Jeffrey Hunter names a cartoon by Pat Bagley in The Salt Lake Tribune.
The thumbnail is a “teaser”. Click through to see the entire funny-because-it’s-true comic.
Political Cartoon of the Year! – American Hiking Association
Andrew Skurka loves Colorado
In an Outside Magazine interview, Andrew Skurka was quite definite on the best section of his 6,875mi Great Western Loop:
The best section was through Colorado, from the Indian Peaks Wilderness to the South San Juan Wilderness, about 500 miles. No other state can boast as much consistently world-class trail and scenery …
… there is so much alpine walking that I actually was looking forward to getting back in the timber. Also, the elk were in the peak of their rutting season, the aspens were glowing gold, and the trails were essentially empty.
When asked if we mortal hikers could repeat his feat …
A more accessible approach might be to hike it over two years, figuring about 150 or 180 days a year, at 20 miles per day, which is a completely doable pace for someone who is reasonably fit, who carries lightweight gear, and who can resist frequent temptations to spend lots of time in civilization.
best hikes in Arizona
With 50,754 Photos and almost 800 hikes, HikeArizona.com is an incredible resource. It’s run by Joe Bartels.
Contributor Al_hikesAZ posted in 2005 a list of The 20 Most Popular hikes in Arizona:
Flatiron
West Fork of Oak Creek
Peralta Trail
Humphreys Summit Trail
Brown’s Peak
Havasu Canyon
Fossil Springs Trail
Camelback Summit via Echo
Horton Creek Trail
Piestewa Peak Summit Trail
Bright Angel
Barnhardt Trail
Rogers Canyon
West Clear Creek Trail
Hunter Trail
Kaibab – South Rim
Boynton Canyon
Bell Trail
Inner Basin Trail
Tonto NarrowsThis isn’t necessarily the 20 best hikes in AZ, just the 20 Most Popular hikes.
He also recommends:
Bright Angel Trail
South Kaibab Trail
Thunder River/Deer Creek (photos)
Nankoweap Trail (photos)
Ribbon Falls (photos) just west of the North Kaibab Trail
Superstition Ridgeline
Al_hikesAZ also recommends 2 other sites for AZ Hikes:
Arizona Hikers Todd’s Desert Hiking Guide
I am now planning on hiking Arizona in 2008! (There is a lot of research to be done.)
Early morning at Carney springs – Superstition Wilderness – larger original
Arizona Black Rattlesnake – larger original
See all of Al_hikesAZ photos sets on Flickr. They are excellent.
Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park Closed Due to Storm Erosion | National Parks Traveler
A year and a month after a Pacific storm battered Olympic National Park, another storm pounded the park Dec. 3, washing out portions of the Hoh Road.
Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park Closed Due to Storm Erosion | National Parks Traveler
So far, this winter is starting out like last year in terms of damage to the Pacific North West Parks. Too bad.
hiking guru Ray Jardine carrying a HEAVY pack
The man who popularized Lightweight Hiking is carrying a heavy pack.
After two days in Mendoza, we were driven 1.5 hours to a wintertime ski resort in the nearby mountains called the Cordon del Plata. There we shouldered our outrageously heavy backpacks and hiked for 1 hour up a quite steep trail to a lovely alpine meadow called Las Vegas (The Springs), and there made our first camp.
JennyWe were now at an elevation of 10,300 feet and, as we live at 1,500 feet, and Mendoza is at 2,700 feet, that was quite a sudden jump in altitude. …
read the trip report – NFT
I won’t feel so bad next time I do the same thing.
Ray and Jenny Jardine are hiking in Argentina right now. I’ve been eyeing that region, the towns of Mendoza and Bariloche, myself for some time now. Jumping off points for Aconcagua and Nahuel Huapi.
Super Sherpas – Nepal treks
It’s inevitable that the people of the Himalaya take increasing leadership over adventure tourism there. This is a great story.
The Super Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa, have a cool website offering the gamut of great Nepali treks.
Why are these guys so super?
Apa Sherpa is the only man in history to reach the top of the world 17 times. As the world record holder of the most summits of Everest, Apa is widely recognized to be one of the greatest living mountaineers.
…
When Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set out to set an Everest speed ascent record, little did anyone know he would not only break the late Babu Chirri Sherpa’s Everest speed ascent record of 16 hrs 56, but shatter it altogether with a time of 10 hrs 56 min and 46 sec – 6 hours faster than Babu’s seemingly unbeatable record. …
See the Super Sherpa Treks.
They were included in the Outside Magazine 100 top stories of 2007.
(via The Adventure Blog)
best hikes Copper Canyon, Mexico
Researching the best hikes in the Copper Canyon has turned out to be more challenging than expected. My ragged copy of Mexico’s Copper Canyon Country: A Hiking and Backpacking Guide (1994) is amusing, but badly dated.
I’ve been there before on the standard Gringo route, day hiking. Perhaps I’ll go back this winter for some serious multi-day canyon busting.
The Copper Canyon (Spanish: Barranca del Cobre) is a group of canyons consisting of 6 distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in the neighboring United States although the Grand Canyon is larger than any of the individual canyons.
The system is transversed by the Chihuahua al PacÃfico railroad, known by the nickname “Chepeâ€. It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.
Mexico established the Parque Nacional Barranca del Cobre (Copper Canyon National Park) to showcase this remote area.
The canyon is the traditional home of the indigenous Raramuri (Tarahumara) people.
I’ll order the Moon guide by Joe Cummings, the world’s best guidebook writer in my opinion.
Leave a comment if you have advice on longer treks in the canyons.
the journey of a thousand miles …
Ambition – despair.com
gear – Down vs. Synthetic Guide
You know the Sierra Trading Post (love that retro name) as a good supplier of overstock and closeout outdoor gear. They also post information for hikers. For example: Down vs. Synthetic Guide
Quick Guide to Down
Pros
* Is warmer than synthetic insulation ounce for ounce. …
* Retains its shape and loft and, with proper care, can last a lifetime. …
* Wicks body moisture and allows it to evaporate. …
* Is highly compressible and lightweight. …Cons
* Loses its insulating properties when wet and is slow to dry. …
* Requires special cleaning. …
* May contain allergens. …
* Costs a pretty penny. …
If you, like me, are already decided on the Down vs Synthetic issue (buy the highest fill down you can afford) it’s still well worth checking out something new:
I saw that article linked from the very attractive Sierra Trading Post blog. We’ve linked to their blog under BLOGS in the right hand navigation as it includes much more than the usual buy-my-latest-greatest-gear promos. (e.g. Writer Raises Wild-Born Coyote in Wyoming)
gift idea: American Hiking Society Membership
Consider giving a fellow hiker or backpacker a gift membership in the American Hiking Society. A $30, one-year membership includes subscriptions to American Hiker and Backpacker magazines, along with other member benefits.
Holiday Gift Idea: American Hiking Society Membership – Trailspace.com
That’s the basic individual membership. There are many other options.
besthike.com 