Having visited the Nazca Lines in Peru, George Novak believes he’s spotted another extraterrestrial image.
In the Tombstone mountains, do you see the spaceman waving in alien spacecraft?
hike trip report – Tombstone Range, Yukon
Mt Kenya – hike the OTHER Kilimanjaro
The Adventure Junkie of The Adventure Blog keeps close tabs on what’s happening in Africa (and the rest of the world).
His recent post Adventure On Mount Kenya caught my eye. It links to Matthew Power’s project to re-enact the Mt Kenya climb of British prisoners of war in 1943. (That “escape” was documented in the classic No Picnic on Mount Kenya: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Climb by Felice Benuzzi).
This got me thinking …
I’m interested in how to trek Mount Kenya independently. Or with a minimum of local support.
Of the eight standard walking routes, Naro Moru sounds appealing. It’s possible to ascend in only 3 days (unless the altitude gets you) and has bunkhouses at each camp so a tent is not required.
Africa’s “other Kilimanjaro,” 17,058-foot (5,199-meter) Mount Kenya, boasts all the virtues of its slightly loftier cousin—glaciers, surreal landscapes, and cloud-carpeted vistas—but with about half the hikers. Plus, it sits at the heart of the Kenyan Highlands, a patchwork of jungle and savanna where visitors can mingle with local tribes and track Africa’s Big Five on their own two feet.
Climbing:
While scaling the twin peaks of Batian and Nelion requires technical mountaineering skills and equipment, Point Lenana (16,354 feet or 4,985 meters), Mount Kenya’s third highest summit, can be reached with no specialized skills. The most popular trek is the 23-mile (37-kilometer) Naro Moru Route, which begins above Mount Kenya National Park headquarters. Plan to spend at least five days on the mountain. Porters are not required but are customary; they can be hired through Mount Kenya Guides & Porters ($10 a day; 011 254 062 62015).
Adventure Guide: Mount Kenya – National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Mt Kenya lies 150km (95mi) NE of Nairobi.
Bernd Reinkemeier posted a trip report and photos of his 3-day ascent on the Naro Moru route.
Mountain Club of Kenya – Hiking & Trekking
walked 2663 miles – now what?
Craig Stanton is done.
He’s finished the Pacific Crest Trail.
I’ve never hiked longer than 11-days. But I empathize with all thru-hikers that must exit the simplicity of trail life. And rejoin the real world.
That shower felt so good. The dirt left me and I shall not stink that much for a very long time. My feet have dried and I’ve called home. The adventure is over, now it’s re-entry.
Quote of the day: “Have you come far?†The german tourist
Distance today: 23 miles. Total distance: 2663.5 miles
problems hiking the John Muir Trail, California
The JMT is our #2 hike in the World, about 220mi of trail without crossing a road.
I’ve been section hiking it over the past 3yrs. This summer I thought I’d try to knock off about 110 miles.
I brashly announced I’d hike 20mi / day from Bishop Pass to Tuolumne in 6 or 7 days.
It was not to be.
My first mistake was underestimating the difficulty of the required elevation loss and gain. This thing is a roller coaster!
larger map – PCT.org
I started from South Lake near Bishop after hearing great things about Bishop Pass and Dusy Basin. Both are gorgeous!
My favourite section of many favourite sections was Evolution Basin.
vista from John Muir Pass to Evolution Basin
But the BIG story of my hike was Hurricane Dean. More exactly, the remnant circulation of Dean which brought serious thunder storms to California and Nevada.
threatening skies
One day I was pinned down in my tent losing 5hrs of daylight. Here’s the hail outside my tent.
Another morning I awoke early to a cloudy day. A storm climbed up from the valley to pound me. (I hid in low brush to avoid death by lightning.)
When the storm finally cleared, I had been walking for days in wet socks and shoes. My feet, for the first time in many years, were blistered.
I love the JMT — but had to exit over 30mi earlier than planned, limping out at Red’s Meadow Resort.
My only complaint with the John Muir Trail is that it’s a horse track.
hiking pack animals
Historically it was pioneered for animals. The trail drops down to valley and water on regular intervals. Animals need grazing. I don’t.
I’d much rather stay HIGH on — for example — the Sierra High Route. This is a mostly off-trail adventure running in parallel with the JMT which tries not to drop down into the valleys.
Check out all my photos from the JMT on flickr.
If you might want to hike it yourself, check our JMT besthike information page.
SEARCH – Microsoft finally getting it right?
Tech pundit Robert Scoble announced that Microsoft was making big improvements in their search engine.
In the past Microsoft was terrible, giving a much lower ranking to specialized sites like besthike.com than did Google.
Scoble might be right. Here’s the result for a Microsoft Live Search for “best hike South America”.
Way to go Microsoft! This will help more people find the best hikes, faster.
hike Point Lobos, California mid-September
Another great post by Tom Mangan:
This could well be the best time of the year to drop in on the Point Lobos State Preserve south of Carmel — with lingering summery warmth but just enough of the fog layer remaining to make things interesting.
… Point Lobos tends to be redundantly spectacular — there’s a dozen little coves with swirling water, crashing surf, seagulls riding pieces of driftwood and sea lions barking in the distance — so even hacker with a cheap point-and-shoot can find a few choice images.
I like Tom’s folksy though detailed writing style. And I like his “hacker cheap point-and-shoot” photos even more …
See more … Two-Heel Drive: Point Lobos on a weekday in mid-September
heli-hiking Tombstone in the Yukon VIDEO
Previously I posted a trip report and photos from our awesome 5-day adventure out of Dawson, Yukon to Tombstone Mountain in August.
Here are the video highlights.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (5min)
Hiking with Chuck – Where to Hike
Chuck Bonner — of Hiking with Chuck — sent us recommendations for some “best hikes and hiking areas” out of New Hampshire:
Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire Suwannee Canal Recreation Area in Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Ripley Falls in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park Saco Lake Trail in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park Elephant Head in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park Arethusa Falls, New Hampshire
One sounds particularly inviting:
Mount Willard in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park. I’ve heard it called “the best view for the easiest walk in the White Mountains.
For details check out Hiking with Chuck:
General Considerations for Finding a Place to Hike
The first thing to ask yourself is, what exactly are you looking for? Then, consider what places are within your reach, practically speaking. Be sure to find out if the activity you have in mind is permitted in the place you’re going to. Last and perhaps most importantly, consider what you can handle.
More hiking trails in New Hampshire – NHStateParks.com
damn the torpedoes – Farragut State Park, Idaho
Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was the first senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and full admiral of the Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his possibly apocryphal order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”.
Farragut must have been some sort of prodigy. When only 12-years-old, he was given command of a prize ship taken by USS Essex and brought her safely to port.
Many places and things are named in remembrance of the Admiral including a number of Starfleet ships on Star Trek the TV show.
Over the past couple of weeks we have been exploring Farragut State Park close to Athol, north Idaho. The Park’s a sprawling place beloved by trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers.
The park hosted the 1965 National Girl Scout Senior Roundup, 12th World Scout Jamboree in 1967, and the 1969 and 1973 National Scout Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America. The park still serves as the winter training “Klondyke” site for the scout troops of the Inland Northwest Council.
Farragut State Park – Wikipedia
Last Sunday we jog/hiked (“jiked”) the Highline Trail to Scout Trail, then backtracked to the Shoreline Trail. That was 90mins of jog / hiking.
Dave jumped in Lake Pend Oreille on finishing. Jeni announced she wanted to have her (future) wedding in the Park.
It is gorgeous.
Farragut State Park – official website
2007 Banff Mountain Photo Competition
In this year’s competition, seventeen winning images were selected from over 2100 submitted by photographers in 27 countries.
Get Outdoors – 2007 Banff Mountain Photo Competition Winners – Getoutdoors.com Outdoor Blog
All winning photos are posted on the 2007 Banff Mountain Photo page.
besthike.com 