs hanging from the lintels and chillies scattered over sackcloth to dry. Outside Pana, an ancient goatherd asks Biru if I want to buy marijuana; this is the only clue that other trekkers have been here before us. …
read the article – Garhwal Himalayas: trekking the Curzon Trail
Wismayer has a photo set too. Click through to flickr – The Curzon Trail
trekking support teams
by editor Rick McCharles
I normally hike independently, carrying my own pack, organizing my own logistics. And cooking my own (bad) food.
“Sir I like the freedom sir.”
What I miss, however, is close interaction with local people.
Aasmund Midttun Godal calls Roraima – “the best trek in my life. (period)”
He posted this excellent photo of his local guide / cook Marcos. Nice.
Biking Across the Alaska Range
An inspiring photo by Bill Hatcher for National Geographic.
(Photograph taken on assignment for, but not published in, “Biking Across the Alaska Range: A Wild Ride,” May 1997, National Geographic magazine)
The team of Carl Tobin, Paul Adkins, and Roman Dial completed a 775-mile (1250-kilometer) bike trip across the Alaska Range in seven weeks. Their aim was to travel light, with feather-light titanium bikes and less than 20 pounds (8 kilograms) each in food, clothing, and gear.
Kolby Kirk – 50 best hiking photos
Kolby of 100hikes.com posted his 50 favourite photos from 2009. These chosen from a total of 20,628 photos he captured last year!
Watch the slideshow.
America’s 10 Most Spectacular Day Hiking Areas
Camping Tourist has a post somewhat misnamed – 10 America’s Most Spectacular Day Hikes
I like their choices, however.
Mt. Katahdin, Baxter State Park, MaineCoyote Gulch, Escalante Subdistrict, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples, Florida
Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia
Lost Coast, King Range National Conservation Area, Northern California
Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, White River National Forest, Colorado
Mount St. Helens, Washington
Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Kauai, Hawaii
Wrangell St Elias National Park, Kennecott District, Alaska
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California
click through for details and photos – America’s Most Spectacular Day Hikes
As an aside, I note that the text from that post has been stolen and reposted on several other sites.
That’s a shame.
