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$80 “America the Beautiful” Pass a mistake

UPDATE: I was surprised to see GetOutdoors approve of the new pass, pleased with the simplification of pricing.

I disagree.

Even the name reminds me of “Enduring Freedom” — an over-the-top Bush-linked euphemism destined to be the sad punch line of a joke one day.

If you are following the storm of controversy over the US National Park pass price increase from $50 to $80 / year, this is the best, most focused piece I’ve seen yet.

It’s written by Scott Silver, commenting on an article in the current edition of High Country News.

Numbers of visitors to Parks is in decline. Why increase the price now?

I’m with you Scott.

Wild Wilderness – Time for truth about park visitation – Scott Silver

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(via GOAT)

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free language MP3s – World Nomads

Our travel insurance affiliate World Nomads offers free language guides as MP3 downloads. In fact you can subscribe to them via iTunes, if you like. Perfect if you are planning a hiking trip to a foreign land. (I recall hiking in South America practicing my Spanish on the trail.)

Languages so far: Spanish, Thai, Indonesian (Bahasa), French, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Lao and Chinese.

World Nomads : Learn the Lingo – Category – Language guides

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hiking the Great Wall of China

It’s not yet on our list of the best hikes in the world. But … someday.

Hiking in China we still do not recommended … unless you speak Mandarin.

Of course you can sign on with dozens of different hiking tours of the Great Wall. But what if you really want to hike independently?

The Rucksack guide is your best bet.


“Explore the Great Wall” (Jacquetta Megarry)

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build a quinzee (snow shelter)

The quickest way to get shelter in the snow is to build a snow cave or quinzee. (quinzhee)

Once built, the door loosely covered (to allow in some air), temperature stabilizes at about 0C (32F). You can wear a t-shirt while sitting inside your sleeping bag quite comfortably as there is no wind.

One candle will provide enough brightness.

Jason Klass has a new gear blog, one post showing a huge quinzee.

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The roof looks too heavy to me. We keep ours no thicker than 12in as people have suffocated after collapses.

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Check out Jason’s blog, Homemade Backpacking Gear.

By the way, I notice he is using freewebs.com software. Looks good. I have another friend very happy with that free site hosting software. (I cannot seem to find an RSS feed from the blog, however.)

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article “winter camping for beginners”

Club Tread is a site I have been using for years for advice on trips in Western Canada. We link to many of their pages.

But this is the best Club Tread article yet!

Thanks so much to author Stephen Sharp.

He is less keen on building a quinzee than am I:

All my experiences with snow shelters have not been successful or comfortable. They are fun to build but I am claustrophobic!

They are definitely warmer than a tent but take at least three hours to excavate. Having to evacuate a snow cave in the middle of a blizzard because the roof was collapsing under the weight of an enormous snowfall has soured me completely on them.

My favorite snow shelter is a snow trench. Essentially it is a trench dug into the snow in which sleeping platforms have been cut and is covered by a tarp that is covered with a layer of snow. Remember to bring some sort of sleeping bag cover to protect it from getting wet from dripping melt water!

I find that a candle lantern is an essential piece of gear to use in any shelter or tent. Besides providing light, a candle will help dry out the air and add a little warmth.

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ClubTread.com – Winter Camping for Beginners

(via The Adventure Blog)

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gear – backpack with solar power

We took a roll-up solar charging panel with us to Peru. And ended up neither needing it or using it.

But … if it was built into the backpack itself. We certainly would have.

TreeHugger.com posted a short video with Shayne McQuade, inventor of the Voltaic Solar Backpack. Very interesting.

Looking forward to hearing from those who have tried this technology on the trail.

There are a number of different models available. This pack costs about US$220.

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Voltaic Solar Panel Daypack

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#1 US National Park: Yellowstone

National Park Traveler’s reader poll named the world’s first National Park as still the best National Park in the States. (I voted for Glacier.)

Well, I suppose it’s really no surprise, but after a week of voting the park selected as most popular is Yellowstone. Out of the 131 votes cast, Yellowstone received 41, or 31.3 percent. And I can appreciate that, as Yellowstone long has been my favorite. What’s not to like? It’s got the world’s greatest concentration of geysers, it has an incredible wildlife reservoir, and the landscape beckons one to explore.

Still, Glacier National Park finished a relatively strong second, receiving 31 votes. From there, though, the challengers fell off quite a bit. Third place went to Sequoia National Park, which received 14 votes, while Zion National Park was fourth, with 13 votes.

National Parks Traveler: Your Favorite Park: Yellowstone

Yellowstone is fantastic. I was there in June cycling and day hiking. Next time I want to check out Mount Washburn and Bechler River, neither of which is yet on our list of the best hikes in the world. (Should they be?)

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Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park. Mt. Washburn in the distance. Photo by Geyser Gary – flickr

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National Parks – how much $ is too much?

Just as I am complaining to Parks Canada about their too high fees, the Americans are looking at a big jump in annual pass prices.

Last week I told you about the new, $80 America the Beautiful pass the federal government will be selling beginning New Year’s Day. It will gain you access to national parks, U.S. Forest Service lands, the vast Bureau of Land Management empire, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges, and, phew, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation properties.

What I haven’t been able to decipher just yet is, in response to this pass, whether we’ll see some hike in daily, weekly or annual entrance fees to parks around the nation.

But would that really be surprising? I mean, this new pass effectively raises the ceiling for national park entrance fees, since the outgoing National Parks Pass cost $50 and the new ATB pass represents a whopping 60 percent increase.

The ATB pass also represents a 25 percent increase from the currently available $65 Golden Eagle Pass that gets you into all the same lands as the newly minted ATB pass.

… more

National Parks Traveler: Fee Creep In the Parks

UPDATE: A Rant Against the Public Lands Pass – Park Remark

Taking Sides on America the Beautiful Pass – Wild Wilderness

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trekking in Bhutan

I’ve long been a fan of Bhutan-Trails.org.

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I asked editor Rogier Gruys when Bhutan would open to “independent hikers”. Not soon, he says.

As for trekking in Bhutan … you do have to go through a local travel agency. They are not likely to change that …

… you can go with one or two people, and set up exactly the itinerary you want with the agency. The only thing is that you pay US$230/day (for less than 4 people in a group). … But that does include all meals, all local transport, hotel/tent etc. So compared to a typical trip to NY city it is not all that bad!

If I could afford $200 / day I would be booking my next holiday to Bhutan, for sure.

The most famous hikes in Bhutan are the Snowman Trek and Jhomolhari-Laya-Gasa, but Rogier points out there are other great hikes that you can do year round.

Even the hikes out of the capital Thimphu are excellent. In particular, Rogier recommends walking to Tango/Drolay goempas. Or radiotower to Phajoding. “Great views, and a beautiful monastery along the way.”

A Trekker's Guide (Cicerone Guide)
Bhutan: A Trekker’s Guide (Cicerone Guide)

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foot pain when hiking

I’m taking my new hiking boots to be “stretched”. Which of these foot problems is motivating my radical action (which might shorten the life of my expensive footwear)?

  • Bunions
  • Hammertoe
  • Morton’s Neuroma
  • Plantar Fasciitis (can lead to heel spur)
  • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Hallux Limitus
  • Nail Fungus

    • Answer? ….

    Bunions. Mine are not genetic, rather built up after injuries.

    Bunion pain is my biggest problem as a hiker. Any advice for me? (Leave a comment below.)

    Active Feet to Aging Feet to Aching Feet – New York Times

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    image source