Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Having just returned from hiking wonderful Inyo National Forest, this post caught my eye.
As selected by GORP:
1. Willamette National Forest, OR
2. Inyo National Forest, CA
3. Coconino National Forest, AZ
4. Gunnison National Forest, CO
5. Chequamegon-Nicolet N.F., WI
6. Mark Twain National Forest, MO
7. Pisgah National Forest, NC
8. Allegheny National Forest, PA
9. Green Mountain National Forest, VT
10. White Mountain N.F., NH – ME
(via The Adventure Blog)
I’ve been wearing Dunham Waffles for most of the past 10 years.
Then Dunham was bought by New Balance. The status of my favourite shoes is now in limbo.
For this season I bought the #1 Trail Shoe as chosen by Outside Magazine from Amazon.
As a back-up, I bought some cheap New Balance® 603 Country Walkers which fit surprisingly well (since New Balance offers shoes in wide sizes). Turned out I LOVED the inexpensive walking shoes using them on major hikes in Yukon and the Sierra Nevadas.
I am buying 3 more pairs for the future, I like them so much.
While acclimatizing to altitude in preparation for an ascent of 14,000ft+ Mt. White in California we spent two days hiking photogenic Ancient Bristlecone Forest – Inyo National Forest – out of Bishop.
The Schulman Grove Visitor Center is situated way up at 10,000ft.
The oldest known live tree in the world is dubbed “Methuselah”. But the exact location is top secret. The Methuselah Trail passes within site of this tree. But you must guess which it is.
An even older one, nicknamed “Prometheus”, was cut down in 1964.
Great Basin Bristlecone Pine – Wikipedia
Studying weird, warped trees is one of the great highlights of hiking the Sierras.
Patriarch Grove – my favourite of the established day hikes
all my photos of hiking Bristlecone – flickr
Nature Ali (Alison Sheehey) also has a nice Bristlecone page:
I am on a quest to discover, identify and photograph all of the conifers of California. Part of my quest led me to the oldest living tree on earth. Estimated at almost 5000 years old, the most ancient of bristlecones are considered one of the oldest continuously living plants on earth.
But watch out, they are surpassed in age by the 11 to 12 thousand year old creosote bushes (clones of the original bush) in the nearby Mojave Desert. Amazingly many of the oldest living things on earth occupy a very small niche in central and eastern California.
One of the classiest and best travel photo sites is BluePeak edited by Rogier Gruys.
He is one of the few who have travelled to remote Torngat.
Even better, Rogier created a superb landing page for the Park where the rest of us now have a chance to see that weird, fantastical landscape.
… The Inuit refer to the far northern tip of Labrador as Torngait, the place of the spirits. It is thought that it is the home of Torngarsuak, the Inuit Great Spirit. To outsiders it is known for its deep fiords, the highest mountains east of the rockies, some of the world’s oldest rocks, the only tundra-dwelling population of black bears, and polar bears. Lots of polar bears. …
Access
The park, 9,700 sq.km, is probably one of the most difficult parks in Canada to reach. Even the parks in Nunavut are easier to get to. It’s not only the remoteness, but especially the weather and fericious winds that make getting here an adventure in itself.
If the weather is good, then the park is about 1 hours’ flying or up to two days by fishing boat north of Nain, Labrador’s northernmost community. There are no scheduled flights or boats to the park, and once you arrive, there are no facilities.
Safety is a real concern, as polar bears roam throughout the park. Since only Inuit are allowed to carry arms, visitors should always be accompanied by an Inuit guide. A good idea in any case, as the area is also infamous for its quickly changing weather and strong “ghost” winds that can appear out of nowhere.
Visiting the park
Due to the difficult logistics and its reputation for bad weather, there are currently very few if any organized treks into the park. Nature Trek has led expeditions into the park, but in the future they may only plan occasional treks, due to the extreme logistical challenges involved with organizing them. …
more photos – Torngat Mountains National Park – Rogier Gruys
Frank Wall, his partner Sue and friends blogged the Great Ocean Walk, one of the NEW best hikes Down Under.
Wikipedia has a far-better-than-usual write up on the hike:
The GOW is a 91 kilometre track which stretches from Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead, adjacent to the 12 Apostles, (actually 8 Apostles) and passes through the Great Otway and Port Campbell National Parks.
The GOW was launched in January 2006 and has become Victoria’s iconic long-distance coastal walk attracting many national and international walkers. …
One of the unique aspects of the GOW is that walkers can ‘step on and step off’ the trail, completing short, day, overnight or multi-day hikes, ranging from easy walks to difficult treks.
To complete the entire linear walk (approx. 91 kilometres) would take approximately eight days and seven nights.
Walkers will experience spectacular coast and forest scenery including rocky platforms, sheltered beaches, rivers, forests and coastal heathland.
Frank reports that water was a bit of a problem. Weather and snakes a concern. But for Australia this is a cruisy walk. Using a vehicle to shuttle gear from campsite to campsite is easy.
Check Frank’s entertaining trip report and other posts tagged with Great Ocean Walk.
Lucas Girardet recommends Kangerlussuaq – Sisimiut, 180km (112mi), as one of the best hikes in the world.
This route is the classic hike in Greenland for the hardened wanderer and others who like challenges.
The route goes through landscapes which vary a lot. From the dry inland at Kangerlussuaq to the rolling ground with the high hills by the coast. Considering the length of the hike, approx. 7 – 10 days, it is a hard hike which should not be challenged unless you have made preparations from home.
Kangerlussuaq is the settlement with the biggest and best airport in Greenland. It’s the usual gateway for those flying into Greenland. From there, you could fly one way to Sisimiut, and hike back.
Sisimiut is a port town known for mountains towering up from the sea, fjords and glaciers.
The hike sounds awesome though not inexpensive. Of course the hiking season is quite short, as well.
filipholata from the Czech Republic posted some photos of Greenland on flickr:
Great photos hiking in the highest mountains in the world.
Here’s a sample:
Chomolhari Trek, Bhutan – more photos
An expensive guided trek to Bhutan would be great. But when will that country finally open to independent hikers?
I’d love to get to Bhutan myself the first year it opens.
The Get Outdoors blog keeps telling me hiking is in decline. (Numbers down at Yosemite, for example.)
If so, perhaps we need to do more to get kids on to trails as they are doing in New Zealand:
Hut and campsite fees for children and young people aged under 18 will be free from July next year on New Zealand’s nine Great Walks, including the Whanganui Journey. …
Conservation Minister Chris Carter announced the initiative on the Abel Tasman Coast Track today, on the eve of this year’s Conservation Week (August 6 –12), the theme of which is outdoor recreation.
Everyone except Bob thought it impossible. But I was there with him on the summit of White Mountain in California. Congratulations 4WheelBob!
Check Tom Mangan’s Two-Heel Drive blog for details.
I’ve only been there twice. But on those trips I’ve seen the best rainbows of my life.
(Is there any scientific support for this “crackpot at the end of the rainbow” theory of mine?)
Tombstones, Yukon
besthike.com 