besthike.com

March 15, 2011March 14, 2011

Canadian Rocky Mountain ghost town hike

Barry posted a fascinating trip report on one of his Wilderness Adventures. Though it’s right out my back door, I’d never heard of this ghost town. Nor seen this stove worthy of the Chilkoot Trail.

Bankhead is an Alberta ghost town which existed between 1903 and 1923. On the road to Lake Minnewanka, about 2.5 KM (1.6 miles) north from the TransCanada, Banff Townsite exit, there is a turnout on the right where a short and easy 1.1 KM (0.7 mile) interpretive loop hike through old mine processing ruins is worth the time if you are willing to negotiate the steep stairs in and out of the site. The mine is located on the east base of Cascade Mountain.

… relics of their short existence including old foundations, derelict buildings and the debris of life in those times. …

read more – Hiking with Barry

March 14, 2011March 11, 2011

platypus in Tasmania

Frank Wall on Facebook, linked (I think) to this great platypus pic.

These are difficult to spot in the wild. AND they are one of the few venomous mammals.

March 13, 2011

Samuel H Gardner All-out

Sam set out in January on a 12,500mi proposed route he called the “All-In Trek”.

Many were dubious he’d be able to complete such an ambitious project without much previous experience.

He even suffered scorn and abuse on White Blaze.

On March 6th, day 64:

Today I made a very hard decision. I have chosen to leave the trail to seek medical care.

He’s currently documenting his recovery and formulating a plan.

March 13, 2011March 11, 2011

Torres del Paine: Photo Essay

by Kristin Tennessen and Danny Milks

We discovered why Torres del Paine, Chile is the poster child for Patagonia’s wilderness playground.

See all their wonderful pics on Backpacking Light

I’m debating whether the Paine Circuit should be added to our list of the top 10 hikes in the world.

March 12, 2011March 7, 2011

Google Street View Trike

Google will soon be mapping your favourite hiking trails with this rig.

(via MSNBC)

Google Street View expanding its reach to include more trails

Daily Hiker

March 11, 2011

donate to Nature Conservancy

Alan Parker sends this appeal for donations:

Help Andrew Liveris plant a billion trees by donating $1 to the Nature Conservancy to plant 1 tree.

The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy works in more than 30 countries …

March 11, 2011

check out peakery.com

Scott announced the cool new site – Peakery.com

Featuring over 150,000 peaks from around the globe. Find peaks by browsing lists, maps, and photos.

Use peakery to envision your next peak objective with photos, trip reports, stats, and maps. Then get out there and bag it.

peakery is the place to log your summits. Add trip details, triumphant summit photos, and get summit badges.

Check it out – Peakery.com

March 11, 2011

Half Dome sells out in 23min

Yosemite, California.

If you were planning on climbing Half Dome this summer, you’ll have to wait until the next batch of permits (for July climbs) become available on April 1. This year, permits for climbing Half Dome are required on ALL days, not just weekends and holidays like last summer.

The first round of permits (for May and June climbs) went on sale on March 1 and sold out in twenty-three minutes. And that was just the permits for weekdays. Saturday and Sunday permits sold out in only ten minutes. …

Daily Hiker

original photo on flickr

March 10, 2011March 7, 2011

top 10 hiking blogs

As chosen by Tom Mangan:

What’s a hiking blog need to make my personal top 10? Let’s start with:

Timeliness: Newsy, relevant, plugged in to the latest doings and technology.

Stamina: We’ve all got a few blog posts in us, but the best bloggers keep at it for years.

Trail-tested authority: These folks never come home clean on a Sunday night.

Compelling personal testimony: Full of stories that bear repeating.

read the list on Two-Heel Drive.

… I’m a bit partial to #6.

Hey … Three of those I was not yet subscribed to by RSS in Google Reader. Thanks Tom!

Note: Tom’s got the most complete list of hiking blogs online. (The main reason I don’t keep one.) … But he’s recently moved it to the bottom of Two-Heel Drive.

March 9, 2011March 6, 2011

trekking the ice fields of Patagonia

Following Dan’s terrific 3 days at Fitz Roy, they immediately headed for the Ice Fields:

… At 16,800 square kilometers, the Ice Field is the second largest in the world and I’m completely awe-struck when we arrive at the high point of the ominously named Paso Del Viento (Pass of the wind). The view in every direction is pure ice, with amazing swirls and patterns …