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Trail Days 2011 will be May 13 – 15th.

It’s always the weekend after Mother’s Day.

Trail Days draws about 20,000 tourists, mostly hikers, every year. Here’s a photo from last year.

Damascus (pop. 981) is the home of the annual Trail Days festival, and is known as Trail Town USA due to the convergence of four scenic trails in the town, including the Appalachian Trail, U.S. Bicycle Route 76, and the Virginia Creeper Trail. …

For years I’ve been hearing about the biggest hiking party in the States, perhaps the world, from Tom Mangan.

He’s linked to another hiking festival:

VIRGINIA JOURNEYS 2011

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY’S 38TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE

July 1 – 8, 2011
Emory & Henry College – Emory, Virginia

Every two years, Appalachian Trail hikers, enthusiasts, supporters, and conservationists get together at an Appalachian Trail Festival and Biennial Conference to swap stories, take a hike or two, and attend workshops.

…All the details are at www.virginia2011.org.

#Jeju #JejuOlle

As I post, tensions are high between North and South Korea after the artillery exchange of November 2010 – the Shelling of Yeonpyeong. I wish peace for all in both nations.

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trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (routes 1→ 6 = 106km)

Depart from the beautiful ‘Siheung Elementary School’ and climb up Malmi Oreum and Al Oreum. At the top of the volcanoes you’ll see Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise peak), along with Woo-do (Island) and many picturesque farms will catch your eye. The route continues along the salt fields in Jongdal-ri to the esplanade in Siheung-ri.

When walkers reach Sumapo Beach, the Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise peak) appears once again. The color of the sea at Gwangchigi Beach (the terminus of Route 1) is truly unforgettable.

[Route 1] Siheung to Gwangchigi

We started at the beginning, Siheung Elementary.

The weather threatened, but turned out to be good walking. Windy and cool.

A group of us from the Walking Festival unloading from the bus to begin.

These volcanic stone walls are emblematic of this island.

In the Cotswolds, UK, stone wall masons study for 3yrs. Likely fitting these together takes more skill than it appears.

Jeju Olle is very well signed. Ribbons flag the route, as well as other devices.

This was my first good view of Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong), the geological highlight of my hike.

You could see how volcanic soil and a mild, wet climate make Jeju ideal for agriculture.

Our first of the famed Jeju ponies.

They are one of the symbols of the Jeju Trail.

As part of the Walking Festival, we enjoyed many treats and surprises en route. A piano, at one point. Singers at many other highlight sections of the trail.

The professor is also an opera singer. Our charismatic leader, Suh Myung-sook, convinced him to sing, as well.

For the two days prior, at the conference, I had heard many apologies regarding too few toilets on the Jeju Olle. Much to my surprise the toilets were excellent.

Signs marked the distances between, rarely more than 4km apart. (Many are squatters, however. And some are signed only in Korean.)

We foreigners had much discussion about the many burial plots.

Tradition is that bodies are cremated. Then buried in sometimes spacious stone rings. … It seemed to us (from outside the culture) that much arable land is lost to the farmer.

More treats for the walkers. Fresh carrot juice. And some kind of tasty sweet.

Finally, Sunrise Peak. The highlight is a short, steep climb to the summit. (That’s not actually part of the official hike, so I came back another day to join the throngs climbing it.)

Read more about route 1 on the official website.

See the rest of my route 1 photos on flickr.

Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (routes 1→ 6 = 106km)

You’ve heard it time and time again. Don’t risk buying the shoddy fake gear in Asia.

I ignored that sage advice last November, buying a bag looking somewhat like this one, the Ajungilak Sphere Spring. US$445 on the Marmot website.

My cost … US$76.

I bought it at the best department store in Kathmandu, BhatBhateni Super Store.

When I asked the clerk if it was “made in Nepal“, not in Romania as it claimed on the label, he vigorously denied it was a fake.

About 4 months later, the zipper started to fail. Weeks after that, the seams started to undo. Each morning I’d wake with plenty of goose down floating around my tent.

Finally I replaced it with this GoLite Adrenaline 40°F Down Sleeping Bag – Mummy, 800 Fill Power (For Women) bag from Sierra Trading Post.

I paid $162.50 for it, in store. Same price as on their website today.

I tried the Men’s version, as well. But the Women’s just felt better. And with a half zip it was 1oz lighter. (1 lb. 6 oz. Regular)

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

I had been on my way to the Oregon Dunes, a hiking destination recommended by Lonely Planet Hiking USA. (It should be added to our best hikes list.)

But the rain was pounding down when I drove through Oregon. Instead I rolled on down the Redwood Highway into northern California, staying one night in the rather forgettable town of Crescent City.

Next morning when the rain stopped, I was pleased to discover several nearby hikes strongly recommended by Moon Hiking California, one of them coastal “dunes”.

This is the Lake Earl Wildlife Area.

Also called Pelican Bay Sand Dunes, Kellogg Beach, Fort Dick Beach, … and likely some other names. By whatever name, I sincerely enjoyed a morning walk there, all by my lonesome.

Listed at 2.5mi in my guidebook, in reality you hike from one of several parking lots to the beach wandering for as long as you like.

It felt like Oregon, even though I was something like 11mi south of the State line.

See all my photos from that day hike.

Editor Rick McCharles will be offline hiking for a few days.

What is Adventure Racing, anyway?

I put together a 2.5min video with a few clips from the 25 races at Adventure Sports Week 2009.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Expect delays approving comments.

GreatOutdoors.com recommended a PBS TV show called Travels to the edge with Art Wolfe.

Art Wolfe, an internationally acclaimed photographer, invites you to experience the world with him as he travels and photographs Patagonia, Peru, Bolivia, Alaska, Ethiopia, Madagascar, India and South Georgia Island. Watch in HD (high definition) as Art captures images of majestic glaciers, expansive deserts, teeming rainforests, remote mountain peaks, and exotic tribal gatherings right on location.

A wonderful sample of the program takes you to the rarely photographed North Face of Mt. Fitz Roy:

Click PLAY or watch a 7min introduction on YouTube.

more videos in higher resolution – Travels to the edge