Category: product endorsements

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Happy 125th birthday Banff National Park

My nation’s first National Park officially turns 125 on Nov. 25th, 2010, … but the party will be celebrated on Saturday, July 17th, Canada’s Parks Day.

… The park is now part of the Rocky Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site, and draws 3.3 million visitors a year — more than any other Canadian park. Tourists take over the town of Banff every summer and fan out to explore the park’s 1,500 kilometres of hiking trails. Then they bring home their stories of classic peaks and the beautiful Bow Valley below to friends and families around the planet. …

Calgary Herald

more interesting photos tagged “Banff National Park”

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Gear Junkie – best backpacks of all time

GossamerGear Mariposa Plus

Golite Jam

ULA P-2/Catalyst

Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus

Mountainsmith Ghost

Jason Klass explains why in this video …

There are a lot of lightweight and ultralight packs out there and I’ve tried many of them. Here are my picks for the top 5 including their strengths and weaknesses.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m sorry to say that my own pack, the Granite Gear Virga (VIDEO), did not make his list. He did choose it a number of years ago – best gear of the past 5 years.

related – Adventure Blog – The Best Backpack for Two Hours or Two Months (Sierra Magazine picks)

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book review – The Cactus Eaters

How I Lost My Mind–And Almost Found Myself–On the Pacific Crest Trail

Excellent.

Traversing broiling deserts, snowy mountain passes and dank rain forests on its crooked way from Mexico to Canada, the Pacific Coast Trail is an epic challenge for die-hard backpackers. White and his girlfriend, Melissa, set out, late in the season and bereft of experience, to tread all 2,650 miles of it, leaving behind lousy reporting jobs and hoping to find self-definition and a deepened relationship. (They call their trek the Lois and Clark Expedition.)

Hilarious greenhorn misadventures ensue—including the author’s ill-advised chomp, while dizzy with dehydration, into a reputedly moisture-laden prickly-pear cactus—that tested their survival skills and commitment as a couple. …

Amazon

This book reminded me of both A Walk in the Woods and A Blistered Kind of Love: One Couple’s Trial by Trail.

It confirmed the certainty that I would never do a thru hike with any partner.

The biggest question I had as the sorry tale unfolded … Will Melissa come to her senses and finally dump this loser?

related – Brad Wieners and his wife Mary – Couple’s Therapy via Adventure Racing

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Triple Crown Hikes in Waterton this summer

by site editor Rick McCharles


3 hikes
up to 55km
2650m elevation gain

I can’t resist. Waterton is the best kept secret in Canadian hiking. Tourists flock to Banff in the Rockies, leaving Waterton National Park to us local insiders.

I’m going to complete the Triple Crown myself and get my name on the Glory Board.

… Crypt Lake (9km), Akamina Ridge (20km) and the Alderson-Carthew Summit (16km) in one summer.

I’ll do the 3 during one trip, I think. Either end of June. … Or in August.

I’ve done Crypt and Alderson-Carthew in the past. But never Akamina. It looks great.

Details on ExperienceWaterton.com.

Leave a comment if you want to use the Triple Crown challenge as an excuse to get your butt to Waterton.

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Adventure Sports Week LOOMS

I’m looking forward to the second annual ASW. Will you be there?

2010 Dates June 4-13

Each June in Northern Idaho, Adventure Sports Week offers 10 days of racing, training, clinics, gear demos and more. ASW features triathlons, mountain biking, trail running, adventure racing, open water kayaking and swimming.

Our venue is located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille at Farragut State Park.

home page

• Schedule of Races

• Registration

• Venue

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USA hikes with Gorgeous Finales

A good list from divine caroline by Vicki Santillano:

Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
Half Dome, California
Conundrum Creek Trail, Colorado
Bright Angel Trail, Arizona
The Hollywood Trail, California
Mount Riga State Park Trail, Connecticut
OldRag Mountain Hike, Virginia
Raven Cliff Falls Trail, Georgia
Mount Whitney Trail, California

… The ends of these popular hikes can replenish the most tired and weary of walkers and instill an invigorating sense of accomplishment in them. … the more motivation you’ll have to keep walking when the trails get tough …

click through for details and photos of each – Nine U.S. Hikes with Gorgeous Finales

(via Chris Weiss on uncooped who adds Angel’s Landing, Utah)

I’m liking Conundrum Hot Springs.

… located at a staggering 11,200′ within the famous Maroon Bells in the Snowmass wilderness. These steamy pools are 8.5 miles up the Conundrum Creek trail just outside of Aspen. …

click photo for details
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Adventure Sports Week June 4-13, 2010

by site editor Rick McCharles

Each June in Northern Idaho, Adventure Sports Week offers 10 days of racing, training, clinics, gear demos and more. ASW features triathlons, mountain biking, trail running, adventure racing, open water kayaking and swimming.

2009 was our inaugural year and we’re gearing up for 2010. One of the best new adventure sport races in the U.S.A.

details and registration is available at www.adventuresportsweek.com

What do rollercoasters, a great rappel, fantastic scenery, a first class event and “10-24-1” have in common?

Adventure Sports Week 2009

Hosted at beautiful Farragut State Park in Bayview, Idaho (just north of Coeur d Alene), ASW 2010 is promising to be one of the top festivals in the USA this year.

• official event home page

• Team Adventure Sports Week blog

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REI now has TV commercials

Love it.

… This 30 second spot was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and shares some of the community and inspiration we’ve experienced while hiking. . ..

Click PLAY or watch on YouTube.

(via the adventure life … smacking down writer Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times)

I can relate. I’m still boycotting linking to the LA Times because of some long forgotten idiot opinion piece.

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best hikes in Florida

In Gainesville for business, I contacted Florida hiking guru Sandra Friend for some local advice.

Hiking gurus hate this question: “What are the best hikes?”

The answer, of course, is “… it depends“.

But Sandra, to her credit, did post a list:

… If you can only do a hike or two in Florida, pick one of these.

1 Key Vista Nature Park
2 Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
3 Blowing Rocks Preserve
4 Clear Creek Nature Trail
5 Collier-Seminole State Park – Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail
6 Coquina Baywalk
7 Econfina Nature Trail
8 Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
9 Falling Waters State Park
10 Florida Trail, Big Oak Trail

There are more recommended. Click through to – Florida Hikes

I just bought her iPhone app released April 22nd, Florida State Parks (opens in iTunes). ($1.99) … Review coming soon.