Over the next few days I’ll be posting on my recent adventures in the Yukon.
The highlight for me was the amazing Fall colours of the landscape.
more of my colour photos from September 2010
Andrew Skurka 4700mi in the North
Sunday, Sept 5th Andrew Skurka completed 4,700mi in 7 months via skis, foot, and a packraft.
Congratulations.
CheapTents.com: What part of the Alaska-Yukon route provided the most spectacular scenery?
AS: The Alaska Range was the most majestic, and my route through it was spectacular. The Chugach Range is equally impressive but my route was further away from it. The Brooks Range is a backpackers’ dream, especially Gates of the Arctic National Park in the Fall.
read the interview – Adventurer Andrew Skurka on his latest expedition
(via The Adventure Blog)
cheap Swiss Army knives
The Gear Junkie researched a terrific post – Origins of the Swiss Army Knife.
It’s essential hiking gear, for me.
At the Calgary airport you can buy confiscated knives (and many other items) every Tuesday morning starting at $2 each. It’s a charity fund-raiser.
Check your local airport to see if they do the same thing.
Desert Winds Expedition Adventure Race
Sept. 19-24th, 2010
… after a full year of training for this event, Dave Adlard will be captaining “Team Adventure Sports Week” in the Elite category of the “Desert Winds Expedition Adventure Race” beginning September 19.
Dave and his three female teammates; Dr. Jeni McNeal from Eastern Washington University, Soledad Cristiano from Argentina, and Cynthia Miranda of Carlsbad California, will be traversing nearly 300 non-stop miles across the brutal Mojave desert on foot, mountain bike, canoe, rappeling/climbing, pack rafts and orienteering, carrying their own gear, food and water in what could be the most challenging and demanding event on earth this year… 50% of the teams are expected to not finish the race, which is expected to take the teams between 90 and 120 hours to complete.
Good luck!
hiking Slim’s River West, Yukon
Starting tomorrow, hopefully.
If I can make it to the toe of the Kashawulsh glacier, that will be about 45km (27.4mi) return from the A’ay Chu trailhead in Kluane National Park.
Check a 2005 trip report on Club Tread. … Yep, they met a Griz.
be happy – by Monica Sheehan
… the illustrations and the captions are from the book “Be Happy: A Little Book to Help You Live a Happy Life.” by Monica Sheehan, dedicated to Andrew Kroon …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube
Thanks Brett for the link.
Shwatka Lake Trail, Whitehorse, Yukon
In a desperate last minute attempt to get into shape for my 14km leg of the Klondike Road Relay this weekend, I ran a leisurely 20km on a warm, sunny Fall day in the Yukon.
I’d done it years ago on mountain bike. But running is slower. It gave me more time to enjoy the scenery.
Highlight? …
For sure the Rim Trail along Miles Canyon.
(The last time I was at Shwatka Lake was for the Mock wedding in 2007.)
I’m running Skagway to Whitehorse
The Klondike Road Relay this weekend, about 230km.
… OK, my team is running the distance. My leg is about 14km, at about 5:30AM.
Should I wear the Chicken suit?
After the race I’ll get out for 2-3 days hiking in the Yukon mountains.
wolf watching in Yellowstone
The Adventure Blogger posted his recent adventures with wolf guru park ranger Rick McIntyre.
And also posted an account on Gadling:
… In 1995, 70 years after the last wolf has been spotted in the park, a controversial plan was announced to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone. Experts saw them as vital to managing the overall health of the park’s ecosystem, which had seen its elk herds grow to record numbers, unchecked by any natural predators. Meanwhile opponents to the plan feared that the wolves would wander out of the park and once again raid the livestock of ranchers. It turns out both parties were right …
Tracking the various wolf packs of Yellowstone is quite a job, as they are regularly on the move and prefer to stay well hidden from prying eyes. They all have their own territories however, which helps to define their locations to a degree, so if you are traveling through Yellowstone, it is worth the time and effort to see if you can spot them in the wild. Be sure to bring a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope of your own …
Gadling – Spotting wolves in Yellowstone
Coincidentally, I saw my first wolf there a few days earlier. At night, in the dark, one lingered beside the highway looking at my vehicle before slipping away down slope.
I didn’t have time to get a photo. But I’ll pretend this one is mine:
HIKING – Samuel H Gardner the next Skurka?
Andew Skurka is the most accomplished “hiker” of all time.
Andrew’s 6,875-mile Great Western Loop ranks as the #1 thru hike of all time, in my books.
He’s currently doing Alaska / Yukon, 4,700 miles in 7 months via skis, foot, and a packraft.
… Now unknown Samuel H Gardner is setting out in January on a 12,500mi proposed route he calls the “All-In Trek”.
… end-to-end and back-to-back the four longest trails in the U.S. This involves starting the trek on snowshoes on January 1st on the North Country Trail Westbound, then the Pacific Crest Trail Northbound, then the Continental Divide Trail Southbound and finally hiking the Appalachian Trail Southbound. It is my intention to hike the 12,500+ miles continuously in one trip. It is my goal is to finish in one calendar year. However, the four trails have never been hiked back-to-back before so the “journey” is more important to me then the speed record. Simply, I intend on walking quickly to avoid most of the deep snow in the mountains. …
Ambitious, or what?
I’m not sure even Skurka would attempt it.
That comes from an excellent interview on CheapTents.com.
Gardner’s official website is called – the INITIATIVE
(via The Adventure Blog)
besthike.com 