urban – Page 6 – besthike.com

January 26, 2017February 6, 2017

hike Dipping Springs, New Mexico

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

The #1 thing to do in Las Cruces is a visit to nearby Dripping Springs Natural Area.

From the city the peaks look impressive. I saw mule deer on the drive up.

This is part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument designated by Obama in 2014.

From the Visitor Center I headed straight up to Dripping Springs Resort built as a tourist attraction in the 1870s.

When it went bankrupt the new owner converted it to a sanatorium. His wife had tuberculosis.

Today I was mostly reminded that the works of man are fleeting. The environment will retake this part of the desert, given time.

I backtracked then connected to the La Cueva loop.

The best part was this hermit cave.

There are a number of stories told of the man who lived and died here.

“John Mary Justiniani, Hermit of the Old and New World.” He died the 17th of April, 1869, at 69 years and 49 years a hermit.”

Better in the early morning would have been to visit the cave first, the ruins last. I would have gained sunlight.

January 21, 2017February 6, 2017

Tramway Trail, Albuquerque

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

I took the Sandia Peak Tramway trip on one of the snowiest days of the year.

It’s one of the top tourist attractions in New Mexico.

I first tried hiking to the top. Planning to ride down on the Cable Car. That would have been GREAT.

The La Luz Trail (Trail 137) … on the west face of the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The trail begins at the La Luz Trailhead and proceeds approximately eight miles to either Sandia Crest or the Sandia Peak Tramway. The hike is strenuous, with 3,775 ft (1,151 m) of elevation gain and a grade of 12%. …

I started at the Tramway parking lot on the Tramway Trail (82). Planning to connect to the La Luz.

Tramway Trail, Albuquerque

It’s a pretty traverse above lovely residential homes.

Tramway Trail, Albuquerque

I’d heard a foot of snow had fallen up top. It did not look good for me getting up there.

Tramway Trail, Albuquerque

I – happily – backtracked to my vehicle.

Tramway Trail, Albuquerque

At one point I stumbled off trail. Easy to do in the desert. While scrambling an arroyo to regain the trail I kicked a cactus and drove a spine into my foot.

Lesson learned = STAY on the trail in the desert.

The main reason to go to Albuquerque are the 200 miles of Sandia hiking trails many of which are off limits to mountain bikes.

We’ve added the La Luz Trail to our list of best hikes in North America.

January 17, 2017January 16, 2017

scrambling Red Rock Canyon, Vegas

I met up with my friends from Couer d’Alene, Idaho. Their gymnasts were competing at the Lady Luck Invitational.

red-rock-2017

d-red-rock

Branch Whitney:

Red Rock Canyon (20 miles west of Las Vegas) is home to the best scrambling (climbing up, over, around, and down rock) routes in the world. If you liked mazes when you were a kid, you will love Red Rock Canyon. …

Las Vegas’ best kept secret: Hiking and rock scrambling just minutes from the Strip

We’d never seen Red Rock Canyon so busy. Seems my favourite tourist destination in the city is no longer off the radar.

Entry fee.

November 25, 2016November 23, 2016

El Faro Lighthouse in Mazatlán, Mexico

If you visit Maz don’t miss the best day hike in the city.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

September 19, 2016September 13, 2016

hiking the Stairway to Heaven, Oahu

The Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻikū Ladder, is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. The total 3,922 steps span along Oahu’s Ko’olau mountain range. …

The City and County of Honolulu has stated that there is currently no plan to open the stairs for public use, citing liability concerns …

Dozens of people, however, routinely hike up the stairs every day …

Andy Beth Miller hiked it.

trip report – Hiking Oahu’s Forbidden Stairway to Heaven

June 2, 2016May 29, 2016

6 Best Hikes Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro may be famous for it’s beaches, but it’s so much more than that- the city is also home to the Tijuca National Forest, the world’s largest urban forest full of hiking trails, breathtaking views and endless rainforest terrain to keep you busy off the beach.

If you’re coming to Rio, you won’t want to miss hiking at least one of these trails so you can see the other half of Rio de Janeiro’s beauty. There’s something for everyone here, so whether you’re a dedicated mountain climber or just a curious traveler ready to wander off the beach for the day, you won’t be disappointed. …

Borderless Project

If you don’t speak Portuguese, logistics are more complicated than expected. Asking a bus driver to let you off at the correct stop not easy. GPS advised.

Hiking is not yet much developed in Brazil. 😦

November 13, 2015November 11, 2015

Shek O beach to D’Aguilar Peak

An off trail hike.

Photographer Peter Lam:

… D’Aguilar Peninsula (named after Sir George Charles D’Aguilar, former Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong) is located on the south-eastern end of Hong Kong Island. The major mount in the area is D’Aguilar Peak, at 325m, where a radio transmission station and numerous terrestrial antennae are installed.

At the southern end of the peninsula, Cape D’Aguilar (also known as Hok Tsui 鶴咀) is the site of a Marine Reserve – The Swire Institute of Marine Science. Here you will also find the Cape D’Aguilar Lighthouse (or the Hok Tsui Beacon), the oldest lighthouse in Hong Kong and a declared historical monument. …

Off-Trail on D’Aguilar Peninsula

Hong Kong offers some of the best urban hiking in the world. 🙂

August 28, 2015August 20, 2015

Morrell Nature Sanctuary, Nanaimo

11km of temperate rain forest trails. No mountain bikes allowed.

Morrell Nature Sanctuary is a privately owned nature reserve leased and managed by Morrell Sanctuary Society for Environmental Education, a not-for-profit organization managed by volunteers …

Watch for gnome homes on the (wheelchair accessible) Yew Loop trail.

trip report – Trail Exploration In Nanaimo

related – TripAdvisor reviews

December 31, 2013December 27, 2013

10 Great City Hikes

Tijuca Forest, Rio de Janeiro
Great Coastal Walk, Sydney
Thames Path, London
Hoerikwaggo Trail, Cape Town
Berlin Wall Trail, Berlin
Seawall, Vancouver
South Mountain Park, Phoenix
Coast to Coast Walk, Auckland
Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh
Hong Kong Trail, Hong Kong

Lonely Planet – Ten of the world’s best city hikes

Only the Hoerikwaggo Trail and Hong Kong Trail are included on our list of the best hikes in the world.

Rio does look GREAT, however. 🙂

November 30, 2013November 30, 2013

Everest Estate disaster

by site editor Rick McCharles

Colonel Sir George Everest (July 4, 1790 — December 1, 1866) was a Welsh surveyor and geographer, and the Surveyor General of India from 1830 through 1843.

Everest was largely responsible for completing the Great Trigonometric Survey of India along the meridian arc from southern India extending north to Nepal, a distance of about 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi). …

Many consider the Trigonometric Survey one of the greatest accomplishments of man.

He was a “humourless individual having the knack of putting everyone’s back up. But since he was a genius, his antisocial habits have been glossed over.”

– Trekking Holidays in India

He did not want Chomolungma to be named for himself. George might never have seen Everest. And had no interest in it. After all, he was Surveyor General of India. The world’s highest peak is on the Tibet / Nepal border.

… Sir George Everest’s House and Laboratory, also known as the Park Estate, is situated about 6 kilometres (4 mi) from the Mall in Mussoorie.

… The house is situated in a place from where one can catch the panoramic view of Doon Valley on one side and a panoramic view of the Aglar River valley and the snowbound Himalayan ranges on the other.

The house is under the jurisdiction of the Archeological Survey of India and has been long neglected. …

… The floor is littered with bricks, stones and cow dung. The house is also used as shelter from rain and snow by the cows, goats and horses from the nearby village. Its walls are covered with graffiti, which are mostly declarations of love. …

wikipedia

Day hiking (part of the Benog Tibba Circuit) to visit his former Estate, I bumped into a Christian evangelist, Ray Eicher, whose family have lived in India for generations. He set me in the right direction, in a couple of ways.

Everest Estate, Mussoorie-4