Hiker Blog

Filed under: Activism, Hiking, Learning, Scuba Diving, Events, Blogs, North America, United States, Camping

One of my new favorite blogs on the National Park Service - Park Remark - has got a post on some info put out by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Don't let the "retirees" part fool you. The list is about the best parks to visit during the winter, and the suggestions are NOT about Bingo and Backgammon, let alone erectile dysfunction. The piece is titled "Beyond Yellowstone: Seven Winter Travel Favorites" and Park Remark rightly points out that too much is often made of Yellowstone and that lots of other parks around the National Park System offer stuff to do in the colder months. Here's the brief list courtesy of Park Remark:

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Wintertime magically transforms the Lake Superior shoreline at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into a frozen fairyland.
Mount Rainier National Park - Storm tracks in the northwest bring enormous snowfall to this area, in some years exceeding 1,000 inches of snow for the season.
Dry Tortugas National Park - Not all winter national park visits have to involve waist-deep snow and sub-zero temperatures! (located among the Florida Keys)
Big Bend National Park - "For birders, Big Bend is a great place to build those all-important life lists. "
Yosemite National Park - "For those who want to get away from civilization and are willing to engage in a bit of strenuous activity, Ostrander Ski Hut is a wonderful destination"
Cabrillo National Monument - Between mid-December and March, it is possible to see pods of gray whales as they migrate from summer feeding areas off Alaska to sheltered bays in Baja California.
Statue of Liberty - To avoid long lines, plan a winter trip when visitation is way down.

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Filed under: Activism, Hiking, Learning, Scuba Diving, Events, Blogs, North America, United States, Camping

One of my new favorite blogs on the National Park Service - Park Remark - has got a post on some info put out by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Don't let the "retirees" part fool you. The list is about the best parks to visit during the winter, and the suggestions are NOT about Bingo and Backgammon, let alone erectile dysfunction. The piece is titled "Beyond Yellowstone: Seven Winter Travel Favorites" and Park Remark rightly points out that too much is often made of Yellowstone and that lots of other parks around the National Park System offer stuff to do in the colder months. Here's the brief list courtesy of Park Remark:

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Wintertime magically transforms the Lake Superior shoreline at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into a frozen fairyland.
Mount Rainier National Park - Storm tracks in the northwest bring enormous snowfall to this area, in some years exceeding 1,000 inches of snow for the season.
Dry Tortugas National Park - Not all winter national park visits have to involve waist-deep snow and sub-zero temperatures! (located among the Florida Keys)
Big Bend National Park - "For birders, Big Bend is a great place to build those all-important life lists. "
Yosemite National Park - "For those who want to get away from civilization and are willing to engage in a bit of strenuous activity, Ostrander Ski Hut is a wonderful destination"
Cabrillo National Monument - Between mid-December and March, it is possible to see pods of gray whales as they migrate from summer feeding areas off Alaska to sheltered bays in Baja California.
Statue of Liberty - To avoid long lines, plan a winter trip when visitation is way down.

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The Sierra Nevadas are one of the most photogenic mountain ranges in the world. While the Himlayas definitely get their share of attention...their scale is truly amazing...the Sierras provide a mix of barren crags, towering pines and mirror-surfaced lakes. And when the light falls just right like it does in this superb photo of Mt. Spencer by Misha Logvinov, well, then you have the makings of a Photo of the Day. This photo, need I remind you, came from the gadling pool, to which anyone can contribute and from which we select our much coveted (OK, maybe no that much) POTD.

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Filed under: Hiking, Photos, North America, United States, Photo of the Day

The Sierra Nevadas are one of the most photogenic mountain ranges in the world. While the Himlayas definitely get their share of attention...their scale is truly amazing...the Sierras provide a mix of barren crags, towering pines and mirror-surfaced lakes. And when the light falls just right like it does in this superb photo of Mt. Spencer by Misha Logvinov, well, then you have the makings of a Photo of the Day. This photo, need I remind you, came from the gadling pool, to which anyone can contribute and from which we select our much coveted (OK, maybe no that much) POTD.

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Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States, Camping

Going on about the wonder and glory of the National Parks here has become something of a cliché. Sorry, the parks are one of the best things for the traveler and outdoorsman that we have to offer.

The problem is, too many people know that. And so when you hit places like Yosemite during the summer (or God forbid, Labor Day) the bovine hordes descend upon these places as if they were offing e-ticket rides to the Rapture.

But one park has managed, by virtue of its remoteness and lack of, say, a geyser named Old Faithful, to keep the hordes at bay. It is Glacier National Park. To let you know how relatively unvisited Glacier is...well, I've never been there. So how's that?

But Susan Hegger with the St. Louis Dispatch did get to go, and in this so-so piece she tells the tale. Now, let me say here that the title of the article "Hiking in glacier" is a bit misleading. If I read the article correctly the writer seems to be doing more driving than hiking as she makes her way through the park. That's rather lame. But you do learn a bit about the park, and I like to take advantage of every opportunity I can to bring attention to the parks and, in particular, places like Glacier, even though that is a rather absurd thing for me to do since I prefer they stay idyllic and yet try to promote them as much as I can. I guess I'm just schizophrenic that way.

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Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States, Camping

Going on about the wonder and glory of the National Parks here has become something of a cliché. Sorry, the parks are one of the best things for the traveler and outdoorsman that we have to offer.

The problem is, too many people know that. And so when you hit places like Yosemite during the summer (or God forbid, Labor Day) the bovine hordes descend upon these places as if they were offing e-ticket rides to the Rapture.

But one park has managed, by virtue of its remoteness and lack of, say, a geyser named Old Faithful, to keep the hordes at bay. It is Glacier National Park. To let you know how relatively unvisited Glacier is...well, I've never been there. So how's that?

But Susan Hegger with the St. Louis Dispatch did get to go, and in this so-so piece she tells the tale. Now, let me say here that the title of the article "Hiking in glacier" is a bit misleading. If I read the article correctly the writer seems to be doing more driving than hiking as she makes her way through the park. That's rather lame. But you do learn a bit about the park, and I like to take advantage of every opportunity I can to bring attention to the parks and, in particular, places like Glacier, even though that is a rather absurd thing for me to do since I prefer they stay idyllic and yet try to promote them as much as I can. I guess I'm just schizophrenic that way.

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Filed under: Hiking, Learning, Stories, South America, Chile, Camping

If there's one place that I've blogged about here that I sometimes dream about, it's Patagonia. It seems like a century ago that I was there with a friend of mine, trekking the Torres del Paine circuit in Chile, and trudging my way (by horse at one point) to the base of the Grey Glacier. The landscape in Patagonia is awe-inspiring. I like to tell people that it is a mixture of Yosemite, Yellowstone and scenes from a science fiction novel. In regards to the latter, not only are some of the gaping spaces there other-worldly, but there are animals like the guanaco and the reah (also known as the Nandu, an awkward, flightless ostrich-like bird) that roam the countryside and sometimes stalk unsuspecting passers-by (we were followed by a curios rhea for about three miles).

So given my enthusiasm for the place, I can hardly pass up the opportunity to post about new articles on Patagonia as I fine them. To wit: here is one from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Writer Chris Welsch finds the allure of the true land down under nearly as inviting and fascinating as I did. He's on the road with several fellow travelers including some Aussies and an Argentine makes a fine story of his trip down there. Of course, he make the obligatory nod to Bruce Chatwin's In Patagonia and rather conspicuously throws in a couple of foreign words like cebadora, but that's OK. We'll forgive him the travel-writing cliches. It's otherwise a fine piece.

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Filed under: Hiking, Learning, Stories, South America, Chile, Camping

If there's one place that I've blogged about here that I sometimes dream about, it's Patagonia. It seems like a century ago that I was there with a friend of mine, trekking the Torres del Paine circuit in Chile, and trudging my way (by horse at one point) to the base of the Grey Glacier. The landscape in Patagonia is awe-inspiring. I like to tell people that it is a mixture of Yosemite, Yellowstone and scenes from a science fiction novel. In regards to the latter, not only are some of the gaping spaces there other-worldly, but there are animals like the guanaco and the reah (also known as the Nandu, an awkward, flightless ostrich-like bird) that roam the countryside and sometimes stalk unsuspecting passers-by (we were followed by a curios rhea for about three miles).

So given my enthusiasm for the place, I can hardly pass up the opportunity to post about new articles on Patagonia as I fine them. To wit: here is one from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. Writer Chris Welsch finds the allure of the true land down under nearly as inviting and fascinating as I did. He's on the road with several fellow travelers including some Aussies and an Argentine makes a fine story of his trip down there. Of course, he make the obligatory nod to Bruce Chatwin's In Patagonia and rather conspicuously throws in a couple of foreign words like cebadora, but that's OK. We'll forgive him the travel-writing cliches. It's otherwise a fine piece.

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Filed under: Hiking, Gear, Camping

Leave it to human ingenuity to come up with a product for something that you weren't sure you needed. I know, backpackers out there will say "what a fine idea!"...or perhaps some will say, "how stupid" but either way, the Packa seems like one of those things you'd buy for someone who liked to hike, but who already has everything. The packa appears to be a plastic jacket not just for you, but for your pack as well. It slips over your entire self while you are wearing you massive hiking backpack. Never mind that you look like some freak of nature wearing the thing. It keeps you AND your pack dry. And perhaps the best part: according to the wonderfully designed packa site, it also serves as a pillow when it's folded up. And if you dip it in molten lead and let it dry and cool, it also makes a superb weapon.

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