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Happy 125th birthday Banff National Park

My nation’s first National Park officially turns 125 on Nov. 25th, 2010, … but the party will be celebrated on Saturday, July 17th, Canada’s Parks Day.

… The park is now part of the Rocky Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site, and draws 3.3 million visitors a year — more than any other Canadian park. Tourists take over the town of Banff every summer and fan out to explore the park’s 1,500 kilometres of hiking trails. Then they bring home their stories of classic peaks and the beautiful Bow Valley below to friends and families around the planet. …

Calgary Herald

more interesting photos tagged “Banff National Park”

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best of the East Coast Trail, NFLD

UPDATE: … skipping the last section, I finished instead at the liquor store in Petty Harbour. That was 33km in 8hrs, much tougher than I expected. And even more gorgeous.

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original post:

by site editor Rick McCharles

I’m planning Monday on doing the most scenic section of the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.

Weather permitting I’ll start about 8AM at North Head, Bay Bulls.

Visit The Spout …

… and finally finish at Cape Spear, the eastern-most point in Canada. That will be about 46km if my calculations are correct.

official website – East Coast Trail

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viral video – Yosemite double rainbow

Paul Vasquez, the Double Rainbow guy, is a “professional cagefighter-turned-nature-lover”, the “Yosemitebear Mountain Giant”.

… “People are connecting with it because they feel the spirit in it,” he says. “I feel like Noah, because I’m building what seems like an ark here. I have greenhouses, fruit-trees, and I’m working toward alternative energy. It was probably something like the burning bush that Moses experienced.” …

Fast Company

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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BASE jumping world record

Aussie Dr Glenn Singleman has held the record (jointly) since 1992.

First Glenn and Nic Feteris climbed, then BASE jumped 5,955 metres (19,537 ft) from one of the Trango Towers.

In 2006 he and his wife Heather Swan climbed Mt Meru in the Indian Himalaya, jumping from 6604m (21,667ft), in the process setting new Guinness World Records for both BASE jumping and wingsuit flying.

Click PLAY or watch Meru highlights on YouTube.

more videos

His official website – BaseClimb.com

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hiking Tombstone, Yukon

One of our besthike photos was chosen as an example of “Natural Beauty” in Canada.

That was taken on our heli-hiking adventure (PHOTOS) to the Tombstone mountains in Yukon.

See the rest of the Provinces on Matador – Photo Essay: Canadian Natural Beauty Across the Country

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climbing Mt. Shasta

John Muir:

“Mount Shasta rises in solitary grandeur from the edge of a comparatively low and lightly sculptured lava plain near the northern extremity of the Sierra, and maintains a far more impressive and commanding individuality than any other mountain within the limits of California. Go where you may, within a radius of from fifty to a hundred miles or more, there stands before you the colossal cone of Shasta, clad in ice and snow, the one grand, unmistakable landmark – the pole – star of the landscape. “

Ryan Commons documented his climb.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo. (additional links on that page)

http://vimeo.com/12878599

Love that tobogganing descent!

Only about a third of the 15,000 climbers who try it each year, summit. Shasta is a beast.

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Gear Junkie – best backpacks of all time

GossamerGear Mariposa Plus

Golite Jam

ULA P-2/Catalyst

Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus

Mountainsmith Ghost

Jason Klass explains why in this video …

There are a lot of lightweight and ultralight packs out there and I’ve tried many of them. Here are my picks for the top 5 including their strengths and weaknesses.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m sorry to say that my own pack, the Granite Gear Virga (VIDEO), did not make his list. He did choose it a number of years ago – best gear of the past 5 years.

related – Adventure Blog – The Best Backpack for Two Hours or Two Months (Sierra Magazine picks)