Posts

Posted on

Trail Days, Damascus VA

the “largest gathering of backpackers in the United States” …

… someday …

National Parks Traveler:

… Damascus, Virginia is rightly called “Trail Town USA.” …

This year the fest runs May 18th through 20th but events start Saturday May 12th and continue through the 17th for early arrivals. …

The festival includes everything from lectures to a beauty pageant, a talent show, free gear repair and more. It’s a truly trail focused cultural convergence, and every year the schedule of events is worth a close inspection for events that any hiker would want to attend. …

… The Virginia Creeper Trail—a former logging railroad, now without the tracks and trains—starts near Mount Rogers on the lofty heights of White Top, the state’s second highest peak, and runs across scenic rolling foothills 33.4-miles to Abingdon, one of Virginia’s oldest mountain towns …

Discriminating Explorer: Get on the Road to Damascus! Trail Days 2012 Hikes in May 18th-20th

official website

Posted on

lynx crossing highway

This unique image, captured by motion-sensitive cameras, offers an extraordinary glimpse of an animal that many Canadians have never seen. A Canada lynx uses the Redearth Creek wildlife overpass to cross the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park at 8:34 a.m. on March 28, 2012. Since 1996, over 200,000 animals, including grizzlies, wolves and cougars, have safely crossed the highway using wildlife overpasses and underpasses.

The overpass is one of six that are part of the wildlife-crossing project in Banff National Park.

Combined with 38 underpasses along the stretch of Trans-Canada Highway that cuts through this wildlife-rich area, the intent of the crossings is to keep the number of animal deaths on the highway to an absolute minimum …

Calgary Herald – Rare photo of lynx using Banff highway overpass delights wildlife experts

Posted on

Kloofing Suicide Gorge, South Africa

Kloofing is an adventure activity that typically involves the descent of a deep ravine or watercourse that may be dry or wet. The defining factor is usually that the ravine is several times deeper than it is wide. All manner of walking, scrambling, climbing, swimming, plunging, jumping, bumslides or abseiling (rappelling) could be involved.

A kloofing trip usually combines hiking with the descent of a watercourse. Some of the more “interesting” kloofing involves long abseils or high jumps into pools from varying heights, up to as high as 20 or more metres (for example the popular ‘Suicide Gorge‘ in South Africa). …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Looks like FUN.

I’d sign on with a guide to ensure safety.

Doh. Two different guiding sites I visited say that these trips are cancelled “due to maintenance”.

Leave a comment if you know different.

Suicide Gorge is the favourite adventure of James Haden. He also likes Table Mountain in South Africa. And Mt Sinai in Egypt.

Posted on

Gear Junkies in Patagonia

What is it like to be truly remote and pushed to your physical and emotional limits in the wilderness?

This video, culled from clips taken by our race team on the go in remote Chile during the 2012 Patagonian Expedition Race, gives a solid glimpse into that question. …

read more – Gear Junkie

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… the team managed a third-place finish …

… . . Coming into CP17, we were four hours behind the Japanese team, and we decided to gamble on a straight-line bushwhack through a valley in the night with only two hours of tent-less sleep. In the predawn light, just before the glacier pass at CP18, we came upon the Japanese. They were clearly surprised [they had been ahead for a while] and yet they greeted us warmly, forming a line with each one of them shaking each one of our hands, smiling, and saying “Good to see you.” It was surreal. They then shared a look and bolted. [Note: Team Eastwind, from Japan, ended up beating Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers by about 30 minutes in the 10-day race.] …

High Insanity: Patagonian Exped Race

(via The Adventure Blog)

Posted on

John Muir Trail documentary

A preview of a new John Muir Trail documentary from Cirque Productions. This is ideal for anyone considering the adventure, who’s never been there before.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Watch a longer preview on Vimeo. Or watch the entire feature here. ($8)

official website – highsierradoc.com

Posted on

Dientes Circuit trip report

Sebastian Irazuzta via email:

… In 2010 I was inspired by the trek you have posted on Navarino Island in the South of Chile. After some research my wife and I decided to take our Canadian winter vacation to Southern Chile and Argentina and see the wilderness of Navarino Island for ourselves. I have posted a short description along with some photos and videos of this trip on Everytrail. …

That’s an interactive map. Click on the image to see it.

I should mention that the weather was sometimes amazingly harsh.

Despite this, I think it was one of the nicest wilderness treks I have
done. I think you may find this post interesting in that I have
uploaded my GPS tracks for the entire trail. This is something I wish
I had had when I was on the trail myself as some sections were
difficult to navigate by map alone due to bad weather.

Thanks Sebastian!

Check out Dientes information page.

Posted on

Hike Guy to Sierras

Kolby, the Hike Guy, is prepping for a June 1st start on a major trek in California:

… my plan is to hike a good portion of the Sierra, from Walker Pass to Twin Lakes, covering more than 400 miles by both trail and unmarked route. I’m estimating that the trek will take me more than 60 days to complete. Speed is not my desire. I hope to take my time to enjoy trees, flowers, and mountains. To “make its acquaintance,” as John Muir put it.

As I’m out there, you are welcome to follow along online. I hope to post updates here as well on Twitter. (@TheHikeGuy).

Gear
I’ve noticed that the more time I have for planning a long-distance hike, the more I think about upgrading my gear. …

Sierra Trek 2012 – Update 1

related – Colby’s famed “Condor’s PCT Adventure in 3 Minutes” video