News

In a mountain range too steep to cross, DHS is spending millions of dollars on five miles of border wall

Posted by on Nov 1, 2020 @ 6:21 am in Conservation | 0 comments

In a mountain range too steep to cross, DHS is spending millions of dollars on five miles of border wall

Racing to fulfill President Donald Trump’s campaign promises, the Department of Homeland Security is dynamiting cliff sides and carving switchback roads up incredibly steep mountains to build a 30-foot-tall border wall through Guadalupe Canyon. Not only is the construction expensive, it will have little impact on undocumented immigration into the U.S. It will, however, destroy an important North American wildlife corridor. Diana Hadley, a retired environmental historian, knows firsthand the remoteness of Guadalupe Canyon, a lush riparian...

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Bridge Repair Work Begins Across Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Posted by on Oct 31, 2020 @ 6:41 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Bridge Repair Work Begins Across Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that the Federal Highway Administration awarded two construction contracts to replace seven bridges and repair seven others across the park. The work will continue through January 19, 2022 and necessitates several single-lane closures and a few full road closures to safely accomplish the repairs. Forge Creek Road in the Cades Cove area will be closed to all use beginning November 2, 2020 through May 27, 2021 to replace five bridges. Due to the complete removal of the bridges and the use...

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Fees at national parks waived for veterans, Gold Star families starting November 2020

Posted by on Oct 30, 2020 @ 6:16 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Fees at national parks waived for veterans, Gold Star families starting November 2020

Starting next month, veterans and Gold Star families will be able to visit national parks and other public lands for free, under a new initiative from the Department of the Interior. Active-duty service members and their families are already granted free access to those sites under existing department rules. The new announcement broadens that benefit to more than 20 million more individuals in recognition of their service and sacrifice on behalf of the country. The policy includes admittance to well-known sites like Yellowstone National Park...

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4-year-old breaks hiking record with medical missionary family on Appalachian Trail

Posted by on Oct 29, 2020 @ 6:07 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

4-year-old breaks hiking record with medical missionary family on Appalachian Trail

  A volunteer physician family serving in the Northern African country of Chad took a seven-month break to hike the Appalachian Trail with their four children — their 4-year-old girl is believed to be the youngest to complete the iconic 2,193-mile hike from Georgia to Maine. Doctors Olen and Danae Netteburg, Loma Linda University School of Medicine graduates (Olen 2007, Danae 2006), have been working as Deferred Mission Appointees — medical missionaries — in Chad at Bere Adventist Hospital since 2010. The 100-bed facility is an...

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12 Reasons You’ll Love (and Hate) Night Hiking

Posted by on Oct 28, 2020 @ 7:11 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

12 Reasons You’ll Love (and Hate) Night Hiking

The second full moon of October, the Blue Moon, will fall on Halloween night this year. What better way to celebrate the convergence of a rare lunar phenomenon and the spookiest night of the year than with a moonlit night hike this weekend? Night hiking isn’t something to fear or avoid. In fact, it can be pretty darn glorious in its own way (think starry skies, moonlit vistas, and endless cricket serenades). And for backpackers trying to put in big miles, it can become a necessity as the days get shorter heading into winter. Whether you start...

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How the US could lead on climate change — in 8 simple steps

Posted by on Oct 27, 2020 @ 6:37 am in Conservation | 0 comments

How the US could lead on climate change — in 8 simple steps

Imagine a green future for a hot second. The United States and the rest of the world have taken substantive action to slow (and even reverse) climate change. Crisis averted. You’re probably envisioning a lot of the following: snazzy yet affordable electric cars, smog-free city skylines, and an electrical grid powered by sweet, sweet, renewable energy. Well, you likely already realize that the nation is nowhere near approaching that eco-friendly dreamscape. In fact, the U.S. is currently on a path away from that green dream. Emissions have...

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How exploring the hikes and waterfalls of Taiwan connected this writer to her family’s immigration story

Posted by on Oct 26, 2020 @ 6:57 am in Book Reviews, Hiking News | 0 comments

How exploring the hikes and waterfalls of Taiwan connected this writer to her family’s immigration story

After a number of attempts trying to fictionalize her family history, nature writer Jessica J. Lee found that her academic work in environmental history actually helped unlock how to tell the story. “I had been trying for many years to write this story of my grandparents,” said Lee, the author of “Two Trees Make a Forest: Travels Among Taiwan’s Mountains and Coasts in Search of My Family’s Past,” which mixes family history, memoir and nature writing. Lee’s maternal grandparents were both born in mainland China, emigrating first to Taiwan...

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Here’s the Ultimate Guide to Vegan Hiking Snacks

Posted by on Oct 25, 2020 @ 6:16 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Here’s the Ultimate Guide to Vegan Hiking Snacks

One important part of planning a day hike is to make sure that you’re fueling yourself properly, especially for tough climbs or long treks. Packing the right food can help make the day that much more enjoyable. These vegan hiking snacks are portable, easy to pack, and satisfying during and after a long day on the trail. They also don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients, so you can enjoy the great outdoors knowing that you aren’t contributing to the suffering of cows, pigs, chickens, or other animals used for food. The best snacks are...

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Lake Norman nature park to offer miles of hiking, biking

Posted by on Oct 24, 2020 @ 7:06 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

Lake Norman nature park to offer miles of hiking, biking

Outdoors enthusiasts from across the Charlotte, NC region are the target market of a 606-acre nature park underway on the northern tip of Lake Norman. Mountain Creek Park in Sherrills Ford will feature 19 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails when it opens next summer or early fall, along with kayaking and paddleboarding, picnic areas and a fishing pier. The $8.5 million Catawba County park, on Little Mountain Road off N.C. 150, also will include dog parks, playgrounds, pickleball courts and a park office-educational center. The park is 40...

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Being a Steward for the Smokies

Posted by on Oct 23, 2020 @ 7:04 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Being a Steward for the Smokies

The Smokies Service Days program will return with a slate of Saturday service opportunities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting with a Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 session to be held 9:30 a.m. to noon at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. Other scheduled service days are: Oct. 31: “The Deep Creep” Litter Cleanup, 10 a.m. to noon at Deep Creek Picnic Area near Bryson City. All ages. Nov. 7: Historic Landscape Management in Daisy Town, 9 a.m. to noon at Elkmont in Tennessee. Ages 15 and up. Nov. 14: Vegetation Management at...

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All of RMNP closed to visitors due to wildfire activity

Posted by on Oct 22, 2020 @ 11:48 am in Conservation | 0 comments

All of RMNP closed to visitors due to wildfire activity

A full closure of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is now in place due to wildfire activity on the west side of the Continental Divide, a spokesperson for the park announced Thursday morning, October 22, 2020. Air quality in the park is hazardous and Trail Ridge Road is impassable on the west side due to downed trees on the road. High fire danger prompted the closure of the National Forest Service lands in Clear Creek County earlier and Denver Parks and Recreation closed all Denver Mountain Parks properties located in Clear Creek....

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The Scariest Encounters Women Have on the Appalachian Trail Aren’t with Wildlife. They’re with Men

Posted by on Oct 22, 2020 @ 6:31 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

The Scariest Encounters Women Have on the Appalachian Trail Aren’t with Wildlife. They’re with Men

Statistically the trail is one of the safest places in the U.S., but when a tent is all that separates you from a potential predator, the danger becomes terrifyingly real. As a 30-year-old nurse who works with terminally ill patients, Julia (who prefers to remain anonymous) asked herself one day what she would be proud of doing if she too were given a diagnosis of only six months to live. Shortly after, she left Pittsburgh to start hiking the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail—a highly coveted peacock feather in the cap of outdoor adventurers. But...

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More Than 20 Rescued from Colorado Hiking Trail as Wildfires Continue in Western U.S.

Posted by on Oct 21, 2020 @ 7:08 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

More Than 20 Rescued from Colorado Hiking Trail as Wildfires Continue in Western U.S.

Rescue workers with the Juan County Sheriff’s Department and The U.S. Forest Service evacuated 23 people and three dogs from the San Juan National Forest in Colorado as a wildfire tore through the area. The U.S. Forest Service deployed helicopters for the evacuation. According to the Office of Emergency Management in San Juan County, the blaze — dubbed the Ice Fire — started on Monday, October 19, 2020 just after 1 p.m. local time in the South Mineral Creek area above the park’s Ice Lakes trailhead, and burned 320 acres by 5 p.m....

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International Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day, October 20

Posted by on Oct 20, 2020 @ 5:54 am in News | 0 comments

International Mast Cell Diseases Awareness Day, October 20

Mast cells, a type of blood cell, play an important role in the body’s immune system. They reside in all body tissues and form part of the body’s initial defense system. Mast cells react to foreign bodies and injury by releasing a variety of potent chemical mediators, such as histamine, when activated. In a healthy person these chemicals will act beneficially to protect and heal the body, but in a person with MCAS these same chemicals are inappropriately triggered and released and have a negative effect on the body. Amongst the triggers are a...

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America’s Best and Most Beautiful Winter Hikes

Posted by on Oct 19, 2020 @ 7:03 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

America’s Best and Most Beautiful Winter Hikes

From Colorado to Oregon to Maine, these incredible winter hiking trails offer beautiful views, wildlife-spotting opportunities, and fewer crowds. If you have a habit of stashing your hiking boots the moment cooler temperatures arrive, you’ve been missing out. In the winter, the nation’s best hiking trails clear out and you can walk for miles without seeing another soul. Strap on a pair of snowshoes and stomp across glittering, snow-covered fields, or avoid the snow entirely and head south, where you’ll find plenty of dry terrain that’s too...

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Paths to the past: National Historic Trails lead travelers through time, US history

Posted by on Oct 18, 2020 @ 6:36 am in Book Reviews, Hiking News | 0 comments

Paths to the past: National Historic Trails lead travelers through time, US history

One of the best ways to learn history is to literally follow in the footsteps of those who were there, says Karen Berger, author of the new book, “America’s National Historic Trails.” “These are historic routes – a trail version of the National Park system,” she says. The 19 federally recognized trails range from 54 to 5,000 miles, and pass largely through rural areas, making them perfect for road trips and socially distant traveling. A good example is the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Although the shortest trail at...

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New hiking trails near Sedona, AZ hint at bigger things to come

Posted by on Oct 17, 2020 @ 7:09 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

Occupying a hilly slice of high desert below the east flanks of Mingus Mountain, the new Blowout Wash trail system is shaping up to become a prime Verde Valley hiking destination. The remediation project is a multi-agency collaboration of local, state and federal land agencies working together to improve recreational opportunities in Prescott National Forest southwest of Cottonwood, AZ. Trail construction began in 2019. Before that, the wash-riddled foothills surrounded by popular recreation hubs in Sedona, Jerome, Dead Horse Ranch State Park...

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Teaching Kids to be Great Trail Stewards

Posted by on Oct 16, 2020 @ 6:07 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

Teaching Kids to be Great Trail Stewards

Trails help keep us happy and healthy. No one wants to stay inside all the time, so we need places to go outside and explore. On trails you can get all your energy out, see cool plants, trees, and wildlife, and spend time with family and friends. It’s important we keep trails nice so everyone can enjoy them for years to come. Trails are an important resource, but sadly we are increasingly seeing trails abused by littering and vandalism. American Trails has created a packet to teach kids to be great trail stewards so the next generation...

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REI and National Forest Foundation Announce New Partnership to Plant 1 Million Trees

Posted by on Oct 15, 2020 @ 6:08 am in Conservation | 0 comments

REI and National Forest Foundation Announce New Partnership to Plant 1 Million Trees

  A new partnership between the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and REI Co-op (REI) will plant 1 million trees on National Forests across the U.S. over the next decade. Each project will prioritize immediate reforestation to restore ecosystems adversely impacted by severe wildfire, pests, diseases, blowdown, or other natural disturbances. These efforts will help protect the vital benefits that our National Forests provide, including carbon sequestration, clean air and water, and wildlife habitat. This commitment, part of REI’s...

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New polling on climate change: Denial is out, alarm is in.

Posted by on Oct 14, 2020 @ 7:11 am in Conservation | 0 comments

New polling on climate change: Denial is out, alarm is in.

Americans are now nearly four times more likely to say they’re alarmed about the climate crisis than to be dismissive of it. That’s the highest ratio ever since the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) first began gathering data on American attitudes about climate change back in 2008. According to survey data, more than a quarter of the U.S. adult population — 26 percent — now thinks global warming and its attendant consequences are alarming. That’s more than double the 11 percent who were alarmed back in 2015, and almost four...

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Maine town apologizes after criticizing anonymous hiker who fixed bridge along its trail

Posted by on Oct 13, 2020 @ 6:19 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

Maine town apologizes after criticizing anonymous hiker who fixed bridge along its trail

There’s a Maine town trying to identify the hiker who built a replacement bridge next to a collapsed one along a hiking trail on a popular 308-acre preserve. “When outside entities create trails and structures without notifying our department, that leads to confusion for hikers and others” using the Lowell Preserve, Windham town manager Barry Tibbetts posted on Facebook. The post drew widespread criticism from Mainers who felt the town was targeting the hiker for wrongdoing, instead of thanking them for installing a safe crossing on a...

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Easy ways to improve your safety while hiking

Posted by on Oct 12, 2020 @ 6:39 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Easy ways to improve your safety while hiking

Two recent deaths on Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain, have stirred conversation about hiking safety, raising questions like: “What kind of safety gear should you carry besides water, snacks and a headlamp?” First of all, accidents happen, and sometimes they’re entirely out of our hands. On occasion, the most prepared hiker can become injured or worse. But there are many ways you can reduce risks while hiking. Hiking safety is important to think about year round, but some aspects of it become even more important in the fall and winter, when...

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Forest Service in home stretch on draft Pisgah, Nantahala forests plan

Posted by on Oct 11, 2020 @ 7:07 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Forest Service in home stretch on draft Pisgah, Nantahala forests plan

James Melonas, deputy supervisor of the National Forests in North Carolina (NFsNC) office addressed a crowd of Forest Service colleagues at an April national training in Denver to share his thoughts on the ongoing Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests plan revision effort in Western North Carolina. His message: be transparent and build trust. “Really focusing on relationships and engaging folks as early as possibly well before the revision starts is critical,” Melonas said. A national forest management plan provides a general framework to...

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The Best Winter Hiking Boots for Men and Women

Posted by on Oct 10, 2020 @ 6:26 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

The Best Winter Hiking Boots for Men and Women

In the past, once chilly temperatures and snowy days started to arrive, hikers used to pack up until spring came along. But now that hiking gear is warmer and more weatherproof than ever, they can enjoy the Great Outdoors year-round. If you plan on immersing yourself in nature this season, there are a few items that you should invest in prior to hitting the trails. In addition to an ultra-warm coat or jacket, you’ll also need to have a top-notch pair of winter hiking boots on hand. The perfect pair will not only keep your feet warm and...

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Pair sets new hiking record with Tour de Smokies

Posted by on Oct 9, 2020 @ 6:36 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

Pair sets new hiking record with Tour de Smokies

Nancy East and Chris Ford were greeted by an entourage of fans and supporters when they emerged from the woods in the Big Creek section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, setting a new record for a unique long-distance hiking challenge. The pair hiked all 900 miles of trails in the park in just 30 days. East, from North Carolina, said she is still getting used to the idea of being a record holder. “While I’ve hiked thousands of miles, I’ve never hiked this many miles at once. It was immensely rewarding to achieve what I once thought was...

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Nature Conservancy buys 2,110 acres in heart of Superior National Forest

Posted by on Oct 8, 2020 @ 4:55 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Nature Conservancy buys 2,110 acres in heart of Superior National Forest

More than 2,000 acres of private land within the Superior National Forest will remain undeveloped under a real estate deal announced by the Nature Conservancy. The 2,110 acres of private land is surrounded by national forest land and includes six wild lakes, 3 miles of trout streams, 972 acres of wetlands and tracts of old-growth white spruce and white cedar. It’s also near, but not inside, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which means it could have been sold to developers for recreational cabins or other development. The land, about...

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New hiking challenge involves bringing your dogs to the Adirondacks

Posted by on Oct 7, 2020 @ 7:02 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

New hiking challenge involves bringing your dogs to the Adirondacks

  A new hiking challenge called “ADK-9” asks hikers to bring their dogs with them on the outdoor adventure and take a picture of them on the peak. The ADK-9 hiking challenge provides 9 dog friendly hikes with views and offers a chance to explore lesser traveled peaks of the region. Once you have hiked all 9 peaks, you are eligible to become an ADK-9 finisher where you will receive a ADK-9 patch, sticker and roster number. There is also a first-time ever seasonal Fall photography contest where photos of your dogs must be...

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Section of the Long Trail Permanently Protected

Posted by on Oct 6, 2020 @ 7:14 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Section of the Long Trail Permanently Protected

The Trust for Public Land, Green Mountain Club and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), announced the protection of Codding Hollow, adding 160.7 acres to Long Trail State Forest in Johnson and Waterville, Vermont. The newly protected property includes one of the last unprotected sections of the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States. Approximately 200,000 people use the Long Trail each year, and it is recognized by the Vermont General Assembly as a “unique, historic and irreplaceable...

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Why Arches National Park has an overcrowding problem, causing 3-hour closures almost daily

Posted by on Oct 4, 2020 @ 6:29 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Why Arches National Park has an overcrowding problem, causing 3-hour closures almost daily

Arches National Park has a problem. It’s too popular. While that may seem like good news, for many people who came to visit the park in September, it’s a major disappointment. Because of parking lot size, overcrowding and safety concerns, Arches has been forced to turn people away for hours of the day, mostly during weekends. In September, nearly every weekend — and lately many weekdays — have been met with closures and disappointing turnarounds for visitors in a record-setting month. It boils down to safety, according to park...

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New 100-mile Hiking Trail in Ireland Comes With a Remarkable History Lesson

Posted by on Oct 2, 2020 @ 6:37 am in Hiking News | 0 comments

New 100-mile Hiking Trail in Ireland Comes With a Remarkable History Lesson

This September, Ireland launched the National Famine Way, which follows the footsteps of 1,490 emigrants who walked from Strokestown, Co Roscommon, to Dublin, hoping to escape the famine. It now doubles as both a live history lesson as well as a hiking and cycling trail. The trail follows the path of the 1,490 people who left Strokestown and joined ″some of the worst coffin ships” on their way to Liverpool and onward to Quebec, Canada. Only half of those who started the journey ended it alive. Along the trail, walkers and cyclists can...

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The ‘Wetland Wanderer,’ celebrates outdoors career, Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted by on Oct 1, 2020 @ 6:25 am in Conservation | 0 comments

The ‘Wetland Wanderer,’ celebrates outdoors career, Hispanic Heritage Month

When Lucia Ibarra was growing up in Las Mochis, Mexico, near the Gulf of California, she felt most at home running barefoot, climbing trees, playing in the ocean, and laughing with the sheep and horses on her mother’s ranch. “Since I was a kid I loved nature. My culture was humans and animals. But I felt like we were all connected and everything had a domino effect,” said Ibarra, who has lived in Asheville, NC for nearly three years. “When something happened to a living being, something else was affected. It was a chain of changes. I couldn’t...

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