slot canyons of the American Southwest

You could spend weeks hiking just slot canyons in this area.

The best site to get inspired is AmericanSouthWest.net .

Few places on Earth have such beauty and mystique on an intimate scale as the delicately scupltured and coloured slot canyons of the American Southwest. There are thousands of scenic canyons in this region but most are relatively wide and often descend in steps through rock layers of differing hardness; in contrast, slot canyons have vertical walls and may be hundreds of feet deep but only a few feet wide.

Most slot canyons are remote, hidden and difficult to reach and explore, but this only adds to their appeal; one can get a good idea from a photograph, but this is no substitute for visiting in person. The canyons tend to be dry for most of the year but receive occasional flash floods of great force, most frequently during the late summer months. It is these sudden torrents of water, carrying logs, stones and other debris that have been cutting through the relatively soft rock for millions of years, resulting in a great variety of colourful rock shapes and forms.

In general, true slot canyons are found only on the many rivers and their tributaries that ultimately flow into Lake Powell, in Utah. There are three main drainage systems; various creeks that cross Navajo land south of the lake in Arizona, branches of the Paria River to the west, and branches of the Escalante and other rivers to the north.

Slot Canyons of the American Southwest

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top 10 hikes in the world

) West Coast Trail, BC, Canada
) John Muir Trail, California, USA
#3) Tongariro Northern Circuit, New Zealand
#4) Ausangate Circuit, Peru
) Sunshine to Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada
#6) Glacier North Circle, Montana, USA
) Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
#8) Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
#9) TMB (Tour de Mont Blanc), Europe
10) Overland Track, Tasmania

top10hikes

 

Our highly subjective top 10 for 2006. These are the trekking adventures we feel most likely to “change your life”.

If you have any opinion (especially if you can recommend a better hike than any of these) leave a comment at the bottom of this post. In fact, we would happily post your own Top 10.

UPDATE: The “California is the Center of the Outdoor Universe” crowd want John Muir Trail to be . (They hint at a bias towards Canadian hikes because besthike is based out of Canadia.)

what’s the best headlamp?

Turk (a.k.a. – Ryan Miles) of ekho.info posed an important question on the Around the Campfire forum:

… when it comes to flashlights and headlamps. Wide beams, focused beams, 9 bajillion lumens, tactical lights, every color of the rainbow LED etc etc.

So here is my question. Seriously… what is everyone doing that they need so much light?

I am not against headlamps by any means. But really do you need one unless you are on trail after sun down? Or big powerful flashlights for that matter?

All I have ever used is a maglite solitare, pelican L1 and photon freedom micro. Its plenty of light for me.

So. This is not a slam to anybody with a big powerful light. But convince me, educate me if you will, explain to me … what exactly you do with that light, and what aspects of hiking life does it make better?

Whats the deal with Light? – Around the Campfire

In my defence, Turk, I do like a bright light for reading in the tent. In fact, I’ve been known to wear 2 headlamps! My eyes are not as good as they once were.

Princeton Tec Quad 4-LED Headlamp (Black or Blue)
Princeton Tec Quad 4-LED Headlamp (Black or Blue)

top 10 hikes in the world – countdown

top10.jpgStarting tomorrow, December 16th, besthike.com will post our list of the very best hikes in the world starting with .

We’ll reveal one each day culminating Christmas morning with the hike on Earth.

The good news is that some of the old horses trotted out on lists like these will be missing. Do NOT expect to see: Inca Trail, Peru, or Milford Track, New Zealand.

hiking the Great Wall of China

It’s not yet on our list of the best hikes in the world. But … someday.

Hiking in China we still do not recommended … unless you speak Mandarin.

Of course you can sign on with dozens of different hiking tours of the Great Wall. But what if you really want to hike independently?

The Rucksack guide is your best bet.


“Explore the Great Wall” (Jacquetta Megarry)

top 10 hikes in the world – countdown

top10.jpgStarting December 16th besthike.com will post our list of the very best hikes in the world starting with .

We’ll reveal one each day culminating Christmas morning with the hike on Earth.

That’s it. Our Christmas present to regular readers.

great National Park lodges

If I had the cash I’d tour all the great Park hotels of the world. What a trip that would be!

National Park Traveler’s top 10 USA National Park lodges:

1. The Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone.

2. Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park.

3. Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park.

4. The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yellowstone.

5. Bryce Canyon Lodge cabins.

6. Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley National Park.

7. Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone.

8. Zion Lodge, Zion National Park.

9. Wuksachi Lodge, Sequoia National Park.

10. Kalaloch Lodge, Olympic National Park.

The Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park would have made this list if not for being closed while much-needed renovations are completed. It is expected to reopen in 2008.

Some runners-up:

* Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins, Yellowstone

* Grand Canyon Lodge, Grand Canyon

* El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon

* Lake McDonald Lodge, Glacier

* National Park Inn, Mount Rainier

* Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton

* Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, Yosemite

* Big Meadows Lodge, Shenandoah

National Parks Traveler: Time to Book Next Summer’s Vacation?

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Old Faithful Lodge – by fieldsbh

more flickr photos tagged “Old Faithful Lodge”

Parks Canada … listens?

I was very pleased to get a personal email from Frank Grigel, Social Science Specialist, Monitoring, with Parks Canada.

He was responding to my complaints about the Parks Canada Listens program.

Seems Parks Canada really is listening.

Here’s the gist of my email reply to Frank:

… I understand much better your Parks Listens surveys — after your explanation. Thank-you.

Next time be sure to explain it from the start. For example, I did not know how many surveys would be happening. How LONG they would take.

The questions seemed well constructed but certainly the process could be improved.

I would suggest an on-going feedback online instead. As you know, government organizations are infamous for spending money on a one shot research project. Then shelving the report. Sometimes this is “theatre”. Politicians stalling to avoid actually making painful improvement.

I would suggest a more open, transparent, interactive process. It is better for Parks Canada to have a place where people can vent. (Every major corporation at this very moment is adding bloggers as they learn this lesson the hard way.)

The alternative is for Parks Canada to get the same feedback from independent sites.

I subscribe to these two blogs in the USA, for example:

  • National Parks Traveler
  • Park Remark
  • Certainly I would subscribe and contribute to a Parks Canada watchdog site. Even start one myself.

    The internet, I believe, will force Parks Canada to be more responsive to taxpayers.

    Regarding the surveys, people were frustrated not having more information. They wanted to be involved but could not easily find out how.

    Look at your website: ParksListens.ca

    No “about” link. No “contact” link. All I can do is download a .pdf file.

    All in all, it looks pretty intimidating. A “secret” contest of some kind.

    I dislike everything about your site … except the name: Parks Listens

    That is perfect.

    Good luck with the project, though.

    I really hope it results in positive change for Parks Canada.

    If I believed things were getting better for our National Parks, I would encourage people to pay for an annual pass — rather than go to the States instead, as I do now.

    I encourage Frank and anyone else to leave a comment below. This rant of mine then becomes a conversation: open, transparent, interactive, on-line.

    great website for hiking Paine, Chile – Vertice Patagonia

    From our last post on Paine:

    But organizing an independent hiking adventure in that far off part of the world can be frustrating. Management of the Park is convoluted & confusing. Two private companies (Andescape & Fantastico Sur) share responsibilities with the federal government & run the mountain huts (refugios). A third company Vertice Patagonia runs one large Lodge and campground. Pathagone has some role, as well.

    Some of these companies have websites, but none are particularly helpful — unless you want to sign on for a guided trek.

    planning for The Towers of Paine

    Alex von Bischhoffshausen took the time to write and point out that their site — Vertice Patagonia — is never down.

    When I went to take another look, I was impressed. So impressed that we are now going to recommend Vertice Patagonia as the first site hikers check when booking on-line.

    Published in German and English, it could not be more clear on how hikers can book accommodation. Rates are clearly posted and very competitive.

    I’m personally embarrassed because in 2004 I actually toured their immaculate Paine Grande Mountain Lodge and had lunch in their terrific campground facilities. Everything was first class.

    Vertice Patagonia rents all the gear you could possibly need to hike Paine. In fact, Vertice Patagonia is all you need to get organized.

    My apologies Alex for slighting your fine organization. I have Canadian friends looking to come down for the 2007 season and I will recommend they contact you first.

    details on how to get to Paine – besthike.com

    vertice.jpg

    “the most shameful act in the history of mountaineering”

    It was the most shameful act in the history of mountaineering: 40 climbers, including a large number of guides and clients from a team offering climbs for profit, stepped over a dying independent mountaineer en route to summit. On their way down from the top, they stopped and video filmed a chat with the fading climber, for an upcoming documentary.

    Everest – Mount Everest by climbers, news