Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Cool.
Your intrepid editor was interviewed by Clayton Kessler of Tracks and Trails:
He’s Been There! Rick McCharles has experienced Adventures the world over and brings The Best Hikes to you!
… read the interview on TracksAndTrails.ca
Update: That same interview was posted on Castanet.
I’ve not been a fan of controversial British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
I find him strident. And not all that amusing.
But I’m thrilled he won the prestigious TED prize for 2010.
At the heart of Oliver’s work is an assault on the obesity epidemic: The CDC states that one in four Americans are considered obese. It is estimated that 43 percent of Americans, or 103 million people, will be obese by 2018. The cost of this epidemic is anticipated to reach $344 billion per year. It currently accounts for almost 10 percent of the yearly US health care costs, and that rate will rise to 21 percent by 2018. WHO’s latest projections indicate that, globally in 2005, approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and projects that by 2015, that figure will rise to 2.3 billion.” …
God knows he’s passionate. If interested, click over to TED to watch his scary 18min presentation.
Hawaii is a paradise, many believe. I was as shocked as any other tourist to publish this rant last Fall:
the sorry campgrounds of Hawaii
From Hawaii Island Journal, a detailed overview of the many problems – The State of the State Parks:
… Residents complained about drugs and vandalism, stray cats and homeless people, deteriorating facilities and filthy bathrooms, and an unresponsive bureaucracy that had allowed the parks to deteriorate and had failed even to follow up on volunteer offers to help.
“There are places so disgusting that you wouldn’t go there. You’d find a bush,” commented one resident at the Kona meeting.
Another quoted a letter from a visitor: “If I’d wanted a Third World experience, I’d have gone to Mexico. It’s cheaper.” …
read more – The State of the State Parks
It’s not impossible to have a wonderful State Park experience. I camped here (illegally) for example. It was gorgeous.
Solution?
I’d join an organization called “Friends of Hawaii’s State Parks“. If one existed. Volunteers could do more to solve the problems than legislators.
There are some volunteer “Partners” linked from this page. But they don’t seem to be very effective.
Suggestions? … Leave a comment.
Trail Cooking has a terrific overview page on The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier close to Seattle, Washington:
… I have seen a lot of chattering about hiking plans for this coming summer, more than usual, especially about the Wonderland Trail here in Washington – our gorgeous 93 miles loop around (well more like up and down) Rainier’s flanks.
With the El Nino weather pattern this winter settling in good since Fall 2010 could be a prime year for thinking about thru hiking it. The snow levels are much lower than usual meaning an earlier hiking season and or not walking on as much snow in the higher altitude sections. Much of the destruction that occurred back in fall of 2006 has been fixed as well. …
Trail Cooking & The Outdoors – Winter Daydreaming: Planning A Wonderland Trip
more Wonderland Trail photos by siolanthe
I’m dreaming of Wonderland myself.
Via The Adventure Blog I learned the bad news:
… the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC), the agency controlling the Inca Trail, has informed them that no one will be able to operate treks on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in March of this year due to the recent flooding.
INC will refund all permits purchased for trekking the Inca Trail in March. …
Actually, Machu Picchu may open. The Inca Trail itself will be closed.
If you were planning a trekking holiday in South America, don’t panic. Here are 4 alternatives in Peru we like better:
• Ausangate Circuit TOP 10
• Huayhuash Circuit
• Alpamayo
• Santa Cruz Trek
Kolby of 100hikes.com posted his 50 favourite photos from 2009. These chosen from a total of 20,628 photos he captured last year!
Watch the slideshow.
Kate feels this disgusting product is just the thing to give a tired hiker a kick in the pants.
Perky Jerky is the world’s first all-natural performance enhancing meat snack. Put simply, we’ve combined the most tender and flavorful beef jerky, with an extra dose of energy (caffeine, from the Guarana we add) to provide a jerky experience you won’t find anywhere else.
One of the top 10 natural arches in the world, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to travel to see it in Chad.
It’s one of the poorest countries in the world, literally in the middle of nowhere.
But I’d love to see remote Aloba Arch, always included on lists of the Most Incredible Natural Arches On Earth.
Camping Tourist has a post somewhat misnamed – 10 America’s Most Spectacular Day Hikes
I like their choices, however.
Mt. Katahdin, Baxter State Park, MaineCoyote Gulch, Escalante Subdistrict, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples, Florida
Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia
Lost Coast, King Range National Conservation Area, Northern California
Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, White River National Forest, Colorado
Mount St. Helens, Washington
Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Kauai, Hawaii
Wrangell St Elias National Park, Kennecott District, Alaska
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California
click through for details and photos – America’s Most Spectacular Day Hikes
As an aside, I note that the text from that post has been stolen and reposted on several other sites.
That’s a shame.
Here’s my vote: X-C Snowboarding
Get PHLAT, dude. Funny.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via The Outside Blog)
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