Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Tornado, Rockwell Pass, Sequoia National Park, California, July 7, 2004.
Elevation at Rockwell Pass: ~11,600 feet. Base of tornado at ground level probably at least at 12,000 feet.
Scott Newton, 2004
Scott Newton, 2004
details and more photos
We had hail and lightning on the John Muir trail in 2007 at very high elevations. But certainly nothing like a tornado.
Scary stuff.
Thanks Rocco for forwarding the link.
There’s a move under way in the U.S. Senate to have Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne reverse the National Park Service’s ban against the public carrying concealed weapons in the national parks. …
The president of the Association of National Park Rangers responded that Kempthorne’s rationale is “hypocritical in some cases and just plain wrong in others,” …
There is a very amusing audiocast currently playing on The Official Parody Site of George Bush’s Weekly Radio Address. Playing only for 1wk.
From National Park Traveler:
Grand Teton National Park … beginning this Saturday, March 15, all backpackers camping below 10,000 feet in the park’s backcountry will be required to use approved, portable bear-proof canisters for food storage—except at certain designated backcountry campsites where food storage facilities are provided.
Although food canisters are not required for areas above 10,000 feet, proper food storage will still be compulsory in those locations. It doesn’t sound as if rangers will allow you to use the Ursack or UrsaLite food storage systems. …
Bear-Proof Food Canisters Mandatory for Most Backcountry Travel in Grand Teton National Park
Steve Sergeant of the Wildebeat is an expert. In a comment on that post:
Bear-resistant food canisters are also required in most of Sequoia/Kings-Canyon National Park as well. In addition, large areas of wilderness on Forest Service land in the Sierra Nevada also require you to use such canisters.
We explored the history and effectiveness of bear cans in a two-part edition of the WildeBeat:
The Story of Bear Cans, part 1
The Story of Bear Cans, part 2
Personally, I have learned to love my canister. I often take it on hikes even when not required. The extra weight is often worth the convenience.
This is the one I use:
Bluepeak recommended a terrific site: Chilcotin Mountains Trail System
As a start, check out the fantastic Photo Gallery. Some samples:
Tatlayoko Lake
Lower Taseko Lake
Jamison Creek Valley
Wilderness Mountain
more photos like these – Chilcotin Mountains Trail System Gallery
Here’s the Chilcotin, surprisingly little hiked.
Chilcotin Mountains Trail System – homepage
Elmar Buchner and Thomas Kenkmann say the key to their finding was tiny grains of “shocked quartz” — basically, quartz that has a different microscopic structure from normal quartz due to undergoing extreme pressure of some sort — that was created by the impact.
Having hiked the superb Syncline Loop last year (trip report), it seems obvious it was a meteor crater.
Yet final proof was quite an accomplishment, I understand.
Bad news for me.
I’ve been waiting on Bhutan to open up for independent trekking. Planning on being one of the first to get a hiking permit.
It was Rogier Gruys of BluePeak.net who first got me interested in hiking Bhutan.
original – BluePeak on flickr – more photos
Now Kira Salak penned a wonderful Snowman Trek trip report / article for National Geographic.
A small excerpt:
… Then I saw the tiny fortress, Lingshi Dzong, sitting on a hilltop before the great audience of the Himalaya. I stopped. For some reason I never quite understood, I sat down and wept. Maybe it had something to do with the starkness of the distances, with the dramatic vying of sunlight and storm. Or perhaps it was subtler, harder to explain. As if, in that ancient dzong—that speck of human proclamation sitting before the indifferent valleys and rise of the Himalaya—it was my own voice calling out into the void. I found myself making an appeal of grief about my brother, who’d had his own history, his stories. What would happen to them now? Where do they—where do any of our stories—go? …
Lingshi Dzong – larger version – flickr – reddoggirl01
read the entire lengthy, intense travelogue – Trekking Bhutan’s Higher Planes
VISITING BHUTAN: Though there is no cap on the number of annual visitors, the Bhutanese government charges at least $200 a day for any in-country travel, and all tourists must book trips with one of 77 government-approved outfitters. Once you’re there, a guide accompanies you at all times.
National Geographic Bhutan Adventure Guide
In her article, Kira Salak states that she’s heard price will double in the near future. Go from $200 to $400 / day.
Leave a comment if you can confirm that rumour.
(via The Adventure Blog)
Related posts:
Joshua Tree is NOT most famous for hiking. It’s set-up more so that casual day hikers won’t get lost and die of dehydration.
Nor is it most famous for Joshua trees.
JT is most famous for climbing. Photos I took close to Hidden Valley Campground:
larger version – flickr
larger version – flickr
Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most popular rock climbing areas in the world. More than 4,500 established routes offering a wide range of difficulty are concentrated within about 100,000 acres of park land.
Rock Climbing – National Park Service
Even for a manic hiker like myself, the most fun I had in the park was scrambling.
I’ve been section hiking it for the past three years. Can I get there once again?
And I’ve got friends planning to honeymoon hike this coming summer.
If you are considering it yourself, check out this great new resource. It’s a virtual JMT hike via photo pages.
screenshot sample
Click through to the start page. And follow the links. Within 5min you’ll have a good overview of our #2 hike in the World.
If that’s too low tech for you, there is a .kmz file you can load into Google Earth for a fly over.
The site is called Hiking the John Muir Trail, a great starting point. It’s very professionally put together.
Mt. Whitney at sunrise from above 12,000′
Leave a comment if you plan on hiking the Sierras in California this year.
besthike information page – John Muir Trail
The demise of the beloved National Parks Pass cost the National Park Service more than $1.3 million last year, although agency officials expect revenues to rebound as folks grow accustomed to the America the Beautiful Pass.
According to Jane Moore, the Park Service’s fee program manager, 2006 sales of the $50 National Parks Pass, good for entrance into all units of the national park system, generated $22.1 million for the agency. During 2007, the first year of the $80 America the Beautiful Pass, the agency took in $20.79 million, a 6 percent dip in revenues.
Kurt Repanshek – National Parks Traveler
Who could have predicted a 60% jump would generate less income?
The full story is not in as yet, of course. I feel confident in calling the America the Beautiful Pass price a huge mistake.
I used mine recently in California. Many people were needed to check my Pass, especially the date punch, and it slowed down traffic every time I drove out of the Park. In Canada we hang our Park pass from the rear view mirror, a better system, much easier to police.
Almost everyone has heard of a small Park in California because of the hit album by Irish Rockers U2 called Joshua Tree.
Anton Corbijn photography December 1986 – via Brad Biringer
I’ve been wanting to get here for YEARS.
Best hiking destination in the Park, no doubt in my mind, is Lost Palms Oasis. That’s 7.5mi (12km) return from the trailhead to the Palms.
Count on at least another half hour wandering the Palm grove. And another half hour scrambling Mastadon Peak, a nice sidetrip. There’s the Cottonwood Spring campground as seen from the top of Mastadon:
The walk is scenic, varied desert environs, until suddenly a huge palm oasis appears far below trail level:
In early March, most everyone in the park was shooting Spring wildflowers. Including me.
more of my photos from this hike – flickr
besthike.com 