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best hikes Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Zach Urness, Statesman Journal:

While occasionally spectacular during the depths of winter, it’s the spring months of April, May and June when the Gorge reaches its scenic peak.

Blooms of wildflowers, roaring waterfalls, panoramic viewpoints and mossy forest combine to offer singular hiking experiences up and down the national scenic area.

To get you prepared for the season, I’ve put together a list of the 13 best overall hikes the Gorge has to offer, in consultation with the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge.

As ever, it’s important to remember that hiking during the week or early in the morning is highly recommended. The Gorge becomes as crowded as shopping malls in many places on weekend afternoons.

Best 13 hikes of the Columbia River Gorge

(via Meanderthals)

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Top 25 Hiking Blogs

Louise Brown put together a list of the best on the web. And it’s quite good including many of my own favourites.
The Trek
Hiking Forward
Hike it Baby
Hiking with Barry
Hiking The Trail
Bikes and Hikes LA
The Traveling Fool
Trek Tech
The Hiking Life
Andrew Skurka
American Hiking Society
Modern Hiker
Trail Journals
Hikespeak
Hiking In Finland
The Big Outside
Best Hike
Hiking in The Smokys
Just A Colorado Gal
The Hike Guy
Backpacking Light
Adventure Alan
Our Hiking Blog
The Broke Backpacker
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Chelsea and Joseph complete the GR 20

The Meandering Mayans just posted their 2017 trip report:

Though the trail doesn’t offer the “classic” high Alpine experience, it makes up for it with crazy amounts of bare rock, stunning sunsets and mountain top sea views. …

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for a trail than the semi-autonomous French island of Corsica.

With a single mountain chain occupying almost two-thirds of the island, Corsica is a rugged place that hosts miles of beautiful beaches and untamed wilderness. The GR 20 spans roughly 180km, North to South …

Charcuterie, Wine and Hard Miles: A Walk Across Corsica – the GR 20

Most hike north to south. The Mayans preferred south to north.

With this information we’ve updated our GR 20 information page.

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hiking bloggers favourite waterfalls

What makes hiking trails with waterfalls so great is the initial roaring, rumbling sound in the distance, followed by the sight of a powerful yet beautiful, formidable yet awe-inspiring, cascade of white water disappearing into the misty river below.

Ah yes, you are right where you want to be – at one with nature. …

Hiking Trails with Waterfalls – Top Hiking Bloggers Reveal Their Favorites

Plitvice Waterfall, Croatia
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Three Passes trek to Everest

Hank and Susan put together a terrific video of their guided Base Camp trip. The three passes are Renjo La, Cho La, and Kongma La, all more difficult than Base Camp itself.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (31min)

read more – Without Baggage – How to Hike Nepal’s Three Passes

Three Passes is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Check our Three Passes information page.

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What’s the point of ADVENTURE?

Alastair Humphreys believes we should live a little more adventurously:

When I first got a taste for adventure it was simply for the fun of it. Climbing hills and looking around at the view from the top, riding a mountain bike downhill as fast as you can, leaning hard in a heeling dinghy: these things are fun and exciting …

By the time I was in my 20’s, however, my relationship with adventure had changed. “It doesn’t have to be fun to be fun” was my mantra. “Miles not smiles!” …

Adventure became about the challenge. Pushing my body and my mind …

After the masochistic personal challenges came the curiosity phase. I wonder if it’s possible to hitch a lift on a yacht across the Atlantic? What is running an ultramarathon in the Sahara like? Can I go have a look at life in a random part of India, far from the nearest tourist hotspot? …

The answer, time after time, was ‘yes’. …

The Changing Purpose of Adventure

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Ausangate Trek, Peru

Drew posted the best Ausangate page we’ve yet seen.

Ausangate is one of our top 10 hikes in the world.

Distance: 42.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 9406 ft
Minimum Elevation: 12498 ft
Maximum Elevation: 16,828 ft
Time: 5 days
Permits: No
Visa: Single entry tourist visa to Peru for US citizens
Trail Condition: Wide fired road on the start which narrows to single track and alpaca trails
Cell Phone Reception: None

Trail to Peak – A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE AUSANGATE TREK

If you are considering this amazing adventure, that page is MUST READ.

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Black on the Appalachian Trail

Rahawa Haile:

What happens when an African American woman decides to solo-hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine during a summer of bitter political upheaval? Everything you can imagine, from scary moments of racism to new friendships to soaring epiphanies about the timeless value of America’s most storied trekking route.

Going It Alone 

related – 4 Things Female Thru-Hikers Need to Hear