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Crescent City dunes, California

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

I had been on my way to the Oregon Dunes, a hiking destination recommended by Lonely Planet Hiking USA. (It should be added to our best hikes list.)

But the rain was pounding down when I drove through Oregon. Instead I rolled on down the Redwood Highway into northern California, staying one night in the rather forgettable town of Crescent City.

Next morning when the rain stopped, I was pleased to discover several nearby hikes strongly recommended by Moon Hiking California, one of them coastal “dunes”.

hiking Lake Earl Wildlife Area, California

This is the Lake Earl Wildlife Area.

Also called Pelican Bay Sand Dunes, Kellogg Beach, Fort Dick Beach, … and likely some other names. By whatever name, I sincerely enjoyed a morning walk there, all by my lonesome.

Listed at 2.5mi in my guidebook, in reality you hike from one of several parking lots to the beach wandering for as long as you like.

hiking Lake Earl Wildlife Area, California

hiking Lake Earl Wildlife Area, California

hiking Lake Earl Wildlife Area, California

It felt like Oregon, even though I was something like 11mi south of the State line.

See all my photos from that day hike.

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hiking with an iPad

It’s got crazy long battery life.

If you want to write up your trip report each night in the tent, consider hauling along your 1.5lb (0.68kg) iPad.

A Wandering Knight, a software developer for the grandfather of this device, the Apple Newton, just tried it on the trail. And enjoyed the experience.

Click through for either text or audio – iPad’s First Backpacking Trip

You could get the Outside Magazine app.

… It’s not easy to upload your trail photos / videos, though.

[picapp align=”center” wrap=”false” link=”term=iPad&iid=8463298″ src=”3/7/f/4/Apple_Unveils_New_e0cf.jpg?adImageId=12532538&imageId=8463298″ width=”406″ height=”594″ /]

A smart phone seems a better gear choice, to me. I love my iTouch in the tent.

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KFC – Quadruple Down sandwich

I couldn’t resist.

… two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce. …

It’s as disgustingly delicious as it looks!

… the sodium content is high — a whopping 1,380 milligrams — more than a half-teaspoon’s worth of salt. For comparison’s sake, the American Heart Association recommends people eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium in an entire day.

Considering the rising consciousness on healthy eating — from rules that will require calorie counts on menus nationwide to Jamie Oliver teaching kids in West Virginia to make better food choices — it was pretty gutsy of KFC to market a product that sandwiches bacon and mayo-based sauce between two pieces of fried chicken.

Still, KFC’s new creation might surprise you a little on the nutritional front. At 540 calories, the Double Down, though not exactly a dieting food, is 90 calories lighter than McDonald’s Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich. …

NPR – The Nutritional Lowdown On KFC’s Double Down


UPDATE – Is it really 540 calories? Or more like 1190 calories?

This crime against humanity will not be sold in Canada. America’s rank as the most obese major nation is safe, for now.

And just in case Wendy’s wants to challenge, KFC has this “sandwich” in the lab …

(via This is why you’re Fat)

You could eat one Quadruple Down, … then set out hiking for the weekend without needing to carry any more food.

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hiking Multnomah Falls, Oregon

You could drive right to the base of the famous Falls. Capture the photo …

… then drive on to a less crowded hiking adventure.

Or … you could do a nice day hike finishing with a “coffee” here while enjoying that vista.

hiking Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Of many options, an easy circuit would be to park at the Wahkeena Falls trailhead. Climb up and up through the big trees, much higher than you would expect.

hiking Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Traverse over to the top of Multnomah Falls …

Rick at Multnomah Falls, Oregon

And descend the “normal” trail to the restaurant.

Perhaps 2hrs, walking normally.

I enjoyed it.

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new attraction at Red Rock, Vegas

The must go hiking destination only a few miles from the strip in Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

An attractive outdoor exhibition area just opened:

One of the walks leads to an observation deck where visitors can study a giant map of the parks trails etched into the floor with photo panels on a railing of what they’ll see on the trails and beyond the panoramic view.

… outdoor exhibits that bring sturdy replicas of some of the park’s most fragile features to the foreground: things such as American Indian rock art panels, desert tortoises in their natural habitat, and a life-size cougar that lurks atop one of the shade walls.

It’s all designed so people can touch, feel, see and understand the national conservation area from the perspective of earth, water, fire and air. …

Grand opening at Red Rock visitors center …

One exhibit has a desert tortoise. Visitors are taught what to do when this happens …

driving Mojave National Reserve

tortoise - driving Mojave National Reserve

I carefully, slowly lifted the tortoise far off the highway in the direction I thought he was trying to go. … Unfortunately he seemed to be walking the yellow line when I found him.

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free hiking trip to Iceland – good looking applicants ONLY

From email:

I am currently producing a photo shoot for Ecco Hiking Shoes and we will be shooting in Iceland the week of May 15th (approx), and i am looking for some avid hikers that would be interested in hiking with us, for our photo shoot, all expenses paid of course.

You must be about 22-35 years old and we are looking for people who look somewhat Scandanavian.

SHOE SIZES FOR MEN AND WOMEN
MEN: 41 Euro/ 9
WOMEN: 37 Euro/ 7 US
We can go a bit bigger in the sizes…1 to 1.5 sizes larger…

If you are interested, please contact ASAP …

cindi @ cindiblairproductions.com

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Pembrokeshire – best coastal walkway UK

Thanks to Daniel of CheapTents.com for sending us the news.

Readers of Coast (magazine) voted the 186-mile route in west Wales, which is celebrating its 40th year, as their favourite long-distance path.

The walk is almost entirely inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and was the first National Trail in Wales. …

Mr Mathieson said the authority was working to ensure the path was accessible to everyone. More than 100,000 people use the Coast Path each year. …

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. It beat off competition at the award ceremony from the South West Coast Path, in Somerset and Dorset, and Fife Coast Path, on the east coast of Scotland, which were also shortlisted by readers.

BBC – Pembrokeshire voted top UK coastal path

Geograph.co.uk. Copyright Paul Allison and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons.

… now, I must get to work on a list of the top 10 coastal hikes worldwide …

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cycling Twin Tunnels Trail, Oregon

by site editor Rick McCharles

At tourist information in the Columbia River Gorge, I picked up a brochure called Columbia River Gorge Bike Map.

It’s geared for road bikes, unfortunately.

I had a mountain bike and was looking for off-road. Though nearby Portland is considered one of the best cycling cities in the States, dedicated bike trails are NOT abundant in the Gorge.

Further research led me to these best 2 options:

1. Klickitat Trail (Rails to Trails)
2. Twin Tunnels (old highway)

I drove out early evening to check Klickitat. Looked cool. But, in the end, I chose the other (shorter) option, Twin Tunnels from Hood River to Mosier, and beyond.

biking Twin Tunnels Trail, Oregon

The old road runs parallel and above the new highway.

biking Twin Tunnels Trail, Oregon

Loved it.

biking Twin Tunnels Trail, Oregon

I’ll do Klickitat next time.

I stayed across the river in Bingen at the Columbia River Gorge hostel, one of the most unique I’ve ever seen. It’s a former school, closed for decades.

biking Twin Tunnels Trail, Oregon

related – Columbia Gorge magazine.

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Bhairab Kunda trek, Nepal

UPDATE: Thanks to FV here are links to an excellent trip report by Thegaddabouts. And thanks to David, check out some great photos of this trip found by a Bing Search.

=== original post:

I heard about this trek first on Facebook. This photo by Rene Jungsnickel was posted by Trekking, Hiking, Walking….

Yet when I search Google, all that comes up is a long list of trek guiding companies.

What I want is a Wikipedia entry for the hike.

Or some flickr photos.

Or some trip reports.

I should be able to filter out the “commercial” hits on a Google search. Is there an alternative search engine that does?

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sinister hiking author out on bail

What!

Are there no work camps? Are there no prisons?

Another drug kingpin buys himself out of trouble.

Tom Stienstra, 55, who covers hiking and camping for the Chronicle, was arrested with his wife March 25 after authorities served a search warrant at their house in the town of Weed.

Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Susan Gravenkamp said members of a county narcotics task force uncovered a “sophisticated marijuana cultivation operation” in a barn on the property.

She said officers seized 31 mature marijuana plants and 21 immature plants, 11 pounds of dried marijuana, packaging materials and scales.

Stienstra, his wife, Stephani Ann Cruickshank, and their 18-year-old son all have medical marijuana recommendations, authorities said. …

… Stienstra was released last week from Siskiyou County jail after posting $75,000 bail.

No charges filed against journalist Stienstra in pot case

photo from Northern California Hiking Trails

No American taxpayer would begrudge the cost of locking up this guy:

… an average of $10,400 for each pot smoker plucked off the streets by police. Of this more than $7 billion annual total, police costs totaled $3.7 billion, court costs $853 million, and prison costs $3.1 billion. In the nation’s two most populous states, California and New York, taxpayers are faced with an annual marijuana enforcement bill of more than $1 billion. …

Just because Stienstra has twice been named National Outdoor Writer of the Year, doesn’t excuse his heinous crimes.

I’m tempted to chuck my copy of his guidebook, Moon California Hiking in protest. … But it’s so bloody good. And funny.

You must be outraged to see the Get Outdoors blog turn him into a folk hero. The police should raid their offices, pronto.

And, to be on the safe side, invade the homes of Tom Mangan and Tom Chandler. All Toms are suspect dopers.

I weep for the outdoor community to see Noriega North still roaming our trails.

UPDATE: At least the cops have nabbed master criminal Stephen Lovejoy.