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April 28, 2022

Winter Hiking #FAIL

Sundance Canyon is a popular, easy day hike directly out of Banff townsite in the Canadian Rockies.

On a lovely Spring day in April I set off to enjoy the afternoon.

Some of the approach is along the lovely Bow River.

Everyone stops en route at the (now closed) Cave and Basin National Historic Site. And nearby boardwalk trails down to the river.

I popped into 3 Mile Cabin.

My #FAIL came when I reached Sundance Canyon itself. I’d forgotten to bring my Yaktrax® up to the mountains. They were essential this day. 😀

I was forced to quit.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

April 28, 2022April 26, 2022

New Zealand’s Great Walks – Happy Birthday

New Zealand is our #1 hiking destination in the world.

Infrastructure is terrific.

The Great Walks of New Zealand are just a few of the terrific tramping adventures available.

The Great Walks network was established by the Department of Conservation in 1992.

North Island

Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
Tongariro Northern Circuit – the second day of the circuit follows the Tongariro Alpine Crossing over volcanic terrain.
Whanganui Journey — this is actually not a walk but a kayak voyage on New Zealand’s longest navigable river. It is however managed under the Great Walks system.

South Island

Abel Tasman Coast Track – the most popular track.
Heaphy Track – at 82 kilometres the longest of the walking tracks, delivering the biggest contrast from palm-fringed beaches to sub-alpine tussock grasslands.
Routeburn Track – at 32 kilometres the shortest of the walking tracks.
Milford Track – the most famous of the Great Walks.
Paparoa Track and Pike29 Memorial Track – 55km track
Kepler Track

Stewart Island / Rakiura

Rakiura Track

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

April 27, 2022April 18, 2022

Continental Divide Trail in 4 Minutes

Mac from Halfway Anywhere traveling the length of the Continental Divide Trail from the US/Mexico border to the US/Canada border across 3,100 mi / 5,000 km or trail through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. One second / day.

April 25, 2022April 24, 2022

Cooper’s Island, Bermuda

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

The most famous walking in Bermuda is the Railway Trail.

But I prefer day hiking Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve out by the airport in tranquil St. Davids.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cooper’s Island is no longer an island.

…thanks to reclamation work is now joined to St. David’s Island as a southeastern peninsula …

The island has been used by many United States government agencies (which relinquished the island in 1995), as well as previously being occupied by a NASA space tracking station. Until 1995, access was restricted, but it is now open to the public. …

Swimming, walking, picnicing, bird watching and snorkelling are all permitted within the reserve.

The Park opens at 9am. I was there close to opening and there was almost nobody else in sight. Dogs are not allowed. March is considered winter by locals. I was comfortable in shorts and t-shirt.

There are many short side trails to explore.

One highlight is an observation tower. Inside are historical signboards.

Schedule about 90 minutes to explore the park.

related – Bermuda Attractions – Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve

April 22, 2022April 20, 2022

Meet Superhiker J.R. Harris

To date, J.R. has circled the world some 13 times.
He has taken more than 50 multi-week trips in many of the most pristine places on the planet: the Andes, the Amazon, the Adirondacks, Alaska’s Yukon, Greenland, the Arctic Circle, Tasmania, you name it.
Wherever he goes—however he can—he embeds with the local population, bunking in homes that will have him and breaking bread in a language not his own. Otherwise, he is almost always alone.
It is no stretch to call him one of the world’s most prolific living solo explorers. …
The Greatest Traveler You’ve Never Heard Of

April 21, 2022February 26, 2022

VIDEO – Englishman River Trail, Vancouver Island

AllTrails calls this year round adventure close to Nanaimo the Englishman River Trailway.

But you don’t need follow the AllTrails 10.5km out and back route.

It’s a network of mountain biking / walking trails on the west side of the Englishman River. You can’t really get lost so long as you parallel the water.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

April 19, 2022April 17, 2022

Jamaican Anole Lizard in Bermuda

One morning this fellow was waiting for me to come out the door.

He didn’t seem much perturbed by my camera.

It’s the most common lizard in Bermuda – Jamaican Anole (Anolis Grahami) – which grows up to 8 inches long. They can change colour quickly.

The males have this bright orange extendable throat fan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

April 18, 2022April 12, 2022

Angela Maxwell walked 20,000 miles in 6 years

… On 16 December 2020, Maxwell’s pilgrimage ended right where it started: at the house of her best friend Elyse back in Bend. Just as she had answered the call to begin her journey, she knew the time was right to end it. …
The woman who walked around the world

April 13, 2022

Hiking Bermuda on a WINDY Day

The land mass of Bermuda is small.

And it’s very heavily populated.

Yet there are many good short hikes available — especially off the Railway Trail which runs the length of the country.

Hiking on a very windy day was FUN and DRAMATIC. In this short video you’ll see the wind blast my camera tripod. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

April 13, 2022April 8, 2022

81-year-old Climbs Volcano 870 Times

Derek Andrews set himself the goal after his wife, Margaret, died from cancer.
The couple had met through the New Plymouth Tramping Club, which he joined in 1976 and has served as treasurer since 1984. …
‘I’m quite happy to stop now’: 81-year-old climbs Taranaki Maunga – for the 870th time