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Harvey Manning – dead at 81

The author of dozens of great hiking guides is gone. Rest in peace.

Harvey Manning, an icon of the mountaineering community who helped shape and preserve much of this region’s wilderness, died Sunday at age 81. Manning also wrote dozens of mountaineering and hiking guides, many of which have become classics. Most area outdoors enthusiasts, armchair or otherwise, grew up on one of his “100 Hikes” series of books.

“I feel like one of the great cedars of the North Cascades has fallen,” said Rick McGuire, former president of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society and longtime friend. “It’s hard to sum up a man like Harvey. He was a force of nature.”

Manning, known and beloved for his fearsome directness, was a tireless voice for conserving the forests as well as making them accessible to citizens of the Northwest. …

Harvey Manning, 1925-2006: Author of hiking guides ‘was a force of nature’

The Freedom of the Hills

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the hiker’s satellite phone is (almost) here

Today, satellite phone manufacturer Globalstar just announced the GSP-1700, the company’s smallest satphone to date, weighing just 7.1oz (203gm) and 43 percent smaller by volume. In addition, this Qualcomm handset packs an EV-DO modem, so you can get high-speed data access from “virtually anywhere you can see sky,” according to the company’s website. The GSP-1700 also stays loaded for four hours of talk time and 36 hours of standby time on a single charge. We’re not sure on the price of this handset, but given that its predecessor, the GSP-1600 goes for $750 (without a service plan), it’s a safe bet that this one will go for at least that much when it’s released “in the coming months.”

Globalstar GSP-1700 satphone also loaded with EV-DO – Engadget

globalstar-1700.jpg

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book – Lightweight Backpacking and Camping

I signed up with AppalachianTrail.org in anticipation of a trip to Appalachian Trail Days in 2007.

They strongly recommend Lightweight Backpacking and Camping: A Field Guide to Wilderness Equipment, Technique, and Style.

Reading the reader reviews on the Amazon site (always a good idea) comments are somewhat mixed.

But I am IN. It’s added to my “to read” list.

Already a lightweight Backpacker, I’m now simply fine-tuning my kit and food for various hikes. Looks like a perfect resource for me.

A Field Guide to Wilderness Equipment, Technique, and Style (Backpacking Light)

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new look for the besthike.com blog

Six months is a long time on the web.

It seems much longer since I launched this blog. I used the default theme in WordPress with a modified header image.

besthikeblogheader.jpg

I updated in early November, 2006 with these objectives:

  • better integration with besthike.com
  • new Google search box includes both blog and besthike.com
  • wider post column (mainly for photos)
  • wider navigation column (to reduce clutter)
  • “Subscribe to Comments” so comments can turn into conversation
  • (slightly) better image handling

    • So far I am quite happy with the new theme, based on Cutline.

    It may look a little strange for a few days. Especially if you use the SAFARI browser. I am still working out a few bugs.

    Rick McCharles, editor

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    if I could walk on water …

    … I wouldn’t need a hiking kayak.

    water-walk.jpg

    Massachusetts inventor Yoav Rosen just received patents for these water walking devices. … Rosen’s company, Wavewalk, specializes in creating water craft that can be used standing up.

    Walk the Atlantic – GetOutdoors.com GO Blog

    Watch a demonstration on Google Video.

    da Vinci forgot to patent it after roughing out the potential prototype.

    walk-on-water.jpg
    image – GizMag.com

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    best of the Canadian Rockies – Emperor Falls

    Of many, many highlights hiking Mt. Robson / Berg Lake in the Rockies, getting a shower under majestic Emperor Falls was most special. I’d actually never heard of these Falls before I hiked Mt. Robson. The are the most impressive in Western Canada, I reckon.

    Emperor-Falls-is-one-of-the-many-beautiful-waterfalls-along-the-Berg-Lake-trail

    It’s positively dangerous. Get as wet as you want.

    A good contest for your group is to see who can get closest to the force of the Falls.

    I posted a number of Emperor Falls photos on flickr from our 2003 hike.

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    exploring the world by internet




    Capo Testa 12

    Originally uploaded by ANTONAMON.

    ANTONAMON from the Netherlands loves to photograph mountains and rivers, rocks and sea. He says at 73 he is now too old for hiking trips but he browses the internet to see what’s out in the world.

    “I stay at the coast and try to picture the eternal struggle between rocks
    and waves.”

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    web search: Google, Live, Yahoo

    Hoo hoo!

    First time ever besthike.com has reached #1 on any of the 3 major search engines.

    Microsoft Live ranks us #1 for the search term “best hikes”. Google #9 and Yahoo #2.

    besthike.jpg

    Our list of the best hikes in the world is the best we know of on the web. It’s nice to know people can find us.

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    planning for The Towers of Paine, Chile

    Many call Paine in Patagonia the single best hike in the world.

    patagonia.jpg

    We don’t refute that claim.

    But organizing an independent hiking adventure in that far off part of the world can be frustrating. Management of the Park is convoluted & confusing. Two private companies (Andescape & Fantastico Sur) share responsibilities with the federal government & run the mountain huts (refugios). A third company Vertice Patagonia runs one large Lodge and campground. Pathagone has some role, as well.

    Some of these companies have websites, but none are particularly helpful — unless you want to sign on for a guided trek.

    In Dec. 2004 we finally had to travel to the jumping off point for Paine, tiny Puerto Natales, Chile. Once there (speaking to the many hikers everywhere in town) it turned out that independent hiking is simple. No reservations are needed of any kind — so long as you are tenting. Every campsite is first-come, first-served.

    If you want to hike and stay in the huts, good luck. Those beds are generally taken by guided groups. And we have still found no way to book them in advance from abroad.

    So … what to do.

    The happiest hikers in Paine are carrying their own packs and tents. No hassles. That’s what we did. <photos>

    The next best way to do Torres del Paine is to sign on with one of the major trekking companies. For example, Path@gone will take you 5 days, 4 nights staying in refugios for US$330 / person — a pretty good price. Email Pathagone@entelchile.net to get a quote from them for your own adventure. No hassles.

    For more details, check Paine Circuit and “W” on besthike.com

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    John Muir Trail record attempt(s)

    “I built a castle in the swamp and it sunk. I built a second castle and it sunk too. I built a third castle and it burned down and then sunk. But the fourth castle, Ahhhh! That one stood.”

    —Monty Python and the Holy Grail

    Well-written account of an attempt to speed hike the JMT by 49-year-old Al Shaver.

    Before my attempt, Reinhold Metzger held the unsupported, unresupplied speed record for the 208 mile John Muir Trail at 5 days 7 hours. I hoped to best his time this September. After three valiant attempts, his record still stands.

    I knew I wasn’t necessarily the person best suited to break Reinhold’s record, but I was drawn to the challenge and I thought it was possible. …

    As it turns out, the third time is not always a charm. I could take the advice of Mssrs. Cleese et al and try one more time, but I fear I took on a 40 miles a day challenge with 30 miles a day feet.

    Results: John Muir Trail (JMT) Record Attempt – Unsupported, Without Resupply @ Backpacking Light

    john-muir-trail-unsupported-record-attempt-results-5.jpg
    Al Shaver and the gear

    (via The Adventure Blog)