A 17 percent chance turned into a sure thing Sunday, March 1st in a remote part of Southern California at the border with Mexico. That’s when Shawn “Pepper” Forry and Justin “Trauma” Lichter trudged up a muddy hillside during a desert downpour to reach the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. The two men had just completed...
Learn MoreBack in the early ‘90s, then Yellowstone National Park museum technician Lee Whittlesey had the killer idea to compile all the “unnatural” deaths—that is, those not caused by run-of-the-mill car accidents or heart attacks—that have occurred in Yellowstone through the years. There were enough to fill a book, and so Whittlesey’s fascinating Death in Yellowstone: Accidents...
Learn MoreSteven Fuller is Yellowstone’s longest-serving winterkeeper. He might also be the park’s last. His photography portfolio will, however, remain a monument to one of the world’s most unique jobs and also to Yellowstone itself. “Most snow in our contemporary world is plowed, piled, fouled, and messed with as it falls or soon thereafter,” Fuller says. “Here...
Learn MoreAfter Casey Nocket traveled throughout the West to deface several national parks last year, a notable European street artist has been caught tagging Joshua Tree National Park. André Saraiva, better known as just André, posted a photo to his Instagram account showing him having tagged a boulder with the ‘eyes’ of his trademark “Mr A” stick figure...
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Beginning in March, the Swannanoa Valley Museum will launch the sixth year of its Rim Hike Series, which features 11 hikes across the ridges and peaks surrounding the Swannanoa River valley in North Carolina. The series sprang from museum founder Harriet Styles‘ popular wildflower hikes along many of these same paths. After Styles passed away, the museum decided to...
Learn MoreAnyone who has trekked in New Zealand truly understands that this beautiful, rugged country offers several opportunities to explore a fantasy realm. The nine Great Walks – designated inconic hikes in New Zealand – feature an unparalleled diversity of color that highlights the unique landscape and sets your imagination adrift; it’s like actually living a work of fiction....
Learn MoreJustin Lichter and Shawn Forry are 180 miles from the Mexican border and the completion of their remarkable winter thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. They started in October 2014 and have been snowshoeing, skiing and hiking ever since. Journeys on the PCT are remarkably personal. The trail is truly a place to see what makes you tick, from physical to emotional to...
Learn MoreInvasive hogs can be aggressive, especially when defending their young. They may weigh up to 300 lbs, have sharp tusks, and can charge very quickly. Be alert! Know the signs and tracks of hogs and avoid heavily used areas, especially at dusk or dawn when hogs are most active. Avoid water sources that have been used by invasive hogs – humans can contract multiple diseases...
Learn MoreOur National Forests contain countless special areas – landscapes with awesome vistas, habitat for key wildlife species, areas with boundless recreation opportunities, and grounds that hold important historic artifacts. Last week, President Obama recognized a part of our National Forest System that has all of these attributes and more when he designated Browns Canyon...
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When you picture the mountains that span the Appalachian Trail, what comes to mind? Massive, majestic, daunting peaks? Likely not—and you’d be right. It is for this reason that the uninitiated confuse the 2,189 miles that make up the United States’ original long trail as easy hiking. Some of it is. Most of it, however, is excruciatingly difficult. In fact, of the three...
Learn MoreIn the middle of last summer came news of a bizarre occurrence no one could explain. Seemingly out of nowhere, a massive crater appeared in one of the planet’s most inhospitable lands. Early estimates said the crater, nestled in a land called “the ends of the Earth” where temperatures can sink far below zero, yawned nearly 100 feet in diameter. The saga deepened. The...
Learn MoreAfter Duke Energy reached a plea agreement over its mishandling of coal ash that spilled into the Dan River, Duke CEO Lynn Good said in a statement, “We are accountable for what happened at Dan River and have learned from this event.” What Duke Energy has learned is that it’s expensive to be cheap. The giant utility put off the cost of properly storing...
Learn MoreAuthors Robert and Martha Manning have produced a masterful work in “Walking Distance: Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People,” a large format, full-color treasure trove of dream hikes from around the globe. As the subtitle of the book suggests, each of the 30 treks described are indeed extraordinary hikes for ordinary people – super hiker status not required. Amazing...
Learn MoreThere’s a new map created by the National Park Service’s (NPS) Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division that shows where the country’s loudest—and quietest—places are located. Not surprisingly, the loudest spots are clustered around cities, while the quietest are relatively wild–but the map also shows that even some rural locations have fallen victim to...
Learn MoreThe pre-season lottery for Yosemite’s coveted Half Dome hiking permits opens March 1, 2015. Those who submit applications in the month of March will be in the pool when Yosemite National Park issues 225 day-hike permits for each day of the hiking season. Lottery winners will be notified by mid-April. Preseason applicants can request permits for up to six people and...
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Does plantar fasciitis cause you foot pain? Perhaps you can get some relief from the patented Heel Seats manufactured by Heel That Pain of Yorba Linda, CA. Their unique Fascia-Bar™ technology is clinically proven effective with a > 90% success rate. 31 of 32 participants in a double blind clinical trial asked to keep the HTP treatments after the study concluded....
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Spanning the country’s northernmost to southernmost tips, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority has launched 50 new or improved hiking paths for members of all population segments to enjoy. The paths are divided into four categories: those tailored for families, those meant for hikers, those for cycling and 4×4 travel and those accessible to people with...
Learn MoreOver the last five winters, scientists have been trapping and fitting GPS collars to wolverines in Idaho and Wyoming while also affixing them to snowmobilers and backcountry skiers. Then they’ve tracked the movements. Preliminary findings show that wolverines move faster and more often on weekends when people are playing in their mountain habitat. That may mean trouble...
Learn MoreJoin Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, for a presentation featuring the Headwaters State Forest. Learn how the 8,000-acre conservation project at the East Fork Headwaters got its start, the history of the property, and how its benefits will impact residents and visitors of Transylvania County, NC. Project stakeholders will give an update...
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When bitter cold winter temps come around, perhaps the last thing on your mind is hiking. I get that. I’m no fan of the cold either. As with everything else though, Mother Nature has a reward if you are willing to tolerate the temporary discomfort. Frozen waterfalls! It’s a rare occurrence in Western North Carolina, but usually once a year, the air will stay...
Learn MoreEight members of the Over the Arroyo Gang gathered at their regular meeting place, a parking lot off Hyde Park Road, dressed for one of their thrice-weekly hikes. The youngest was 63, the oldest, 83. All fit in mind and body. Three dogs came along. Some of the gang brought snowshoes, expecting to be hiking in deep snow. Others sported microspikes, traction devices that...
Learn MoreThe U.S. Department of State and the EPA announced their intent to launch a new partnership to monitor air pollution at embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world. Secretary of State John Kerry and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy attended the signing ceremony, which highlighted the links between local air pollution and global climate change. In...
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Beginning with an obsession for trees and long-distance hiking, Michael Kauffmann, Humboldt County-based author, envisioned a route that could connect the isolated wilderness areas of Northern California and reveal the numerous conifer species within them. Kauffmann spent just under three weeks hiking the 360-mile route in 2009 and as the long-distance hiking movement...
Learn MoreCould New Mexico have a 500-mile long trail stretching from the state’s northern border with Colorado to its southern frontier? Several lawmakers said they’re serious about making the Rio Grande Trail idea a reality, though they acknowledged the ambitious project could take years to materialize. “This trail would be in the style of the Appalachian Trail or the...
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Historical reenactors portraying the U.S. Army’s legendary Buffalo Soldiers will be among the attractions when Black History Month is celebrated at the Ravenswood Open Space Preserve in East Palo Alto, CA from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. Hosted by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the event includes guided hikes, activities and crafts...
Learn MoreGlobal warming, clean water, and growing global population are some of today’s most pressing environmental issues. That list should be updated, it seems, as noise and light pollution have become major global concerns. Both noise pollution and light pollution have actually been pressing issues for a while, though they haven’t received the attention of other...
Learn MoreFor outdoorsmen, the term “private lands” typically means acres of fish and wildlife habitat, and trails closed to public use. That term has taken on new meaning in recent months as members of Congress have signed on to support the call by special interests to sell off public property to states and private industries. But there is another story to private...
Learn MoreThere are many great routes for walking and hiking in the countryside of Spain and Cuenca province has several really fascinating trails to follow, including “Los Callejones de Las Majadas,” or the Alleys of Stone. Located within the Serrania de Cuenca Nature Reserve, this fascinating route is around three miles from the village of Las Majadas in the province...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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