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)
Julie Blakley – top 10 hikes
Travel writer Julie Blakley posted her favourite hikes on BootsnAll:
• Tongariro Northern Circuit, North Island, New Zealand
• Zion Narrows, Utah, United States
• Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
• Inca Trail, Peru
• Tiger Leaping Gorge, China
• Mount Kiliminjaro, Tanzania
• Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii
• Torres del Paine Circuit, Chile
• Tour de Mont Blanc, France
• West Coast Trail, British Columbia, Canada
10 Best Hiking Trails in the World
A good list. They’re all on our list of the best hikes in the world. And 4 are on our top 10 hikes anywhere.
… You might be disappointed with Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Inca Trail, though. Over-rated.
11 outdoor iPhone apps
… Tune in to bird songs by training yourself with this free app. Select your region to see the birds that are commonly heard there. You can sort the birds by name, how commonly they are seen, or their song style and listen to each bird’s unique tweets. The app also provides a picture of each bird to make spotting nearby tweeters easier.
warning – do not buy North Farce
You’ve heard it time and time again. Don’t risk buying the shoddy fake gear in Asia.
I ignored that sage advice last November, buying a bag looking somewhat like this one, the Ajungilak Sphere Spring. US$445 on the Marmot website.
My cost … US$76.
I bought it at the best department store in Kathmandu, BhatBhateni Super Store.
When I asked the clerk if it was “made in Nepal“, not in Romania as it claimed on the label, he vigorously denied it was a fake.
About 4 months later, the zipper started to fail. Weeks after that, the seams started to undo. Each morning I’d wake with plenty of goose down floating around my tent.
Finally I replaced it with this GoLite Adrenaline 40°F Down Sleeping Bag – Mummy, 800 Fill Power (For Women) bag from Sierra Trading Post.
I paid $162.50 for it, in store. Same price as on their website today.
I tried the Men’s version, as well. But the Women’s just felt better. And with a half zip it was 1oz lighter. (1 lb. 6 oz. Regular)
climb Jackson Hole, ride down
At Jackson Hole ski resort in Wyoming it costs $25 to ride the Aerial Tram both ways. But it’s FREE to ride down … if you hike up.
Via the Summit Trail that’s 7.2mi (11.6km)
At the start, I was still super energetic.
I hope this isn’t an old Tram … that fell.
End of August, some of the wildflowers are still hanging on.
Finally, Top of the World:
Other hikers agreed that it’s MUCH more challenging than we expected. The 4,139ft (2600m) elevation gain is compounded by lack of oxygen. Top of the World is 10450ft (3185 m).
I saw no wildlife other than one marmot, and some pikas. A bear was spotted from the Tram earlier in the day.
besthike.com 