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19yr-old killed by coyotes

What?

I’d never before heard of an attack on humans by coyotes, never mind a death.

This tragedy in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

… Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Taylor Mitchell was “an old soul” despite her young age …

… Mitchell, hiking alone on the Skyline Trail, was attacked by coyotes Tuesday afternoon. According to park officials, other hikers nearby managed to scare off the animals and call 911. The singer was hospitalized in Cheticamp and later airlifted to Halifax, where she died at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. …

CBC – Coyote attack silences emerging Toronto talent

taylormitchell-consideration

One article stated that the “eastern coyote that lives in the Cape Breton park has interbred with wolves and is somewhat larger than its western ancestors”.

Our sympathies to friends and family.

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hiking blog – Madeira Walking

Madeira is an archipelago in the Atlantic, an Autonomous region of Portugal. Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island are the only inhabited islands.

madeira_map

I’ve just subscribed to Madeira Walking, a quality, impressive site.

The unique attraction of this area are Levada, irrigation channels that double as ideal hiking trails.

450px-Levada

Nature Meetings, partners on this site, offers guided half and full day Levada walks or “dramatic Mountain walks”.

Madeira-Walking

home page – Madeira Walking

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The Monkey Wrench Gang – a review

I feel a little sheepish recommending a book glorifying what some would call industrial terrorists.

But I do.

Amazon.com Review:

Ed Abbey called The Monkey Wrench Gang, his 1975 novel, a “comic extravaganza.”

Some readers have remarked that the book is more a comic book than a real novel, and it’s true that reading this incendiary call to protect the American wilderness requires more than a little of the old willing suspension of disbelief. The story centers on Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III, who returns to the desert to find his beloved canyons and rivers threatened by industrial development. On a rafting trip down the Colorado River, Hayduke joins forces with feminist saboteur Bonnie Abbzug, wilderness guide Seldom Seen Smith, and billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., and together they wander off to wage war on the big yellow machines, on dam builders and road builders and strip miners. …
–Gregory McNam

book

It’s offensive in many ways. But I enjoyed it thoroughly as many, many have before me.

Author Edward Abbey is a hero and inspiration to hikers.

The dangerous 800+mi Hayduke Trail in the American S.W. was named after the lead character.

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expensive European hiking gear

Before I traveled in Europe, I vaguely thought of their gear as … nice. Way overpriced. Gaudy. And sometimes completely goofy. (Especially the tents.)

Then I toured the huge Sportler store in Bolzano, Italy.

Later I was overwhelmed with the even bigger Schuster store in Munich.

Brands like Salewa, Kaikkaalla, Meru, La Sportiva, Mammut, Vaude, Deuter, Hilleberg, Vango, And more appealed. Quality is generally very high.

Mammut-t-shirt

Also more familiar brands: The North Face, Salomon, Mountain Hardware, MSR, Primus, Therm-a-rest, Marmot, Arc’teryx.

Arc’teryx? How has that Canadian company become so HUGE worldwide? What a success story. They fit right in with the expensive European brands.

Actually, Arc’teryx was bought by Adidas in 2001. Then sold to Amer Sports of Finland in 2005. It’s a multi-national now.

My advice to every European hiker coming to North America: Buy your gear in Canada from Mountain Equipment Co-op. Or check prices on Amazon.com and comparison shop in the USA.

Europeans will get sometimes twices the value for their Euro currency in North America as compared with European prices. Especially on American brands.

My CAD Mountain Hardware Scrambler daypack is always CAD$50 back home. In Europe it’s normally €55. That’s CAD$86.40.

An MSR Hubba tent on Amazon.com is US$250 . At Schuster in Munich it’s €329.95 (US$468.14)

Yet there’s some gear available in Europe that I can’t get at home.

Want to take a Cheeseburger in a can hiking? They are available widely in Germany.

cheeseburger-in-a-can

Taste Test: Cheeseburger In A Can

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Julie Dibens dominates XTERRA World’s

This was one of the most impressive athletic performances I’ve ever seen from a female athlete.

Julie Dibens wins a record breaking 3rd XTERRA World Championships in series.

Wow.

Julie

And Julie finished ahead of second place Danelle Kabush Lesley Paterson only by 59 seconds by nearly 8min!

The Men’s competition was a battle, surprisingly won by Spaniard Ruben Ruzafa.

Favourite Conrad Stoltz had a flat tire ??, despite his custom built thick sidewalls. Later I heard he had no flat but rather lost it on the run.

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Lahaina Pali Trail, Maui

Though it needs more, this Hawaiian Island has only one roadway tunnel.

only tunnel in Maui

Before the tunnel was built, an impassible headland forced travelers to either swim or climb over. The 5.5mi Lahaina Pali Trail bypass was built between 1830 and 1850.

Lahaina Pali Trail, Maui

Though the trail is well signed, I managed to get lost within the first 10min, scrambling the wrong ridge until I intersected the trail. The vegetation is both itchy and thorny!

As my guidebook recommended, I climbed only high enough to get a good view of the only windmills on Maui. Then backtracked.

windmills, Maui

Not one of the best hikes in the world, but I enjoyed the vistas during the late afternoon light, returning to my vehicle just in time for sunset.

more photos

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10km fun run, XTERRA, Maui

I’m happy to have survived. And fairly happy with my time of 1hr 12min, or so.

Since I’d not done any distance “running” since June, I placed myself at the very back of the pack for the start. That way I’d not suffer the indignity of little girls passing me en route. (The winner of the 2008 5km Women’s division was 13yrs-old.)

For the first 4km I took it very easy, unsure whether or not I’d hit some kind of 8km “wall”. Like most at the back of the pack, I walked some of the steeper sections when I felt walking would be as fast as a slow jog.

At about the half way point I started to feel GREAT and began to push the stride length. Started passing lots of people.

The XTERRA course trails are infamous for loose volcanic rock. But I found this one fairly tame. No chance of a sprained ankle, even on the steeper descents. There was a fair bit of elevation but no huge hills.

In my ignorance I didn’t know that the last mile or so was along the ocean. Soft sand and jagged rock. Heat, humidity and sand sucks your energy. I passed almost no one on my “kick” though I felt strong.

Rick-XTERRA

Though billed as something of a fun run, there are some very serious runners. Mike Tobin, past winner of the XTERRA triathlon, was slumming it in the 10km. And he only came 3rd!

XTERRA 10km home page

I’ll be a spectator tomorrow for the World Championships.

2-time defending champ Melanie McQuaid
3 time XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid

I just attended a clinic with some of the favourites: Julie Dibens, Melanie McQuaid, Nico Lebrun and Conrad Stoltz. Yesterday I listened to Shonny Vanlandingham and Josiah Middaugh. Inspiring!

Shonny Vanlandingham and Josiah Middaugh

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XTERRA World Championships, Maui

by site editor Rick McCharles

I just happen to be in Maui …

As my Adventure Racing team is at U.S. Championships in Texas this weekend, perhaps I shoudl jump in with the best off-road triathletes on Earth.

… What do you think?

XTERRA

At 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 25th, a maxed-out field of 550 international racers will embrace the annual challenge of XTERRA’s most grueling course – and in the ensuing hours put their mental and physical toughness up against Mother Nature’s arsenal of sun, sand, water, kiawe, and lava. …

Athletes from more than 20 countries and 40 states will gather on Maui – the spiritual birthplace of XTERRA – having competed all season long for the right to be at the World Tour’s culminating event. …

$105,000 in pro prize money is up for grabs and for age groupers, the title of XTERRA World Champion. All the action will be filmed for a one-hour TV special, and on race day, friends, family and fans from around the globe can log-on to http://www.XTERRA.TV for live updates from Maui.

XTERRAplanet – Maui

Or, … maybe I’ll sign up only for the 10km fun run.